FROM SERGIO

Hi everyone!
I send you a new Pixar´s Trailer from Disney, it is very funny I love it!!!
enjoy yourselves!!!
just click here!!!


Sergio Sánchez Sánchez 2avmA

Judith read this somewhere on facebook and I would like to share it with you all, as it is quite funny and educational.

This is a group for everyone who has spent more than a holiday in Spain & for whom some/all of the following are true....
I noticed France has one of these groups so Spain really should too! I lived in the south of Spain for a year and absolutely loved it, so here are some of my observations about life in Spain. I know some may be more true of the south than everywhere, but still, I hope you like them! And I realise that not everyone will agree, so please understand that these are the comments of a young foreigner who spent a year in Spain rather than a Spanish person! I'm not trying to offend anyone, that is the last thing I want to do. These are just some of the things I noticed about Spanish life which makes it different to life in the UK. And it is meant to be taken as 'tongue in cheek...'

1) You think adding lemonade, fanta or even coke to red wine is a good idea.

2) You can't get over how early bars & clubs shut back home - surely they're shutting just as you should be going out?

3) You aren't just surprised that the plumber/decorator has turned up on time, you're surprised he turned up at all.

4) You've been part of a botellon.

5) You think it's fine to comment on everyone's appearance. And to openly stare at strangers.

6) Not giving every new acquaintance dos besos seems so rude.

7) You're shocked by people getting their legs out at the first hint of sun - surely they should wait until at least late June?

8) On msn you sometimes type 'jajaja' instead of 'hahaha'

9) You think that aceite de oliva is a vital part of every meal. And don't understand how anyone could think olive oil on toast is weird.

10) You're amazed when TV ad breaks last less than half an hour, especially right before the end of films.

11) You forget to say please when asking for things - you implied it in your tone of voice, right?

12) You love the phenomenon of giving 'toques' - but hate explaining it in English

14) You don't see sunflower seeds as a healthy snack - they're just what all the cool kids eat.

15) You know what a pijo is and how to spot one.

16) Every sentence you speak contains at least one of these words: 'bueno,' 'coño,' 'vale,' 'venga,' 'pues nada'...

17) You know what a 'resaca' is.

18) You know how to eat boquerones.

19) A bull's head on the wall of a bar isn't a talking point for you, it's just a part of the decor.

20) You eat lunch after 2pm & would never even think of having your evening meal before 9.

21) You know that after 2pm there's no point in going shopping, you might as well just have a siesta until 5 when the shops re-open.

22) If anyone insults your mother, they better watch out...

23) You know how to change a bombona. And if you don't, you were either lazy or lucky enough to live somewhere nice.

24) It's not rude to answer the intercom to your flat by asking 'Quien?' (or maybe that was just my flatmate...)

25) You don't accept beer that's anything less than ice-cold.

26) You know Bimbo isn't a slutty woman, it's a make of 'pan de molde' (which, incidentally, isn't mouldy)

27) The sound of mopeds in the background is the soundtrack to your life.

28) You know that the mullet didn't just happen in the 80s. It is alive and well in Spain.

29) You know the difference between cojones and cajones, tener calor and estar caliente, bacalao and bakalao, pollo and polla, estar hecho polvo and echar un polvo...and maybe you learned the differences the hard way!

30) On some Sunday mornings you sometimes have breakfast before going to bed, not after you get up.

31) You don't see anything wrong with having a couple of beers before lunch if you feel like it.

32) Floors in certain bars are an ideal dumping ground for your colillas, servilletas etc. Why use a bin?!

33) You see clapping as an art form, not just a way to express approval.

34) You know ensaladilla rusa has nothing to do with Russia.

35) When you burst out laughing every time you see a Mitsubishi Pajero (thanks Stuart Line for reminding me of that one!)

36) You have friends named Jesus, Jose Maria, Maria Jose, Angel, maybe even Inmaculada Concepcion...

37) You know that 'ahora' doesn't really mean now. Hasta ahora, ahora vuelvo...etc

38)When you make arrangements to meet friends at 3, the first person turns up at 3.15...if you're lucky!

39) Central heating is most definitely a foreign concept. In winter, you just huddle around the heater under the table & pull the blanket up over your knees...and sleep with about 5 blankets on your bed! (OK I accepot this is probably just in the south!)

40) When you laugh, you don't laugh your head off - te partas de risa.

41) Aceite de oliva is 'muy sano', of course. So you help yourself to a bit more.

