h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The dead are so terribly silent.
Their murderers are so very eloquent.
Murderers have a vocal lobby.
The dead have the Terminator.

This is a terribly sad, and yet stirring verse.

How are things with you these days?

Hello there, thank you, me man. You see it never ceases to amaze me, how eloquent murderers can wax on the right to live, once caught in the trap themselves. But what amazes me even more is those who back them up in it. I'm grateful Arnie didn't cave in to their pressure, including the fools from his hometown Graz. That's what inspired that verse, as you no doubt guessed.
You see I rather feel with the victims, and the only argument that i'm willing to consider as serious, and very serious indeed, is that of doubt regarding guilt or innocence.

Hope you had a good Christmas. Mine was very restful, and we even had a little bit snow!

Ah! I didn't get that... I thought the Terminator was a reference to the end of all things! There's a discussion on this topic in Ask H2G2 at the moment: not Arnie's decision specifically, but regarding the death penalty.

I would not have liked to be in Arnie's shoes during that time. It was a brave decision to be sure.

I had a very good Christmas here. The kids are getting that little bit older now, so the occasion is a very special one for them now.

Well it has a double meaning of course, i like double meanings!
And i agree with you, i wouldn't have liked to be in Arnie's shoes, both times. And it wasn't like he was being just tough and selfrighteous about it either, he rather went out of his way to explain his decision. The guy really has guts apart from action movies!

What is the general attitude towards him in Germany? Sympathy or loathing?

Well, when he became the Governator, I was bringin out his health in several bars for a week and got a fine collection of fishy stares, especially in the "happening" places Our politians also sniped him a lot, but that's just their jealousy! I say as most polititians are actors, we could at least have A-movies, not the schlock we have now.

How's it over in Eire? I had a collegue at UCC who always got a big rise out of making me say "I'll be back" and "Hasta la vista baby" wiv my German accent

He was very popular but I think his shine has faded a bit here. There's a fairly strong anti-US view in this country at the moment - particularly anti-Bush / anti-Republican, so I think people's views would be clouded by this.

Ah well people probably don't know that Arnie does very much his own thing, republican or not. They had to positively badger him to show up at that big pre-election RP convention in New York. Once he came though, he did it with style.
I hear Bush don't like him all that much.
I on the other hand do like him.
As I daresay you'll have guessed.

I kind of guessed!

Americans regard California practially as another country in its own right (as they do Texas, and The South, and Boston, and New York ). It's a place I would love to explore - I have been there twice, but both visits were far too short.