I
think I've finally worked out how things work in Spain when
you're a pedestrian waiting to cross the road and the traffic lights
are flashing orange. If you wait patiently, no car will stop for you
until the last moment of recorded time. But, if you place a foot on
the tarmac, there's every chance the next car will stop and let you
cross. And, once on the road, there's also a good chance the car
coming the other way won't run you down. When I mentioned this to my
visiting daughter today, she said “Well, of course. It fits with
the basic principle of Spanish life that it's down to the individual
to make his or her own way in life. They can't expect the
consideration of others.” Such cynicism in one so young. Must be
living in Madrid that does it.
It's
good to hear that Spanish is the third most used language on the
internet and the second most used on social networks. I have to say,
though, I'm surprised it wasn't first on the latter, which are
essentially talking in another guise.
Talking
about Spanish . . . I came across the verb Resetear
today, in an IT context. I don't think it's yet had the (pointless)
approval of the Academia Real de le Lengua Española but I think we can
be sure it'll thrive despite this.
So
the European Court of Human Rights has disagreed with the highest
British court and adjudicated that employees can wear crucifixes even
when their employers (in this case British Airways) are concerned
this will cause offence. I wonder if this ruling is Christian-centric
or whether it will apply equally to atheists – whatever they may
wear – or devil worshippers sporting an image of, say, a baby on a
stick being roasted. This is not just of academic interest because,
as I said yesterday, I was impressed to learn of how much money the
Rev Moon made for himself and am thinking of starting a new
non-Jewish, non-Christian, non-Islamic faith. I've been watching how
American preachers sell the Financial
Bible on the TV – on which more
later – and I've picked up a marketing trick or two. Now comes the
more difficult part of developing a theology and making myself
charismatic. I should be ready by the middle of the year.
I've
voiced the opinion that Madrid is not handling the Cataluña problem
at all well. Nor the (very much smaller) Gibraltar issue either.
Here's the far more eloquent view of Matthew Parris on the former. By
the by, Parris is a frequent visitor to this region/nation as he has
family there:- The Catalan bid for
independence has been handled shockingly by Madrid. . . . Come here
to Catalonia to see in all its horror the mess our European partners
can make of democracy. The Kingdom of Spain, under a fiscally
prudent, free-market, anti-big-government administration that I ought
to support, is in the process of wrecking the delicate internal
balances on which this fragile union of peoples and languages
depends. The nation’s devolutionary settlement is edging towards a
cliff. This could destroy Spain. They are making every mistake in the
book . . . Plainly (to outsiders such as me) it’s time for Madrid
to start a negotiation, hard-bargained on both sides, for fiscal
devolution. Instead, Madrid has begun a hot-headed bout of
sabre-rattling. . . . It’s Madrid that must now rise above this
stupid impasse; Madrid that must find some generosity of spirit and
retreat half a pace. Otherwise opinions will polarise as I now
observe them to be polarising — fast — and the centre will crack.
The shock waves could spread right across Europe. So,
will Madrid do it? I have my doubts. But maybe someone will have a
word or two in Rajoy's ear at the next EU summit.
Finally
. . . Here's Simon Barnes' view on a question which some of us have
been asking for some time about football. Or 'soccer', as our cousins
insist on calling it:- It
is impossible for the referee to see everything on a pitch, no matter
how fit, now matter how skilled. It’s physically impossible. It’s
also physically impossible for an assistant to be consistently
accurate about offside: the human eye can’t focus on two things —
like a ball and a running player — All other sports are doing all
they can to rule out errors, by electronic and other means. Alone in
sport, football embraces error. And football, unique among team ball
sports, is frequently decided by a single incident, a single
decision. Football actively seeks out error. Why?
I
guess one good answer is – A tradition of stupidity and a ludicrous
desire not to interrupt the flow of the game. But change will come.
Eventually.
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