42) Every single news bulletin on TV has at least 10 minutes on Real Madrid news and another 10 on Barcelona news.

43) When it's totally normal for every kitchen to have a deep-fat fryer but no kettle.

44) Te cagas en la leche....

45) To avoid that cheap Eristoff vodka you have to ask for 'un esmirnoff'

46) When you know what a guiri is / have been called one

47) When you add 'super' in front of any adjective for emphasis

48) Blonde girls actually start to think their name is 'rubia'

49) When you accept that paying with a 50 euro note is going to get you a dirty look if you're buying something that costs less than 40 euros

50) If something is great, it's 'de puta madre'

51) You can eat up to 5 times a day - first breakfast, 2nd breakfast around 11.30, almuerzo, merienda, cena

52) You know the jingle for Los Cuarenta Principales...

53) If you see someone wearing a T-shirt with something written on it in English, you can almost guarantee it won't make sense. (Pebble Night was a personal favourite)

54) When you go into a bank/bakery etc, it's standard practice to ask 'Quien es la ultima?'

55) Who needs a dryer when you have a washing line outside the window of your apartment?

56) You know what 'marcha' and 'juerga' are.

57) You are more likely to call your friends tio/a, nena, chaval, macho or even tronco than their real name.

58) Love it or hate it, you can't escape reggaeton.

59) You answer the phone by saying 'Yes', (well, or 'Tell me') and when identifying yourself you say 'I'm...' not 'It's...'. But when you try those tactics back home, everyone thinks you're mad or rude!

60) You carry on buying UHT milk when you get back home and your friends think this is disgusting but you can't understand their point of view.

61) Jamon, jamon y mas jamon....
(Can't say this was my favourite thing, being a a vegetarian and all, but I agree it's very much part of Spanish life!)

62) If you eat a lot of something, you're not going to 'turn into' it, you're going to 'get the face of it,' e.g 'te vas a poner cara de chocolate.' Somehow a lot more amusing!

63) Drinking coffee out of a glass is entirely normal.

64) 'Son las nueve, las ocho en Canarias' is how you are used to hearing radio DJs announce the time

65) You've been to your local town's feria/fiesta/semana santa

66) You're familiar with the term 'la crisis.' And have started shopping at Dia as a result (and of course, you take your own carrier bag).

--
Judith de la Fuente González

Oscar Ceremony 2009

Well, there you are, Pe's speech at the Academy Awards. Listen to a remarkable and obvious Spanish accent and learn to speak better than Penelope Cruz.

BULLYING

Bullying is a common experience for many children and adolescents. Surveys indicate that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, and at least 10% are bullied on a regular basis.
Bullying behavior can be physical or verbal. Boys tend to use physical intimidation or threats, regardless of the gender of their victims. Bullying by girls is more often verbal, usually with another girl as the target. Recently, bullying has even been reported in online chat rooms and through e-mail.
Children who are bullied experience real suffering that can interfere with their social and emotional development, as well as their school performance. Some victims of bullying have even attempted suicide rather than continue to endure such harassment and punishment.
Children and adolescents who bully thrive on controlling or dominating others. They have often been the victims of physical abuse or bullying themselves. Bullies may also be depressed, angry or upset about events at school or at home. Children targeted by bullies also tend to fit a particular profile. Bullies often choose children who are passive, easily intimidated, or have few friends. Victims may also be smaller or younger, and have a harder time defending themselves.
If you suspect your child is bullying others, it's important to seek help for him or her as soon as possible. Without intervention, bullying can lead to serious academic, social, emotional and legal difficulties. Talk to your child's pediatrician, teacher, principal, school counselor, or family physician. If the bullying continues, a comprehensive evaluation by a child and adolescent psychiatrist or other mental health professional should be arranged. The evaluation can help you and your child understand what is causing the bullying, and help you develop a plan to stop the destructive behavior.
If you suspect your child may be the victim of bullying ask him or her to tell you what's going on. You can help by providing lots of opportunities to talk with you in an open and honest way.
It's also important to respond in a positive and accepting manner. Let your child know it's not his or her fault, and that he or she did the right thing by telling you. Other specific suggestions include the following:
• Ask your child what he or she thinks should be done. What's already been tried? What worked and what didn't?
• Seek help from your child's teacher or the school guidance counselor. Most bullying occurs on playgrounds, in lunchrooms, and bathrooms, on school buses or in unsupervised halls. Ask the school administrators to find out about programs other schools and communities have used to help combat bullying, such as peer mediation, conflict resolution, and anger management training, and increased adult supervision.
• Don't encourage your child to fight back. Instead, suggest that he or she try walking away to avoid the bully, or that they seek help from a teacher, coach, or other adult.
• Help your child practice what to say to the bully so he or she will be prepared the next time.
• Help your child practice being assertive. The simple act of insisting that the bully leave him alone may have a surprising effect. Explain to your child that the bully's true goal is to get a response.
• Encourage your child to be with friends when traveling back and forth from school, during shopping trips, or on other outings. Bullies are less likely to pick on a child in a group.
If your child becomes withdrawn, depressed or reluctant to go to school, or if you see a decline in school performance, additional consultation or intervention may be required. A child and adolescent psychiatrist or other mental health professional can help your child and family and the school develop a strategy to deal with the bullying. Seeking professional assistance earlier can lessen the risk of lasting emotional consequences for your child.

