At long last..

[The Curmudgeon]

News to bring a little joy into your hearts, people; bullfighting, that moronic, decades outdated fake sport has FINALLY been banned in mainland Spain.

uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100728/tts-uk-spain-catalonia-bullfighting-ca02f96.html

It's still staggering that, even today, this vote can see such an almost even split. There is no sense of honour in bullfighing anymore, that myth is long gone. We all KNOW the bull is almost dead before it's even let out the pen. Where's the glory in that?

It's been banned in the Canary Islands for almost twenty years and the only hint it ever existed over there (I go usually twice a year) is the tacky, crappy souvenier stands.

It's a ghastly, vile tradition that should have been banned decades ago. We got ride of fox hunting, now this. Praise be.

[trashcanman]

Wow. Spain. Banning bullfighting. Times must be changing over there big-time. I'm all for tradition, but sometimes crap just needs to go. Stabbing an animal to death while a crowd cheers on is bullshit. Portuguese bullfights are where it's at. The get a team of dudes and they go head on with the bull and get mowed down until they wear the bull down and subdue it. The bull gets to mess some dudes up and live to brag about it, and the guys get some bitchin' scars and bruises to prove they are bad muthas. Everyone wins. I didn't know fox hunting was banned either. Was there much of an uproar?

[The Curmudgeon]

It was banned in Scotland in 2002 and then in the rest of Britain in 2004. It's now illegal to use dogs to hunt foxes, rabbits, deer, mink etc for sport.

It caused a HUGE fuss when it happened, and it's been an ongoing debate for years. I personally thought it would never be banned, because the people who actually support it are those with money and influence, but not in this case, it seems.

That bull fighting thing you mentioned sounds.. better. So they don't actually kill the bull?

[trashcanman]

Well, eventually it becomes steaks and hamburger since that's what most bulls are raised for, but it isn't part of the bullfight. They actually do more more Spanish-style bullfights as well, but they use velcro spears so the animal isn't hurt. It's all for show. They actually have bullfights around here during Portuguese celebrations, but I've never gone. I'd love to see it sometime, though. Shoot, if I was still in my 20's, I'd probably join the team (they are referred to as "the suicide squad". How cool is that?) Maybe if I get divorced, I can snag me a Portugue girl to take me to one of the festivals. Mmmmmm....linguica.

[The Curmudgeon]

Wouldn't it be the Portugese girl saying that to you?



Huh huh huh huh.