Madrilenian municipal ordinance dating from 1948/07/16

Mayors all over the country are trying to find ways of combating a perceived deterioration in public behaviour. Adolfina García has dug up the still-effective Ordenanza de Policía Urbana y Gobierno de la Villa. Some rules: Shoeshines should wear uniform. Spittoons should be present in all lodging houses. Chickens, turkeys and other barnyard animals are…

Languages and clouds

(Sad hippy post.) Everyone gets prizes here, and they’ve given sociolinguist Irene Lozano one for lamenting in Lenguas en guerra (Languages at war), as reported in ABC, that languages are used for political ends, when their purpose is to serve and human communication and knowledge. Languages don’t take notice of borders, because borders hinder and…