
I have long been fascinated by the field of Artificial Intelligence. Everything about making computers more human is interesting to me. One particular challenge put forth to the AI community particularly intrigues me. It's called [RoboCup](http://www.robocup.org/). The challenge is:

> By the year 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world soccer champion team.

This one challenge has fueled years of research into robotics and robotic vision and intelligent reasoning and planning algorithms. I don't care that much for the hardware aspect of things. I never have. But I love the algorithmic software side of the challenge. To allow programmers to start immediately on the software half of the challenge, a robot simulation environment was developed. Each "bot" gets information from its "sensors" in the virtual world and can then choose ways of moving: walking, sprinting, kicking, etc. There is even a system of fatigue built in so that a bot cannot be sprinting all the time.

Some of the teamwork displayed by the best teams is really unbelievable. It feels like you're watching a real soccer match. Here, watch the final from the 2007 competition and tell me that's not like real soccer (i.e. for the most part boring except for exceptional pass plays resulting in shots on goal):

But get this! The RoboCup Simulation League has just added another dimension! That's right. A 3-D robot soccer simulator! Not only that, but they've gone ahead and made the robots humanoid. For the most part it's taken the competing teams (all in academia, of course) a full year to even get the little buggers to walk around without falling over all the time, let alone go after the ball. And, as you are about to see, they haven't mastered it yet.

Check out this video from the 2007 Finals in the 3-D division. There is something about this video that makes me laugh hysterically.

Check out the goal scored with 5:30 left on the video clock. I can't watch that without bursting into laughter.

I have yet to be able to actually build and run the simulation server on my computer, but as soon as I do, I'm going to start playing around with it, to see if I can get a robot to walk. Could anything be more geeky? I don't think so...


RoboCup Soccer Simulator


Apparently there's an archaeological dig going on in my hometown of Morganton, North Carolina, excavating an old Spanish fort from the 16th century.

> In the foothills of the Appalachians, I park in a cornfield just off an unmarked dirt road. A canvas canopy is the only structure visible in the quiet valley, where two dozen archaeologists and community college students are braving the July sun in loamy trenches. The team is uncovering the ruins of Fort San Juan, the oldest known European settlement in the interior of the United States.
> 
> The fort, five miles north of Morganton, North Carolina, was part of Spain's attempt in the 1560s to extend its domination of the Americas north into what is now the southeastern United States. Until now its location was only hypothesized.
> 
> \-from the [March 2006 issue of Smithsonian](http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2006/march/digs.php)

Of course, I've only ever had one confirmed spotting of a Spaniard in Morganton.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/1284333669_2ebf19d7c1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Table Rock Panorama">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/1284333669_646badcc25.jpg" alt="Table Rock Panorama"/>
</a>

Marga standing atop Table Rock in Morganton, North Carolina, in June 2003.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/1285274206_648c775d14_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga and Erik">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/1285274206_3394f1d2d7.jpg" alt="Marga and Erik"/>
</a>

Here she is after her capture.

There have also been reports of recent Spanish influence in the area, marked by an increased consumption of both paella and Rioja wine. See exhibits A and B below.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/507579576_fdcd68e325_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Paella Paul">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/507579576_126abf5c2a.jpg" alt="Paella Paul"/>
</a>

Paul's first attempt at paella was spot on.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/1285194512_f486e8dced_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Happy Hour - Hora Feliz">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-31-spain-invaded-morganton/1285194512_7faa2ad252.jpg" alt="Happy Hour - Hora Feliz"/>
</a>

Paul enjoys a fine Rioja for happy hour.

There has also been increased chatter through communication circuits in the area that seems to foreshadow a coordinated invasion of Spain by a band of local Morgantonians later [in October](/wedding/).


Spain Invaded My Hometown


The enigma that is the [PageRank](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank) algorithm is the beast battled by thousands of [SEO](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization) and e-commerce experts every day. It's the complex system of weighting web pages that makes Google the best search engine in the world. But you would think that if any one corporation could comprehend and utilize SEO techniques to maximize their PageRank, it would be Google itself. I have a Firefox plugin installed called [Google PageRank Status](http://pagerankstatus.mozdev.org/) that tells me the PageRank of every web page I visit. I'm not really sure how it works, but it must be querying Google for every page I hit. I've watched my blog slowly creep up from a PageRank of 0 to 1 to 2 to 3 over the past year.

Anyway, I just noticed that all of Google's pages, the [homepage](http://www.google.com/), [News](http://news.google.com/), [Maps](http://maps.google.com/), etc. have just dropped from a PageRank of 9 down to 8. This got me wondering if there are any sites with higher PageRank than Google.

I tested the top websites that came to mind, and this is what I found: (the PageRank appears at the bottom right of each window)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-30-even-google-has-bad-pagerank/1277054818_2a2ae22202_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Even Google Has Bad PageRank">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-30-even-google-has-bad-pagerank/1277054818_b2b24713dd_b.jpg" alt="Even Google Has Bad PageRank"/>
</a>

That's, in the order they appear...

Website

PageRank

[Yahoo](http://www.yahoo.com/)

10

[MSN](http://www.msn.com/)

8

[Google](http://www.google.com/)

8

[YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/)

8

[New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/)

8

[Apple](http://www.apple.com/)

9

[Microsoft](http://www.microsoft.com/)

10

If Google itself can't even get a high PageRank, how the hell are the rest of us supposed to figure it out?

That said, PageRank only matters if you're already on their website searching, so I guess Google still wins.


Even Google Has Bad PageRank


In the instantly ubiquitous video of Miss Teen South Carolina's response to a fairly simple beauty contest question, she uses the phrase "US Americans". If you're in the minority that haven't seen the video yet, [go watch it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww), cry a little bit, and come back. My first reaction to hearing the phrase "US Americans" was, "God, what an idiot! No one says that because it means the same thing and is completely redundant!" And I suspect, from what I've seen in comments around the web, that I'm not alone in this response. However, I would like to remind you US Americans that this phrase is not only not redundant, but actually _appropriate and should be adopted by everyone_.

To the rest of the world, the word "America" refers to a continent. And I really mean one continent. In Spain, children are taught that there are five continents. Here they are listed on the Spanish Wikipedia page for [continente](http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continente). Even [the English version](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent) mentions how arbitrary the counting is.

The ambiguity of the word "american" never really hit me until I was waiting in a Spanish immigration office lobby filled with an assortment of shorter-than-me, darker skinned, obviously from Native American bloodline, Mexicans, Colombians, Argentinians, Cubans, Brazilians, etc. When my number was called and I went up to the desk, the woman said, "Nacionalidad?" I replied, "Americano", and she said, in a disgruntled government employee tone, "Yeah, so is everyone else around here. What _country_ are you from?"

Luckily, Spanish has a solution to this conundrum. If any language would, it'd be Spanish, right? They have invented this beautiful seven-syllable word: _estadounidense_. Since _Estados Unidos_ is Spanish for United States, _estadounidense_ is kind of like "United Statesian". I mainly love it because it contains the word "dense". Like most nationality words, it's both a noun and an adjective.

English has no good equivalent, and probably never will. "US Americans" is about as good as anyone can do. A couple years ago, on a web site that I used to frequent, the word "USian" grew in popularity and usage. It was initially repulsive to me, but I came to think it useful in writing. How it's pronounced in still a mystery to me.

It wasn't until I searched for "USian" just now that I found a long, beautiful discussion about this exact topic on (where else?) [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_%28word%29). They've really nailed the current state of vocabulary in Spain:

> In Spain, people who have lived in the Western Hemisphere but now live in Spain may be called americanos. The Diccionario de la Lengua Española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language) published by the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy), also gives estadounidense (United Stater) as one of the definitions of americano, meaning "someone from the United States or relating to the United States". However, most spaniards, being influenced by the european media, still call U.S nationals "americans"".

I'm often introduced to people as "norte americano", which also works. This almost always refers to the US and Canada, since everyone will assume that Spanish is not your first language if you are North American. Too bad for Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.

So anyway, I just thought that this issue could use some awareness raising. We US Americans can be a little too US-centric sometimes. I bet that most US Americans have never once thought about this issue, but that most non-US Americans have. Hell, a fifth of us can't even find the US on a map.

Hopefully this post will "help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future".


US Americans


A few interesting things happening in Spain lately. Last Saturday, Marga and I decided to try the local pizza parlor for which we've said "We should try that place some time" every time we walk by it since we moved here two years ago. It was as expected: mediocre. While we were there, there was a soccer match on a muted television, as normal. Somehow, my Y chromosome didn't fire as normal, and I ended up sitting with my back to the sports on television. A disgrace to my gender, I know. Anyway, I distinctly remember Marga's eyes getting big and filled with concern just before she pointed to the television. On the television, a stretcher was being rolled out of the soccer stadium and into an ambulance. Later we found out what had happened.

[![Antonio Puerta](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-29-spanish-current-events/3986_140x170.jpg)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Puerta)Antonio Puerta, a player for the Sevilla team, collapsed on the field without any contact with other players. Somehow a teammate knew to keep him from choking on his own tongue while he lay there unconscious (there is [dramatic video footage](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS1SnwckcAg) of this). The first aid folks rushed out, and miraculously, Puerta regained consciousness and walked himself off the field. Shortly thereafter, his heart stopped. According to the sources I've seen, his heart stopped and started _nine times_ between the stadium and the hospital. Not good.

He was listed as critical condition for all of Sunday and Monday, and he died on Tuesday at the age of 22, leaving behind a young, pregnant wife. English news articles, with good photos, about him here:[Sevilla footballer Antonio Puerta has died from the heart attacks suffered last Saturday](http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_12191.shtml)[25,000 Sevilla fans welcome the body of Antonio Puerta on his last trip to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuan Stadium](http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_12198.shtml)

My first reaction, besides the initial empathy for his poor wife and family, was to think, "Well, geez, no one's healthier than these 22-year-old soccer stars. When this happens, it really brings into focus how any one of us could die at any moment." But then I realized that that's not exactly the case. These professional athletes are constantly pushing their bodies to the absolute limit, and more than a few of them take "performance enhancing" drugs to get closer to the limit. Any time you're doing anything "to the limit", there's an elevated risk that you might pass the limit and hurt yourself. While 22-year-olds do keel over and die occasionally, I bet that being a professional athlete increases the risk of such an unlikely event. Either way, it sucks to die young.

