As
more and more is revealed about the abuses committed during the boom
years, it becomes ever clearer how the country's saving banks(cajas)
acted as a money machine for the bankers and politicians running
them. Institutionalised theft, in a word. And now there's an official
report – from The Association of Inspectors – which includes the
accusation that “When evidence of wrongdoing is discovered in
banks, the usual reaction of the Bank of Spain is to look the other
way." Much the same way as senior politicians in Madrid deal with
corruption in Valencia, Andalucia, Galicia and elsewhere. One could
be forgiven for thinking there's no political will to tackle these
cancers in the bodies political and financial.
A
small aside on the issue of lay-offs . . . All of a sudden, civil
servants aren't being as ill as they traditionally have been.
Absenteeism was down 36% last, as people seek to avoid giving excuses
for the sack.
I
think my last forecast for the AVE high-speed train in Galicia was
2018, against an official date of 2012. It seems, though, that I may
have to extend this yet again. Despite being from Galicia, President
Rajoy appears bent on proving that Cataluña is better off being part
of Spain by prioritising the line from Barcelona up to Girona. This
despite the fact that the Barcelona-Figueres-Paris line came into
operation today. Real politique. No
wonder Galicians feel hard done by.
The
power of old time religion. Ever heard of a mother beating a son to
death because he couldn't learn his tables? Thought not. In contrast,
“A mother who beat her seven-year-old son to death when he failed
to learn passages from the Koran sobbed in the dock yesterday as she
was ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years in jail. Cardiff Crown
Court was told that Ege, a maths graduate, had ambitions for her son
to become a Hafiz, someone who can recite the Koran from memory.
Despite enrolling him in special lessons at a mosque, Yaseen
struggled. The court was told that Ege admitted using a stick to hit
her son and then setting fire to his body when he died after one
particularly savage beating.” Seventeen years in a prison cell
should give Mrs Ege enough time to learn the Koran off by heart
herself.
Talking
about the stick in place of the carrot . . . I was myself strapped by
Christian Brothers for not learning the Catholic Catechism. And for
just about everything else. In fact, I was once strapped by Brother
Ryan at the very start of a lesson. When I asked what it was for, he
said “For all the trouble you're going to cause me during this
lesson!” I took it as a compliment.
Still
on religion . . . It's
said that over 50% of people in the USA believe in the Rapture, that
is the end of the world and the ascent into Heaven of all those who
are saved. In fact, there's one chap there who's been mapping the
world earthquakes, droughts, floods, tsunamis, etc. against the
Biblical prophesies of such things. Worryingly, perhaps, he's pretty
sure the Rapture is only round the corner. As you'd expect, he's not
worried about this as he's sure he and all his family will be
Raptees.
Finally
. . . Talking about being picked up, there's something called Shop
& Collect
in the UK now, under which you buy on line but collect the order
yourself from a nearby retail outlet. Say Waitrose, if you are buying
from John Lewis. Amazon
has gone a step further and started installing lockers – you unlock
them using a code sent to your phone – in some shopping centres.
Solves
the “You weren't in” problem. Anyone seen any evidence of it in
Spain yet?
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