So far, there is a quoted list of MPs on the fiddle in the UK. This is not just a small minority. Moreover, they have a wonderful pension fund which will still be theirs after the recession. They currently earn around 65, 000 pounds per year. Many of them have partners with very good second incomes.

After watching a few hours of debate on TV nobody has definitively said they should be sacked. A few have suggested this but immediately back-pedalled and I wonder why.

If any of us have never fiddled a penny then I will be surprised. There’s always a compromise here and there but the important point in this current situation is that these MPs are entrusted to represent the people in their constituencies. They adopt a title of Right Honourable and stand before us every day of the working week as people worthy of trust.

I once was working as a Sales Manager. I received a phone call from the manager of a Tesco store and I had to travel immediately to his store and sack my representative. He had been caught stealing a card worth 5p.

Tesco policy dictated our company policy in this matter. I had to take the man’s car from him there and then. He was sacked on the spot. He had five children and it was one of the worst days of my life because he was also my friend. If this is what happens in industry then the same should be happening with these Parliamentary fiddles. We are not talking about 5p cards but substantial sums of money which have been deliberately embezzled.

Don’t, for a minute, think this is confined to Britain. Don’t, for a minute, think it is only happening in politics.

The United Kingdom fared a little better in the Eurovision Song Contest. There wasn’t as much bleating about the voting after the event but the reality was that the song was never going to win the contest. It was a very average song hyped to the heavens by the media. The singer performed very well but it was always going to be about the songwriter this year. Even the winning song from Norway was quite forgetable but, on the whole, I thought the event was quite entertaining.

I also watched Britain’s Got Talent. There were several very good acts including an excellent young dancer and a lovely 10 year old girl singing a totally inappropriate song for a child of her age.  I continue to wonder why Piers Morgan’s credentials are sound enough to place him on the panel. If you bother to read through his career details none of it relates to entertainment. I normally agree with much of Simon Cowell’s judgement. I did feel, however, he was totally out of touch with the grandfather singing with his grand/daughter. It was an entirely magical moment which didn’t deserve Simon Cowell’s early buzzer.

The weather is beautiful and I have much to do. The search for the new radio situation continues after a few setbacks during the week. Many meetings but little movement.

Have a good day.

Yesterday, I went on an official visit to Orihuela and Elche. This was part of a trip organised by the ayuntamiento de La Nucia as part of the integration programme. Some 60 people met at the crack of dawn, well 8.45 am, and off we set in a very comfortable coach to drive to Orihuela. Around 10 am we were stuck in a narrow road in the town of Orihuela where numerous drivers had parked their cars without even a passing thought to the mayhem they were creating. There were numerous police officers about but none able to move the obstructing cars. About fifteen minutes waiting came to an end when a lady returned to her car, completely oblivious to the inconvenience she had caused, and everyone got moving again.

Eventually we arrived at a convenient point for disembarking and we went to a the Museum where they park all the floats used during the very special Holy Week processions in Orihuela. These floats are very wonderful works of creativity and a visit is really the only way to appreciate their excellence. We were given a guided tour and interpretation of the floats.

The next item on the agenda was a visit to the cathedral. We were given a very comprehensive tour of the beautiful building and the guide spoke clearly as she interpreted the various aspects to the building.

It was time for a cup of coffee and relief to those needing to spend a peseta!

We then visited the casa de Miguel Hernandez. The poet lived with his parents and brothers and sisters in this house on the street popularly known as Calle de Arriba. The rooms are typical of an early 20th Century house and there is also a corral for goats and a small market garden near the mountains.

It was time to file back onto the coach and visit Elche. Elche (in Spanish) or Elx (in Valencian) is a city located in the comarca of Baix Vinalopó, in the Alicante province which, in turn, is a part of the Valencian Community, Spain. We went for a splendid meal and then visited The Visitors’ Centre which is a space where visitors to Elx can see a detailed audiovisual presentation on the city: its history, traditions, culture, fiestas and economy.

We really only had time to eat the meal and take a quick poop at the visitor´s centre and then it was time to return to La Nucia. I was a bit disappointed because we didn´t see much of Elche. I had been previously with my wife, Anne, and I had wanted to see the Arab baths and there is a lot more to see and do.

However, it was a day of spending time with friends and working towards better integration. The meal was good and was FREE. Wow! If there was a criticism…..there were no Spanish people on the trip apart from our two lovely guides!

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If you´re finding life a bit of a struggle at the moment then here´s a wee tale that might be interesting to you..

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”
- Oprah Winfrey

The Butterfly
By: Author Unknown

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had got as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If allowed to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We could never fly! Our struggles give us stronger wings.

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Parachute for sale- used once, never opened- Bargain. Contact 004 151 639 7589 if interested (Ward9).

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My friend, Rockin Dave,  has taken time off to climb the Mount Pinatubo Volcano. Click here to see the incredible video:

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When I got back from the trip I had a very important radio meeting and I feel the Holy Grail is getting nearer. I am near to letting the cat out of the bag…..

After a night of thunder, lightning and rain…I woke up to a grey and overcast day. Let´s get the weather forecast.
5-Day Forecast

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
23° C | 12° C	21° C | 13° C	24° C | 11° C	21° C | 10° C	22° C | 12° C
Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Partly Cloudy	Scattered Clouds	Clear	Scattered Clouds

The GB pound will get 1 euro 11 today and the euro is worth 89 pence. Let´s get the Spanish news. Please visit the links and remember, I only add my comments to the original stories.

