Ole!

Ferdinand ran to the middle of the ring and everyone shouted and clapped because they thought he was going to fight fiercely and butt and snort and stick his horns around. But not Ferdinand. When he got to the middle of the ring he saw the flowers in all the lovely ladies' hair and he just sat down quietly and smelled. He wouldn't fight and be fierce no matter what they did. He just sat and smelled. And the Banderilleros were mad and the Picadores were madder and the Matador was so mad he cried because he couldn't show off with his cape and sword. So they had to take Ferdinand home. And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly. He is very happy.
-Munro Leaf

I arrived in Espana just in time to witness quite a historic and controversial event. Yesterday, the parliament of Cataluna (the region of which Barcelona is a part)voted to outlaw bullfighting, one of the most Spanish of Spanish traditions. While the animal rights movement certainly had something to do with it, it is widely believed that Cataluna used this issue to further distance themselves form the rest of Spain. (They already have their own language, Catalan)
It is interesting to watch the Spaniards debate over preserving a longstanding cultural tradition, even if that tradition appears violent and cruel to the majority of those who live within that culture.
I attended a bullfight ten years ago when I lived in Madrid. It was gory and unpleasant, but it was also fascinating to observe the spectators and their passion for what they consider not to be sport, but art. I can see both sides of the argument, but the Taurus in me will always have me rooting for the bull.
Stay tuned: Blah, blah, blah