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World Bank representative expelled from Ecuador

The decision by president Rafael Correa to declare the representative of the World Bank in Ecuador 'persona non grata' had been coming. He had threatened to remove the World Bank and the IMF from the country in the past, most recently after his resounding victory in a referendum on rewriting the constitution.
The reason given for carrying out the move is that the bank has allegedly suspended part of a one-hundred-million dollar loan, approved two years ago. The World Bank says it is currently considering the implications of the demand and called for continued dialogue with the government.
But President Correa has shown he is determined to follow a radical programme of reforms to tackle poverty in Ecuador. He is currently engaged in a bitter political battle with more than fifty sacked members of congress - a number of whom have fled to neighbouring Colombia.

Will Grant, BBC Escucha la lectura


EXPRESIONES

persona non grata : an unwelcome person (the expression comes from Latin)

resounding victory : a very clear success

carrying out the move : doing this

allegedly : something has been said but not proved to be true

suspended : stopped because of a problem or difficulty, but may be started again

considering the implicationsthinking about the consequences or results

called for : encouraged, asked for

determined : having made a firm decision to do something

to tackle poverty : to deal with the situation where many people are poor

engaged in : if you are engaged in an activity, you are doing or taking part in it

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Spain resizes clothes for women

It's a source of frustration for customers and shop assistants alike that in Spain women tend to go into the changing rooms with an armful of different sizes never knowing which one will fit this time or whether any will fit at all.
But by 2008 those days could be over. Spain's biggest fashion retailers have bowed to Government pressure to standardise their sizes and reflect the real size of Spain's growing population. For the first time ever the National Consumer Institute will measure Spanish females -- more than eight thousand of them to be exact -- between the ages of twelve and seventy. Spanish fashion houses will then try to fit them, rather than the other way round.
They've also agreed to decorate their shop windows with slightly bigger manikins. The Ministry of Health described the current ones as unreal dolls of alien dimensions which it sees as directly encouraging eating disorders such as anorexia. The move is likely to affect women and girls all over the world as international brands such as Mango and Zara have signed up to the agreement.

Pascal Harter, BBC, Barcelona Escucha la noticia

EXPRESIONES

a source of : a reason for (something)

customers and shop assistants alike : used after referring to two groups of people to show that
both groups are included

changing rooms : rooms where you can try on clothes before deciding whether to buy them

an armful of : lots of, many

fit : here, be the right size

bowed to Government pressure : agreed to do something (usually, unwillingly)

try to fit them : attempt to make clothes that are available in the same sizes as the female Spanish population

manikins : a model of the human body used in shops to display clothes (note: a more common spelling of manikin is mannequin)

eating disorders : illnesses in which people eat too much or too little food

signed up : agreed to participate in something

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El arte de conversar

THE ART OF CONVERSATION

The art of conversation is a skill shared by most successful people. Good conversation promotes an image of self-confidence, intelligence, and wittiness.
People who always seem to rise to the top of their professions and are well respected by others who share the ability to converse with anybody in every situation.
People who seem to speak effortlessly and efficiently with others are generally well liked and highly successful.
If you need to improve your conversational skills, here are a few tips that can help you enhance your conversational skills and boost your image.
1. Always say what you think, not what you think others want you to say. Especially in a professional setting, learning to express your views and ideas in a positive, non-threatening manner will invite reactions and responses.
Effective leaders always say what they are thinking and express their ideas freely. Having the courage to speak your mind as well as listening openly to the views and ideas of others is a sure way to earn the respect and admiration of all those you encounter.
2. Listen carefully to what others are saying. People often interpret things said by others in a way that clouds their ability to hear what people are intending to say.
By giving your full attention to the speaker, you can hear what they intend for you to hear instead of what you want to hear.
The art of conversation includes the ability to listen to others as well as the ability to speak effectively.
3. Always assume that a speaker is saying exactly what they mean to say. Even if it seems unclear, try to find meaning and coherence to the words they are saying and give them the respect of hearing what they want you to hear.
In any conversation, the ability to give respect is just as important as receiving it. The art of conversation is a give and take between parties, not one speaker and one listener.
4. Any conversation can be broken down into three parts.
The first part is small talk. Small talk is dictated by social rules and includes polite greetings, inquiries about the well-being of others, etc.
Stage two is the end of the small talk and moving on to the purpose of the conversation such as business, the sharing of opinions and personal views.
Without the ability to express yourself efficiently, the conversation can easily slip back into small talk, lessening the chances of accomplishing the initial goal of the conversation.
The third part of a conversation is where the various ideas and views expressed can be merged into a satisfying end for all parties involved in the conversation.
The art of conversation is a learned skill that is common among successful, energetic people. If you are unable to effectively express yourself in any situation, you will likely find that you do not attract the attention and command the respect that is bestowed upon some others

