Ponters Pensés 9.4.16

Spanish (non)Government: It seem that the newish, arrogant-ish, very-leftish Podemos party is determined to kaibosh attempts at a tripartite coalition - possibly in the (misplaced?)belief they'll gain from new elections in June. This won't happen, of course, if the leftish PSOE party throws in the towel and ties up with the right-wing PP party to form Una Gran Coalición. Exciting times. Not.

Spain's 'Gag Law': Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas reports that this has been annulled. Against this, it's reported here that someone has been done under it or taking fotos of cops on duty. So, I'm a tad confused on this.

Spanish Tid-Bits:

• British residents in the South have been warned that the local Cadastre/Catastro offices are using drones to come up with increased property values for annual municipal taxes. Needless to say, some of these are very wrong. But not in the right direction.
• A song which is annoying Balearic politicians: I Took a Pill in Ibiza.
• Odd requests to British consuls.
• Amazon Spain: Have they contacted me to explain why they invoiced me 3 weeks ago for a "free" eBook? What do you think?

Driving in Spain:

• Roundabouts/Circles: Approach these with care. If the car in front of you as you approach one signals right, this only means I'm going to exit at some point, possibly straight ahead. If the car signals left, this means exactly the same thing. So, it's a free-for-all and the only thing you really have to remember – other than to be ultra-careful – is that you'll be liable if you hit any car on your right (left in the UK), even if it's cutting across your path as you (try to) exit. Suffice to know that an article in a local paper yesterday gave advice contrary to that I got from a Guardia Civil officer 3 weeks ago. Specifically in respect of a U-turn. The article insisted you should be in the outside lane, if you're doing this. Creating maximum opportunity for you to be hit by someone in the inner lane trying to exit. I guess it makes sense etc..
• Zebra crossings: it's funny but I've noticed that virtually every driver who nearly hits me on one of these is female. But I draw no conclusions from this observation, of course. Maybe they all know me.

Kids: My elder daughter, Faye, arrived Thursday night and it took her all of 5 seconds to start criticising me. Over a pullover I inherited from my father. Which is now in the bin. Worse, she is now a close friend of my Ponters friend, Elena, and they seem to think it's hilarious to mock me. As this also happens whenever both my daughters get together, there are now several more combinations possible for this reprehensible behaviour. Sharper than a dragon's teeth, as I regularly say. Though Shakespeare beat me to it.

Facebook: Their ability to irritate me knows no bounds. Yesterday I clicked on a suggested friend I thought I knew. Turned out to be someone in France with a Spanish name. Next thing, everything on my FB page was in bloody French and I had to change my language preference. But this is just one of  several gnat bites from last week. God help you if you accept a friend request; you'll then get all his/her friends thrown at you. So, no more of that.

Finally . . . Sounds of the 60s: This is a BBC2 radio program which, rather religiously, I try to listen to every Saturday morning. Even if it was all before my time. Anyway, going to the web page this morning, I saw they now give you a second chance to hear the selections of the previous week. Click here, if you're a fellow aficionado/a.

And now, with HTs to Jennie, Omar Khayam and, especially, Edward FitzGerald . . . Tributes to: 

The Grape that can with Logic absolute 
The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute: 
The subtle Alchemist that in a Trice 
Life's leaden Metal into Gold transmute.