CURIOUS LAWS IN THE USA

I‘ve always thought Americans were a bit strange and weird, very different from us. But after reading this I’m sure you’ll change you minds and you’ll start to think they are in fact completely mad. If not, take a look at some of their crazy laws:

In Washington lollipops are banned, you are not allowed to sleep on a refrigerator in Pennsylvania, in Nevada you cannot ride a camel along the highway and in Florida you may not fart in a public place after 6:00pm on Thursdays.

And you would say, these laws must be old and in disuse. It is true that many of them were made in old western times such as; not sleeping with your shoes on, not standing upright at a bar (if you are a man) or singing off key. But at the same time they are all still in force now.

There is a kind of obsession for introducing laws on a certain topic. For example, there are several regulations related to Sundays: not working on this day, except to sell light bulbs or riding a merry-go-round. At the same time, you are neither allowed to sell cars nor sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same customer.

Women have certain old laws just for them too, as they must have their husband’s permission to wear false teeth or they cannot wear a red dress out in the street after 7:00 pm! There is also a special law which prohibits unmarried women to go parachuting on Sundays.

If a child burps in church, his or her parents are the only ones responsible and will be arrested.

In my opinion the most curious laws, and I think you’ll agree with me, are the ones based on Bathtubs: they must have feet, sing in them is forbidden in Pennsylvania and donkeys cannot sleep in them.

To conclude, although there are plenty of silly, senseless American laws, it is important for a country to have a legal system like the USA’s.

And here I finish my post with the funniest Texan law. Criminals may give their victims 24 hours warning, either orally or in writing, explaining the nature of the crime to be committed.

Alternative Rock

When we talk about music, I think that we don’t know everything about it. Yes, we all like pop music, but do we really know why we like it? There’s a very simple reason: record companies want us to buy it, that’s why it’s called commercial music.

However, I think that the best type of music is ALTERNATIVE ROCK. Not many people really know what this kind of music consists of; if you are one of them, don’t worry, I’m going to explain now.

Alternative Rock is a musical subgenre of Rock music. It was created during the 60s, although it didn’t reach the height of popularity until the 80s. Its name is a mix of Rock, because it is a subgenre of the first, and Alternative because when it was first created it was outside mainstream music. It has some subgenres like Indie Rock and Noise Rock. Alternative Rock musicians use instruments like electric guitars, bass and drums.

Some famous groups which use this style are: R.E.M., Muse, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Depeche Mode, Panic! At the Disco, Foo Fighters and the Arctic Monkeys. An example of a Spanish group is Lori Meyers.

Some of their songs have cover versions by other groups. This is a cover of Depeche Mode’s song, “Enjoy the Silence”, by Nada Surf, an American Alternative Rock group which has a Spanish member. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijiCZAN2ntY

Here I leave you links to my favourite songs:

- “The Ballad of Mona Lisa”, Panic! At the Disco. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOgpdp3lP8M

- “Brianstorm”, Arctic Monkeys. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30w8DyEJ__0

- “Under Cover of Darkness”, The Strokes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l09H-3zzgA

- “Undisclosed Desires”, Muse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8OOWcsFj0U

ENJOY THE MUSIC!

The Monkey Buffet Festival

Hey!

How are you? I´ve been searching for strange and funny traditions and festivals around the world. Among all the strange traditions, like throwing breakable dishes at your neighbour’s door in Denmark, or tumbling 200 yards to the bottom of a hill… there is one that attracted my attention. It is called the monkey buffet festival and it takes place in Lopburi (Bangkok) on the 28th of November. Over 3,000 kg of fruit and vegetables are offered to every monkey that lives in Lopburi in honour of Rama. More than one thousand people go every year to the festival to enjoy a wonderful day seeing how around 600 monkeys eat what you offer them. I also think that it is a good experience because you can learn a bit of culture, see the ruins that are next to the square, and also visit the rest of Lopburi.

I hope I’ll be able to go some time and watch such a great show!

Here is a link to see the festival!

"Tonterías las justas"

I’m going to talk about a Spanish entertainment program that many people know and like, but not everybody watches it. This program is call “tonterias las Justas” and it is broadcast on “cuatro” from Monday to Friday. This program is basically about jokes and about things that appear on television. They show videos to the spectator and then they talk about them.

