Our future when we love sport

In some months I should decide my future. Go to university is one chance I have ever wished. I have always been quite sure that I wanted to become an engineer. But now the moment is coming and I'm a little bit afraid, I will be an engineer? Is what I want? And the answer always is the same: I don't know. The only way to discover it is trying it. I have been playing tennis for many years it would be a shame to give up right now. Spain universities don't offer the possibility to follow both ways, you have to choose. But last year, recommended by a tennis friend, I decided to go to study abroad, where I have the opportunity to keep playing tennis and I can approach my tennis level to achieve a scholarship. It's a big opportunity to have two ways to earn money. Adding to that, I will learn another language, and not any, the current most international recognized one. I have to say that I'm just looking to nice part, once there I will have to earn good marks to keep the academic scholarship, I will have to train really hard and achieve good results, it will take a lot of time and I also want to enjoy the university. So it might be harder to if would study here but I think it's what I must do.

Asiatic industry has sunk Spanish industry

Every day all of us are surrounded by thousands of Chinese, Indian, Taiwnese... stuff. Is very difficult to find national products in all directions: electronic devices, clothes, decoration... Most of the items we need are produced in underdeveloped areas. The low cost of production in those countries have moved most of our industry to import and produce there. It causes unemployment and a hard competition with the local shops. But the issue is the result of our acts. In fact, at least me, I don't have brought my industry to China. It has done it rich and powerful people. But, nowadays, they are even richer than before, while there are many closed shops and the biggest taxes of unemployment. I also have to admit that our fault is to buy always the cheapest item in the shop, forgetting their provenance. Now, my question is: has it been a good bet to look only for low cost products? And the answer is: not, definitely it hasn't been a good decision. But it's just our fault? We could choose? We CAN choose? Or society said consume! and we just consumed? There are a lot of ethic questions to do about this topic. I fear I have a limited knowledge to speak about this topic so I am going to let the questions at the air, to make you reflect.

Cruelty towards bulls

It can seem archaic but nowadays in the 21st century, we are still allowing violence and crimes against animals. For instance, Catalonia's government has prohibited bullfights, but they are still allowed in the rest of Spain. Some people see this "show", specifically "carnage", as an art but, in my opinion, it's anything else than a combination between cruelty and desire to kill. The worst is that people, like you and like me, support this. They enjoy watching who a murder with a sword fights against an defenseless animal. My question is: Why? EVERYBODY knows who is going to win. Do they want to see an exciting "game"? Okay, so give one sword and the same intelligence to the bull. After the bullfighter kills the poor animal, plenty of blood, he cuts his nail and ears. 

I really wish the prohibition of bullfights. It's a shame that Spain is identified with this carnage. These shows are similar to the roman's fights, two thousand years ago....

This song is in Spanish but, from my point of view, it descrives very well my opinion. I must add that I'm not alone thinking we must report bullfights, there is a lot of people who think the same. 

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"

Cross-dressing wins Eurovision

A bearded Austrian drag act who has been compared to Kim Kardashian, has won Europe's biggest song contest.

Conchita Wurst, whose real name is Tom Neuwirth, won the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday.

Wurst won easily, beating the Dutch and the Swedish entrants into second and third place, respectively, in the contest loved — and hated — in equal measure for its kitschy appeal.

Wurst, who was compared to Kardashian last year for copying her look when she appeared at a Vienna ball, said her victory was one for "respect and tolerance".

Conchita Wursts whose name is Tom Newirth won the Eurovision "festival", she represented Austria singing a song of respect and tolerance. She sang with beard and girl voice. This claim of tolerance in her song was reflected on the way she considers and wants for herself. Spain obtained the 10th place. This year the spectacle on the scenery was amazing, each show was fantastic, involving their plays with light effects.

That's fantastic, I didn't see the festival, but if she won is because she deserved it, undoubtedly. Her winning shows once more the open-minded ideology from European people. In my opinion, is fantastic that people support minority groups. In fact, there is an article from The Rights Declaration which says that everybody has the right of the free thought and he/she can't be judged for it. So I haven't anything to add, congratulations to Conchita and good luck. I'm glad of her bravery and people counsciousness. 

