Land Diving- Rite of passage

Do footballers earn too much money?

A lot of people think that footballers earn too much money. And I'm one of them. A normal family is never going to earn the same money in 10 years than a footballer in one year. In my opinion, being a footballer is as valid as being a trash collector. That's why I'm against of the fortunes they earn every year.

At first, they can earn 30 million only by getting signed for another club. I think it's not fair. I can understand that their image become public once they appear on the TV but this is part of their contract. Why doesn't an economist have this economic clauses?

In second place, lots of famous people like Ronaldo or Messi usually buy for themselves 2 brand new cars, 3 mansions in the nowhere and more stupid cravings. The most impressing thing is that some of them don't pay any taxes! Even if they are multimillionaire, they try to avoid them to buy more and more things to be the SUPER CLASS. Once they get all these things, they show off. I can't stand it. Why are they receiving that amount of money when there is a lot of people that is dying because of fame? Nevertheless, there are a few of them that seem supportive. Iniesta or Xavi Hernández always contribute a small quantity of money to try to help some children that can't eat.

In conclusion, I think that footballers are overvalued. Their job is as valid as anyone else’s and for this reason they should earn similar quantities of money.

Now you see me

Plot

Now you see me is an American thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt. It is about four wizards that got known in a building. Someone had told them to meet there. Every member was very good at different types of magic. They practised a lot before they did a show in Las Vegas. In this one, they picked up one member of the public and made him appear in the Paris bank. There, in thanks to this member, the 4 magicians managed to steal all the money and give to the public. One member of the public, in his old times, was one of the best magicians in the world. He knew that what was happening wasn't possible, he deduced that that money was stolen previously. Then, in this story appear two agents of FBI who try to stop them. To do it, they contact the retired magician. However, this men didn't tell them anything at all, "magic never has to be revealed", he said.

As the time went by, the agents began discovering some tricks that they have been using in their shows. They also discovered how they managed to steal millions of dollars. The 2 agents waited a show that the 4 magicians were going to have. Before of the show, the FBI team discovered where were they staying. By the time the police arrived to that flat, 3 of them had escaped and one stayed in. This one was taken to prison while the others escaped. Hopefully, the police man could see one of the three missing and went for him. The magician seemed to have an accident and the policemen believe what he had seen. In reality, the magician had managed to escape from the accident. In their last show, they gave false money to the public. The real money was in the magicians’ car, they were ready to leave with the huge amount of money. But not happened as they wanted, because the FBI men could block them and stop them.

My opinion

Now you see me has become one of my favourite films because of its topic. I love watching mystery films. Once I had finish to watch this filmed I got in shocked. At the end, it happened something (spoiler) that it made me be left with mine's mouth open. I didn't expect that fact at all! 

Last summer, the second part of this film was realised. Unfortunately, I couldn't go to the premiere and this summer I forgot watching it so I should download it right now....

YouTubers

First of all, what is a YouTuber? A YouTuber is a person who works for YouTube. That is a person who upload videos in the Internet for entertainment. Once I've introduced the subject, I'd like to comment some aspects about these people.

Lots of people from around the world think that making videos for the community and uploading them is not a job. What I think that they believe is that for them working is going outside and use either their feet or their hands to build a machine, to organize papers, to cook for a school... These people aren't seeing what a YouTuber is doing for the society. They are providing entertainment, one of the most important aspects in our daily lives. Nevertheless, making videos is not as easy as it looks. A well-produced video takes between 8 and 15 hours of edition! I'm one of those people that think that being a YouTuber is a job. They are working, they are editing videos for someone else and also re receiving some money.

Every YouTuber has his own channel where they publish their content. These people also have subscribers. Subscribers are those ones that follow the YouTuber's channel. Of course, YouTubers are getting paid. The economic system on YouTube is based on the timing of views. For example, a person who has made a video of eight minutes, and the average timing of watching that video is three minutes, the YouTuber is going to be paid for those three minutes. That's why all of them want lots of subscribers. If they've got lots of them, they have more chances of getting paid better as people are notified about new videos and so they watch it. In Spain, the YouTuber who has got more subscribers is Rubén, known as elRubiusOMG.

Another aspect that YouTubers have in mind are "likes". The "like" is a button you can press to show to the YouTuber that you have enjoyed the content. It exist the "dislike" button, too. I think it's a good way to show your opinion. Sometimes, writing comments is harder than pressing a button. Also, there are some YouTubers that are asking for likes. They are asking for them because a video that has lots of likes is classified in a list called "Popular videos". And if the video is in this list, there are more possibilities of getting more views.

