An editorial in today’s right-of-centre El Mundo attacked the government’s decision to imprison the two policemen who leaked ‘secret information’ to it about the illegal sale of explosives. Understandably, they referred to this as a ‘regression from democracy”. The left-of-centre El Pais, on the other hand, published an editorial which suggested the key issue was the pathetic attempts of its competitor to discredit the government’s enquiry into the Madrid bombings of March 2004.

Given the constant media attention, it’s not surprising 59% of Spaniards think their government’s attempts to fight corruption are, at the very least, ineffective. Indeed, 10% of the population thinks the government actually promotes it. But, then, this is a nation of conspiracy thinkers. On the other hand, 18% are said to believe the government’s efforts are ‘very effective’. But I wonder if most of these are civil servants.

Munching my daily fibre intake this morning, I had the opportunity to witness a classic bit of what the Spanish call ‘tellyrubbish’. One of the queens of daytime TV introduced a ‘debate’ about the growing tension between celebrities and journalists. Flanked by 14 of these facing the cameras in a semi-circle, she solemnly pronounced each participant would have just one minute to present his/her views. There immediately followed a short but fierce argument, at the end of which the hostess announced 5 minutes of adverts. Compelling viewing. At least for those with the IQ of a slug. I didn’t wait for the inevitable bun fight once the attempts at discipline went up in smoke.

I see water has been discovered on Mars. Probably a run-off from Galicia.

Galicia Facts

Our local Pontevedra football team is under offer from a group of Galician émigrés who ‘have business interests in Mexico’. I wonder if these are the same people I recently cited as the Galicians who made a fortune in the prostitution trade there. If so, it’s a few steps down from being bought by a Sheikh from Dubai. Or even a Russian ‘industrialist’.

More and more brown bears are appearing in Galicia’s forests. These, it seems, have strayed from Asturias, possibly looking for a place to swim.


NOTICE: I’ve compiled my blog for 2003-4 into a compendium under various obvious headings. Anyone who’d like a [free] copy should write to me at colindavies@terra.es, putting Compendium as the subject.