Leona Lewis Better In Time Lyrics

Leona Lewis Better In Time Lyrics

It's been the longest winter without you,
I didn't know where to turn to.
See, somehow I can't forget you,
After all that we've been through.

Going, coming... thought I heard a knock
Who's there? No one
Thinking that I deserve it
Now I realize that I really didn't know,

If you didn't notice, boy, you mean everything.
Quickly I'm learning to love again,
All I know is I'm gon' be okay

[Chorus:]
Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too, ooh yeah
(It'll all get better in time)
And even though I really love you,
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time

I couldn't turn on the TV,
Without something there that would remind me
It wasn't all that easy
To just put aside your feelings.
If I'm dreaming, don't wanna lie,
Hurt my feelings

But that's the path

I believe in,
And I know that time will heal it

If you didn't notice, well
You mean everything.
Quickly I'm learning to love again,
All I know is I'm gon' be okay

[Chorus:]
Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too, ooh yeah
(It'll all get better in time)
And even though I really love you,
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to, ooooooh
It'll all get better in time

Since there's no more you and me (no more you and me)
It's time I let you go so I can be free
And live my life how it should be.
No matter how hard it is,
I'll be fine without you, Yes I will.

[Chorus:]
Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too ohhhh
It'll all get better in time ooooh
And even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to (yes I do)
It'll all get better in time, woah

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too, yeahh
It'll all get better in time
And even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to

Leona Lewis: Better in Time

Dedicated to all those who are out of love on St. Valentine's Day. But, don't dispair it's better to be out of love than be in love with the wrong person.Who knows what's in store for us?

Read the article paying attention to the highlighted words or expressions and try to guess the meaning and how to use them.

What women want: the Stepford Husband

Women across Britain are seeking a new model
man who is compliant, does the housework, is considerate in bed and will cut his career to tend the children. Meet the Stepford Husband.

A report published tomorrow to mark Valentine's Day shows the emergence of this new breed. More than half of the women questioned - all young,sophisticated and highly educated - were looking for or had snagged a
Stepford Husband or partner. Luckily for them plenty of men said they were happy to play the role.

'Lots of the women we spoke to were the main breadwinners with younger male partners who were the prime carer where a child was involved,' said Martin Raymond, futures director of Future Laboratory, a consumer forecasting consultancy that
interviewed more than 2,500 people.

'We called them Stepford Husbands because of their compliance,' said Raymond. 'The trend showed
a number of men who were floating between jobs and felt their role was to keep their partner or wife happy.

'They tended to be bankrolled by her but did not feel it questioned their masculinity. The women did not want someone whose career competed with their own.'

The study, on behalf of Match.com, a dating agency, questioned people aged
20 to 45 who were graduates living in urban areas. The consultancy also spoke to a panel of relationship experts. Many of the women who were involved with Stepford Husbands had their own mortgage. They were also the main decision makers in the home, and would often choose all the
furniture. One in three men had his own home but stayed with his partner.

With 75 per cent of women now working full-time, their shift from parent and homemaker to careerist has become inevitable, the report says.

'It is a sign that women these days like their lives,' said Judi James of Match.com. 'Years ago one of the key reasons to get married was to get out of the life you were in. But these women like their jobs, may own property and don't want anything to rock the boat.

'A Stepford Husband is ideal and it is also very attractive to see a man caring for a child.'

James said the men did not mind the shift. 'Stepford Wives had to be taken away and reprogrammed, but research suggests a lot of men are quite happy with this. They are glad to have the choice to stay at home and manage the family without any stigma attached.

