Leave Us Abuse The French.......

The BBQ Pit
141

Referring to Boulez in last post.

Picasso spent so much time in France because he was a womanizer and the women are easier over there, as I’ve already mentioned. Also, he was kind of fat, hairy, old, and shitty, but had lots of money and French chicks dig that.

As for Pagnol’s having Depardieau die on stage, big deal. I’ve seen him die on film many times. Did you see his acting in Green Card? I coulde be wrong but wasn’t Pagnol a pedophile?

I have to admit that I think Jean Reno is a decent and versatile actor though.

Got me on Camus and Charpak though. Allright, I’ll spare France. I’m sure they’ll be releived to hear it.

142

BTW I was referring to the “Typical Americans” part of your post (which you admit regretting,) as an example of prejudice and stereotyping.

143

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Scylla *
**So, once more. Things wrong with French

  1. Fat guys in thongs

Your opinion here means exactly this much: ||

  1. B.O.

When I was in France I didn’t notice that. Maybe that’s because, in accordance with me being 1/8 French, I have uncontrollable and untreated BO, and as such I was unable to smell the other French people I was with through my own putrid self.

  1. Not bathing

Not true. If they didn’t bathe, why would they have public fountains for that purpose? Oh, but wait . . . I jsut introduced you to something else . . . they don’t have nearly as much problem, in some places, with nudity as we do.

And how, Scylla, do you explain the presence of bidets in France and not in America?

  1. Hairy armpits

Paula Cole has those, last I checked. I don’t bother to shave my armpits, and the majority of French people do, as a matter of fact. Come to think of it, neither my mother nor my godmother shaves her armpits. If that means you’ll never come visit me or them, then I thank my lucky razor I never introduced it to my armpits.

  1. Women are whores who will rip your heart out and laugh whle doing so.

Ah, Scylla, you naive soul . . . I am thinking this is more of an experience from one person than from every french woman, because my grandmother was no whore. Of that I can assure you. The other French ladies and French girls I met were not whores but delightful people, a fact of which I can assure you wholeheartedly.

  1. The Yahoo thing

That they want restitution paid for Nazi propaganda means that they’re trying to avoid it being demanded later, IMHO. Not totally evil, but I can see where someone would be irked by it. Point taken, though not wholly.

  1. The Libya thing

What Libya thing?

  1. The Pacific Nuclear weapons testing thing

Explain . . . we never tested nuclear weapons?

  1. The Terror

Hein?

  1. Systematic repression of the Basque culture.

And we Americans have never repressed another culture, have we?

  1. Unsanitary hotel rooms

Much more sanitary than the majority of the American ones I’ve seen, and the ones in boarding schools, and the ones in private homes.

  1. No hot water

I’ve cited experiences to the opposite, and given American examples that aren’t really better.

  1. Rotten meat and the bacteria food thing

So they allow bacteria to eat the food to make it taste better, in some cases. If we didn’t do that we’d lose what little beer market we have. Allowing food to ferment is not indicative of an inferior society, else all of Europe would be so vastly inferior to America we’d have even more of them in our schools than we do now.

  1. Getting pissy about mispronunciations

Care to elaborate on this one? I don’t remember the original rant.

  1. Notoriously rude

What you want there is not notoriously but stereotypically . . . IOW, “The French are rude. I know this because . . . well, they are! Everyone knows that!”

  1. Dislike Americans

In your opinion they dislike Americans. You appear to dislike them as well. I don’t see a problem with them hating someone who hates them . . .

  1. Rotten service/overpriced
  2. Tipping

Both of which occur in America as well.

  1. Military incompetance/capitulation with enemies

In a country with the population of France and the cultural history, it’s not surprising that France doesn’t have the military prowess of us or, say, England. Most of their history is really England’s history, as they basically traded fights back and forth for a looong time.

  1. Berets

You say beret like that’s a bad thing . . . I still see no problem with it. Care to elaborate?

  1. Brie

What is your specific problem with Brie? Again, I like it. I know people who are distinctly not French who enjoy it as well. Maybe you just don’t like berets or Brie and since they’re French, you don’t like the French.

  1. Le Petite Prince

  2. I don’t remember this being brought up before. 2. What is your problem with Le Petit Prince? I happened to like it.

  3. They killed Jim Morrison

cite?

