Is Cala de la Mosca Safe Now?

During the last 4 years, since 2007, of the Partido Popular government of the Orihuela Town Council, the official opposition parties, namely the Los Verdes, PSOE and CLR, and the then unelected CLARO party have campaigned to save the area of land known as Cala de la Mosca from development for housing. It is the last section of the coastal strip within the Orihuela Costa area that remains undeveloped at this time, although planning permission had originally been given by the PP government in 1992 for a housing development.

Whilst all the opposition parties have voiced their objection to the development, the two parties that would seem to have been most vociferous in the campaign to 'Save Cala de la Mosca' are Los Verdes (Green Party) and CLARO, with many articles on their websites on this matter. The later organising a petition containing a quoted 7000 signatures that was presented to the then PP Alcaldesa of Orihuela, Monica Lorente.

Now that the Orihuela municipality has a tripartite government of PSOE, Los Verdes and CLARO; is Cala de la Mosca safe now from total destruction by the housing developer? Will the current government retract the planning permission given by the previous PP government.

As Orihuela has a Los Verdes party Alcalde (Mayor), Monserrate Guillén, and he appointed Robert Houliston of CLARO, as his right-hand man in the coastal area, as Councillor for Orihuela Costa; how long will we have to wait for the official announcement the Cala de la Mosca development has been stopped? Surely there cannot be any doubt about it as both parties included the question of the future of Cala de la Mosca in their election manifestos promising to save it.

I, and other residents of Orihuela Costa I'm sure, will wait with great anticipation to hear whether or not Cala de la Mosca is to be saved by the new tripartite Orihuela Town Council.

Edit: 18th July.
The Leader newspaper has paid me the compliment of publishing this article on the front page of this week's edition.

Does driving a Porsche make a man more desirable to women?

New research finds that men's conspicuous spending is driven by the desire to have uncommitted romantic flings. And, gentlemen, women can see right through it.

According to the researchers, women found a man who chose to purchase a flashy luxury Porsche more desirable for a date than the same man who purchased a non-luxury economy car such as a Honda Civic. However although women found the flashy guys more desirable for a date, the man with the Porsche was not preferred as a marriage partner. Women inferred from a man's flashy spending that he was interested in uncommitted sex.

What about a Hyundai Getz, what does that signal? It could be a subliminal Porsche!

Read the full article in Science Daily

Pat Condell says - Don't pray for me

Ex-Alcaldesa of Orihuela to start new profession as a ´Lifestyle Guru`

Following her recent failure in her attempt to continue as the, Partido Popular, Alcaldesa (Mayoress) of Orihuela, for the next four years, it has been suggested to me by a source of some provenance, although personally unsubstantiated at this time, that Monica Lorente is to open a new consultancy business in Orihuela Costa.

If what I understand is correct then she intends to offer her services as a 'Lifestyle Guru`, to all the residents of Orihuela Costa. Initially her main potential market will be those United Kingdom Expat residents who supported CLARO in the recent local election and who feel that their lives need a change of direction and ambition.

Monica's reasoning behind her decision, is thought to be that, she believes that with her exceptional qualities of compassion for other people, her honesty in all matters, and her ability to listen to the residents, as they tell her about their fears and worries about the quality of their lives, the residents will need and benefit tremendously from her ideas on achieving the highest possible level of quality Lifestyle. Even though the public services and facilities in Orihuela Costa are sub-standard, as a result of her previous government colleagues excellent work, it is thought she believes, with her expertise, that these minor irritations can be overcome by following her philosophy on life. During their consultations her clients will be expected to recite her mantra, as were her PP government colleagues each time they met her; “a little bit of Monica in my life” .

Whilst considering several possible names for her new venture the local bookies are offering short odds on her final choice being ´Perfect People`. It is felt that this will be chosen as a comfort element for her as she could continue to be associated with a ´PP` logo, but also that the residents of Orihuela Costa would get withdrawal symptoms if they didn't regularly see, and hear about, the PP initials they have loved and trusted over the last 25 years.

I'm also informed, by reliable sources within the Orihuela Town Hall this time, that two of Ms. Lorente's personally appointed employees, namely her press officer, LouiseClarke, and Liaison Officer to the Expats, Stefan Pokroppa, in the Orihuela Costa town hall annex, have as a result of Monica's failure to keep her job as Mayor, lost their positions as well. Now putting 2 plus 2 together and making 10, similar to the accounting system used by the Ex-Alcaldesa and her government with the council's finances, it would seem probable that they will be employed by Monica in 'Perfect People', in marketing and customer liaison. Even though they did not seem to get it quite right in their past positions, as a sign of her benevolence, Monica will be offering them  another chance. Not only will they be employees but also amongst the first of Ms. Lorente's guinea pig clients, for a large fee deducted from their wages of course, as they need a new, and unexpected, lifestyle.

The Orihuela Costa residents I'm sure will wish Monica Lorente all that she deserves in her titanic voyage into the icy seas of reality aboard her new vessel 'Perfect People'.