Dawn

Dawn

Thursday, June 01, 2017

Thoughts from Galicia: 1.6.17

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain. 

I'm gaining in admiration for the Spanish judicial system. Its latest (shock) pronouncement is that President Rajoy can't just 'appear' at the country's biggest - as of this week - corruption trial via video but must attend in person. Which should be fun, as he usually refuses to say a word about the corruption endemic to his PP party. Here's El País, in English, on this.

On the other hand . . .  It's reported that Spain's already overloaded and painfully slow court system will be driven to collapse as a consequence of the supreme court decision that mortgagors can sue banks for the return of moneys illegally taken from them under the latter's 'floor rate' clause.

HT to Lenox of Business Over Tapas for citation of this article on foreign property-purchasing patterns last year. Despite Brexit, Brits are still significant but what jumps out is the fact that Americans represented 36% of buyers in Cantabria, just a whisker behind the French at 37%. Of course, we could be talking about only a handful of houses. Or maybe just one by each nationality.

Ever wanted a brief intro into Western philosophy? If so, this is for you. At the other extreme, here's the first of 78 videos of a book I'm currently reading. Or re-reading in the case of the chapters on the rise of Christianity, starting here.

I have a phony Facebook page - Dross Bin - which I use merely to publish my posts and to read the posts of my friends. I do my best to give FB no information about me. But, of course, this doesn't stop them suggesting friends and groups I might like to join. God knows how their algorithm works, for these are some of the latter from the last few hours:-
  • New Malden neighbourhood
  • Walden, Worsley and Winton buy, sell and swap
  • Shooting Ireland
  • National Union of Journalists
  • Stranded at an airport, Tango meet-up
  • New Irish art
  • Friends of Merlin woods
  • Excedel Religious Studies
  • Photography Ireland
  • Zero waste minimalist - possibly the best yet.
I think I can detect the consequence of having an Irish friend who's a photographer. And a daughter who lives in Manchester.

So, today is the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Heart Clubs Band. Is it worth the hype? I think so, being able to remember the excitement of the first listening, but you might not. See here for a sort debate on the issue.

Anyone know what cofeve means? I''m assuming coverage.

Finally . . . I sometimes wonder how anyone of my generation can still be alive. Given that the manufacturers of toilet cleaners have improved their products every single year since I was a kid, surely we should have all died off when young because of the uselessness of their initial offerings.

Today's cartoon:-

Spain??

"Two o'clock of a Sunday afternoon and all's well"

'What can you expect when the Government controls the mass media?'


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