Phrase of the day

Plain sailing

Meaning

An easy, uncomplicated course.

Origin

This is a nautical phrase and originally had the literal meaning of 'sailing that is easy and uncomplicated'. It isn't clear whether the allusion is to the 'simple, uncomplicated' meaning of plain or whether it referred to an easy-to-navigate sea, in the 'level, flat' sense.
A citation of it in this original naval meaning comes from Adam Martindale in 1683, in A Collection of Letters for Improvement of Husbandry & Trade:
"A Token for Ship-Boys, or Plain-Sailing, made more plain."
The first use of it in a figurative sense, meaning simple 'easy and uncomplicated' comes in Fanny Burney's Camilla, 1796:
"The rudiments, which would no sooner be run over, than the rest would become plain sailing."

Modern British Families

Father leaves for work in the morning after breakfast. The two children take the bus to school, and mother stays at home cooking and cleaning until father and the kids return home in the evening. This is the traditional picture of a happy family living in Britain. But is it true today? The answer is - no! The past 20 years have seen enormous changes in the lives and structures of families in Britain, and the traditional model is no longer true in many cases.

The biggest change has been caused by divorce. As many as 2 out of 3 marriages now end in divorce, leading to a situation where many children live with one parent and only see the other at weekends or holidays.

There has also been a huge rise in the number of mothers who work. The large rise in divorces has meant many women need to work to support themselves and their children. Even when there is no divorce, many families need both parents to work in order to survive. This has caused an increase in childcare facilities, though they are very expensive and can be difficult to find in many areas. In addition, women are no longer happy to stay at home raising children, and many have careers earning as much as or even more than men, the traditional breadwinners.

There has also been a sharp increase in the number of single mothers, particularly among teenagers. Many of their children grow up never knowing their fathers, and some people feel the lack of a male role model has a damaging effect on their lives.

However, these changes have not had a totally negative effect. For women, it is now much easier to have a career and good salary. Although it is difficult to be a working mother, it has become normal and it's no longer seen as a bad thing for the children. As for children themselves, some argue that modern children grow up to be more independent and mature than in the past. From an early age they have to go to childminders or nurseries, and so they are used to dealing with strangers and mixing with other children.

So while the traditional model of a family may no longer be true in modern Britain, the modern family continues to raise happy, successful children.

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Salman Rushdie

Few can have lived through a more dramatic change in circumstances than Salman Rushdie. Now in line to receive a knighthood for services to literature, back in 1989 he sought police protection and went into hiding. He stayed there for more than nine years.
What put Mr Rushdie in fear for his life was the order issued by Ayatollah Khomeini that he and all those involved with the publication of The Satanic Verses be put to death. Parts of the novel - such as the parallels between one of the main characters, a shady, businessman-turned-prophet, and the prophet Mohammed - were judged to be blasphemous.

The ruling by Ayatollah Khomeini led one Islamic foundation to put a bounty on Mr Rushdie's head. Soon afterwards, Britain and Iran severed diplomatic relations. Fury was vented at Mr Rushdie from outside Iran too. Several people died during protests by Muslims in the Indian city of Mumbai, and there were demonstrations in parts of Kashmir. Closer to home, there were angry protests and even death threats from some British Muslims.

Mr Rushdie was moved from one safe house to another thirty times. The threat to his life only subsided in 1998, when a new, reformist government took power in Iran and gave assurances that it no longer wished him any harm. But the fatwa has never formally been rescinded.

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The End of Illegal Gold Dealings.

