Chaos in Spain

[Wodrick]

Works for Star Trek

[OFSO]

And The Culture.

[OFSO]

The Catalan government just escaped collapse after the President sacked his deputy who is a member of another Party which supports his Party. As ever, Catalan politics are Confusing. Basically the leading party takes a soft view on Separation but the supporting parties take a hard view. Meanwhile the public are losing interest: only just over 40% of Catalans now favour separation from Spain.

[OFSO]

Spanish government trying to get the crime of Sedition removed from the statute books. Right wing Vox party furious, as that means exiled Catalan politicians being allowed back into Spain. Medieval country.

[PHXPhlyer]

Catalonia limits water use as Spain prays for rain
The measures taking effect Friday will include reductions on water for the irrigation of crops and industry.

No baths for OFSOs.
On a positive note... wine consumption to replace drinking water.


https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environ ... -rcna58379

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona and large swathes of Spain’s northeast are going under water restrictions as a months-long drought that has devastated crops starts to put the pinch on human activities in the Mediterranean country.

The measures will affect 6.7 million people, 80% of the population in the Catalonia region, Patrícia Plaja, spokeswoman for the Catalan administration, said Tuesday. Plaja said, for now, it will not be necessary to limit of the use of water inside homes for washing, cooking or drinking, but her government urged citizens to “be aware the exceptional situation the country is facing.”

The measures taking effect Friday will include reductions on water for the irrigation of crops and industry. City dwellers won’t be permitted to use drinking water to wash the exterior of houses or cars or to fill swimming pools. Over 500 town halls, including Barcelona, must stop filling public fountains or cleaning streets with drinking water.

Below-average rainfall that experts have linked to global climate change has shrunken reservoirs anddamaged agriculture and the environment across Spain.

Barcelona now becomes the second major city in Spain to limit water use after Seville did so with similar measures in September following an extremely dry, hot summer.

While reservoirs in Spain’s south near Seville are now the driest, Catalonia’s water reservoirs are down to 34% of capacity, according to Spain’s ministry for the ecological transition.

In 2008, a prolonged drought forced Spanish authorities to bring in water to Barcelona via boat to guarantee domestic use. That led to the construction of a desalination plant near Barcelona that local authorities say is the largest in Europe with a capacity to produce 60 hm3 in a year. It is now running at 90% capacity, authorities said.

Plaja said even if rains eventually provide some relief, “the climate context (means) that Catalonia will suffer longer and more frequent droughts” like other areas of Spain and the wider region.

Climate scientists have identified the Mediterranean as one of the world’s regions that will suffer the most from increasing temperatures due to climate change.

PP

[OFSO]

Local reservoir, Boadella, is down to 32%. An unusual phenomena here is that we are having a Real Autumn. Trees all russet and gold as they've been starved of water.
Realistically we need two weeks of continuous rain. Luckily, as the article said, wine is extremely cheap. Some restaurants automatically place a bottle on the table with lunch. Up at Molló, Restaurant Costabona offers a free starter followed by three courses and coffee, €12, with wine in a pitcher, replenished as necessary. Good wine too.

[OFSO]

Spanish 2023 budget approved at last minute with support from Catalan separatist parties. Nothing to do with an extra €600 million allocated to Catalunia, of course. €2.308 billion in total, 17% of budget.

[Woody]

Cheaper than the £1billion that the DUP extorted from Theresa May

[OFSO]

Nothing shamefaced about bribery in Spain. However right-wing parties such as Vox are incensed at billions being given by Madrid to Barcelona just to buy 16 votes, and think that the Catalan separatists will turn on Madrid at the first opportunity. There's every reason to think they are right.

[OFSO]

If you buy a RENFE train ticket on-line in Spain, and wish to cancel it or change it at a RENFE ticket office, forget it. You can only change it on-line. And if it's a return ticket and you wish to cancel it after using the outward journey, forget it. And if you don't wear a mask on the AVE high speed train you can get fined. B*ggers.

[OFSO]

Three years ago the French government illegally (Schengen!) blocked all back lanes to vehicles across the border, firstly citing Covid and then terrorism and then illegal immigration. This meant difficulties for fire trucks and farmers. Last Friday local Catalans removed the boulders at the Col de Banyuls and reopened one road.

[OFSO]

Law here changed so 16-year-olds and up can change their sexual orientation. Demonstrators outside Parliament holding signs that read "infants can be transexual too". They are serious.

