There’s yet another strike upcoming in France tomorrow. Everyone and anyone with a grievance, what is known here as a “general” strike. I never quite understand what one hopes to get out of this particular approach. The economy is tanking and our spending power is diminished? Let’s all stop working! It’s all the government’s fault anyhow.
I’m flying this afternoon to Paris, so should miss some of the worst of it (except for trying to use the metro; perhaps I will rent a bicycle). Or take a cab. Bit far to walk, though.
I enjoy coming to work early and seeing twenty or so construction workers in fluorescent gear doing their calisthenics and stretching exercises before beginning work. I might benefit from joining them.
Last night, upon the announcement of John Updike’s death on the French national news radio, the anchor said that he was the recipient of not one but two Sulitzer prizes.
Channel flipping past the France 5 arts-culture channel last night, I watched some of a sweet report about the good and diverse food one can eat in the U.S. They placed Thoreau ‘s hometown as Concord, NH, though, which was a shame. (Actually, I don’t know what the food connection was, there, except in the “live off the land” sense.)
What? You mean you’ve never heard of the Sulitzer Prize?
They placed Thoreau ‘s hometown as Concord, NH
Well if you will give all the towns the same names in all the states, it’s hardly surprising people get confused. A friend of mine once nearly ended up in Springfield, Connecticut, when he should have been heading for Illinois…
If you’re into Thoreau, you can listen again to a discussion about that Melvyn Bragg hosted on BBC radio 4.
There’s a place called Cromer near Stevenage, for example. If you are headed for CISB’09, that’s the wrong place, OK?
Many, many years ago the young Gee had a romantic dalliance with a smashing blonde who lived in New York, near Boston. That’s New York, Lincs. It looks like this:
Mind you a friend at NIST was bought a plane ticket by the internal travel agent to Santiago (Chile) when she really wanted to go to Santiago (Spain).
I watched Michael Moore’s Sicko the other day. A couple of things struck me: (1)
Michael Moore’s morbidly obese bellyWhile visiting France to extol the virtues of free healthcare, he noted that the propensity for the French to strike keeps their government scared (or at least on their toes), while in the States, the government does its best to keep theminionsgeneral populace in a perpetual state of fear.So, striking can (in theory) serve to ensure the government represents or listens to the people, rather than manipulating them for their own nefarious ends. Economies are tanking the world over. Striking doesn’t seem to be the cause of it this time!
(2) Seriously, Moore is enormous. He’s a good few marathons short of just being overweight. Perhaps he made the documentary in the hope that he wouldn’t have to get into unseemly squabbles with his own insurers when he ends up in hospital.
There’s yet another strike upcoming in France tomorrow. Everyone and anyone with a grievance, what is known here as a “general” strike. I never quite understand what one hopes to get out of this particular approach
The answer is, the French are trying to show the Economy that the nation remains united, that they are not affraid of the recession and that, on important matters such as not working, they are all on the same side. The Gallic Spirit is strong in them…
There’s a London in Ontario (Canada) and it’s big enough that people, especially within Ontario, have to regularly refer to it (it has a university and everything). To avoid confusion with that other London, people have to say “London, Ontario” every single time they talk about it. “I’m from Londonontario” they’ll say, or “I am going to Londonontario over the weekend.” or even “There’s a big snowstorm in Londonontario right now”, as if that leaves any room for doubt at all.
Whenever someone wants to mention the original London, they tend to just say “London”, but then people get confused: “London, Ontario?” “No, London, England.” “Ah, okay.”
It wouldn’t be so bad if it was a smaller town. There is also a “Paris, Ontario” but nobody cares about that and it never comes up.
(“Ontario (Canada)”, so you don’t confuse it with “Ontario (California)”, of course. Which is very far from “Toronto (Ohio)”.)
There’s a place in Norfolk called California. Just so you know.
And York University is in Toronto. Well, in North York, but that’s officially still Toronto. Canada, not Ohio.
There’s a place in Norfolk called California. Just so you know.
Been there. The American rip-off version is way better!
I haven’t been to California, Norfolk, but it looks utterly dismal from the photos. I agree – the other California is much more fun (unless there’s a California, Ontario, of course …?)
The “proper” one is the University of York. One has to be strict about these things.
There are at least two Bottesfords, though. Unfortunately I grew up in the one near Scunthorpe. And for some reason, there’s only one Scunthorpe.
Derryfield New Hampshire (a perfectly resbectable name) changed its name to Manchester in 1810. Presumably this was to cause confusion.
@Bob – If there had been more than one Scunthorpe we would not have had the Scunthorpe Problem.
My my, look what you all get up to while I’m away from the computer. In theory the strike today is to enable the unions (all together for once) to affirm that they actually represent worker’s interests and are valid negotiation partners. But according to the newspaper, in the details, they are not agreed among themselves whether they should be asking for more civil service sector or private jobs, or higher salaries for those who have jobs, or for less money given to the banking bailout in order to fund these requests, or abolition of the new imposed minimum service requirement for public services such as transportation and schools in case of strikes… it’s quite a catch-all. A strike in my humble opinion should have a concrete grievance with a possibility for a measurable solution which one can compare to the (potential) results of the alternative(s). Mere turnout for the strike, or voting with your feet, is not sufficient motivation for me.
A strike in my humble opinion should have a concrete grievance with a possibility for a measurable solution which one can compare to the (potential) results of the alternative(s)
OR…it could be a great opportunity to skip work, with the time-honored excuse of “Hey, everybody else is doing it too!”
If only they would put off the grant deadlines as well…