General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt is closing 16 of its lending offices in Costa Rica
General Electric’s CEO Jeffrey Immelt is making $20 million a year, living in a mansion in New England, and selling parts to the Iranian military that are being used to make weapons that are killing, American Troops in Iraq.
GE has long had a corporate presence in Iran, which U.S. officials say is providing weapons and training for Shiite militias in the Iraq conflict. GE also owns MSNBC and a strong supporter of President Obama, stands to gain big time with their lending services GE Capital who have asked for over $6 billion in stimulus money, not counting getting involved in Obama’s new Health Care packages, where GE stands to make billions off on their health care network.
GE thought they expand their lending services back in 2005, by purchasing 49.99% of the Red Financiera BAC and compete for a piece of the personal credit action against Banco Nacional, CrediTicos, Instacredit and among others.
Obviously, all is not going well for GE in Costa Rica when they opened up for business in 2006 doing business as GE Money. And in 2007 GE Consumer Finance (another spinoff) also purchased Miravalles through BAC San José, converting the Miravalles locations into GE Money. Read more... (370 words, 2 images, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)
The Contractor is being accused of cutting the road to steep which allows to much sediment to flow into the natural waterwaya.
After many years it looked like the San Jose – Caldera new highway was going on schedule and be completed in February 2010. This much-awaited Autopista del Sol (The autopista, a concession highway where users pay a toll) that will dramatically cut travel time from the Central Valley to the central Pacific beaches. Since May, 2009, year Costa Ricans have experience delays, traffic chaos, and toll road hikes caused by this expansion. See Costa Rica Toll and Gas hikes
But it looks like they will have to continue with more hardships – suddenly the Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo, Costa Rica’s nation’s environmental panel, court stopped construction on much of the new highway from Ciudad Colón to Orotina after many of the tolls booths had been open.
The environmental unit, the Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo, said Thursday it was concerned by the effects of construction was having on the Barva acquifer and the direct or indirect effects on about 20 rivers and streams west of Ciudad Colón. The main concern is the flow of sediment into the waterways. The contractor has been criticized. Read more... (418 words, 1 image, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)
A Protestant Pastor can not marry you in Costa Rica, only a attorney or Catholic Priest.
Many engaged couples looking to have their wedding in Costa Rica are not aware of the required documents, rules and regulations pertaining to marriage in this country. For instance, only a Catholic Priest or a Costa Rica Lawyer can marry a couple in Costa Rica, a Protestant Pastor may not. Here is all the up-to-date information needed to have a civil ceremony in Costa Rica.
If neither the Bride nor the Groom is Costa Rican: Read more... (774 words, 1 image, estimated 3:06 mins reading time)
- Each person must have a valid passport which does not expire for 6 months, and you must submit two copies of each to your lawyer
- You will need to locate and hire a local attorney to marry you and file your paperwork. If you are being wed at a hotel, the hotel will likely recommend an attorney or hire one for you. If the hotel does locate one, it will likely cost around $500 USD; however if you hire one on your own it will likely cost around $300. If one person’s first language is not Spanish, then a translator must be present and the ceremony must be held in both languages
Cost Rica's Animal Shelter near San Rafael has a great adopt a dog and cat program.
After the Jan. 8 Cinchona earthquake, dogs were running free, which caused problems. The Costa Rica Animal Shelter near San Rafael de Heredia rescued many and placed them in new homes.
The shelter also offers veterinary care and spay/neuter services and is run and operated by Dutch expat Lilian Schnog. The shelter also offers an adopt a pet dog, puppy or cat program, all is require is a small donation, a bigger one if you can afford it. 
However, if you are without money for, care is not refused, but a donation is sometimes forced upon you. Which is Okay, the shelter operates on a shoe string budget and relies on donations from other animals rights organizations world-wide to help with the daily operation.
All animals that are set aside for adoption have been spayed or neutered. The dogs mostly are of mutt breed, and not the expensive purebred canines.
The shelter is “no kill policy” so many of the dogs and cats that are not adopted remain there for their natural life span. Only for humanitarian reasons are the animals killed, such as cancer and diabetics. Read more... (397 words, 1 image, estimated 1:35 mins reading time)
Just Smile
That is one of the best pieces of travel advice I’ve received. Smiling is something we sometimes forget, but it would do us all well to consider its importance when in a foreign culture. Best of all it is easy, it’s free and its benefits are priceless.
Often in our busy lives we are so focused on accomplishment and getting things done that we forget why we are here in the first place. Generally speaking the purpose of the work we are caught up in, is for the support of our life and our families and for our own gratification. And what is our underlying motivation for supporting those things? Simple happiness, of course. And when we are happy, we smile.
At some point, feeling the pressure of being caught like a hamster running on a wheel, we decide to take a vacation or maybe even break away altogether from the North American lifestyle. But we humans are creatures of habit and many of us have trouble shedding the mentality of the culture we have come from. That is especially true for those of us from the big city. Read more... (576 words, 2 images, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)