  1. Created Godzilla (see 8)

So? Were they responsible for the (somewhat) recent reincarnation of Godzilla? Besides, we Americans have created plenty of awful movies.

  1. They all take the whole month of August off

So you’re jealous of their vacation time. I see nothing inherently evil about that.

  1. Petite Dejeuner. I want ham and eggs dammit! Not this Godammn flaky butterpuff pastry.

Again, you don’t like it, don’t eat it.

  1. Bernaise sauce

So don’t eat it.

  1. Jerry Lewis

Not their fault or their doing, far as Cecil said in his column, IIRC.

  1. Smoking. (everybody)

Because Americans don’t ever smoke, do they? Check out Satan’s sig and the thread “The Great Smoke-Out” or somesuch for further evidence.

  1. Lack of recent cultural, literary, musical, or technological innovations

Go back to my first post. Define recent.

  1. Language Nazis. Got yelled at more than once for daring to speak English to my partner while in a Paris Bar.

Would you be irked at someone who chose to speak his or her language of preference in an American bar?

  1. Their insistence on their own superiority.

I haven’t seen a French person in this thread yet who has insisted on his or her superiority. I think this is more stereotyping. You seem to be trying to indicate your own superiority here, which is also unbased.

  1. Gerard Depardieu

You don’t like him? Don’t look at him. I can’t take looking at half of the models working in America for more than five seconds. Doesn’t mean I don’t like the country as a whole.

  1. Beady eyes
  2. Great big feet

Well, if this isn’t a generalization/stereotype I don’t know what is. I’ve cousins with huge feet, and I believe that, on the whole, Americans have larger feet. I know the Guinness record for largest feet (for a man, at least) belong to an American. As for beady eyes, older people have them as well.

  1. Walk around going “tweet tweet tweet”

Maybe you mean “huit huit huit” which is “eight eight eight” . . . other than that I can see no basis for this point. What’s wrong with saying the number eight in French?

  1. Little noses

If you’ve got a problem with facial characteristics, you’re going to have problems with a pretty healthy percent of the world’s population.

  1. Tiny little eyes

I’ve seen this before . . .

  1. Walk around telling great big lies

Basis? Cite/site? So far all I’m seeing in your post is a bunch of generalizations, opinions and baseless accusations.

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LOL! He had his share of Spanish women, though. He’d fuck just about all of his models, at least according to the last book I read in which he figured. I am no Picasso fan, but I do like Chagall. I wonder what his deal is.

I’ve never head that he was a pedophile, actually. I’ll have to make a few inquiries…

Green Card isn’t exactly Depardieu at his finest. Have you seen any good movies in which he starred? Most of them are French…there’s Manon Des Sources, Jean de Florette, Cyrano de Bergerac, Danton, etc.

I was hesitant to mention Reno, because I would have gotten really nasty if you had said untoward things about him. :wink: You ever see anything with Daniel Auteil? Emanuele Beart? Both fine actors.

Now they can continue vaporizing fish and aborigines in the Pacific with impunity. Yee-haw.

MR

145

My addition in brackets above, to spare confusion.

Those two points I’m taking, though I know they’re directed, somewhat, at other people.

I think (and NothingMan, please correct me if I’m wrong} that what NM meant here was not the aspect of speech but the aspect of racism/bigotry/hatred certainly associated with Hitler and his régime.

As for positive thinsg about the French . . . Scylla, did you not see my posts in this thread so far? I’ve had lots of positive things to say about them. Them and my experiences with them and in their country.

146

Maeglin:

Emmanuelle Beart is the perfect example of the type of French woman who will rip your heart out without a thought.

In my opinion Depardieau was seriously miscast in Cyrano. I see Cyrano as a razor thin ascetic, who is impeccably groomed. Fat, sloppy, long-haired Gerard didn’t do it for me in this role. I found my willing-suspension of disbelief violently suspended when Gerard was “Starving” with the other Frenchmen, as well as running huge distances to deliver a love letter. More importantly he didn’t cut it at the end while he was reading his letter to his love. Probably the most crucial scene of the movie.

Iampunha:

That list was not directed at you, but since you made the effort, let me respond. I’ll hit the highlights. If I miss anything you want covered let me know.

#3. Bidets. Excellent point. The only reason I can think why the French have exelled at this innovation is because the French women are such whores they need to clean themselves out more frequently (This is a joke.) Seriously. Good point.