When they are talking about the videos Daniel, Anna and Flo sit around a big table. There is a girl that is called Romina who interviews famous people.

Another section that you can find in this program is “el blog de Agueda” where a group of old people make their own videos. You can also find a section that is called “ranking” where they show videos about people falling and they also make comments.

I usually watch this program and I like it because they make me laugh. Sometimes they act naturally and they talk about their lives outside work that makes you feel comfortable. Another thing that I like about this programme is that they change the sections, so that people don’t get tired of about them. Sometimes they bring famous people to the programme and I also like this because it makes each day different. I think that this is the type of program that other channels should have instead of people shouting at each other and arguing about stupid things.

So, after reading all of this, tell me…

Do you prefer funny programs or discussion programs?

Welcome to Austria!

If you like nature and cold weather, or if you are sweet-toothed; Austria is the country you need. You can do whatever you want, except sunbathing on a beach (there is no sea there). If you are a ski lover some of the best ski slopes of Europe are to be found in these alpine areas. Comparing the great Alps of Austria and the Pyrenees of France and Spain I would chose the mountains in central Europe. However, if you are not brave enough to ski and, perhaps, brake an arm, there are many other activities to do in the countryside. One example is ornithology, observing the slippery grouse in danger of extinction in Spain and in many European countries. If you like fishing trout in the cold rivers of the Alps, this country is the best place you can find.

The capital, Vienna, is all a leisure center. There are antique markets every Thursday and the Sacher hotel is a place you must not forget to visit. If you are in Vienna during the cold and snowy winter, the Sacher hotel will give you time to marvel at the hot chocolate and eat the famous Sacher cake while you watch the falling snow in the street. Vienna is also good to start the study of German, one of the main European languages.

If you don’t know where to go, take a jet and fly to Austria.

Dream Islands

Probably, now that December is starting all of us have thought about going to an exotic beach, or to a warm, lost island. Now I am going to help you choose your Christmas destination, or if you are not lucky enough to go there, you can dream about it for a while.

MADAGASCAR:

A visit to Madagascar is the dream of everyone with explorer blood, and could be an unforgettable way to start this New Year. It is the fourth biggest island in the world, and each of its corners hides thousands of mysteries to be discovered. Do you dare to be the first?

There are plenty of adventures to choose from, but without any doubt, the best option is to go on an expedition all over the island, stopping in different places. Most guided visits include tours to plenty of reservoirs where you will learn plenty of things from the more than twenty different cultures that are found in this culturally rich island.

THE MALDIVES:

The most visited paradisiacal islands are the Maldives. Put away your scarf, your gloves, that heavy wool jersey, and imagine yourself walking down this beach in a very light swimsuit, feeling the sun on your skin, the fine and hot sand caressing your bare feet, or listening to the gentle sounds of waves while sipping a cocktail lying by the sea. You can also bathe in one of the big blue turquoise lagoons, enjoying the green and fresh vegetation that surround them. Wouldn’t it be fantastic?

Of course this is not all, the Maldives offer us plenty of activities, you can go diving in its marvellous underwater coral gardens seeing the colours of the thousands of different fish that inhabit the charming aquamarine waters.

Cuore

Hi everybody!

I´m going to talk about a magazine that I usually buy, and you will think,“ Hmm, if she buys it, she will only say good things about it ”, well it´s just the opposite. I´ve been thinking about it and I have realized that this magazine, named “CUORE”, is just a useless magazine that consists of criticizing famous people and their defects.

This magazine is a way to make fun of celebrities and also take our money. In my opinion, aren´t we taught from childhood to respect others despite their defects? So why do we read the kind of magazines that say just the opposite?

And you will think that Cuore also informs us about current events, comments on films, offers crosswords … and of course this is a valid point. But it’s a bit cruel saying , for example, that Angelina Jolie has prominent veins on her arms or that when Shakira wants to enjoy a day on the beach, those extra pounds are showing.

But taking all this into account, the strangest thing is that we continue to buy this magazine, myself included. But seriously, I’m going to think again before buying this magazine.

I really want to know your opinion, what do you think?