As predicted, the amount ‘voted’ to the Catholic church by Spanish taxpayers will rise from 144m euros this year to 150m next year. But this is a mere fraction of the total of 5 billion euros which the state hands over. This includes 3.2 billion to ‘private centres of ecclesiastical ownership’ and 517m for the salaries of all teachers of religion [i. e. Catholicism] in Spain. As I’ve said, this reflects the still significant role of the Church in the provision of education, health services and care for the aged. So, very understandable. But still rather bizarre in a western, secular democracy.

Today I received a text message telling me someone wanted to send me a photo and instructing me to send a message to a particular number. It’s sad that human ingenuity can be wasted on scams like this. But depressing to think they only happen because people are gullible enough to fall for them.

Is the first day of October the dawning of a new era? I ask this because, for the first time in what seems like an eternity, I opened my email this morning to find I had no spam at all. Not even Any med for your girl to be happy or We cure all diseases. Or is the explanation the more prosaic one that the ever-deteriorating service from Terra has finally given up the ghost?

Quotes of the Weekend

At least we stab each other in the front now.
Labour Party member at last week’s wake for Tony Blair.

Debt wrecks lives. Not so long ago, the ordinary British family was wary of borrowing and regarded thrift as admirable. That changed, spurred on by the consumerism that was rampant in the 1980s. Then all restraint vanished so that now Britain accounts for a staggering third of all unsecured debt in western Europe. This, however, is one area in which New Labour has been surprisingly non-interventionist. Despite lecturing us on the amount of fruit and vegetables we should consume, it has ignored one of the most pernicious diseases to attack families. During its nine years in power it has watched while individuals have run up debt on an heroic scale.
Columnist in today’s Sunday Telegraph, a fading institution, if ever there was one.

Finally, my apologies to David and Lenox for failing to acknowledge their witty comments to my Kingdom of Danelaw blog. To my shame, I’ve only just re-visited it and seen them. Both are herewith appointed to their sinecures. Though not by me, of course. Lenox has also been given a title and will henceforth be known as El Conde de Prisa Danelawensa.