#5 Good for you. You’re still young though, I take it. Hopefully you’ll be the one leaving them heartbroken, but don’t count on it.

#7 Libya. Durin the 1980s the US conducted an airstrike against Libyan terrorist training camps. The French forbid the U.S. planes to fly over French airspace enroute resulting in a long detour (US airmen spent almost 15 hours straight in the cockpit,) and an additional dangerous air-refueling. The French justification was a fear of terrorist reprisal for complicity in the attack. I see it as a betrayal, and rank cowardice. Damn those French bastards!

  1. France still does. Aboveground. In the Pacific. They continue to cause damage to the environment long after the effects of neclear fallout have become understood, not to mention to the people who live nearby.

9 The Terror. After the French revolution the new Government systematically and deliberately terrorized the people of France to keep them in line, and consolidate power.

  1. point taken. Doesn’t make it right though.

  2. He died in France. A joke.

  3. It was a private conversation involving no Frenchmen. They were offended that we spoke something other than French
    34 - 39 are references to Randy Newman’s “Short people” song. Again a joke.

Most of the rest refers to personal preference as you state. We will have to agree to disagree. But, tell me, on the level, You don’t really think fat guys in thongs are ok, do you?

Yes, you most certainly did state positive things about France rather than simply taking the indignant “How dare you!” approach. I recognized it in an earlier post, and applauded you for it. My accusation was not directed at you.

Indeed, I am sincerely regretful of some of the things I said in jest and quasi-jest which offended you, who have comported yourself so decently and honestly. Again, you’ve earned respect. Just admit that the thongs are wrong. There’s no need to be stubborn.

147

I’ve never exactly been close enough to her to have that happen. What can you tell me about her personal life? She might sound like some American actresses I know…

Point taken. However, it is not exactly fair to impugn Depardieu for not being consonant with your personal vision of the character of Cyrano. As far as I recall from reading it, only his nose is explicitly described. Casting a big, sloppy-looking guy is a legitimate interpretation. And fat people can starve, believe it or not. Some, I bet, can even control their appetites.

Though him not cutting it in the end is a different story. I don’t remember having too much of a reaction one way or another. Perhaps I should see it again.

MR

148

Scylla says:
"Iampunha:

That list was not directed at you, but since you made the effort, let me respond. I’ll hit the highlights. If I miss anything you want covered let me know."

I say: Response much appreciated.

S: “#3. Bidets. Excellent point. The only reason I can think why the French have exelled at this innovation is because the French women are such whores they need to clean themselves out more frequently (This is a joke.) Seriously. Good point.”

I: Okay . . just to pull your leg, though, bidets exist all over Europe, yet I’ve only heard of them existing in America in really fancy hotels. Understandable, but wouldn’t this make French people (and Europeans in general, really) more sanitary than Americans, in general?

S: “#5 Good for you. You’re still young though, I take it. Hopefully you’ll be the one leaving them heartbroken, but don’t count on it.”

I: I’ve had my heart broken, but so far as I know none of the people who did it were French, or so French that it mattered (i.e. 1/8 or less, IMO). I guess 18 is, on this board, taken as young.

S: “#7 Libya. Durin the 1980s the US conducted an airstrike against Libyan terrorist training camps. The French forbid the U.S. planes to fly over French airspace enroute resulting in a long detour (US airmen spent almost 15 hours straight in the cockpit,) and an additional dangerous air-refueling. The French justification was a fear of terrorist reprisal for complicity in the attack. I see it as a betrayal, and rank cowardice. Damn those French bastards!”

I: Okay. Can you give me a site or article in a newspaper that doesn’t carry an anti-French sentiment? Also, in terms of today, what does this mean in terms of what we lost because of it? Also, think about if this had occurred on US soil . . . we wouldn’t want terrorist groups agitated against us because of Russian planes or French or, really, any planes.

S: “8. France still does. Aboveground. In the Pacific. They continue to cause damage to the environment long after the effects of neclear fallout have become understood, not to mention to the people who live nearby.”

I: How do you/we know they know the risks? And are their nuclear weapons up to par with ours? How long have they been testing, and how long did we before we “stopped”? Who are the people who live nearby?

S: “9. The Terror. After the French revolution the new Government systematically and deliberately terrorized the people of France to keep them in line, and consolidate power.”

