Galician Noir

Galician noir: how a rainy corner of Spain spawned a new TV genre

(Reblogged from The Guardian)

Spanish dramas such as Money Heist have been taking the world by storm in recent years. But why are film-makers now flooding to the country’s north-west to make their shows?

Rosa Vargas’s arrival in a small town in north-western Spain to investigate the disappearance of a young girl marked an unlikely milestone. Vargas is the fictional police detective in O sabor das margaridas (Bitter Daisies), which, in 2019 became the first series in Galician, a language spoken by fewer than 2.5 million people, to be broadcast by Netflix. The series became one of the top 10 most-watched non-English language shows in the UK and Ireland just a month after its international release.

A decade after Nordic noir captured the attention of international TV audiences, a TV genre some are calling “Galician noir” is emerging from the rainy corner of Spain. HBO made its debut in the Galician language last year with a Spanish-Portuguese miniseries Auga seca (Dry Water), a murder mystery set in the port city of Vigo, and was soon followed by the Galician-produced police thriller La unidad (The Unit) on the Spanish subscription platform Movistar+. More recently, El desorden que dejas (The Mess You Leave Behind), based on a novel by the screenwriter Carlos Montero, premiered on Netflix in December.

ESO Lessons on TV

ESO Students,

Starting today, Monday 23rd March, you can attend virtual classes on TVE La 2 and Clan TV channels. Check the timetable in the image above.

On Let's Clan you can also enjoy some resources (cartoons, series, etc.) in English.

No copyright infringement intended. For educacional, non-commercial purposes only.

Better in Original Version

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non commercial purposes.

GLEE

Glee is a musical American TV series aired on Fox in USA.  It focuses on McKinley High School students, especially on its choir, called New Directions, and the singing competitions they join in.

What are the show’s strong points?

Television is a Drug

Television is a drug. from Beth Fulton on Vimeo.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Augusta Masters 2011: BBC Promo

Tonight is the 4th & last round of the 2011 Augusta masters. Presently, 21-year-old Rory McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, is leading by 4 strokes at -12. Spanish players, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Álvaro Quirós or Sergio García are having quite a good performance.

We offer you now the promo BBC did for this year Masters. This is the audio transcription:

Only the strongest will conquer the dark side of the course. The Masters from Augusta. The full tournament on Radio 5 live. Live TV coverage starts next Saturday at 8.30 on BBC 2.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Violence

Labor Students,

As all of you should know by now, no form of violence is allowed at Labor School, whether it is physical, verbal, mental, digital, financial, theft, vandalism or any other possible kind of abuse.

It is everybody's task to stop violence. Sometimes violence is right in front of us and we are not able to see it. If you don't agree, watch the opening credits for the Dexter series and you will understand what we mean: In this seemingly innocuous trailer you will find violence in its purest form.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Learning English at the academy of Brad and Angelina

The following article by Francesco Manetto was published on ElPais.com in English last Thursday 18th November. 

The subject of showing films in their original language - and its relationship with the mastery of foreign tongues, above all English - has been raising passions in Spain for decades.

One of the most recent participants in the debate is Education Minister Ángel Gabilondo. While recognizing that Spain has a dubbing industry made up of highly qualified professionals, he said that it was "also evident that in countries where films are not dubbed, it has clearly had a bearing on the knowledge of languages."

Spain is the fourth-worst country in the EU when it comes to mastering foreign tongues, according to a recent report by Eurostat. Among the top-performing countries to which the minister was alluding are Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Finland and Slovenia, though he made it clear that original-version movies, accessible in a few dozen or so film theaters, all located in big cities, are not a "cure-all" for the problem.

Julio Morales Merino, director of the Doblarte de Madrid acting school, as well as a translator and show adaptor, is emphatic: "If languages must be taught, why don't they ban the profession of translator, and let everyone fend for themselves when reading Shakespeare in his language, Schiller in German or Tolstoy in Russian?"

It is an exaggeration, but Morales' argument reflects a concern among dubbers, exhibitors and distributors. Last week the Federation of Dubbing and Voice Professionals said that links between dubbing and poor knowledge of foreign languages were "imprecise." It is a view supported by the EU report Study on Dubbing and Subtitling Needs and Practices in the European Audiovisual Industry, which, covering 31 countries, highlights that "it is risky to conclude that original subtitled versions favor the learning of any language and that dubbing is the cause of an inferior level of linguistic knowledge."

