Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Pew Research Center”
The great American middle class has become an anxious class – and it’s in revolt. Before I explain how that revolt is playing out, you need to understand the sources of the anxiety. Start with the fact that the middle class is shrinking, according to a new Pew survey. The odds of falling into poverty are frighteningly high, especially for the majority without …
– Some things you never knew regarding Latin American beaches and beachfront properties…
-An update on the Latin real estate bubble. Looks like the first place it’s going to pop in is Panama so get ready to scout out the deals..
-A discussion of Latin Airport departure fees. There seems to be a frantic race by Latin government pin-heads to gouge foreign air travellers
-In Latin Countries virtually no one has clean municipal tap water. 50% of the population has water pressure only part of the day and another 15% of Latins have no running water in their houses at all(they bathe and pull water from a river or lake). So what does all that mean for Expats living down here expecting flawless first-world water delivery systems? Should we be worried?
For example: Panama is #5 in the world for total yearly rainfall (out of 200 countries) yet half the population doesn’t have 24/7 access to water. Why? It’s just normal Latin lazy-ass corrupt government again: what else is new?
-Is Costa Rica the next Greece? Sure looks like…
-Ecuador has decided it wants to be a Big Brother state just like the USA.
You won’t believe what kind tough of BB surveillance laws they have been passing lately. But can or will they be enforced?
Well… this is Latin America, and technology and cameras do need maintenance. And the “M” word is not yet in the Latin vocabulary. So at first maybe there’ll be a kind of crack down while everything works, but after some months it may just revert to Latin business as usual. We’ll see…
-Today we discuss a very special place called the Lake Atitlan district in Guatemala. No one who stays there more than a few days is unaffected by it. Now I’m certainly no romantic sentimentalist, but I have to admit it really does leave an indelible memory.
-Some more talk about how illegals send “remisas” ($) back to their Latin countries of origin in a variety of ways. Because these guys are illegals, under the radar, and don’t want to get caught and deported, they do try to use anonymous ways of sending cash home as much as possible. That said, expats and gringos who might (and should) want to keep a low profile can use many of these same (quite legal) methods to move small amounts of $ around themselves. People are always finding new ways and the possibilities seem to be endless.
-Some tips on different cellphone service providers and the general use of cell phones in Latin America
-Hi tech drones (not those hobby toys) have arrived in Latin America
-The state of consumer product recalls in Latin America and the true meaning of, ”Buyer Beware”.
-A thoughtful Canadian reveals the truth about living with “Big Brother” up in the Great White North. He tells us how Canada is slowly becoming unbearable and how he and his wife hope to make their escape to Latin America soon.
Pew Research Center WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 22, 2015) – A majority of the public (59%) says science and religion often conflict, while 38% says science and religion are mostly compatible. But people’s sense that there is a conflict between religion and science seems to have less to do with their own religious beliefs than it does with their perceptions of …
– Trump’s tax plan would raise deficit $12 trillion: analysis, It seems everyone who tries to revise the tax system would add stupid money to the deficit. But that’s Okay, Donald will simply call the people who came up with this number “losers”, and “weak”.
– Visas to import talent help copycats to take US jobs abroad. What, you mean somebody’s gaming the system? Here’s where immigration reform ought to happen, and right away.
– Missouri finds Planned Parenthood didn’t mishandle fetal tissue. Think that will stop the political gasbags that are trying to defund Planned Parenthood? They do this because they think they can get away with it.
– Police killing in Delaware brings calls for inquiry. This guy was in a wheelchair! And of course, he was black.
– Georgia executes woman on Death Row despite clemency bid and Pope’s plea. Yes Francis did call for the abolition of the death penalty, but in the US, the executions will keep on coming.
– Slavery reparations call overshadows Cameron’s visit to Jamaica. Not quite sure how this happened, but reparations has become a front burner issue outside the US. And it seems, Cameron’s “nothing to see here” attitude isn’t going over well at all.
– Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria. Putin ain’t playin. He says he’s going after Islamic State, but he also says he’s helping Assad, thereby putting Obama in a box.
– House GOP hardliners agitate to have one of their own in a leadership role. These folks at least know what they want. Did progressives in Congress get one of their own in a leadership role? Must have missed that one.
– Top Republican admits Benghazi committee is all about attacking Hillary Clinton. If that’s the case, Obama should call for its immediate abolition. Wanna take odds he won’t?
– House Republicans are quietly advancing their next tactic to dismantle Obamacare. And the time, unlike the other 50 times, they’re serious!
Are they fools or fascists? Probably the former, but there was a disturbing cast to the second GOP debate, a vituperative jingoism reminiscent of the xenophobia that periodically scars Western capitalist societies in moments of disarray. While the entire world is riveted by the sight of millions of refugees in terrifying exodus attempting to save drowning and starving children, we …
-Did you know that there are so-called 100% bilingual Latins and there are 100% bilingual Latins? There are big differences! That said, don’t think just any so-called bilingual Latin person might fit your needs- for example as a top-notch secretary or girl Friday in your new Latin-based business. Note that just because a Latin person has passed that all-important TOFEL international English competency exam and has the diplomas to prove it, doesn’t mean he or she had the instant capacity to handle any or all of your needs. Such persons will undoubtedly have some bad habits. You must from the start be as vigilant as a hawk and set first-world standards.. or disappointments will surely follow.
-You can easily put an ad in the classifieds or on the internet looking for just such a bilingual person to hire as a guide or as a translator or whatever. Some young college-aged Latins are 80% to 100% bilingual and really can help you immensely. But note that the vast majority of said persons will not be able to write an email or business letter any better than a stateside 4th grader. There are two reasons for this: one is that 95% of these bilingual people went to crappy public universities and were taught English by non-native English speakers with bad accents who in turn learned their English from non-native English speakers with bad accents (i.e., non-gringos) etc., etc. The second reason most can’t write a decent letter is that many bilingual types have no one to talk to so they are always out of practice. To be nimble one must stay in the game!.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
A common trend in recent human history is this: we think something isn’t harmful, but find out it really is years after its introduction into the global marketplace. Cigarettes are the most obvious example, but the use of cell phones may very well become just as vilified. We now live in an era where children born today are introduced to cell phones and …
Puerto Rico’s governor may have said the commonwealth’s debt is unpayable, but that doesn’t mean Puerto Ricans aren’t going to pay for it. Vulture capitalists are circling the island, ready to extract still more wealth from the impoverished island. You already know the drill: Capital is sucked out by corporate interests that pay little in taxes, budget deficits grow and …
Laura Browder is the latest example of how harsh America can be on working mothers. When an employer called [3] the Houston mother of two to meet up for a job interview, she didn’t have time to line up childcare. Browder ended up taking her 2-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter with her to the interview location, a local mall, where she kept an eye …
