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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

music downloads, illegal, spain

According to new report about the world's recording industry, Spain is the country with the greatest percentage of users who use internet sites to download and distribute music illegally. A staggering 45% of Spain's internet users are reported to engage in internet piracy, placing Spain above Brazil (44%) and the European average (23%). The report featured Spain in a special chapter regarding its anual study of piracy of digital music.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry report (IFPI), Spanish music sales have plummeted by 21% over the past year. This trend affects new artists much more than established names in the industry.

Frances Moore of the IFPI has expressed disapproval of Spain's government hesitance to employ anti-piracy measures, stating that they have had "great difficulties getting the Spanish government to support our proposals.

Ángeles González-Sinde, the Spanish minister of culture, has tried to gain support to set up a government commission able to close down websites that have been infringing on copyrighting laws. He has only found support in the Spanish socialist partyk. Amendments to his original proposal will be considered this week in order to gain more support.

What do the Spaniards think about all this? Well, if you talk to them most will adamantly explain that the price of CDs and DVDs is ridiculous and has been increasing steadily over the years. If you look at a typical Spanish salary, you may understand why they might prefer clicking a button to paying the stiff 25€ price tag of a new CD. Sure, they would prefer the original, but they cannot afford it!

According to a study based on 2006 figures by Adecco and IESE, the average salary in Spain is 34% than the rest of the EU. The report showed that the average gross salary in the EU was 32,414€ while in Spain it was only 21,402€. However, these averages are a far cry from the salaries you will find in most small towns and villages in Spain. Additionally, from 2002 through 2006, the average EU salary increased by 3.9% while the the Spanish only saw increases of 1.3%.

What about the cost of music? After reading some online comparisons, in respect to some other nearby European countries the price of a CD is almost the same. However, if you factor in the aquisition power based on average salary of a Spanish citizen, it becomes much more expensive, nearly double! The cheapest European country for buying CDs based on cost and aquisition power is England.

Also, some Spaniards claim that part of their taxes go to paying for things like illegal downloads. So why pay more when you can get it for free and you are already paying taxes on this "service"?

Music is integral part of the Spanish culture that should be freely enjoyed by all people. The question is:

Is the problem really the illegal downloading?

Or...

Is the problem the ridiculously high cost of the music in Spain?

All I can say is that most people claim they would love to buy the CD, if only it were cheaper...

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

la albercaAfter spending Saturday admiring Salamanca’s wonderful architecture, a friend suggested driving to the nearby town of La Alberca on Sunday, to sample something a little more rural. I was eager as always to see somewhere new, so we wrapped up warm and set off into the hills.

The fog that morning was pretty thick and our journey was marked by very slow and careful driving, as well as my friend’s mum constantly calling to make sure we were still ok. However, on reaching the surroundings of La Alberca, which is in the hills of the Sierra de Francia, we were stunned by the scenery that suddenly came into view. All at once, we were able to see peaks, valleys, fields and small rural towns for miles around. It really was picture perfect!

We drove a little further to reach La Alberca itself, which is full of authentic charm. It is made up a labyrinth of beautiful little streets with their old houses, unique craft shops and quaint tapas bars which were filled with chattering locals. Its rare beauty and originality makes it a popular tourist spot, but in the winter it was somewhat quieter, meaning we could sample some of the local delicacies without being too overcrowded. I was quite adventurous with my tapas order, although I think it will probably be the last time I have the oreja de cerdo (pig’s ear)!

There was also the iglesia and the plaza mayor to visit, and we took hundreds of pictures of the beautiful scenery on the way – always a good way to make friends and family at home jealous! At 1084m above sea level, the views from the town are particularly stunning, although this does come with very harsh temperatures during the winter, as I found out.

Once we were back on the road, the gloomy fog soon surrounded us once again. La Alberca truly is a unique and magical spot, and when the spring comes round and its famous flowers are back in bloom, I’ll definitely be paying it another visit.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Around 90% of Peru's tourists visit Machu Picchu, an emblem of Incan culture, but only 10% make it to the pyramids and tombs Pre-Incan Moche and Lima culture.

In the language of Quechua, an ancient language of South America, "huaca" refers to a revered object and typically is used to describe a special monument. Many have been associated with monuments of rituals or a place to be honored such as a mountain pass, mountain top, or a natural spring. The word is also used to describe the burial places and therefore the location of mummies.