Link to the news

Drag
Kitschy

Child soldiers

SIBUT, Central African Republic — Not long ago, Charly had all the money he needed. He had a rebel uniform that commanded fear in his hometown. He had an AK-47, and he wasn't afraid to use it.

He was still a boy, but he felt like a man.

Now he has returned to his old life. He is once again a helpless boy. The thought of it makes him sit rigid with anger, his eyes flashing.

"See the shoes I'm wearing," the teenager snapped, pointing at a pair of dusty blue flip-flops. The soles were so full of holes that he might as well have been barefoot.

With the rebels, he said, it was different: "I had boots, a uniform and a gun in my hand."

With the rebels, he had power.

The conflict tearing the Central African Republic apart has not only turned neighbor against neighbor. It has brought childhood to a halt.

Children have seen their parents hacked to pieces. They have watched as boys and girls just like them were shot or maimed. Some have been forced to make cold calculations far beyond their years, taking up arms with the same fighters who upended their lives or killed their relatives.

In Central African Republic, children were recruited as a soldier. This is an interview to a child who retoke his old life, but he isn't happy about it. He has poor resources they told that it was better the soldier life because he had footwear, a uniform and moreover a gun which is synonymous of power. He realize his extremely life conditions makes him yearn the power. When children return to their homes, they often have nightmares and sequels of the war. Moreover many girls get pregnant by the soldiers.

In my opinion, it's difficult to say my position. Of course I don't agree with what is happening. But I will probably describe an ideal world. Is logic there mustn't be any child soldier, even more there mustn't be any soldier nor any war. But there are wars, soldiers and child soldiers. There is a big work remaining in Africa and in some third world countries. There are hunger and extreme life conditions. Here, in Europe, child wishes are a new electronic gadget or some multi-functional stuff, while in Africa they wish footwear and something to eat. Something is not working. And the solution is not on my hands nor in my head, I'm just a teenager. But I'm sure all together we can change this. 

Link of the news

Flashing

Snapped

Halt

First lady condemns abduction of nigerian schoolgirls

WASHINGTON — In a rare venture into foreign policy, Michelle Obama on Saturday condemned the abduction of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by terrorists and said that she and President Obama had been personally touched by what she called an “unconscionable” act.

“In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters,” the first lady said in the weekly radio address that is normally delivered by her husband. “We see their hopes, their dreams — and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now.”

Boko Haram, the Nigerian terrorist network, has claimed responsibility for abducting 276 girls from a school last month. The taking of the girls and concern about their fate has prompted nations around the world to offer help to the Nigerian government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Obama said last week that he had ordered a team of military intelligence specialists and hostage negotiators to Nigeria to help in the search.

Mrs. Michelle Obama appeared on TV the mother's day, asking for the liberation of more than 200 scholar Nigerian girls kidnapped by a terrorist group "Boko Aaram". The abductor threaten to sell the girls as slaves, they want private them of their education. Mr. Obama said that education is a birthright.

This kind of terrorism shows the power and danger of some armed persons, and awakes the global people's civic sense. We have studied the human rights and this is an example of an extreme violation. This news also reflects the ideology of some radical groups which are against women education and equality. Nowadays, through the technology, we are able to know what is happening very far away from our houses and we have to approach it to report cases like that. I really hope international power or military can save these girls and prevent similar cases.

Link to the news

Abtuction

Fate
Prompted

Marco Rubio says human activity isn't causing climate change

WASHINGTON — Senator Marco Rubio on Sunday said he was ready to be president, becoming the second potential Republican candidate recently to drop big hints about 2016 as he vies for early attention in a crowded field of maybes.

Mr. Rubio of Florida said on ABC’s “This Week” that while he was waiting until the end of the year to consider the decision, he thought he had a “vision” for the nation’s future and a strategy for achieving it, among other qualifications that he said he shared with other potential candidates.

“I do,” he said when asked whether he thought he was ready for the presidency. “I mean, but I think that’s true for multiple other people that would want to run.”

