Standard Aragonese

One pragmatic reason for creating and disseminating a standard language is to increase the political punch of speakers. Still, it’s going to be a while before Aragonese (English .doc here) overtakes Turkish. (I haven’t got time to check it, but I’ll bet the Turkish claim is flawed.)

How to spot Opus infiltrators

Opus is Opus Dei (“God’s Work” / “Obra de Dios”), the sect started by Barbastro priest Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer. Popular belief in their influence–I’d say they’re Spain’s masons, except that folks are convinced the masons are also out to get them–has given rise to jokes, like the one about the well-connected bank with a…