And nobody loves a good funeral like the Spanish press.[![Montaña Clara](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-29-spanish-current-events/230px-Monta%C3%B1a_Clara_NWW.png)](http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monta%C3%B1a_Clara) [One of the Canary Islands is up for sale](http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_12190.shtml). It'll only set you back 9,000,000€, too! The one thing that I found particularly strange about that news article was how they listed the size of the island: 2.7 _cubic_ km. The Wikipedia page for [Montaña Clara](http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monta%C3%B1a_Clara) says that the surface area is 1.48 km2. If my multivariable calculus wasn't completely atrophied, I'd try to figure out, just out of curiosity, what sort of shapes an object is limited to by those measurements. The shape with the most volume and least surface area is obviously a sphere (or a dome, if you're an island). Anyway, I thought it was funny that the size of an island would be measured in cubic kilometers.

The [Tomatina](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatina) starts today.

[![Tomatina](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-29-spanish-current-events/800px-Tomatina.jpg)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatina)

That sure looks fun, doesn't it? Dangerous, but fun.


Spanish Current Events


Today we will continue the series of "Strange things to eat in Spain". You may recall such delicacies as [pig snout](/2006/10/25/hey-little-piggy/), [octopus](/2006/08/30/octopus-and-mountains/), [blood sausage](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/628896399/), and [cow tongue](/2007/03/24/cow-tongue/). _Tocino_ is the layer of fat under a pig's skin. It's served salted and grilled. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-27-tocino-espresso-bacon/1246813987_578cfc4758_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Tocino">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-27-tocino-espresso-bacon/1246813987_0ce1b3d681.jpg" alt="Tocino"/>
</a>

See the little bristly black pig hairs? ([see larger](http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1246813987&size=l)) Yes, it's all eaten. Look at how it glistens with fatty goodness!

If I had to describe the flavor in two words, it would be "espresso bacon". It's everything that's good about bacon, magnified 50 times. When properly salted, it really is beautiful sensory experience. But you can only ever eat it in small doses, both because the flavor is so strong and because myocardial infarctions aren't cool.

This plate was served as a free snack with our glasses of wine at a local bar. We mainly concentrate our business with the three bars in town with high probability of snack offerings.

I think the hooves are the only part of the pig not consumed in Spain. Although now that I've said that, there's probably some farmer gnawing on a hoof right now.


Tocino - Espresso Bacon


Someone at Marga's work gave her these [Matryoshka](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matryoshka_doll) owls. It's some sort of corporate propaganda from some company that does business with Marga's. Each owl has some meaningless (in this metaphor) corporate word like management, control, organization, sanitation, etc. She only accepted it to give to a friend's kid. Anyway, I figured it was worth playing with and taking a few photos. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232065270_5faa6f68f4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4411.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232065270_0505eb6162.jpg" alt="CIMG4411.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232086076_d3f43f676d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4407.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232086076_cf7f35c302.jpg" alt="CIMG4407.JPG"/>
</a>

Creepy.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232106374_25a21b89ff_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4408.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232106374_451534810e.jpg" alt="CIMG4408.JPG"/>
</a>

Wait a second, one of those is not an owl!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232127944_76e20dca39_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4409.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1232127944_ba360d7c07.jpg" alt="CIMG4409.JPG"/>
</a>

What's wrong with this photo? Please keep your answer to less than 10,000 words.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1231283873_74d70ea845_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4410.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/1231283873_31e08576a9.jpg" alt="CIMG4410.JPG"/>
</a>

Some hats just mess up your hair, right?

And how cool is this photo from Wikipedia?

[![Matryoshka dolls](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-25-russian-owls/800px-Russian.dolls.hugeset.arp.jpg)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Russian.dolls.hugeset.arp.jpg "A huge Russian doll set in a Portobello Road shop, Notting Hill, London, England.")

A huge Russian doll set in a Portobello Road shop, Notting Hill, London, England.


Russian Owls


I was prodded into trying [Last.FM](http://www.last.fm/) again yesterday. As some of you may recall, I tried it last year and [reviewed it in passing on my way to another conclusion](/2006/11/08/applescript-for-blogging-current-itunes-song/):

> The absolute simplest way to blog your current song is to use Last.FM. They give you an application that you run on your computer (it stays on the dock), and it will "scrobble" (upload to their website) your currently playing song. They use this information to offer you other music and streaming radio to your tastes. There's a whole community aspect of their website that fits in with the new "social networking" internet fad. You can meet people that like the same music you do, for example. All in all, Last.FM is a pretty cool service, and I think they will be a huge success (the YouTube of 2007?). But I don't want another app open all the time.

I can't actually get the Last.FM application to run in the beta version of Leopard that I'm running, but the app that uploads information about which songs you're listening to, iScrobbler, _does_ work. And, more importantly, it doesn't take up space in your dock. As you see in the quoted text above, they've invented a new verb, "to scrobble", for this task. It's not unreasonable.

So why would you want to do this, you ask? The reasons are numerous. Allow me to enumerate a few...

### Your own personal radio station

Last.FM provides you with your own personal radio station made from songs and albums that you own. The point of this is that if you are ever away from your home computer and wanting to listen to music on the internet, you basically have access to all your music, albeit in a "random shuffle" format. This radio station is also useful in representing your musical tastes. Take mine (below), for instance. I either own or really like every song I've heard come out of "erikrasmussen's radio station". It's just very representative of my music library. It's the perfect answer to that horrible "What kind of music do you like?" question.

**\[WIDGET REMOVED\]**

### Recommendation Radio Station

This is where the social networking aspect comes into play. You can set up "friend" relationships with other users on Last.FM (this should not be a foreign concept to you in 2007), and when a friend "recommends" (marks a song as "recommended" while they are listening to it) a song, it will appear both in your Last.FM profile page, but also in a streaming radio station that you can listen to like the one above.

Personally, I think that social forces play a _much_ bigger part in directing album sales than any advertising does. It's certainly true of my buying habits. This is one of the key strengths of Last.FM, I think. Oh, and obviously they make their money by selling you the music.

### You don't need friends when you have neighbors

For the poor friendless Last.FM users, they've devised a way for you to make friends. Every week, they collect a list of people that have listened to the same tracks you have and list them in your Last.FM page (and in the app, I think). And of course there's a Neighborhood Radio Station too so that you can check out what people with similar tastes are discovering. I haven't been using it for a full week, so I don't have any neighbors yet.

### Events

If you tell them where you live, they will provide you with a list of concerts that are happening within a travel radius you specify. And obviously, they filter it by only artists that you like. How cool is that?

### Other cool stuff

I've installed [a widget](http://dirkie.nu/projects/lastfmrecords/) on my blog sidebar to show album covers of stuff I've been listening to. You can click the "see all" link there to see a list of all my recent songs. Or, if you prefer, you can use the official Last.FM widgets and get cool things like this album quilt:

**\[WIDGET REMOVED\]**

### Conclusion

If you are a person that listens to music on their computer while connected to the internet, you really should give Last.FM a try. It even works on Windows and Linux. And it will even scrobble tracks that you've listened to on your iPod when you weren't online. Adding [me](http://www.last.fm/user/erikrasmussen/) as your friend is optional. :-)


I'm Scrobbling With Last.FM


[CafePress](http://www.cafepress.com/) has been around for several years now. The idea is really ingenious: it's a website that will allow you to upload images and then sell t-shirts, coffee mugs, mousepads, magnets, etc. with your image to the public. Just having a site that lets you upload images and have them send you a t-shirt with that image printed would be pretty cool. But CafePress' success has definitely been in taking it that extra step and allowing people to set up online stores. This is all old news. I'm writing about it because I just had my first experience with designing an image in Photoshop, uploading it to CafePress, and having a t-shirt show up in the mailbox. And I must say that I'm very impressed by the quality and price. Obviously, the true test of quality will come five laundry loads from now, but the brand new product looks pretty spiffy. The magnet and pin-on button that I ordered are also of high quality.

If I ever come up with a clever phrase, [like Hubbers has](http://www.dontgivemeasmoke.com/ "Please don't give me a smoke!  I'm quitting."), I know where I'm going to market my merchandise.

You want pictures? Yes, I'm aware that I look like a complete dork in these photos. That's kind of the idea.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-23-design-your-own-merchandise/1204742855_05f0dbb1b0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="BITWRATHPLOOB Ringer-T Front">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-23-design-your-own-merchandise/1204742855_e2e3e9b97e.jpg" alt="BITWRATHPLOOB Ringer-T Front"/>
</a>

Single small centered image on the front of the "[ringer-t](http://www.cafepress.com/bitwrathploob.157741440)".

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-23-design-your-own-merchandise/1205618258_87839105c6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="BITWRATHPLOOB Ringer-T Back">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-23-design-your-own-merchandise/1205618258_eac87c518a.jpg" alt="BITWRATHPLOOB Ringer-T Back"/>
</a>

And a larger image across the back.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-23-design-your-own-merchandise/1212176464_be898e676b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="BITWRATHPLOOB IWUS T-Shirt Design">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-23-design-your-own-merchandise/1212176464_a46e74b187.jpg" alt="BITWRATHPLOOB IWUS T-Shirt Design"/>
</a>

Here's my design. The photo was taken [rather professionally by](http://www.flickr.com/photos/isogloss/1049811921/) [sgazzetti](http://www.isoglossia.com/). [Jagosaurus](http://www.hillbillyplease.com/blog/) found the font. And all the Photoshop work to put it together with shadows and stuff was me. Oh, and Jagosaurus came up with [the font and slogan on the front](http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagosaurus/868955953/in/pool-bitwrathploob/).

