It ain't right

On a weekday morning a few weeks ago I was waiting for my friend Carlos in the central plaza in Barcelona. Suddenly a loveably scruffy guy with a small notepad came up to me and told me he was with El Periódico de Catalunya, a major newspaper. What did I think of President Zapatero's announcement the day before that he would create a new Ministry of Sport?

I said that while I had heard the announcement, I really didn't have much of an opinion about it.

Yes, but what do you think?

I don't know. I guess because I have a child I think physical activity is important? But really, I repeat, I have no opinion about this.

*Furiously scribbling* So you think promoting physical activity among the public is positive?

I guess. I guess it's important that people stay active. But really, I haven't given this announcement much thought.

Ok, my photographer is just going to take a photo. *Other man rushes in from side. **Click** *

It comes out Sunday. *Runs away*

---

No joke, it really happened that fast.

I didn't remember to get El Periódico that Sunday, but Carlos remembered that I had told him about this encounter, and as his mother keeps all her copies of El Periódico for weeks, he rooted around and surprised me with this clipping this week.

My repeated "I have no opinion" comments were edited out, and my Spanish kindly made more eloquent. I am pretty pissed that I'm on the lame minority "pro" side. Jeez, if he was going to jump me like that because he needed to fill some page space, he could have at least made me look cool.