Thoughts from Madrid, Spain: 23.3.19

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.

                Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain

Spain

• Maybe a century late . . . Some bull-baiting news.
• Interesting to note the argument of the local council that repeatedly lancing a bull over quite some time enhanced the dignity of the animal. Asked for their comments on this, officers of the  bulls' union declined to answer. 
• It turns out that the Vox candidate cited yesterday is also homophobic. And has claimed that the 1937 bombing of Gernika, in the Basque region, was a myth crafted in England by The Times to justify the British rearmament program. Unsurprisingly, this 'historian' has been unceremoniously dumped.
• Here's the Economist on the interesting differences between the Italian and Spanish economies over the last decade or more.
• And here's Forbes on - for me - the surprising level of child poverty here.
• In lighter mode . . .  How to make a classic tortilla de patatas.

Madrid

• The wolves are back in town.
• Even better news.  But can anyone explain the little box in the top left corner of this diagram?:-

Does it mean that 2 road stretches technically in the Centre are not included in the scheme? Likewise the bottom left.

• I've found a site as bad as Renfe's . . . That of Madrid's bus operator, EMT. I just can't get their journey planner to work.
• Right on cue, here's a bit from Renfe's page offering train trips and tickets to Madrid's equivalent of Alton Towers . . . He enjoys the best "OFFER" your friends and family travelling by train. The children he pays entry to the park from 1m of height. After finishing the process of purchase, it stamps the tickets of train to accede to the same one and the bond of the visit to show it in the point of indicated meeting. So, now you know.

Brexit, the UK and the EU.

• It seems that the EU leaders were as unimpressed as everyone else in Mrs May's forte - pleading/begging for something without explaining why she should be given it. So, with all the royal cards in their hands, decided to bring things to a rapid end. Maybe.
• Richard North's opening para today: It's like all the bits have been thrown up in the air and allowed to land at random. Whatever coherence there was – and it was very slight – has completely evaporated and there is no sense whatsoever to be gained from the situation as it currently stands.

The EU

• A Greek view: The majority of Greeks found the 2016 referendum enormously satisfying. Many felt that Britain had dealt the EU the well-deserved punch on the nose that Greece was incapable of delivering.  . .  The Eurozone crisis transformed the EU from a consensual confederation of equals to a two-tier theater. A German-led bloc of surplus countries dictating fiscal policy to Europe’s south.

The UK

• Having kicked the can many times, Mrs May looks like she's going to have to carry it . . . Senior figures in No 10 confirmed that discussions on a timetable for the prime minister to stand down were under way. A Downing Street source said that even her closest allies believed it was inevitable she would have to resign. What good this would do is anyone's guess.

The USA

1. The USA has a population of c. 327m. Of these, 154m(47%) are Evangelical Christian (85m 26%) or Catholic (69m 21%). Perhaps this explains these hard-to-credit views of Fart:-
- Honest and trustworthy: 111m
- Capable of managing the country effectively: 137m
- Capable of uniting the country, not dividing it: 106m.
Can they be serious!?
2. The view of an ex  senior aide to Obama: Despite the fact that Trump is a largely incompetent clown, Democrats should not be overly confident or sanguine that they can beat him. He is a slight favorite to win. But he barely won last time and it took a Black Swan series of events to make that happen. All Democrats have to do is flip 100,000 or so votes in three states to win and that’s a very doable thing.
3. The USA is clearly far more religious than the majority of (all?) developed countries but things are changing. See here for some stats.

The World

• Tolerance: it’s surely one of those values no one can condemn, like motherhood and freedom. In reality, however, tolerance is radical and difficult, especially when social norms and demographics are changing rapidly.

Nutters Corner

• Uri Geller has threatened to telepathically stop Brexit if Theresa May refuses to do so.
• An insane 'prophet'. For insane believers.

Spanish

• Word of the Day: Azotea

Finally . . .

• I'm thinking of getting a small group together for a camino of 7-10 days in April or May. Anyone interested should write to me at doncolin@gmail.com