More photos of this merchandise available on [the blog](http://www.bitwrathploob.com/2007/08/22/first-merchandise-arrivals/), of course.


Design your own merchandise


Learn from our mistakes? What mistakes? It saves money when you only have to change one letter in your news graphics.

If this terrifies you, there's [a petition and tons more information here](http://foxattacks.com/iran). If it doesn't terrify you, then shame on you.

The petition might not do much good, but I can't see it doing any harm and it's only 10 seconds of your time.


Fox attacks Iran


[Civil liberties violation in my home state](http://bluenc.com/another-day-in-asheville). This saddens me greatly. I wish it surprised me more than it does, too.

> On Wednesday August 15, I was standing alone with my sign for about 10 minutes, when I was approached by Police Officer Russell Crisp. He asked me how long I was planning to stay there and I told him just a few more minutes because I had to go to work at 8:00. He asked for my ID and I obliged. I asked him if I was doing something wrong, and he said that his Sergeant was on the way and he was going to wait for him. SO, I went back to my sign holding over the interstate.
> 
> A few minutes later Sergeant Randy Riddle showed up with a paper in his hand. He spoke briefly to Crisp, then walked over to me and told me to put down my sign, put my hands behind my back, and that I was under arrest! I was shocked and almost thought he was joking until he told me again to put down the sign and put my hands behind me and I was under arrest. So I peacefully agreed and he cuffed me. I asked him why I was being arrested, he told me I was in violation County Ordinance 16-2, (the print out in his hand that he didn't bother to read to me or show me.) He told me I was obstructing the sidewalk. I told him I was not and that officer Crisp had witnessed a guy walk by me moments before.
> 
> Riddle yelled at me, "You were obstructing the sidewalk!" and "I'm sick of this shit!" then he said, "Here's your 15 minutes of fame buddy!" I looked back to see his name plate and he said in a mean condescending tone, "Yea, that's 'Sergeant Riddle' get it right!" He then put me in Officer Crisp's police car. Riddle took my sign with him and I was taken downtown and booked by Crisp. I was never read my Miranda rights.
> 
> \- [Jonas Phillips](http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/25922)


Asheville Gestapo


[Google News](http://news.google.com/) (my browser homepage) uses sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms to group news stories together. It does a really excellent job, and any bias shown is that of a whole media. Still, occasionally it makes mistakes, often with humorous consequences. Check out the juxtaposition of the story with the image here: <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-22-evil-george/1202407419_21e25177ba_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Google News Makes George Bush Look Evil">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-22-evil-george/1202407419_b4a8ee1bd5.jpg" alt="Google News Makes George Bush Look Evil"/>
</a>

How downright evil does President Bush look in this context? I _love_ it!


Evil George


It has been my understanding that the reason that we can enjoy such nice green landscapes _and_ such lovely cloudless sunny summers here in northern Spain is because we suffer through the wet, rainy winters. But this summer, the weather has been just _awful_! I've been in the water at the beach just once this year. In previous years, we went to the beach 3-4 times per week in July and August to bask in the sun and play in the waves. Not in 2007. The poor little BITWRATHPLOOB that came here for the sun and sand has so far only found great disappointment.

revver(369706) [Movie download](http://media.revver.com/qt;sharer=20700;download/369706.mov) (1.92 MiB)


Crappy Summer Weather


A [friend's husband's blog](http://lancemccord.com/stuff-people-eat-purpose-0) pointed me to this, and I feel the need to propagate the meme since it made me laugh so hard. If you've eaten recently, wait a little before clicking on this link: [Steve, Don't Eat It! Vol. 7: Cuitlacoche](http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000344.php)

> Cuitlacoche is a black fungus that infects corn fields, making the kernels bulbous and swollen as they fill with spores. It also goes by the name Huitlacoche. If you're having trouble with the pronounciation, it's: Cuitlacoche (kweet-lah-KOH-chay) or Huitlacoche (dat-sfuckin-NAS-tee).


Cuitlacoche


The town hall of Colindres had planned to prepare free roasted sardines for everyone last Thursday for [San Roque](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roch), but it rained heavily, leaving them with 500 kg (1100 pounds) of fresh sardines. So it was postponed to Saturday. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169232799_bc2d876689_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4378.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169232799_8b9591c18c.jpg" alt="CIMG4378.JPG"/>
</a>

Let's just hope the people in the houses within a one-block radius remembered to shut their windows and not hang their clothes out to dry.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170094444_308523c0f5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4379.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170094444_04757a3f61.jpg" alt="CIMG4379.JPG"/>
</a>

I _still_ smell like roasted sardines, and this was as close as I got to the cookers.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169255123_2a9fb592b9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4380.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169255123_eb65dc2ad1.jpg" alt="CIMG4380.JPG"/>
</a>

The volunteer staff that organize these things are amazing!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170128054_7b83213bf2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4381.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170128054_261d6508a0.jpg" alt="CIMG4381.JPG"/>
</a>

Everybody got two pieces of bread and about five sardines.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169285427_6736afab68_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4382.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169285427_4e03396a89.jpg" alt="CIMG4382.JPG"/>
</a>

There was a shortage of tables (none).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170156256_101a025d58_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4383.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170156256_872d38b76d.jpg" alt="CIMG4383.JPG"/>
</a>

We found this little wall to perch our plates and glasses on. The wine bottle cost one euro.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170172348_7e1d85dfc6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4384.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1170172348_e03b90ec44.jpg" alt="CIMG4384.JPG"/>
</a>

Our table wall was next to a lemon tree with these little baby lemons. If the owner of the house with this wall and tree doesn't have any cats, they will soon. Several sardine carcasses got thrown there (not by us, of course).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169322993_e0822e244e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4385.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-19-sardinada/1169322993_d008eee153.jpg" alt="CIMG4385.JPG"/>
</a>

I'm surprised the fire brigades from nearby towns didn't come sirening in. There were two bands, a bagpipe band and a brass band.

revver(366852)

The bands passed us on the way home. [Download video](http://media.revver.com/qt;sharer=20700;download/366852.mov) (3.75 MiB).

revver(366872)

[Download video](http://media.revver.com/qt;sharer=20700;download/366872.mov) (3.5 MiB).

One thing's for sure, Colindres is a small town that knows how to have a good time.


Sardinada


[The BITWRATHPLOOB is here](http://www.bitwrathploob.com/2007/08/18/intrepidly-invading-iberia/).


It arrived.


I'm going to attempt a bilingual blog post on this one, because many of the people you see in these photos have expressed interest in seeing my post about the event. The event was an awards ceremony for the [Beach Golf](/2007/04/15/beach-golf/) thing I participated in a few months ago.

Voy a intentar hacer un post de blog bilingue, porque mucha de la gente que ves en las fotos ha expresado un interés en ver este post sobre el evento. El evento fue una ceremonia de premios para el [Open de Golf Playa](/2007/04/15/beach-golf/) en que participé hace unos meses. As we were driving to the event, which was about 15 minutes away from home, I said to Marga, "You know, darling, if you marry me, you're going to have to get used to attending these award ceremonies." "Okay, as long as one of them is [in Stockholm](http://nobelprize.org/)," she said.

Mientras ibamos al evento, que estaba a 15 minutos de casa, le dije a Marga, "Sabes, cariño, que si te casas conmigo, te vas a tener que acostumbrar a asistir a muchas de estas ceremonias de premios." "Vale, pero que una sea [en Estocolmo](http://nobelprize.org/)", me dijo.

I arrived just in time to participate in a putting tournament of 18 holes (two rounds of 9). I started very well, with only one bogey on the front nine on the hardest hole, #7. But, even though I parred #7 the second time I played it, I got two bogeys beforehand. The only birdie I made was on the very last hole, so I finished with a score of +2. The winner was -3.

Llegué justo con tiempo para participar en un torneo de putt de 18 hoyos (dos vueltas de 9). Empecé muy bien, con solo un bogey los primeros 9 en el hoyo más dificil, el 7. Pero, aunque hice par la segunda vez que jugué el 7, hice dos otros bogeys antes. Y el íºnico birdie que hice fue en el íºltimo hoyo, para acabar con +2. El ganador acabó con -3.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1153080562_9e050026f9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4344.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1153080562_13b9cd2829.jpg" alt="CIMG4344.JPG"/>
</a>

Perfect form.

La forma perfecta.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1153117660_6db47fd332_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4345.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1153117660_819d8055d9.jpg" alt="CIMG4345.JPG"/>
</a>

Watching and hoping...with no luck.

Mirando y esperando...sin suerte.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157246235_da84157e73_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4346.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157246235_62bf5274b5.jpg" alt="CIMG4346.JPG"/>
</a>

Tomás, the guy that played with me on the beach, accompanied me around the green, even though he had already played his tournament round.

Tomás, el hombre que jugó conmigo el la playa, me acompañó para los 18 en el green, aunque ya habia jugado su ronda del torneo.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158117838_a1568e70a1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4347.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158117838_de9b0fb92e.jpg" alt="CIMG4347.JPG"/>
</a>

The awards ceremony begins.

Empieza la ceremonia de premios.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158131916_9fa300f4a1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4348.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158131916_58d1216866.jpg" alt="CIMG4348.JPG"/>
</a>

I like the trophies that also come with kisses.

Me gustan los trofeos que también vienen con besos.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158147268_2cebcb8af9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4349.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158147268_3b1c755c8c.jpg" alt="CIMG4349.JPG"/>
</a>

With trophy and golf shirt.

Con trofeo y camisa de golf.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158149130_d7fa90c835_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4352.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158149130_d9a83ae619.jpg" alt="CIMG4352.JPG"/>
</a>

Owl trophies. Because owls are naturally associated with the beach...or whatever.