Does Gambling Explain Votes for Trump, Brexit?

Summary

The Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump have been two very important facts during this year. Christophe Heintz, a science professor at Central European University, has offered an interesting theory that could help explain both Brexit and the rise of Trump. He said that if people had voted for Trump and for Brexit knowing the risks, there is a theory that explains why. To explain this he said an example: Given the choice between winning $50 with certainty or flipping a coin that could net either $100 or nothing, depending on which side it lands on, people will choose to pocket the safe $50 "in many case".

So he arrives at the conclusion that people are either looking for risk or risk averse depending on whether the inversions are given as gains or as losses." Lots of professors agreed on the prospect theory.

New words

• acknowledged: Definition
• risk seeking: looking for risk
• stakes: Definition
• starvation: Definition

My opinion

As it says at the end of the news, the prospect theory doesn't explain all the reasons why poeple have voted for Donald Trump or Brexit. In the case of the USA elections, this theory is reasonoed the moment Trump is having a speech in 3 states of America. Is reasoned because these states were affected by losses so these people needed to risk voting Donald Trump to have a big change and try to improve their own lives.

Mexico City's James Bond-inspired Day of the Dead parade gets mixed reviews

Summary

This year of Mexico's traditional Day of the Dead was given a new change, as the parade was inspired by James Bond.

The government called the parade part of a new multifaceted campaign aiming to bring more tourists to Mexico during the holiday. Thousands of people assisted to watch the skeletons, traditional dancers, and musical groups, it seems to have worked.

The Day of the Dead is one of the most deep-rooted traditions in Mexico. Millions celebrate it, and they traditionally set up altars with photographs of the dead, gather at their loved ones’ gravesides, drink, sing and talk to the dead.

New words

• Deeply rooted: Definition
• Chasing: Definition
• Marigolds: Definition
• Depicting: Definition

My opinion

I think celebrating the Day of Dead in another way is best option a country could take. Taking up the parade of James Bond's film it's a good technique to attract tourism. James Bond's films had had a lot of success and because of it lots of people went to the Mexico's traditional Day of the Dead to see it. Although the good moments that some people had experienced there, the parade did not go down well with everyone. Some of these people pointed to it as another discourse from the government famous for opening the world’s biggest ice rink or building urban beaches.

The complete news was found here.

Baby humpback whale saves stranded mother

Summary

In Australia, a mother and baby whale were swimming. Suddenly, the baby whale got stucked. Its tail was tangled in a shark net. It couldn't move so the mother whale proped it up out of the water.
While the mother whale was staying with her baby, some people came to help. These people cut the baby free from the net amd the mother and baby whale swam away.
People weren not happy about this. They didn'tt like it when other people used shark nets. They said that shark nets catch too many animals and die because they cannot get out of the nets.

New words

• stranded: Definition
• humpback: Definition

My opinion

In my opinion, as the people thought, I wouldn't be happy either if I were one from those people. I think that using sharks nets to stop and catch sharks doesn't help us. Indirectly, we are intervening to the life of other aquatic animals. 

The complete news is here

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF NOMENEES

Donald Trump is an American man who has never worked in politics. He is a business man. Although he is not a politic, he has some strengths that might help him to become the new president of the USA. Trump is very extroverted. We can appreciate this quality while he is having a speech. Because of the way he speaks doesn't it doesn't seem that he is shy. That's why I think he is outspoken. Perhaps, his business experience has helped Trump to improve his mood. Another strong point he has is his faith. This quality is reflexed in the "face to face" he used to have against Hillary. Most of the times, to defend himself, he used arguments against the 60th year old woman. In fact, Donald has accused Clinton in helping on some sexual abuses. Apart from his faith, his irony is present in the speeches too. His "power" is also shown when he is saying that if he wins, no more immigration will come. These Donald's qualities might attract American people.


Nevertheless, as a person he is, he also has some weaknesses. He is racist. We can notice that when he began to explain that wanted to build a large wall to separate the USA from Mexico. In addition to this fact, USA wouldn't pay this wall (if Trump wins) so Mexico would be supposed to pay for it. In the moment he used this explanation, lots of people considered him a racist as he wanted to expel Mexicans from the USA territory. He doesn't want Muslims in his country either. Some other people categorise him as a "machista". Trump has talked about woman in a bad way. Once he told he liked to see a woman kneeling. He also said that he didn't like dirty fat woman. Trump, for some people might not be taken seriously. If I were one of those Americans I wouldn’t take him seriously. He is also egocentric. Another weakness is that he hasn't got any political experiences.