That said, teachers agree that even indirect exposure to a language can help master it. "Even though it is a passive activity, [watching original version movies] provides a lot of information, perhaps at an unconscious level, about the language," says Paul Kelly, who has been teaching English in Australia, the UK, Italy and Spain for more than 20 years. "It's more about familiarizing oneself with the music of the language, with how it is expressed, with the intonation... This is something very difficult to teach in a class because the pupils only have one model, the teacher, who in many cases changes his way of talking due to not being in contact with other native speakers, something that occurs in an unconscious way."

Teacher Karen Hees insists on the importance of broadcasting programs in their original version on television. In the era of digital and pay TV, television could become more of an opportunity to get accustomed to languages (which in 90 percent of cases means getting used to US productions). In recent weeks, Fox has been promoting the latest series of House in English with Spanish subtitles.

According to the channel's director of programming, Pablo Viñuales, it has been doing this for the early premieres of series such as House, Cold Case and 24 for several seasons. "It gets us closer to the US premiere and satisfies the demand of an important group of pay-television viewers, for whom subtitled original versions have added value," he explains.

One of the most frequent arguments used by defenders of original-version films is the link between dubbing in Spain and Francoist censorship. It is true that the grotesque maneuvers of the dictatorship's board of censors destroyed - to give just one famous example - the story of John Ford's Mogambo. In 1950s Spain it was inconceivable that the married woman played by Grace Kelly in the film could have an adulterous relationship with Clark Gable. The dubbing and dialogue alterations helped to change Kelly's husband into her brother, thus making the adultery look like incest.

But after so many decades of compulsory dubbing, would it be legitimate to impose original-version films? "You don't go to the movies to learn English, that is what schools are for...," says Elena Palacios, an actress with 23 years of experience and the voice of characters in Cold Case and Lost, among others. "Why don't we leave things as they are, with freedom to choose?"

No copyright infrintgement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Wheel of Fortune Winner Solves Puzzle with One Letter

Vanna only got to touch ONE letter – in a Wheel of Fortune shocker. A seven word, 27-letter puzzle. And one very lucky contestant. Here’s a look courtesy of The Post-Ledger and Sony.

BURKE: “L.”

SAJAK: “Uh, one ‘L.’”

BURKE: “Can I solve? “

(Audience laughter)

SAJAK: “Okay.”

BURKE: “It is a prize puzzle.”

SAJAK: “Yeah.”

BURKE: “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

SAJAK: “That’s right.”

ABC’s morning anchors couldn’t believe her luck – but still weren’t as surprised as the king of the big wheel.

FEMALE ANCHOR: “They say you can see Sajak was just completely stunned. He actually said, ‘Wait a minute. Let me get over this,’ because he didn’t know how to respond to her.”

MALE ANCHOR: “Yeah, that’s impressive. Maybe practice mixed with luck. Maybe a little bit of both. Congratulations.”

Caitlin Burke is a lifelong Wheel watcher – and applied for the show dozens of times. To hear her describe it to New Jersey’s Star Ledger, she’s been practicing for this all her life: “One day in high school classmates took turns talking about their goals. ‘Someone would say, ‘I want to be a vet,’… ‘I said, ‘I want to go on Wheel of Fortune.’"

Burke got a Caribbean trip for solving the puzzle. But Fox News’ Dana Perino isn’t particularly impressed – or clear on the game’s rules.

PERINO: “But she only won $900. How’s that possible?”

DOOCY: “She obviously got the prize.”

PERINO: “So if you solve the puzzle, you don’t get the—oh, okay, I get it. I haven’t watched it in a long time.”

DOOCY: “If you solve it, you get whatever’s on the table.”

KILMEADE: “And you always get the home game.”

PERINO: “And she gets to be on Fox and Friends.”

And while everyone else is cheering for Burke, MSNBC’s Morning Joe team thinks it’s wheely suspicious.

GEIST: “Come on (no way!)…we’ve got a Quiz Show scandal on our hands. I want a full congressional investigation.” 