Spain Press Review – Wednesday May 13 2009 …….The first day of the State of the Nation debate yesterday dominates the front pages in Spain today

ABC headlines that the four million unemployed have left Zapatero alone in the face of all the opposition. The paper says the Government wants to speed up the purchasing of homes by removing the tax breaks from 2011 and offering help also to stimulate car sales. The paper says the leader of the PP opposition, Mariano Rajoy, criticised the Prime Minister for only creating unemployment. Público, the other side of the political spectrum, headlines that Zapatero unarmed Rajoy and has ten pages of coverage. It says the Prime Minister surprised with a barrage of measures against the crisis and the leader of the PP hang onto the unemployment numbers without putting forward any alternatives. Público highlights five measures – there will be no tax relief on house purchases from 2011 for those who earn more than 24,000 € a year, 2000€ cash for those who buy a new car, with the money coming from the state (500 €) the regional administration (500 €) and the manufacturer (1000 €)……………………In both UK and Spain, it would appear that opposition parties have no concept of Global Recession. It´s all very well blaming individual governments but the recession is worldwide!

Costa Blanca
Plenty of Pomegranates
The Elche Pomegrante is sweeter than other varieties and production is growing

Costa del Sol
Complaints about sexist advertising in Málaga
The White Lounge Bar has been asked to withdraw its campaign…………………The coordinator of the Andalucian Women’s Institute in Málaga, Pilar Oriente, has complained about a central pub in the city which is offering a free drink to women dressed as schoolgirls. She has called for the posters to be withdrawn considering them to be sexist and to use an image of a youngster in the advertising. She reminded the pub owners that the Equality Law in Spain prohibits sexist advertising………………………….Personally, I´d rather these people got a little more active in an effort to curb prostitution and pornography.

Costa Blanca
TUI tour operator notes fall in British tourists on Costa Blanca
The weakness of the pound is being blamed for the shorter breaks being taken by the British………The fall in the value of the pound is being blamed for a 50% reduction in the time that British tourists are spending on the Costa Blanca this year………………Tourism is often a numbers game. Whilst the numbers are up service often falls. It could be that the discerning punters would like to come but remember the bad service and indifference shown on many oscasions. Also, if Bingo is under attack and pub quizzes are not allowed, as has been the case in Benidorm, then some folks are losing an integral part of their entertainment.

Costa del Sol
Traffic chaos in San Pedro as roadworks finally get underway
The Marbella Town Hall claims 11 kms. of hold-ups yesterday

National
Police swoop against pirate videoconsoles sold across Spain
Eight people have been arrested and 22 shops closed across the country……………………It´s lovely sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee with the Lucky, Lucky man visiting to sell the CDs, sunglasses, fishing rods, statues and even the odd carpet!

Madrid
Bitten by his own rattlesnake
A 41 year old man is in a serious condition in hospital

National
Spain registers 100th case of Swine Flu
There are currently no people in hospital in Spain with the virus

Spain Sports News
Madrid Magic Box picks up speed
There were ovations for Roger Federer and Andy Murray in the second round of the Madrid Masters 1000 event in the Spanish capital yesterday………………….Federer dismissed Robin Soderling 6-1 and 7-5, but the Murray game was far tighter with the Scot saving three break points in the second set against the Italian Simone Bolelli, 7-6, and 6-4.
Fernando Verdasco beat Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3,6-2, and Ivan Ljubicic saw off Jo-Wildried Tsonga 6-4,7-5.

Spain Culture News
Singer Antonio Vega dies at the age of 51
Thousands of fans are mourning the loss of the voice of a generation

Costa de Almería
The Junta did not act illegally in the case of the Hotel Algarrobico in Carboneras
The prosecutor believes no crime was committed in territorial planning changes which allowed the controversial hotel to be built

Costa Blanca
Valencia government to build 500 new schools in next five years
The plan will reportedly create 50,000 jobs in the construction sector……………..The Valencia government’s councillor for education has announced plans to build more than 500 new schools in the next five years, with more than 1.7 billion € to be invested in building primary and secondary schools. Alejandro Font de Mora attended events in Cox and Almoradí on Tuesday where the first stones were laid of music schools being built in both towns……Well, that certainly is a lot of schools. However, they do say it´s a good idea to build your way out of a recession and Education is a good area to spend your money into.

National
Spanish opposition leader: four million unemployed, that is the state of the nation
All opposition parties have criticised the measures announced by the Prime Minister to address the recession

National
Spanish PM announces package of measures to boost the economy video
The measures unveiled by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in the State of the Nation debate include tax breaks for companies who keep on staff and a sustainable economy fund of 20 billion Euro…………….In his one-hour speech on the first day of the State of the Nation debate on Tuesday, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero admitted that the government had made mistakes in its predictions for 2009, as did other ‘international organisations’ but said that ‘error’ did not prevent the executive from acting quickly in face of the crisis. The country will not, he said, ‘come through the crisis without change’ and for that the Prime Minister has proposed a new growth model for Spain, less dependent on construction and relying more on sustainability, education and research and development.

Costa del Sol
Suspect dies in Málaga police cells after being discharged from hospital
A woman is in custody for a fatal stabbing in Mijas the same night

Right….let´s get the podcast started! It should be ready for 1 pm

So,  for those rushing to vote for the Tories once the revelations of the Labour MPs expenses claims had been published, it might be time to think again. Today’s papers are full of the greedy claims of the Tory MPs. Tons of Horse Manure, garden accoutrements and money to do up a cottage before selling it….all claimed as legitimate expenses by the exalted brethren. Snouts from all political parties immersed together in the trough of legitimised expenses…….never mind……Newcastle United got their win for Alan Shearer.

Today we are going on an official trip to Elche. I’ve been before but this will be different as we will be a very mixed group of La Nucia residents and it’s part of the integration programme of our very progressive town. This means it will be very difficult to update the website so this is an early blog. I’ll also post a nice memory for today’s podcast. I hope to have some news for my listeners later today….but first it’s off to Elx or Elche.

What will the weather have in store for us?

