Jen, let's go to our own respective corners and come out when the bell sounds, okay? Hehehehe... Just kidding. REALLY! You ask, why censor at all? Because "this is a family show" and I'd like it to be a welcome place for everyone of all sensitivity levels. Imagine an older person, church goer maybe, coming here and seeing all kinds of 4-letter words. She may never come back. And worse, she'll hold a negative opinion of this entire website just because of the choice of words from, maybe, one person's posted message. I'm no bible-thumper, purist, or even anything close to pompous. I swear everyday, truth be told, but never in "mixed company" or with those I don't know VERY well.

Regarding that earlier posted messsage from the guy who was looking for marijuana or hashish (I don't consider these swear words) in Madrid, I would say, as you did, that I "honored" his question at all. If you remember. I was polite and ask that if anyone wanted to correspond with him to do so via email and not to create a true thread about it. I did this because I didn't want to encourage such a thing. And in fact, I did not remove his posting. You'll find it under the thread title of bar \"heavy\"/smoking bars in Madrid in the "Eating, Drinking, & Entertainment" forum from early July. And, if I'm not mistaken (feel free to correct me), hashish/marijuana is not illegal to possess (maybe allowed only in small amounts??), but is illegal to sell. Maybe it's one of those "tolerated" things like prostitution in Madrid, I really don't know. Remember the prostitution thread??

You write, "I'm takin gthe liberty to assume that you probably don't want to offend others or be offended yourself, or even perhaps , you may want to protect the innocent eyes of minors or sensitive readers." It's the last one. So sue me for trying to keep things on a positive bent here (nevermind that pickpocketing thread. heehhee).

Yes, I know the Rick Steves website pretty well and I have enjoyed what he says about Madrid in particular.

Okay. Okay. Yes, this is the wrong forum. But suffice to say that I think we'd all like this to be an "open" forum for travellers talking about Spain and I only ask people to do so in anyway they like as long as they don't use those four swear words. I don't think that's asking a lot.

Saludos, MadridMan

MM-
I do not think you are asking too much. I agree, actually, about unnecessary(sp?!) swearing, as there is a time and a place.
I wouldn't want anybody, especially little, old ladies (or big, young ones, for that matter!) to be turned off and miss all this most excellent info. Keep the peace, bro and congrats, again, on maintaining the best site on the internet.
Jen

Hey, MadridMan:
Your most recent post on this thread offends me: I am a male, 'senior,' and on Sunday, 10 Sep I attended Mass at la Iglesia de la Magdalena in Sevilla. The following week we attended Saturday evening Mass at Santa Catalina Church in Alameda de Osuna (Madrid). Your post seems to assume that any church-going person is of the female persuasion. Well that ain't so! Although the majority of attendees at both Churches were of the female Gender, there were also a considerable number of males, like myself.

'[censored], hombre! Que es lo que pasa aqui?' As you are probably aware, this is an often used expression in Spain (Madrid). I don't think it's even considered profane anymore. On the bus between Santander & Bilbao, there was a radio talk show on and one of the callers described some government officials as: 'hijos de la grandisima puta.' It was one of those risque talk shows like we have here in the good old USA. If this had been during the Franco years, that radio station would probably have been sanctioned.

And for the ladies: 'CONYO, Hija!' Asi es como todo el mundo habla en Madrid ahora.

MadridMan:
Please don't 'dump' me from your forum for this outburst.

Eddie, I'm not at all sure if you are kidding or not. I'm convinced that anything anyone says with any opinion will most certainly offend someone on the planet so if it's my turn to offend you, I'm very sorry. I consider you a valuable part of this message board. I'm not so sure why you think that I think that you think that I think that all church-goers are female. Aha! Here's why you think this. I said, "Imagine an older person, church goer maybe, coming here and seeing all kinds of 4-letter words. She may never come back." Oooookay. This is why. Maybe because when I was writing my posts above I was thinking of my two grandmothers (now deceased) who were regular church goers, clean living, and good people, and how they would react when reading things. My mistake. I didn't mean to saying only women, but also men and all humanoids and organic lifeforms from all universes.

