Icelandic volcanoes can be unpredictable and dangerous

ScienceDaily (2010-04-16) -- If history is any indication, the erupting volcano in Iceland and its immense ash plume could intensify, says a researcher who has explored Icelandic volcanoes for the past 25 years.

Full article: Icelandic volcanoes can be unpredictable and dangerous

POWER2010: Get Involved in Reforming Your Democracy

"No guarantee, but worth a try" says the chairman of CLARO

In my article What are CLARO´s aims and what are they expecting to achieve? I referred to the letter by Mary la Zenia that appeared in the CoastRider newspaper and my expectation that it would appear in the other local papers in the Orihuela Costa area. Well it has appeared, all be it in a much edited version, which doesn't do justice to the letter, in the Round Town News 16th April issue. I have not seen it published in the other local papers, but this may be due to an oversight on my part.

I have still not read any direct response from CLARO to Mary la Zenia's letter in the local papers, a bit disappointing. 

However in it's previous weeks edition the RTN published an article entitled No guarantee, but worth a try in which Bob Houliston's, chairman of CLARO, response to criticisms made about the 'Save Cala Mosca' petition was reported. It was no more than another opportunity for CLARO to promote itself.

The article reports that acusations have been made about the petition but, wrongly, gives no details of them. How is the reader supposed to know what they are? Wouldn't it have been a more impartial article to have spelt out the case being made, and questions being asked, against the continuation of the campaign by CLARO.

In the final paragraph it states 'Bob Houliston confirmed to RTN that he will personally hand over the petition to the EU Petitions Committee next week in Brussels'. Any reader of the article would be lead to believe, make the assumption, that he (BH) is making a special journey to Brussels to carry out this commendable dead. Now this may be true, but is it a coincidence that he has family, who he visits, living in the Brussels area. Perhaps it is a convenient hand over of the petition!

Is the public being continually mislead on this matter?

YouGov poll puts Lib Dems in 2nd Place

The latest YouGov poll for The Sun shows the Lib Dems overtaking Labour by moving into 2nd place behind the Conservatives. Con 33% LD 30% Lab 28%.

The reaction from David Cameron and Gordon Brown should be interesting.

YouGov

Euro area annual inflation up to 1.4% - March 2010

Euro Area annual inflation was 1.4% in March 2010, up from 0.9% in February. A year earlier the rate was 0.6%. Monthly inflation was 0.9% in March 2010.

For the Eurpean Union area annual inflation was 1.9% in March 2010, up from 1.5% in February. A year earlier the rate was 1.3%. Monthly inflation was 0.7% in March 2010.

These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

What are CLARO´s aims and what are they expecting to achieve?

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that despite sending notification to the editors of the local papers covering Orihuela Costa, of my two recent blog articles referring to the CLARO party and it's 'Save Cala Mosca'campaign: What value does CLARO's 'Save Cala Mosca' petition have Now? & Only 120 out of 28,000 Residents attend 'Save Cala Mosca' Protest, none of them (the editors) were prepared to publish an item criticising the CLARO campaign.

However I now must assume that my writtings were just not good enough (I can live with that) for today in the CoastRider newspaper the following letter has been published, and if the usual happens it will appear in the letters page of the other local papers.