[OFSO]

Spains biggest construction and infrastructure company, Ferovial, has announced it is moving its corporate HQ to the Netherlands. Spanish government is furious.

[Wodrick]

I wonder where the world is heading.

Spanish PM Sanchez announces planned gender-parity law:
– Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced a plan to pass new legislation to require a more equal representation of women in political, business and public fields. Sanchez was speaking during a rally held by his Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid on Saturday. The Equal Representation Law will be up for Cabinet approval on Tuesday ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. The prime minister described the left-wing coalition government’s plan as “not only taking a step in favor of feminism, but in favor of Spanish society as a whole.”
– The law will demand that listed companies with more than 250 employees and an annual turnover of over €50 million (roughly $53 million) assign women to at least 40% of management roles.
– Women lawmakers currently make up 44% of Congress and 39% of the Senate. The proposed law will require that these are both brought up to 50% with parties obliged to put up an equal number of male and female candidates to stand during elections. It will apply to elections at all levels, from municipal votes to the European Parliament.
– Professional associations and juries that give out awards financed with public money will also have to make sure women make up at least 40% of their boards. Full article: https://www.dw.com/en/spanish-pm-sanche ... a-64886359

***********

The tax and criminal incentives of the ‘trans law’ for a man to transition into a woman: {Translation, summary}
– The ‘trans law’ has been in force since last Thursday, following its publication in the BOE (Official State Gazette). A regulation that will allow men and women to change their gender nominally, without the need to undergo surgery and thus physically change their sex. This has caused great controversy among classic feminists, who believe that this legal text erases the rights won by women, as men can now obtain the same rights by going to the civil registry office.
– For example, a man who is physically unfit for the National Police physical tests may be able to get a place as a woman. The marks for men and women are different and even some exercises vary: women are not required to do pull-ups, but to hold on to the bar for as long as possible. In this way, a man who decides to change his gender could take his place from a woman.
– In the case of the Guardia Civil, the problem is even greater: the Ministry of the Interior wants up to 40% of the Guardia Civil to be women by 2030. This means that in order to avoid fierce male competition, some are considering taking the tests through the female route, as they have priority to obtain a post, to the point of gaining access to it even if they have a lower mark.
– Men who want to access subsidies for the self-employed would also benefit in several autonomous communities through a change of registration: women have different conditions to access these subsidies, since, for example, men have a limit of 30 years of age to receive 5,000 euros, while the threshold for women is higher: up to 35 years of age. Those over this age are entitled to a grant of 3,800 euros. Therefore, a 32-year-old man may find it interesting to change sex in order to qualify for a higher amount. In Murcia, age is not taken into account, but men receive 2,000 euros and women 2,500 euros. In Castilla y León this positive discrimination also exists: a self-employed person who moves his or her activity to the region receives 6,000 euros, but this can be increased by a further 2,000 euros if the person applying is a woman.
– In addition, a man might be interested in becoming a woman because many companies receive bonuses for hiring women: in Andalucia, for example, the Junta rewards 6,000 euros for a new hire of someone who is unemployed, a figure that rises to 7,200 euros if the worker is a woman. In Madrid, something similar happens: the subsidies are 3,000 euros for a worker hired from unemployment, although these rise to 4,200 euros if the worker is a woman. In this case, a company could benefit from this aid if it hires a man over 45 years of age. Therefore, a man could change sex to facilitate his access to the world of work.
– In addition, some public institutions have promoted grants that are available to women: the Neotec Women programme of the Ministry of Science and Innovation approved last June a budget of five million euros for projects led by women.
– As for contributory pensions, here too it is more interesting to be a woman than a man. Women receive 30.15 euros per month per child, with a maximum limit of four. This means that a woman can receive a maximum of 120.60 euros more than a man in a pension of this kind. Source, Spanish: https://www.vozpopuli.com/espana/ley-tr ... enero.html

[PHXPhlyer]

I wonder where the world is heading.

