May 2010 – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

The floor of the church, in the form of a Latin cross, is essentially Romanesque, with cruise or transept and walls closing in this style

There is a long history of the cross-fertilisation of marine and ecclesiastical architecture, from Jesus’ boat-church on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:1: “And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and…

Solving the crisis in Spain’s public finances, part LXXII: It’s time to ban socks

The Spanish government is determined to retain the 500€ note as a crucial weapon in the fight to reduce tax evasion and money laundering. Getting rid of socks would achieve that same goal effectively without inconvenience to honest citizens and would also provide a stealth-protectionist boost to the economy.

Physically impossible entry

No 31 in this New York Times collection of strange street signs. My impression is that the Chinese are ahead, but it seems hard to criticise them for this: huge efforts have been made over the past decade to make a previously sternly monolingual country more accessible to foreigners; the effort is laudable and the…

With Ibex in free-fall, La Vanguardia announces European bail-out

But we were hoping that there would be rather more than 99 euromillions.

“High-speed lift” expected in Mojácar in 6-7 years

The Entertainer Online reports on the Association of Merchants and Entrepreneurs Mojácar’s interest in exploiting to the full the arrival of technology that sounds like it will have even the bullet-trained Japanese writhing with envy. In deference to their example, and bearing in mind local cultural interests I suppose you could rechristen the AVE “Bullevator”.

Brown hands Mandelson Keys of Heaven

But perhaps Mandy should read Matthew before taking it as a compliment.

“2012 possible predictions”

Three Anno Domino 2010 hints for survivalists in the Pyrenees.

Aneto, just how did it get this big? Photo <a href='http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aneto_01.jpg'>CC by Avh at Wikimedia Commons</a>.

Jazztel mobile contract fraud

They use sales phishing calls to terminate contracts with other providers.

The true origins of “Africa begins at the Pyrenees”

This deeply resented peripheralising aphorism was coined not by Alexander Dumas but by Dominique Dufour de Pradt or conceivably the Conde do Funchal.

Africa begins in the Pyrenees, according to this Sun OpenSolaris installer.

Le Monde ditches Gordon Brown, sticks pig’s nose on him

Bad enough the Guardian throwing in its lot with the Comment is Free mob, but even the French left establishment seems to be deserting the Sheriff of Rochdale, who is heading rapidly down this page. Looks like a superimposed Flash-type console, but ain’t. Strange. Re Mandelson: if someone else can arrange a stake, I’ll procure…