Tue		Wed		Thu		Fri
Sunny		Partly Cloudy		Partly Cloudy		Partly Cloudy
High 26 Low 14		High 25 Low 15		High 25 Low 14		High 23 Low 13

Let’s get our Spanish word for today.
Seguir (intransitive verb) – to go on, to continue, to carry on

• Siga por esta calle para encontrar el café. – Continue on this street to find the coffee shop.
• Sigo trabajando en la fábrica. – I’m still working in the factory.

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for Seguir.

Here’s a bit of Spanish news……..please visit the links for the original stories

Seville judge lifts secrecy order in Marta case
The judge has denied requests for a polygraph test from one of the accused, and for continued telephone monitoring of another

National
Spain to hand over Somali pirates to Kenya
The National Court judge in charge of the case has acceded to a request from the Chief of Defence Staff

Costa Blanca
Second fatal assault in the Valencia Region
A man was brutally beaten to death in Petrer on the same night another was fatally stabbed in Valencia City…National Police are looking for two suspects believed to have been involved in the savage beating to death of a relative in Petrer on Saturday night. The un-named victim died on Calle León when he was attacked by two assailants, who are also reported as related to each other. EFE reports the possible motive could be a revenge attack related to drugs or problems within the family.

Costa Blanca
Orihuela bishop calls on Catholics to help the needy of Alicante
He wants priests and churchgoers to donate their extra summer salaries to those in need……..The Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante has called on the Catholics of Alicante to donate the extra month’s salary they will receive this summer to help the needy of the province because of the ‘current crisis which is affecting our country’.
Rafael Palmero’s directed his message during the celebration of the Day of the Clergy in Orihuela on Monday not only at churchgoers, but also at the members of the clergy. ‘We are family’, he said, ‘and as brothers and sisters we must continue to help each other’.

Canarias
Fin whale freed from nets off Canary Islands
The 20 ton mammal was completely entangled and unable to move

Costa del Sol
Prostitution swoop on central Málaga bar
Teenage boys were allegedly paid 20 Euro each time they had sex with a client…..Three people are in custody after a police swoop this weekend on a Málaga city centre pub which doubled as a centre for juvenile prostitution. It’s reported that teenage boys, most of them aged 16 to 17 and from Romania and Morocco, were allegedly enticed into prostitution by the pub owner, and were paid 20 € each time they had sex with a client……….Does the world seem to be sinking into an abyss of depravation? The Sun had two stories yesterday about people having sex with their dogs……….ugh!

National
Spain announces morning after pill without prescription
It will be available over the counter at pharmacies within three months

Spain Culture News
The famous patios of Córdoba are open to the public
The annual event to find the most beautiful garden patio in the city is hoping for status as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Spanish Oddities
Made in Galicia: the biggest cheese in the world
5,000 people had a taste of the one-ton giant this weekend………Just how big were the crackers?

Spain Business
Spain Business Brief – Monday May 11 2009
16 fold increase in ERE employment requests

Do You Really want to hurt me?

I liked his music but he became a sorry figure and now Boy George has been released from prison after serving just four months of his 15-month sentence for assaulting and tying up a male escort.

The disgraced 80s pop star – who had clearly shed the pounds in prison – celebrated his freedom with a delivery of cakes, coffees and bagels.

George O’Dowd, for this waqs his real name, made no comment to reporters as he was dropped off at his house in a black Range Rover. He had been released early from Edmunds Hill Prison in Suffolk for good behaviour. However, he will have to wear an electronic ankle tag and obey a curfew order for the remainder of his sentence. He is now 47 and he saluted to the cameras outside the prison gates as he was whisked away.O’Dowd was found guilty of the false imprisonment and assault of Norwegian male prostitute Audun Carlsen in January this year.

Finally, if you listened to Sealed with a Kiss on yesterday’s podcast I will reveal the version was that of Bobby Vee. Have a nice day and today’s podcast takes us back to exactly one year ago.

I always try to get a balanced view on things I feel strongly about and I am anti-smoking but not anti-smokers. I believe cigarettes are the deadliest of drugs as most smokers will always tell you they can get off the fags if they want to. Two of my favourite uncles died of lung cancer and, like many others, I have lost other friends to the disease. Having said this, I have recently started to follow the writings of a very controversial doctor. He has sent the following on smoking. Personally, I am convinced he is wrong in his views but here they are…….

I used to think you’d be crazy to light up anything containing tobacco and nicotine. Now I think you’d be crazy NOT to smoke…

I’m going to show you how mainstream medicine and the public health nuts have buried mountains of evidence — study after study — showing that tobacco can:

• Slash your risk of heart disease
• Stop Alzheimer’s before it starts
• Chase away deadly cancers

And so much more! Read on to get the real truth about smoking you won’t find anywhere else…

http://clicks.douglassreport.com//t/AQ/HFQ/H-U/NpM/AQ/Atd3ng/_ihr

The Mediterranean costas will see some cloud but should remain generally dry. The Spanish Meteorological Agency, AEMET, is forecasting showers in the North East of the peninsular for Monday, with temperatures slightly cooler across the country. The rain could be moderate in some places in Cataluña and could also affect Extremadura, the west of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and the north of Huelva at times. There is an outside chance of a stormy shower over the mountains along the Mediterranean as the unsettled conditions continue. Here´s the Alicante forecast for the week.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
25° C | 12° C	24° C | 12° C	25° C | 13° C	25° C | 12° C	23° C | 12° C
Scattered Clouds	Clear	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Scattered Clouds	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation

The GB Pound will get 1.12 against the Euro and the euro will change at 88 pence.

Here’s a Spanish word for today…………

Ir

(eer’) (intransitive verb) – to go

• Fuimos en taxi al museo. – We went to the museum in a taxi.
• Voy a echarte de menos. – I am going to miss you.

