If I were to ask you who
was the first mariner to navigate the globe, you'd probably say the
Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan. Or Fernão de Magalhãesas as he's
properly known. But this is wrong, as Ferdinand was in fact wounded
in the Philippines and never made it back home. The trip to the Spice
Islands and back was completed - just about - by one of his sailors,
a Spaniard called Juan Sebastián Elcano - a chap who'd ironically
spent 5 months in chains for taking part in a mutiny against Magellan
earlier in the voyage. Understandably, this is well-known in Spain, but not elsewhere. So spread the news.
The Sunday Times says that the number
1 book of the last 40 years has been Stephen Hawking's Brief
History of Time. This is a huge irony as it must also rank as the
least read book on the planet. I think I got to page 17 before giving
up. But perhaps I should try again.
I mentioned there are no
beggars in Hoylake. Another thing you won't find there but which is
thick on the ground in Pontevedra is a shop selling e-cigarettes. I
wonder why that is. Then again, there are no charity shops in Pontevedra against several in Hoylake. As there are in Headingley, where I
am today. It's a rum world.
It's good to see that the small
Spanish village of Castrillo Matajudios - Castrillo Kill the Jews -
is finally getting round to voting on whether to return to its
original name of Castrillo Motajudios - Castrillo the Hill of the
Jews. Mind you, we don't know the outcome of the referendum yet.
Which reminds me . . . . After another stranger
added me to their circle on Google Plus, I decided to see how easy it
is to add myself to the circles of the high and mighty. For this I
chose the Pope and quickly found myself watching a video from some
nutter who 'proved' that the Israelis had bought and stored last
November a twin of the Malaysian jet which may or may not
lie deep in the ocean west of Australia. I think we're supposed to
conclude the the Jews are behind the mystery of its disappearance,
though no motive was proffered.
Finally . . . I've mentioned a couple of times
that I'm contemplating starting a religion, after reading Scientology's L Ron
Hubbard's comment that it's the quickest way to make yourself a
millionaire. I've now edged closer to this challenge after reading
the obit of one Harold Camping, who's reported to have made a fortune
from claiming that his interpretations of the Bible had uncovered the
true date of the end of the world. In truth, I doubt he even got it
right even for himself.
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