Drug checkpoint

Spelled-out proof that Expansión, La Vanguardia and various other established Spanish newspapers’ international financial experts may actually know f-all about their subject.

Tommy Hilfiger Barcelona With a Lesbian Scene Featuring Penelope and Scarlett, as I think someone called it, got $3 million cash and substantial help in kind from local and regional government on the grounds that it would encourage people to study Catalan identity and then work in museums. Encarnação do Demônio credits unspecified assistance from the Sao Paolo authorities for a film that portrays the city a filthy chaotic slum ostensibly run by psychotic police and priests where a satanic serial rapist, torturer and killer is in fact free to set about establishing a superior bloodline. That’s some promotion, so I guess this year’s Take the Money Then the Piss prize has to go to José Mojica Marins. My commiserations to both sets of voters. Also seen last night: Mirageman, which could do wonders for Santiago de Chile:

Gerard Sety, via Raffaele de Ritis:

An extreme nationalist Basque group, ANV, was recently banned for being the latest in a succession of ETA front organisations. In Navarre their political representation promote Anschluss with the Basque Country proper, and in a small town called Villava their councillors hung the Basque flag (representing the race, the feudal laws, and the Catholic faith) from their desks during meetings. The centre-right UPN responded by displaying emblems of the local football team, and the centre-left PSN went one better by hanging up an Iron Maiden banner. Check mega-hero councillor José Luis Úriz’s blog entry, this is my flag, as well as some some fine fan art. (Via Greg Luri)