British TV disappeared off
the screens of most expats in Spain in the early hours of Wednesday
morning. This is because they live in the South and the new satellite
from which the programs are beamed doesn't reach them. But it does
reach Madrid and, more importantly, Galicia. So, I'm not deprived of
my late-night viewing of Family Guy and American Dad. And can still
go on recording brilliant Frasier episodes.
Still
having Brit TV, I can keep up-to-date with the flooding down in Somerset.
Yet, despite the extensive coverage of these, there seems to be
little understanding of why they're happening. And this is not simply
because water is falling ceaselessly from the skies; it's because the
rivers haven't been dredged properly for a long time. Why? Well, this
seems to be because the UK authorities are fulfilling (and probably
gold-plating) EU green Directives which favour the wildlife over
human habitation on flood planes. Or anywhere that could become a
flood plain if only enough water reached it. Even if houses are standing on it.
Here's a site which gives information about the rain (and its intensity) in your area. I think
a kind reader sent me this. It would be even more useful if it made
some sort of prediction but I guess you have to do this yourself,
based on how the rain's been moving in the previous hour. Enjoy.
Anyone who's read anything about the origins of
English knows that a huge debt is owed to that part of modern Holland
called Frisia. Where the language spoken today is incomprehensible to modern Dutch speakers. West Frisian, they say, is the closest living
language to Old English. And Old Frisian bore a 'striking similarity'
to the latter. But, anyway, analysis shows that today's English folk are almost genetically indistinguishable from modern
Frisians. The theory is that 10-15,000 of the latter moved to and
settled in Britain and - being wealthier and healthier - outbred the
2m English living there. Stories of the Celts all fleeing Westward
are, therefore, untrue.
Spain's judicial system gets whackier and whackier. In the trial
of a prominent banker, the judge has tried twice to have him jailed and on
both occasions failed in this. And now the judge himself is being
investigated for alleged offences in respect of the trial. Dragging
it out, I think, is one of the charges. And overstepping his
authority. Echoes of that other persecuted judge, Báltasar Garzón,
who's just about the only big-wig not given a pardon for
his offences. One reason is that the papers were 'lost' for 8 or 9
months. And the other is that, when they eventually got round to
reading them, the relevant judicial tribunal decided there was no
reason to be as lenient towards him as they'd been to the many politicos
and businessmen whose cases had appeared before them. No wonder
there's a widespread belief here that the judicial system here has
been politicised. Nor that the judge himself said the
accusations are politically motivated and part of a wider pattern of
obstruction of justice. As I said the other day, it's a young democracy, in which the Executive has yet to recognise the doctrine of separation of powers. And the people have not yet decided to revolt about this. Just to moan about it.
Finally . . .
The
Environment
January: 31 days. On which it rained: 30 - 97%
February: 7 days. On which it has rained: 7 - 100%
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