THE's ranking

Seven Spanish universities are among the world's top 100 young campus, according to the ranking produced annually by the British publication Times Higher Education (THE). Spain is also the fourth largest, behind the United Kingdom, Australia and the U.S., with more campuses in the top 100. Pompeu Fabra University, created in 1990 in Barcelona, ​​ranked 13th.


Apart from the Pompeu Fabra, appear in the top 100 the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ranked 23), the Autonomous University of Madrid (58), Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona (66), the University of Vigo (76 ), the Polytechnic University of Valencia (77) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (95).

GAME OF TRHONES

Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy series created by David Benioff and Dan Weiss for HBO. The series is based on the novel Game of Thrones, the first part of the Song of Ice and Fire series writer George RR Martin. The story chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among nobles for control of the Iron Throne of Westeros continent several families.

The novel takes place in a fantasy world reminiscent of medieval Europe in which magic and mythical creatures of the past have been forgotten. On the continent of Westeros, where the seasons last for decades and winters are hard times, the end of the long summer approaches. A few years after the revolt that ended the reign of the Targaryen dynasty, Robert Baratheon, who led the Rebels with noble Eddard Stark, now occupies the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. However, power struggles between the major noble houses out ever more openly to light. Also, disturbing events occur in the north, beyond the giant wall that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the wilds. Everything suggests that the balance in the West is about to break again.

Currently the series has begun with season 4 and HBO has signed the following two. Novels have not finished the story as it's a long novel full of important characters die and appear new and it's unpredictable new stories.
In my opinion, the novel and the series is the best that ever lived. I have not seen anything so original stories for its many landscapes and characters never get tired of seeing it or reading it.

20 new rules for Spanish road users

Congress on Thursday passed new traffic legislation that will affect how motorists and cyclists use Spain’s roads.

New regulation has the biggest changes to keep in mind when driving along Spanish roads.

-Principal rules are:

1. Helmets mandatory for cyclists under 16. If they don't wear, they are finesed of 200€ for parents. 
2. Bigger fines for drunk driving. Driving with double the allowed limit of alcohol in the blood will now mean a fine of 1,000€ rather than 500€ and the second time increase to 2,000€. 
3. Fines for driving after taking drugs. The new law all it takes is a saliva test: if the result shows the presence of drugs in the body, drivers will be presented with a 1,000-euro fine. Prescription drugs are excluded.
4. New speed limits. While past limits for cars are 120km/h, now are 130 km/h. However, bikes haven't got speed limits.
5. Police can fine vehicles without stopping theim.
6. 50 percent discount for early fine payment extended to 20 days and before was 15 days.

Current Ukranian situation

Last November, the surprising decision of the Ukrainian Government to suspend the signing of association and free trade with the EU, has created an internal conflict for now has claimed the resignation of Prime Minister Mikola Azarov and his cabinet. 

Ukraine faces the dilemma of access to the Customs Union has forged Russia with Belarus and Kazakhstan or secure their relationship with the European Union through the partnership treaty. 

 While West looks to Europe,  Southeast, culture and Russian language, make it to Moscow, which divide again the country as happened in the past.

In this moments, situation it's frightening, confrontations become between police and demonstrators in Independence Square in Kiev, with presence of snipers on the streets.

Seems incredible that there are so similar to past conflicts in these times. It is clear that humans are not evolving, or learning.

IMPACT ON THE OLYMPICS

Olympic Winter Games (in Sochi, a Russian's city) is an oportunity for gay rights to be promoted in Russia, which are attack by the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.

A lot of countries, medias and activists are protesting against Russian's anti-gay laws, such as:

• Google has redesigned his logo today seeker with the colors of the flag of Gay Pride.

• The Guardian has redesigned his "G" with the same colors, ironicaly ("G"ay).

• A street artist in Newcastle paints a mural in protest at Russia's law against gay propaganda.

• Human rights campaigners' ballet dancers protest outside the Russian Embassy in London calling for an end to President Putin's crackdown on human rights.