The other candidate is Hillary Clinton. She is an old American woman that has fought against Trump for the USA presidency. Clinton has proven to be a political fighter. Her experience has helped a lot in his career as she was the First Lady of the United States. In thanks to this fact, she knows about what consists in being a president. Another strong point that she has is that transmit effectiveness and the determination to lead the USA. She also is supported by a few people which are usually Spaniards, Afro-Americans or woman. Another positive aspects that describes this woman are perseverance, promised and strong. However, this qualities didn't help her to win the elections.


As Donald Trump, she also has some weaknesses. The most important one is that she represents the unpopularity of the establishment and the politic class. Another factor that could had influenced in the elections was the famous case of the emails. She was accused of corruption and maybe that's why more than a half part of the USA had voted Donald Trump.

Lazarus

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Look up here, I'm in heaven

I've got scars that can't be seen

I've got drama, can't be stolen

Everybody knows me now

[Verse 2]

Look up here, man, I'm in danger

I've got nothing left to lose

I'm so high, it makes my brain whirl

Dropped my cell phone down below

Ain't that just like me?

[Bridge]

By the time I got to New York

I was living like a king

Then I used up all my money

I was looking for your ass

[Verse 3]

This way or no way

You know I'll be free

Just like that bluebird

Now, ain't that just like me?

Oh, I'll be free

Just like that bluebird

Oh, I'll be free

Ain't that just like me?

Meaning

This song could be considerated a rite of passage because it is the last song before the author David Bowie died. He wrote this song having cancer so he knew that he was nearly death. In fact, 3 days after the publication of this song, David Bowie died. So we can consider it a rite of passage because is a way of leaving life and joining a new world which is dead. In some verses of the song, he is seen by himself in heaven (Look up here, I'm in heaven).


David Bowie wasn't important just in terms of music and fashion, but also in terms of how he carried some selves in the world. Here there is an example.

Elders react to David Bowie

As we can see, the reaction of the elders is surprising. All of them, once they began watching the video, become sad. For them, David Bowie has been an icon. A few of them are so sorry that become to cry and continued watching the images. However, others resisted and deduced that this video was done when David Bowie's life was ending because of his illness.

PROTEST SONGS

TALKING 'BOUT A REVOLUTION- Tracy Chapman (1988)

[Hook 1]

Don't you know

They're talkin' bout a revolution

It sounds like a whisper

Don't you know

They're talkin' about a revolution

It sounds like a whisper

[Verse ]

While they're standing in the welfare lines

Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation

Wasting time in the unemployment lines

Sitting around waiting for a promotion

[Hook 1]

Don't you know

They're talkin' bout a revolution

It sounds like a whisper

Don't you know

They're talkin' bout a revolution

It sounds like a whisper

Poor people gonna rise up

And get their share

Poor people gonna rise up

And take what's theirs

[Bridge]

Don't you know

You better run, run, run, run,run,run,run,run,run,run,run

Oh I said you better run, run

Run,run,run,run,run,run,run,run,run,run

[Hook 2]

It's finally the tables are starting to turn

Talkin' bout a revolution

It's finally the tables are starting to turn

Talkin' bout a revolution oh no

Talkin' bout a revolution oh

[Verse]

While they're standing in the welfare lines

Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation

Wasting time in the unemployment lines

Sitting around waiting for a promotion

[Hook 1]

Don't you know

Talkin' bout a revolution

It sounds like a whisper

And finally the tables are starting to turn

Talkin' bout a revolution

It's finally the tables are starting to turn

Talkin' bout a revolution, oh no

Talkin' bout a revolution, oh no

Talkin' bout a revolution, oh no

Meaning/Conclusion

TALKING 'BOUT A REVOLUTION is a Marxist song. Tracy sings about people wasting their lives for government assistance to have better jobs. The people in this song are whispering about change which is talking about a revolution. She says that these people are oppressed, kept from reaching the economic status of their friends. The only way they have to improve their lives is working for their bosses. The author is fighting against capitalsm and when it says “I said you better run, run, run,” she is making reference to the rich people that would be taken out.  Finally, poor people are goimg to rise up, get their share and take what's theirs. Then, the tables will turn, as she sings. That's why Tracy Chapman is saying You better run, run, run, run,run,run,run,run,run,run,run.

To conclude this short analysis of the song, I'd say that this song is a clear example of a rebel song. As I said before, this song is complaining about the economic system and that's why she wants to change it. Poor people and society need a big change, Marxism.