The pre-Incan Moche pyramids that dot the northern coast of Peru are every bit as important and amazing as Machu Picchu, definitely worth the attention.

Huaca Rajada and the Lord of Sipán

On such place is known as Huaca Rajada, literally meaning cracked pyramid. The huaca is located near the coast in the Northern part of Peru in the Lambayeque Valley, 35 km east of the city of Chiclayo. The burial mound found hear was part of the Moche culture (sometimes refered to as Mochica), a pre-Incan culture that dominated the Northern coast of Peru from 1 AD to 700 AD.

Here, under an impressive amount of gold and other treasures (15 kilos!), the Moche people buried a great warrior priest known as the Lord of Sipán. He ruled around 200 AD and died at about 40 years of age, a millennium before the Inca would populate the world reknowned Machu Picchu. In total, four tombs have been discovered in Huaca Rajada.

The site was declared a "Golden Wonder" by Times Magazine and was featured in National Geographic as being one of the "Richest Tombs in the World". The discovery was made by archaeologist Walter Alva in 1987 and the tomb is considered one of the most important discoveries in the last 30 years, mainly because it was found intact and untouched by tomb robbers.

The site only receives 1,300 visitors a month, whereas Machu Picchu welcomes 2,800 average visitors a day.Tourists can also view the gold artifacts that were extracted, housed inside the Royal Tombs of Sipán.

Huaca Pucllana

Another great destination in Peru is the Huaca Pucllana, sometimes called Huaca Juliana. The complex features a large pyramid made of adobe and clay, located Miraflores in central Lima, Peru. The pre-Inca monument was an important administrative and cultural site, although evidence of relgious ceremonies and sacrifices have been found. From here, the clergymen claimed control of the natural water of the zone with the building of a great pyramid. The complex was surrounded by a plaza and also features a large wall dividing it into two sections. Huts and other enclosures remain intact, with some walls still standing that created courtyards and patios.

Archaeologists have also uncovered artifacts belonging to the Wari Culture (500 AD-900 AD).

The remains of Lord of the Unkus were discovered in the first tomb uncovered on the site that was still completely intact. In the tomb, three adult remains were found and one of a sacrificed child.

Visit and learn Spanish in Peru! Do not forget that Peru is rich with culture and history, there is much more to see than just Machu Picchu!

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

salamancaAfter a stressful departure that included weighing my suitcases to the exact milligram, saying goodbye to the parents and a huge queue at security, I was now sitting on the plane ready to jet off and start my adventure in Spain. I had a six month internship in Salamanca, a city that I was told was home to friendly inhabitants, fantastic architecture, a great university and exciting nightlife too! I had everything to look forward to, but I couldn’t help being just a little bit petrified. And all for one reason – speaking Spanish, with real Spaniards.

Having spent the last six months in France, I was feeling pretty used to the whole moving around thing, but I just couldn’t prepare myself for having to converse in a language that I hadn’t spoken in such a long time and which had never been that great in the first place! So there I was on the plane, trying desperately to think up all the words I could possibly need, look them up in my pocket dictionary and submit them to memory. But with little success. I was going to have to do it the hard way and jump in at the deep end.

And, surprisingly, I didn’t drown. Obviously the arrival was difficult, trying to find out where my flat was and directing the taxi driver, but having gone straight into a Don Quijote Spanish language course that day, I found that the words were slowly coming back to me. It has to be said that ser and estar were used very haphazardly, but the teachers were supportive and my class were all at the same level as me, allowing to each of us to gain confidence and start speaking more fluently. Plus I had my work and my efforts to settle in to the Salmantino lifestyle to help me on my way, and after just a few days I was already chatting to the locals (who are indeed very friendly!)

This is just the start of my journey and I’m hoping to improve a lot more during my stay, but after less than two weeks, I’m finding I need the phrases ‘¿cómo?’ and ‘no entiendo’ a lot less frequently. I think it just proves how total emersion in a language and culture can do what no grammar book ever will.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Lady Gaga, Spanish FlagLady Gaga was in Madrid on December 12th for a concert in the Palacio de Deportes in one of her last few European stops on her long running Monster Ball Tour. All the tickets were sold out and eager Spaniards lined up for hours to ensure they got a good spot.

The victims of the scam were left at the doors of the concert and were denied entry. There were moments of tension and deep anger as the angry mob of fans rebelled and screamed insults, causing the police to be called in to the scene.

