Yeah, my first day in Spain they told me, "Los dólares no tienen valor", but they took my credit card OK. Don't be put off by "Doug" or his ilk. There are people like him everywhere. We get lots of French, German, and English tourists where I live, , but not that many Spaniards. We wonder where they are. Some people think, that they may be stand-offish and unwilling to go places, where their language is not spoken. The Mexicans and Central Americans are not so picky. In fact, if you watched the advertisements on Telemundo, Univision, or hTV, you would form the opinion, that all they care about, is learning English. It is the ticket to "la vida mejor", as one ad says. On the other hand, lots of Anglos in my country are learning Spanish too.
I am not too worried about the Euro situation. I'll bet that I can buy a lot more with a dollar in the U.S., than you can buy with a Euro in Spain. The latinos that come into my country, legally or not, seem to like dollars too. I am not an expert on economics, but I suspect that the Euro may be over-valued.
The Mr. Bean comment cracks me up. Your previous president had a lot more dress sense and better taylors, although I didn't care too much for his politics.
Earle
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Dave Milne
The Head of Prisons is offended because some inmates might be offended. As none of the inmates have been reported as being actually offended, and f*k them if they are, she is the only one.
Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ
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bo peep
It looks like "Fidelio" is a contender for this weeks's Usenet Bull$hit award...
He was considered to be a *major* star in Spain before coming to the US in 1992, having starred in more than 20 films there.
John Cowart
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Billy Ray
Is this woman a person who likes to see her name in the news or is she a member of a malcontent organization, or is she just a nut?
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Dave Milne
Name in news - ex human rights campaigner.
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Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ
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Brian
Don't be too confident for the long term. Current deficits on top of existing debt threaten the long-term stability of US paper, both currency & debt, which could mean a depression. Maybe it won't, but it seems smart to cease the stupid economic policies.
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Earle Horton
"Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown" is a must-see, even if you have to read the subtitles.
Earle
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Fidelio
Why Spaniards are not traveling? Let me explain that to you... we allow Poland to enter into the Union just to stop being the poorest country in the EU. That easy. Now that Poland is starting to improve their situation we are planning to allow Turkey to go into the Union.
In Spain we don't watch South American TVs. Basically since ASTRA or HISPASAT which are the two satellite systems found in southern Europe don't send the signal of those channels. I think Galavision is on ASTRA but for us the South Americans accent sound so funny that we can not really follow what they are saying. Is something like Portuguese and Brasilian both are suppouse to be the same language but the find the way to speak it very strange each other.
Now related the Euro and Dollar. When I was in the States I found that housing is more cheap there than in Europe but those wooden made houses you have in the cities are not found in Europe (not even in Spain where the weather is goog enough). So building a home in Europe is much more expensive that in the States.
Another important diference are cars. An european car like BMW or Audi or Mercedes cost double in Germany or Spain than in the States. The reason for that could be that european makers must fight with the prices of local makers like Ford or GM. I think again that making a car in the States is much cheaper that in Europe due to the social facilities the workers in Europe have.
Just imagine, I pay on taxes by the end of the year or taken directly from my salary about 35%, so if the company pays to me around 48000 Euros a year "Hacienda" (our IRS) gets for the state about 16800 Euros (57908 dollars -
20267 dollars, what
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said). And Spain is not the worst country in EU related to taxes. In France and Germany I could pay for the same salary about a 45% on taxes. And in northern Europe like Sweden, Norway or Finland they pay as much as 65%.
Is this meant that the average european has less money in his pocket that the average american? Not really. All the european contries has National Health System which has great health assistance. I have no other health system than the owned by the state. I could but I don't need it. And all european countries has a Social Security System which pays to you about
65%-90% of your salary when you are ill for a long time or when you raise 65 years old and you stop working for a salary (I don't remember the english word... retirement?... don't know). So... if you take an american salary and you add the health insurance and a retirement plan and many other facilities that the average european pays with the taxes may be the diference is not too much. May be with a person from Spain yes but not with a German.
Which system is the best? I don't make any choice on that. I hate paying taxes but when I saw how much an american pay for being in a hospital I think it over.
Related to Mr. Bean - Zapatero. I must insist... Guantanamo is the solution. He is good friend of Chavez and Castro so... you have there the reason to take it into jail. ;-)
Fidelio
"Earle Horton" escribió en el mensaje news:43440c73$1 snipped-for-privacy@alt.athenanews.com...
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Fidelio
Rocco Sigfredi did more than 20 films, so you cannot consider "amount of films" as a qualification for being good actor.
Anyway there are two important features on people from Spain that helps to understand us. First is that we consider we have good weather. Second is our like for speaking badly about the Spanish persons or things... like complaining about Spanish actors, Presidents, or live style.
Related to the price... hmmm Can I get cash?
Fidelio
"bo peep" escribió en el mensaje news: snipped-for-privacy@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
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Fidelio
I forgot another diference between Europe and America.
Can be seen in the URL:
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Just kidding.
Fidelio
P.S.: I think I'm going to be banned by US people.
"Fidelio" escribió en el mensaje news:di2m6r$7jm$ snipped-for-privacy@caladan.landsraad.net...
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Billy Ray
I WAS going to say that I had never seen any of his films and perhaps Fidelio considers him a minor player. I was wrong, when I looked on
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I saw that he was the voice of the cat in Shrek so I will have to admit I, at least, heard him in a movie playing the voice of a cat in a children's movie. IS that is the surest sign of a major movie star ?
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Billy Ray
But it is sadly true...
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Fidelio
Rocco Sigfredi is a BIG star.
You know in Spain all the movies are translated and local actors makes dubbing (I think that is the word) of the original actors. The funny story about Shrek is that Banderas is the voice of the cat in the english version and in the spanish one.
Anyway he is a fine player I was just kidding. Penelope Cruz is not... and I'm not kidding about Pe'.
Fidelio
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Earle Horton
Those are United States television stations that I mentioned. They have ads in Spanish, touring "Inglés sin barreras" as the painless way to "la vida mejor". There are ads like this in Spain too. I laugh when I see them. If this is true, why am I learning Spanish?
The houses in the United States are no longer made of wood, except for those bought by the very rich. They are made of cardboard and styrofoam now. I am not pulling your leg.
I must insist, that the Spanish spoken in the new world, which is like the Spanish of Andalucía, has a greater acceptance, world wide, than the Castillian version. I can understand both.
I am in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and there is a MacDonald's right around the corner, en la Calle Dato. If more of them are built, it will strain your socialist health care system, perhaps to the point of breaking it. And it will mean the end of your attractive but underfed women.
Earle
jail/prison.
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Doug
Hey fuckjob. Did you know hispanics get affirmative action in the USA? That's right ANY/ALL hispanics gets affirmative action. What does this mean? That means that if you apply for a college/university or job and a hispanic with similar qualifications applies for the job and you're not hispanic you don't get the job or get into the university/college. F*ck you.
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L.W.( Ãill ) Hughes III
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Fidelio
Hmmm Vitoria? Ask the "batasunos" to blow that McDonald... they know how to do it.
"Earle Horton" escribió en el mensaje news:434537d8$1 snipped-for-privacy@alt.athenanews.com...
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Earle Horton
Why should I care? I am going home in five months, and already I miss the New World, and the Spanish accent that sounds so funny, that you cannot follow it. There is a Burger King here too.
Earle
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