August 2010

Bull fighting, bad

Item: A video of protest against bullfighting.

The AP reports, "More than 100 semi-naked protesters lay down in the shape of a dying bull Saturday outside one of Spain's most iconic buildings -- the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao -- to demand an end to bullfighting in the Basque Region. " See the video.

In the Catalonia region of Spain, the residents have voted to ban bull fighting, starting January 2012. It should have been banned already, yesterday. Anyway, the rest of Spain, and those Latin American countries, and the parts of France, where this horror is practiced upon innocent animals need to be shamed.

A bull charge a pagan crowd, the old gods must laugh

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The old gods haven't left us. They never will as long as some of us keep to the old pagan ways. As long as some among us remain so blood thirsty, that they have to see blood, and have to smell it, taste it, watch it flow, the old gods will remain. The old gods will never wander far away, as long as they are fed. Fed? Yes, fed with the spiritual juice of the blood lust.

In Spain and in Mexico too, in places where the beastly gods reign high over the arenas, where for sport -- Well, this is not about sport, there is no sport in this, just blood entertainment -- blood soaked entertainment for men and women.

Hampshire vs. Somerset, Friends Provident T20 final

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The inaugural 2010 Friends Provident T20 tournament came to a dramatic, thrilling (and somewhat confusing) conclusion on Saturday, as Hampshire and Somerset played out of their skins at the Rose Bowl - only for Hampshire to be crowned winners by virtue of fewer wickets lost, as both teams ended up with 173 from their respective innings. The game had big hitting, great bowling, superb fielding and commendable sportsmanship, so maybe it was no surprise that Hampshire and Somerset were neck-and-neck at the end of the game. In the end, it was Dominic Cork's brilliant final over for Hampshire, and his team squeezing through in the confusion of the last ball of the game, that took them to victory at the home ground.

Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet"

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In American cinema there are enough prison movies for there to be an entire genre shorthand by which the audience can predict what's coming next. Even if you've never stepped inside a real prison, it only takes a few years of cultural intake to understand how prison stories are told in American cinema. As a result the genre has become a bit boring. Those moments that are supposed to be shocking, like orchestrated inter-prisoner violence, come off as rote and the whole exercise seems pointless. That's why Jacques Audiard's French-language prison drama A Prophet is such a unique experience. Taking place in a French institution populated by both Muslims and Corsicans, the film provides a cultural backdrop that is fresh for American audiences as well as a take on prison they likely haven't seen before.

Pig squealing: Theater of stupid fun

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Pig squealing competition on the French stage.

Hog calling in the Arkansas hill -- I've heard of that. Pig squealing in French farm country? Well, I guess, where ever one lives, if one lives on the farm, the farm lives in him or her.

In France, in a small town in farm country, the people gather for the annual pig squealing competition. I can't say that no animals are hurt, since we humans are members of the animal kingdom, aren't we? No pigs seemed to be physically injured. Can't say that the reputations of pigs weren't smacked around a bit. No pigs are in the contest, just a bunch of human stage hams in the yearly amateur acting bouts --

Acting? Performing for the neighbors -- Acting surreal -- Acting out human versions of pig squeals. Why? Why not? It looks like a fun thing to do and to watch. It is harmless, and maybe, charmless, summer stupidness. See the video.

Pakistan vs. Australia, MCC Spirit of Cricket, 2nd Test, Day 4

So you'd think a simple matter of 40 runs to get with 7 wickets in hand would be, well, simple. If anything, you might lose one, maybe two batsmen, but eventually get over the line without much drama. But Australia and Pakistan proved there was one more twist in the tale of a viciously back-and-forth Test match, as the Aussies almost rendered their first innings debacle moot, while Pakistan held on by the skin of their teeth to record their first Test victory over Australia in 15 years.

Pakistan vs. Australia, MCC Spirit of Cricket, 2nd Test, Day 4

So you'd think a simple matter of 40 runs to get with 7 wickets in hand would be, well, simple. If anything, you might lose one, maybe two batsmen, but eventually get over the line without much drama. But Australia and Pakistan proved there was one more twist in the tale of a viciously back-and-forth Test match, as the Aussies almost rendered their first innings debacle moot, while Pakistan held on by the skin of their teeth to record their first Test victory over Australia in 15 years.

Pakistan vs. Australia, MCC Spirit of Cricket, 2nd Test, Day 3

 After the embarrassment (and shock) of collapsing to 88 all out on the first day of the Test, Australia did well to hold Pakistan to 258, and then stage a recovery of their own, finishing day 2 on 136/2. Ricky Ponting led the counter-attack with a tough 61, but his day 3 got off to a bad start, edging Mohammed Aamer behind off a loose stroke, having added just 5 to his overnight total. Australia 145/3, trailing by only 25, but they would have wanted Ponting to have stuck around for much longer. Aamer then accounted for Michael Hussey, who Pakistan will never get tired of dismissing, for just 8, and Australia were in real trouble, 4 wickets down and still 12 runs behind. Marcus North was the next to go for 0, courtesy Aamer again, as Australia were in danger of being dismissed twice inside three days - 164-5, trailing by 6 runs.