Unfortunately, up to 200 of her fans were unaware that the valued tickets they held in their hands were fake. They had bought them months in advance, in some cases, and the tickets cost an average of 100 Euros each. Keeping in mind the average 20,000 Euro a year income in Spain, the tickets were very expensive.

The falsifications were made from 8 numbers on repeated series and the paper used was very high quality. All the false tickets were bought online.

The victims of the scam were left at the entrance of the concert and were denied entry. There were moments of tension and deep anger as the angry mob of fans rebelled and screamed insults, causing the police to be called in to the scene.

Twitter Spain indicated that the topic was the third most talked about subject on the social website. A Twitter estimate indicates that perhaps up to 4,000 fans were effected. Many claim that the center took away their real tickets because the same one was used to falsify others and sell them online. The hipothesis is not yet confirmed, but some according to the ticket office at Palacio de Deportes, the concert organizers are not responsible for tickets bought in non-authorized establishments.

The moral of the story? Buy your tickets from authorized venders, do not get left out in the cold!


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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

So 6 months later and it's time for my return to England, and what a world away "normal" life seems!

What have I learnt during my time here, well where to begin, it's been at times a never-ending process, but now it feels as if I've barely been here at all and thus Christmas spirit is still not high on my agenda as it simply seems impossible! But yes, spanish life is very different from my norm at least!

So what has stood out the most.. Well it's hard to say, but here's a brief run down:

  • Tapas (or pinchos as they're more commonly known..) Yum. Definitely something I'm going to miss, tasty and a wide variety, and with a drink can cost as little as 2€.
  • Oil - large large quantities used in every single thing that you eat!
  • Sun - even in October we were still sunbathing, and the torrential snow that's hit most of Europe has hardly been seen here in Salamanca.
  • Nightlife - in my home town, EVERYTHING closes at 2am, here 6am is considered an early bedtime..
  • Siesta time - whilst late shop openings are never a bad thing (shopping until 9pm, yes please!), bank openings being limited to weekday mornings has definitely been a tricky one!
  • "Bajo del reloj" - at home the standard meeting place has always been outside the cinema.. Bit more impressive here in Salamanca (under the clock in Plaza Mayor) I have to say!
  • Mañana - in comparison to my very British idea of time keeping and organisation, Spain has revealed a much more laid back attitude with the idea of "mañana" being key in this culture. If something's not getting done, relax, there is always tomorrow!
  • Agradable - Everyone here says hello, whether it be work colleagues or a complete unknown on the street, completely proving the reputation of a very welcoming culture. Everyone has time to talk to you, whether a shop assistant, or even last weekend I had a chat with an old man simply because he was shocked that I wasn't wrapped up (10 degrees is practically freezing apparently.. )

So will I miss it, very definitely! In fact the idea that I'm not coming back doesn't seem real at all ...

spain, christmas

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

spain, sunset

Yeah, you heard me right, a Spanish woman from Salvaterra do Miño (in the region of Galicia) has "legally" claimed ownership of the sun towards the end of last month. It took her a couple of months to do so because when she presented her m it had to be legally checked out, but the notaries could not find any legal reason why they could not grant her claim.

Her grandiose idea came from an American who has apparently registered the moon an and many other planets in his name. She heard that he was selling some of his land on the moon to John Travolta when she thought that she could do something similar.

49 year old Ángeles Durán declared before a public notary that she owns the sun, a star of spectral type G2, located in the center of the solar system approximately 149,600,000 kilometers from Earth.

Ángeles does have her logic though, she stated: "Look, if electric companies can make money off of rivers, which belong to everyone, then I hope to make something off of the sun".

She states that she is not stupid and "knows the law" which dictates by an international agreement that no country may claim ownership of any planet or star... but the agreement says "nothing about individuals", she adds. She said that anyone would have done it, but it simply occurred to her first.

Her plan for the sun? Well, you know, the normal.. charge everyone a fee for using the sun... half of the income will be for the Spanish government (she is pretty generous) and 20% to help Spain's low pension funds. How much could this mean for Spain? Well, estimates calculate that it would mean 13 billion Euros for the struggling Spanish economy!

It gets even better! 10% will be for research and education, 10% to eradicate hunger in the world, and 10% for herself! Considering the amount of people forced to use "her sun" I am pretty sure that 10% will be a nice hefty sum of money!

I wonder if international monopoly laws can come into play....?