Most restrictive abortion law of democracy?

Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz Gallardon announced the changes to the current statute, which return in a 1985 law and will only allow abortion under 2 conditions:

1. If the baby presents a risk to the health of the mother 
2. If the pregnancy was the result of rape.

This new law means the elimination of possibility aborting if deformations of the fetus are detected and curtailing women's rights.

The effects of this legislation come to the European Parliament and in the streets of Brussels on a demonstration with two thousand people.

Protesters carried banners in many different languages ( French, Castilian, English and Italian).

Other demonstration come to France (about 5.000 people). Protesters thinks that ultraconservative government presents a law will be intolerable for spanish and European society backward. 

Protesters carried banners, which says: "No interference of the cruch in the bodies of woman", "Solidarity with the Spanish"...

In my opinion, PP's legislation removes woman's rights only for ideological causes as have glad Church and conservative voters. I believe Law set Spain back socially by decades because of the majority in the parliament of Popular Party and also don't consider the majoritu of citiziens who are against.

Press article of "El País in English" (click here)

Work day

Now, Alba and me are making an advertisement. The product is a perfume "Eau the Helloy" and I'm protagonist of this ad.

If you are intersted, you can listen this song of "the gossip":

• SONG

Sorry but I don't tell you any information.

SEE YOU SOON BABIES ,
kisses from ALBA and MARIA.

Different laws of marijuana

While Urguay governament legalises production and sale of cannabis in December of 2013, Spainish governament introduce most harder sanctions with the new Citizen Safety Law ( 3.000-30.000 € for consum marijuana).

Netherland is knowed for the "coffee shops" where there sales cannabis but Colorado is the first place where cannabis will be legally produced and sold. Currently, Uruguay joins the list of countries that legallized it and similiar legislation wil come into efect in Washington and New York is considering it.

But Spain, which two decades ago had some of the most relaxed drug legislation in the world, is now in the opposite direction.
The director general of Spain's National Drugs Plan said that we are returning to concepts from the middle of the last century. And the secretary of the Union of Help Associations and Entities for Drugs Addicts said that it has been shown incontrovertibly that sanctions do not reduce drug consumption.

On the other hand, in the rest of Europe, other countries are also considering relaxing their approach to drugs, such as:
Switzerland that has already decriminalized possession for personal use.
Belgium that it is now permitted to carry up to three grams of marijuana, or have a plant at home for personal use.
Portugal that became the first country in Europe to decriminalize the use and possession of all illegal drugs, in 2011.

What is your opinion of legalises of cannabis? Do you think that is a wrong health law or a correct economic law?

GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE CINEMA

Swedish group meeting last month promoted a controversial initiative to measure the presence of women in films that projected. Later in festivals and theaters means world have contacted the Swedes to copy a test that aims to draw attention to gender inequality in the film industry.

Alison Bechdel test born in 1985, a U.S. comic book illustrator. In one of his cartoons, one of the characters says only see movies that appear at least two women talking to each other and where the conversation does not revolve around a man. These criteria, which were born as a joke, have become the three main questions of the test applied to the film.

The epicenter of this contagious initiative stands at Bio Rio, a small alternative theater room Stockholm. Bio Rio and four other rooms in the country classification and logo to indicate that he had passed the Bechdel test were invented. ThIs, in addition to measuring violence or sex, the viewer will receive information on whether the film is more or less sexist.

The test is based on three requirements:

1.  In the movie at least two women in whose characters have screen name should appear.
2. These women have to talk to each other.
3. The topic of conversation can not be a man.

In hollywood has also performed the test given negative results. The salaries of actors are more big than the actresses, in the film industry there are fewer women working, there are more naked women than men...

BEST PAID ACTORS AND ACTRESSES IN 2013 AND HIS AGE BETWEEN BRACKETS:

Some movies that are suspended:

• The Lord of the Rings
• The Godfather
• Harry Potter
• Star Wars
• Avatar 
• Gravity
• Iron Man
• Thor
• The Hurt Locker
• The Dark Knight
• ...

