Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Mingo's live music on Saturday
Arrested for paying with false €200 at feria
LOS BARRIOS A couple was arrested last Sunday for using false €200 notes to pay for things at the feria. The couple, of about 50 years old, allege that they did so unaware that the notes were false. The police arrested the couple just before midnight, after being told of a false note by the manager of one of the casetas (marquees). They traced another two notes at different places, and obtained descriptions of the couple, who were found at yet another marquee. On them, the police found another false €200 note, and €450 in other legal tender. They allegedly paid for small things, such as a couple of drinks, with the false notes, and obtained change in 'proper' money. (Coming soon: Can you identify false euros?)
Arrested for setting 96 baits to poison dogs
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ALGECIRAS A man was arrested recently for wrapping poison in cold meats and setting them out for dogs to eat. The Seprona unit of the Guardia Civil was alerted when the owner of one victim had to take his dog to vet as an emergency, who reported it. The man, who lives in the Pelayo section above Algeciras, is accused of setting 96 baits in the area. Officers of Seprona's Canine Unit carried out an investigation along the Cañada Real in Pelayo, which eventually led to the bait and poison being found inside a car owned by the accused. The bait contained poison certified as extremely and highly toxic by the World Health Organization.
Another Spanish law ignored: employment for the disabled
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SPAIN The Spanish Constitution says that there should be equality of opportunity among all Spaniards. And the Law of Integration of the Disabled of 1982 supposedly obliges businesses with 50 or more employees to employ people with some disability at a minimum of 2% of its payroll, classified as such. However, organizations defending the rights of the disabled say that this is very far from the reality, which is becoming increasingly noticeable during the present financial crisis and its inevitable cutbacks. They say that the list of businesses ignoring Article 38 of the Law has grown immeasurably>>>
Fracking concessions in Andalucía, water supply could be threatened
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ANDALUCÍA A study by the Consejo Superior de Ingenieros de Minas (Superior Council of Mining Engineers) says that 40% of Spain's non-conventional gas is likely to be found in Andalucía, some 48 trillion cubic metres and enough to supply the country for 39 years. These are estimates that must be corroborated by more specific analyses, says the report. The best sites, according to Professor Ángel Cámara, who headed the study, are the Guadalquivir Valley, the old coal mining area of the Guadiato, Villanueva del Río and Minas, as well as the southern part of the province of Cádiz. However, environmentalists warn that the extraction system known as fracking, is controversial, to say the least.>>>
Taxes due in Jimena, and elsewhere
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| Official notice |
JIMENA (and beyond) Local taxes, including Council and Vehicle, are the responsibility of local government, i.e. councils, so there are different due dates and different payment methods for different municipalities. However, with the financial panorama as it is, you can be sure that everyone is desperate to collect. We have information from Jimena but advise you to enquire at your local tax office as to what is due (we will be getting similar info from each of the Campo's seven municipalities for tax year 2014, as soon as possible). Two taxes are due in Jimena: the first tranche of Council Tax (IBI, Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles) can be paid between May 7 and July 12. If you do NOT pay by direct debit you should go to the tax office (Recaudación, Calle Sevilla, just up from the Town Hall on the other side of the street) to get your payment slip - you do not receive notification other than when it is past due and incurs a fine and charges. The other is car tax (Impuesto sobre Vehículos), which is payable until June 16 - you may not have received your notification, so ask at the tax office.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Consumer organization reveals electricity contract tricks that could increase your bill by 11%
SPAIN The hard-hitting consumer organization FACUA revealed in its magazine Consumerismo for Jan-Feb 2013, the tricks used in special offers from electric companies. The organization studied discounts offered by several of the main suppliers and found that in fact, they can increase your electricity bill by up to 11%. It denounces the companies' 'false advertising' and 'fraudulents practices' used by sales people making cold calls at homes offering discounts that turn out not to be real, or are conditional on the buyer contracting additional services that do nothing but make the bills more expensive. Some companies even commit falsely to not increasing the price of electricity for one or more years - something that is not in their hands as that is controlled by the government. The companies analysed are Iberdrola, Endesa, Gas Natural Fenosa, HC Energía and E.On, using the Tarifa de último recurso (TUR, Last Recourse Tariff) as set for January.>>>
J.A.W.S. needs your help NOW
From the J.A.W.S. Facebook page: "I knew it would happen! JAWS have run out of money and I have just had a call about a Mum and 2 puppies wandering the streets desperately in need of help. I have a temporary home for them until Friday and then they will have to go to Adana - FEE WILL BE 150 EUROS! Can anyone out there help us with the fee?? Any amount - no matter how small - will help us and more importantly, give these 3 little dogs a chance in life. PLEASE contact me and SHARE this post - THANK YOU. (As we write, just had €50 from lady in Estepona)
La Almoraima presents plans for a hotel and golf course
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| Partial view |
CASTELLAR The management of La Almoraima, once Europe's largest private estate and now run by the Junta de Andalucía, recently presented Castellar Council with a proposal for a Special Plan to convert farmland and forest to its use for tourism. The proposal is that the land under management but outside the boundaries of Los Alcornocales Nature Park, be used to build a five-star hotel and a golf course. The Mayor of Castellar confirmed that the proposal had been received but said that it was not close to being a project as it was still under careful study. He added that it was being 'looked on favourably', however.
Being bilingual can delay onset of Alzheimer
Bilingual infants show language advantages over the monolingual
In a report titled 'Bilingualism: consequences for mind and brain' by the Department of Psychology at York University of Toronto, headed by Ellen Bialystok and published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, it was found that bilingual patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease presented symptoms up to five years later than those who had spoken only one language over the same period. The symptoms that were impacted most were those that dealt with mental functions such as loss of memory, confusion and difficulty in resolving problems or planning.>>>
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Have a little giggle - it's Sunday!
Tech Support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear that my boyfriend bought for
me on Saturday. Why?
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