Trofeos de buho. Porque los buhos están naturalmente asociados con la playa...o lo que sea.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157313387_89594e66b0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4353.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157313387_f157a13de1.jpg" alt="CIMG4353.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158176134_f88a761b2c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4354.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158176134_d2bff7405e.jpg" alt="CIMG4354.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157329259_e1baac718d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4355.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157329259_62725a8a77.jpg" alt="CIMG4355.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157339615_a0b88b5264_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4356.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157339615_3632ba8d98.jpg" alt="CIMG4356.JPG"/>
</a>

Pedro, The Committee, finds the winners of the putting tournament.

Pedro, El Comité Oficial del Torneo, busca los ganadores del torneo de putt.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158210636_a16e9e5629_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4357.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158210636_c326dd2b06.jpg" alt="CIMG4357.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158229196_14bdc5710a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4358.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158229196_c69203a8f6.jpg" alt="CIMG4358.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157382249_75a0815d72_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4359.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157382249_a186bd6c2d.jpg" alt="CIMG4359.JPG"/>
</a>

More kisses for the winners. Tomás can't look.

Más besos para los ganadores. Tomás no puede mirar.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157389787_222465af21_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4360.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157389787_96774d7719.jpg" alt="CIMG4360.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157395299_6d69990bd5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4361.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157395299_a156faae02.jpg" alt="CIMG4361.JPG"/>
</a>

What a coincidence! The organizer wins first place! If he wasn't such a nice guy and clearly the best golfer, we'd complain.

¡Qíºe casualidad! ¡El organizador gana el primer premio! Si no fuese tan majo y claramente el mejor golfista, nos quejariamos.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158267254_d0864dca53_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4363.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1158267254_f4ab7d0ee2.jpg" alt="CIMG4363.JPG"/>
</a>

All the participants.

Todos los participantes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157419977_37ca0d4d48_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4364.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1157419977_b6617ef78c.jpg" alt="CIMG4364.JPG"/>
</a>

All the winners.

Todos los ganadores.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1159305267_ee103b8a09_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Wine, liquor, and golf trophies.">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-18-yet-another-golf-trophy/1159305267_c963149222.jpg" alt="Wine, liquor, and golf trophies."/>
</a>

And so we continue to fill our house with golf trophies...and wine...and brandy...

Así­ vamos llenando la casa con trofeos de golf...y vino...y brandy...


Yet Another Golf Trophy


[Part 1](/2007/08/14/higuera-bullfight/)

On Sunday, we drove two hours to Zahí­nos, the town where my future father-in-law grew up. The main objective was meeting the newest member of the family, the daughter of Marga's cousin, Ana. She had a harrowing premature birth back in January, and all the doctors were 100% sure that the child would not survive her first week and repeatedly told the family so. But, through what the family no doubt considers a miracle, the little creature that started out about the size of my foot pulled through. The only lasting scar from the ordeal will probably be her name, _Valle de Gracia_, which means "Valley of Grace" or possibly "Valley of Thanks". <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123774507_3592abd605_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4255.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123774507_f59a3a6c88.jpg" alt="CIMG4255.JPG"/>
</a>

There was something creepy and robotic about this bathroom symbol at a gas station we stopped at that made me take this photo. It seems to be illegibly vandalized, too. M x G?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123797633_bddc8fe051_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4256.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123797633_d76813da0d.jpg" alt="CIMG4256.JPG"/>
</a>

We visited Marga's paternal grandfather's house, which has pretty much been closed since his death a few years ago. This "hallway of chairs" is _very_ typical of houses in rural Spain.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124681646_c4201f63ec_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4258.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124681646_bf2274aa5a.jpg" alt="CIMG4258.JPG"/>
</a>

I found this cool little handmade leather horse on top of a wardrobe.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123868405_cd6db2bb3e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4259.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123868405_0ac7beb78e.jpg" alt="CIMG4259.JPG"/>
</a>

Belén poses with her parents in front of Grandpa's old house. The way you open these old doors is to unlock the little door within the door, and then reach inside and lift the huge bar that's across the door. Pretty effective.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123913741_7c84a7c6f1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4260.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1123913741_2b17363dac.jpg" alt="CIMG4260.JPG"/>
</a>

There are no flat streets in Zahí­nos. And most of the hills are extremely steep.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124770994_c905243c46_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4261.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124770994_c4b6e90f46.jpg" alt="CIMG4261.JPG"/>
</a>

The town's annual week-long festival had just finished. This angry blond was on top of one of the spin-you-around rides that I can't stand. I can only assume that they had removed whatever he was straining to told up. A globe or the name of the ride or something?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124807086_dde3e6254b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4262.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124807086_18b08fb819.jpg" alt="CIMG4262.JPG"/>
</a>

Some sort of creepy Phoenix thing guards the Children's Park.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124007743_76d2f0eb7d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="El Toro Loco">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124007743_be6f47bca4.jpg" alt="El Toro Loco"/>
</a>

Yep, this is pretty much what life is like in the Western US. Cowboys riding crazy bulls while huge-breasted Native American and white cowgirls in mini-skirts compete for their attention.

![Native American Stereotype](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124894442_53d11a5a69.jpg)

Feather? Check. Face paint? Check. Little to no clothing? Check. Mohawk? Check. Tomahawk? Check. Making funny noises with mouth? Check.

I think we've pretty much nailed the ignorance-based stereotype.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124919548_d8ab6eeec0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Equestrian Spew">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124919548_054d319170.jpg" alt="Equestrian Spew"/>
</a>

Equestrian spew.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124966728_8f50befee5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4266.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124966728_e2ec838058.jpg" alt="CIMG4266.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124174107_96fd335f61_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="El Toro Loco (again)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124174107_a31c8e17cd.jpg" alt="El Toro Loco (again)"/>
</a>

El Toro Loco again.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124209707_bb6d83eb12_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ice Cream Cone Cannibalism">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124209707_51ef1285fe.jpg" alt="Ice Cream Cone Cannibalism"/>
</a>

Ice cream cone cannibalism. Does he have hair? Gross!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124252751_9babc8bc2d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Invisible Chess Tournament">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124252751_645b960b31.jpg" alt="Invisible Chess Tournament"/>
</a>

Invisible chess tournament.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124285131_2ffffa08fd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Translucent Flags">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124285131_69aebf81d5.jpg" alt="Translucent Flags"/>
</a>

Translucent Flags (click the image to see notes about each one).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124313531_aadc7a2492_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4271.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124313531_6e9c5cac3e.jpg" alt="CIMG4271.JPG"/>
</a>

More flag shadows.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125183404_e3b251c82c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Flags strung across street">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125183404_7c392032dc.jpg" alt="Flags strung across street"/>
</a>

Stringing flags around like this is very typical in Extremadura. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Look, Erik! Your flag!"

After our walk, I figured I should get some pictures of Valle.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125207668_66cb64fc23_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4274.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125207668_8c8104fa61.jpg" alt="CIMG4274.JPG"/>
</a>

Gorka, Belén, and Valle de Gracia. She's still pretty tiny for a 7-month-old, but she's growing fast, they say.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125233144_dd8ccb9f1e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4276.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125233144_22e248d1fc.jpg" alt="CIMG4276.JPG"/>
</a>

She's really attentive and will stare at you and wave her arms around. She's gonna have to grow into those ears.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125271448_3b558c5e77_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Big Hand, Little Foot">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125271448_b1af62dcaf.jpg" alt="Big Hand, Little Foot"/>
</a>

Gorka's huge basketball-gripping paws and Valle's little baby feet.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124466621_7831eb4e70_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marce and Valle">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124466621_dd051460cc.jpg" alt="Marce and Valle"/>
</a>

Marce and Valle.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124500247_294c2a17ee_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4280.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124500247_5f617b6397.jpg" alt="CIMG4280.JPG"/>
</a>

Grandpa Ramón watches his son-in-law's neice's baby.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124532029_548c790381_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4281.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124532029_e1622ee6d6.jpg" alt="CIMG4281.JPG"/>
</a>

A Piglet bobble-head doll. There should be a law against these things.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125401462_026fdea0c3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4283.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125401462_74b94a795f.jpg" alt="CIMG4283.JPG"/>
</a>

A tiny headless rooster.

Our evening walk took us up to the town church, where we saw the priest just getting out of his car, and he let us in to see the recently renovated church.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124574357_586064cb17_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4284.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124574357_c5c3ed3eab.jpg" alt="CIMG4284.JPG"/>
</a>

A scary stairwell in the town church.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125433588_d707263633_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4285.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125433588_593831cedf.jpg" alt="CIMG4285.JPG"/>
</a>

Even scarier with a crucifix in front of it, isn't it?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125464390_a1203b3983_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4286.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125464390_fb27f16efc.jpg" alt="CIMG4286.JPG"/>
</a>

Hey, how'd you guys get out there?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124657769_ca2623c1df_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Prayer Vending Machine">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124657769_45da8c28fb.jpg" alt="Prayer Vending Machine"/>
</a>

These prayer vending machines disgust me in a way I can't explain. Way to ruin the beauty of a flickering candle.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125536386_8853133d67_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sad Piglet">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125536386_be010a5243.jpg" alt="Sad Piglet"/>
</a>

I love this pig statue. You may recall photos of it from my previous trips to Zahí­nos.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124718533_4cbc32174d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Religious Articles">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124718533_b6e259844a.jpg" alt="Religious Articles"/>
</a>

I got a chuckle out of the idea that now seems obvious, that there are companies that specialize in making "religious articles" to furnish churches. Perhaps you can guess from the foot wounds who this is a statue of.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124736379_fb097364df_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Skull and Crossbones">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124736379_5d2dc72c70.jpg" alt="Skull and Crossbones"/>
</a>

It struck me as odd that there should be a skull and crossbones (the symbol for pirates and poison) on a crucifix. [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_crossbones) to the rescue:

> Actual skulls and bones were long used to mark the entrances to Spanish cemeteries (campo santo). The practice, dating back many centuries, led to the symbol eventually becoming associated with the concept of death. Some crucifixes feature a skull and crossbones beneath the corpus (the depiction of Jesus's body), in reference to a legend that the place of the crucifixion was also the burial place of Adam or, more likely, in reference to the New Testament statement (King James Version: Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, and John 19:17) that the place of his crucifixion was called "Golgotha" (tr. "the Place of a Skull").

