Referring to tabloid interest in the Rooney sex shenanigans in the UK, El Mundo yesterday referred disparagingly to “19th century Puritanism.” I wonder if this is worse that sophisticated 20th century Catholicism, where the sin is hated but the sinner loved. And no one reports anything, even when it concerns priests and young boys.

Which reminds me . . . The latest ladies in Rooney’s life have publicly apologised for the grief they’ve caused his wife. Whores and tarts apologising for doing what they do best! What is the world coming to? Can money possibly have changed hands?

Christopher Booker is an inveterate British eurosceptic. Click here for his latest gripe against Brussels. As I’ve frequently voiced similar sentiments myself, I could hardly disagree with his final comment that the institution will eventually collapse under the weight of its contradictions. Incidentally, can one – in any circumstances – imagine the French or German government rolling over if its leading industry were clobbered by Brussels? No, I didn’t think so.

Still on the EU . . . It’s interesting hearing French fruit farmers on France24 complaining about being ruined by cheap Spanish imports. Here in Spain, the enemy is the French dairy industry, which is prone to exporting cheap milk. That’s free trade for you. It comes with all the politics. Once upon a time, it was said to be more important than the politics. But those days are long gone.

Nice to have El País confirm today that “Data on the Spanish economy are rather confusing and don’t show a clear trend”. So, plenty of room for disagreement. It was even nicer to have confirmation from reader Moscow (an economist) that he didn’t understand IBEX Salad either. If he saw it, I guess Moscow was pleased to read in the same paper an article showing that Spain’s international competitiveness is not as bad as it’s usually painted. But, economics being what it is, there’s probably someone who can prove the opposite.

I referred the other day to the high level of anti-Americanism here in Spain. I was reminded of this when reading this trenchant attack on the nonsense generated by the absurd Koran-burning pastor in the USA. As the writer says, “The world (and not just the Muslim parts of it) must be very eager indeed to find a plausible excuse for casting America as a cartoon country whose heartland is dominated by bigoted know-nothings. Never mind that this is the same America which, only two years ago, was being hailed by ecstatic European liberals for having elected a black president, whose father and stepfather had been Muslims.” All too sadly true, I fear.

On a lighter note . . . We have a new attraction in Pontevedra – Apipolis. Or Bee City. As it’s on the route to my house in the nearby hills. I shall visit it and report back.

Finally . . . British TV tonight carried - on one of the commercial channels - a program celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. This, of course, was guaranteed to garner viewers of my father’s age. So, I guess it wasn’t too surprising we were treated to regular adverts for a product against nocturnal pee-ing. Which is a bit of a come down from flying Spitfires. Even if, for rather different reasons, you did suffer a similar problem at the time.


Tailnote for new readers: My elder daughter has now net-published four chapters of a novel she describes as “A fast-paced political thriller but, above all, a personal tale of pride and paranoia.” Set in a fictionalised Cuba, it’s being e-published at the rate of at least a couple of chapters a week. Click here, if this entices you. If you do go and you enjoy it, please comment. It’s tough being a novelist. And the father of a novelist.


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