taxes between matrimony patrimony and paradise... who wants to be a patriot.

      Meet us in paradise.
Three stories, three centuries and the same background.

1. The XVI century
The Vatican had the Fugger in the Renaissance:
Jakob Fugger offered to lend count Albrecht the money needed to buy his 3rd diocese. Fugger launched an indulgence campaign on behalf of St Peter’s project for the Vatican. Half the cash raised would go to the Vatican and the other half would pay back his loan in favour of Count Albrecht.
Martin Luther had a say on that.....

2. The XIX century
The USA had their “robber barons”:

the Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Gould, ... and above all Morgan,  since 1867
Adjectives we could use to describe them:

• bold, 
• guileful, 
• ruthless
•  inhibited by restraints of  conscience
• ................

Sometimes with related cases of moral hipocrisy
when they show the tip of 
the corruption iceberg such as 
from tax evasion to money laundering,
from drug trafficking to arms funding

but
What about the Hispanic branches 
on this side of Europe....

Born in Santander or Majorca,
but it could have been anywhere...

Judge for yourself

3. The XX century

Mr E. Botín - Banco Santander SA  since 1857

news_01
In 2011, the Botín family paid about EUR200 million in back taxes to avoid charges of tax evasion (for the last punitive years) against Mr. Botín and 11 of his relatives involving a Swiss investment account inherited from his father. Spain’s national court closed a tax fraud investigation focused on the family, without bringing charges.

news_02
The origin of the investigation of the Botín family dates back to 2006, when an HSBC Private Bank employee stole data on 24,000 clients who held secret accounts with the lender. The employee subsequently gave the information to the French authorities.


Mr J. March - Banca March  since 1926

(2010) news _03  The Guardian  
March started life as a local banker for Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands. His colourful past allegedly included pig-trading, smuggling and the secret refuelling of submarines (and general profiteering) during the first world war. 

(1961) News_04. TIME He was dubbed "the last pirate of the Mediterranean".

 the world's most mysterious and powerful billionaire. Shrewd and ruthless, the shadowy figure of Juan March has floated across the face of Europe for more than half a century, bringing public officials low, underwriting dictators, helping to finance two world wars 

Checking the adjectives- set 1 letter A

EL RUNRÚN


Adjetivos para Messi
Màrius Serra - 12/04/2010

How good is Google translator to cope with adjectives. 
Today we will face a hard test: Messi

LETTER  A
"Abismal, abnegado, abstracto, accesible, acertado,acometedor, activo, adecuado, admirable, afable, afanado, agalludo, agigantado, ágil, agradable, agresivo, agudo, alabable, alarife, alegrante, alegre, alentoso, altruista, amable, ambidiestro, amigable, angelical, animado, antológico, aparente, aplicado, apocado, apreciable, apresurado, apropiado, apto, arrojado, asequible, asombroso, astuto, atacante, atento, atrevido, atroz, audaz, aventurado,

Abysmal, selfless, abstract, accessible, accurate, undertaker, active, adequate, admirable, loving, toiling, spunky, gigantic, fast (agile/swift), friendly, aggressive, sharp, praise, scorpion, architect, gracious, happy, encouraged (+ing), unselfish, kind, ambidextrous, friendly, angelic, animated, anthology (+ical), applied, wretched, significant(-ly), (+in) a hurry, appropriate, suitable, cast, affordable, amazing, shrewed, attacker, caring, daring, outrageous, audacious, adventurous

LETTER  B
balsámico, bárbaro, barrabás, barragán, barroco, bello, beneficioso, benemérito, benévolo, benigno, bestial, bicho, bienaventurado, bizarro, bizbirondo, bonachón, bondadoso, bragado, bravo, brillante, brutal, buenazo, buenísimo, bueno, bullicioso, buscavida,

balsamic, barbaric, Barabbas, barragán, baroque, beautiful, beneficial, worthy, benevolent, benign, beast, creature, blessed, bizarre, bizbirondo, good-natured, kind, energetic, brave, brilliant, brutal, good-natured, great, good, noisy, hustler,