• ¿De qué vas? – Who do you think you are?
• Vamos a ver… – Now then…

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for Ir.

Here´s today´s news from Spain. Please visit the links fo0r the original story and remember I only add my comments…..
Spanish Press Review
Spain Papers Review – Monday May 11 2009
Many papers lead with a socialist rally in the Basque country where both the Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and the new Lehendakari, Patxi López spoke……El Mundo says that Zapatero also spoke of the ‘green shoots’ in the economy and that good news would come soon. He said that the unity of Spain would be spoken of again.  Público says that Zapatero told the crowd that those who have a protected contract are the ones speaking of free sackings. ABC considers that Zapatero is thinking about the left wing, and is looking for support from the most radical parties to save his vote in the Debate of the State of the Nation. ABC notes also that Otegi and other hard liners from Batasuna, ETA’s political wing, are calling for them to forget the ‘armed struggle’. They consider that doing so will ease the accumulation of independence forces…………………..I love visiting the Basque Country and I feel Spain will be stronger for a happier and more stable relationship mbetween Madrid and the basque people. I find them friendly and welcoming although you can always find a hardline resistance to closer proximity to Madrid. Surely overall strength can only be the real outcome from unity?

Costa Cálida
Murcia Alicante trainline celebrates 125 years
The line opened on May 11 1884

Spain Sports News
Spain Weekend Football Round Up – Monday May 11 2009
Barcelona’s plans to celebrate the league are put on hold by Villarreal

National
Rain for the North East of Spain today
The Mediterranean costas will see some cloud but should remain generally dry

National
15 deaths of Spanish roads over the weekend
The most serious accident was in Córdoba on Saturday where four died……15 people lost their lives on Spanish roads over the weekend, nine of them in Andalucía. The most serious accident was in Córdoba where four people died in a head on crash on the N-432 caused by excessive speed. Among the dead there were a father and his daughter. Mopeds were implicated in four of the 12 fatal accidents over the weekend, including one on the A7 in Torremolinos on Saturday……………………………This is carnage and there is a need for a national plan. I remember my son Richard trying to get various ministries to sanction Breathalyser machines in  bars and not getting the support he needed for his venture.

Spain Culture News
Martin Amis says ETA should be thanked for the monarchy in Spain
The British writer has been in Granada for the Hay Festival Alhambra 2009……………..British writer, Martin Amis, has said that Basque terrorist group ETA need to be thanked for killing Carrero Blanco, Franco’s substitute. He was killed with his chauffeur in an attack on December 20 1973…………………..Interesting comments by this writer who also has a very similar point of view to me in that the Royals in Spain have a much stronger relationship with their people. This seems to be down to the fact that they seem to see themselves as part of the people and not above them………

Costa del Sol
Muñoz and Pantoja face money laundering charges
The case relates to the purchase of the singer’s home in Puerto Banús

Costa Blanca
Torrevieja desalination plant ready by the end of the year
Construction of the plant which is the largest in Spain, is now complete

Costa Blanca
Man stabs noisy neighbour to death
It happened in the Nazaret area of Valencia City……………A middle age man killed his neighbour in Valencia in the early hours of Sunday, allegedly because of the volume of the music at a party. The victim was stabbed in the heart, causing him to die instantly and is reported to be the husband of the aggressor’s cousin……………….This is dreadful It could have happened to many of us. Who doesn´t know somebody who plays their music loudly?

Spain Sports News
Fernando Alonso says fifth is not enough

The Spanish driver was ‘the first of the rest’ at the Spanish Grand Prix…………..Fernando Alonso came in fifth in the Spanish Grand Prix in Montmeló on Sunday in a race which was once again dominated by the Brawn GP cars and won by Jenson Button, his fourth win of the season. After the race Alonso said he was happy being ‘the first of the rest’ referring to the chasing group behind Brawn and Red Bull, who he consider to be ‘a little out of reach’. It was an exciting end to the race as Massa in his Ferrari had to drive economically just to reach the finishing line as he was practically out of petrol, allowing Alonso to overtake him in the last lap……………………….I´m not the best informed in Formula1 but I have listened and it would seem to be more about cars this year and less about driving ability. Is this just sour grapes because I am really bchuffed to see Jenson Button doing so well. I also think Alonso had a good drive yesterday. What has happened to hamilton? Why has he suddenly become just one of the best and not THE best?

Costa Blanca
The jealousy of brother Ramón could prove key to the L’Alfàs killing of Rocio
Police are investigating the extent of the relationship between elder brother and sister…….t’s reported that the possible motive for the crime was that he could not stand how his sister wanted to formalise her relationship with her boyfriend. Investigators also suspect that Ramón abused his sister sexually in what was a non-consensual relationship of which the parents were completely unaware.
Reports in the press indicate that Rocio’s close friends are proving key to establishing the extent of her relationship with her older brother, although others say that could not be true as Rocio’s boyfriend, Rafael, was one of the brother’s best friends………………………This story gets more and more bizarre. Local people have been speculating that it would be a family member and so it has proved to be.

Costa del Sol
Marbella chringuitos get reprieve for this summer
The beach restaurant owners have been told that no changes will be made this summer compared to last……….In this current recession commonsense has prevailed for the moment.

Costa de la Luz
Two Guardia Civil arrested in Barbate for drug trafficking
A total of twelve arrests have been made in the case, code-named Esmalte………………wo Guardia Civils have been arrested as part of anti-drug operation in Barbate, Cádiz. The two are allegedly members of an organization which trafficked large amount of hashish and had links to groups in Málaga, Sevilla, Cádiz and Ceuta……………………………Please keep the perspective. It´s a minority that has gone off the rails. They have been caught by the police. As the public trust the police let´s hope they are banged up for a long time. I detest drug pushers and drug traffickers who don´t care about anybody as long as they make their evil money.