Police launched the blitz codenamed "Chikorokoza Chapera" which means 'The End of Illegal Gold Dealings' following concerns over rampant smuggling of precious stones and environmental degradation in mining areas. They were collaborating with investigators from the central bank, the mines ministry and environmental authorities.
During the raids, officers burnt temporary homes used by the panners and recovered more than five-hundred thousand kilogrammes of gold and gold ore, and nearly five thousand diamonds. Police say the suspects were all released after paying or promising to pay admission of guilt fines.
Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans have turned to mining following the collapse of commercial agriculture in the country. People dig or pan for gold or diamonds, risking their lives in shallow mines which frequently collapse.
The government accuses powerful politicians and businessmen of buying minerals from panners and smuggling them outside the country. Among those arrested were dealers from neighbouring Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique.

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Desplome Perito Moreno

Pingüinos galore

Vuelos

Texturas

Cambios en la cima

Las grandes corporaciones financieras ya han superado totalmente a los gobiernos: Tienen más dinero y emplean a ex presidentes y políticos de primera línea.

Hoy otra visita virtual

Pincha !!!! y que te guste el monasterio

http://www.fotocorreas.com/sanjuan/monasterio.htm

Castillo de Loarre

Esta dirección te lleva al Castillo de Loarre en Huesca

http://www.fotocorreas.com/loarre/castillo.htm

Pompeya ahora y antes

Pincha para ver como era y como está Pompeya ahora.
http://michclem.club.fr/pompei

Machu Pichu

Si pinchas en la siguiente dirección verás Machu Pichu:
WWW.mp360.com

Reflexión de hoy

Después de los 15 minutos de paro en la Administración para mostrar el repudio a ETA.
¿Alguien ha calculado el coste de las horas de trabajo perdidas en estos ejercicios de dudosos resultados?

El mar de nuestros juegos.

Y....el puerto en la noche

De nuevo.........LUNES

Un momento, quiero un comentario positivo y esperanzador.
El lunes es el inicio de una nueva semana y todo se inicia con un sentimiento, el sentimiento que nos lleva a iniciar esta singladura es de alegría por sobrevivir el fin de semana y de esperanza para llevar a buen cabo la travesía de la próxima.

¿Te gusta viajar?

Si te gusta volar lejos pincha aquí. VOLAR VOLAR

Escuchando comentarios

Los tipos de letra grande hacen más accesible la información y indican que el que escribe esta tratando que le oigan alto y claro. Pero... hace falta prudencia, pues no vayan a pensar que gritas.

¡¡ Llegó el verano!!

Las cinco de la tarde, hora torera, la lección de informatica se desliza por la escala del tiempo con pies de plomo.

En el exterior el sol hace una axhibición de su poder aplastando peatones contra el asfalto y las aceras. Esta primavera se ha disfrazado de verano.

Desesperación

Las posibilidades de elección de plantillas y demás accesorios de los blogs son tan grandes que sobrepasan el tamaño humano y sus necesidades.
De continuar con este rumbo gastaremos todo nuestro tiempo en elegir la presentación y nos quedaremos sin tiempo para presentar nada.

Otra nueva semana

Lunes... que densos son los lunes, los atraviesas como si fueran de miel, pegajosos, o de aceite viscoso.

El reloj de los lunes, relantiza su corazón y el tiempo se estira ....................................... como en las tardes de los viernes.

Pensaba pero.....ya no piensa

Y llegó el invierno

Hora poética

Perdidos en el ciberespacio
donde se mezclan las palabras, las imágenes y los sonidos
no encontramos el archivo de los sentimientos
ni escondidos en los emoticones
esa representación insulsa de las emociones
Solo queda cerrar la sesión y volver al mundo real

Liberando libros

Con los libros nos comportamos como si fueran objetos de un solo uso, de usar y tirar. Los compramos, los leemos y los aparcamos en las estanterías sine die. Hagamos un ejercicio de empatia y tratemos de sentirnos libro en estante; que tristeza sentirse lleno de la fuerza de las palabras y las ideas que estas configuran sin posibilidad de transmitirlas solo porque nuestro primer dueño sufre nos ha relegado a la inactividad por su ligero síndrome de Diógenes.

Departure

Aqui comienza muestro viaje, ciertamente muy cerca de tierra y con peligro de encallar. El rumbo de nuesto buque parece coincidir con la linea divisoria del mar y la playa. Pero esto, como muchas cosas en la vida, es pura ilusión optica.