Catalonia: Hundreds Of Thousands March In Barcelona Calling For Spanish Unity
Hundreds of thousands of supporters of a unified Spain filled Barcelona’s streets on Sunday in one of the biggest shows of force yet by the so-called silent majority that has watched as regional political leaders push for Catalan independence.

Political parties opposing a split by Catalonia from Spain had a small lead in an opinion poll published on Sunday, the first since Madrid called a regional election to try to resolve the country’s worst political crisis in four decades.

Polls and recent elections have shown that about half the electorate in the wealthy northeastern region, which is already autonomous, oppose secession from Spain, but a vocal independence movement has brought the current crisis to a head.

Spain’s central government called an election for Dec. 21 on Friday after sacking Catalonia’s president Carles Puigdemont, dissolving its parliament and dismissing its government. That followed the assembly’s unilateral declaration of independence in a vote boycotted by three national parties.

The regional government claimed it had a mandate to push ahead with independence following an unofficial referendum on Oct. 1 which was ruled illegal under Spanish law and mostly boycotted by unionists.

Waving thousands of Spanish flags and singing “Viva España”, protesters on Sunday turned out in the largest display of support for a united Spain since the beginning of the crisis ― underlining the depth of division in Catalonia itself.

“I’m here to defend Spanish unity and the law,” said Alfonso Machado, 55, a salesman standing with a little girl with Spanish flags in her hair.

“Knowing that in the end there won’t be independence, I feel sorry for all the people tricked into thinking there could be and the divisions they’ve driven through Catalan society.”

The poll of 1,000 people by Sigma Dos for newspaper El Mundo showed unionist parties winning 43.4 percent support and pro-independence parties 42.5 percent.

The survey was taken from Monday to Thursday, just as the central government prepared to take control of Catalonia.

Madrid said on Saturday that secessionist politicians, including Puigdemont, were free to take part in the election. The hardline CUP has been unclear if it would.

The deposed Catalan government will soon have to make difficult decisions, Puigdemont’s former deputy Oriol Junqueras said on Sunday in an editorial in online newspaper El Punt Avui. He stopped short of saying his ERC party would take part in the election.

“We need a shared strategy … it’s important to weave solid alliances with those who are willing to build a state that serves its citizens,” he said, possibly alluding to a rumored alliance between the ERC and the Catalan arm of the anti-austerity Podemos party.

Such an alliance could put the independence movement in difficult position as it would mean a main secession supporter joining forces with parties that reject Madrid’s hard line but do not support separatism.

With weeks to go before the election, the poll showed the CUP, kingmaker for the pro-secessionists in the dismissed 135-seat parliament, would win seven seats, down from a current 10.

The pro-independence coalition Junts pel Si, which held 62 seats previously, was split into parties PDeCat and ERC for the poll as they are unlikely to run on a single platform. The two would win between 54 and 58 seats in total, the poll showed.

At Sunday’s rally, former European Parliament president Josep Borrell called for unionist voters to turn out in December to ensure independence supporters lose their stranglehold on the regional parliament.

“Maybe we’re here because many of us during elections didn’t go and vote. Now we have a golden opportunity. This time, nobody should stay at home,” Borrell said to cheering crowds.

Puigdemont called on Saturday for peaceful opposition to Madrid’s takeover. But he was vague on precisely what steps the secessionists would take as Spanish authorities move into Barcelona to enforce control.

European countries, the United States and Mexico have also rejected the Catalan declaration of independence and expressed support for Spain’s unity.

But emotions are running high and the next few days will be tricky for Madrid as it embarks on enforcing direct rule and putting officials in administrative roles. National police were accused of heavy-handedness during the Oct. 1 referendum.

Officers of the regional police force, called the Mossos d’Esquadra in Catalan, were stationed in main public and government buildings on Sunday.

But the force is believed to have divided loyalties. The central government has removed the Mossos’ chief, Josep Lluis Trapero, and said units could be replaced if warranted.

In an open letter on Sunday, Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido praised the Mossos for their work and urged them to accept temporary direction from Madrid.

The main secessionist group, the Catalan National Assembly, has urged civil servants not to follow orders from the central government and to mount “peaceful resistance”, while the pro-independence trade union CSC has called a strike.

Puigdemont, Junqueras and their advisors left the Catalan government offices on Friday, newspaper La Vanguardia reported on Sunday, effectively handing the building over to Madrid and making a forced eviction on Monday less likely.

Since the return of democracy in the late 1970s Spain has suffered several traumatic episodes, including an attempted military coup in 1981, a violent Basque separatist conflict, and more recently an economic crisis. The Catalan issue is however the biggest challenge to the territorial integrity of what is now a progressive European Union nation.

The chaos has prompted an exodus of businesses from Catalonia, which contributes about a fifth of Spain’s economy, the fourth-largest in the euro zone. Tourism to Barcelona has been hit and markets have darted up and down on the fast-moving developments.

