I just watched the news on Catalunya TV. They say that the Kurds and Americans have taken Kirkuk. The Kurdish peshmerga are being received as heroes. An American armored column is moving on Mosul. It should be there within hours. There has been light, sporadic fighting in Baghdad, apparently mostly between the Yanks and the "foreign legion" of Arab and Muslim volunteers and mercenaries who are still holding out. They put a lot of emphasis on the sacking of the government buildings which, as Scrapple Face said, consists of the Iraqis stealing stuff bought with their money.

The Spanish transport ship Galicia has arrived at Umm Qasr and is distributing food and water to the people there. Some of them said, "Thank you, Spain", and one of the soldiers said that the Iraqis had plenty of food but what they really needed was water. The Iraqis are calling the Spanish troops "Mister Water" instead of, say, "Tommy Atkins". Another one said, very seriously, that he was very proud to be there and to be helping people. That's the way to talk, my man. Congratulations to you and your clarity and decency among all these misguided fools looking for the dark lining within the silver cloud.

The attempted general strike in Barcelona has been a massive failure, as the only protestors are the high school kids. All the shops remained open and public transport worked normally. Supposedly there was a "march of pickets" up the Paseo de Gracia "informing" the banks there that they should close for the strike. "Pickets", in Spain, are not what we call a "picket line". They're small groups who "inform" people they'd better close down or their place will be wrecked. There was nobody at the McDonalds on Mayor de Gracia except for people having lunch there. A lot of "Aturem la guerra" signs on people's balconies are down.

In case you're interested, the mani in the Plaza Sant Jaume at lunchtime didn't get much turnout. There's another scheduled for 7:30 PM in Plaza Catalunya. There'll be a pot-bangin' tonight at 10. The theater actors will close down and march from their shows to the Plaza Catalunya carrying lighted candles. And we're gonna hear some Aaron Copland up here on Calle Martí in the barrio of Gràcia. "Chemical Inma" Mayol lives on this street. I hope she hears it. And hates it.