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Leading a Bull to Water -- and Making It Swim
Sure, it might take years of practice, nerves of steel and a few sharp swords to bring down a gigantic, raging bull. But have you ever tried to make one swim? Residents of the Spanish coastal town of Denia do every year -- 18 times.
Read more... Sure, it might take years of practice, nerves of steel and a few sharp swords to bring down a gigantic, raging bull. But have you ever... more -
Man Gored & Several Injured in Pamplona Bull Run
One man was gored and several people have been injured in the annual 'running of the bulls' in Pamplona as part of the San Fermin festival.Professional matadors fight, and invariably kill, the bulls each afternoon of the festival. Fourteen runners have died in the running of the bulls since record-keeping began in 1924.
The last fatality from a goring was a 22-year-old American, Matthew Tassio, in 1995. In 2003, a 63-year-old Pamplona native, Fermin Etxeberri, was trampled in the head by a bull and died after spending several months in a coma.
On Sunday, a 23-year-old Irishman died after falling from an ancient wall that encircles the old quarter of Pamplona. One man was gored and several people have been injured in the annual 'running of the bulls' in Pamplona as part of the San F... more -
Running From the Bulls of Pamplona
There comes a time in the life of every young man when he feels the need to test his meddle and tempt the hands of Fate. This may take the form of signing up with the French Foreign Legion and fighting in far away places, hunting large animals with large guns, jumping out of airplanes, or pitting his wits against the speeding enraged bulls of Pamplona.
Personally, I blame that macho-istic bastard Hemingway for my foolhardy decision to run with the bulls of Pamplona several years ago. Ernest Hemingway’s classic novel, “The Sun Also Rises”, brought world-wide attention to Pamplona’s bizarre age-old festival of allowing bulls to run through the streets as they please running over and goring those mad enough to run with them. Hemingway created an international pilgrimage of machismo to Pamplona’s San Fermin festival. For some of those pilgrims, that journey has led to a gory martyrdom.
But gory martyrdom is what the San Fermin festival is all about. Saint Fermin, Pamplona’s patron saint, was martyred in Roman times by being drug through the streets by bulls somewhere in France. This grisly demise is honored by Pamplona’s residents every year in July with a huge week-long festival. In the morning the bulls and the fools run. In the afternoon bullfights are held in the Plaza de Toros Arena. The rest of the day and on through the night time is spent in merry-making. Various different parades of floats, musicians, and banner-waving drunks periodically sway and weave their way through the crowds. People will party until they drop where they stand from exhaustion but the party just rolls on. Its like Mardi Gras with bulls.
Hemingway’s spirit seems to haunt the festival. I could just imagine old Ernest slouched jauntily in a doorway with a drink in one hand and Sangria stains down his white shirt as he watched the festival with approving eyes. In one of the streets, there is a bust of Hemingway wearing a bull runner’s bandanna.
The night before my run I was dancing and drinking in the company of some young local senoritas. One girl I particularly fancied was a dark-haired girl named Bettina. We chatted as best as we could with my limited Spanish which encompassed only a few swear words and some pick-up lines. Surprisingly, I was doing quite well but she would periodically point to her hand. On her hand she had scrawled her boyfriend’s name. I guess this was so she wouldn’t get carried away and forget about him. The ink wouldn’t wash off either much to my misfortune.
Still I was able through the use of pantomime to get her to promise me that she would cry for me if I were gored by a bull in the upcoming run. I believe Hemingway would have approved of this: dying a glorifyingly gory macho death and having a beautiful girl cry over your body.
Come morning I remembered that I had never actually read any of Hemingway’s works except for “The Old Man and the Sea” when I was in the 5th Grade. This story about a big fish didn’t exactly prepare me for handling big bulls. I was entirely on my own. My only knowledge of the run came from second-hand information and the opening scene of “City Slickers.” In it, Billy Crystal is seen at the festival running in front of a bull that is just jogging along at a reasonable pace. I thought this was the normal speed of bulls. No problem. There comes a time in the life of every young man when he feels the need to test his meddle and tempt the hands of Fate. This may take... more -
Running of the Bulls vs Running of the Nudes
The annual Running of the Bulls macho fest in Pamplona resulted in 13 injuries (but none impaled) officials said today. Most of the injuries were minor ones like being trampled on, head injuries, and/or broken ribs. This is just the first of eight stages so expect more shishkebabbing in the days to come. Like many things at The Gritty and the Pretty we don't "get" a lot of things and this one isn't an exception. Why would you run in front of a herd of bulls just to prove penis size? Isn't it easier to just drive around in a Camaro?
For the past five years, PETA has been protesting this "outdated tradition" by staging their own "Running of the Nudes" where hundreds of activists clad in little more than a red scarf and plastic horns run through the streets of Pamplona. While I don't understand Running of the Bulls I can't say Running of the Nudes makes much sense to me either. I don't think protesting by running around naked (lot of supermodels are PETA members) will convince the Running of the Bulls Committee to change their ways.... What do you think?
post your comments at thegrittyandthepretty.com or here on Current The annual Running of the Bulls macho fest in Pamplona resulted in 13 injuries (but none impaled) officials said today. Most of the i... more -
Running of the Bulls 2008 - photos
Check out these photos from the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
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Bull's bottom bugs Bombay brokers
Indian brokers at the Bombay Stock Exchange are calling on the authorities to bring in religious experts to change the direction of a bronze bull statue. Picky. Indian brokers at the Bombay Stock Exchange are calling on the authorities to bring in religious experts to change the direction of a ... more
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