THESE DAYS WHEN ANGER IS OFTEN CRIPPLING IN TERMS OF WHAT I CAN PRODUCE, IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT, AND THIS ONE IS A DOOZIE:  Sans sanction ni restrictions, le Portugal est (relativement) épargné par le #coronavirus.

For those who don’t feel like Google translate, that is roughly “Without sanctions or restrictions, Portugal is (relatively) spared by #coronavirus.  Fair. Portugal has far fewer fatalities than Spain or Italy, which is inexplicable.  Unless you assume that the Portuguese aren’t throwing grandma from the train, that is taking the opportunity to rid themselves of elders, while the other two nations almost certainly are.  Or take into account the fact that Portugal has a private medical system alongside state-provided health system. (Spain did too, but nationalized at the beginning of the crisis, because… I don’t know. What ARE they putting in the paella these days, anyway?)
BUT the truly hilarious thing in that article is that the Portuguese Prime Minister attributes this to the Portuguese being — I swear I have to pause and laugh before I type it — more organized than other Europeans.

I have no idea what he’s smoking, or where he found it, but that’s potent stuff.  Breaking rules and laws is by way of being a Portuguese pastime.  Portuguese don’t line up, they scrum.  There isn’t anything requiring order and careful deliberation that the Portuguese don’t do sideways, backwards and upside down.  And frankly that’s part of the reason I retain some fondness for the place!  Disciplined!  I told my husband and rendered him speechless for minutes!