European leaders have also denounced the push, fearing it could fan separatist sentiment around the continent.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/catalonia-march_uk_59f66bc5e4b077d8dfca7ae5

Wetherspoons Gets Withering Sunday Times Review And It’s Made People Furious
It’s arguably Britain’s favourite pub chain. But a newly-opened branch of Wetherspoons has prompted a brutal review by a Sunday Times restaurant critic that has opened up a fierce debate about food snobbery and class.

Food writer Marina O’Loughlin admitted she used the pub behemoth as a  “shorthand for all that’s bad about ‘British’ food and chain catering” despite never having eaten at one. So, in tandem with a self-confessed ’Spoons fan,  she visited its new Ramsgate outpost in Kent – a decaying Victorian building turned into a “basic nirvana” – to test her prejudice.

The vibe? “All the vomitous carpets, hastily erected wood panelling, fruit machines and reproduction art a cheap beer devotee could desire,”  O’Loughlin writes of her first impression.

While the Purple Rain cocktails tasted of “Calpol and diabetic coma”, the wait was forecast to be 40 minutes and the clientele likely to be dominated by “families and sad old men”, it was the food that triggered the most despair.

The calorific menu was “institutionalised lunacy” when “Topped chips” tipped the scales at 1,422 calories. “It’s a Project Fear of a menu,” she thinks.

Ordering pepperoni pizza, the critic described how it “skites off its plate” after being “dumped on the table”. “I suppose it’s all the respect this oily number deserves,” she notes.

The breadcrumbed scampi was described as “stiff orange coffins emitting an ooze of vaguely fishy goo”. But the worst dish was the “side” (author’s quotation marks of ribs (“who orders a side of ribs?”): “It’s the sort of thing you might scoop out of the bottom of Hannibal Lecter’s recycling bin.”

The experience wan’t all bad. “The terrace that wraps around this ravishing piece of seaside architecture is quite the place to sit with a pint, looking out to sea,” she continues, though “only if you smuggle out a picnic”.

In conclusion, O’Loughlin was “no convert” and unapologetic, arguing that food snobbery means “the chains and moneymen with their spreadsheets and battery chickens won’t always win”.

“Yes, it’s cheap, but, to quote my mama, I wouldn’t give you tuppence for it,” she writes. “This is cheap not because it’s good value, but because it’s nasty. At least I can now slag it off from a position of authority.”

Comments on the Times’ website suggested the review had divided opinion.

But the sense O’Loughlin had gone a sneer too far was evident once the writer released the review on social media.
Have you ever EATEN in a Wetherspoons? I now have. Oh. My. God. @TheSTMagazine t.co/Er11g1lrCk
We eat at Wetherspoons all the time. It’s affordable, and they are great with my autistic brother.
Am really happy to hear that R. Esp about your brother which is lovely. But I address the ‘affordable’ thing in the piece
There are many other options where the food isn’t horrible, cynical, profiteering crap. But always always t.co/M4Vc35Ac6e
I don’t mind that you think we eat crap, that’s your prerogative, but I still think you missed a trick here.
Load of snobby bullshite. Tim Martin ( not a man I agree with on many issues) has created a fantastic British institution with his chain of pubs. They offer people a familiar place to go, where notions of class are rightly left at the door and all are equal. #spoonslife is king

October 29, 2017
… some pointed out that few will have thought otherwise about the quality of the food … 
I’m a big fan but this was like reviewing ryanair. It’s shit, we all know it, but there’s a market. Was ever thus. Why waste space on it?
Because it has many, many fans. Because perhaps I was wrong about it having never eaten there. Because it’s how a lot of people ‘dine out’. Because I should know these things. Because it’s the biggest pub in the UK and therefore newsworthy. Because… oh look I have 280 chrctrs!

October 29, 2017
… while a travel writer suggested food did not always have to be a “voyage of discovery” …
The Wetherspoons to-do touches on something I hate about foodie culture: Not every meal has to be great or even good.
For most people, the vast majority of meals just have to be OK. They serve a purpose of filling you up while tasting alright.
“Fuck it, that’ll do” is an absolutely fine approach to 95% (probably more) of meals. It doesn’t have to be a constant voyage of discovery.
In my field, this also applies to hotels. Most of us don’t care about art/ design in hotels – just want somewhere cheap/ decent/ central.
O’Loughlin herself tweeted some of the criticism, with comment … 
Getting a lot of this. A lot! It’s cheering up my ortolans on artisan sourdough no end pic.twitter.com/8X3Hp6xScw
I know a Wetherspoons manager, even he didn’t recommend eating in a Wetherspoons. t.co/Ftn4JJ0ypg

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/wetherspoons-review-sunday-times_uk_59f638bde4b03cd20b823a3d

Must-See LGBTQ TV: ‘Major Crimes’ is back for a final season, all new ‘Will & Grace,” and more!

www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-major-crimes-back-final-season-all-new-will-grace-and-more

This guy and his enormous snake have quickly gone viral. You’ll see why.
Girthy.

www.queerty.com/guy-enormous-snake-quickly-gone-viral-youll-see-20171029?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Results: Simon Rimer Leaves The Competition After Halloween Week

The inevitable finally happened during Sunday’s (29 October) ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ results show, when Simon Rimmer left the competition. 