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124760615_79fa9bf6ba_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crucifix Shadow">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124760615_cd8c319b37.jpg" alt="Crucifix Shadow"/>
</a>

I thought this shadow was cool.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125633046_aa98db6869_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Dome Windows">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125633046_812fdd5dd0.jpg" alt="Dome Windows"/>
</a>

The domed naves peaked in these little windowed nipples.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124809913_58856ebf7d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Postcard from Extremadura">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124809913_4783f99020.jpg" alt="Postcard from Extremadura"/>
</a>

When I saw this tree, I _had_ to photograph it. This could be a postcard from rural Extremadura. It's so typical of the landscape and colors.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125688390_6ecbfdb265_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Shadowed Wall">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1125688390_da89e6d3d7.jpg" alt="Shadowed Wall"/>
</a>

Shadowed stone wall.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124869895_95b958edda_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4296.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124869895_f2f2914aea.jpg" alt="CIMG4296.JPG"/>
</a>

The tree above with some mossy sprouts in the foreground.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124898709_a1175342d6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Horses grazing at sunset">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124898709_be758ac8f7.jpg" alt="Horses grazing at sunset"/>
</a>

What can I say? I love the shape of that tree.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124919833_f7dc6d9b2e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Canine Squint">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-baby-in-zahinos/1124919833_8c5dbe92ed.jpg" alt="Canine Squint"/>
</a>

This elderly canine (we'll call him Squinty) was also enjoying the last rays from the sun that evening.

Go on to [Part 3](/2007/08/15/extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/).


Extremadura 2007 (2 of 3) – Baby in Zahí­nos


[Part 1](/2007/08/14/higuera-bullfight/)[Part 2](/2007/08/15/baby-in-zahinos/)

On Monday morning, Juan, Grandpa and I went to a local slaughterhouse to buy a half lamb. We really only wanted a few lamb chops, but they only sold in quantities rounded to the 0.5 lamb. That evening, we had a barbeque out on the patio with the primary objective being to decide on a champagne for the wedding. The champagne selection had been narrowed down to three final contestants, and we had one bottle of each. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128122418_96897e8343_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Beautiful Antique Sewing Machine">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128122418_5fdd789bec.jpg" alt="Beautiful Antique Sewing Machine"/>
</a>

Marce brought out this absolutely gorgeous antique sewing machine to mend some pants that Belén had bought.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128140444_cc8d7e9b6c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Manufactured in Great Britain">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128140444_2b424c9979.jpg" alt="Manufactured in Great Britain"/>
</a>

I told her (in Spanish), "It says that it was manufactured in Great Britain". She said, "Really? I didn't know that."

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128151716_19124d0dab_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Street Canopies">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128151716_986da2fd9a.jpg" alt="Street Canopies"/>
</a>

The nearby town of Zalamea de la Serena does this cool "street canopy" thing during their festival season.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128161174_2858e787ff_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Footless Lucky Lotto Witch">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128161174_3822a72388.jpg" alt="Footless Lucky Lotto Witch"/>
</a>

When we stopped to buy lottery tickets, this witch hanging in the doorway caught my attention. She seems to be missing her feet. Maybe this is for luck?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127336301_90e5c95527_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga in heaven">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127336301_c5a2a49e9b.jpg" alt="Marga in heaven"/>
</a>

Marga in heaven.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128197376_cb61cf6c4f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Family Barbeque">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128197376_890f464c76.jpg" alt="Family Barbeque"/>
</a>

Good old family barbeque.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128215202_dbf936febc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sizzling lamb chops">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128215202_d8ddd78108.jpg" alt="Sizzling lamb chops"/>
</a>

Sizzling lamb chops. We brought this grill back from England a few years ago.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127388835_84c172001c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Champagne Princess">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127388835_7e9f589c06.jpg" alt="Champagne Princess"/>
</a>

Hard to decide...just a little bit more.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127398527_f6edd51c0e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Shirtless Chef">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127398527_c1737e5882.jpg" alt="Shirtless Chef"/>
</a>

Juan, the topless chef.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127413123_feeb3daac4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4311.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127413123_ac41a6c760.jpg" alt="CIMG4311.JPG"/>
</a>

The champagne kicks in, and Grandpa puts some music on.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127428659_c08afd5588_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4312.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127428659_5ecadeb418.jpg" alt="CIMG4312.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128287518_22ee804157_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4314.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128287518_91b15c99e0.jpg" alt="CIMG4314.JPG"/>
</a>

Who else wants to dance?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128324628_ab5d5769e2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Grandpa dances alone">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128324628_2b5f822da0.jpg" alt="Grandpa dances alone"/>
</a>

No one takes Grandpa up on his offer, so he dances by himself.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128306046_ac371112af_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4316.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128306046_affd425606.jpg" alt="CIMG4316.JPG"/>
</a>

Gorka snaps a picture.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128341452_a45212f07e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Three Bottles of Champagne">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128341452_39fa31c29c.jpg" alt="Three Bottles of Champagne"/>
</a>

The three contestants.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127532613_c7c723d564_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4322.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127532613_ed95a137f9.jpg" alt="CIMG4322.JPG"/>
</a>

Marce wants to dance with the chef.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128379832_af0607fef2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Topless Boozing">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128379832_45fd0814b7.jpg" alt="Topless Boozing"/>
</a>

Uh oh. Things are getting ugly. Hopefully there won't be any naked bottle sucking at the wedding.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127548169_ff8cd72834_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4326.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127548169_91ae779a57.jpg" alt="CIMG4326.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128398580_ecd0afac9f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Tiramisu">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128398580_fd0af85629.jpg" alt="Tiramisu"/>
</a>

A big blob of tiramisu.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127572837_f4e91a0ec1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4329.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127572837_7c5319cad1.jpg" alt="CIMG4329.JPG"/>
</a>

Which one was in this glass again?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127590267_e4bc4b054a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4330.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127590267_9bfe0181a0.jpg" alt="CIMG4330.JPG"/>
</a>

More dancing.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127616855_e5daf4cc01_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4334.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127616855_d52f0e1fc0.jpg" alt="CIMG4334.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127634895_26da9ff046_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4335.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127634895_45d0c78235.jpg" alt="CIMG4335.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127649565_d3dd1a8260_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4336.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127649565_b1f9d71e8f.jpg" alt="CIMG4336.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128509790_c1edc5ec4e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Dancing Sisters">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128509790_3cf981071c.jpg" alt="Dancing Sisters"/>
</a>

Dancing sisters.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128358284_58e12ed3e5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4321.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128358284_6b95a709bd.jpg" alt="CIMG4321.JPG"/>
</a>

The runners-up.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127598471_e789ca0272_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4333.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1127598471_ddc8191117.jpg" alt="CIMG4333.JPG"/>
</a>

The final winner is....Anna de Cordoní­u. In the end, we got all drunk and chose the most expensive one.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128518402_21b2c6eb73_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4341.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128518402_2219998f39.jpg" alt="CIMG4341.JPG"/>
</a>

> Es la esencia del compromiso de calidad adquirido año tras año, por la casa de Cordoní­u, desde la creación del primer cava, en 1872. Cava Brut Nature eleborado a partir de las variedades de uva Parellada, Xarel.lo, Chardonnay y de vino de reserva. De color amarillo pajizo claro y vivaz, con tenues reflejos verdes. Aromas inconfundibles aportados por la Chardonnay con matizes florales. En boca fresco, equilibrado y elegante. Temperatura de servicio entre 6 y 8°C.

And my attempt at translation...

> It's the essence of commitment to quality acquired year after year, from the house of Cordoní­u, from the creation of the first cava, in 1872. Cava Brut Nature, made from the Parellada, Xarel.lo, Chardonnay, and Reserve Wine variety of grapes. With a light and vibrant straw yellow color, with tenuous green reflections. Unmistakable aromas contributed by the Chardonnay with floral shades. In the mouth, fresh, balanced, and elegant. Serving temperature between 43 and 46°F.

Reads like a typical wine bottle.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128530692_f8c007853c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4343.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-15-extremadura-2007-3-of-3-champagne-barbeque/1128530692_d5372ac05e.jpg" alt="CIMG4343.JPG"/>
</a>

Getting sleepy....

We got up early and drove back Tuesday morning in time for me to work in the afternoon. It was a short visit for me this year, but I had a great time and I'm glad I went.


