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ortega
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Happy to hear from (and see) you gain! Best wishes from sunny Spain, where the cow poo smell is completely different.
We have arisen, Phoenix like, from the ashes!
Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted by Alzheimer's, a Deep Vein Thrombosis, a scammer, more admin shit than you could shake a stick at, and all to be dealt with under the dead hand bureaucracy of the third Covid lockdown? Well we'll come to that, and boy is there a deluge of anti...
Congratulations!
https://youtu.be/480Jet6aonc
Yes, it's true, today I am 80!
Presumably, at some time I must have let the cat out of the bag and mentioned that today is my 80th birthday because yesterday one or two of the excellent e-pals I have acquired over the years sent their birthday greetings, for which I am very grateful. Even so, to be honest, I am not a great c...
¡Feliz Navidad!
Your 'Ho-Ho-Ho' Xmas Eve Funnies
For all those like me who can't stand all this Xmas crap, here is something to cheer you up - and, no, that is not 'JK' on his bike - behave! A multi-national company held a reception to celebrate Christmas. The waiter gave each guest a glass of champagne, but on inspection, each guest noticed...
Just read it now. Best wishes. Mucho ánimo, amigo.
Medical bulletin on the gates of Chateau Duff
"Unfortunately, the old sod isn't dead yet! He's still in Grump Mode Factor 10 not least because he has been told to drink gallons of water every day because he's dehydrated, and all alcohol is forbidden and tea and coffee are off the wish list unless they are decaffeinated!" Thank you all for ...
"That is, a man who lives in music and expresses everything, serious or not, sound or superficial, by means of music, because it is his native language. Beyond doubt Gershwin was an innovator. What he has done with rhythm, harmony and melody is not merely style. He is an artist and a composer; he expressed musical ideas, and they were new"
None other than Arnold Schömberg, after Gershwin's death.
In which I find a new hero to worship!
Yes, I must admit that I am somewhat prone to hero-worship particularly when someone writes something with which I totally agree - well, anyone who agrees with me can't be bad, can they? In this case I refer to Mr. Daniel Gelernter who writes for the excellent National Review and discloses his ...
'nobody knows anything'
A very good reason for the old, conservative, good sofrosine.
What Southgate teaches us
Whatever happens next, this has been a great World Cup for Gareth Southgate. What does this tell us? The first thing is that, as William Goldman said, nobody knows anything. When Southgate was appointed, the reaction was underwhelming. Nobody said “this guy will take us to our best World Cup per...
About the TSB mess.
https://youtu.be/sAn7baRbhx4
The Sunday Rumble: 29.4.18
Oh no, say it ain't so! Peter Oborne, writing in The Mail, issues an ominous warning to the effect that Mrs. May is unlikely to survive as PM through the Autumn and that there is a very great chance of an election before the year ends. We will be faced with the choice between the uneatable a...
Here you have Riccardo Muti explaining what a conductor does. Worth listening to if you can avoid to laugh.
In case his english sounds too demanding you'll fing some very useful spanish subtitles.
https://youtu.be/rUMBUgX60ec
So it isn't just their arms they wave about!
In a post a few days ago I asked what those chaps in full evening dress were actually doing as they stood in front of an orchestra waving their arms about? Answers came there none from you lot, at least, nothing sensible, but today I have it on very good authority - 'The Speccie', than which, e...
Finally the day has come.
https://www.ft.com/content/fbd72acc-cdfb-11e7-b781-794ce08b24dc
Hoch, hoch, oh mein Gott, wot a bloomin' lot!
You see, as I keep reminding you, when it comes to really first-class, governmental cock-ups, we British lead the way and those damned Huns follow! Thus, Mrs. May(be) calls an election and then fails to win it outright and straightaway 'Mutti' Merkel does the same thing. Now it looks as though...
Somehow feeling proud myself.
https://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/29741/london-attack-skateboard-hero-granted-uk-s-highest-ever-honour
It's a dilemna or a bugger's muddle, you choose!
I refer, of course, to the state of Her Majesty's government. I have had my doubts concerning Mrs. May since her infamous conference speech years ago in which she described her own Conservative party as "the nasty party" - yeeeeees, quite! When she assumed the leadership, and the role of Prime...
Sir,
Thank you again for caring so much for us. I guess this is quite a tyresome matter for anyone alien to it (also for the ones who have to suffer it daily).
When the Basque Country gained its settlement, the catalans were offered a similar one, and they rejected it. It seemed then more important for the nationalists to gain power than to collect taxes, something never quite popular. The basques have always been more clever.