This is not her first "brilliant" idea. She also has registered in her name Tarzan's scream (yea, she owns it, seriously) and the longest musical score in the world which is related to the telecommunications industry. If you dial numbers, certain sounds are heard that create "musical scores", which of course, are all hers! :)

Hopefully I won't have to pay for the sun anytime soon, I already have a lighting bill. But hey, maybe I will get lucky since I live in Spain and most of the money will be directed to the Spanish government, well.. maybe we who live here wont have to pay for the sun!

[:D]

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

stolen chillidaForget winning the "El Gordo" Spanish Christmas Lottery, three hooded thieves made off with 5 million Euros worth of valuable artwork in Getafe, in the Autonomous Community of Madrid.

On Saturday, 3 masked men seized a truck loaded with 5 million Euros worth of artwork that was parked at a warehouse in Getafe. The thieves forced entry onto the premises but suspiciously found the truck keys inside the vehicle. The robbery marks one of the most important art thefts in recent years.

The robbery occurred at around 1 pm in a warehouse owned by Crisótomo Transporte, specialized in art transportation, in the industrial neighborhood of Los Olivos. The alarm went off and police responded to the scene. When they noticed that entry had been forced, they notified the owners of the company.

Once there, the manager of Crisóstomo quickly realized that a truck that had recently arrived from Germany was missing. The vehicle was filled with artwork from a recent Axa art exposition. The majority of the stolen pieces were sculptures by Chillida and Botero. Also stolen were some pieces from Saura, Tàpies and also a Picasso drawing.

The video camera recordings confirmed that the robbery only lasted a couple of minutes and three hooded thieves were involved. The most surprising detail is the fact that the truck had the keys in the ignition. Additionally, the thieves seemed to know that the vehicle had just returned from Colonia. All signs point to employee involvement, either as an informant or participant in the robbery.

The vehicle was only insured for 2.5 million Euros and the loss is valued at 5 million. Valuable artwork was added at the last moment to the trucks contents, including the sculpture “Óxido” by Chillida, valued at 200,000 Euros.

Most likely the true culprit behind the robbery is an art collector or gallery who paid large sums of money in order to illegally gain a possession of particular piece of art. If this is the case, the other pieces should return to the market and eventually be recuperated.

The managers of the originating art galleries have been reporting the thefts to various police stations in the districts where art sales are generally made.

The truck was recovered on Tuesday, empty of its valuable contents. It was analyzed by forensic specialists for clues.

The theft marks one of the most important contemporary art hoists in recent years.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

For me back in England, one of the biggest indicators of the arrival of the Christmas season is the Coca Cola TV advert, and thus upon receiving a message from my sister last night about said advert, I felt it only right that the preparations for my holiday season begin!

However according to various news features, Spain's Coca Cola is actually Cava, and this year, Shakira has announced that she has recently filmed this years emission in Barcelona..

Not only will this highly anticipated advert mark the start of the festive season for many, but it has meant a donation of 500.000€ by the company Freixenet to her charity. The money will be used to build two schools, one in Haiti and the other in Colombia, thus allowing under-privileged children their own christmas present and the right to education.

Not only, however, will Freixenet be making this donation, but they have also promised to make a documentary about her work as regards her Pies Descalzos foundation, including more information on the six schools that it currently manages in Colombia.

Traditionally Freixenet has always hired a well-known star for its annual Christmas advert, beginning with Liza Minelli in 1977, and featuring stars such as Gene Kelly and Raquel Welch. However recent years, due to a lack of funds, less costly stars have been used including the Spanish syncronised swimming team, whose advert was repeated two years running.

shakira, freixnet

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Low temperatures, wind, and snow have 29 provinces in 12 autonomous communities of Spain in alert. Learn about Spanish Regions here.

Of particular importance is the orange alert in Álava, Guipúszcoa, Vizcaya and Cantabria with risk of up to 5 centimeters of snow. The yellow alert, found in the rest of the provinces, is for cold weather, reaching -8ºC / 17ºF in Burgos and Soria.

Today the predictions indicated -6ºC / 21ºF in Aragón, Zaragoza, Madrid, La Rioja, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Ávila, León, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, and Zamora.

In Asturias, they are in yellow alert for snow. The good news is that this weekend 18 ski stations will open up offering over 350 km / 217mi of ski slopes in the Peaks of Europe and Pyrenean mountains.

Even the Spanish paradise of the Canary Islands is affected by the weather. In Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife they are in yellow alert for high winds of up to 80 kph / 50 mph.

So if you are coming to Spain this winter, do not forget your coat!

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