Extremadura 2007 (3 of 3) - Champagne Barbeque


On Friday morning, I cleaned the house a little and headed to Mondragon to pick up Gorka and his suitcase, go to a nearby town to pick up Aunt Marga from work (her oldest son talked her into letting him have the car to drive around Spain with his friends). When we dropped Aunt Marga off at home, Belén was waiting there with her luggage, and we took off for Extremadura. Eight hours later, we arrived in Higuera de la Serena, where Marga, her parents, and grandfather, were watching some sort of dancing horse show in the portable bullring. It finished as we got there and we all walked to Grandpa Ramón's house for dinner and rest. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117036260_9e31090b92_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4181.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117036260_6018e764dd.jpg" alt="CIMG4181.JPG"/>
</a>

Daniel Morales is actually [_from_ Higuera de la Serena](http://www.portaltaurino.com/novilleros/daniel_morales.htm). It's a _huge_ deal in rural Spain to have a professional torero from your town.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116208549_9354dacf89_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4182.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116208549_13bd9fde5c.jpg" alt="CIMG4182.JPG"/>
</a>

Marga's funny little frog sandals.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117071372_b103e2ac6d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4193.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117071372_bd33981be2.jpg" alt="CIMG4193.JPG"/>
</a>

The government of Extremadura will give you money to fix up your house if you promise to put up a plaque saying so. I remember helping Grandpa Ramón line this one up a couple years ago. Bloody commies. They'll even care for you [if you get sick](/2007/07/09/sicko/)!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1118803846_3c6485b3a6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Higuera de la Serena Panorama">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1118803846_8a492145e6.jpg" alt="Higuera de la Serena Panorama"/>
</a>

A panorama of the street where Grandpa Ramón's house is. His doorway is in the center.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117086940_98eb310bf5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4194.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117086940_9a3150e068.jpg" alt="CIMG4194.JPG"/>
</a>

Back from pre-lunch drinks and waiting for paella to cook with a slightly inebriated shutter finger.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117102574_5784784b87_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4195.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117102574_930f1fd998.jpg" alt="CIMG4195.JPG"/>
</a>

When I took this, I just thought it was a cool-looking light bulb fixture. Only later did I notice the reflection of the entire corral (what they call the inner patio place in old Spanish houses) hidden in the image.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116295737_a64b3fff34_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4196.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116295737_8eedd0c59d.jpg" alt="CIMG4196.JPG"/>
</a>

Now we're cooking with gas!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117162302_0993d138ee_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4197.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117162302_bb3d77e2c9.jpg" alt="CIMG4197.JPG"/>
</a>

Adding the rice. These paella dishes (paelleros) and [the special gas stoves](http://www.hotpaella.com/detail.aspx?ID=55) that they fit in are available in any hardware store in Spain.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117184536_c4640a6534_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4198.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117184536_a3c8decbb4.jpg" alt="CIMG4198.JPG"/>
</a>

Boiling violently. Looking at this photo, I can almost smell the seafood.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117209274_6d14d30723_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4199.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117209274_1fad52c993.jpg" alt="CIMG4199.JPG"/>
</a>

Another good year for Grandpa Ramón's grapevine.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117230212_6d6e963569_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4201.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117230212_7aa9bb6fca.jpg" alt="CIMG4201.JPG"/>
</a>

A little tile painting that Grandpa Ramón has. It says

> El dí­a que me case, buena cadena me eche.

Which means, roughly,

> The day I get married, a good chain I throw on myself.

Whatever that means...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116413913_39c0dce2cc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4202.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116413913_2ec0b3f80e.jpg" alt="CIMG4202.JPG"/>
</a>

I was very impressed by the "portable" bullring. All metal beams and wingnuts.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116444915_0ded90a1c1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4203.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116444915_a8c162c7ce.jpg" alt="CIMG4203.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117288498_f75cc924e8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4204.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117288498_8aa89b2891.jpg" alt="CIMG4204.JPG"/>
</a>

Bull in the sunset.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117297966_2274a0422a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4205.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117297966_10de9bc24f.jpg" alt="CIMG4205.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117304916_1e089da15e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4206.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117304916_0ceb744a5d.jpg" alt="CIMG4206.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116502693_53c4a31b56_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4207.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116502693_42d74643b2.jpg" alt="CIMG4207.JPG"/>
</a>

A little prick between the shoulder blades.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117352914_99bc2415bf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4208.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117352914_0bfef9a97e.jpg" alt="CIMG4208.JPG"/>
</a>

Whaddyou lookin' at?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117362326_9ed52b76ac_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4209.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117362326_7ee1f99614.jpg" alt="CIMG4209.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117367752_ce86908b27_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4211.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117367752_1ea6112fdf.jpg" alt="CIMG4211.JPG"/>
</a>

As I watched this flowing bull blood glisten in the evening sun, I was struck by irony that a country that is so Catholic and practices the [Eucharist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist) so sincerely religiously also practices such thinly veiled [tauroctony](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauroctony), ritual bull sacrifices by a hero god, that clearly comes from one of the same cannibalistic, blood-drinking, pre-Christian religions from which the Eucharist ceremony originates. This never occurred to me, but it seems so blindingly obvious now.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116563213_92e11d37d9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4212.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116563213_51f15ad495.jpg" alt="CIMG4212.JPG"/>
</a>

The hero, preparing for the kill.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117430682_0cc7ee9c90_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4213.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117430682_513eac8459.jpg" alt="CIMG4213.JPG"/>
</a>

In goes the sword.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116605455_d083cee4bb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4214.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116605455_b1234be969.jpg" alt="CIMG4214.JPG"/>
</a>

Look at all those poor folks that arrived late and had to take the sun-facing seats!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117448190_d337adc99c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4215.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117448190_ae8af2f503.jpg" alt="CIMG4215.JPG"/>
</a>

Daniel Morales on his knees.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117476654_78b0508232_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4216.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117476654_b8796e83e3.jpg" alt="CIMG4216.JPG"/>
</a>

Come here, Mr. Bull!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117507338_1ed6549069_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4217.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117507338_009078587c.jpg" alt="CIMG4217.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116679025_58bb05b711_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4218.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116679025_2f2f1d84ef.jpg" alt="CIMG4218.JPG"/>
</a>

A lone flower was placed along the bullring wall.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117521036_fbdb5cfd87_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4219.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117521036_38750b41dc.jpg" alt="CIMG4219.JPG"/>
</a>

Spanish banderillas.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116700581_8393ca503b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4221.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116700581_2d601607a3.jpg" alt="CIMG4221.JPG"/>
</a>

The Extremadura flag waves in the sunset.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117545700_22d8441f7b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4223.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117545700_9fdcefe632.jpg" alt="CIMG4223.JPG"/>
</a>

Only after single-handedly killing the strongest symbol of masculine virility can a heterosexual man walk around proudly dressed like this.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117569234_de36015050_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4224.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117569234_6262f201d3.jpg" alt="CIMG4224.JPG"/>
</a>

Camera starting to struggle with low light levels.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117576658_b740b3f1b8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4225.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117576658_cef07b01df.jpg" alt="CIMG4225.JPG"/>
</a>

Juan drinks some wine from the _bota_ to wash down the sandwiches we brought.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117607766_cb52cbe3e5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4227.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117607766_1cee473fb9.jpg" alt="CIMG4227.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117623060_7a0598e66f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4233.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117623060_3e169a6851.jpg" alt="CIMG4233.JPG"/>
</a>

Marce thought it would be fun to throw our bota at the torero as he does his victory lap to see if he would drink from it. His assistant threw it back unopened and a little dirty.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116792137_49b2bf8eb6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4234.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116792137_dc245428e8.jpg" alt="CIMG4234.JPG"/>
</a>

It's scarier in low-light blurry vision.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117634404_12d7b58030_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4235.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117634404_2a5f2359de.jpg" alt="CIMG4235.JPG"/>
</a>

Things are starting to get a little Picasso.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116810985_9e6ea78375_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4236.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116810985_962403bcef.jpg" alt="CIMG4236.JPG"/>
</a>

I wouldn't want to fight a bull after dark (or at all, really).

On our way out, we got to walk by the slaughterhouse truck and talk to the people inside who were slicing and dicing. I thought it was pretty cool, Marga, who worked for years as a slaughterhouse veterinarian, was bored by the sight, and Juan was asking if we could get a steak.

WARNING: The following images are of dead bulls and their insides. If you would like to skip them, [click here](#no-guts).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117670358_672b7a17bc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4240.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117670358_ed5dd280c4.jpg" alt="CIMG4240.JPG"/>
</a>

All their legs were snapped at the ankle (see top left). I'm sure this is standard practice, but it was the grossest part to me.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116865553_977375080e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4241.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116865553_2d2877fdd7.jpg" alt="CIMG4241.JPG"/>
</a>

Wide open.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116897693_985cefccc5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4242.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116897693_c0faf0cd56.jpg" alt="CIMG4242.JPG"/>
</a>

Guts spilling out onto the floor. Check out the knife holster!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116916017_62c12bd3a4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4243.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116916017_b3ea48e8cb.jpg" alt="CIMG4243.JPG"/>
</a>

Splayed Innards

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116944385_781c9251cb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4244.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116944385_330e190d6c.jpg" alt="CIMG4244.JPG"/>
</a>

Man, I wish _my_ teeth were that white!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116974691_912d0e8ab3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4245.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1116974691_5ac31ab3be.jpg" alt="CIMG4245.JPG"/>
</a>

Head wound.

Welcome back to the squeamish.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117002643_bc48cff6e0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4247.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117002643_a2ab2a46e1.jpg" alt="CIMG4247.JPG"/>
</a>

That night we went out to dinner.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117864298_dd96a491bd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4249.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117864298_f3a4aedf78.jpg" alt="CIMG4249.JPG"/>
</a>

Marga had me carry her teeny tiny lipstick.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117889390_6de200e3ee_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4252.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117889390_2d2a2258c5.jpg" alt="CIMG4252.JPG"/>
</a>

For scale. A 0.50€ coin is about the size of a US quarter.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117917556_c9c9784c94_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4254.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-14-higuera-bullfight/1117917556_c1d6aa88e3.jpg" alt="CIMG4254.JPG"/>
</a>

Marga's friends Sonia and Emi.

Go on to [Part 2](/2007/08/15/baby-in-zahinos/).


Extremadura 2007 (1 of 3) - Higuera Bullfight


Like an epic hero, today I embark upon a journey to go find the woman I love, wherever she may be. I happen to know that she has been in Extremadura ever since [she left me 10 days ago](/2007/08/01/10-days-of-bachelorhood/). Hopefully my journey will be less wrought with peril and struggle than a typical Homeric epic.

Here's my [Extremadura entry from last year](/2006/08/21/extremadura-2006/) to tide you over until next week. Back on Tuesday.


Going to Extremadura


There seems to be a spot in the sky right near my house where clouds form. Yesterday was a very active day in the skies over Colindres. We had a nice sunrise, rain at 9:30am, relatively clear skies in the afternoon, and a cloudy evening. The sky in the early afternoon were full of little "[Simpsons clouds](http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagosaurus/865668839/)", the kind a child would draw. Oh, and check out the spot right in the center of the video at 3pm and 7pm where all the clouds form out of nothing.