Marco Rubio, a politician of Florida presidential contender for 2016 does not believe human activity is causing the climate change. About two-thirds of American said that they believed there was "solid evidence the Earth is warming" according to a poll by the Pew Research Center. On the other side, democrats are convinced that we are the only guilt of the temperature rise of the planet. 

In my opinion, it's just political. Marco Rubio did this statement in order to gain votes. He was criticizing Obama's program to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, that it costs a lot of money. According to scientists the main cause of the global warming is the human activity. So I believe it might be true, and this politician must concentrate on his area and let the experts speak. Because a public figure like him that can influence a lot of people, can cause a catastrophic effect on the planet.

Link to the news

Drop big hints

Michael Scumacher shows signs of improvement

Michael Schumacher's family are feeling "great happiness" at the way his condition is improving, according to ex-F1 star Jean Alesi.

The seven-time world champion has been in an induced coma in Grenoble hospital since Dec 29 after a skiing accident in the resort of Meribel.

And Alesi, who raced against Schumacher for a decade until his retirement in 2001, told motorsport magazine Speedweek that his former on-track rival does appear to be getting better, albeit a long way from recovering fully.

"During my last visit I noticed something had improved," he explained.

I felt a relief among his family, a great happiness at how things were developing. That is brilliant - even if the road back is still a long one."

It's the second positive piece of news about Schumacher in the last week after his manager, Sabine Kehm, said that the F1 star is showing "moments of consciousness and awakening".

She explained: “Michael is making progress on his way. He shows moments of consciousness and awakening.”

“We are on his side during his long and difficult fight, together with the team of the hospital in Grenoble and we keep remaining confident.”

It comes after current world champion Sebastian Vettel sent his best wishes for his compatriot ahead of last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, saying: "It is very good to hear it's going in the right direction."

F1 German legend Michael Schumacher had a ski accident. He was on holidays enjoying of his second favorite sport when he fell at a low velocity while he was skiing off-piste. Despite of being an expert his shock was critical, he lost the consciousness and he was transferred to the Grenoble hospital. The news affected all around the world. 

Nowadays, the brilliant pilot keeps without counsciousness but, how it says the news, he is improving. 

I'm a fan of F1, so it was very sad when I heard the news. He was very quick driving his car; he had a natural talent in front of the velocity. Who would it say? He didn't have any accident as serious as this one. I'm very happy to hear that he is improving, I hope he will awake shortly. But these kind of problems use to have negative effects on the brain and he probably won't return as good as before. 
Good luck Scumi!

Link to the news

Former

Albeit

Human rights

First of all, we must establish the definition of “human rights” which is “The rights you have simply because you’re human”. There are thirty of them written in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948. It was created after the Second World War trying to avoid any similar situation and guarantee everybody’s rights. Since thousands years ago until nowadays, the society has suffered an evolution that has increased human recognitions.

I didn't know the 12th article (No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks). 

violation example

This week Zubizarreta (Barça directive) and Luis Enrique (next Barça's coach) have met in Gava to speak, allegedly, about the coach's contract. They met in Enrique's house and they were recorded for many TV programms. In my opinion, that's an article dumped out and this happens in every caountry and for any kind of famous. The only way to change this is not being much onlookers.

Can money buy everything: The marketisation of society?

1. Up for sale.

2. Civic values/goods that markets do not honour they can't buy.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my opinion we can find both cases but in different kinds of person. According to the video we saw, the only limit we find in the society is the civic sense, which is a comfortable feeling. We feel that we are taking part of system that protects us, and we sacrifice some things to keep it. So the key of the problem is to discover the reason that makes the difference.

On one hand, we have the people who don't have civic sense, they fell superior or inferior. For example, some rich people, maybe because they feel upper than the rest, they don't coincide with majorities' opinion. These people believe that they have enough money to buy almost everything and it's maybe true, they can contract personal workers, they can buy and do any sort of thing... In this group we can include people who have been separated from the rest of the society so they are not grateful with the others and their objectives are selfish. In this group, in my opinion, we also can put people without economic resources which feel spiteful against the society.

On the other hand we find, in my opinion, the majority of the population: educated people by the current system. It's the biggest group and they have a community sense, they fit in and participate actively, working and spending.

