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/Galiza

I wrote recently about the challenges the self-employed autónomas face here in Spain. Right on cue, the Voz de G reported this morning on the large increase in minimum social security tax now payable and the annual loss of 1,200 autónomas in Galicia over the last 15 years. Perhaps the national and local tax offices (La Hacienda and A Facenda) would be better employed targeting tax evaders in the sizeable black market, rather than the easily identifiable entrepreneurs. But that would be a tougher task, of course. And with quotas to achieve . . .

I’ve talked of the multiplicity of fines which motorists can incur but HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for the news that you can be fined for having an alarm sticker on your front door without a real security system. Stickers with logos or insignia of different companies cannot be displayed without a valid contract. I guess that makes sense to someone.

María writes, with feeling, here on Franco’s time and its legacy. The latter includes the wilful silence/ignorance that has led to the disenchanted young turning to the far-right Vox party.

For motorists . . . Some of the new traffic signs operative next year.

I’ve said that, in 25 years of writing about Galicia and Pontevedra, I’ve yet to feature in any of the many local newspapers. Not that I’m complaining; I absolutely don’t want to. I mention this only as a lead into saying that a young Brit has featured in the VdG for putting together a foreigners’ supporters group for Pontevedra FC. Which is nice.

MAGA MADNESS

Trumpisms.

• My new ballroom won’t interfere with the existing building [the East Wing], which is my favourite building.
• It will be near the White House but won’t touch it. It won’t affect it. [Hard to touch something that isn’t there.]
• We’ve brought the cost of everything down. Except beef. But we’ll do that with the help of Argentina.
• I don’t think any other president ever ended a war.

Trump’s criteria for, eg deporting folk: Whatever I say they are at any given moment.

Can an unfit president really be removed under Article 25? Probably not.

HT to Monty Python’s Life of Brian . . .

Social Media

The modern meme-dominated-world and its impact on politics and, well, life.

AI

• Is it really getting better and better?
• Whether it is or it isn’t, AEP thinks it’s too soon to bail out.

Spanish

• Yincana: Gymkhana. Treasure hunt
• Cebada: Barley corn. But it might be slang for some sort of woman, based on a joke I saw.
• Esbelto: Svelte. Slim

Finally . . . . . . Did you know?

Few sentences capture the state of modern life quite as perfectly as this one: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they’ve been fooled.”  . . . If you ever doubt the truth of this quote, scroll through social media for five minutes. 

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 . . .

I can also be read on Facebook.

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.

If you´re thinking of moving to Spain, this link should be useful to you.