Spanish PM Sanchez announces planned gender-parity law:
– Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced a plan to pass new legislation to require a more equal representation of women in political, business and public fields. Sanchez was speaking during a rally held by his Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid on Saturday. The Equal Representation Law will be up for Cabinet approval on Tuesday ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. The prime minister described the left-wing coalition government’s plan as “not only taking a step in favor of feminism, but in favor of Spanish society as a whole.”
– The law will demand that listed companies with more than 250 employees and an annual turnover of over €50 million (roughly $53 million) assign women to at least 40% of management roles.
– Women lawmakers currently make up 44% of Congress and 39% of the Senate. The proposed law will require that these are both brought up to 50% with parties obliged to put up an equal number of male and female candidates to stand during elections. It will apply to elections at all levels, from municipal votes to the European Parliament.
– Professional associations and juries that give out awards financed with public money will also have to make sure women make up at least 40% of their boards. Full article: https://www.dw.com/en/spanish-pm-sanche ... a-64886359

***********

The tax and criminal incentives of the ‘trans law’ for a man to transition into a woman: {Translation, summary}
– The ‘trans law’ has been in force since last Thursday, following its publication in the BOE (Official State Gazette). A regulation that will allow men and women to change their gender nominally, without the need to undergo surgery and thus physically change their sex. This has caused great controversy among classic feminists, who believe that this legal text erases the rights won by women, as men can now obtain the same rights by going to the civil registry office.
– For example, a man who is physically unfit for the National Police physical tests may be able to get a place as a woman. The marks for men and women are different and even some exercises vary: women are not required to do pull-ups, but to hold on to the bar for as long as possible. In this way, a man who decides to change his gender could take his place from a woman.
– In the case of the Guardia Civil, the problem is even greater: the Ministry of the Interior wants up to 40% of the Guardia Civil to be women by 2030. This means that in order to avoid fierce male competition, some are considering taking the tests through the female route, as they have priority to obtain a post, to the point of gaining access to it even if they have a lower mark.
– Men who want to access subsidies for the self-employed would also benefit in several autonomous communities through a change of registration: women have different conditions to access these subsidies, since, for example, men have a limit of 30 years of age to receive 5,000 euros, while the threshold for women is higher: up to 35 years of age. Those over this age are entitled to a grant of 3,800 euros. Therefore, a 32-year-old man may find it interesting to change sex in order to qualify for a higher amount. In Murcia, age is not taken into account, but men receive 2,000 euros and women 2,500 euros. In Castilla y León this positive discrimination also exists: a self-employed person who moves his or her activity to the region receives 6,000 euros, but this can be increased by a further 2,000 euros if the person applying is a woman.
– In addition, a man might be interested in becoming a woman because many companies receive bonuses for hiring women: in Andalucia, for example, the Junta rewards 6,000 euros for a new hire of someone who is unemployed, a figure that rises to 7,200 euros if the worker is a woman. In Madrid, something similar happens: the subsidies are 3,000 euros for a worker hired from unemployment, although these rise to 4,200 euros if the worker is a woman. In this case, a company could benefit from this aid if it hires a man over 45 years of age. Therefore, a man could change sex to facilitate his access to the world of work.
– In addition, some public institutions have promoted grants that are available to women: the Neotec Women programme of the Ministry of Science and Innovation approved last June a budget of five million euros for projects led by women.
– As for contributory pensions, here too it is more interesting to be a woman than a man. Women receive 30.15 euros per month per child, with a maximum limit of four. This means that a woman can receive a maximum of 120.60 euros more than a man in a pension of this kind. Source, Spanish: https://www.vozpopuli.com/espana/ley-tr ... enero.html

Are you tempted Wodders?

PP

[Wodrick]

Oh if was working straight in there - not

[OFSO]

The next time I'm stopped by police I'm going to say "you only stopped me because I'm a woman". (Or black. Or a black woman). Any attempts to allege I'm not - either- will be met by me with accusations of infringements of my "rights" to be a woman. Or black. Possibly named Judith. Oh, and pregnant.

[PHXPhlyer]

The next time I'm stopped by police I'm going to say "you only stopped me because I'm a woman". (Or black. Or a black woman). Any attempts to allege I'm not - either- will be met by me with accusations of infringements of my "rights" to be a woman. Or black. Possibly named Judith. Oh, and pregnant.

Don't forget lesbian (so you can still like women, individually, not necessarily all).

PP

[G-CPTN]

What about trannies? and I'm not just talking about transvestites but also those who transfer gender.

[barkingmad]

Until we all can define a "woman", including politicians in the so-called Free Western societies, I fear this discussion is going nowhere.

The only folks who seem to be certain of what is a woman are the mad mullahs in Iran and Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia but I doubt if we'll get any intelligence out of them?

So what is International Women's Day about and how many will turn out to give us a clue...