I: Okay, I can see that. I can also 1. see that having happened in several other countries throughout history, and 2. not discount the French for something a new government, ushered in by a revolution, did. People who take over after a coup or war do not often have the most sensible plans.

S: “10. point taken. Doesn’t make it right though.”

I: Nor does it make the things we, as an American society, have done to different cultures here. It takes all kinds.

S: “31. It was a private conversation involving no Frenchmen. They were offended that we spoke something other than French.”

I: You might have been disrupting something they were doing . . . and again, French people in general (from what I have noticed) don’t like people speaking languages other than French in their country. I can understand it. I get annoyed with people who speak things other than English when they do so in a way that disrupts or disturbs or otherwise gets in my way. It’s a matter of common courtesy.

S: “Most of the rest refers to personal preference as you state. We will have to agree to disagree. But, tell me, on the level, You don’t really think fat guys in thongs are ok, do you?”

I: I’ve no problem agreeing to disagree so long as neither of us is hurting anyone in our disagreement. And I don’t really care about people wearing clothing or not wearing clothing, so long as they don’t go out of their way in doing so . . . i.e. they don’t parade around in front of my house. So, I guess I think it’s fine.

S: “Yes, you most certainly did state positive things about France rather than simply taking the indignant “How dare you!” approach. I recognized it in an earlier post, and applauded you for it. My accusation was not directed at you.”

Okay, then.

S: “Indeed, I am sincerely regretful of some of the things I said in jest and quasi-jest which offended you, who have comported yourself so decently and honestly. Again, you’ve earned respect. Just admit that the thongs are wrong. There’s no need to be stubborn.”

Apology (if that’s what it is:)) gladly accepted. Don’t worry about it. As for the thongs, I don’t see a problem with them. People in America are no more beautiful than those in France. BTW, thanks for the addition to my sig line :slight_smile:

149

Re: Gerard Depardieu as Cyrano . . . I saw the movie in French 4AP a few years back, along with Jean de Florette and Manon de Source . . . I thought he was a superb actor. I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the accent, but as I don’t normally recognize a Parisian accent from a Marseilllaise accent, that’s moot. I didn’t enjoy the ending inasmuch as I didn’t enjoy the end of the book. The acting wasn’t anything less than I’ve yet to see from him.

I think this may be a case of your opinion of Depardieu influencing your opinion of his acting. I’m guilty of similar things . . . when I think someone is physically or otherwise ugly, it can be hard for me to ignore that fact and watch the movie as the characters, not as X person who is so ugly to me.

150

Maeglin:

"I’ve never exactly been close enough to her to have that happen. What can you tell me about her personal life? "

Nothing. It’s all in her eyes, and accent.

Its like with Iampunha. He claims positive experiences with Frenchwomen. Sure. They’re nice to handsome young men. THey string them along. Build up their confidence, get them feeling good about themselves. It’s like fattening a calf.

Then one day. BAM! They rip his heart out, and show it to him, still beating. Then they throw it on the ground and crush it with a high heel. Then they flick a cigarette ash on it.

Then the poor guy, completley destroyed hits the bottle. He doesn’t want to get up in the morning. He becomes sad and bitter. Finally after ten years or so he pulls himself back together and makes something of himself. But by now he’s old and shitty (like Picasso) Maybe he goes to the beach and hangs around in a thong.

But! Suddenly the frenchwomen like him again. Why? He’s got money. So he goes on with them for a little while deluded, and it’s all bitter irony because there is no longer the joy of youth involved in coupling with women anymore, and besides they just drop him again when his cash runs out.

Poor Iampunha, the naive schmuck has no idea what awaits him.

I can see this all quite clearly in Those Big Dark French Eyes and “Come Hither” expression on Emmanuelle Beart’s (and lots of French Women’s) faces. I’m shocked you don’t see it there as well.

Damn French women!

Iampunha:

Yes, it was an apology.

151

Oddly enough, I found it rather difficult to speak French in France. My French is far from perfect, but I do have a decent accent. All of the French people I spoke to wanted to speak English, because they rarely could practice with a native speaker. Many of their own English teachers were German or German-educated, so talking to them was not the same as talking to someone whose first language is English.

Moreover, when I did force them to speak French with me, I was never castigated for my lack of skill. For the record, I have spent fairly considerable time both in Paris and in the south, in the region near the city of Annecy.