The video is a little long and I don't really like the music, but it is what it is, so here ya go:

revver(357000)

[Download Video](http://media.revver.com/qt;sharer=20700;download/357000.mov) (7.08 MiB)


Cloud Formation


Just a few photos that slipped through the cracks lately. Actually, they all contain cracks. Hey, a theme! <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051546798_1a8983f292_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Three Cherries">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051546798_aaa050a95d.jpg" alt="Three Cherries"/>
</a>

Something about the clean, bright color of the cherries against the dirty, dusty, grimy street pleased me. I found them as you see here. They must have fallen out of someone's grocery bag. You all remember [how to say "cherry" in Spanish](/2007/05/24/una-cereza-por-favor/), don't you?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051570964_ef9267d06b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Creative Graffiti">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051570964_6e15c45297.jpg" alt="Creative Graffiti"/>
</a>

This is by far my favorite graffiti in all of Colindres (and there's almost no graffiti here). Clearly the hole was there and the people who were painting a "Let Christ into your Life" mural a few meters down came over and gave the hole a little character.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051590280_42ac2fb31a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Police Station">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051590280_b9a823d002.jpg" alt="Police Station"/>
</a>

This is the Colindres police station. The words "authority" and "law and order" aren't the first to come to mind upon seeing the pretty stained glass bricks. It's also the Municipal Music School according to those letters. That's a little more appropriate for the architecture, I think.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051597120_0283b359aa_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crack Weed">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-08-crack-photography/1051597120_238f5f7607.jpg" alt="Crack Weed"/>
</a>

This little guy was growing in a wall in Mondragon. I should have put down a coin for scale. The whole thing is about the size of a US quarter or one-euro coin.


Crack Photography


Flickr just scared the crap out of me. I just went to my Flickr account at [http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/), and saw this: <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-flickr-scare/1039090803_68c23fb05c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Flickr Deleted All My Photos!!!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-flickr-scare/1039090803_96a1b51f0f.jpg" alt="Flickr Deleted All My Photos!!!"/>
</a>

"You haven't uploaded any photos yet. Get started here!" _I WHAT!?!_

What was so authentic about this is that it had my correct username, showed my correct contacts, and said "0 photos / 7,199 views" at the top.

Luckily a browser restart fixed the problem, but I think I almost had a heart attack. _**Not**_ funny, Flickr!!


Flickr Scare


The other day, I noticed the perfect silhouette and reflection of a housefly, [_Musca domestica_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housefly), sitting on the glass table in the kitchen. I watched it for a bit and then went to get my camera. As I looked more closely, it looked like he was eating a breadcrumb. As I was taking these, I realized that my camera really sucks for macro photography. I had to set it on manual focus and then move the camera closer and further from the winged subject to get the focus right. I must have discarded about 30 attempts. (So don't complain about the focus!)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-musca-mucus/1037699058_0e9033afa6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4147">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-musca-mucus/1037699058_f59acfbc31.jpg" alt="CIMG4147"/>
</a>

This is the original silhouette. His face and arms look almost human, don't they?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-musca-mucus/1036845689_7f651a15d7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4151">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-musca-mucus/1036845689_802538e8e5.jpg" alt="CIMG4151"/>
</a>

Yes, the table's a little dusty, but what do you expect with the door open letting in all the flies?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-musca-mucus/1037702458_c162e79ed4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4156">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-07-musca-mucus/1037702458_badb0f1834.jpg" alt="CIMG4156"/>
</a>

Here you can see how red his eyes are. Yes, that's a box of beer reflected in the background.

Then, as I was taking these photos, he proceeded to rub the ball of liquid in his "hands" all over his face and eyes. He then put his hands back up to his mouth and started to cough up another batch. Gross, huh?

The two relevant bits of information from [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housefly) are:

> Houseflies can take in only liquid foods. They spit out saliva on solid foods to pre-digest it, and then suck it back in. They also vomit partially digested matter and eat it again.

and

> Flies continually preen themselves, cleaning their eyes with their forelegs and dusting off their legs by rubbing them together. They do this because most of their taste and smell receptors are on the hairs of their legs.

It reminded me that flies really do operate in other worlds, where forces like [surface tension](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_tension), that only matter to us when doing belly flops, are hugely important. Imagine being able to hold a drop of water the size of your head in your hands. According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housefly), it's surface tension that allows flies to defy gravity and walk on the ceiling. There, I hope you've learned a little something about our little domestic pest. I leave you with one of my favorite song verses, about being a housewife (something I'm not unfamiliar with):

> There's flies in the kitchen. I can hear 'em there buzzin'. I ain't done nothin' since I woke up today. How the hell can a person go to work in the mornin' And come home in the evenin' with nothin' to say?
> 
> \- John Prine, _Angel from Montgomery_


Musca Mucus (a.k.a. Fly Spit)


I thought I'd throw together some opinions about some movies I've seen lately.

### The Astronaut Farmer ([imdb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0469263/))

I understand the whole "You can do anything you want if you really set your mind to it" myth that we tell children. I'm fine with that. But the physics, plot, and general science behind this movie was atrocious. It wasn't even that entertaining. Thumbs down.

### Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix ([imdb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0373889/))

I watched five minutes of this movie and then turned it off. Absolutely nothing about Harry Potter is interesting to me, with the possible exception of the mass mob psychology of the fans. I've seen two other Potter movies, and they both seemed loud, silly, and boring to me. I just don't "get it". I've never really liked the "fantasy" genre or any book or movie involving magic or excessive paranormal activity. A big muggle thumb down.

### I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry ([imdb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0762107/))

This was just as I expected. Good, happy comedy by two good comedy actors, with Sandler calling in some of his SNL buddies for small parts. Apparently Will & Grace didn't actually exhaust the entire spectrum of gay jokes. It made me wonder if homosexuality will ever be so commonplace and homophobia so eradicated to the point where gay jokes are no longer funny. I suspect not. Thumbs up.

### Fracture ([imdb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0488120/))

I had never heard of this movie when I saw it. I can describe it in the simple phrase, "Hannibal Lecter meets John Grisham." This was the first movie I've seen where Anthony Hopkins was trying not to be British. He should stop that immediately. The leading role was played by [Ryan Gosling](http://imdb.com/name/nm0331516/) (who looks a lot like [David Arquette](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000274/)). Gosling is awesome! He's got a great career ahead of him. _Very_ good movie. Thumbs up.

### The Simpsons Movie ([imdb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0462538/))

Exactly what I expected. If you like the television show, you'll love the movie. It's nothing fantastically new. The seemingly oxymoronic phrase "clever slapstick" came to mind. Thumbs up.

### The Number 23 ([imdb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0481369/))

Who knew that Ace Ventura was such a fantastic actor!? Jim Carrey is very impressive in this movie. I've always thought that psychological horror was way better than screaming ax-murderer ghost horror. [_Apt Pupil_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apt_Pupil) is the scariest thing Stephen King has written, in my opinion. Plus, I loved the simple arithmetic numerology that the movie is based on. The plot is based on the lead character going insane because he sees the number 23 everywhere. He was born on February 3rd, he got [married on the fabulous date of October 13th](/wedding/) (10 + 13), etc. While I'm completely aware that the same game can be played with any number (just ask the 9-11 conspiracy freaks), I couldn't resist some 23 play as I lay in bed after watching this movie. I was 23 when I abandoned my homeland and emigrated to England, shortly after 9-11. Of course 9-11-2001 is 9 + 11 + 2 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 23. :-) See how I specifically chose to break up the digits of 2001 but not 11? That's how you play the game. It's a good movie, but there's a bigger risk of resulting insanity than any movie I've seen, so be careful. There's nothing special about the 9th prime number, composed of two digits from the Fibonacci sequence. Thumbs up.

### The Messengers ([imdb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0425430/))

I've been "watching" this movie while I've been writing this blog entry. It's exactly the kind of "screaming ax-murderer ghost horror" that I don't have time for. The only positive thing I can say about this movie is that [the little girl from Panic Room](http://imdb.com/name/nm0829576/) has grown into a very pretty teenager. I'm gonna turn it off now. Thumbs down.


Movie Reviews


No, "roofless" is not how David Beckham describes the Paparazzi. Seriously, have you heard that man speak? I think he and George W. Bush might be tied for the prize of "person who most sounds like an idiot when they talk". At least David has some demonstrable talent and good looks. Yesterday, I took a sunny midday walk around town, stopping at several bars to sit out in the sun, sipping a [martini](/2007/06/14/martini/), and reading _Slaughterhouse Five_, the first pocket-sized paperback that caught my eye on the bookshelf. It was a most enjoyable way to spend my time.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-05-roofless/1014969409_427ca938db_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Convexing Blue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-05-roofless/1014969409_4e51dd1850.jpg" alt="Convexing Blue"/>
</a>

This is one of those convex "so you can see cars coming from around the corner" traffic mirrors. Check out that bluest of blue skies!

There's this one house in Colindres whose ground floor is boarded up and people put concert and festival posters there (like [this one](/2007/06/25/shaila-durcal/)). Recently, though, it's started to stink. I suspect that something has died inside. One of the boards was loose enough so that I could peer inside, and I was surprised to find that the house wasn't there at all. It was just a faÃ§ade being held up by the adjacent houses. The inside was overgrown with grass, vines, and the timber remains from when the house collapsed. That was when I got the idea to take some photos of the balcony door of this faux faÃ§ade.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-05-roofless/1014986431_f89f0c3fa9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Roofless (1 of 2)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-05-roofless/1014986431_ca8f9da8b6.jpg" alt="Roofless (1 of 2)"/>
</a>

No need to come out onto the balcony to check the weather outside.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-05-roofless/1015864654_f790caa3dd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Roofless (2 of 2)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-05-roofless/1015864654_cd0f754f84.jpg" alt="Roofless (2 of 2)"/>
</a>

It's kind of a pity that a house more or less in the center of town should be in this state.


