Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: 12.5.19

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

                  Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain

Spain

• A very relevant El País article on the maltreatment of Spain by Anglos.
• Here's the response of the estimable Guy Hedgecoe to the traditional Spanish over-reaction to any negative comments. Usually attributed to an (unmerited) inferiority complex.
• Madrid's reaction to the football finals at the end of the month.
• I have to admit I had a few doubts when I saw the foto of this a day or 2 ago.
• And today I am wondering what the hell this is.
• I was down in Cádiz and Jerez this time last year and am disappointed now I never saw any of this fun.
• A reminder of how Spanish bureaucracy can be. See also Finally below.
• Someone needs to tell the author of one of my cited articles that the past tense of strive is strove, not strived. The words of an elitist, of course.

The Way of the World/Social Media

• Someone's comment, after the latest 'twitter storm' in the UK leading to the sacking of a prominent, very popular BBC broadcaster: Twittter is a pit of madness inhabited by the perpetually enraged, where nuance and context don’t exist and everything you say will destroy you. Sounds about right to me. I was on Twitter once, for about 20 minutes. More than enough for any sane person.
• Would you believe?  Images depicting child abuse can easily be found on Facebook despite its vow to crack down on illicit material. An investigation by The Sunday Times and the social media analyst Storyful uncovered child pornography in “open” Facebook groups where it could be viewed by any user.

The USA

• Below is something I posted a while back. Things haven't improved. In fact, they just keep getting worse. And yet Fart is said to have a very good chance of being re-elected.
• I did also posted a list of all the adjectives from A to Z which could be ascribed to Fart but can't find it now.

Spanish

• Word of the Day: Cupiésemos. I came across this yesterday and had to think for a second or two. It's the 1st person plural of the imperfect subjunctive of the verb caber, 'to fit'. No idea why. But I can tell you the alternative is cupiéramos. No idea why there are 2 forms of the imperfect subjunctive either. And I doubt many Spaniards can tell us why.

Finally . . .

• Life in Spain 1: On Thursday evening I took a letter to the post office (Correos) and asked about their quickest delivery service to the UK. They could get my letter there for Monday, I was assured, against Wednesday for normal mail. So, I (reluctantly) paid €36 for this (courier) service and then watched as - I now realise - an incredulous-looking clerk gave the impression of going through the lengthy process on his computer for the first time. Which included seeking the forenames of my sister, as he wasn't allowed to input just the initials on the special plastic envelope. Both of which names he typed wrongly, by the way - despite one of them being Barbara, a name not unknown in Spain. So . . . Imagine my surprise to be told yesterday by my sister that she'd been advised (by FedEx) that the letter will be delivered on Wednesday. As it would  be if I'd paid less than €2.
• Life in Spain 2: I then spent at least 10 minutes on the internet and phone filling in forms and (eventually) getting past several recorded instructions before hearing the (half-expected) message that the Correos office didn't work at the weekends. All of this on a premium number, of course. Moral of this tale: You might not want to avail yourself of the Correos courier service. Possibly going straight to the FedEx office. Or that of any other commercial competitor.
• Anyway, as that I will almost certainly lose my temper when talking to the Correos office on Monday morning (assuming I get through), I will ask my neighbour Ester to talk to them. She might be hopeless at using a clock but she's brilliant at this sort of thing.

MY TRUMP SCHEDULE - REPRISED

Here's a schedule of the comments on Trump I've noted in articles over just the last few days. I might update it in due course. That said, I might not, as it's hard to believe there's anything relevant – however accurate – left to say. It's even harder to conclude: 1. that Trump isn't suffering from one or more psychological conditions; and 2. that many millions of Americans felt this guy was the solution to their undoubted problems and a real alternative to the dysfunctional US political system with which they had, rightly, become so disaffected. It can only end in tears.

Aspects of the man	What he's been responsible for	His team
Unseasoned Lashes out Has an elementary schoolkid's urge to upend the board when the game isn't going his way Predilection for asserting and clinging to untruths in the face of contrary evidence Questionable ability to absorb and act upon unwelcome information A tenuous connection to the truth Lives in a world of vanity, hate, arrogance, untruth and recklessness A demonstrably mendacious, ignorant bully Displays fury over paltry things such as the crowd numbers Makes calculations that have a propensity to boomerang No practical program beyond division America's Juan Perón A swaggering approach A rogue - a big target and thin-skinned but not easy to wound Slapdash An American strongman – a response to earlier paralysis of the political system A man of many anomalies The first real post ColdWar president Seems capable of misshaping the republic but for no greater cause than himself Harbours a deep dislike of the intelligence agencies and an ambivalent view of their output Willing to allow prisoners to be subjected to “a hell of a lot worse” than waterboarding. Cavalier Shows few signs of being very curious Doesn't seem to be much of a reader The first president to be disdainful of the intelligence agencies Has a notoriously strained relationship with the truth Indiscreet nature Known for vitriol and vulgarity A penchant for vicious attacks often very untethered from reality Wild claims Unhinged tweets Problems arise from his use of language	An endless series of self-inflicted wounds Unforced errors Has thrown sand in the gears of the constitutional machinery A continuing feud with the intelligence community erodes rapport and trust A rocky start with key allies. Losing the credibility of the office A hellscape of lies and distorted reality A raw spume of blurtings at his first press conference Both using and demonising the media Risky handling of the constitution's emoluments clause Polarisation of the electorate, divided equally but not amicably Blustering at allies Dissing the intelligence agencies is worse than stupid A despicable display of self-aggrandisement in front of the CIA's memorial wall. His remarks on torture are off the edge of the screen Destabilising the relationship between spies and the government Trump’s war has begun: it is the First Cyber War. Like all wars, its first casualty was truth. Unlike other wars, it will have no last casualty, as it is a war without end. Get used to it. Or get rid of your computer.	Wobbly Absence of key personnel Cynical populists Bannon's appointment to the Security Council is stone cold crazy

By the way, everything seems pretty spot on to me but I have close American friends who'd certainly disagree with this, seeing me as the victim of a biased, Lefty media. Though I do read papers which pass for right-of-centre, in the UK at least. But, then, many Americans think Europe is a socialist hell.