For some time now, daytime TV in both the UK and Spain has been full of ads saying, in effect, “It doesn’t matter how poor, indebted or untrustworthy you are, we’re willing to throw money at you.” And it seems much the same has been going on in the USA. So, can anyone really be surprised that thousands [millions?] are now defaulting on their debts and causing a global financial crisis? Well, yes. Apparently the world’s experts didn’t see this coming. Or not just yet at least. Some experts.

Talking about finance, the president of the European Central Bank - a Frenchman - is reported to have warned that the new European Union Treaty will erode his institution's independence, in line with France’s objective of controlling the EU economy for its own benefit. Plus ça change . . .

The right-of-centre El Mundo is in no doubt as to who’s responsible for Catalan’s dreadful infrastructure problems. It points the finger directly at the women who heads up the Ministry of Development and says, in effect, hers was the worst appointment since Caligula made his horse a senator. It claims she should have been sacked in a recent re-shuffle and demands her instant departure. So, as El Mundo is the mouthpiece of the Opposition, I guess she’s safe for a while.

It’s sobering to re-read my own blog late in the day and see the howlers missed by my early-morning editing. In this week alone, I’ve written flaunt instead of flout; gentile instead of genteel; and soles instead of souls. I dread to think of those I’ve missed. I blame it all on confusion arising from my attempts to learn both Spanish and Gallego at the same time. And on global warming, of course. For which I first wrote ‘of curse’.

When talking of names yesterday, I forgot to say that one reason for my preferring David when I’m asked to give a name is that the usual Spanish pronunciation of Colin is Coleen. And I prefer not to see myself as an Irish female. By the way, the usual reason for giving your name is when you leave something for repair and they say they’ll need it for when they call you. But they never do. So it hardly matters what I call myself.

Hits to my blog have been gratifyingly high lately but yesterday’s were in the stratosphere. I mention this only because many of these have come from people searching ‘racism’. I’m left wondering whether there’s just one person reading the posts over and over again; or whether some teacher has directed his/her students there; or – worst case – whether I’m being checked out by the thought police. Just because I’m paranoiac doesn’t mean no one is following me. Of curse.

Quote of the Week

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. Carl Jung

But what did he know?