Re: OT: 4 signs we are in deep deep doo-doo

On Mon, 3 Sep 2007 20:35:53 -0700, "Rider" <noone@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


"CrashTestDummy" <f.j.bradfordREMOVE@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
Yes I have. Picadors are the horsemen that jab the bull with a
lance. Often two lances. In the bull's neck muscles. If they're
successful (which admittedly they usually are) they do this before the
bull injures them or the horse.

What you are referring to is the Mexican version of bullfighting where the
picador is on horseback. The Spanish version does not use a horse-mounted
picador.

While it may be true that the Mexican version currently relies on
unmounted picadors, I was trying to refer to the traditional form of
bullfighting (in Spain) where mounted picadors were used (pre 1724).
As I understand it the sport of bullfighting, as it orginated in
Spain, was undertaken by aristocracy on horseback. With the rule of
King Felipe V, came a ban on aristocracy participation in bullfighting
(the king believed it to be a bad public example). So commoners
adopted the sport themselves and, unable to afford horses, began the
tradition of unmounted picadors.

Current bullfighting is evidently popular in Spain, Mexico,
Portugal, several other Latin countries and Southern France. The U.S.
does have a bloodless form of freestyle bullfighting popularized by
the PBR and it's rodeo clowns.

In any case, it's a minor point but thanks for clarifying.

I grew up around
roosters and hens and, contrary to Rick's claim, can vouche for many
rosters being predisposed to 'spurring.' Now granted, they don't have
razors secured to their claws in their natural environment, but they
do indeed fight for dominance.

I didn't say it wasn't natural for roosters to fight. Like any other
creature that exerts dominance either for territory or mating ritual, there
is some fighting involved. What isn't natural is for them to fight to the
death. In nature, once a rooster has asserted his dominance the submissive
rooster usually retreats and the fight is over. In a cockfight, the roosters
are whipped into such a frenzy that they fight more furiously than in
nature, and the same spurring inflicts greater injury with the false talons.

Sorry, I misinterpreted this exerpt: "...from animals that aren't
normally prone to such aggression in nature." I took that to imply
that roosters aren't normally agressive, when I know from experience
that they can be *very* aggressive. Put razors on the talons of any
group of roosters in their normal habitat and I imagine that serious
damage would be done. Would they fight to the death? Probably not...
unless it was somewhat accidental. But they can definitely be
aggressive. Again, I minor matter of semantics and misinterpretation.
No harm no foul.

The playing of the race card in this instance was ridiculous and
unwarranted.

"Can't we all just get along?"

I completely agree.

As, I imagine, would most folks with common sense. Hell, there's a
lot of laws I don't like. But I don't expect to be immune from
repercussions if I violate them. Nor would I want people of my race
coming to my defense with idiotic comparisons involing race, religion
or creed. Because then you go from having one idiot (me) to having an
entire race look ignorant.

Been ridin' lately Rick?



Fred Bradford - CrashTestDummy
f.j.bradfordREMOVE@xxxxxxxxxxx
.