Spain Sports News
Barcelona fail to clinch the Spanish Liga as Iniesta is injured video
The final 3-3 result means that mathematically at least they can still be caught by Real Madrid. They were leading 3-1 at half time. Barcelona are still to win the Spanish Liga. The defeat of Real Madrid 3-0 in Valencia on Saturday set up the challenge for Barça to win at the Nou Camp on Sunday against a tough Villarreal who were fighting for a Champions League place……………………………I was watching this game on tv and switched off thinking barcelona had won it!

Madrid
Closed circuit images of fatal Madrid Metro stabbing video
The images have been released by El País, while the aggressor is held in prison awaiting trial. Dramatic closed circuit video images have been released by El País of the racialist fatal stabbing of Carlos Javier Palomino. The victim was stabbed in the heart by the ‘ultra’ radical, Josué Estébanez in November 2007 on the Madrid metro as the train was stationary……..This is tragic. When you have a creature like this he is a lost cause. All that can happen now is that he will be a liability for the rest of his wretched life whilst another poor soul has lost his life.

The weather is grey and a bit dull today but it is warm. Rain is forecast. We will probably have two dull days then back to our lovely sunshine.

I’m just back from our Intercambio when we speak English for a certain amount of time then switch to Spanish. We had more Spanish than English there today but the English had a good time explaining relevant points and the Spanish had a good practice. In general, the Spanish seem to learn English with a better grasp of English grammar. We have a few taking English in an exam and they seem to enjoy the chance to practise a bit of speaking. I think this is where the classes seem to falter. They do leave a gap that our intercambio is filling. Certificates are all very well but it is practical application that counts. Our intercambio is open to everyone and we meet at la sala at the side of the centro de medico Pinar de Garaita. We are there between 10 am and midday on a Saturdays.

I tried some new shaving cream today and my face is ready for me to become the Phantom of the Opera. I’ve had to rush down to the Farmacia to get some Alovera.

Here are a few words from today’s meeting. Una cotorra is a chatterbox, gatillo is a trigger. una madriguera is a pit and latigazo is whiplash. However, I will need to look these up in the dictionary.

I’ve just come off the telephone with Tony Hiller and he is going to send me his new album. I’ll create a podcast for this. Bernie Burgess has also sent me an mp3  of his son, Tim, singing his own acapella version of Save the Last Dance for Me. I will look at this as well because it is a great track and Tim sings all the voices himself.

I received a very interesting article in my mailbox today. See what you think…………………..

Are social media sites true addictions?

These days the term “addiction” is tossed about so casually, it sometimes feels as though people don’t believe they’re complete unless they’re addicted to something. When I was coming up through the medical ranks, addiction meant serious physical or chemical dependency — usually on some form of alcohol or drugs. But the term has since been broadened — and stretched thin, in my opinion — to include all manner of behaviors that don’t really qualify as addictions.

Case in point: the “addiction” to the wildly narcissistic social networking sites and media that are now sweeping the nation. I’ve recently seen experts weighing in on the “signs” of these addictions to sites like Facebook.

I’m here to tell you that while it’s clearly possible for compulsive behaviors to spring up with regard to these types of sites, calling it an “addiction” is taking things too far.

What’s the difference between a chemical addiction and an “addiction” to Facebook? It’s this: People who have abused their bodies with drugs or alcohol often need serious medical attention to wean their systems off of these substances. People who have squandered their time reacquainting themselves with people they knew for 10 minutes when they were eight years old just need to get a life.

I hate to be that glib about it, and I’m sure many of you will accuse me of being a crusty old timer who can’t adapt to change… and maybe you’re not off. But I find it personally offensive that people are forever seeking nonexistent medical excuses for their lack of judgment and bad behavior. How about some personal accountability?

Saying that you’re addicted to Facebook is like saying a man is “addicted” to TV watching during the NFL playoffs. Facebook is a choice… an enjoyable distraction. And like many enjoyable distractions, some people just take it too far.

There’s been no official talk of naming overuse of Facebook as an actual addiction… but don’t be surprised if it happens some day soon.

This afternoon sees the Spanish Grand Prix and Liverpool can go top if they beat the Hammers. However, they have to win and Manchester United will probably bounce back to the top of the Premiership toute de suite.

Catch you tomorrow………….

Copyright (c)2009 by www.douglassreport.com, L.L.C. The Daily Dose may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission.

I read recently that we receive on an average day as much information as many of our predecessors would have received during their lifetime. That is a fact which would be difficult to quantify but I do feel we have an overkill of information today. Apart from newspapers both online and offline, international, local and national,  we have television and radio stations from around the world.Even the television programming is more spread out than ever before, Instead of just the BBC and ITV, the satellite can feed us from anywhere in the world. As if that isn´t enough I have to watch Spanish TV to keep up with my local situation.

We also have all the social networking sites bombarding us with messages on Facebook, Twitter and Blogs from everywhere else. That´s before I even refer to my various e-mail accounts. I know I have got to look at this time-consuming information. I must decide what I need to read and then get the rest in some sort of pecking order. It isn´t even as easy to throw things in the bin. Messages are bounced back to us even when we say we don´t want the information. Auto responders are lying in wait and tracking cookies keeping an eye on  our every movement! Therefore,one thing I must try to do with this blog is find relevant and interesting items.

Gordon Brown is getting the boot for his expenses. The journalists are trying to force him out in whatever way they can find. This is a bit pathetic as the article explains quite clearly he has done no wrong. However, the whole miserable lot of them, whatever party, take the electorate for mugs. The sad thing is that they are all as bad as each other and it almost looks like a gang of boy scouts chasing the scoutmaster´s job in England at the moment. Quite honestly, Gordon, I´d let them squabble amongst themselves take your retirement and go and enjoy a quiet life. You´ll have the time to clean your own flat then!

