The infrastructure has collapsed. Recently surfaced roads are breaking up due to heavy construction traffic. The road system is totally inadequate for the scale of urbanization that’s taking place. The local reservoir is empty. The lawyer Rodriguez Zapatero, who is also the prime minister of Spain, reversed a proposal by the previous administration to supply water to southern provinces from the river Ebro. Instead, the government plans to build a string of desalination plants along the coastline, the first of which will come on line at the end of next year, believe it or not!  When it rains we have power cuts and during the summer there’s hardly sufficient electric current to run a couple of light bulbs. The carefully crafted Urban Plan for Mojacar prepared by the Junta de Andalucia, defines zoning and the types of buildings, both residential and commercial, that are allowed under the plan. Unfortunately nobody’s paying any attention to the urban plan; the uncontrolled construction of apartments is now a permanent blight on what used to be a pristine landscape.
Greenpeace, the environmental group, has voiced alarm at the out of control development along the coastline of Andalucia, citing nine municipalities who have given over 90% of their land for urbanization. The environmental group says that 12 urbanizations, five of them in Almeria, have been built on zones that are known to flood. Old timers will recall that in 1973, over three hundred people drowned in the town of Puerto Lumbreras because their homes were built in a rambla, (dried-up river bed). The Condor Ecologist Group says the municipality of Vera is systematically destroying a protected natural environment by allowing the construction of tens of thousands of apartments. The mayor of Vera is proudly boasting that Vera’s population will swell from 12,000 to over 200,000 in less than ten years! Another ecological group in Almeria, Accion-Almeria, issued a damming criticism of uncontrolled development in Cabo de Cata that is a protected nature reserve and labeled this rape of the landscape, “the agony of the Levante Almeriense.” 
The environment minister, the delicious Christina Narbona, is reported to be enraged at the number of unsafe or illegal buildings being constructed along the coastline and has threatened to have them demolished.  It will never happen; she’s playing politics and pandering to the Brussels bureaucrats who following a visit to the region issued a scathing report on unscrupulous developers who are in collusion with municipalities and council members. The EU commission has threatened to impose sanctions on Spain! Sanctions on what? The EU can’t even impose sanctions under EU laws on defaulting countries like France and Germany who are openly flaunting the EU economic stability pact, which is supposed to keep budget deficits below 3% of GDP in the euro zone countries.

Mojacar is now an urban nightmare. Everywhere you turn there are new buildings. Buildings devoid of any redeeming aesthetic value are springing up all over the place, driven by the common denominators of greed and easy money! So what is one to do? Firstly, shut up or ship out, but where to? To the next corner of enchantment of course! But where is the next corner of enchantment? Where is this village with narrow streets and architecturally stunning houses, arranged close together to encourage walking and neighbourliness. Where is this place where one can meander through a meticulously landscaped community and enjoy jogging, hiking and biking and the beauty and simplicity of nature? A place where one can enjoy swimming, water polo, tennis, golf or play bridge or chess if you prefer. A village where the centerpiece contains a market, many artists-in-residence art galleries and boutiques, a picture perfect little town where you can reach every shop, restaurant, art gallery and more by foot or bicycle. JAFO hesitates to reveal the co-ordinates of this cultural oasis and aspiring corner of enchantment. Readers who guessed Los Gallardos…  guessed wrong! 
Before the arrival of the extranjeros, for the local inhabitants, Mojacar was a place to get the hell out of, especially among the younger generation. Eastern Almeria was one of the last areas along the coast to be developed. It had been neglected and depopulated before and after the civil war. Access was difficult, property cost next to nothing. They say the light, climate, landscape and cheap wine were the magnets that attracted people, but the same was true of other regions of Spain. Like the adoption of the Indalo legend, the corner of enchantment myth was the creation of newcomers as a marketing tool for whatever services they were selling. The town aspiring to inherit the title “corner of enchantment” is Albox, but they have chosen a tough row to hoe, their new myth in the making is: LIFE IS A DREAM IN ALBOX!

The Scum Report
A judge branded former cavalry officer James Hewitt a “liar,” and refused to return his gun licenses. At the time of his arrest for cocaine possession Hewitt had drunk four bottles of wine at the Cactus Blue, a bar in Fulham, England. He told the court his heavy drinking that day was "very unusual", and that the deprivation of his gun licenses would seriously undermine his fund-raising abilities for charity. The court heard that Hewitt owned three 12-bore shotguns, one semi-automatic, and a .22 rifle with a telescopic sight, used to "shoot vermin.” Hewitt is referred to as a “love rat,” so he qualifies as vermin. Time to turn a gun on yourself James!
Christmas in Colorado
The Parade of Lights is a traditional annual Christian themed event that takes place in Denver, Colorado, where we are spending the holiday season with our family. This year the Parade of Lights is plagued with problems. The parade includes groups considered to represent ethnic diversity, like the Two Spirit Society which honours gay and lesbian American Indian holy people. There is a German folk dance group and performers of the Lion Dance that is a Chinese New Year tradition meant to chase away evil spirits and bring good luck and fortune for the coming year. Denver area pastor George Morrison is puzzled why Christians are barred from participating in the parade. The parade features elaborate floats with holiday symbols such as Santa Claus and gingerbread houses but does not allow direct religious themes like Merry Christmas signs and the singing or playing of traditional Christmas hymns. The organizers want to avoid a specific religious message out of respect for other religions in the region. The Christians plan to walk the route an hour before, singing hymns and offering hot chocolate!

After Words
At this time in history, I tried to share the light upon the greatness and infinite oneness of humanity, the universe, and the vast beyond. Within the lightness of this oneness, the supreme allows us to soar into the transcendental glories of divine consciousness endowed with joy and love. Alice Coltrane.
JAFO sends his best wishes for the holiday season!