Words About Things

Take a look at this video taken from a profile on a popular dating site. Starts out standard enough, but keep watching for when she goes off the reservation later on…

A railway station in Hyogo prefecture, Japan has appointed two new Station Masters in an effort to revive its struggling finances. It is hoped that the new Station Managers will attract more customers to the Hojo-cho station which has seen less travelers in recent years. So who have they employed (as if the post title hasn’t given it away) a celebrity? Girls dressed in short skirts? Nope, monkeys!

The monkeys are called Nehime and Rakan and belong to a local resident who put them forward for the job. Apparently the local population have welcomed the addition of simian railway staff:

The monkeys, aged seven months and three months, were dressed in blue uniforms made from traditional local fabrics complete with mini hats before being formally appointed station masters and “special city residents” by the local mayor.

The Hojo-cho railway line is the first in Japan to run a biodiesel fuel train. It may well be the location of a few more firsts if the new monkey overlords get their way. Unconfirmed reports have stated that staff will now be paid in bananas and will be required to undergo compulsory flea checks each morning. When asked how he felt about his new position of Station Manager Rakan replied “OO-OO-OOO-AAA-AAA-AAA” and picked his nose.

Following the practice being banned in the northern region of Catalonia Spanish politicians have tried to protect the future of bull fighting in Spain. Members of the Partido Popular (People’s Party) have put forward a bill which if successful would overturn the ban and prevent further legislation. They claim that the practice should be protected as it is an important part of Spain’s national Culture. If it were considered a cultural event bull fighting may escape the nationwide ban that many see on the horizon. Spain’s ruling Partido Socialista Obrero Español (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) opposes the bill being put forward by the People’s Party.

Bull fighting has been banned in the Canary Islands since 1991 but is still popular in many other regions and with visiting tourists. Many believe that bull fighting is of vital importance to Spain’s national identity and should be protected as such. Tanya Case, a 41-year-old Spanish teacher from Vermont said “you cannot have Spain without bullfighting”. Some members of Spain’s royal family would seem to agree, they are often spotted at such events. Bull breeder Eduardo Martin-Penato unsurprisingly supports the bill saying “”Under the Constitution the government is obliged to protect culture.”

Others see bull fighting as nothing more than ritual torture and welcomed the ban in Catalonia. They see the practice as outdated and unnecessary – a show for the many tourists Spain attracts and nothing more. The fact that bull fighting is a long standing tradition has little impact of the thoughts of many in the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party who believe that it should have been banned long ago. Attendance at events has fallen in recent years in part due to economic troubles but some suggest the Spanish are no longer interested in Bull fighting. Mimi Bekhechi of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called the attempt to pass the bill “just a desperate attempt by a small minority of people to cling to this former tradition that most Spaniards have no interest in whatsoever”.

It is unlikely that the bill will be passed as law as long as the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party remains in power. The bill is only likely to succeed if the People’s Party win the next election although this looks increasingly likely.