SCARBOROUGH: “Come on!”

BRZEZINSKI: “That does not happen.”

SCARBOROUGH: “That’s a scene from Groundhog Day.”

BRZEZINSKI: “Willy, don’t trick us. This is silly.”

Finally, we should point out one contestant went before Burke – guessing the letter “R,” but it wasn’t there. Gawker says this means she had two letters – but who cares?

“OK, so 'technically' Caitlin knew that there was no ‘R’ included (in addition to the one ‘L’ that was shown), too, but still... that was pretty damn impressive, no?’

So what do you think? Lucky break? Or was this too lucky?

Writer: Chance Seales

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Pope: Homer Simpson is Catholic

The Vatican Newspaper declared that to be a fact in its weekend edition, under the headline, “Homer and Bart are Catholic.”

Are Homer Simpson and his whole family Catholic? The Vatican Newspaper declared that to be a fact in its weekend edition, under the headline, “Homer and Bart are Catholic.”

“‘The Simpsons are among the few TV programmes for children in which Christian faith, religion, and questions about God are recurrent themes.’ The family ‘recites prayers before meals and, in their own peculiar way, believes in the life thereafter.’” (The Telegraph)

The source of this determination is a 2005 episode called “The father, the son, and the holy guest star,” and the Jesuit priest who studied it says the show has “themes of Catholicism.” But according to ABC News, producers of the show say no way: “However, executive producers say you gotta be kidding me, they actually go to a church on the show called Presbylutheran First Church of Springfield and we have been pretty clear that Homer is not a catholic.”

A writer for the Miami Herald says the Vatican is just trying to stay relevant -- saying the announcement ... “...follows stories not only lauding Harry Potter but even praising the Beatles and waxing philosophical about John Lennon's boast that the British band was more popular than Jesus.”

For Russia’s RT, Alyona Minkovski says that the Vatican is trying to seem more accessible to the younger population: “Yes, this an attempt by the church to appear hip and cool because if the Simpsons are Catholics, then you totally should be too.”

While the Vatican says the show has themes of Catholicism, others say the church missed the point entirely, especially when it comes to that 2005 episode. A blogger for Starcasm says... “The episode is all about the absurdity of the separate factions of Christianity being at odds with each other. In the end the Simpsons don’t belong to any one creed. The most fault-filled family in television history belong to all of us. ... Sorry Pope, this family ain’t your property.”

So what do you think? Bart and Homer -- TOTALLY Catholic dude? Or -- DOH!

Writer: Kelsey Kind

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Extended Screen Time Linked to Depression

According to a study, children who watch television or use a computer for more than two hours a day are more likely to experience psychological problems down the road.

We’ve all been told sitting too close to a TV could hurt our eyes, but what about our minds? A study released in the journal Pediatrics says kids who spend more than two hours per day watching television, playing video games or surfing the web are more likely to suffer psychological problems. (WNEG)

The study looked at more than 1,000 children between the ages of 10 and 11. It found children are more likely to experience feelings of unhappiness and have trouble relating to friends and peers.

The BBC quotes the leader of the study, Dr Angie Page saying long periods in front of the screen could lead to issues down the road. She suggests moderation: "Watching TV or playing computer games for more than two hours a day is related to greater psychological difficulties irrespective of how active children are. Not all screen viewing is bad and at low levels physical activity may well compensate.”

But one doctor says the correlation might not be so cut and dried. She tells Knoxville, Tennessee’s WBIR, a lot of questions still need to be answered: “The study does not prove increased screen time leads to psychological problems in kids. In fact, it may be the other way around. We don’t know if, you know, watching on the computer or watching TV is causing kids to have these problems or kids who have problems are drawn to hanging out and watching TV and being on the computer." 

The study also found the negative effects of screen time can’t necessarily be counteracted with equal amounts of physical activity. A writer for CNET says that part doesn’t make sense: “According to the results of these questionnaires, the kid who spends hours every day playing soccer and constructing tree forts and skipping over sidewalk cracks runs the same risk of behavioral problems as the kid who is couch-bound.”

