Spain &
Cataluña: What next, after the utterly inconclusive elections of
last week-end? Well . . . The [bizarre] separatist alliance will now enter into tough
negotiations to form an accord with the Left-wing CUP, a citizens'
group that does not want President Mas to lead the separatist movement. "We
are going to appoint someone who has nothing to do with spending
cuts, privatisations and corruption," said CUP's number two
candidate Anna Gabriel Sabate. So, times that are not just interesting
but fascinating. From a distance.
Syria:
You have to laugh. The Russian defence - on RT TV - to the allegation
that they're bombing not just ISIS but also forces rebelling against
Assad is to show pictures of the respective forces side by side and
to imply: "They all look the same to us". Nowt to do with
us, mate.
The EU:
This Wolf Street article contains charts which are: A
demonstration that the euro doesn’t work for so many diverse
economies and political environments and that 'Vulnerable
countries' would have been better off sticking to their
banana-republic francs, liras, pesos, etc., and that devaluations and
defaults by individual countries would have been better overall than
the current international taxpayer-funded bailout and 'austerity”
circus'. No one can say this wasn't predicted before the (totally political) decision was taken to introduce the euro in 2002.
The EU & The UK: For the first time for as long as anyone can
recall, there are more folk in the UK in favour of a Brexit than
against it. This surely reflects the recent economic and social
failures of the EU and the growing realisation that, firstly, Cameron
is never going to get major treaty changes favouring Britain, and,
secondly, that it's virtually certain that France will achieve its
aim of getting the UK relegated to Associate Status. So, the
negatives of membership without a real voice. Then, of course,
there's the obviousness of what some of us have always seen as the
naked truth, viz. that the EU never will be - because it never could be - a
democratic institution. But what a challenge it's going to be to get
shut of all those technocrats and bureaucrats who've lived high on
the hog for so long. Oil those tumbril wheels, mes frères!
How Thing Happen in Spain: Update.
1. My mobile phone: Well, the gods were with me and the SIM
card was installed midday yesterday. Mind you, I then had to wait 18
hours for it to start working. I didn't bother to ask why. Maybe this
happens in other countries as well. My thanks to reader Sierra for
advising me, just a tad too late, that Europa Network will rapidly complete an
application process - for mobile phone, ADSL, wi-fi and UK TV - in
English, over the phone and with almost nil paperwork. Great to know!
2. Telefónica: After I told them on Wednesday I'd be
cancelling my wi-fi contract, I got a text message yesterday saying
they were about to a install fibre network in my building. Even if
I'd been dumb enough to be tempted by this ploy, it was too late. I'd
signed the contract on Tuesday evening. Just one of those extraordinary coincidences, I suppose.
Finally . . . Update to the Update: I'm able to use whatsapp on my new phone now but my messages show my UK number. I've tried all sorts of things to stop this but I'll be going back to the shop again this morning. As predicted.
Finally . . . Update to the Update: I'm able to use whatsapp on my new phone now but my messages show my UK number. I've tried all sorts of things to stop this but I'll be going back to the shop again this morning. As predicted.
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