It is a beautiful day and the sky is blue as far as the eye can see. The definition on the mountains is sharp and the sea is blue. The rest of Spain varies between cold and very cold and even the Canaries are in for another day of heavy rainfall.
I was watching a fly-on-the-wall documentary last night when four rich people experienced being poor for four days. They were given about 40 pounds and a place to stay and then monitored for their progress in getting a job. The cameras were marking their progress. Well, how true to life is all this. People aren´t automatically given a place to stay and tghey aren´t given the support of programme directors and camera crews. Nor do they leave the programme after four days! It was interesting to see that they cracked up during the first day and, with millions to fall back on the programme makers don´t really seem to realise that these shows are merely a palliative. In fact, we had to switch off as it was becoming patronising….
Here´s the weather for Alicante…remember, Benidorm has a micro climate so check for Benidorm if you´re coming……….
| Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
 13° C | 3° C
|
15° C | 6° C
|
 11° C | 3° C
|
15° C | 4° C
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Word of the Day
el rato rah’-toh (noun)
while, time
EXAMPLES
Con esto hay para rato. – That should keep us going for a while.
Tengo para rato. – It’ll be a while.
IDIOMS
Pasar el rato – To while away the time
A cada rato – Every other minute
For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for el rato.
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Midsummer’s Night 2010 may well be the last time that the Spanish, residents and visitors, can enjoy a ‘smoke’ inside a public space in Spain, without fear of prosecution. June 22nd, 2010 is provisionally the day that Spain’s anti-smoking laws are expected to change, according to articles in the Spanish Press and TV.
The irony on the Costa Blanca is that traditional midsummer’s night parties in honour of San Juan (St. John the Baptist) take place on the evening of June 23rd and since 1928 Alicante has celebrated with the Bonfires of Saint John, which have developed into elaborate constructions inspired by the Valencia’s Fallas. No doubt someone with a sense of humour will build one depicting a smoker going up in flames!
This action from the Ministry of Health is to once and for all bring Spain into line with many other European Countries and ban smoking in public areas. The government aims to eliminate all those areas where smoking is allowed at present. This means that there will be no longer be any special areas reserved for smokers and that all bars, restaurants, hotels (which can now have up to 30% of rooms reserved for smokers), nightclubs, gaming establishments, casinos plus the designated zones in airports, bus stations, trains, shipping terminals and anywhere else presently permitted, will now have to close down these areas due to changes in the enforcement of the law. Congress still must approve this, but it looks like that they will have the approval of all parties. Full Story
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This really is the most bizarre thing you might ever have seen.It´s the border ceremony between India and Pakistan. It´s very strange!
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Frightening new soy product on the horizon
If you think the soy assault is bad now… just wait.
Mad scientists burning through USDA dollars are hard at work trying to create even more deceptive soy products that look, taste and feel like real food — but make no mistake, anything based on soy is a nutrition-free demon in disguise.
This latest lab monster is created through a new high- moisture process, and is supposed to mimic chicken… although the researchers admit it tastes more like turkey. In any case, it’s no bird at all — it’s “meat analogue.”
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be caught dead eating anything called a “meat analogue.” It may look like chicken and taste like turkey, but I smell a meat-free rat here… because the researchers are using some pretty bizarre logic to make the case that their non-bird is actually nutritious.
They fed this new “meatier” soy product to a bunch of mice. Compared to a second set of mice, these rodents seemed to develop just fine, according to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
What did the second set of mice eat?
A different soy product!
That doesn’t prove this lab waste is nutritious — all they can really say is that neither of these two non-foods caused the mice to drop dead right away.
But believe me, this garbage isn’t fit for man or mouse.
Soy mimics estrogen to the point where your body thinks it’s getting a hormonal boost. And for most people, that’s bad news. This fake food has been linked to heart disease, cancer, thyroid problems, sex problems, homosexuality and other mental disorders.
Even if they do manage to concoct a soy “meat analogue” that looks, tastes and feels just like meat… your body will always know the difference. Last time I checked, you could still get genuine fresh meat at every corner butcher, so do yourself and your body a favor: Insist on the real thing.
William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.
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Here´s a nice story sent to me by Frank Tomenson…….
Two Choices
What would you do?….you make the choice. Don’t look for a punch line, there isn’t one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its
dedicated staff, he offered a question:
‘When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?’
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. ‘I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’ I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.’
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again..
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the
plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first!
Run to first!’
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
B y the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay’
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third!
Shay, run to third!’
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team
‘That day’, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, ‘the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world’.
Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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Music Stuff March 10th
1960, UK trade paper Record Retailer published the UK’s first ever EP (extended player) chart and LP chart. No. 1 EP was ‘Expresso Bongo’ by Cliff Richard & The Shadows
1962, Bruce Channel US No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Hey! Baby’, UK No.2
1973, This week’s UK Top 5 singles: No.5, Focus, ‘Sylvia’, No.4, Detroit Emeralds, ‘Feel The Need In Me’, No.3, The Strawbs, ‘Part Of The Union’, No.2, The Faces, ‘Cindy Incidentally’, No.1, Slade, ‘Cum On Feel The Noize.’
1979, Gloria Gaynor US No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Will Survive’, also a UK No.1
1984, Van Halen US No.1 position with ‘Jump’.
1988, younger brother of The Bee Gees Andy Gibb died in hospital. His death from myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) followed a long battle with cocaine addiction, which had weakened his heart.
1997, American rhythm and blues singer Lavern Baker died from coronary complications aged 57.
2000, Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde was arrested for leading an animal rights protest against the clothing firm Gap
2001, TV’s ‘Pop Idol’ winner Will Young revealed in an exclusive News Of The World interview that he was gay
2002, ‘The Essential Barbra Streisand’ UK No.1
2003, Johnny Cash was admitted to Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee to undergo treatment for pneumonia.
2005, a survey carried out by Music Choice concluded that ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams was the song Britons would most like played at their funeral. Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ was second and Monty Python’s ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ was voted into third place.
2005, Michael Jackson arrived in court an hour late dressed in his pyjamas after being treated for a back injury
2009, Tickets for a one-off gig by Sir Paul McCartney in Las Vegas sold out seven seconds after going on sale.
Birthday Boys and Girls March 10th
1945, Pete Nelson, The Flowerpot Men
1954,Tina Charles
1964, Neneh Cherry, singer, songwriter