The weather is looking brilliant for La Nucia and I have a BBQ to attend tonight. There will be no rain. Hang on! I need to get the forecast.

Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday
24° C | 11° C	24° C | 12° C	21° C | 9° C	24° C | 12° C	23° C | 9° C

A Little Smile-FA Cup Final.
A man had two of the best seats for the Cup Final. As he sits down, another man comes along and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him.

“No”, he says, “the seat is empty.”

“This is incredible!” said the man, “who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the FA Cup Final, the biggest sporting event of the year, and not use it?”

He says, “Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. My wife was supposed to come with me, but she passed away. This is the first Cup Final we haven’t been to together since we got married.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that. That’s terrible. I guess you couldn’t find someone else, a friend or relative or even a neighbour to take the seat?” The man shakes his head…. “No. They’re all at the funeral.”

Spanish News

The pound is worth 1 euro 13 today and the euro will get 88 pence for you. Let´s get the latest Spanish news for you. Let´s get the Spanish news and please remember it is not my work….I only add my comments so please visit the links for the full story.

Spain Press Review – Friday May 8 2009
No common theme across the Spanish front pages today ………………….El Mundo has the dramatic headline this morning – ‘Cataluña declares itself independent from Spain, in the area of education’. The paper, never a fan of the Catalan language, tells its readers that the Education Commission from the Catalan Parliament has approved a law which sees the exclusion of Castellano. The paper notes the law fails to meet the Supreme Court order that parents should have the choice of language in education…………how´s this for starters? How to unite a nation in one fell swoop!

Costa del Sol
Marbella chiringuito to be closed today ahead of demolition ………………….The Demarcación General de Costas, a body which is dependent on the Ministry for the Environment, will today tape off Access to the ‘Cool Beach’ chiringuito at Rio Real, ahead of its demolition. The beach restaurant is on the Pinillo beach and constructed illegally on public land. The business also lacks an opening licence although they do have the concession for the sun beds on the sand.
The Cool Beach chiringuito at Rio Real will be taped off by the coastal authority today

Spain Culture News
35th Barcelona Motor Show gets underway
The 35th Barcelona Motor Show gets underway on Saturday, and despite the economic climate the show this year boasts more manufacturers than ever; 55 are in attendance, 11 more than last year. One of the main attractions is the new Audi Q3 prototype which will eventually be made at the plant in Martorell. Fiat launches the Barbie 500 and Opel the Insignia OPC. Seat brings the Ibiza FR and the León Cupra range………..recession, what recession?

Spain Sports News
Fernando Alonso hides from his fans at Montemeló
Fernando Alonso had to hide from his fans in Montemeló on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Formula One Grand Prix. He took cover in a garage after what is described as an avalanche of fans chased him for an autograph. There were insults to members of the press and several photographers came to blows, while Alonso lamented the lack of crowd control. Meanwhile Alonso has admitted that he misses the rivalry with Lewis Hamilton from the 2007 season, and denying that the two drivers had any personal problems at the time, Alonso said the competition had only served to make them both better drivers and to know their limits………………………We always knew they liked each other in a funny kind of way!

Costa de Almería
60 immigrants escorted into Almería Port
The travellers were trying to reach Spain on four small boats

National
Seven Somali pirates sent to prison on remand
It comes as another group of seven pirates has been intercepted by the Spanish navy

Costa Blanca
Brother sent to prison on remand without bail for the killing of Rocio……….He maintains that he shot his sister accidentally, and El Mundo reports that a forensic expert is now examining the family shotgun he used to ascertain if it could have been fired accidentally. The gun, which the Civil Guard found in a ravine on the outskirts of Alfàs on Wednesday, has a double trigger, but they cannot be fired simultaneously.

Ramón is then reported to have messed up the house and forced the front door to make it appear as if someone had broken in. His next step, according to El Mundo, was to wrap the gun in a towel and hid it in a pipe in the nearby ravine. The paper reports that his father tested positive for gunpowder residue only because his son had shaken him by the hand on wishing him a happy birthday.

Spain Culture News
Josep Carreras announces his retirement from Opera ………………..His decision is revealed in an interview in The Times as he travels to London on May 14 to receive a Classical Brits prize which recognises his entire career. He says the physical demands on Opera roles are now too much for him.   Carerras is well loved as a member of the unforgettable ‘Three Tenors’, and it was the World Cup in Italy in 1990 which made them into a household name.  Many non-opera lovers are impressed by the tenor and the story of his fight against leukaemia, and following his success at beating cancer his involvement in the establishment of the Carreras Foundation for the Fight Against Luekaemia.

National
Russia agrees to lift ban on Spanish pork
Pork from provinces confirmed as being free of the flu virus will be allowed in

Spanish Oddities
Granada disco investigated for auction of single girls at teenage party
The boys bid for the girls with Monopoly money……………..The party was aimed at the 14 to 18 year olds, and no alcohol was served on the premises. There are concerns about possible sexism in the wording used on leaflets advertising the event held last month: ‘Girls, if you’re single, put yourself up for auction! Boys, if you’re single, place a bid!

Costa Cálida
Lorca notary released from custody, but charged with bribery
The constructor who was arrested with him was also released with charges

Costa Tropical
British driver sets record for speeding in Granada ……….EFE says the driver is a 56 year old British man resident in Marbella, Málaga province, who was caught driving at 151 kms above the speed limit on that stretch of road. He was driving a Ferrari California on temporary registration plates issued in Spain……………..Should Jenson Button be looking over his shoulder?