About the backlash mentioned, it is a quite complicated story:
1. The nationalist regional government, since its cration, pretended to speak to Modrid in formal terms of equal to equal, althought the Supreme Law for all the spanish people was (and still is) the Spanish Constitution.
2. When a socialist government came to power in Catalonia, and when later the socialists also came to power in Madrid, there was the agreement to make a new Autonomy Bill for Catalonia. It was a de facto modification of the Constitution but without saying so. They were, so to speak, too clever by half.
3. Because of the bad design of our system, this Bill went to be approved in referendum by the catalan people before it came to be revised by the Supreme Constitutional Court (because it was appealed by the Partido Popular).
4. When some, very few, articles of the new Bill were annulled the rhetoric of the equal to equal negotiation became useless: it was clear that Catalonia was as much ruled by the Constitution as any other part of Spain. And then began the 'sovereignty movement' that brought us where we are today. An increasing part of the catalan population became convinced that the only way to have full autonomy was by leaving Spain. More than a backlash in power, that as a matter of fact was quite increased, it was a myth that crumbled: the catalan nation in equal terms with 'Spain' (sic).
5. The problem is that to leave Spain by a referendum is not legally possible without changing the Constitution. And the catalan nationalist party, affraid of the more radical parties to get control of the situation, choose the radical rhetoric of the opressed nation and many people, until then moderate middle class nationalists non pro independence, followed them.
And so, tomorrow a part of the population will try to vote, while the police, following the instructions of the Court of Law, will try to prevent them to do so. The situation is even more complicated since the catalan region has its own police, wich has been modelled by the nationalist regional Government. And the radical non pro independence left has also called for the vote: the worse it gets, the better it is for them. A bloody mess, as you may imagine.
Excuse such a long story. I'm not able to make it shorter.
And, finally, have in mind that, whatever happens tomorrow, this is only the beginning.
Best regards.
Muchas gracias, Ortega
I don't know why I bother with my 'Google Translate' Spanish in my title because my e-pal, Ortega, speaks and reads perfectly good English. However, in a comments thread a few posts down, he sent a link to an article which provides an excellent summary of the background to the dangerously mount...
Thank you for your interest (and for having enough patience to read such a long story).
Today anything, meaning anything, is possible. Let's hope just for the bad. I guess my solution would be very close to yours.
PS: The BBC keeps on saying that this is a conflict between the Madrid Government and the Catalan one. It's simply not true. We have also separation of powers here and if something is illegal or not it is up to the courts to decide. And also the courts are the ones sending the police to stop it.
Look out, the Christians are coming, the Christians are coming!
Let me begin with my usual apology for my dismal ignorance on yet another subject. Whilst I have always found history to be fascinating the fact is that my knowledge of it is patchy! For example, ancient history is a definite 'no-no' for me. It was either the Greeks bashing the Romans or the ...
In case you have nothing better to do (and probably even washing the dishes would be better) a quite long history of the catalan situation from an angainst secession point of view.
https://hayderecho.com/2017/09/26/the-catalan-problem-for-dummies/
Look out, the Christians are coming, the Christians are coming!
Let me begin with my usual apology for my dismal ignorance on yet another subject. Whilst I have always found history to be fascinating the fact is that my knowledge of it is patchy! For example, ancient history is a definite 'no-no' for me. It was either the Greeks bashing the Romans or the ...
Hey! I see you care for us. Thank you.
Some people here are gone mad. And they are not very clever neither. We are having to choose between the bad and the worse.
I can't help you with the translation. Does it mean: waiting for further news?
The Sunday Rumble: 24.9.17
Will 'Mutti' waltz back into power? Almost certainly, according to the 'experts' but then they said that about 'HillBilly'! The really serious question is how well, or badly, the Right-wing AfD party will do at today's election? The thought of an extreme Right-wing party gaining influence in...
Sorry to hear about your hernia. Maybe some repressed thoughts on Corbyn got in the way? Here we had Zapatero. He was less dangerous because he is totally dumb and even so he did quite a damage.
Nver mind about the operation. I had just the same when I was half your age now (yes, always ahead of my time) and it's really a very minor intervention. They did't even put me to sleep.
Suerte y al toro, as we used to say here (now it's not very PC).