MR

152

Scylla says: “Its like with Iampunha. He claims positive experiences with Frenchwomen. Sure. They’re nice to handsome young men. THey string them along. Build up their confidence, get them feeling good about themselves. It’s like fattening a calf.”

I: Actually I was 13 when I went to France last. I was all of five feet and maybe 80 lbs. I have pictures somewhere, if you’re interested, to prove this beyond much doubt.

S: “Then the poor guy, completley destroyed hits the bottle. He doesn’t want to get up in the morning.”

I: I know this is a joke, but let me yet again say: I don’t drink. I don’t paln on ever drinking. rant off.

S: “But! Suddenly the frenchwomen like him again. Why? He’s got money. So he goes on with them for a little while deluded, and it’s all bitter irony because there is no longer the joy of youth involved in coupling with women anymore, and besides they just drop him again when his cash runs out.”

If money was all one needed to have friends, I’d be mr. popular at school . . . sorta. But I didn’t know I had any measure of money until high school, and I didn’t look the part, either.

S: “Yes, it was an apology.”

I: Okay, then. Thank you very much.

M: “Oddly enough, I found it rather difficult to speak French in France. My French is far from perfect, but I do have a decent accent. All of the French people I spoke to wanted to speak English, because they rarely could practice with a native speaker. Many of their own English teachers were German or German-educated, so talking to them was not the same as talking to someone whose first language is English.”

I: I found this to be the case occasionall as well. My father was good friends with some people/families, and when we went over we visited them several times (one lived across the street from us) and the mother of the family asked if we might give some English instruction. Was loads of fun.

This thread has become loads more civil.

153

Iampunha said:

“This thread has become loads more civil”

Yes, it does appear things have one downhill here recently.

Maybe Missbunny will show up and tell me to seek Psychiatric help again.

154

  1. We don’t need to dredge that up, Scylla:)

  2. I had gotten to the point of giving up on you because I saw your argument as one based on opinions and generalizations, instead of experiences.

  3. Being rude when another person was rude first doesn’t make it right. By not insulting someone you (in my opinion) show more restraint, civility and strength of argument. Also by not responding to insults you fail to validate them, which (again, IMO) is part of the purpose of an insult.

  4. Can we led this thread die a quiet, peaceful death now? I think its purpose has been served.

155

I’m down with that. I just want to see if Scylla has a torrid Emmanuelle Beart story for me.

MR

156

Maeglin must have missed it. So (copied from previous page)

"Maeglin:

"I’ve never exactly been close enough to her to have that happen. What can you tell me about her personal life? "

Nothing. It’s all in her eyes, and accent.

Its like with Iampunha. He claims positive experiences with Frenchwomen. Sure. They’re nice to handsome young men. THey string them along. Build up their confidence, get them feeling good about themselves. It’s like fattening a calf.

Then one day. BAM! They rip his heart out, and show it to him, still beating. Then they throw it on the ground and crush it with a high heel. Then they flick a cigarette ash on it.

Then the poor guy, completley destroyed hits the bottle. He doesn’t want to get up in the morning. He becomes sad and bitter. Finally after ten years or so he pulls himself back together and makes something of himself. But by now he’s old and shitty (like Picasso) Maybe he goes to the beach and hangs around in a thong.

But! Suddenly the frenchwomen like him again. Why? He’s got money. So he goes on with them for a little while deluded, and it’s all bitter irony because there is no longer the joy of youth involved in coupling with women anymore, and besides they just drop him again when his cash runs out.

Poor Iampunha, the naive schmuck has no idea what awaits him.

I can see this all quite clearly in Those Big Dark French Eyes and “Come Hither” expression on Emmanuelle Beart’s (and lots of French Women’s) faces. I’m shocked you don’t see it there as well.

Damn French women! "

I have no personal torrid knowledge of Miss Beart (which is a perfectly valid and irrefutable reason to be bitter about France in and of itself.)
Iampunha:

Re: #4

Sure. Let’s summarize.

  1. Iampunha think man-thongs are ok (a pesonal failing)

  2. I don’t like things French for a host of valid and invalid reasons mostly based on personal opinion and observation (which I defend.) Hey, it’s my opinion.

  3. Maeglin found a righteous Frenchman, so We’ve decide to spare France from total destruction (for now anyway)

  4. Everybody agrees Jean Reno is a decent actor.

  5. Iampunha likes his Grandma

  6. I pissed a lot of people off

  7. Picasso got some.

Did I miss anything?

