Dalí's daisy.

Enric Bernat put sweets on sticks so children wouldn't get sticky fingers and parents wouldn't get upset about the mess. He wanted to create a product that would be like "eating a sweet with a fork”. He founded Chupa Chups SA in Asturias in 1957; now headquartered in Barcelona.

His lollipop was first named Gol (goal), because of its spherical shape; later changed to Chups. To promote the lolly, a song was created for the radio, with the chorus line: 'Chupa chupa chupa un Chups' (Suck suck suck a Chups); but kids who'd heard the song asked for 'chupa Chups' in the shops, so the name was changed.

In 1969, wanting a new logo, Enric Bernat went to Figueras to see Salvador Dalí. In less than an hour, Dalí had designed the daisy-flower Chupa-Chups logo which the lollies have worn ever since.

chupar to suck
aspirar to suck in/up
lisonjear to suck up to someone

also:
una chupa a short jacket
lamer to lick

Here's a brilliant Dalí site, in English, Spanish, Catalan and French.

Added February 25th:
Whilst checking my pings (if that's what it's called) I came across this E-pop post about Chupa-Chups with similar info, in Spanish.

'You must look until it hurts.'

"A mystery of time, history, lost centuries, a past too prolonged, hope perpetually deferred, a language which is also an ethic, an ethic which speaks by signs, an art of speech derived from an oral literature, an oral literature that contains the experience of a people - a kind of experience that borders on the metaphysical - a knowledge of human nature and character which is almost like the individual knowledge of someone exceptionally gifted in expressing his feelings...
Spain is disturbing. And you can't just visit it like a museum, paying your entrance fee. It needs more than that: love and the deep respect which creates an inevitable bond. Spain demands of its visitor certain virtues, and the first of these, to my mind, is the courage to see. You must look until it hurts."

from Spain, by Dominique Aubier and Manuel Tuñon de Lara;
translated by Neline C Clegg; Studio Vista, 1960.
Photo © 2006 S Carlos

Multi-layered Madrid techno.

If you're into hard house, acid, techno, drum & bass and such like, then here's a brilliant link - you'll thank me for this: masses of long dj mixes free to download at bangingtunes.com.

This is a half-hour mix of Madrid techno, described as 'dark, consistent, constant mixing of pounding, eerie white labels with live sampling and fx.'

Here's a great 'twisting psy trance mix' - it's had me cleaned out now four times round.

Mixes: Madrid techno: The Well: Meatgarden by Moogz
twisting psy trance: Rough Around the Edges by Just Dave
Image © 2006 S Carlos

'Aranj-U-ez' from Atocha.

'j' followed by 'u'

In Atocha Station, wanting to go to Aranjuez, I enquired at the desk. Being confused about pronounciation of 'g's and 'j's followed by 'u's and 'e's (or 'i's) and use of the sound 'ch' (as in Scottish 'loch' or German 'Bach'), I pronounced the town name: Aran-'ch'-eth.

The lady behind the desk, correcting me, very clearly (though politely) enunciated: Arran-'ch'-WH-ayth.

If you're not sure, here's the Castilian rules on 'g's and 'j's:

g before e or i = 'ch', as in 'loch' (gente - people)
g before a or o = 'g', as in 'go' (garaje - garage)

gu before e or i = 'g', as in 'go' (guerra - war)
gu before a or o = 'goo', as in 'guano' (guante - glove)

gü before e or i = 'goo', as in 'guano' (vergüenza - shame)

j before any vowel = 'ch', as in 'loch' (Jerez, Maja)

ju before any vowel = 'wh', as in 'when', strongly aspirated (jueves - Thursday. And Aranjuez)

Picture shows the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
Photo © 2006 S Carlos

Avatar robado.

Beware of identity theft!

Not wishing to plaster my gorgeous self over the web, risk becoming a viral image, or be identified as this person writing (due to extreme shyness and fear of avengers and evangelists), I found what I thought would suit me for a persona in this engraving of a dashing mustachioed man. I especially liked the tattoo on his chest, which reads: 'FORGET ME NOT'.

However, I've now discovered that he's not anonymous. He's Mr Frank Burgh: he and his wife were famous for their tattoos.

Here they are in The Picture Magazine of June 1893:

(Click image to enlarge)

The text reads:

MR. FRANK BURGH - MRS. FRANK BURGH
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Burgh are Americans, and have been showing the public how tattooing has been brought to a fine art. The tattooing is done in the ordinary way, and the tints are also beautifully assorted - the finish being perfect. The chest of Mr. Frank Burgh shows a pattern of beautifully designed flowers, among which reclines the figure of Mrs. Burgh. The lady's shoulders are adorned with representations of well-known Biblical incidents.

(I think I liked her hair better in the tattoo.)

Sadly, it seems that we did forget: a search on Google for - "frank burgh" tattoo - returns absolutely nothing. Well, he's here now.

According to Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, not only do we desire immortality, but the immortality of our friends and family, of our homes and nations, and of all aspects of life.
(El Sentimiento Trágico de la Vida)
Added Februrary 9th:
I was so pleased for Frank, look:

But there's a somewhat dull ending to this story of the creation of immortality for a man who did not wish to be forgotten. The Picture Magazine of 1893 got his name wrong; there's a Frank and Emma deBurgh listed at the Tattoo Archive. (And Emma's had her hair cut yet again!)