The weather is beautiful again and the only blot on the horizon is the chance of rain on Sunday. We don´t mind this as it´s back to sunshine on Monday.
| Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday |
|
27° C | 15° C
|
26° C | 15° C
|
26° C | 16° C
|
28° C | 15° C
|
26° C | 14° C
|
| Scattered Clouds |
Scattered Clouds |
Partly Cloudy |
Chance of Rain
20% chance of precipitation
|
Clear |
The exchange rate has stayed the same with the pound sterling changing at 1.13 against the euro which is worth 88 pence the other way round.
I have just been listening to an American scientist who was talking about regression. During the course of the interview he was explaining about meditation. He was explaining how he believes everybody should meditate and backed his theories by telling of an insurance company in Ohio. Because they have noticed those who meditate have less claims on their medical insurance they have designed a policy which gives credit to those who meditate. Now there´s something to think about!
Here´s a rather interesting thought for the taxpayers. It tells of a girl who sold herself for sex over the internet and the tax liablities that may now be involved. It´s a funny old world!
I watched two very interesting documentaries last night. I was interested in the humble beginnings of Simon Cowell. He might have been born with a silver spoon but he certainly has had a varied and interesting career. That was on Channel Five and made a nice change from the usual diet of sex and violence. This was then followed by a documentary on Michael Jackson and the sale of his possessions. This was very revealing and very sad in many ways.
Our Spanish word for today is Contar (kon-tarr’) (transitive verb) – to count; to tell
Examples:
- Siempre cuenta tu cambio de esta tienda. – Always count your change from this store.
- No se lo cuentes a nadie. – Don’t tell anyone.
For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for Contar.
Let´s get the Spanish news for today. Please remember this is not my work and I only add my comments. Please visit the links for the full story.
Spanish Press Review
Spain Papers Review – Wednesday May 21 2009
The appearance of Francisco Camps before the Valencia High Court yesterday dominates the front pages today ……El Mundo has a photo of the PP President of Valencia, Francisco Camps being greeted outside the High Court in the city where he declared in the Gürtel case yesterday.
The paper also has a photo of one of the businessmen implicated in the scandal, ‘el Bigotes’, Álvaro Pérez, whose moustache is as prominent as ever. The paper headlines that Camps told the court that he paid for his suits in cash in the Forever Young shop in Madrid. He said he never used the Generalitat credit cards and the money had been given to him by his wife from the cash available in her pharmacy. El Bigotes told the court that he had not purchased any clothes to give them to the President of the Valencia region.
El País highlights that Camps presented himself before the judge without any evidence that he had paid for the suits. The paper says the invoices incorporated into the case summary indicate that bribery has taken place………………as I said yesterday, I hope he is kosher as we need good leaders at this moment in time.
Costa Blanca
Spain’s longest serving prisoner is closer to a pardon
Manuel Pinteño has been in jail for 32 years ………………Spain’s longest serving prisoner is now a step closer to being granted a pardon. Manuel Pinteño, a 51 year old man from Elda, Elche, has been in prison for a total of 32 years after being found guilty of theft and several attempts to escape justice. He has been serving time since the age of 19. The sentence indeed seems harsh given that he has shown no blood crime nor has been convicted of rape or any sexual crime, and if the pardon is not granted he faces remaining behind bars until 2056…………………….Judging from what I have read this guy should not have been in prison as long as this….not when murderers are walking free and rapists get such light sentences
National
Federico Trillo offers his resignation as PP Justice Spokesman
Party leader Mariano Rajoy continues to support the ex Defence Minister
National
New Socialist video causes a stir in Spain
The third campaign video for the European elections shows a selection of European Conservative voters…..A German skinhead says that homosexuality is an illness, A British woman pictured shopping says she thinks health care should be private, and a priest says that there is only room for one religion in Europe. Another person comments that ‘immigrants steal our jobs’, another that climate change is a big lie, another that she believes in the death penalty, and a businessman says he believes in free sackings…………I saw this video this morning and I can´t honestly say I totally understand the tactic
Spain Sports News
Andrés Iniesta says he will be fit for Rome
The Barcelona player says he will be fully recovered from his injury for the Champions League final……this can only be good news for Barcelona.
