Friday 10 August 2012

Kindle et al

I have to admit that over the years my eyesight has definitely changed!

I used to spend hours reading books with no problems.  In fact I love books and always dreamed of one day having my own 'library' if I ever had a spare room in my house!

There is nothing quite like holding a real book in your hand or seeing them stacked in rows on shelves.  But things have changed.

When the Kindle first came out I swore never to have one.  "It's not the same as a real book" - I'd say.  But times have changed.

With the aquisition of my iPad I found at times it was quicker to download a book when I needed to read up on something straight away without having to wait until I could get to the shops to buy a book.  Added to that was the fact that I could zoom up the print to whatever size I wanted and somehow it was easier to 'read' with the light behind the words instead of moving a book to the right angle and distance to see properly.  Also when travelling to have multiple books right with me at the tap of an app meant that I didn't load my suitcase up with loads of heavy books.

Don't get me wrong I still adore books and if I come across one that is definitely a 'keeper' then I still purchase the real thing - even if I have read the Kindle version - and it joins my multitude of other books sitting there awaiting my library!

Facebook as a Platform for Propaganda & Unrest

I have noticed more and more lately how Facebook is being used as a platform for propaganda and an aid to causing unrest and ill-feeling between people.

Facebook in the beginning was created as a communication between students, a way to chat to one another, a social network. Perhaps it has now got too powerful a tool, a way of getting your personal viewpoint to as many people as possible – whatever your viewpoint may be. This is sad because the normal person will begin to move away from Facebook and find some other medium in which to while away a bit of time, to relax, play games and have fun and not to be inundated with extremist viewpoints on what may, or may not, have happened in the past.

No country in the past is pure from atrocities and evil; no country is better or worse when looking back in history. All at some time have done things that are best forgotten and left to the history books. Just look at the great countries that have risen and fallen!

Surely we must learn from history to make certain that there are no reoccurrences and that the only way forward in this world that is so tightly bound together is to learn to live alongside one another in peace and harmony.

Just my viewpoint and whether you agree or disagree then that is your perogative.


Sunday 5 August 2012

Rightmove Overseas

I’m always on the search for properties for sale in Mallorca and I was surprised to come across Rightmove (well known estate agents in the UK) who have an overseas department and amongst other countries they include Spain and Mallorca in particular.

I searched for properties within my price range and was pleased to see that there were twelve pages of properties!

They weren’t all in the area I wanted but they were on all parts of the island so I will be keeping a lookout on that site.

Friday 3 August 2012

Private Health Care in Spain

From what has been reported it would appear that Spain are no longer going to abide by the EU reciprocal health rules.

Reports say that retirees are now going to have to buy private health care as the national health scheme that they paid into in their own country will no longer be acceptable. Now I am not sure of the cost for private health care as you get older in Spain but it will be an added expense that those budgeting on a pension will have to bear.

It is said that the government are hoping to save about one billion euros through this action.

However it does make me wonder how much they will lose by people going to spend their retirement in European countries that abide by the rules.