To resume, we can not find just a uniform ideology nowadays instead of this we have a distinguished two points of view.

Formal letter

C/ Capitan, 19

18958 Sant Llorenç

2nd April, 2014

Mr Obama

White house

Washington DC

Dear sir,

First of all, I would like to say that I admire you so much. You are doing a fantastic job. I am so glad with your economic policy. But I think that build a noisy airport near the residence zone is a big mistake. So I would like to ask for a project's reconsideration.

I appreciate the commercial potential an airport can bring to the town. Adding to that, it can increase foreign visitors. But the town's committee agree that it will bring many health problems and it will be dangerous. We understand the main function of a government is to protect society's lifes while people give their freedom to the commanders. If you keep moving forward with your project, you will not fight for our health and then you will dump out Human Rights ("everybody has their own freedom just for being human").

All in all, I would be grateful if you change the airport location. I'm looking forward to receiving your answer.

Yours sincerelly.

Major of Sant Llorenç.

Interview with a career expert

Good morning everyone. Today, here in "What happens Castelló?", we are going to interview Mary McCarley, the most famous engineer in the world, currently working in the U.S government.

- Hi Mary. First of all, how are you?

- God morning John, I'm fine thank you, just a bit asleep. 

-  Let's start with the interview. You are working as an engineer, aren't you?

- Yes, since 1999.

- I suppose you studied engineering. Where did you get your degree?

- Well, I studied in the local University but then I did the master in France because I wanted to learn the language.

- How many years has it token?

- Hmm... Six years, it seems a lot but when you're there it passes quite fast.

- How did you felt when you got your first job?

- Wow, there was an amazing shock of emotins inside my brain. I was terrified to start a new step of my life and to have responsability for the first time. However, I was excited to take part in the industrial world and have the posibility to learn new techniques. Adding to that, I was going to earn money, so it was a turn to the right for me.

- Jaja, have you been in other companies? If so, how many?

- Yes I have worked in... five different companies but just at four as engineer. 

- Is hard to be engineer?

- No, well... it depends on your interest in front of new technologies.

- Does your job let you free time?

- An engineer schedule is similiar to all the other jobs... But  my current job takes me a lot of time and it's hard to work for the U.S government.

- Do you recommend to be an engineer?

- Hmm... It's not a bed of roses, sincerally. You have to work. But which is an easy career? Everybody must do whatever they want.

- Okay Mary, thank you very much.

- It has been a pleasure.

Tomorrow we have a surprise to our spectators. Don't miss the next program. Byebye from "What happens Castelló?". See you tomorrow.

Are we too dependant on mobile phones?

It's said that young people are the most nomophobic group, and it should be true, but there is a wide range of people which is addicted to electronic devices like mobile phones.

Firstly, mobiles are really useful. In fact, the have been porbably the most important discovery for several years ago. It's very easy to understand, mobile phones are even faster and more functional than computers, furthermore they can call, take and share photos quickly, they have alarm and hundreds of applications... That's why a lot of people use it daily. It's also said that children soak up information like a sponge. For these reasons we "need" it and in some cases, too much.

  

But, in my opinion, every new discovered stuff needs a testing period in order to find out all the challenges it can drive. Nowadays we are in the mobile phone's testing time and, so far, we are using it too much. We must try to control this addiction and be aware of the devices' radiation.

All in all, mobile phones are so interesting and useful but we must watch closely its adiction and its possible problems.

 

A soulmate for me

Actually, I've never though about it. Are you sure that everybody has one soulmate? I don't think so, in my opinion we just create our perfect idea of person according to the person we have fallen in love with. So, to me, my soulmate must have the following attributes:

The most important thing is that she has to be a girl. Then she has to have a cute face with a nice smile, her eyes and hair can be of different colours but I prefer bright ones. She must be tall, fit and slin, in short good looking. 

Some features about her character must be similiar to mine but not all of them. I appreciate morality and honesty very much. Obviously she must be good-tempered and independent (in some cases). So my perfect girl must be a good person.

