English Newspapers in Spain, Mallorca, Costa Blanca, Costa de Almeria, Costa del Sol, Heart of Andalucia, Algarve, English News, English Media in Spain
Dear editor,
So "Doggie Bag" does not like animals sitting next to him and his children in a place where he eats. Neither does he like the "hostess" playing with them without washing her hands. How does he know she does not wash her hands?
Yes, the law is strict concerning animals in restaurants, it is equally strict about humans smoking in restaurants, but that does not prevent them fouling the air with their terrible unhealthy filth making other diners suffer fowl second hand smoke whilst they are eating, so is "Doggie Bag" going to report smokers in restaurants to the Guardia Civil? Does "Doggie Bag" not understand that the Guardia Civil will not escort animal owners out of the restaurant, it will be the restaurant owners they escort out; so if the Guardia Civil have to start visiting restaurants and bars to see who has their animal with them or who is smoking instead of solving and looking into more serious crimes, "Doggie Bag" will not have a restaurant or a bar to visit in Spain.
Will that keep him happy? Whilst out with his children he returns home to find his house has been burgled, would he complain if the Guardia took over an hour to visit him because they were in restaurants looking for animals, who are most likely hidden under the table, quietly keeping well behaved and out of anyone's way?
Finally, why is this obnoxious "Doggie Bag" withholding his name from his letter? Perhaps he should have used the name "Human Bag", and why has he singled out a Chinese restaurant in Calpe by naming the street it is on, could it be that he is just one of life's time wasters with nothing to do but moan.
Michael L. Hayes Calpe
May 15,2008 Tell us more
Dear editor,
Probably like many of your readers, I read with interest Peter Sanderson's letter regarding missed years of contributions to the UK state pension scheme. I was not aware of the changes and the fact that one could make contributions to enhance ones pension, even if they are paying Spanish Social Security.
Whilst being very informative, the letter did not explain how one can find out how to get further details regarding making missed contributions. The DWP web page is not very helpful, so perhaps Peter Sanderson could expand on his letter with the necessary details.
Ian Scott Malaga
May 15,2008 In defence of Telefonica
Dear editor,
Having read Ray Pickin’s letter (Ringing true, 24th-30th April) explaining his problem with Telefonica for billing him for calls to a 902 number even when he was out of the country, I would like to point out some information that may help him and others with the same problem.
If you have an alarm system fitted in your house, you need to be aware that said systems regularly connect to the security company’s computer to exchange status information, settings, updates and even false alarms. These systems generally use 902 numbers.
If you call these numbers, you get a fax-like signal, as Mr. Pickin has discovered. If Mr. Pickin has such an alarm system at this house, it is quite likely that Telefonica is not to blame for charging him for calls he is not aware of making.
Jo Red Emailed letter
May 15,2008 Hitting it on the head
Dear editor,
Your food for thought column of 24-30 April disappointed me, even though it was more balanced than most European treatments of Canadian sealing. First of all, to refer to sealing as a "pastime" is nonsense. It is in fact an exceptionally dangerous way to make a living, and hundreds of sealers have been lost and frozen to death.
The reference to using a hakapik to kill seals reflects the myth that the further you are from the animal you kill, the more humane you are. Shooting seals from a few hundred metres away is less photogenic, but many shot seals are only wounded and escape into the water to die a slow and painful death. Far fewer escape the hakapik, and death is usually swift. Many farmers have discovered that the quickest and least traumatic way to kill an animal is to go up to it with a feed bucket and then slug it between the eyes with a ball peen hammer. They also know that they shouldn't do this when city folk are watching, because it looks too brutal.
Of course anti-sealing groups have flooded the media with TV coverage of bad practices, which is hardly surprising for two reasons. First of all, Newfoundlanders are tough people and some of them are brutal to animals as well as to each other. Second, even the most humane scheme for killing often goes awry. The United States has invested a vast amount of research into how to carry out humane executions, with expensive equipment operated by teams of trained specialists, and yet a significant fraction of executions lead to protracted suffering.
I don't deny that for most people the sight of seal pups being killed is a "disgusting spectacle".
Is there any form of animal killing that is not a disgusting spectacle? Isn't the common practice of electrocuting cattle by shoving an electrode up their anus somewhat disturbing? Hanging a live animal by the hindquarters on a meat hook?
Still, no matter what I write, I cannot rebut the central reason why Canadian sealing is under attack -- the little buggers are really cute.
