Voting in Spanish local elections

Sunday the 22nd May 2011 will see the local Municipal elections in Spain. All European Union citizens who are resident in Spain and are 18 years of age or over are entitled to be included in the electoral role and vote in Spain on that day.

The United Kingdom Embassy in Madrid has issued information and guidelines to help UK nationals register to vote if they so wish, subject to the correct criteria.

This is the opportunity for all eligible UK expatriat residents to voice their opinion on how their adopted Town Council should operate to provide the services needed for the local community. It is one that should not be missed, as no vote means no voice and no representation.

To read more click Voting in Spanish elections

God or Nothing

Another thought provoking video from Pat Condell.

Dangerous chemicals in food wrappers likely migrating to humans

University of Toronto scientists have found that chemicals used to line junk food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags are migrating into food and being ingested by people where they are contributing to chemical contamination observed in blood.

Read more:
Dangerous chemicals in food wrappers likely migrating to humans
ScienceDaily

Moronic Householder reaches Top Table for Idiots.

I mentioned a few days ago about the Moroni Householder leaving his or her Brains by the rubbish bin.

Well would you believe it – Yes I Would (echo)– the M.H. is back again. With an even more crass act.

On this occasion M.H. has reached the top table for idiots. No longer wishing to be the proud owner of a glass tabletop, the brain wave, if you'll pardon the assumption that one exists, in the head is to leave the glass top leaning against the rubbish bin. Everyone knows, except for M.H. it seems, that the bin is emptied by the use of a semi automated single manned 'skip' lorry so it (the bin) has to be lifted to be emptied.

As can be seen from the photograph the position where the glass tabletop has been left will result in two major possibilities. The first is that, as has already happened, the bin will not be emptied because the skip lorry driver will not get out of the vehicle, in the middle of the night, and move the tabletop to enable the bin to be lifted. The second is that the driver will ignore the top, when the bin is full and overflowing, as it might be soon, lift the bin and allow the inevitable falling and smashing of the glass on the road. This will then present a danger to the public using the bin or to animals passing by.

There is another possibility, that a vandal will break the glass 'just for fun'!

Now either, the person is too stupid to think of the consequences of where the glass is left, or just doesn't give a damn what happens, after it has been dumped in the street, as it's out of personal sight so out of mind, and someone else can clean up any mess. Either is the action of a Moronic Householder.

Yes I know I'm showing an intolerant attitude towards crass stupidity, and always will, but what if a child or beloved pet is injured by broken glass because of M.H's. action? Who could suffer, it won't be M.H. that's for sure! Who will clean-up after the crash, it won't be M.H. that's for sure!

Organic onions, carrots and potatoes do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants

With the demand for organically produced food increasing, scientists are reporting new evidence that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants and related substances than vegetables grown with traditional fertilizers and pesticides.

Organic onions, carrots and potatoes do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants, study finds ScienceDaily 04.11.2010

Spanish naming customs could change.

In Spain when registering a birth it is the normal practice to give the child two surnames with the fathers surname being chosen before that of the mother. The current law does not stipulate which of the parent's name should come first.

However this could all be about to change if a proposal by the current socialist government ever becomes law. When the birth is registered the registrars will be instructed to put the parents surnames in alphabetical order unless the parents request it to different. Concern is being expressed that this may over time lead to a loss of surnames beginning with the letters in the later end of the alphabet.

When referring to the proposed changes José Antonio Alonso, the socialist party's parliamentary leader is reported as saying "This is more democratic and equal,". The leader of the right wing Partido Popular, Mariano Rajoy, has indicated the party's intention to fight the proposals.

This is however purely an administrative matter as it is quite normal for a Spanish person to choose to be known in day to day life by just one surname of their choice. It could be either that of the mother or the father. an example of this is the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, is more usually referred to as José Zapatero.

In the case of our local mayor in Orihuela, Mónica Lorente Ramón is normally referred to by just her first surname, Mónica Lorente, other than those that can't be repeated here.

Never mind the priorities of surnames the government should get the priorities for the Spanish economy right first!

Mediterranean diet helps control cholesterol: Adding monounsaturated fats to a low-cholesterol diet can further improve levels

A new study 24 patients by members of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto has found that the addition of monounsaturated fat to a cholesterol-lowering dietary portfolio in patients with mild to moderate elevated cholesterol levels increased HDL by 12.5 percent and lowered LDL levels by 35 percent.

They found significant reductions in blood cholesterol levels over the two month study period for participants.

In my (non-medical) opinion anything that offers an alternative to swallowing pills containing statins has to be a good thing and investigated further. Doctors are too ready to prescribe statins as a panacea to reduce cholesterol to the magic level. And, from the incidents I know of, why do they always start at the strongest 40 mg. level.

Read more:
Mediterranean diet helps control cholesterol: Adding monounsaturated fats to a low-cholesterol diet can further improve levels
ScienceDaily

Carnage on Spanish Highways - 42 deaths in 5 Days

The Halloween and All Saints Day holiday weekend has seen carnage on the roads of Spain with a total 24 people dead.

A spokesman for the Directorate General of Traffic has reported that from 15.00 hrs. on Friday (29^th October) up to 20.00 hrs. on Monday (1^st November) there have been 22 fatal accidents in which the 24 people have died and another 26 have been injured of which 13 are of a serious nature.

The figures make grim reading with the highest number of deaths (10) on Saturday with almost half of this figure on each of Sunday and Monday. The final death toll could be higher as the figures issued were only up to 20.00 hrs. and many of the holiday return journeys had not been completed.

Add the 18 deaths reported for the previous weekend that means 42 lives have been prematurely terminated on the Spanish roads over two consecutive weekends. That's 42 deaths in 5 days.

What a terrible, unnecessary waste of human life, undoubtedly due to human error and bad driving.

Post Script, 02.11.2010.
The total number of deaths has unfortunately been update to 26 up to 24.00 hrs. on the 1st November. That makes an astonishing total for this year up to 31st October of 1448 road traffic fatalities. Something has got to be done to stop this carnage!
Europa Press

New test equipment enhances police traffic surveillance

Police surveillance of seatbelt compliance and speeding is getting a boost thanks to the development of new test equipment by Finnish researchers. Developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the equipment also measures distance between vehicles, road surface condition and calculates traffic emissions.

The test equipment, which is based on automatic camera surveillance and wireless network connection, is part of an EU project aimed at improving traffic safety and reducing accidents caused by traffic rule violations. The equipment is handily located on a mobile trailer unit. The police are thus able to monitor traffic and impose penalties for violations more comprehensively and fairly. The monitoring information is gathered into a common database available to the police, road operators and environmental authorities. A pilot system has been launched in Tampere enabling the police to test the equipment, along with three other sites located in Germany, France and Austria..

Any step that improves road safety and reduces road deaths has to be a good thing.

Read more:New test equipment enhances police traffic surveillance (Science Daily)

All Saints Day and Halloween in Spain

A short video that explains the meaning of today, All Saints Day