ENGLISH CLASS

Last Friday, my classmate Alba and I started the Helloy news. I start with the headlines and she continues with the first new, a murder in Zurich.

The other classmates will record the next day, they will be the weather forecasts and the sports reports.

On the one hand, Anna and Carme will talk about S pain's weather.

And on the other hand, Pablo and Ernesto about international sports, in particular Spanish football ligue.

Finally, here I show firts outtakes:

http://youtu.be/kAnemEDHcdc

http://youtu.be/TyLLEEzVHvs

Park Güell

Yesterday I visited Park Güell a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of Barcelona. Park Güell is created by Gaudi and his best friend Eusebi Güell in 19st century.

Five years ago I visited the park and the entry was free but this year it isn't.

The entry costs 8€. 

The price is very expensive because the number of visits for day is huge and the park is only a big garden and a few of beautiful architectural elements.
 I believe that the price should discrease, is  quite excesive.
Morethemore in this time of crisis the people from barcelona can't enjoy the garden complex because this expensive price.

24-0 Protest against the Wert's law, LOMCE

This morning three students of IES Alfred Ayza, including me, have gone at the protest againts the new education law. ONLY THREE STUDENTS.

This law affects all the students, however we have gone only three students, sounds pathetic...
Some teachers have gone like Maribel (valencian), Xavier(technology), Ximo (maths), Lola(french), Juanito (English) and the bad teacher (Physics and chemistry).

I hope protests around the country and the power of the people can end this law, which only seeks to privatize the education.

Advertising Strategies

Well, Today I won't talk about breast's cancer like the others classmates, it would be very repetitive, Don't you?
So today I will talk about advertising strategies which goal is spur the purchase of a product.
Some strategies are:

Frequency; when the missage of the  advertisement are repetitive.

Testimony, when famous people announce the product and suggest it.

Impact, the product is announced trought puns, jokes and rhymes.

funny commercials

Subliminal, during the advertisement appear a subliminal missage but it can't see trought the view.

In conclusion, the advertising is the best form for sell a product and all the companies use it, from strategies like these.

First spanish woman test driver F1 María de Villota dies

The night before she died, De Villota is said to have complained to her manager about a terrible headache. Her death might be connected to the injuries suffered in the accident 18 months ago,which nearly killed her, blinding her in one eye.

 She recovered from her accident; in July she married her personal trainer. Then, she publicise her autobiography, Life is a Gift, which tells the story of how her life changed after the accident.

Biography:

María de Villota Comba borned in Madrid in 1980 to a motor racing family. His father, Emilio, was a Formula One driver and his brother too. Maria started kart racing at 16, winning a race in her first year.From that moment, she raced in a number of different categories.
She became the only female driver from Spain to finish second in a championship (Formula Toyota, 2001), and the first woman to get a pole position in the Ferrari championship, at the Mugello circuit in 2005.

RevolutiOn (TV series)

Today, I discover an american science fiction television drama series by Internet. It was debuted on September 2012 in NBC, an american channel and now it debut in the spanish channel, La Sexta. The TV series have only two seasons and the second was debuted on September 2013.

The argument of the drama are:

• Revolution takes place in a future in which, fifteen years ago, an unknown phenomenon any appliance left unusable advanced, from computers to car engines or batteries. People must adapt to a world without technology, and under the control of warlords and militias formed before the fall of the central government. The series will focus on the Matheson family, which seems to have a key to decipher not only what happened fifteen years ago, but also to reverse its effects. However, they must escape the persecution of warlords and militias who want to be with that element.

Here you have a small introduction, I hope you like:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4YMAXSo4Lg (English)
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veEncs3h6aM (Spanish subtitles) 

At the moment, I have seen the first episode and looks very good. I think this TV series will engage me as Game of Thrones and Under the Dome, my favourites american fiction series.