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

maybe you did used to be left-wing but I'm judging you by what you post on this site which is right-wing nonsense

???
...what could you possibly be referring to blackberry?

alec.

oh...and judge not lest ye be judged yourselves.

alec.

enthusiastic support for President Bush is what I was referring to
as for being judged by you I suspect I care as little about your judging me as you do about me judging you

???

...meanwhile, back in gay Paree...

The Fr*nch National Librarian strikes back at "growing US cultural dominance worldwide"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4358871.stm

Any suggestions for what the Fr*nch Google should be called??

alec.

for sprout: "chap who did the military engineering for Louis XIV"...
vauban.

the project mentioned in the above post is far from a google. it is just an online library, or rather an extension of an existing one, for a large part of the bnf collection is already online. the idea is to include other european countries' literature. perhaps that will include british sources even before the 2015 date announced by google.

the objective of the google project is not to further US cultural domination, but as the works will come exclusively from four american libraries, that will be a result if no one steps up to fill the gap. if anything this should be in a thread "what's really RIGHT with the french"! google applauds the initiative; i fail to see why anyone would mock or criticize it.

providing an alternative to american sociopoliticocultural dominance is not a negative act. like saving the amazon rain forest, it is in everyone's interest, including americans. france and europe's exceptional cultural heritage is also theirs.

Who was Turenne, then?

Henri de la Tour D'Auvergne Turenne. 1611-1675
Marshal of the Fr*nch army.

"Il est mort aujhourd'hui, un homme qui faisait honneur a l'homme".

Killed by the first shot fired by the Dutch at Sassbach.

alec.

Thanks Alec,

I thought he was around at that kind of time...

you're welcome spiff

......monday morning Ch*rac sleaze etc...etc

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4367199.stm

see also the 'see also' list of fr*nch corruption in high places, conveniently located on this same bbc news page.

...and these guys are going to get the olympics ???

alec.

all this has been common knowledge for years; what a coincidence that there's a BBC article about it just at IOC voting time...

the first link at the right is from the salt lake city times... is that supposed to be a joke?

Since when has corruption in high places been a bar to hosting the Olympic Games anyway?

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur210062005

The French government ministers, judges and senior police officers are allowing members of the police force to use excessive and sometimes lethal force against suspects of Arab and African origin without fear of serious repercussions, Amnesty International said today.

!Shock!!Horror!...Fr*nch Police not playing by the rules!

Quelle Surprise.

alec.

...and this from Amnesty in 1996...
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR210011996?open&of=ENG-FRA

'The Amnesty International delegation received assurances from the French Government that police training would be improved. Reference was also made to the French Government's plans for increasing the effective administration of justice.

Amnesty International is satisfied with the quality of the dialogue which has been established during these talks and which should be maintained.'

...plus ca change...

alec.

amnesty is right to check on the police here. but they're not a patch on the cops in the good old USA.

i'm sorry U704522 / Riot Act, check the TITLE of this thread please.

...meanwhile...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4450217.stm

what sort of civilized european country allows 'older' hotels to have only one exit, no fire escapes / exits, and then allows social services to place immigrant families with children in these firetrap hotels ??

alec.

Do you mean that only stupid not founded critics of french people are allowed on this thread and that writing about another country should only be allowed if it is to say how brilliant it is compared to France???????????

And about the question of "what sort of civilized european country allows 'older' hotels to have only one exit, no fire escapes / exits, and then allows social services to place immigrant families with children in these firetrap hotels ??"
I just guess they'd be so much happier if they were in America (if they had miraculously managed to get a green card) coz as everybody knows, there are no ghetto quarters and slums and manslaughters and stuff and that everybody (especially black people) have happy lives in big bright houses !!!!!!!!!!!!!

seriously," c'est vraiment l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité"

Anne

chupito, what are you talking about? do you really mean to impute that the conditions we saw a couple of weeks ago on "envoyé special" exist in the US too? how dare you! what proof do you have? have you ever even been to a US ghetto? well i have, and i can say that you are...

absolutely right.

er...allo...M. Chirac??

ah theenk it's tahm we cut down your medication sir...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4079316.stm

...and since i posted the above, the BBC have seen fit to change the headline from:

"Chirac steps up EU pressure on UK"

to the less inciteful "Rift widens over EU contributions"

as Gerhard the poodle makes his contribution.

So now, Chirac says that the UK must "make a concession" on the rebate, whilst maintaining that fr*nch farm subsidies are not negotiable.

I'm alright Jacques

alec.