One doctor is quoted in Red Orbit saying either way moderation is key when children are put in front of any screen: “...we find that giving children a screen-time budget and helping them stick to that budget is the most effective way to reduce their television, video game, computer and other screen time, and to improve their health as a result."

So what do you think? Does screen time erode social skills and create a macabre mood? Or is this psycho-babble?

Writer: Matthew Hibbard

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Voice of 'Dora the Explorer' Sues Nickelodeon

Caitlin Sanchez started voicing Nickelodeon’s hit animated series when she was 12-years old, but was dismissed from the show due to her change in voice.

It seems Dora’s days of exploring are over -- that is, the actress who plays her. Caitlin Sanchez started voicing Nickelodeon’s hit animated series, Dora the Explorer when she was twelve-years old, but was dismissed from the show due to her change in voice.

According to ABC, Sanchez filed a very grown-up multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Nickelodeon, MTV Networks and Viacom for issues unrelated to her changing vocal cords: “According to her, when she was just twelve-years-old she and her family were forced into signing a 14-page contract, without the aid of a lawyer, they made her sign it in 22 minutes, without time to view the contract and they basically, according to her, said if you don’t do this and sign it immediately we’ll pass on Caitlin for the part of Dora.”

In addition, the suit claims Sanchez was underpaid when it came to traveling costs, receiving a stipend of $40 a day. For being such a successful show, MSNBCwonders why her contract wasn’t reviewed during her time with the company: “She signed this contract in 2007, Dora the Explorer has been on air for ten years. How old is she? She was twelve when she signed in 2007. So one would think that they knew the popularity of the show and what should be in the contract and you’d have the right people to look over that, but she’s claiming that she should have gotten a better deal.”

Her attorney claims the network owes Sanchez millions in promotional revenue. E! Online quotes her lawyer saying the network ignored the opportunity to negotiate: "Caitlin and her family hoped to resolve their concerns short of filing any complaint, but were unfortunately forced to sue when they believed that Nickelodeon was not engaged in good faith discussions.”

A Nickelodeon spokesperson calls the claims quote “baseless” and as WBAL reports, released the actress solely due to her deep voice: “Sanchez was dropped from the Dora role after Nickelodeon said the girl’s voice had changed. Nickelodeon released a statement saying, while she was under contract Sanchez was well compensated and all working conditions meet union requirements.”

One blogger for Babble thinks differently, saying the network was already looking for a new actress before the lawsuit was even filed: “It sounds to me like this is a classic case of a young girl and her parents being disgruntled that Dora The Explorer, (a.k.a. their meal ticket) was ready to move on to another voice than Caitlin Sanchez.”

Approximately 1.9 million viewers tune into Dora the Explorer, now marking its 10th year on TV.

Writer: Matthew Hibbard

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Did 'Lost' Leave its Viewers Lost?

Many viewers were unpleasantly surprised at the series finale of 'Lost,' saying the episode left too many questions unanswered.

KATE: ”This place…what is it?”

JACK: ”Called it the ‘Heart of the Island.’ All he said was that it’s…it’s a lake.”

HURLEY: ”And that locked-smoke thing, wants him to put it out?”

JACK: ”Something like that, yeah.”

HURLEY: ”So what if he doesn’t?”

JACK: ”Then that’s it for all of us.”

(ABC)

"Lost" fans, including the anchors of KTVX’s Good Morning Utah and Sports Center, shed tears as they watched the series come to an end after six seasons. 

ANGIE LARSEN: “I loved the entire show!” “It was beautiful.” “I cried! I’m not kidding! Get the tissues out!”

JOSH ELLIOTT:…“but when and if you ever watch the Lost finale, you’ll never be disappointed.”

CBS and BBC captured the satisfied feelings that came with the finale: “When the show concluded, I was sad it was over but was ultimately incredibly satisfied. ... And not that it’s over, I’m just happy that I was along for the ride.”

“All in all, the show was wrapped up rather nicely with a positive affirming kind of message.”

But many don’t appreciate the show ending with many questions unanswered. WMAQ-TV's The N Files scrutinizes the decision to leave fans confused: “Welcome back to The N Files, stories that raise questions and give no answers…sort of like that Lost finale.”

People Magazine says the show is still fresh in viewers’ minds even though the show is over: “Are there still burning questions? Of course.” “The show may be over but a new round of discussions—and debates—is just beginning.”

