A New Type of General

International press has given large coverage and many compliments to Zapatero’s New Cabinet in the last few days. Furthermore, they have given special treatment to a young pregnant woman, who snaps the troops into attention when she walks by. Women are a majority in Zapatero’s new team and this is not the only new record the Prime minister has accomplished, he has positioned a woman as Minister of defence for the very first time in Spanish History! We are witnessing a change, in which Spain is setting an example to the world and equality jumps into plain sight.

“¡capitán, manden firmes!” Was Carme Chacón’s first order as Minister of defence. Carme Chacón is not only Young and pregnant but also, smart and attractive. She has a bachelor and Doctor in Law from the University of Barcelona and did postgraduate studies in Canada.

Prior to her appointment she worked as Professor of Constitutional Law and Secretary of education, culture and research in the Executive Commission of Spain’s socialist workers’ Party.
She also worked with J. Zapatero in his previous legislature as minister of Housing for approximately a year.

Two of her many Goals as Minister of defence consider the development of the law that will introduce Military as a professional career, in an attempt to introduce further operability and the increase of women in the Spanish army.

Here are two Videos. The first, features the minister of defence days prior to the acceptance ceremony and the second is a small video during the ceremony. Enjoy!

Fama, ¡a bailar!

Fama might seem like another TV show, but it's turning out to be a hit sensation in Spanish television. It's Reality TV, featuring your daily contest, and with the perfect dose of melodrama impossible to compare with the best Mexican soup operas!

Let’s try to find out more...

Fama, ¡a bailar! Is one of the major shows Spanish channel ‘cuatro’ has decided to focus on the present year. Other versions of fama have been featured in several foreign countries and they were all successful. 20 people compete to see their dreams come true: a one year scholarship in one of the best international schools of dance.

10 men and 10 women will live together in Fama School where they will compete against each other in teams and will be tutored by famous Spanish choreographers.

The show is extremely dynamic, see for yourself:

On Mondays we have ‘the Challenge’. The contestant who lost his or her partner on the previous evening will challenge one of his colleagues to try to steal his partner and remain in the game. If he wins the challenge a new team is formed and the loser is dismissed, if not he will be dismissed and the team will remain together.

On Tuesdays starts the battle for immunity. Every team dances and the jury will decide which 2 teams danced best.

On Wednesdays the battle for immunity comes to and end and the jury decides which team deserves the invulnerability. This team will be protected from any type of challenge or dismissals from school.

On Thursdays’ starts a new challenge, the test to avoid being nominated to leave Fama School on Sunday.

On Fridays the jury will decide which two contestants danced worst and these two contestants will drag their partners into the nomination to leave the school. The students will have to show on the dance floor how good they really are.

On Sundays, the public decides who they believe should leave the school.

Fama is live on TV Mondays to Friday at 14h15 (Portuguese time) and hosted by Paula Vásquez. On Sundays the Gala begins at 20h30.

In the end, Fama Is a lot of fun in One big Show ;)

Til’ next week!

Official Site

Simply Mary

Mary was the most perfect girl from Berkeley highs. I used to know people who would not agree with me, but it was mainly because she had either embarrassed them in front of the entire student body council or charged expensive clothes on their parents’ credit cards. Albeit no matter what she did she was perfect in my eyes.

Mary had beautiful brown hair but she died it Blonde so she could look like a whore, but not too much. It was common for popular girls to look slightly sluttish. As Much as I wished I had hated her during those teen years, I guess I couldn’t because there was nothing to hate. There were days she acted like an angel and others like the devil, but the act had gotten old in our final years of school together. Teachers had developed a way to see right through her, and it was quite simple: They began ignoring her! But how could I ignore the girl I loved so much hanging out with?

I realise now how lucky I was back then. Falling in Mary’s good Grace was not very common. I wonder if there was something special about me… Probably not. Having brute force close by was smart just in case something went wrong.

If this happened today she would had become queen of the prom dance, ruler of her neighbourhood, and one day - the country. Mary had always known how to get what she wanted when she wanted, and this is a special trait. She had never been spoiled by her parents; on the contrary, she was the least important of daughters. Her parents had experienced the most violent of divorces and Mary was part of the collateral damage. Growing under a shattered family had changed her forever.

I wonder if it was moments we were alone and she would open up to me. Or the kind words she whispered when I was a little sad. Maybe it was the rough words when I was pestering her or the parties I wasn’t invited too. No matter what it was there was something about Mary…