Ado
Sunday 29 April 2007
Sunday 22 April 2007
Thursday 19 April 2007
The French Election for a New King
A few trotskyistes including a postman, a moustached campaigner who’s up on charges for sabotaging GM crops, a would be Napoleon who travels with lots of police officers, a Mammy who loves people but we still don’t know what her plan is, a green woman who has the personality of a paper bag, an evil bastard and a would be evil bastard, a hunting shooting person that hasn’t been seen yet and a central, in the middle, very cantered, if you don’t like the left or right will I do last minute mover...
Yes, you’ve guessed it! It’s the French Election for a new King
You thought Kings didn’t exist here? Well the President is just like a king with a lot of power. Doesn’t Chirac remind you of a king? Lots of dignity and completely barking.
One thing French people do seem to appreciate is the idea of revolution so we get to listen to lots of communists talking about power to the people, which is amusing if it weren’t for the number of actual votes going to the extreme right.
Chirac became President because the whole of France was shocked by how many votes the extreme right got last time. He was the lesser of two evils. It was funny to see the fuss made over the FIRST PRIMETIME BLACK NEWSREADER when you think the UK have good old Trevor for years and the very BBC Moira.
Ah, but there’s no positive discrimination here as it’s against the idea and constitution of the Republic. Every man is equal: Liberté, Egalité et Fraternité so to change the constitution would be just impossible. That’s why CVs with photos and Arab or African names often get thrown in the bin. Not by all companies, but by enough to make people unhappy.
It’s not fair. And when things are not fair…
Positive Discrimination has its pitfalls and was a huge upheaval but now we don’t even think about it. Where are the representatives of the minorities? Apart from some famous Rap or Pop people who are young people in the suburbs (Banlieu in French has a whole other meaning) connected to here. Who represents them? There are record numbers of young people registering to vote this time so maybe…
Then maybe we wouldn’t have to hear the old blah blah of them foreigners taking our jobs and living off the State and generally to blame for everything that’s wrong. Send them home or only pick the “good ones”. Well we could start blaming the elected leaders who are not doing their job properly and thank immigrants for doing the dirty jobs we don’t want to do anymore, for trying to give their children a better life and for bringing new life and culture.
By the way, I love France and all its contradictions. French people have a lot going for them and they know they have to change things but the choices of leaders are not exactly inspiring.
I’m sure there are young people out there waiting in the wings because young people here are very motivated and intelligent whatever their background. Stop with the clichés and things will change. “Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Roi!! (ou Reine, Royal you know).
Eirose (Guest, from Paris)
Yes, you’ve guessed it! It’s the French Election for a new King
You thought Kings didn’t exist here? Well the President is just like a king with a lot of power. Doesn’t Chirac remind you of a king? Lots of dignity and completely barking.
One thing French people do seem to appreciate is the idea of revolution so we get to listen to lots of communists talking about power to the people, which is amusing if it weren’t for the number of actual votes going to the extreme right.
Chirac became President because the whole of France was shocked by how many votes the extreme right got last time. He was the lesser of two evils. It was funny to see the fuss made over the FIRST PRIMETIME BLACK NEWSREADER when you think the UK have good old Trevor for years and the very BBC Moira.
Ah, but there’s no positive discrimination here as it’s against the idea and constitution of the Republic. Every man is equal: Liberté, Egalité et Fraternité so to change the constitution would be just impossible. That’s why CVs with photos and Arab or African names often get thrown in the bin. Not by all companies, but by enough to make people unhappy.
It’s not fair. And when things are not fair…
Positive Discrimination has its pitfalls and was a huge upheaval but now we don’t even think about it. Where are the representatives of the minorities? Apart from some famous Rap or Pop people who are young people in the suburbs (Banlieu in French has a whole other meaning) connected to here. Who represents them? There are record numbers of young people registering to vote this time so maybe…
Then maybe we wouldn’t have to hear the old blah blah of them foreigners taking our jobs and living off the State and generally to blame for everything that’s wrong. Send them home or only pick the “good ones”. Well we could start blaming the elected leaders who are not doing their job properly and thank immigrants for doing the dirty jobs we don’t want to do anymore, for trying to give their children a better life and for bringing new life and culture.
By the way, I love France and all its contradictions. French people have a lot going for them and they know they have to change things but the choices of leaders are not exactly inspiring.
I’m sure there are young people out there waiting in the wings because young people here are very motivated and intelligent whatever their background. Stop with the clichés and things will change. “Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Roi!! (ou Reine, Royal you know).
Eirose (Guest, from Paris)
Monday 16 April 2007
Saturday 14 April 2007
Into the Grove
Or should I say out of.
The fish tank at the dart board end of the bar is already gone, and soon will be followed by the darts and the stools and the tables and the bar itself and the walls and the roof and all the locals, none of whom would be in a position to return as the landlord of one of the 18 apartments with underground car park.
Old photographs of old parties are being redistributed to the people in them. We got the one of me with a strange hair do and Panther reluctantly wearing a shiny wig.
The place is strangely busy. A bit like a lot of long lost cousins are turning up to see their dying relative for one last time.
The usual double act are defiantly playing music into the wee small hours (the worst thing that can happen is already going to happen anyway) and the locals are singing. The fellah who’s the image of Liam Brady and sings as well as his double played with the ball; Mona Lisa’s virtues are melodiously declared and some others’ with more uncertain voice but with the same passion; young Stevo, being a bit more special than your usual karaoke chancer, is helped along to his party piece Alice. Always encouraged, never derided
And the ManU fan the size of a pint glass who, had he been born an insect, would be a daddylonglegs, dances between the tables. Overdressed and overfed grandmothers wobble along to the 60s and 70s, some with the grace of the swans on the canal bank outside, some finding the lighter step of their younger days.
The brave brothers who briefly rescued this little public sitting room from the bulldozers now serve pints with a bitter (not embittered) smile.
Pinzimonio
The fish tank at the dart board end of the bar is already gone, and soon will be followed by the darts and the stools and the tables and the bar itself and the walls and the roof and all the locals, none of whom would be in a position to return as the landlord of one of the 18 apartments with underground car park.
Old photographs of old parties are being redistributed to the people in them. We got the one of me with a strange hair do and Panther reluctantly wearing a shiny wig.
The place is strangely busy. A bit like a lot of long lost cousins are turning up to see their dying relative for one last time.
The usual double act are defiantly playing music into the wee small hours (the worst thing that can happen is already going to happen anyway) and the locals are singing. The fellah who’s the image of Liam Brady and sings as well as his double played with the ball; Mona Lisa’s virtues are melodiously declared and some others’ with more uncertain voice but with the same passion; young Stevo, being a bit more special than your usual karaoke chancer, is helped along to his party piece Alice. Always encouraged, never derided
And the ManU fan the size of a pint glass who, had he been born an insect, would be a daddylonglegs, dances between the tables. Overdressed and overfed grandmothers wobble along to the 60s and 70s, some with the grace of the swans on the canal bank outside, some finding the lighter step of their younger days.
The brave brothers who briefly rescued this little public sitting room from the bulldozers now serve pints with a bitter (not embittered) smile.
Pinzimonio
Tuesday 3 April 2007
Sunday 1 April 2007
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