Costa Blanca
Third sentence against the ex Mayor of Pego
Carlos Pascual is already serving six years for environmental damage to the Pego-Oliva natural park…..He’s been sentenced by a court in Benidorm to a 7 year ban from public office for suspending a municipal employee without pay for taking part in a protest against the local government which was held outside the Town Hall in February 2001. Carlos Pascual must also pay the employee, Fernando Piera, 6,000 compensation € plus interest.

Costa del Sol
Fuengirola policeman arrested on child pornography charges ……….A member of Fuengirola’s local police force has been arrested on charges linked to child pornography, according to information from Diario Sur this Thursday. The paper says the un-named suspect was taken into custody on Wednesday and was released after questioning by officers from the National Police. Police are reported to have seized a computer hard disc, together with a number of CDs and DVDs…………………..I grew up trusting policemen……….were we naive or what!

Elsewhere

John Cleese sparked a fierce debate yesterday when he claimed the golden era of British sitcoms is as dead as a dodo.

The Monty Python legend said the 1970s and 1980s were the best time to work in TV, and that writers these days are too lazy to produce brilliant comedies.

The weather in Benidorm and La Nucia is fantastic and if you need a holiday this is the place to be. The pound is worth 1 euro 12 and the euro worth 88 pence.

5-Day Forecast Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday 24° C | 11° C 24° C | 11° C 24° C | 10° C 23° C | 12° C 24° C | 10° C

Chelsea fans must be choked after the late Barcelona goal and I feel the referee had a dodgy game. However, In felt the players were like a gang of bullies in a park and this needs sorting out. Drogba needs to see a psychiatrist after the way he behaved. I know it was a bitter pill to swallow but both he and Ballack and john Terry were guilty of intimidation towards the ref.

Having spent all day working on a problem with my computer I think you will relate to the way I felt when I received the following from Rockin Dave in the Philippines.

INSTALLING A HUSBAND

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the
flower and ! jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under
Boyfriend 5.0 .

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled
many other valuable programs, such as
*         Romance 9.5 and
*         Personal Attention 6.5,

and then installed undesirable programs , such as

*         Premiership 5.0,
*         Champions League 3.0   and
*         LaLiga 4.1

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2. 6 simply crashes
the system.

*         Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix
these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,
Desperate..

________________________________

DEAR DESPERATE ,

First, keep in mind,
*         Boyfriend
5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while
*         Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download
Tears 6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.
*         If that application works as designed, Husband1.0 should
then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5..

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband
1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5 , Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1 .
*         Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will
download the Farting and Snoring Loudly
Beta..

Whatever you do, D0 NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law
1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize
control of all your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to re - install the Boyfriend
5.0 program.   These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0 .

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited
memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider
buying additional software to impro ve memory and performance. We
recommend
*         Cooking 3.0 and
*         Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck Desperate

Let´s get the latest news here in Spain and please visit the links. I only add my comments to the stories.
Spain Press Review – Thursday May 7 2009
The football dominates the front pages in Spain today……….ABC says Barcelona to the final in the last breath, and says a grand goal from the player from Albacete Ineiesta came in extra time, in the 93rd minute, when the side were playing with ten men.
El País says Barça reached the final in the last breath and describes last night’s game as heart-stopping. The paper notes the goal from Iniesta was the only shot on goal from Barcelona in the game against a very hard Chelsea. Barcelona’s La Vanguardia has a large photo of Iniesta, with the caption ¡A Roma! and the other Barcelona paper, El Periódico headlines ‘Guardiola’s Barça can cope with everything’. It quotes Iniesta as saying ‘I hit the ball with all my soul’ and Guardiola as saying ‘We deserve to be in the final though talent’. El País notes that a United States bombing has killed more than 100 in Afghanistan, and that thousands of refugees are now fleeing the Pakistani offensive………………...Proof that here inn Spain and probably around the world football is more interesting than 100 people being killed in a farn off country. I love football and I wanted barcelona to win but our priorities tell their own story.

Costa del Sol
British travel agents descend on Málaga
The ‘Loving Andalucía’ forum will discuss how to best promote the region in the U.K.

Costa Blanca
Francisco Camps will have to give a statement to the Valencia High Court
The P.P. President of the Valencia region has been called in the Gürtel corruption case

Spain Culture News
32 million dollars for five Picasso’s
Mousquetaire à la pipe made more than 14.6 million dollars alone………………Mousquetaire à la pipe made more than 14.6 million dollars alone. Christie’s auction house in Manhattan on Wednesday sold five works by the Málaga painter, Pablo Picasso, for more than 32 million dollars. The most expensive work in the private collection of film director, Julian Schnabel, was ‘Mousquetaire à la pipe’ which went for more than 14.6 million dollars…………………again,  it is interesting to see the value placed on a drawing. This is where we all have to make our own judgements about where we should prioritise both at an individual and political level.

Costa del Sol
Julián Muñoz to speak in university course on corruption
The ex Mayor of Marbella has many corruption and other charges still outstanding against him……………The ex Mayor of Marbella, Julián Muñoz, still facing charges in the Malaya and other corruption cases in Marbella, is to be a speaker during a university course on corruption. The course is part of the summer events being drawn up by the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, and Muñoz will offer his opinions on journalism and corruption………………………….Is there a course on lying, deception and hypocrisy?

Costa de la Luz
Drug smugglers heading up the rivers of Cádiz
The Guardia Civil says they cannot cope with the volumes of drugs being transported

Spain Sports News
Barcelona make the final of the Champions League
A single shot on target during the whole match resulted in the away goal needed by Barça……………….Chelsea will be upset that a couple of handballs in the penalty area were ignored by the referee, and Barça will be upset that the referee sent off Eric Abidal unjustly, leaving Barça to play with just ten men from the 66th minute. Alves got a yellow card and will also miss the final, but Pepe Guardiola will be hoping that Thierry Henry, Puyol and Márquez will be back from injury or suspension by then…………………Too many teams rest on a 1-0 lead. Although Chelsea, s goal was brilliant it was always on the cards that a single minute of brilliance would steal it. Barcelona deserve to be in the final!