Dear Editor,
Has CLARO really got it “claro”? What are CLARO´s aims and what are they expecting to achieve?
After picking up their flyer last week in La Zenia and reading all the newspaper coverage regarding “Save Cala Mosca” I am quite confused.
Have the 7,000 people who signed the petition been misinformed?
The mentioned piece of land at Cala Mosca is owned by a private person and was purchased years ago – most probably before all of us (ex pats!) arrived.
You and I agree that (not only) this piece of land should remain in its natural state but how would we react if we actually owned the land? I am sure if we are honest the Dollar sign would play a big roll! The whole of Orihuela Costa was a green area before we decided to purchase our “Spanish dream” and live here – did we worry about the environment and concrete jungle when we signed on the bottom line at the notary?
Perhaps instead of signing petitions we should fill in a donation form for the CLARO party to enable them to purchase the land from its owner and rescue it from its fate. Being honest with ourselves we could all do a lot more to save and protect the environment starting on our own doorstep.
Back to CLARO, I am sure their intentions are honourable, but do they really have the know-how and clout to carry out their intentions.
For the last couple of months I have been listening to the political broadcasts on a local radio station each Monday morning, and I always have the feeling that the radio broadcaster has more information than CLARO´s spokesman, Bob Houliston. All the same problems are churned over and over again but no solutions to these problems are offered.
We should all decide for ourselves what is important and we know what we would like to change or improve. Perhaps we should remember this when it comes to voting and vote for a party that actually has the capability to address the problems - our problems - and find a solution to them. I for one will be listening a little more closely to the PSOE party and a councillor called Pedro Mancebo from the CLR party who are very structured and in positions to move things forward instead of going around in circles.
CLARO should take a leaf out of their books and start behaving more like a political party instead of a group of neighbours who are experiencing problems with their community. This might then generate ideas and suggestions which would improve their, and our lives, here in Orihuela Costa.
Kind regards,
Mary La Zenia 

I am looking forward to read the response from CLARO to this letter.

Congratulations to Mary La Zenia, as she achieved what I didn't, but hopefully this will make the leaders of CLARO reappraise their current and future policies and actions if they want to survive as an independent local issue political party in Orihuela Costa.

Mary asked the question 'Have the 7,000 people who signed the petition been misinformed?' to which I would answer - yes - CLARO have mislead the signatories, by generating and perpetuating false hope of a successful outcome for Cala Mosca. Wasting residents time with further pointless demonstrations for unrealistic, un-achievable, goals.

To reiterate points made in my previous articles:
"Beware and tread carefully CLARO - the electorate is no fool";
"It is time I believe for CLARO to close the book on this matter and move on. There is plenty of work for the party to direct their efforts to in other areas that affect the environment and the lives of the residents of Orihuela Costa".

Mobility Scooter driver has put house up for sale to pay Damage & Legal costs

Following on from my previous posting about the laws on mobility scooters being changed in which the comment was made "There has to be an acknowledgement of the liability to the protection of the public, both physically and financially, in the case of accidents, by mobility vehicle users", an article in the Daily Telegraph entitled 'Disabled woman 'to lose home' after being sued for crashing mobility scooter into worker' clearly shows the need for users of mobility scooters to have insurance similar to that for cars, a public liability policy in effect.

Having been found negligent in her use of the scooter in a Morrisions supermarket resulting in a personal injury to an employee, Denise Bird, 42, who had been stacking shelves, Mrs Gloria Brown, the driver of the scooter claims she has been forced to put her house on the market to pay more than £16,000 she owes in damages and costs. Had she been required to have an insurance for the mobility scooter she would not have found herself in this situation.

With the increasing number of these scooters being used in public places, in many cases by untrained drivers, there will undoubtably be more and more incidents of personal injury claims being made against drivers of these mobility aids.

The sooner the consultation paper intended to protect pedestrians, other road users and owners of the vehicles themselves drawn up by the Department for Transport becomes law the better. Until that time the majority of scooter users will not consider paying for an insurance policy or undergo training.

One in ten British pensioners is an expat

This is a disenfranchised group that should and must assert itself. Changing one’s geographical location should not entail losing one’s democratic rights as a British citizen unless they are willingly surrendered.

says Emma Hartley in her article One in ten British pensioners is an expat – Telegraph Blogs.

The government's approach to expats is broken

In this article Emma Hartley discusses the effect on two matters which effect us Expats. The first is the inequality of the payment of the UK state pension depending on where the Expat settles. The second is the loss of the right of a UK citizen to vote in the UK elections after 15 years of absence from the country, even though taxes may still be payable in the UK. She raises the point of 'No taxation without representation.

Read her article here: The government's approach to expats is broken – Telegraph Blogs

Low pound leaves expats struggling with UK debt

Low pound leaves expats struggling with UK debt - Spend & Save , Money - The Independent