The season finale of Lost generated ratings of about 13.5 million viewers.

Get more multi-source entertainment news from Newsy.com.

WRITER: Jessica Duong

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Tiger: Did you learn anything? + Newsy: Nike Releases New Tiger Ad

Here's the latest Nike ad for TV featuring Tiger Woods and a voice-over by his late father, Earl Woods:

Did you learn anything?

And now a parody using The Lion King's soundtrack. Mufasa and Tiger:

Newsy: Nike Releases New Tiger Ad

The latest Nike ad featuring Tiger Woods has critics crying foul. They say Woods and Nike are playing the "daddy death card."

FOX News calls it "creepy." CBS News says it plays the "daddy death card." The latest Nike ad featuring Tiger Woods is out. In it -- Tiger says nothing -- he just listens to the voice of his now deceased father. And the ad -- is almost universally being panned.

Here's a clip: "I wanna find out what your thinking was. I wanna find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything." (Sky News)

While criticism has come from near and far. Donny Deutsch told the Today Show's Meredith Viera -- he LOVES this ad: "Brilliant. I'm not prone to hyperbole. One of the marking strokes of genius of the last 10 years. (What was so good about it?) My mouth dropped. It would have been so easy for Nike kind of just not to advertise for no, and then six months from now -- show him playing golf. It walks right into it -- and it takes his father -- who is the conscience, who's the voice of God. And it just kinda walks right in and says, this guy Tiger, he is transforming himself, reflective, obviously what he did was very wrong. But to have his father's voice as the conscience, is, I just think it's brilliant."

NBC Chicago says. It's brilliant alright. Brilliantly despicable: "Here's how the ad unfolds: Curtain up, Tiger's face in black and white. He looks...tired? With a near-wetness in his eyes. Not crying, maybe about to cry? Not contrite. Maybe confused? Embattled? This is the point: you're not supposed to know what emotions he's feeling. Nobody knows. That's why we're going to watch the Masters, right?"

The ad has resonated all the way Down Under where the Aussie paper The Age says it HAD been prepared to say Tiger's PR debt had been paid until this: "Mostly it is the sheer opportunism that astonishes. The commercial carries the insinuation Woods believes he can elicit sympathy and perhaps even redemption by fronting a camera lens supplied by a sponsor."

On CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, Lisa Bloom says the ad has a short shelf life -- on purpose: "And the questions that his father is asking him -- what were you thinking? -- what have you learned. He really hasn't answered those questions. So is that going to be the next set of Nike ads? Or are they just gonna move on. And by the way, these ads are only running for a day and a half on a couple of sports channels, ESPN and The Golf Channel. It's gotta be one of the shortest ad campaigns in history."

So what do you think? I Nike's ad brilliant? Or a bogey?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Tiger Returns

Tiger Woods returns to the field of play at The Masters

"Coming into today, I didn't know what to expect with regards to reception, but I'll tell you what, the reception couldn't have been better...it was incredible."(NBC Sports)

He's back. Tiger Woods will be teeing off once again this week at The Master's -- after enduring weeks of criticism about his personal life.

A CNBC host interviews Golf.com's David Dusek -- who followed Woods through his entire first practice round today. And he was surprised by the reaction Woods got: "It was dead silent for the first four holes. There wasn't a peep out of anyone. People didn't know what to do. They didn't know if it was going to be okay to clap. Was it cool? Now, since Tiger Woods is right there. They didn't know what to do. Is it morally wrong, somehow, to show support for this guy?" 

CNN talked with another analyst from Golf.com -- who saw a nervous Woods: "I thought Tiger showed a human side. He looked humble. He looked nervous at first. He actually called his playing partner from today, Fred Couples, by the name Craig. And his voice squeaked when he did it."

And while some criticized the crowds, the press and the PGA for treating Woods with kid gloves... Steven Smith told ABC's The View -- people wouldn't want him on the sidelines: "Oh no -- because you wanna see Tiger play. You wanna see Tiger win. I don't care how much people despise him or find him repugnant at this moment in time. When it comes to him playing golf -- you wanna see him out on the course. I don't want to see no Ernie Els."

ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski says that might be so, but Woods' trustworthiness does still matter. He suggests Woods press conference was a good first step: "Woods has gone from baby steps to fuller steps, but I'm still not prepared to take that full Tiger plunge. ... Let's see if Woods can sustain this personal transformation. Talk is cheaper than an Augusta National pimento sandwich. Time for Woods to prove the actions match the words."

Writer: Tracy Pfeiffer

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Global Warming: Climatologists vs. Meteorologists

Who is right in the debate over global warming: climatologists or meteorologists?

"Yes, it's climatologists verses meteorologists in tonight's science cat fight." (Comedy Central)

Stephen Colbert may be able to joke about it, but for climatologists and meteorologists, the debate over global warming is a serious issue. 

A recent study found only about half of weathercasters surveyed believed global warming was happening -- and fewer than a third believed climate change was caused mostly by human activities. 

On San Diego’s KUSI, Joe Coleman posted an article titled "The Amazing Story Behind Global Warming,” saying: "I am totally convinced there is no scientific basis for any of it. Global Warming: It is a hoax. It is bad science. It is high-jacking public policy. It is the greatest scam in history."

But The Scientific Activist reports climatologists readily defend their side in a press release by the Union of Concerned Scientists: "Global warming is real and its consequences are becoming increasingly apparent as sea levels rise, glaciers melt, and extreme weather events become more prevalent."

While both sides back their arguments with scientific data, some say the disagreement stems from professional differences: "I believe that meteorologists don't believe in the long term 15 year computer models because our friends at Wright Weather here just gave, this is a ten day computer model. I doubt that this one is even right. So meteorologists are thinking there is no way we can get 15 years from now right if we can't get 15 days from now right." (CNN)

And Psychology Today says there may also be an entertainment factor as well: "Meteorology, at least on TV, is part of news, and news today is part of entertainment… That has little to do with the job of climatologists, who pore over data, write reports, talk to each other and occasionally testify at Congressional hearings."

This debate hit those outside of the science world as well. Meteorologists dominate communications channels to the public and, according to Fox News Watch, this is a problem: "It explains why so many Americans still think there is no such thing as global warming. If your local weather person says it, half of whom turn out to have no advance training in meteorology, no wonder America's confused."

So whose side are you on? Meteorologists or Climatologists?

Writer: Amanda Klohmann

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Logorama, by Marc Altshuler - Human Music

This is a short film that was directed by the French animation collective H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy + Ludovic Houplain. It was presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2009. It opened the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and won a 2010 academy award under the category of animated short.

Most of us know by heart and can remember hundreds of commercial logos and trade marks, but we are unable to identify even 10 different types of plants, flowers, insects, birds or fish around us. Our present knowledge and culture are visual and  tv-based as opposed to the traditional teaching and  learning methods: oral, listening and reading.

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Belgian Parliament Passes Burqa Ban

Belgium is one of several European countries attempting to enact laws banning full-face covering. Government officials say people should be identifiable when in public, meanwhile human rights activists feel a ban is a violation of rights.

“Belgium could be the first European country to ban the burqa in the street. Parliament is to debate prohibiting the wearing of any clothes or veils that don’t allow citizens to be fully identified." (France 24)

The Belgian Parliament voted unanimously to pass the bill, and it's 'very likely' to become law.

In January Newsy reported that France was nearing a ban on burqas- but now several other European countries are following France’s lead and making swift moves to enact bans.

France 24 reports on what others besides France and Belgium are doing to limit face covering: “In the Netherlands several bills are in preparation to prohibit wearing burqas in education and public services. Meanwhile in Denmark the government expressed its intention to limit the wearing of burqas in public in January. ... Italy is perhaps the most repressive European country with regards to the country.

The bans are extremely controversial, as supporters of the legislation say people should be identifiable in public. But The Daily Mail explains some ban's pitfalls: “Making the full veil illegal could be viewed as discriminatory and tricky to put into practice, in particular as the majority of women who wear it do so of their own free will.' … [And] even a limited ban would be difficult to enforce.”

And in the Times Online a Muslim representative in Belgium believes the ban could open some dangerous floodgates: “Today it is the full-face veil, tomorrow the veil, the day after it will be the Sikh (Seek) turbans and then perhaps it will be mini skirts.”

