They had the State of the Nation debate in Congress today. BFD. Nobody said anything new or different. Not surprising. I'm not quite sure why we report everything that blowhard politicians say in the Spain Herald, but we do. In case we didn't give you enough hot air, and you understand Spanish, check out Libertad Digital.

The EU Court of Justice says that EU airlines can't give the US government the passenger data it requires for security reasons on the ground that it invades passengers' privacy. Looks like EU airlines ain't going to be flying to the States.

I simply do not believe that the international press is not covering the avalanche of illegal immigrants showing up in the Canary Islands. At least it looks like patrol boats and planes are picking most of them up on the way, rather than their being lost at sea. Some estimates say that more than 1000 people have died so far this year trying to make the Canaries from the coasts of Mauritania. I'll bet it's more than that.

The panic over the alleged crime wave continues. I am very skeptical about whether crime is that much higher than it was before.

The Vanguardia has now led with the crime wave eight straight days.

Monday: Administration to lengthen sentences for home invasions

Today: International gangs grow roots in Spain

I am just about fed up with the PP, but one thing needs to be made clear: Their position on ETA is absolutely correct. You do not negotiate with a bunch of terrorists. You ask them two questions: Where, and when, are you going to turn over your weapons? That's the only thing there is to discuss. As for their goddamn lickspittle snotrag pissant political party, Batasuna, well, after ETA has ceased to exist, let them do whatever they want. Prosecutions should not stop, and convicted ETA criminals should serve out their entire sentences. I actually think a good few should have been hanged, but it's a bit too late now.

Looks like there's another media war going on in Spain, with Cope Radio and El Mundo (our side) against ABC, which has traditionally been a conservative paper. My personal prediction is that there will be a change of personnel at Cope sometime fairly soon.

Rocio Jurado, the Vegas-style Spanish singer, is dying of cancer, which of course is a shame, but such things happen. The media is on the story nonstop, with all the trash tabloid TV shows reporting from outside the family home 24 hours a day. I understand why: there are literally millions of people who have seen Rocio Jurado on TV so many times, and have read about her so often in magazines, that they think they know her personally, and her death will create a hole of some sort in their lives.