Roofless


I have good news! For a mere Ulysses, I was able to revive [my dead laptop](/2007/06/12/cactus-cam-goes-offline/). Its battery and dvd drive don't work anymore, but I was able to install [Tiger](http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/) by booting to my first generation iPod. Having a spare laptop is worth well more than $50 to me. The final result is that I am now able to make timelapse movies again! I have always loved timelapse videos of clouds rolling in the sky. My attempts to record them have been pretty poor so far, but I lucked out yesterday and got some footage of some really turbulent morning skies.

Things to watch for in the video:

1. I love the reddish tint to the top of the clouds as the sun rises.
2. It's a bummer that my CCD camera blacks out an entire column when faced with direct sunlight.
3. It's cool how, in the early afternoon, the clouds keep trying to come up over the horizon, but get burned away as soon as they do.
4. We had a clear blue afternoon.
5. Watch carefully between 9:15 and 9:45 as the Earth's shadow rises up from the horizon.
6. The moon shoots up into the sky at almost exactly midnight.

revver(352140) [Download Video](http://media.revver.com/qt;sharer=20700;download/352140.mov) (3.48 MiB)

The last part is pretty similar to my [Moonrise](/2006/11/06/moonrise/) video.


Turbulent Morning


> You buy furniture. You tell yourself: this is the last sofa I'll ever need. No matter what else happens, I've got the sofa issue handled.
> 
> \- Jack, from [_Fight Club_](http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Fight-Club.html)

This is how I felt about my Salad Dressing Delivery System (SDDS). I love my two little [Salad Chefs](/2007/05/18/salad-chefs/). They are unique, original, ergonomic, and aesthetically pleasing. I was certain that there was no room for innovation. But I was wrong.

_Pouring_ salad dressing onto salads, resulting in an uneven distribution of dressing, is soon to become an antiquated thing of the past. The future of SDDS technology? Not pouring, but _SPRAYING_! Straight from the country that brought us the pizza, the thermometer, and the [2006 World Cup Champions](/2006/07/10/italy-wins/), comes [Aceto Balsamico Di Modena](http://www.consorziobalsamico.it/ING/index.htm) in a _spray_ bottle!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-03-salad-dressing-delivery-systems/995154189_04a8a22cfc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4135.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-03-salad-dressing-delivery-systems/995154189_96296ac68f.jpg" alt="CIMG4135.JPG"/>
</a>

Ingredients: wine vinegar, grape must, and caramel coloring [E150D](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E150d "Is there nothing Wikipedia doesn't know about?").

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-03-salad-dressing-delivery-systems/995171185_68e01eb713_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4133.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-03-salad-dressing-delivery-systems/995171185_939c117bcb.jpg" alt="CIMG4133.JPG"/>
</a>

An elegant looking chap. The one in the reflection, not the one on the bottle.

revver(351408)

Sweet spraying action. [Video download](http://media.revver.com/qt;sharer=20700;download/351408.mov)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-03-salad-dressing-delivery-systems/996046592_ab23eb33d3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG3960.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-03-salad-dressing-delivery-systems/996046592_841085c725.jpg" alt="CIMG3960.JPG"/>
</a>

Look at the perfect vinegar droplet distribution! Now how do you feel with your inferior pouring-based SDDS?

So where do we go from here?

It's obvious why vinegar was the first condiment to have atomizing technology applied to it because of its low viscosity. I suspect that, given the right amount of [scientific research](http://exploration.nasa.gov/articles/07jun_elastic_fluids-liftoff.html "NASA studies ketchup"), thicker condiments could also be atomized. I see no reason why a thin coating of ketchup droplets could not be applied to a pile of french fries...or mustard to a hot dog...or salsa to tortilla chips....

This vinegar spray, probably in a slightly smaller bottle, will also double very well as a self defense eye spray. A woman can order a salad in a restaurant, spray some vinegar on it from a bottle in her purse, and then, if she's mugged leaving the restaurant, she can spray some sweet balsamic grape must in her attacker's face. A win-win situation, really.

I hope that you are now thoroughly convinced that your current SDDS solution is inferior and flawed. Change is afoot in the world of Salad Dressing Delivery Systems, and even the larger industry of Condiment Delivery Systems. And you heard it here first!

By the way, apparently you can [buy one of these for yourself on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Balsamic-Vinegar-Modena-Spray-igourmet-com/dp/B000JDHR7W) for a Hamilton.

_Offtopic footnote:_ How strange is it that the Italian word for vinegar, _aceto_, is so close to the Spanish word for oil, _aceite_? It can't just be a coincidence. Are there any MPCE scholars out there that can clear this up?


Salad Dressing Delivery Systems


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983923551_f19136f9ce_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Gorgeous Leaf">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983923551_53c814ea0f_t.jpg" alt="Gorgeous Leaf"/>
</a>

These are just some photos of stuff that caught my eye during an evening walk around Colindres last Sunday. Carrying a camera with you makes you see the world a little differently.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983663307_3f6eab4fb4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4101.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983663307_323f42439f.jpg" alt="CIMG4101.JPG"/>
</a>

This thing creeped me out a little, just imagining this little goblin critter scurrying around inside the car while you're trying to drive, sinking its tooth into the back of your neck.

Notes:

1. In case it wasn't obvious, "a bordo" means "on board".
2. A Lunni (pronounced "loony") is a Fraggle-like creature on [Spanish children's television](http://www.rtve.es/tve/b/loslunnis/)
3. Did you know that "creeped", as in "creeped out" is not a word? The past tense of "creep" is "crept".

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983695119_1b42bab78f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4102.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983695119_fd47c70e53.jpg" alt="CIMG4102.JPG"/>
</a>

This has to be one of the strangest and most beautiful flower of any plant I've seen.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983721761_4df1d7b641_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4104.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983721761_e681943a61.jpg" alt="CIMG4104.JPG"/>
</a>

I've seen them in several places around Colindres, usually climbing on chain link fences.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983741923_36564b3129_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4105.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983741923_e0b2cdcfbc.jpg" alt="CIMG4105.JPG"/>
</a>

This is the fruit they turn into. Any botanists out there want to identify this thing?

Upon reaching the harbor, we saw the strangest thing. A huge group of quite large fish were swimming in circles near the surface of the water. I still have no idea what this accomplishes for them.

revver(350472)

[Video download](http://media.revver.com/qt;sharer=20700;download/350472.mov)<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983770145_091faea36f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4108.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983770145_0673efc46e.jpg" alt="CIMG4108.JPG"/>
</a>

Beautiful pollution.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983810297_1ea70bf0e1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4109.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983810297_3404a020f7.jpg" alt="CIMG4109.JPG"/>
</a>

There were hundreds of fish swimming into and out of this hole.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983843807_b8a8e0abd3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4110.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983843807_8a9c9b0c24.jpg" alt="CIMG4110.JPG"/>
</a>

Big ones too!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/984724154_d7649a6374_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4112.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/984724154_d31c891ff5.jpg" alt="CIMG4112.JPG"/>
</a>

They're digging up part of the town park, and it's becoming obvious that it was used as a trash dump at some point in the past.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983894537_6aca7df907_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG4113.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983894537_71108ea5e6.jpg" alt="CIMG4113.JPG"/>
</a>

The layer goes all along where they're excavating.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983923551_f19136f9ce_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Gorgeous Leaf">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-02-walking-with-a-camera/983923551_53c814ea0f.jpg" alt="Gorgeous Leaf"/>
</a>

In the park, I looked up and saw how beautiful this leaf was with the diffuse sunlight shining through it. This is my current desktop background. [Here's the full size](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1220/983923551_f19136f9ce_o_d.jpg) if you want it.


Walking With A Camera


This morning I drove Marga halfway to Mondragon where her father met us to take her to Mondragon and later today, she will go with her parents down to Higuera de la Serena in Extremadura. I will go down to visit for a weekend in 10 days. Like everything, my job has its pros and cons. The pros are numerous. I've never met anyone who can work from anywhere in the world like I can. The big con is vacation time. Europeans that _start_ with five weeks of annual vacation find it impossible to understand how Americans can survive with only a fortnight. So Marga clearly has to spend her vacation time without me. She has already spent a week at home from work this year. And on top of that, in Spain, everyone gets two _extra_ weeks of vacation when they get married, so me spending my entire year's vacation on the honeymoon doesn't use any of Marga's. So she's spending two weeks in Extremadura and I'm here all alone. :-( It sucks, but I would never change my job for a Spanish one.

Before she left, she bought a pair of sunglasses. For the past four years, she's been saying, "I should buy a new pair of sunglasses this summer." The ones she has that she bought 9 years ago are just getting a little old. I finally had to drag her kicking and screaming to the local optician to try on some shades. She ended up with some huge, but stylish, Prada glasses that look really good on her. I didn't manage to get a picture of her in them yet, but I will.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-01-10-days-of-bachelorhood/973092762_672a165d6f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Prada Box">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-01-10-days-of-bachelorhood/973092762_9e5c8b844b.jpg" alt="Prada Box"/>
</a>

Very [Kubrick](/2006/11/09/the-black-box/), don't ya think?

Since the cool shades are large and curved these days, the box they came in looks like it could hold a pair of child's shoes.

And it's a good thing she bought some shades, 'cause...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-01-10-days-of-bachelorhood/973112314_6d3684f202_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sun God">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-08-01-10-days-of-bachelorhood/973112314_cb8097954c.jpg" alt="Sun God"/>
</a>

Summer finally arrived. I took this picture yesterday afternoon when I noticed the hazy sky made the sun look all huge. That's the steeple of the town church.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit frightened to be here all alone when I know that [_that thing_](/2007/07/31/the-bitwrathploob-project/) could ring the doorbell at any moment.


31 posts from August, 2007