 NOW; check the other letters yourself

LETTER  C
cabal, caballuno, calificado, campante, campeador, campechano, campeón, canela, capaz, capital, cariñoso, caritativo, célere, celestial, cerebral, certero, chévere, chipén, chispeante, chistoso, chupi, churrigueresco, ciclópeo, civil, clásico, clemente, cojonudo, colosal, comedido, compasivo, competente, complaciente, completo, comprensivo, conceptual, concienzudo, condescendiente, congruente, considerable, considerado, contento, conveniente, cordial, correcto, correoso, correspondiente, cortés, crecido, cubista, cuerdo, cuidadoso, cuidoso, cumplido, cumplidor, curioso,

full, horsey, qualified, after, for man of the field, folksy champion, cinnamon, capable, capital, loving, charitable, Celera, celestial, cerebral, accurate, cool, chip, sparkling, funny, chupi, churrigueresco, cyclopean, civil, classic, Clement, fucking great, colossal, courteous, compassionate, competent, complacent, complete, comprehensive, conceptual, conscientious, compliant, consistent, considerable, considerate, happy, fit, friendly, correct, leathery, corresponding, courteous, grown, Cubist, sane, careful cuidoso, compliant, compliant, curious,

LETTER  D
dabuten, dadaísta, dadivoso, danzante, decidido, decidor, deferente, delicado, delicioso, demoniaco, denodado, deportivo, deportoso, desacostumbrado, desaforado, desahogado, desarrollado, desatentado, desbordante, descacharrante, descomedido, descomunal, deseable, desembarazado, desenvuelto, deslumbrador, deslumbrante, desmedido, desmesurado, desorbitado, despabilado, despejado, desproporcionado, desusado, detallista, determinado, diabólico, diestro, digital, digno, dilatado, diligente, dinámico, dispuesto, distinto, divertido, divino, dócil, dotado, dúctil, dulce,

dabuten, Dada, generous, dancing, determined, witty, deferential, delicate, delightful, devilish, strenuous, sport, sports, unusual, outrageous, vented, developed, inattentive, exuberant, hilarious, rude, colossal, desirable, unfettered, unwrapped, dazzling, brilliant, excessive, immoderate, exorbitant, awake, clear, disproportionate, unusual, thoughtful, determined, evil, clever, digital, dignified, dilated, diligent, dynamic, willing, different, fun, divine, docile, gifted, ductile sweet

LETTER  E
educado, eficaz, eficiente, efusivo, elocuente, enorme, enredador, ensañado, enseñado, entendido, entero, épico, escrupuloso, esforzado, esmerado, esparcido, espabilado, espacioso, especial, espléndido, estimable, estoico, estrafalario, estrambótico, estrenuo, estricto, estupendo, exacto, exagerado, excelente, excelso, excéntrico, excepcional, excesivo, exorbitante, expansivo, expeditivo, exquisito, extendido, extenso, extra, extraño, extraordinario, extravagante, extremado, extremo, exultante,

educated, effective, efficient, effusive, eloquent, huge, intriguing, no mercy, taught, understood, whole epic, conscientious, courageous, caring, scattered, hustlers, spacious, special, splendid, admirable, stoic, bizarre, bizarre, strenuous, strict, fine, accurate, exaggerated, excellent, sublime, eccentric, exceptional, excessive, exorbitant, expansive, expedient, exquisite, extended, large, extra, strange, extraordinary, extravagant, extreme, extreme, exuberant,

LETTER  F
fabuloso, fácil, facilitador, faenero, fantástico, favorable, fecundo, fenomenal, fértil, festivo, fetén, fiel, fierabrás, fiero, fino, flamígero, florido, formal, formidable, franco, fuerte, fulminante, funcional, furioso, futurista...".

fabulous, easy, facilitator, faenero, fantastic, favorable, fruitful, phenomenal, fertile, festive, FETEN, faithful, spitfire, fierce, fine, flamboyant, flowery, formal, formidable, frank, strong, explosive, functional, furious, futuristic

(Mañana, segunda parte del Messiccionario)

check here the whole text

Child-Rearing Approach

225 × 300 - thenotmom.com

Children - Child- Childless

Increasing Childlessness in Germany and Japan: 

Toward a Childless Society?

