Tolerance and culture

In a grand new show of culture and tolerance, the average street american people are once again in the spotlight thanks to this clip...

Sadly, I've been searching how to embed this video directly in the blog as I usually do... but I can't find it... so I'll change it later. For the time being, click [HERE] to see this magnificent piece of work...

FREEEEE!!!!!

Some of you know what I've been going through for the last 5 years (some more than others). Wel, NO MORE.

Yesterday, at last, the (way too) long story of my separation came to an end. Thanks to a decision by the Supreme Court of Madrid (which once again came to my rescue after the... shall we call it... "less than orthodox" decisions by the local court) which gave me the stronger hand in the negotiation (so they really had nothing left to bother me with).

At last, the oposite part was forced to negotiate (in reasonable terms) in order to get something out of it and we reached an consensus which was just a little bit over what I had originally calculated. So little, in fact, that it was more than worth it just to be rid of the whole thing and carry on with my life.

In a few days (I'm still preparing it...) I will bring you the whole story, complete with documents and all, so you may judge how the legal system works in this country...

MARRY ONLY WITH A PRENUP AGREEMENT!!! It has nothing to do with trust nor love. It only makes simple sense so that, if worse comes to worse, the end is just less painfull than is necessary.

Incongruities

It is probably because I didn't sleep well today. Maybe I'm too tired. The thing is, when I'm tired, I think weird thoughts. Just today. I was thinking of the incongruities on the tolerance of the modern man (and woman).

For instance. If someone asked you, what would be the correct age for someone to start an active sexual life? You'd all have different answers, according to your own background. I know people who lost their virginity as early as 13 years of age. Personally, I lost it when I was 17. Those of you who are parents will probably have a different reply, thinking of your own children. Dads with boys will probably boldly say 16. Dads with girls will, however insist on a minimum of 18. Mothers... well... I'm not too sure what mothers would say...

In other countries, girls get married as early as 12 or 14. (How barbaric!! Yes, yes, well ...)

What would you say if I told you of a song that promotes relationships with underage girls? With all the "keffaffle" now-a-days with child pornography, many would pull their hair out. What if I was to tell you many of you even know it and some have even sung it? (Oh, my God!!). No, people, it's not so far-fetched. I'm talking about the famous song by the spanish band the "Duo Dinamico", called "Quince años tiene mi amor" that stayed as a number one in the spanish sixties charts for many years. It's not so long ago (may, 1961), but if someone on this day and age, with the same [age as these guys] when they released [the song] (Manuel de la Calva, 24 years old and Ramón Arcusa, 25 years old) actually had a relationship with a 15 year-old girl... how many would shout, horrified, "ABUSE!!!"

Oh, well...

Today, in the news (sorry, can't find the link), there was a piece about a chirigota (small acapella band typical of the Cadiz' carnivals) the chuch wants to excomulgate because of a joke with the word "Eucharistic wafer" (in spanish it has a double meaning, as when someone strikes an "ostia" to someone, he hits someone). How far are we going to get. We are talking about a chirigota, please!

There are other incongruencies, of course. Some are so tied to their cellphones they are quite happy to risk their lives and those around them just to keep talking (often chatting!!!) while they drive. I'm no talking about when you're stopped at some traffic lights, but doind 140kph down the motorway. Whenever I go to work with my bike I get to see at least 7 or 8.

And we all know how much we contaminate on our daily life. If we all know how important it is, how can someone just wait for the kid's school bus sitting in a car with the engine running!!! For long periods of time, too!

It is also funny how, on rainy days, when it is most dangerous to drive, the train is usually half empty whilst the roads are packed with cars.

You know what? It's probably because I'm tired and have slept badly, but all the more every day, I think us, humanity as a whole, we deserve all we get, natural catastrophies, the monsters our society generates, the "accidents" we cause ourselves, etc. I'm not talking individually; there is a good percentage of people who don't deserve but good things, but...

The perfect drummer

If I ever learn to play the guitar like [THIS] guy, I will need a drummer to match. I've found the perfect drummer. When this video was recorded, the kid was only 12 years old. I don't know if he has improved much since... I really can't see where he could improve...

Marco Antonio... Get your arse in gear and start learning! THIS is what I call a real drum solo!!

Then there is, [THE COIN MASTER],[BAND WARS],[PAINTING WITH MS PAINT],[PAINTING WITH SAND]

A stag night with a difference... or two

Last saturday and due to celebrating the stag night (yeah, another braindead...) of our good friend Chuss, we got together in the italian restaurant "Tagliatelle", here in Madrid. There was quite a few of us.

This is all of us, on a "before" pic:

The poor waitress (see pic below) had lots of patience with us and was very pleasant. As we sat down she treated us like gentlemen. This treatment lasted untill we told her we were out on a stag night, when she threw her arms up and said something along the lines of "Dear God!" and trated us like youths the rest of the evening.

We had a major feast of all kinds of pasta an pizza, all doused with beer and Lambrusco wine. Due to this dousing was this... watch...

Naturally, that wasn't the end of it, but the peculiarities begun. We were only just finishing our second course and beginning our deserts (some of us didn't even get to try them!) a small fire was declared in the kitchen and smoke filled the place. We were promptly ushered out. Naturally, to this day, we all deny any involvement in the fire...

Once outside, naturally, some people left straight away and others left shortly afterwards. A few minutes later someone came out and announced that if we gave them a few minutes they would sort out our bills. This was taken as a cue for half the people to remember about their business elsewhere. Shortly after that, the guy came out again and announced that due to the disturbance we were all invited. Round of applause and Rade and Edu, who are most diplomatic, collected a few bucks to give to the waiters who had actually worked quite hard.

Once this resolved itself and relishing on the experience, we crossed the street and began the first of the night's entretainment: NEGONE - Escape from Mazzinia.

Here, a game takes place in which we all play convicts trying to escape from a hi-tec prison. You are given a wrist-strapped console in which you have to accumulate weapons and items to that effect. In each room you are presented with a logic problem you have to solve to get the item. The console is used to acces the screens with the enigmas. Also, you can score points with hidden extra access points.

The scenarios are quake-like (ok, so no shots and no lava, but...) and get you right into the storyline. The ambience includes lasers, smoke, floors that move, strobic lights, artifacts and varied attrezzo, nets, ladders, ramps, access tubes and loads of things to jump over, climb, crawl under, etc.

Of course, when you get out, there is a bar!

The night was filled with good moments, laughter and curious experiences. Truly, a night to remember.