Les bourgeois – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

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

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

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.

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…

Yet more plagiarism from Rafael Ramos of La Vanguardia

And his hot news is three years old. No more, please.

Competing Amazigh and Arabic etymologies of “beur”

And “beurette,” of course, this being the Year of Zahia Dehar, who sounds like she may escape from being shagged up the bum by Pierre Woodman.

Beurettes with their backs against the wall in Aytré, Poitou-Charentes, CC by <a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/llansades/4029997524/'>Thierry Llansades</a>.

The Snow Virgin ain’t afraid of the rain

Not that it ever rains in Villanueva de la Jara, Cuenca.

Accompanying the big A

In which I proffer my experience in the service of the East European mafia as a model for helping us help the Aricept generation.

Cover of The World magazine of Jan. 18, 1914 featuring Francis Grierson as Psychic Pianist. Public Domain over at <a href='http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Psychic_pianist.jpg'>Wikimedia Commons</a>

Stay in a hotel whose previous owners were beaten to death and buried in the garden

This is surely where this took place, and this must have been one of the last guests pre-mortem. I liked the unconsciously gruesome comments on TripAdvisor about the chilly welcome and subsidence on the tennis court, and a couple of the photos are thoroughly spooky. This and more on FollowTheBaldie.com‘s customised hiking tours.