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

Here’s Lenox Napier on tourism for Spain.

Spanish politics are tribal and, at times, byzantine – reflecting the several layers of government and the existence of nationalist parties in at least 3 regions. The only chance of staying on top of them – as with corruption – is to read Lenox’s weekly Business Over Tapas. For example, in respect of the fun and games this week over the budget, involving small nationalist parties changing their mind at least twice. I think. Here’s an article from The Corner which might just be relevant.

One of the cases I find impossible to follow without Lenox’s help is that of the partner of the PP president of the Madrid region, Señora Ayuso. Says Lenox today: Called to declare in front of the Court, the judge has suspended the statement of Ayuso’s partner – between one thing and another – for the 4th time,. Another case beyond me – but not Lenox – is that of an investigation into the State Attorney General. Consider the small monthly subscription!

Spain’s data centre boom.

Cousas de Galicia

No wonder my recently repaired roof needs new repairs . . . In less than a week, we’ve had 3 severe storms – Éowyn, Herminia and Ivo. The last one saw winds of 167km an hour.

A relevant – and clever – cartoon, based on the Galician flag . . .

The UK

Britain is leading the charge in e-commerce – but at the expense of the high street.

Germany

The immigration dance – Another step to the Right. The far-right AfD party has recently made significant moves regarding immigration policy, particularly in light of the federal elections on February 23. Today, the German parliament passed a motion to restrict migration, which was supported by the AfD. This motion includes proposals for permanent border checks, rejection of asylum applications from irregular migrants, and increased deportations.

The USA

As for most of us, there’s a mental-health box in which Trump is said to fit. Well, probably more than one in his case. But I’m thinking of the condition known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. This cognitive bias describes how people with low skill levels in a particular area lack the metacognitive ability to recognize their deficiencies. This “dual burden” leads them to overestimate their competence while being unable to accurately assess their shortcomings. In simple terms, you are too stupid to realise how stupid you are. I was reminded of this when learning that Trump:

• is trying to take from Native Americans the original settlers – their birthright to US citizenship
• says that his favourite previous president is Andrew Jackson – a man who had a complex and often brutal relationship with Native Americans, and
• as I said yesterday, thinks the previous Golden Age of the USA was when the rapacious corporate trusts had to be broken up and subjected to anti-trust laws.

I suspect there are other examples of the D-K effect that can be cited. Oh, yes. He thinks that Spain is the S in BRICS . . . .

I didn’t know that Trump’s 27 year old Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is married to a man who is 60. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it is unusual. Perhaps he is very wealthy. Or just lovely. Or both. Ah, I just read that he is “a real estate investor and developer who owns Riccio Enterprises LLC, a multimillion-dollar property business”. But might still be a lovely chap.

The Way of the Worldhttps://archive.ph/zDkn5

Women are suddenly dating much younger men… and here’s the real reason why.

Transgenderism

Some very astute here comments from a left-wing columnist who had to move to a right-wing newspaper so as to be able to write on this theme. Trump’s ban on gender transitioning has turned the tide on an indefensible cult. His prohibition is another nail in the coffin of a cruel ideology, but those who led the charge will never admit they were wrong.

AI

The Chinese Deepseek development is said to have hit the future of the data centre business, seen as a major opportunity for Spain (see above).

English

Vetocracy: A dysfunctional system of governance whereby no single entity can acquire enough power to make decisions and take effective charge. The term points to an excessive ability or willingness to use the veto power within a government or institution  that lacks an adequate means of an override. Such limitations may point to a lack of trust among members or hesitance to cede sovereignty.

Spanish

Acicate: Spur, incentive, encouragement, stimulus, impetus, catalyst, boost, goad, stimulant.

Gallego

Xixón: The Asturian town of Gijón. Pronouncd Sheeshson in Gallego and Khikhon in Castellano. I prefer the former.

Did you know?

In Spain, a new-born child takes the nationality of his parents, rather than automatically becoming Spanish. 

Finally . . . You Have to Laugh

Back to Trump’s Press Secretary . . . I confess to being reminded of a question put to the much younger wife of a famous British magician: “So, what first attracted you to millionaire Paul?”

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts.

The Usual Links . . .

• You can get my posts by email as soon as they’re published. With the added bonus that they’ll contain the typos I’ll discover later. I believe there’s a box for this at the bottom of each post. If you do this but don’t read the posts, I will delete your subscription. So perhaps don’t bother if you have other reasons for subscribing . . .
• 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.
• 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. And this is something on the so-called Beckham Rule, which is beneficial – tax-wise – for folk who want to work here. Finally, some advice on getting a mortgage. And this article ‘debunks claims re wealth and residency taxes’. Probably only relevant if you’re a HNWI. In which case, you’ll surely know what that stands for.