Expat Files – 10.09.15

-How many stateside people really get the somber message that the so called “American Dream” has taken an abrupt U-Turn and has relocated south of the boarder (south of Mexico too)? It will never be back.

-Investing in the Latin Bank CD’s? Should you or shouldn’t you:
With Latin Bank CD’s giving US dollar interest rates up to 8%, and with Local funny money CD rates at 10 to 15% per year shouldn’t an expat at least consider it and test the waters? Find out more here…

-Chicken is a Latin diet staple. Unfortunately, bad things are happening in their poultry world and Latins don’t have a clue. In fact they are setting themselves and future generations up for a rude awakening. The signs and signals can already be seen… but only by gringos with a good eye for details. Its the downside of the “Gringo Advantage”.

Expat Files – 10.04.15

-Everything you wanted to know about pirate CD’s and pirate CD vendors. Watch out! To make a sale, they will tell you anything you want to hear. Should you even buy from them at all?

-Those Crazy Expat Gringo Bars: What they’re really like? Who you might meet there? Who should you avoid? What to keep an eye out for? Ten good reasons why you don’t want to make a habit of hanging at those places.

UH Study Links Facebook Use to Depressive Symptoms

The social media site, Facebook, can be an effective tool for connecting with new and old friends. However, some users may find themselves spending quite a bit of time viewing Facebook and may inevitably begin comparing what’s happening in their lives to the activities and accomplishments of their friends. According to University of Houston (UH) researcher Mai-Ly Steers, this kind …

“FACEBOOK’S POWER IS TO SORT WHAT PEOPLE SEE AND TO SCREEN INFORMATION. THAT’S BASICALLY WHAT GOOGLE DOES, TOO”

“Terms of Service,” the first book from the young cultural critic Jacob Silverman, is less an argument than a tour. Its subject is the Internet—or, more accurately, what Silverman calls “the social web,” which could be loosely defined as either a) an Internet experienced tailored to YOU!, or b) a surveillance system that comes equipped with some nice photo-saving and message-sharing …

Information Warfare: Automated Propaganda and Social Media Bots

NATO has announced that it is launching an “information war” against Russia. The UK publicly announced a battalion of keyboard warriors to spread disinformation. It’s well-documented that the West has long used false propaganda to sway public opinion. Western military and intelligence services manipulate social media to counter criticism of Western policies. Such manipulation includes flooding social media with comments supporting the government and large corporations, using armies of …

A New Magazine for the 1%

On February 22, the New York Times breathlessly unveiled its redesigned Sunday magazine. The cover featured a globe in the blackness of space with the tagline “Hello, World.” “A Remade Magazine, Thinking Globally” the paper proclaimed on its front page, emphasizing that the new design would showcase international stories and embody “a renewed spirit of inquiry that is both subversive and sincere.” Better adjectives, once …