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

The Spanish wine trade is said to be struggling a bit and in need of new blood. Incidentally, Valladolid is said to be in northern Spain. It isn’t. North central, at a stretch.

The DdP article I cited yesterday mentioned the death of café-y-churros of a New Year’s Day morning, after all-night carousing. Right on cue comes this article on the origin of this food item. I was ging to write ‘this treat’ but it certainly ain’t when it’s cold.

As ever, Xmas prices for seafood in Pv city were much higher than in previous months, with the dreadful percebes being one of the star performers. Beyond my comprehension.

A Pv city resident died when the microwave he was doing something to exploded. A lesson for all DIY practitioners there. Unless he was just switching it on .

The Poio council has decided to move a zebra crossing a few metres along the road that runs through the barrio. Too many people were getting killed on it, apparently. The residents – as I’ve done in Pv city – have called for better illumination as well.

A conundrum . . . Spain has high youth unemployment but no one wants to work as a long-distance truck driver. So, who’s keeping the young folk in churros? They can’t all be working on the black.

The USA

The future . . .

• An American perspective . . . Americans are waking up. A grand reckoning awaits us.
• A British perspective . . . Looking forward(s) to a retrospective . . . The way Trump tells it, he’s Alexander, Charlemagne, George Washington, Napoleon and Mahatma Gandhi all rolled into one. Yet after a decade at the top of US politics, solid achievements are few.  . . . Towering ego, ignorance, vulgarity and bottomless narcissism are Trump’s only exceptional traits. . . .  In history’s bigger picture, Trump is a blotch, an unsightly smear on the canvas.

Quote of the Day

I am convinced mine is the best government in history: Javier Milei, president of Argentina. Friend of Trump.

Russia v Ukraine

The meeting between Trump and Zelensky is said to have been a disaster. But not for Putin, I’d hazard a guess – given what Trump said about how very helpful Russia would be in rebuilding Ukraine. An idiots’ idiot. Or, as our cousins say, Putin’s bitch

The Way of the World/Social Media/AI

As I was saying . . AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating political commentators have surged on YouTube and Facebook, spreading commentary or misinformation. These evade detection by using disclaimers like “satire” while gaining hundreds of thousands of views. They undermine trust but can be spotted via unnatural gestures or rapid channel growth.

• Political Commentary: Is an independent channel focused on delivering sharp, honest, and timely analysis of political events in the United States. Free from partisan influence, we break down the latest developments, policy debates, and key moments shaping American politics. With frequent updates and clear, independent commentary, this channel is your reliable source for understanding what’s really happening in U.S. politics. Perplexity says these are AI slop designed for monetization.. Likewise . . .
• Rachel Maddow Extra – where we go deeper than the headlines. DISCLAIMER: This is a fan-made channel inspired by Rachel Maddow’s analytical style. Rachel Maddow Extra is an independent commentary and analysis channel and is not affiliated with Rachel Maddow or any organization associated with her. Today’s worthless post was about the impeachment of Trump.

Spanish

• Aproximación facial: Facial approximation – Recreating a probable likeness of a person’s face from their skull.
• Crecida: Flood.
• Masterclass: Masterclass.
• César: Caesar
• Cesar: To cease, stop. To sac, let go.
• Dimitir: To resign, step down/aside. A rare bird in Spain.

English

To blow smoke up someone’s ass: A vulgar [US] idiom meaning to flatter or deceive someone insincerely, often to manipulate them or gain favour.

Did you know?

Printing . . . Necessity was the mother of invention.

You Have to Laugh

Finally . . .

The problem of AI ass-smoke-blowing. It struck me as ironic for semi-rabid applause to greet almost every joke from someone complaining about excessive praise. So, it was good to hear his final comment.

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 and on X.

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.