'It is a huge relief for women who do want to get married and have a family but do not want to give up work.'

Dr Lisa Matthewman, a chartered psychologist at the University of Westminster, said: 'Women have bigger salaries now so they have more
control and higher expectations. This means that they are more cautious about who they settle down with and can be more picky.'

The study also shows a shift in attitudes towards marriage. Eighty-five per cent of those questioned said they considered a joint mortgage to be a bigger commitment than marriage. 'We are seeing the mortgage overtake the marriage certificate in importance,' it said.

Susan Duffy, 27, met her partner Andrew Charnock, 26, last November. Two months later they bought a house together.

'I had been single for two years and I had been out on dates,' said Ms Duffy. 'But I could tell they were not right straight away. When I met Andrew we just clicked, and it soon turned out we stayed with each other all the time so we decided it was sensible to buy.'

The couple, from Winchburgh, West Lothian, moved in together last month.
'It is a huge commitment but we knew we wanted to do it. For us the mortgage is definitely a bigger thing than getting married,' she added.

Mark Grady, 33, of Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, says he is happy to be a Stepford Husband to Paula, 42.

We met in October 2001, got engaged five months later and were married in May 2003. Our son Max will be one next month. Before he came along I would do cooking every day - I used to love having a meal ready for Paula.

These days I change nappies, wake up in middle of night
for Max and get his meals ready. We share more now but I still do the vacuuming, dusting, washing and ironing. I dress up for Paula when we go out.

I think she finds it reassuring that I do not think it is her place to do the woman's work and that we can share things.

For quite some time Paula was earning substantially more than me, and the
question was raised of me staying at home and looking after Max. I would have loved that - after a while the rat race wears you down and
it would have been a welcome break from the tedium of having to go on a train every day to a job I was not that enamoured with. In the end I started up an IT consultancy and now work from home.

The first time Paula and I met I was waiting for her and this Mercedes pulled up and a woman looked out and said, 'Are you Mark?'

She was working as senior sales manager for a software company. I loved the fact she was a career woman.

We
both had property when we met but her house was nicer so I moved in there. She has decorated the interior but we have similar taste and style.

You can be a Stepford Husband and still be masculine.
Looking after a child and home does not make you any less of a man - it
makes you more a man.

Thanks to Silvia Sedano for sharing this link with all of us.

Watch this video guys! It's really moving and there's lots to learn from a young child.

Exercise addict by Silvia Sedano

Do you feel the urge to do exercise everyday? When you have a
sport-related injury which does not allow you to practice, does it get
on your nerves? Do you prefer to spend time alone in the gym or the
swimming pool rather than spend quality time with your friends and
family?

If you are in any of these situations, that makes it clear how
addicted to exercise you are. In fact, an exercise addict could be
defined as someone who suffers from a compulsion to do physical
exertion and also suffers from withdrawal symtomps whenever it is not
possible. Most of the time, the underlying causes of this addiction are
psychological. For instance, several researchers have pointed out that
the desire to live up to expectations about your shape and figure is
one of the main reasons to take fitness to excess. Besides, another
important purpose when people go to sport facilities is to seek health.
Unfortunately, exercise does not always prevent diseases, and,
moreover, taking fitness over the top could be much more dangerous than
being a sedentary person.

In order to overcome this addiction, making people aware of  the
risks of doing exercise to excess is far and away the most important
thing. As you are an addict you must understand that in terms of
physical exertion, resting is as important as working. On the other
hand, make sure you resist the urge to do exercise, trying to do other
activities such as watching a film or going for a walk. If you could be
in good company it is better, and even easier, than on your own. And
remember that the more time you spend with a friend the more you know
about her or him. Those are my pieces of advice, I hope they have been
useful  to you.

Article by Judith de la Fuente. 2avm A

ARE YOU A TECHNOLOGY ADDICT?

Have you ever found yourself checking your email after coming back home at 3 in the morning? Do you usually carry your cellphone while putting out the rubbish? When you wake up do you first switch on any electronic device, from a T.V. to a mobile phone, before doing anything else? If you can identify yourself with any of those situations, I strongly recommend you to continue reading.

