Why I'm boycotting Target from now on.

Damn! Target was probably one of the last big box corporations to receive my money, but no more. It wasn't as if I thought they were that different from Wal-Mart or Best Buy, or any other big corporation, but they have spent a lot of money here in MN to create the appearance of good corporate citizenship: supporting the arts, sponsoring Pride, and promoting their LGBT-friendly employee policies. But I've learned (from this MPR story and many other sources) that the CEO and management solicit their employees for donations to conservative PAC, such as MN Forward, which used the money for ads for bigot Republican candidate for Governor, Tom Emmer, who advocates the most extreme views of

In this video, Eden Prairie grandmother Randi Reitan explains her reasons for returning items she had just bought at Target, cuts up her card, and tells us that she knows nobody in her family would want to receive a gift from a store that supported hate against their Uncle Jake, her son. I hope this movement grows, although the comments on the video make me sad (teh stupid! it burns!).



For more information on this story, go here and check out the WCCO story that describes the PAC. This is an indication of what will happen in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision ruling that corporations can be treated like individuals in terms of political contributions and free speech.

It will be interesting to see the impact this story has on Target's plans to open new stores in San Francisco. Good luck with that one. Eden Prairie ladies are polite. SF activists are not.

leaving Aragón

Today is my last day in Zaragoza. I fly to London again this evening. Yesterday, we took a walk by the Ebro river, and Blas told us about the giant fish called "siluro" (an invasive species of carp) that have been seen catching pigeons near the bridges. This film clip about these fish also gives a nice sample of the local accent.


I love the local program that gives a mini-course on local usage.

zaaragoza street art

we went on a photo safari. I have a ton of pictures of gorgeous street art, but Blogger is acting persnickety and I can't seem to upload them right now.

Old skool: the famous "Frutas de Aragón" candies (chocolate covered jellied fruits) are not my favorite, but check out the traditional clothing on this big headed kid.

While I'm away....

Leo is in very good hands.

His decorative belly fur doesn't fit in the window ledge.

Spain's going to the final!!!!

El pulpo Paul was right!

And I have to miss the final match because I am going to be in an airplane right at that exact time.

rooting for Espain

My daughter's father is Spanish, but he does not follow football or enjoy football culture in Spain, probably for the same reason that I don't follow major league sports in this country very closely although I love athletic competitions: corrupted by money, hyper-masculinity of an unpleasant variety, homophobia, etc. But in this World Cup, I have been rooting for Spain to advance to the semi-finals because I actually know something about the players and the team from having spent time in Spain every year for the last fifteen years. If you read the papers or watch TV, even just the comedy shows, you can't help but learn about the club rivalries, the names and personalities of the players (and their nicknames), their girlfriends, the coaches, how the national side have never advanced past the quarter-finals before, bla bla bla.
So even though for professional reasons I root for all the Latin American teams, and for admiration of their play I enjoy watching the Dutch and the Germans (two of the best matches I have seen have been theirs, and their handsome coach Joachim Loew has not been allowed to clean his "lucky blue sweater"!), I have to root for La furia roja to go to the final round.

and also because of this:

Voila l'été

I used to have a cassette recording of Mlah! (1989) the first album by French group Les Negresses Vertes. This was one of my favorite songs, but the whole collection is brilliant.

Learn all about the band and their music here.
(a misheard lyric, Where they sing "enfin l'éte" (finally, summer!) I always heard "oh, folle éte!" (oh, crazy/wild summer) which works just as well.).

Les Negresses Vertes
Voilà l'été
Lyrics :


Voila lété
Voila lété
Voila lété
Voila lété

Voila lété, j'aperçois le soleil
Les nuages filent et le ciel s'eclarcit
Et dans me tête qui bourdonnent?
Les abeilles!
J'entends rugir les plaisirs de la vie
C'est le retour des amours
Qui nous chauffent les oreilles
Il fait si chaud
Quil nous poussent des envies
Cest le bonheur rafraîchi d'un cocktail
Les filles sont belles et les dieux sont ravis.

Enfin l'été
Enfin l'été
Enfin l'été
Enfin l'été

Enfin l'été.
Mais 'y a déjà plus d'argent
Le tout Paris se transforme en phobie
Le métro sue, tout devient purulant
Dans ses souliers, le passager abruti
A dix doigts de pied qui s'expriment violemment
Ya plus d'amis les voisins sont partis
L'été Paris cest plutôt relaxant
On rêve de plage
Et la Seine est jolie.

Toujours l'été
C'est pas du superflu
Il fait trop chaud, le soleil m'abasourdit
Rillettes sous les bras
J'avance dans la rue
Je pense a ces cons qui se font chier dans le midi
Tous ces torche-culs qui vont cuire dans leurs jus
Tous ces noies, la mer quelle saloperie
Et sur les routes le danger ça vous tue
Vivement l'automne, je me sens tout aigri.

Toujours l'été
Toujours l'été
Toujours l'été
Toujours l'été

Voila l'été, j'aperçois le soleil
Les nuages filent et le ciel s'eclarcit
Et dans me tête qui bourdonnent?
Les abeilles!
J'entends rugir les plaisirs de la vie
Cest le retour des amours
Qui nous chauffent les oreilles
Il fait si chaud
Quil nous poussent des envies
Cest le bonheur rafraîchi dun cocktail
Les filles sont belles et les dieux sont ravis.

Voila l'été
Enfin l'été
Toujours l'été
Encore l'été.