Friday talkback: Childless by choice - Life Matters - ABC Radio ...

Voluntary childlessness and being Childfree 

BBC News - The women who choose not to be mothers

BBC NEWS | Europe | The rise of the 'childfree'

Does society discriminate against the childless? - BBC News

Annette Lareau (2003) has researched the (powerful yet largely invisible) impact of social class on child-rearing practices and 
discovered that middle-class and working-class parents tend to follow two different approaches to child-rearing.

TASK. Pick the statements  below and write them next to the appropriate social class

SET1.Interventions in Institutions

Conflict between child-rearing practices at home and at school.

Criticisms and interventions on behalf of child,

Training of child to take on this role.

Sense of powerlessness and frustration

• working-class parents
• middle-class parents

SET2.Language Use
Rare questioning or challenging of adults by child,
Extended negotiations between parents and child.

• working-class parents
• middle-class parents

SET 3. Organization of Daily Life
Multiple child leisure activities orchestrated by adults
“Hanging out,” particularly with kin, by child.

• working-class parents
• middle-class parents

Singaporean perspectives

Priceless Children and other futures for the tiny creature

A Land Without Children:  

 Why Won't Germans Have More Babies?

(DER SPIEGEL) For years, administrations in Berlin have tried to encourage Germans to have more children. Indeed, the Merkel administration has been particularly active on this issue: It has instituted parental leave benefits and guaranteed young children the legal right to a place in a daycare center beginning in August 2013.

To date, the benefits paid to Germans on parental leave -- known in Germany as "Elterngeld" (literally "parents' money") -- have cost the government almost €15 billion ($21 billion). But no matter how much money the state throws at the problem, it won't go away.

DER SPIEGEL

The Birth Rate in Germany

DER SPIEGEL

Parental Leave Benefirts in Germany

A Solution That Has Failed

Last week, Germany's Federal Statistical Office determined that the country has the smallest percentage of children of all European countries. Over the last decade, the number of Germans under the age of 18 has declined by 2.1 million (16.5 percent in 2010). Roderich Egeler, the organization's president, warns: "This downward trend will continue."

Children are often made to feel unwelcome in restaurants

Are the British intolerant of children -BBC

The old fashioned view that children should be seen and not heard is still alive and well in the UK according to new research.

The National Family and Parenting Institute says Britain has one of the worst records in Europe for being "family unfriendly". Parents believe restaurants make them feel unwelcome, and people running public transport do little to help.

The report also highlights big differences between Britain and the rest of Europe in terms of maternity leave pay, leave for fathers, working hours and childcare.

Do you think the UK needs to become a more family-friendly nation? What are attitudes towards children like in your country? 

Send us your views and experiences. (find other 6 there)

•  I have no problem with children who are well behaved and polite, as most people will agree. It's the spoilt little brats who stamp and scream when they don't get their way that most of us cannot stand. Well done to the parents who manage to keep their children under control. It is hard, but isn't that what parenting is all about? Anne, London, UK
• I am astonished by some of the comments on this page. Yes Britain is generally inflexible for families both at work and leisure compared to France where we live now. Children are more accepted socially in restaurants/ bars etc and they are no better or worse behaved over here. But I never imagined that there was such a blatant anti-child portion of the adult population in Britain. Take Nick Hardy or Anon's (chicken) comments for example. I am therefore convinced that Britain will in fifty years time be a nation of old childless whingers.   Tim, France