National
Another eight Swine Flu cases confirmed in Spain
The number under investigation has reduced to 49………………Cataluña and Andalucía both have the highest number of confirmed cases, each with 23. They are followed by Valencia with 21. Andalucía also has the most cases under investigation, where 15 people are suspected of being infected.

Speaking on Wednesday before the latest update, Spain’s Health Minister, Trinidad Jiménez, said the situation here is ‘very controlled and very stable’. The Minister said those confirmed as infected have ‘minor symptoms’ and have responded very well to treatment…………………………….Let´s hope it´s not the lull before a storm.

Costa Blanca
Murder weapon found in l’Alfàs murder
The brother who confessed to accidentally killing his sister told the Guardia where to find the gun………….Detectives were able to confirm from a phone call Rocío’s mother made to her son after she discovered her daugher’s body that the brother, named by the Diario Información newspaper as Ramón García Martín, was in fact near the family home at that time, and not in a gym in Benidorm as he had said.
His father faces charges for covering up the crime………………………..This is a bizarre killing and would appear to involve a case of infatuation.

Costa Blanca
An expensive flood aid thank you dinner on the Costa Blanca
El Verger and Els Poblets paid 13,000 Euro between them to say thank you to volunteers…………………..t’s been revealed by the Alicante newspaper, Diario Información, that two Marina Alta towns affected by the devastating floods in the autumn of 2007 spent thousands of euros on a dinner held to thank all the volunteers who worked on various initiatives to alleviate the effects of the flood. The dinner was held in a luxury hotel in May 2008, immediately after a benefit concert in which more than 100 musicians took part……….It sounded like a big ´Thank You´was needed and a lot of money was spent in saying it.

Costa Tropical
A-44 Granada-Motril motorway could open within the month
The problematic viaduct over the Guadalfeo River is almost complete

Costa Cálida
Lorca arrests said to be connected to corruption investigation of Francisco Marqués
In a further development, National Police have asked the regional government for documents on planning matters in Águilas

Costa del Sol
Motion of censure against Benalmádena local government
The Partido Popular have the support of more than half the councillors in the local corporation

National
Changes to Barajas safety protocols following Spanair tragedy
The airport director has told the investigating judge that improvements to protocols are being studied

Andalucía
Search for Marta del Castillo in Seville rubbish tip is officially over
One of the suspects in the case, the brother of Marta’s self-confessed killer, has written a letter from prison saying he is innocent

Rockin Dave has recorded a video with the Italian virtuoso JustCarmen.

Hear and see them both perform Sha-Na-Na’s classic ‘Those Magic Changes’. Recorded in Finland, England and Italy.  Click here to view the video:

Podcast should be finished by 2 pm and today I will include an interview with Sir Henry Cooper as it´s his 75th birthday.

Concerts in Aflaz del Pi in the next two weeks. We are presenting our regular Alfaz Classical Music Society concert on 9 May, and then from 11-16 May we are hosting three concerts as part of the Spanish-Norwegian Festival. As usual, the Classical Music Society Concert has tickets at 9 euros. We are offering the three Norwegian week concerts at three for the price of two. So they will be priced at 9 euros each, or 18 euros for all three. Here are the details. On 9 May we will present the renowned Italian pianist Bruno Canino alongside a wind quartet called Ellipsis. They will perform piano-wind quintets by Mozart and Beethoven. It is not often that one gets the chance of hearing such an ensemble. On 11 May Bruno Canino will accompany virtuoso Spanish violinist Joachin Palomares. They will play works by Grieg, Turina, Sarasate and Rodrigo. The two have worked together frequently throughout Europe. On 13 May Russian pianist Elena Lasko will perform. Elena is a very special pianist, being at home in either the classical or jazz idioms. She will play a mixed concert, featuring Schumann, Grieg and Albeniz, plus jazz standards and her own compositions. Finally, on 16 May the Norwegian duo Sussman-Pettersen will perform Grieg and Franck. The Franck sonata is one of the most famous pieces in the entire violin and piano repertoire. On 15 May, if you are near Moraira, you may be interested to know that Joachin Palomares’s Art Tango Ensemble will perform in the new arts centre. They dancers who appeared recently in La Nucia will also be there. It’s going to be a busy week. All the Alfaz concerts will start at 8pm in the Casa Cultura. After the 13 May concert, everyone is invited to tapas in the Centro Sociales, which is next door to the Casa Cultura. I do hope to see you at one of the events.
Next we have a new Theatrical group

We are called over The Moon Productions and comprise a cast of professional and amateur actors, plus a couple of people who have never trodden the boards before. We are putting on our first stage performance at Retoretes in Benidorm on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th May. We will be performing earthy and original adult comedy, a combination of comedy sketches and a short play about a rookie vet who accidentally castrates a prize-winning Afghan Hound and tries to correct his misdemeanour before his owner (the matriarch of the national dog breeding society and a fusion of Babara Woodhouse and Atilla the Hun) discovers her dog is ´¨all meat on no veg¨´. Tickets are 7.50 euros and can be reserved by calling 634 320 340 or bought on the door (over 14´s only).

This is all original comedy writing written by a local writer and performed by local people. Our aim as a group is to give anyone who is interested in acting, singing, writing, stage management or production the opportunity to give it a go and in this production we combine the talents of teenage actors from a local drama school, a professional actress (who has appeared on stage and TV in the UK), old hands at amateur dramatics and complete novices.

If you are interested in any aspect of this, please email me or call me on 634 320 340.

Nicki Whittaker
Over The Moon Production