TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Sue … Festas nas Paróquias at Caniço at the weekend.
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Lovely Madeiran sunshine in today’s photo.
Wish I was there.
It rained here last night almost like a biblical deluge.
It’s rained every day since the end of June.
Wonder if I should take up boat building and animal husbandry, just in case.
A sweltering 29ºc forecast for much of Madeira today Martin, so I shall be thinking of cooler climates as the day goes on.
29c? is that all,i’ll get a sweater!!
Just seen a whole host of what look like whales – whitish – Balugas (sp?) we’re not sure – going round past Funchal heading west. Wonder if any of you with better telescopes & more marine knowledge can identify them? They should be going past you in the next say 20 mins…
Moving to another country has nothing at all to do with the fact that bull fighting in my opinion is barbaric and cruel and that those that take part and enjoy inflicting pain on an innocent animal and get injured/killed, deserve what they get – mindless b*****ds.
Whilst my opinion certainly won’t see any end to this outdated and insane activity, I have every right to express my opinion on cruelty towards the bulls that undergo this torture. I guess that Andre and Susan etc also find bear baiting/bile collecting, whale hunting, cock fighting, dog fighting etc all ok too?
Madeira Wine Rally on TV :
(the hours shown are CET, but still look a bit suspect to me)
EUROSPORT
Friday 31/07/2009 LIVE 22:00-22:30 day 1
Saturday 01/08/2009 LIVE 23:00-23:30 day 2
Tuesday 04/08/2009 22:30-23:00 Rally Review
LIVE 23:00-23:30 day 2
Tuesday 04/08/2009 22:30-23:00 Rally Review
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 31/07/2009 00:30-01:00 Highlights day 1
Saturday 01/08/2009 08:00-08:30 Highlights day 1
Saturday 01/08/2009 00:30-01:30 Highlights day 2
Sunday 02/08/2009 08:00-08:30 Highlights day 2
Thursday 06/08/2009 13:00-13:30 Rally Review
Friday 07/08/2009 18:30-19:00 Rally Review
By the way, the visiting king of Spain is said to be a big fan of bear hunting.
Sorry for this duplication, but Emily has duplicated her point on this article.
I’m not even sure what you mean, Emily. Your comparisons are very strange. It’s like you’re suggesting that because I think boxing is acceptable, stabbings are as well. But by all means, jump to your own conclusions on what I find acceptable. If you think horse riding is a nice humane way to treat horses, then what do you think of the National Hunt?
Express an opinion by all means; both of you have been pretty intemperate in your use of language. Der, if you think Madeirenses, or Spanish for that matter, care as much about animals as us (after you discussed their animal rights legislation) then you’re mistaken. Look at the amount of stray animals there are. As for your hilarious suggestion that there should be a “stab a bull for fun” campaign, how about a slit the throat of a bull and then eat it campaign? Except that is already practised, and I assume you eat meat.
You both make valid points but I must respectfully disagree. If you’re that bothered about bullfighting, I have a suggestion. Change the channel.
The comparisons of cock fighting, dog fighting and whaling etc all amount to the same thing – people thinking it is ok to use animals in this way for entertainment purposes – there is no other reason for it. I do not think the comparisons I gave are strange at all – they all lead along the same route – humans thinking that animals have no feelings, no rights and can be used just as we see fit. Stabbing a bull and provoking it as they do within bull fighting is purely what some strange beings might consider entertainment – hardly the same as killing the bull for meat (usually by a single shot through the brain in most civilised countries- not by slitting its throat as you seem to think).
FYI I think NH racing is cruel – far too many horses with broken legs/necks etc for it to be considered an entertaining sport.
For your information also, I think the majority of Madeirenses certainly do not care for animals – there are those who do and are trying to improve the situation, but for the most, chaining a dog 24/7 seems normal and acceptable practice.
“Civilised” countries? So those who practise kosher and halal are uncivilised? Pretty insulting if you don’t mind me saying so, denigrating an entire culture. As a country dweller, do you disapprove of fox hunting as strongly?
The point you’re making seems to contradict the fact that you enjoy horseriding- is this not a leisure activity, for entertainment? The only people that have really needed horses in the past few hundred years have been gauchos and Native Americans. Animals are kept for our entertainment- they have been domesticated for this very purpose. We keep them for fun.
Hope you’re enjoying the fantastic weather anyway, if you’re over here.
You will see from my previous post that I don’t agree with fox hunting either! I disagree strongly with any form of entertainment that involves animals being mutilated or cruelly treated.
My opinions are just that – I am a real animal lover. I hate seeing animals neglected, abused or misused. My views will never change the way some people act towards animals whatever country they live in. I do what I can, when I can to try and stop cruelty to animals but mostly have to be content with the fact that the most I can do is ensure the animals in my care have happy, healthy lives and are cared for unconditionally. I am sure if you were to ask my horse he would tell you he has the life of riley, whether or not that also involves a trip out around the country lanes carrying me on his back!
There is a huge difference in having a ride on a horse and bull fighting as a form of enterianment as far as I am concerned. My horse has regular check ups on his back, has his teeth treated by an equine dentist and receives all his routine vaccinations and shoeing etc. If he was ever in any pain through riding I would stop immediately – I can see how my views on cruelty to animals be it bulls or any other animal can have anything to do with owning a horse.
Anyway, enough said my me on this matter as I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with my views of things as not everyone is an animal lover – you have got your bull fighting debate Der as requested!
How about having a pet cat and allowing it to mutilate, play and then kill endangered birds at their leisure?
How many ‘animal lovers’ allow this?
How many say this is only the cat’s nature?
How many millions of birds die unecessarily and painfully because of cat lovers?
How about the fox who bites the back end off 17 chickens leaving them fluttering in their death throws and then not eat them?
This is my experience.
How many say this is only their nature?
Is fox hunting merely revenge?
How many families leave their children unattended at night whilst they go out and enjoy themselves, leaving some old paedophile to enjoy himself, as in the Madeleine case.
Is this only nature?
What appears to be cruelty to some might seem to be quite natural behaviour in both animals and humans.
In East Anglia, a much needed road widening scheme, promised as long ago as 1964 is now delayed for a public enquiry to ensure ground curlews are sufficiently protected.
The protection of humans is ignored and their death toll will rise beyond the 105 in 40 years in order to protect a bird!!
Sometimes animals seem to have more rights than humans it seems to me.
Andres could not have put it better myself, why do people want to change another’s culture and tradition, and add insults.
I don’t go to bull fights or watch them on television, but would give me the right to deny the rights of the people who do attend them or watch.
Most of us “use” animals in one form or another whether it’s keeping a dog for a pet or whatever but Emily’s contention that “I am sure if you were to ask my horse he would tell you he has the life of riley” is a very simplistic view.
Horses are herd animals, so to be kept singly, is against their nature and regardless of how well they are kept, can they be truly happy?
Is someone who is imprisoned even in luxury, ever going to be happy?
As I said, most of us are guilty of using animals but surely the line has to be drawn where our pleasure is achieved by inflicting pain or suffering on the animal.
This rules out fox-hunting, bull fighting, badger baiting etc. as being acceptable.
It is not a case of finding fox — hunting, badger-baiting,shooting of rabbits for fun acceptable, which I don’t and wether I choose to have an opinion or not on the subject should not offend anyone. However my opinion on one thing, I think that the people who offered help and support on this blog during the fires should be commended.