The Dance Off regular once again found himself in the bottom two and perhaps surprisingly, the ‘Sunday Brunch’ star and his partner Karen Clifton were up against Mollie King and AJ Pritchard. 

Once both couples had danced again, the judges all decided to save The Saturdays star, with Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli all stating Mollie’s performance was much better. 

Head Judge Shirley Ballas then agreed with her fellow judges. 

Speaking after their decision was made, Simon described taking part in ‘Strictly’ as “the most amazing experience ever”. 

“Every single person involved in it is so positive,” he said. “And like, all of that lot up there, all the rest of the class of 2017, are just magnificent people. All the pro dancers are amazing.

“When I danced the Waltz to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and it touched people, I will never ever forget that; our Charleston last week was a giggle, it was brilliant.

“Every person who has come up and said hello and thank you messages has been brilliant.

“But the biggest thank you obviously is to Karen who has just been amazing, who has convinced this lumbering 54 year-old bloke that I could stand-up on a Saturday night and dance in front of millions of people and she has become you know, a proper friend not just to me but to all my family and for that I can’t thank you enough.” 

Karen added: “A complete beginner but you know what you’ve grown to be such a great performer and I’ve loved every second really and it’s been a privilege. And thank you for all the food.” 

Simon and Karen’s exit means there are just 10 couples left in the battle for the Glitterball Trophy. 

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/strictly-come-dancing-results-simon-rimmer_uk_59f5d1b2e4b03cd20b821f6b

Sexy people have a harder time landing entry level jobs than ugly ones, study finds
It’s not easy being beautiful. Or is it?

www.queerty.com/sexy-people-harder-time-landing-entry-level-jobs-ugly-ones-study-finds-20171029?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Hillary Clinton Rips Trump’s Attacks on LGBT Rights, FOX News, Roy Moore at HRC Gala in D.C. – WATCH

Hillary Clinton was the keynote speaker at the Human Rights Campaign’s national dinner in Washington D.C. last night and took Donald Trump to task over his administration’s attacks on LGBTQ people. She also tore into FOX News and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Politico reports:

Clinton took aim at the White House’s efforts to roll back the Affordable Care Act and ban transgender service members, as well as its silence on international LGBT issues, during her remarks at the national dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT rights organization.

…”You know and [Trump] knows that transgender people have fought and died for this country,” Clinton said, adding that it was “insulting and wrong” for his administration to suggest transgender troops are unfit to serve.

Trump’s Justice Department has also argued in court that LGBT people are not protected from discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, reversing a legal position trumpeted by the Obama administration. It also voted against a United Nations resolution that condemned use of the death penalty against those who engage in consensual same-sex relationships.

“We cannot rely on this administration or the Supreme Court to uphold LGBT rights,” Clinton said. “We need to be agitating to pass the Equality Act,” she added, referring to proposed legislation that would make housing and workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity illegal.

Clinton also ripped FOX News and Roy Moore, Variety adds:

After quipping that she would have preferred to be living closer to this year’s HRC dinner, Clinton said, “It does strike me that in the last few days that at least Fox News seems to think that’s where I live, in the White House, because they spend a disproportionate amount of time talking about impeaching me. So look, if they want to make a trade, I’d be more than willing.”

Her comments drew big cheers from the crowd of about 3,600 people. HRC is the largest LGBTQ rights organization in the country.

Clinton also warned of the Trump administration’s agenda, as well as of the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore in Alabama.

“When the Republican Senate candidate in Alabama supports the idea that homosexuality should be criminalized, and refuses to say whether or not he thinks that LGBT people should be executed, Americans of every party, of any decency, Democrats. Republicans and independent should …condemn him and those views,” she said. “And that includes the President, the Senate majority leader, the Speaker of the House and every single elected official who endorses a candidate with those views should be held accountable.”

Watch:

Other big names at the gala:: Kamala Harris, Gold Star father Khizr Khan, and Amazon chief Jeff Bezos.

The post Hillary Clinton Rips Trump’s Attacks on LGBT Rights, FOX News, Roy Moore at HRC Gala in D.C. – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Hillary Clinton Rips Trump’s Attacks on LGBT Rights, FOX News, Roy Moore at HRC Gala in D.C. – WATCH