Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
- Christopher Howse: 'A Pilgrim in Spain'*
Covid
Excellent news: The Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine may stop asymptomatic infection, in a crucial sign that it could provide herd immunity. The team behind the drug today became the first to provide preliminary evidence that theirs did more than just stop illness.
Living La Vida Loca in Galicia/Spain
Passing 2 popular tapas bars in a narrow old quarter street at midday yesterday, I gained the impression not all places are obeying the current regulations re both the (external) table occupancy of 50% and distancing of 2m. With impunity, it seems. Odd. And it doesn’t bode well for January.
A HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for these 2 items:-
Forbes says the 25 most influential people in Spain of 2020 are all women. See here and here. I actually recognise some of them.
VozPópuli says that : A six million euro radar-system to detect boats off the Canary Islands has been languishing in a warehouse for 5 years. Ongoing bureaucratic problems in the purchase of a plot of land so far have prohibited the activation of surveillance from the north of Lanzarote, the area closest to the coast of Morocco, a crossing which is used by the mafias to reach other islands in the archipelago.
Here’s some of the results from research among 15-64 year olds in 23 OECD countries, averages of course:-
Paid Work; UK 3h55m Spain 2h56m
Sleep: UK 8h28 Spain 8h36
Housework UK 1h35 Spain 1h29 [Hmm. Spaniards think British houses are dirty . .]
Shopping: Uk 2h13 Spain 2h21
Personal care: UK 58m Spain 51m
Eating & Drinking: UK 1h19 Spain 2h06
TV & radio: UK 2h13 Spain 2h09
Seeing friends: UK 47m Spain 51m
Other leisure UK 2h05 Spain 2h16
Total Leisure: UK 3h25 Spain 3h36
Paid work: Most: China 3h35 Least: Italy 2h29 (just below France and Spain)
You can see the article and all the data here. Just 2 paras here:
- The first thing that jumps out from this chart is that there are many similarities across countries.
- Cultural differences are likely to play a role. The French seem to spend much more time eating than the British – and in this respect the data actually goes in line with stereotypes about food culture. People in France, Greece, Italy and Spain report spending more time eating than people in most other European countries. The country where people spend the least time eating and drinking is the USA (63 minutes
The USA
A real estate agency is appealing to the president's fans to buy Donald Trump's childhood home in New York for $3 million and offer it to Mr Trump as a gift. Who'd be surprised if they did? Quite normal for a cult. Along with the best private jets. Prosperity theology.
The Way of the World
A senator has presented a bill to Argentina’s National Congress to put the face of Diego Maradona on the country’s $1000 peso banknote. The other side would feature the 2nd goal he scored against England in the 1986 World Cup, dubbed the ‘goal of the century.’ And why not, if it makes the Argentineans - a not-very-lucky group of people - feel good about themselves?
Finally . . .
My latest passport foto - the 10th - was unacceptable to the computer, as having insufficient kilobytes. This turned out to be because is it was sent to me from my friend's camera via WhatsApp, which automatically reduces them. The original foto - my 11th - has now been submitted and I await the verdict on it of a human.
Amusing aphorisms No 10: If you're sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, "Did you bring the money?"
* A terrible book, by the way. Don't be tempted to buy it, unless you're a very religious Protestant.
4 comments:
The other day to issued a link to an anti vaxxer song
You know that not everyone who does not want to be a tester for any Covid vaccine is an anti vaxxer. There are issues which make a lot a little wary of the drug.
There has been so little testing time. After yesterdays big news it is said a British doctor on TV said that the vaccine will not stop any person catching the covid. He also said that it will not stop them spreading it. The only certain thing is it will reduce the severity of Covid. Today the next announcement is if you have allergies/ health issues this vaccine should not be taken.
Why are we only being told this now? It was meant to be the route back to normality.
Another thing to add to the miss information. The ONS revised figure for daily cases in mid-October to show Covid was not spiraling as quickly as feared. Had they used the correct data then the Uk will not be under a second lock down. Makes one wonder who we can trust these days.
Not all Uk cities never had cathedrals. That is an urban myth. Bath has not got a cathedral just like Cambridge.
It is disappointing to read you linking to the awful news called euroweekly. It was this site that sparked off controversy by posting fake news that Spain will be under the same very strict regulations as March after summer holidays. The Spanish government had to get involved.
You know that not everyone who does not want to be a tester for any Covid vaccine is an anti vaxxer.
True, but I think the song was aimed at those who are against all vaccinations, including measles.
it is said a British doctor on TV said that the vaccine will not stop any person catching the covid.
I haven't heard this.
He also said that it will not stop them spreading it. The only certain thing is it will reduce the severity of Covid.
Ditto. Or killing them, perhaps.
Today the next announcement is if you have allergies/ health issues this vaccine should not be taken.
I have heard this.
It's always a balance when approving drugs. There are normally at least 5 trial phases, I think 2 of them after launch. Some serious adverse reactions don't appear for years, via doctors reporting (Yellow Peril notes, I think), after which the product is removed from the market or restricted in its prescribing. All medicines are 'poisons that cure'. Aspirin wouldn't be approved these days because of ulcer problems.
Yes, the vaccine approvals have been speedy but in the context off the deaths to date and those to come, it's certainly arguable that this is justifiable. As it would be for say, a drug which cured all cancers in a few days, or even months.
Not all Uk cities never had cathedrals. That is an urban myth. Bath has not got a cathedral just like Cambridge.
So neither a place with a cathedral nor a large town (eg St David's). So what is the definition? 'A city is a place people call a city. Usually but not always a large town'.
Here's Wiki's definition: "A city is a large human settlement. It can be defined as a permanent and densely settled place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work primarily on non-agricultural tasks. Cities generally have extensive systems for housing, transportation, sanitation, utilities, land use, and communication."
It is disappointing to read you linking to the awful news called euroweekly.
It came up my news feed for the first time ever. I am aware of its reputation but couldn't find the same news anywhere else, so decided to link to it.
You chose to write anti vaxxer.
I understand that the term is centuries old. The issue now is it is now being used, in these times, used against those that have chosen not to take this one vaccine. It is typical of the social media peer pressure.
Wonder why you should choose to use it now, rather than any other time in the history of you life in a rainy Galicia?
I still do not understand why you gave a link to that news site. It was the only one who wrote about the lock down and this is the only one on this subject. Maybe that should inform you of something?
What is news is is that the Brits maybe be stopped from traveling to Europe as they will be out of the EU finally and thus have the same covid restriction placed upon them as the USA etc.
I understand that the term is centuries old.
If so, Google Ngram is unaware of it.
Wonder why you should choose to use it now, rather than any other time in the history of you life in a rainy Galicia?
What exactly is your point?
I still do not understand why you gave a link to that news site?
I think you already said this
What is news is is that the Brits maybe be stopped from traveling to Europe as they will be out of the EU finally
Agreed but my blog is not a newspaper or bulletin like Business Over Tapas. It is selective. I imagine every Brit knows that already, given the coverage in the media here and in the uk.
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