...Where "Hugo" is one of the most popular choices of name. I've met someone by the name of everyone on this list, but I must confess that I have yet to meet a "Nereas".
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University language students in the UK are apparently an endangered species, with the only rise in numbers coming with students of Spanish and (for reasons I'm not clear about) Portuguese. On a related subject, perhaps some kind soul would like to buy this new book for me. "Did you know," as the New Statesman review says, "that the word 'Semitic', as a family of languages which includes Hebrew, stems from the name Shem, second son of Noah, and was not applied linguistically until 1781? Or that Sumerian, an extinct Semitic language, had a special dialect for use only by women? Or that the clay patties on which these languages were written have survived only because they were baked in the fires started by Alexander the Great's conquering soldiers?" Well, no I didn't. But I'm glad I do now.
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... is the first of its kind - a comprehensive review of the latest in Spanish-language publishing - written in English." That's what it says about itself. Looks interesting.
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If you're a student (living in Michigan and elsewhere) and subscribing to PdS, then apparently it'll help you get a job. This piece provides inspiration for those who sometimes wonder whether the struggle to learn a second language is really worth it. And then when you do get the job, then this is worth bearing in mind. This link from Wikipedia, meanwhile, provides information which should be handed out to all students on Day 1. There's a further inspirational language learning story here. (Thanks to Kuro5hin, which by strange coincidence also features a piece on Wikipedia.)

As for the picture, it's only there because I like it. I don't believe it was taken in Michigan.

Just found and apropos of nothing: A list of blogs by Spanish-speaking bloggers blogging in English. (Thanks to eCuaderno.) 
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The new issue of Puerta del Sol is finally out. A fairly sexy cover, I hope you'll agree...
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Spain is apparently considered by academics to be one of the places where Castilian is worst spoken. More here, in quite good Spanish. Meanwhile, the RAE's new Diccionario panhispanico de dudas is out: an article in the Times, here, states that the mammoth, 22-country project is designed to stem the global tide of English. It probably won't manage that, but it'll be worth buying anyway.
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A nice little article here on why the Guarani language should not succumb to Spanish. Surely bilingualism is always for the best? (Courtesy of Anil Dash).

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