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

Maria writes knowledgeably here on the issue of the moment – the PISA evidence that Spanish education is going backwards.

And Noémi writes here on Barcelona’s La Merçè festival, the city’s biggest of the year.

Another bit of bad news for Spain: Its 22 point productivity gap with Europe is failing to close.

If you’re in Poio this weekend you can participate in the annual gastronomic fiesta centred on callos. Or tripe. ‘One of the most representative dishes of Galician cuisine.’ Not for me, so you won’t bump into me there.

Germany

The FT answers the question: Who is voting for the far-right Alternative for Germany? AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt reflects national trends — ‘but on steroids’.

The United States of Trump America

Essential listening here from the entertaining David Rothkopf, including accurate forecasts of what Trump was going to say last night at the Republican mini-convention. Couple of nice quotes:–

• Trump talks of being lifted out of the rubble of 9.11. But we are all living in the rubble of Trump’s psyche. And we can’t get out.
• If Donald Trump didn’t have stolen valor, he’d have no valor at all.

Trump has promised everyone a $5,000 cheque if the Republicans win the November elections. As he hasn’t delivered on 3 earlier such promises, you’d have to be really dumb to believe this. So, he’s surely on to a winner there with the hard core of MAGA.

A propos . . . Why Trump’s base sticks with him despite all his broken promises. . . Messianic allegiance.

Relevant Books

• To be published in October. Can be pre-ordered now: Wtf America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy. On Amazon or here.
• The final pages of Kurt Andersen’s fascinating run through the USA’s history – Fantasyland: How America went haywire. A 500 year history.

Spanish

• Mena: Unaccompanied foreign minor. Pejorative, like guiri for foreign tourists.
• Hacer caso omiso de: To ignore.
• Mantener en vilo: To keep on tenterhooks, to keep up at night.

English

• Lollapalooza: An annual US 4-day music festival held in Chicago.
• Trumpapalooza: The mocking name given to the current Republican mini convention being held in Dallas, reflecting how it is centred on him.

Did you know?

Rattlesnakes for Felons: Benjamin Franklin’s Plan to Repay Britain

Finally . . . You Have to Laugh

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