The proposed law says a fine for wearing a burqa in public would be 15 to 25 euros (20-33 American Dollars) and a prison sentence of one to seven days - with the judge deciding between fine or prison.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Teens Charged in Cyberbullying Case

Nine students are charged in a cyberbullying case resulting in a Massachusetts teenager's suicide. Now, state lawmakers are considering tougher laws.

"Phoebe Prince's lifeless body was found by her younger sister upstairs in their South Hadley house...." (WCBV-TV)

The death of a Massachusetts teenager by suicide has renewed discussions about cyberbullying. 15-year-old Phoebe Prince hanged herself, after weeks of relentless bullying. Nine teens have been arrested for everything from statutory rape to civil rights violations and harrassment. Massachusetts lawmakers are considering cracking down. But others say this is an issue of parenting.

We're looking at perpsectives from WCVB-TV, ABC, boston.com, WAAF-FM, and CBS, and slate.com.

First -- to the case. Prince moved to South Hadley from Ireland last September. By January, she had hanged herself after months of taunting, some of which school officials knew about. And as ABC's Yunji Denise reports it didn't stop with her death: "Several tribute pages for Phoebe Prince have popped up on Facebook. Most of the messages are positive, but others were so cruel, they had to be taken down."

A writer from the Boston Globe says what happened to Phoebe Prince happens in a lot of schools. And not enough is done about it: "The Mean Girls are pretty, and popular, and play sports. So far, they appear to be untouchable, too."

Charges finally came down this week from the prosecuting attorney. But on WAAF-FM, a blogger who goes by the name -- Hill-Man -- says, some things you just can't prevent: "Like angry medieval villagers, holding pitchforks and torches, they scream about how justice must be done and the girls who bullied Phoebe should be charged criminally. For what? Being mean? I’m sorry…but we don’t do that in this country."

A bullying expert tells CBS News the problem doesn't rest with the bullies alone. But with the victims who can isolate themselves in their torment: "Too often kids face cyber bullying, all by themselves, in their dark, staring at the screen."

And while lawmakers look to enact tougher cyber-bullying laws, a columnist on Slate.com says, parents have a role in this as well. It starts with talking and monitoring what kids are doing online: "If all of this sounds obvious, well, that's the upside. These efforts take awareness and effort and commitment on the part of schools and parents, but they're not technical or particularly difficult—you don't need to open Twitter account to help your kid navigate the online world."

So what do you think? Is this an issue of parenting? Or should lawmakers and prosecutors crack down?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Google TV Breaks on to the Screen

First the internet, then cell phones, now TV? Google is teaming up with Intel and Sony to develop a new platform called Google TV. 

The New York Times broke the story and explains the company's strategy: “...the project is a pre-emptive move to get a foothold in the living room as more consumers start exploring ways to bring Web content to their television sets. Google wants to aggressively ensure that its services, in particular its search and advertising systems, play a central role.”

A Marketwatch technology correspondent says it’s a great, but not novel idea. Companies like Apple, Microsoft and Sony have already debuted their own Internet-TV products: “ All these things have some devotees, but nothing has been a big huge breakthrough and so certainly possible – that’s a very distinguished combination of companies – that they’ll do it, but I have to be skeptical until I really see that they do it in a way that’s so much better and so much different...and makes a difference.

With other Internet-ready set-top box sets already on the market, a blogger for Lifehacker wonders what new things Google can add to the mix: “...we're wondering what they'll deliver that's new and unique. YouTube, a semi-decent browser, sure—but what else would you want on your biggest screen?”

A FOX News business correspondent wonders whether people will be willing to trade in their remotes for a mouse:  “It could be available as early as the summer. You know, for us Connel, Friday night’s twitting on our couch is a good time. I don’t know about for other people. That’s a question."

But, The Street has a less optimistic outlook -- sayings Google TV's destined for the discount bin: “The Google box, however, isn't answering a screaming need among consumers. Laptops and HD TVs have been happy living room companions for years. If history is any clue, the Google box is doomed.”

So, do you think Google TV will connect with consumers? Or will it be one of Google's first flops?

Writer: Alyssa Caverley

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