Awake,for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight.

And, lo, has caught the sultan’s turret in a noose of light!

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

Cosas de España/

In a move which would not bode well for an independent Scotland seeking EU membership, Spain has decided to accept Kosovan passports without actually recognising Kosovo. Must have asked Solomon for advice on that.

HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for this comment on ‘institutional advertising’. This is heavy public spending in the media which supports the governing body. In Madrid, much of this bonanza goes to 4 far-right news services: OKDiario, Periodista Digital, El Mundo and El Español. The (relatively) left-wing El País claims that: ‘Within this Madrid media bubble it is simply impossible to understand why Pedro Sánchez and his henchmen are not already in jail. Not only the traditional right-wing media contributes to imposing this framework, but above all a gigantic army of digital media that has been created in different waves aligned—and fed—by the great power base of the PP party.’ Lenox explains that: As far as the ordinary reader is concerned – ‘institutional advertising’ is the full page one will find, more or less every day, in one’s newspaper of choice: Eat More Andalusian Oranges or Drive Safely over Christmas or Don’t Waste Water. All fair campaigns but used to help finance the media whose prime function [in theory] is to be independent from the authorities.

The UK

Interesting/surprising . . . UK manufacturers are looking to an era of growth. Their industry body – Make UK – says the sector could account for 15% of Britain’s GDP. I blame Brexit.

Despite it being mid-winter, there are quite a few men – and the occasional woman – walking around in shorts. Bravado? Fashion? Nonchalance? Stupidity?

Ireland

Some (alleged) proverbs from The Emerald Isle.

Iran

You might have seen that, back beyond the Middle Ages, a Tehran woman – in line with Sharia law – has been lashed 74 times for violating public morals and encouraging permissiveness by not covering her hair when leaving her house in Tehran. It’s easy to predict that the mullahs and their mates will be slaughtered one day, though no one know quite when.

AI

Three search engines I find better than Google, usually checking with each of them:-
Bing
Chat GBT
Perplexity

As I’ve said, they’re not always accurate and, in their attempts to be ‘human’, they can be prolix and repetitive.

The Way of the World

My sister and her daughter put coats on dogs which have thick coats. As I regard this as truly daft, I AI-researched when this began. Apparently in Egypt. But: The trend of making dog coats gained popularity over recent centuries, especially in the 19th. The idea of pets as companions led to more attention to their comfort and well-being, including the use of clothing for aesthetic and functional purposes. Today, dog clothing serves various purposes, such as protection from the elements, fashion statements, or even to aid in the healing process after surgery or injuries. In other words, it all started earlier than I’d suspected. And the Victorians were dafter than I’d ever thought.

Did you know? . . .

How appalling People of the Book can be, depends, I guess, on which book they’re complying with. In descending order:-

• Muslims
• Christians
• Jews

Ironically/tellingly, the oldest book is the least violent towards its adherents. And, of course, towards its apostates.

Finally . . .

A good read . . . David Baddiel’s ‘Jews don’t Count’ is for people who see themselves as on the right side of history. People fighting the good fight against homophobia, ableism, transphobia and particularly racism. People, maybe, like you. It is Baddiel’s contention that one racism has been left out of this fight. In this unique combination of polemic, personal experience and jokes, he argues that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of antisemitism. He outlines how and why, in a time of intensely heightened awareness of minorities, Jews don’t count as a real minority; and why they should.

So . . . Do you regard Jews as an ethnic minority? What does your answer tell you about your underlying attitude towards Jews?

BTW 1: In the UK, Jews are an ‘ethnic and religious minority’ under the Race Relations Act. But they are not regarded by the state as an ‘ethnic minority’ for the purpose of census. Which seems a tad inconsistent.

BTW 2: Perplexity: While the government does not recognize Jews as an ethnic minority for census purposes, the topic remains a matter of ongoing discussion and controversy. I bet!

The Usual Links . . .

For new readers:– If you’ve landed here looking for info on Galicia or Pontevedra, try here. If you’re passing through Pontevedra on the Camino, you’ll find a guide to the city there – updated a bit in early July 2023.

For those thinking of moving to Spain:- This is an extremely comprehensive and accurate guide to the challenge, written by a Brit who lives in both the North and the South and who’s very involved in helping Camino walkers.