Nowadays thousands of people are affected by this addiction and they are not even aware of it. We are getting so dependent on technology that living without it is getting really hard. From a simple mobile phone to a huge plasma T.V. screen all the way up to music players or game consoles. Furthermore, it is unthinkable to go on a holiday without a GPS and the laptop. A technology addiction is very difficult to diagnose. The underlying causes of feeling the urge to make use of a computer, a mobile phone or an mp3 player is the current society. What I mean is that most of the present ways of communication are mainly technological. And here it comes one of the reasons that makes it more difficult to identify an addict at first sight, and therefore help them to get over their addiction. Not only is technology addictive but also it is needed and it is sometimes essential. For example, if a computer engineer is caught by the attraction of technology, it is going to be really hard for him to keep working as a computer engineer and get over the addiction at the same time.

So what can I suggest to a potential technology addict? All they have to achieve is to get as far as they can from the root of their specific addiction. Take a potential mobile phone addict as an example. Thay should leave their mobile phone at home whenever it is not really necessary. Or if their problem is the Internet, they should just keep one email account and cancel the rest of subscriptions they had in order that they spend less time in front of the computer.

CONSUMERISM by Elena Casado

We all live in a consumer society. We all feel the urge to have, to buy, to covet, to possess. We all have cravings we try to satisfy on the spot. We all pile up useless things that we thought were  an absolute must to survive, something we could not possibly live without. That is bad enough, but what is worse is that our eagerness to consume does not stop there. Not only do we use and get rid of disposable objects, but we do the same with people.

We consume people. We use them, get tired of them and get rid of them, just like that. They become disposable. We get to know a person and consider the benefits we can get from their company and all the services that person can provide for us. Once we do not fancy them any more, they become useless, bothersome, a nuisance. We just leave them hanging there. Why explain? Why waste our time talking things over? It is too hard and requires a big effort to find the right moment to look that person in the eye, be honest and say how we feel or just give our reasons why we should part ,go our own separate ways and move on. Friendship is a heavy burden, let's just keep the distance.

We can erase a person from our life as if it was a corrupted, useless file. We press delete and that person will disappear from our lives and our thoughts forever. We can erase people from our memories effortlessly and painlessly. Why should we be sympathetic? Why should we put ourselves in somebody's shoes? Why should we experience the frustration, sadness or disappointment that person might feel because of our actions?

Let us cover our faces with a mask. Let us protect ourselves with a shield. That way nobody will get close enough to our hearts to break it, or hurt us. We mistake sensations for feelings, pleasure for happiness. Oh, my fellow travellers, life is too short. Let's just enjoy it!

The last lecture by Randy Pausch

Thanks to Judith I had the chance to watch this inspirational, lovely video about a corageous man who was about to die and knew it and still had the guts to talk about it and teach everybody a lesson. I think it is really worth watching once and again and analize every thought and word.

A coffee addict-Azucena Hernández-2av A

Do you feel you need coffee to work? Does your breakfast consist mainly of a cup of coffee of any sort? Are you in a bad mood and irritable until you have your first cup of coffee in the morning, and would you change anything for having a hot coffee as soon as you get up? Do you think every good lunch must be finished with a good coffee and do you really need another coffee after having lunch?

If the answer is clearly affirmative, then you should know you are a coffee addict. A coffee addict can be defined as a person who is dependent on caffeine and the taste of coffee. Therefore, they need to have several cups of coffee every day. Consequently, if they meet friends in the afternoon and go to a pub, it is very possible that the first drink a coffee-addict might fancy would be a coffee or a coke to move on to some other drinks after that, which does not imply they do not drink anything else. Finally, coffee addicts usually have one more coffee before going to bed to feel more relaxed. This need proves that caffeine is very similar to a drug or it is just a drug. People are not usually aware of this addiction, which brings some problems like a bad mood, anxiety and irritation.

Then, if you have realised you are a coffee addict and you want to get over your addiction, take my advice. The first thing you should know is that the more addicted you are the harder it will be for you to kick the habit. You must give away or hide all the coffee you have at home and buy decaffeinated coffee, which has a similar smell and taste without addictive substances. The first day will be hard and you will be nervous and angry, you may have a headache the second day, but do not give up! Have willpower and you will manage to leave the addiction behind and discover how good it is to get up without depending on anything to get you through the day.

OPRAH

More about Oprah. Watch and listen to an interview with Larry King, another TV icon.

QUIT SMOKING

Talking about addictions. Here you are a few tips to quit smoking.

Hot Chili Peppers

Snow.
Well something a little bit more light-hearted as we are getting a bit too serious with all that addiction stuff.