Monthly Archives: August 2009

You call this an olive?

Spain,

Some people in Spain take their olives very seriously indeed. Like this chap from Gijón who received a dish of olives as a tapa to accompany the drink he’d ordered.

Upon trying the olives, he apparently ‘went mental’, complained about the olives, insulted the bar owner and proceeded to cause €500 worth of damage to the joint, throwing tables and chairs at passing vehicles, and smashing glasses and bottles.

Perfectly reasonable behaviour, you might well think. And I’d agree. What sort of disgraceful behaviour would make you totally flip out?

This is war! War makes madness! This is madness?

Catalonia, Photo posts, ,

This billboard is on my walk from the bus to work. It’s advertising the ‘This is war! Robert Capa at work’ photographic exhibition which has come to Barcelona after a successful stint in London. The image used is, of course, Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death – a fine photograph which most experts consider to have been posed (not that this makes any real difference: all images are created, one way or  another, and this is a particularly good image).

Attached to the billboard is an interesting statement from persons unknown, pointing out that Capa’s great work was staged, and then continuing for lines and lines and lines without really saying anything that makes sense. Is this madness?

One other thing worth noting: hampones is a synonym of ladrones, I’m told. It’s a new one on me.

capa2 capa1