http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com Welcome to our new weblog. On this site you will find an archive of articles and information, as well as news and feedback on a broad spectrum of topics. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:30:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=6444 en hourly 1 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/the-maoist-experiment-lives-on-%e2%80%a6/ http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/the-maoist-experiment-lives-on-%e2%80%a6/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:34:51 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=421 Is revolution dead, confined to the annals of history? Just when you thought that die-hard Communist states like Cuba and North Korea are isolated relics to a past which is already beginning to seem distant, and that the future holds no prospect for the kind of liberal humanitarian ideals that blossomed in the 1960’s and 1970’s, a place like Marinaleda pops up out of nowhere. Located among the gentle undulations of the endless olive groves of southern Spain, this little village is a unique example of a Maoist commune that has not only survived, but continues to flourish. Up until twenty years ago, Marinaleda was a typical sleepy Andalusian village, where nothing much happened and the poverty-stricken population carved a meagre existence out of seasonal work, picking olives on the vast estates of the landed gentry much as their folk had done for generation upon generation. It all changed when Sánchez Gordillo, a former schoolteacher, was elected mayor in 1980.]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/the-maoist-experiment-lives-on-%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/the-ethnic-diversity-of-andalucia/ http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/the-ethnic-diversity-of-andalucia/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:16:16 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=147 In a sea of faces, Andalusians provide a fascinating diversity of looks and origins that bear living testimony to the region’s turbulent past as a much-invaded corner of Europe. Since the earliest times, conquerors, refugees, soldiers, mercenaries, merchants and adventurers have been adding to the rich and diverse mix of ingredients from which the Andalusians have been moulded. It takes just a stroll on the streets of Andalucía to realise that this is one of those fascinating contact zones, an area enriched by the heady mix of cultures, traditions and genes yet bound by a common sense of identity. ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/the-ethnic-diversity-of-andalucia/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/copywriting/cork-vs-plastic/ http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/copywriting/cork-vs-plastic/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:13:50 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/copywriting/cork-vs-plastic/ For centuries, in fact for about as long as people can remember, wine has been sealed with cork stoppers. So close is this link that you can’t really think of the one without the other, and indeed, the humble cork is a wondrous thing. Wholly natural, it is flexible and durable, forming an excellent seal to a bottle, yet one that allows itself to be extracted with relative ease. What’s more, it forms the basis of a noble, age-old industry that has become a part of the physical landscape and human fabric of countries like Spain and Portugal.]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/copywriting/cork-vs-plastic/feed/ 1 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/marbella-style-property/ http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/marbella-style-property/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:10:24 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/marbella-style-property/ We all know Marbella's image has been somewhat tarnished since its heyday and its subsequent revival in the late 90's. Corruption, money laundering, never-ending mass construction that turns large parts of the area into Bolivian-style open cast mines, the constant presence of a jungle of construction cranes, fleets of construction vehicles that pound the surface out of the roads, planning debacles and a rise in both prices and crime have had their effect]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/marbella-style-property/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/global-warningclimate-change/ http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/global-warningclimate-change/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:43:36 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/global-warningclimate-change/ Pollution, global warming and climatic change have been a source of debate for as long as most of us can remember. Recent events suggest that we may not have the luxury of debating about such issues for much longer.]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/global-warningclimate-change/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/cordoba-andalucia-agriculture/ http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/cordoba-andalucia-agriculture/#comments Mon, 14 May 2007 07:16:00 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/cordoba-andalucia-agriculture/ The fertile Guadalquivir valley, which occupies the heart of the province of Cordoba, has been a prized agricultural region since classical times. In reality it is a mildly eroded floodplain with gently rolling hills that extend for miles, covered in a patchwork of colours and patterns created by the many crops that its fertile soils nurture. Thanks to the richness of this land, and indeed the vast expanses of orchards and olive groves that extend beyond its periphery, the white villages and towns that dot this landscape have developed a proud agricultural heritage and a reputation for producing some of the finest produce in the country. In recent times, the region has faced the uncertainties of European agriculture by focusing increasingly on organic production. Unlike the countries of Northern Europe, however, the Cordoban producers regard this not as a trendy new form of production, but rather as a return to age old traditions.]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/cordoba-andalucia-agriculture/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/political-correctness-social-issues/ http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/political-correctness-social-issues/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:14:32 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/political-correctness-the-new-dictate/ Every age has its taboos and holy grails. Even in this supposedly open age of free expression in which there are no more taboos, we have been unable to shake the shackles of censorship. No sooner had we freed ourselves from centuries of social, sexual and political restraint, imposed upon us by Church, state and class alike, than we set about creating new taboos and the gagging orders that come with them. Have the ‘liberators’ become the oppressors? ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/political-correctness-social-issues/feed/ 0