Dawn

Dawn

Friday, October 24, 2014

Spain's courts; Driving offences; Sparring partners; Bad bugs; More whores; & Dismaying sex.

Well, we all knew Spain's justice system was unfit for purpose but who predicted that the country's top judge would not only state this publicly but also admit it was fit only for dealing with chicken thieves and not politicians (apparently all of them) and businessmen who commit complex crimes that Spain's investigational system is ill-equipped to handle. To rub it in, the judge stressed what we all know - There can't be a true democracy without a fully functioning judicial system. It's either that, an effective dictatorship of the rich or a revolution. The odds on the latter may have just lengthened a tiny bit. The government, of course, will now make nice noises, before retiring the judge. It's hard to imagine them tackling the massive task of changing the investigational system to an accusatorial one. Especially if they lose the power to influence judicial decisions and to grant pardons at will. So maybe we'll have a revolution after all.

Spanish law imposes fines for driving offences which 'border the surreal'. I've mentioned the one for turning your head more than 45 degrees. Another is hanging a tiny catapult ('Chinese thrower' - tirachinos - by the way) or a rosary from the rear-view mirror. I'd cite others but the Diario de Pontevedra article appears to have disappeared from the net.

Talking of Ponters . . . The Local tells us Pontevedra Province (Cap. Pontevedra City) is, like Bath, promoting its Roman spas. Which is a good idea. Ironically, though, their foto is of the thermal pool in a very un-Roman modern (and illegal) hotel. Which may or may not be there next summer.

Did you know that in 1499, many feared the world would end the following year. In the event, the 1500 Bug was as effective as the Millennial Bug of 2000. Obviously.

Yet another of those nice Spanish verbal distinctions:-
Un ramero - A young hawk hopping from branch to branch.
Una ramera - A whore.

Finally . . . I've been here 14 years and, until yesterday, I was the only person who didn't know that the society beauty Isabel Preysler was famous not only for her 3 husbands but also for falling unconscious after orgasm. Someone - not me - has suggested this makes her a perfect horizontal partner. No post-coital chat.



PS: Beware of Wazzaroo on Facebook. It seems that, if you open one of their videos sent by a friend and accept their conditions, they'll send all sorts of videos over your name to your FB friends without your knowledge. And they'll end up wondering about your tastes. And possibly avoiding you. Here's one Spanish complaint about this.

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