The Sunday Grumble, oooops, sorry, I mean Rumble: 25.6.17
When I tell you how sorry I am to have gone on 'the missing list' without explanation for the past few days, please believe me because I really am 'really-really' sorry, er, not quite so much for you, my faithful band of regular readers, but 'really-really', in fact extra 'really' sorry for myse...
Asked (by me, actually) if the christians will disapear, the catholic french philosopher Rémi Brague (wich I recommend very vividly) smiled and said: 'Maybe, but europeans are disapearing faster'.
And the blessings of the Lord be upon, er, 'the Speccie' actually!
Yes indeed, because this week, to chime with Holy Easter, 'The Speccie' offers two opposite views on the future path for the Christian churches in these modern and increasingly irreligious times. To open the batting, as it were, they have an essay from Rod Dreher, an American journalist who was...
Thank you.
Be sure I keep coming as often as I always have (and not only for the funnies).
I was just trying to keep away from the comments section but since you seem no to mind I'll occasionally embarrass myself.
The final words on McGuinness the mass murderer
Given my weakened condition (see below) I will not attempt to write anything original, instead I will rely on quoting Ms. Jenny McCartney in this week's Spectator: [A]ccording to Liam Clarke and Kathryn Johnston’s book Martin McGuinness: From Guns To Government, ‘McGuinness personally supervised...
Family man.
https://twitter.com/Holbornlolz/status/844819031165042688
The final words on McGuinness the mass murderer
Given my weakened condition (see below) I will not attempt to write anything original, instead I will rely on quoting Ms. Jenny McCartney in this week's Spectator: [A]ccording to Liam Clarke and Kathryn Johnston’s book Martin McGuinness: From Guns To Government, ‘McGuinness personally supervised...
Like old George said, some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.
The 'Amalgamated Union of Stoopids' is alive and well and still 'stoopid'
An amusing story in The Mail today reporting that several unions are planning to co-ordinate their strike activities in the Autumn in an effort to force a general election. One is left wondering on which planet these people exist? You would expect such 'stoopidity' from the train drivers' unio...
Sturgeon and Adams seem to look very happy about it too. Desn't it worry you?
I was wrong - again - HOORAH!
Yesterday I glumly forecast that we 'Brexiteers' would lose which is what I have thought since the referendum was called. Last night I went to bed at just after 10.00pm with the pollsters saying that 'Remain' looked certain to win. I woke up about 2.00am and plugging in my radio ear-piece I he...
Best wishes!
Maybe some music will do.
https://youtu.be/SCcEQnBvydk
Apologies
Yes, indeed, apologies to you all on this joyous occasion if the cheers of a celebrating populace, the pealing of church bells and the 99-gun salute woke you early from your slumbers on this momentous occasion but it is, after all, my birthday so you will understand and will, no doubt, wish to m...
I've thought that maybe you'd like it.
http://www.openculture.com/2016/03/3900-pages-of-paul-klees-personal-notebooks-are-now-online.html
The Sunday Rumble: 6.3.16
VOTE LEAVE: Just take a few minutes to watch this short film which offers you proof of the 'bleedin' obvious', that is, that you have been lied to over and over and over again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRDsXPjg8XU Then please read 'the other lady in my life', Ms. Janet Daley, who asks, ...
I don't see what you mean. For me that's the heavy stuff. You should see me on sunday mornings.
S.O.S. - incoming Royal 'bay-bee'
'Oh, the horror, the horror', as Brando muttered in that war film years ago and which I re-iterated when I switched on Sky News to see Kay Burley, microphone in hand, and several thousand hacks all lined up opposite a maternity clinic in London to await the arrival of the latest royal 'bay-bee'....
Now you know why you must hire a spanish nanny.
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-style/news/princess-charlottes-debut-outfit-gifted-by-nanny-maria-borrallo-201575?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=elle&utm_campaign=partner&src=spr_TWITTER&spr_id=1448_178339448&linkId=14073081
S.O.S. - incoming Royal 'bay-bee'
'Oh, the horror, the horror', as Brando muttered in that war film years ago and which I re-iterated when I switched on Sky News to see Kay Burley, microphone in hand, and several thousand hacks all lined up opposite a maternity clinic in London to await the arrival of the latest royal 'bay-bee'....
Happy to oblige. I still owe you for plenty of links.
Sorry, yet more Waterloo
I am grateful to my e-pal and regular commenter, Ortega, for pointing me to this story in The Mail which somehow I missed. It concerns a diorama of the battle of Waterloo which was constructed in the early '70s before the age of cgi-effects. It shows the field at Waterloo and illustrates the f...
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