Costa Tropical
Magnificent season ends in the Sierra Nevada
More than a million skiers were on the slopes this winter………Global Warming?
National
General Strike called in the Basque Country today
There were no such strikes against the previous Nationalist Government…..Unions were out early this morning organising pickets, and marches and demonstrations are planned for later in the day. The strike has been called against the Government’s policies in the face of the recession.
Canarias , Costa de Almería
More domestic violence fatalities in Tenerife and Almería
In one case the aggressor then took his own life……………It’s understood the aggressor had a distancing order in place against him, after being denounced previously by the victim……Is it my imagination or is there more domestic violence in Spain than in the UK?
National
Francisco Camps tells the court he paid for his suits in cash, and never uses a credit card
The PP leader in Valencia admitted he had no receipt……..he certainly seems really popular from the news bulletins
Costa del Sol
Marbella wants Malaya paintings returned to the town
It follows the news that there is no room for them in the museums of Andalucía
National
Spain’s Robin of the Banks released on bail
The anti system activist defrauded almost half a million Euro from 39 different banks……….Enric Duran, the anti-system activist who was arrested for continued fraud this March, has been released on bail. Known as the ‘Robin of the Banks’, his arrest came after he publically claimed that he had defrauded almost 500,000 € from 39 different banks to show his opposition to the current system of international finance……..as you might suspect, I have a sneaking admiration for this guy. Then again, I liked Robin Hood!
Costa del Sol
Police seize almost a ton of cannabis smuggled in via Almayate
Officers were waiting at a finca in Cajíz when the suspects returned with the drugs
Costa Tropical
Granada-Motril motorway opens Thursday
The Development Minister is attending the ceremony at 4.30 pm
Costa de la Luz
Man killed in fishing accident off Barbate
He was one of four crew on a small boat which capsized in high winds
On a lighter note, I have received a nice light article so here it comes………
Call Centre Conversations!!!!!
Customer: “I’ve been ringing 0800 2100 for two days and can’t get through to enquiries, can you help?”.
Operator: “Where did you get that number from, sir?”.
Customer: “It was on the door to the Travel Centre”.
Operator: “Sir, they are our opening hours”.
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Samsung Electronics
Caller: “Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?”
Operator: “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand who you are talking about”.
Caller: “On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need
to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning.
Now, can you give me the number for Jack?”
Operator: “I think you mean the telephone point on the wall”.
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RAC Motoring Services
Caller: “Does your European Breakdown Policy cover me when I am travelling in Australia ?”
Operator: ” Doesn’t the product name give you a clue?”
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Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while travelling in France ):
“If I register my car in France , do I have to change the steering wheel to the other side of the car?”
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Directory Enquiries
Caller: “I’d like the number of the Argoed Fish Bar in Cardiff please”.
Operator: “I’m sorry, there’s no listing. Is the spelling correct?”
Caller: “Well, it used to be called the Bargoed Fish Bar but the ‘B’ fell off”.
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Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator: “Woven? Are you sure?”
Caller: “Yes. That’s what it says on the label; Woven in Scotland “.
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On another occasion, a man making heavy breathing sounds from a phone box told a worried operator:
“I haven’t got a pen, so I’m steaming up the window to write the number on”.
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Tech Support: “I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop”.
Customer: “OK”.
Tech Support: “Did you get a pop-up menu?”.
Customer: “No”.
Tech Support: “OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?”
Customer: “No”.
Tech Support: “OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?”.
Customer: “Sure. You told me to write ‘click’ and I wrote ‘click’”.