All in all, I've written a society's model of girl because it's difficult to describe my soulmate. Probably, a girl with the above qualities might not stay with me so I will search another kind of person, but I'm not worried about it. As I said before, everybody finds his/her soulmate in the person who loves.

 

Final post

That's the last post of the course.... it's also the last homework I will do to first batchieller... what can I say... I'm very happy! After a hard working year I have finish all my work. As a philosopher said years ago, "the world is moved by pleasures", so now we will enjoy the next summer as it was the last. 

This year I have improved my english level and these final essays are uncomparable with for example an interview that I made in the first term. I have an extra motivation in english lessons because I imagine myselve in a class in the USA. I will need to understand a lot of cientific names and what the teacher is saying... so I must study hard during next year. Now I'm waiting first exam results every second more nervous, I finish the exam happy but now I think that I will not pass. 

Probably I will continue this blog next year and I promise that I will do it more regularly, because this year I have done the blog too much fast.

I hope you will have a good summer and a good relax! See you soon :)

Arià

Documentary

In class we watched an  interesting documentary that made a little sumary of the evolution of the earth and the effects that the humans have caused to it. We are more dangerous than any other specie, we have wiped out a lot of other types of animals and we are going to a near autodestruction of the human race. The documentary which is very powerful shows us how much important has been the use of fuel, it has increased the velocity of the climate change and much changes.

 Their images were really amazing, taken from all arround the world. I haven't seen this video before I hadn't hear of it too. I think that it should be interesting that it could be seen for everybody because that's an important topic that we must respect. However the fuel will run out nearer than we think so we should develope a new ecologic technology. 

Humans have to admit and recognize that we can't do whatever we want without consequences, we also must learn that we aren't alone on the earth and we can't manipulate the nature like our own body, the earth is a place where much animal live on and we must understand that as soon as posible.  

Strange moments in the high school

I have thought that it should be interesting that I explain a funny story that happened to me few years ago... I will keep some names in the mystery because I have to study one more year in the center and I don't want to be involved in any problem.

One friend and me were always going to the school library to play a stupid football game, almost every day, we only were there at last five minutes but one day the "library's teacher" (as you probably know is a bit hard with the students),  came to us and she started to shout very loud. She asked us what were we doing and we only could answer that we were doing a project for the history teacher about the epic football teams. We had to lie but for a good reason. We stopped going to the library and we were very frightened, during a pair of weeks, of the history teacher. He didn't say nothing so all went perfectly. 
I have other funny stories like when I arrived twenty minutes late to the english class, because my friend didn't go to school this day... 
And... when I was near to recive an expultion because I forgot to advice a substitute teacher...
I'm so shy so I try to pass undetected in all the classes where I go but always happen such things to me.

Record and upload audio >>

Security is being increased in Brazil's biggest cities after protesters announced they would go ahead with mass demonstrations planned for Thursday.

Security is being increased in Brazil's biggest cities after protesters announced they would go ahead with mass demonstrations planned for Thursday.

Security is being increased in Brazil's biggest cities after protesters announced they would go ahead with mass demonstrations planned for Thursday.

Protesters in Sao Paulo said they would take to the streets "to celebrate" the reversal of a public-transport fare increase announced on Wednesday.

The protests, which were originally triggered by the increase, have since grown into a much wider movement.

Demonstrators are angry at corruption and spending on next year's World Cup.

Fenced off

The authorities in the city of Rio de Janeiro have erected barricades around the state legislature building, which was vandalised during protests on Monday.

The state governor's office, Guanabara Palace, has also been secured by a double layer of barricades.

Workers have also fenced off the elevated walkways opposite the mayor's office and at central underground train stations.

Protesters told the BBC's Julia Carneiro in Rio they would not march to the city's Maracana stadium, which will be hosting a Confederations Cup match between Spain and Tahiti at the time

Sincerely I understand perfectly the protesters because it should be very unfair if they  live without some privileges and then their governament spend millions of pounds in a sports event. So I think that these demostrations are justified because the most important thing in a society are the persons who live in. However the world cup has been placed in Brasil and nowadays is very difficult to change the place because there are some international rules. Brasilian people have to approach the turism that it will bring to the country, and the governament must spend some money to improve the city and the security in it. This is the most pleased point to improve, security, they have problems of some bands that lives in "chavelas" and there, there isn't any drugs control and of course any gun's control. I think that it's a perfect opportunity to eliminate the corruption, because most countries are focused on Brasil and the their athletes.

