Viewership was growing.  Videos numbered in the 40′s which celebrated Toros throughout the bullfight world.  But in the end, the Antis have convinced YouTube to pull the plug on DBBtv. Without any warning, my YouTube account was terminated today. A form letter from YouTube was waiting for me in my DBB inbox which explained “due to repeated attempts to upload inappropriate, your account has now been permanently disabled and your videos have been taken down.” They are obviously refering to the Taurine content of my videos. YouTube finds it perfectly acceptable to post kids beating up on each other, Cris Crocker and other dumb ass shit, but when some PETA moe foes complain about my videos of Toros, YouTube is ready to pull the plug. To complain and take this fight further is only playing into the Antis hands. YouTube aren’t the only game in town. Fuck ‘em. I’ll take my videos elsewhere. ¡Cabrones!

Have you ever reached for a $15 bottle of wine and end up uncorking a Vintage 1988 Spanish gem. Hello! I received a Torres Cabernet Sauvignon in a wine club shipment a couple months back, filed it and forgot about it. As I reached for a mid week beverage I recalled purchasing a Torres wine at BevMo a couple weeks back. I didnt think much of it until I tasted the glorious glass of the smoothest Cab I’ve tasted. Oops. Not bad for a wine who’s grapes were picked 20 years ago. Oh well, I’ll look closer next time. Went well with Linguini and Italian sausage.

Mario Aquilar made his debut in Madrid on Sunday April 6th, 2008. The Las Ventas crowd was reluctant at first to acknowledge his work in the ring on his second and sixth novillo of the day, but trickles of olés could be heard from the Las Ventas tendidos. Aguilar did a fine job with “Habanero” from the Martelilla ganaderia. Aguilar out performed his counterparts with excellent work with both his right and left. He finished with a good placed sword and was awarded with the first ear of the 2008 Madrid Temporada. With Aguilar’s performance, the promise of young Mexican talent surfacing. Joselito Adame has paved the way recently for Aguilar, El Payo (who made his debut in Madrid last year) and Oliver Godoy as the best of the young Mexican Novilleros, and Matadores of the future.

Nice video of the Feria de Arles 2008 originally aired on Tendido Cero. Music by Salsa Rosso, Misirlou (Theme from “Pulp Fiction”).

This year I’ve got my moneys worth of my subscriptions to Setanta and Fox Soccer Channel. I’ve seen Barnsley, Tottenham and Chelsea turn in some real great performances. In what had to be the best game I’ve seen all year, my team from Serie A, Palermo dramatically defeated Juventus in a 3-2 Italian thriller. It was a game where Amauri from Palermo and Del Piero from Juventus each scored a brace, and where four players went down with serious head clashes. Amauri took on the Juventus defense by himself on his first goal and bent the esferico past Buffon. He top his effort with a world class header past Buffon and two Juventus defenders. Del Piero took the stage in the second half with two trash picker goals to bring Juventus even. The best goal of this dramatic encounter was an outstanding effort from Palermo’s number 18 Cassani, who in the 89th minute hit a shot from 26 meters to win the game. Buffon could only watch as the goal gave Palermo a well deserved win.

The 2008 edition of the Feria de Abril has proven to be at the very least a trial of emotion, triumph and disaster for some ganaderos. Corridas from Cuardí, Torrealta, Valdefresno and Cebada Gago were terrible but the Victorinos provided Sevillanos with an afternoon of drama, danger and triumph. Before the Victorinos, El Fundi faced a difficult lot of animals from the Portuguese ganaderia Palha. El Fundi turned in an afternoon of showmanship, knowledge and experience. Rejoneador Diego Ventura shined on horesback with his two bulls from from Fermín Bohórquez and exited through the Puerta del Principe. It was the performance of Pepín Liria in his farewell corrida in Sevilla which provided the most drama. Liria received his second Victorino with a Porta Gayola but the toro paused and charged right into the matador from Murcia. Liria was violently tossed, rose and did three rushed capotazos de brega, followed by a couple of Veronicas, two Media Veronicas and a recorte. It was an amazing display of composure, artistry and desire all while his ass cheek was exposed to the Andalusian crowd. During the faena, Liria was again caught by his toro who tossed the Murciano onto the sand, picked him up again and had him upside down on the horn on his bone hard cabeza. Liria’s banderillero Carlos Casanova grabbed the Victorino by the horns and allowed the matador to escape. The afternoon was not finished because Antonio Ferrera and El Cid turned in masterful performances with their Victorinos but could not match Pepin Liria’s ear. Sebastian Castella turned in a good performance with his castaño from Torrealta, but failed to be rewarded along with is fellow matadores Javier Conde and Alejandro Talavante.