———————————————————————-
Tech Support: “OK. In the bottom left hand side of the screen, can you see the ‘OK’ button displayed?”
Customer: “Wow. How can you see my screen from there?”
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Caller: “I deleted a file from my PC last week and I have just realised that I need it. If I turn my system clock back two weeks will I have my file back again?”.
———————————————————————- —————–
There’s always one. This has got to be one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the Word Perfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the Word Perfect organization for “Termination without Cause”.
Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee. (Now I know why they record these conversations!):
Operator: “Ridge Hall, computer assistance; May I help you?”
Caller: “Yes, well, I’m having trouble with WordPerfect.”
Operator: “What sort of trouble??”
Caller: “Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.”
Operator: “Went away?”
Caller: “They disappeared.”
Operator: “Hmm so what does your screen look like now?”
Caller: “Nothing.”
Operator: “Nothing??”
Caller: “It’s blank; it won’t accept anything when I type.”
Operator: “Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out??”
Caller: “How do I tell?”
Operator: “Can you see the C: prompt on the screen??”
Caller: “What’s a sea-prompt?”
Operator: “Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?”
Caller: “There isn’t any cursor: I told you, it won’t accept anything I type.”
Operator: “Does your monitor have a power indicator??”
Caller: “What’s a monitor?”
Operator: “It’s the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it’s on??”
Caller: “I don’t know.”
Operator: “Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??”
Caller: “Yes, I think so.”
Operator: “Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it’s plugged into the wall.
Caller: “Yes, it is.”
Operator: “When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one??”
Caller: “No.”
Operator: “Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable.”
Caller: “Okay, here it is.”
Operator: “Follow it for me, and tell me if it’s plugged securely into the back of your computer.”
Caller: “I can’t reach.”
Operator: “Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is??”
Caller: “No.”
Operator: “Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over??”
Caller: “Oh, it’s not because I don’t have the right angle – it’s because it’s dark.”
Operator: “Dark??”
Caller: “Yes – the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.
” Operator: “Well, turn on the office light then.”
Caller: “I can’t..”
Operator: “No? Why not??”
Caller: “Because there’s a power failure.”
Operator: “A power………. A power failure? Aha, Okay, we’ve got it licked now.
Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in??”
Caller: “Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.”
Operator: “Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from.”
Caller: “Really? Is it that bad?”
Operator: “Yes, I’m afraid it is.”
Caller: “Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them??”
Operator: “Tell them you’re too stupid to own a computer!!!!!”
Here´s a little pop trivia
1982, the world famous Hacienda Club was opened in Manchester, England. Madonna made her UK TV debut at the club when C4 music show The Tube was broadcast live. Home to many Manchester acts including Oasis, Happy Mondays, U2, The Smiths, Charlatans, James, M People who all played at the club. (The club closed in 1997).
Today´s Birthdays include……….
Plato 427 B.C.
Philip II (Spain) 1527
Alexander Pope 1688
Fats Waller 1904
Raymond Burr 1917
Andrei Sakharov 1921 – Soviet physicist, he came to be regarded as the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, Soviet antiwar activist
Ronald Isley (The Isley Brothers) 1941
Leo Sayer 1948
Mr. T (Lawrence Tero Tureaud) 1952
and on this day in history……
0996 – Sixteen year old Otto III was crowned the Roman Emperor.
1471 – King Henry VI was killed in the tower of London. Edward IV took the throne.
1536 – The Reformation was officially adopted in Geneva, Switzerland.
1688 – The English poet Alexander Pope was born.
1790 – Paris was divided into 48 zones.
1819 – Bicycles were first seen in the U.S. in New York City. They were originally known as “swift walkers.”
1840 – New Zealand was declared a British colony.
.podcast ready by 3 pm
Believe it or not, osteoporosis accounts for just one-sixth of your hip fracture risk. The truth is that folks over 50 just fall more often! That’s because they have increasing problems with balance. But there are ways to improve your balance and decrease your risk of falling….
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