The demonstrations maybe will be useful but in my opion they have done them to much late.

bbc

Self evaluation

Arià Canadell: Global warming
Presentation (10%)	Do you use any resources? Are the resources relevant and attractive and focused on the topic? Do they support your presentation? Is the timing 5-7 minutes? The presentation was correct in my opinion because it supported the content of the explanation and it had photos of all the causes-effects we explained.		10
Body language and eye contact (10%)	Are you looking at your audience most of the time? Are you reading occasionally from your notes? Are you doing any gestures / movement to hold the attention of the audience? I'm always trying it but while I'm nervous I can't control my eyes at all. Then I read at last a pair of sentences that I think is very normal.		10
Structure (10%)	Do you organize your ideas in order of importance? Do you use discourse markers to make your ideas more clear? Well, instead of organize the ideas in order of importance we had organized them in causes and effects of the global warming.		10
Content (40%)	Do you introduce interesting, NEW information to your audience? Is your information detailed and clear? Do you give / show examples? Is your information copied from a source or is it original? Did you look up information/facts/ideas in the Internet/books…? We didn't introduce new information because a week before other group explain the global warming so we repeat much information. We addapted internet's information but we only could make a little summary without a lot informtion, it didn't contain any examples because we couldn't find them....		20
Language (20%)	Is your grammar correct, complex? Is your vocabulary rich and varied? Do you use sentence linkers? Do you use pause fillers? The grammar was easy to understand and to memorize, the sentences were good stuctured but I don't know if I changed some sentences during the presentation to the class.		10
Pronunciation and intonation (10%)	Do you know how to pronounce all your words? Did you check the pronunciation with a dictionary, a classmate or the teacher? Do you change your tone of voice or use a monotone tone all the time? Did you speed in a fluid continuum or with breaks and interruptions? I check difficult words in the dicctionary and other ones that I asked to Christian. My pronunciation in the explanation wasn't perfect of course but I try to pronunce all the "complex" words good.		5
65/100

Oral presentation

The right definition of “global warming” is, as you probably know, the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since 19th century and it will rise more and more if we do nothing.

Scientists have spent decades looking for what is causing global warming. They've looked at the natural cycles and events that are known to influence climate. The only way to explain this rise of temperature is including the effect of greenhouse gases emitted by humans. We produce too much carbon dioxide, the vegetation can’t transform all the carbon dioxide so the gases are being kept in the atmosphere. How you can see in the second photo less re-radiated heats escapes into space. So the energy is not escaping well from the earth and we keep temperature. Our greenhouse effect that usually protect us, now are raising energy levels, but it’s our fault. 

How you can see in this graphic the temperature is rising very slowly.  But this little change supposes big effects. Now Marc will explain some of the most important global warming’s effects on the earth.

All in all we have to say that our presentation was a bit similar to Ana’s and Xantal’s presentation because the topics were very related. Maybe we can say that humans are killing the earth with our pollution, in my opinion now we can do nothing because we are young and is very difficult that a simple person could make sense to a big company that they have to change. But we can give support to a NGO, working for them or giving money to them.   

Finally we will show a you little video related with the effects of global warming 

Global warming quiz

Firstly I have to say that the quiz was so strange, there were different types of questions: obvious ones (that almost everybody must know), logic questions (that maybe you don't know but after thinking them for a minute you can get the correct answer) and finally some questions that I answered luckily. 

I have passed the global warming quiz but I have failed two questions. The third one asked me which planet was the most pollution by the runaway atmosphere gases, the chances were Mars, Earth, Venus and Jupiter. I put the earth because I thought that it was the only planet which have its own atmosphere, but that was wrong, the correct answer was Venus. Then the eleventh question "Hybrid cars get better gas mileage than cars with standard engines" was very confusing in my opinion. The correct answer was "sometimes" but I put always because I didn't know the answer.