Thanks Jen for your support. I do the best I can. And I too have opinions and don't want to be afraid to express them as no one should.

Saludos, MadridMan

Hi everybody!
I´m certainly speachless after reading rgf´s post as an answer to mine (I´m glad I can still type;-)
So you know plenty of "espanyoles"? Are you a spaniard yourself, so you can really relate to the language and censor what is "right" or "wrong"? After reading your posts I don´t think so.
Saying that expressions like "vale, vale, tranquilos" is the language of twenty-something spaniards doesn´t speak for understanding and knowing the spanish language either.
Same thing with the word "cabrón". It is a fact that spaniards LOVE to swear and do it a lot. Go to a bar, have a cortado and just listen to the crowd around you: If there´s, for instance, a Real Madrid-Barcelona match being transmitted on TV, you better get something to put in your ears, cause that would probably make them fall off;-)) And if there is a group of 60-somethings, you better be advised, that the only diference there´s going to be to the younger ones is that they might even be worse what swearing is concerned!
Neither do I think that I "jumped right in before getting a feel for the board". Maybe you should take a look at my other posts. I am a "Madrilenio" who just happened to travel around the world a little bit and is now living in Germany and missing his hometown. I think I do have many experiences that I can share with others preparing their first trip to this town.
And just one more thing rgf: As you seem to have a son of my age or near (I´m 29), I don´t think you should act like a kid by writing "And MM, if I am one of those sensitive protective types, I can be outta here and cede the floor to the young cabr*nes happily". Please, my 6 year old son would have that kind of reaction...
Maybe I should post a new topic: the spanish language. to swear or not to swear, that is the question;-))
I hope nobody gets mad at me, for saying what I think about this and that. You guys also criticize my posts;-}}

Hahahaha... I think by the time this thread dies (if it ever does) *margarita* will have all the bizarre trivia she was hoping to find out about Madrid/Spain. FYI: NO ONE gets "kicked off the board" unless they're downright violent, blatently offensive, or threatening. I haven't deleted a member yet and hope I never will. So have fun and ENJOY yourselves everyone! I know *I* am. I'm sure I enjoy MadridMan's Spain Message Board as much as anyone.

Saludos, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 09-20-2000).]

WDJunior, Ud. se ha definido muy bien. Ya esta bien. ?Me hace el favor de no dirigirse mas a mi? Sabe Ud. decir, con mucho gusto seN~ora?Pues, me imagino que si, siendo hijo de quien es. Un saludo.

[This message has been edited by rgf (edited 09-20-2000).]

For sure, in Spain, swearing is more widespread than in other countries...But still, I think while MANY people love to swear, that is not true for all. I know plenty of Spaniards who never, or very rarely, say [censored] and [censored]. Now you may say that my friends are mainly pijos-but the thing is that the appropriateness of these terms just depends on the context. In the companies I worked for, it would have been inappropriate, I talked with my younger colleagues and they affirmed my impressions that the superiors would highly disapprove of such a language. And I guess in dealing with the older generation it would also be perceived as a lack of respect if you talked too sloppy.
I think, in general, particularly non-native speakers should rather be cautious about vulgar slang terms because they have a harder job assessing the appropriateness in a given context.

[This message has been edited by connie (edited 09-20-2000).]

WDJunior, did you really mean to say unless you are a Spaniard, you cannot really relate to the language? I think it would not be fair to the many members of this message board who studied extensively the language, have lived in Spain for a longer time, have familiar links and/or Spanish partners, but happen to grow up with another mother tongue if you told them all their experiences are not valid and they have not the right to have an opinion.

WDJunior, are you madrileno? really? Then I understand why we (madrilenos) have the nickname "chulos". I am sorry but I read many of your posts and I think that you are a little bit "smart a**", you came here with a lot of energy, coursing (you said Espanoles love to do so but I don't agree), trying to be the coolest... listen, this is a place to talk about Spain and to try to help people who is having their vacation in Spain, you don't need to impress to nobody.
Of couse, I hope you accept my apologies if I am wrong.
rgf, please don't leave, you are very nice and helpful. When there is a group as big as this one usually there are people that we don't like, but most of the people here are VERY nice and I bet you don't want to lose them : )