157

I must have missed it. I suppose I didn’t check the bottom message of the last page.

I think you’ve summed it up pretty adequately. Though i think Picasso got even more snatch than even he let on.

MR

158

“1. Iampunha think man-thongs are ok (a pesonal failing)”

I just don’t see any inherent evil in them, so long as the aforementioned thong-wearing men don’t wear them all the time, or in places where their (the men) society doesn’t tolerate this (such as in church or at a funeral or such).

“2. I don’t like things French for a host of valid and invalid reasons mostly based on personal opinion and observation (which I defend.) Hey, it’s my opinion.”

So long as you don’t go hurting other people with those reasons, fine. I reserve the right to think you’re a bit short of a dozen for thinking as you do. You may feel free to think I’m a few short inasmuch as I am 1/8 Frog.

“3. Maeglin found a righteous Frenchman, so We’ve decide to spare France from total destruction (for now anyway)”

Who is “we”?

“5. Iampunha likes his Grandma”

Whoa there, friend . . . did I actually say that? I liked some things about her. Overall she was not the kindest person I’ve met yet, which has nothing to do with her Froggitude. She allowed all ten of her children to be molested. Fortunately, so far as I know, few of her grandkids suffered similar fates.

Yes, I know I’m going over the fence when I talk about her. Sometimes she’s nice, others she’s the spawn of Satan. Truth is, she could be both. Two different people (at least). This is, to some extent, true of all people, but especially with her. I detest her for some things she did. I like her for others.

“6. I pissed a lot of people off”

No comment. You annoyed me, and that you still allow generalizations about French people to affect how you perceive individual Frenchans (joke) irks me, but so long as you don’t treat one French person by the standard with which you treat a French asshole (independent terms here), you’re OK in my book:)

“7. Picasso got some.”

Maybe if I changed my name to Picasso and moved to the south of France . . .

IOW, Scylla, so long as you don’t go parading around saying “All French people are inherently assholish in nature and should be shot by the froglegs they eat, after having bathed in the filth that is their water and surrenduring to every military possessing so much as a rusty spoon with which to attack them” you’re fine. In this case.:slight_smile:

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Iampunha:

#3 Joke based on an obscure reference. Basically the “we” is me.

#5 Hmmm. You mean your grandmother wasn’t a Saint? And we went through all this? AAAARRRRGGHH!

#6 I treat people as well as possible until they prove to me personally they deserve less. I surely admit, that a person’s race, apparent background and appartent appearance may instill certain preconceptions, but I don’t treat people based on them. I don’t consider this prejudice, but rather admitting a fact. We all have preconceptions, sometimes despite our best efforts not to. The hypocrites among us pretend that they are perfect and don’t suffer from such.

You said:

“IOW, Scylla, so long as you don’t go parading around saying “All French people are inherently assholish in nature and should be shot
by the froglegs they eat, after having bathed in the filth that is their water and surrenduring to every military possessing so much as a
rusty spoon with which to attack them” you’re fine.”

I hope it’s abundantly clear that I never advocated violence or discrimination based on Frenchitude. Iwas just enjoying myself making fun of the French, and ranting in a safe forum.

Take care.

160

S said: “#3 Joke based on an obscure reference. Basically the “we” is me.”

I: Cool. I was joking, actually. SO we were both joking and neither knew.

S: “#5 Hmmm. You mean your grandmother wasn’t a Saint? And we went through all this? AAAARRRRGGHH!”

I: Well, depending on who you ask . . . she gave birth ten times, so some would consider her a saint b/c she performed ten miracles. However, her assholiness (interesting word . . . ) was totally independent of her being French. If anything, it made her less of a cretin.

I’m pretty sure you’re joking, I just wanted to make this clear.

S: “#6 I treat people as well as possible until they prove to me personally they deserve less. I surely admit, that a person’s race, apparent background and appartent appearance may instill certain preconceptions, but I don’t treat people based on them. I don’t consider this prejudice, but rather admitting a fact. We all have preconceptions, sometimes despite our best efforts not to. The hypocrites among us pretend that they are perfect and don’t suffer from such.”

Understandable. I try not to treat based on previous judgments of people from the asme group/nation/whatever . . . it’s damn hard. And sometimes make no sense. I just do my level best and hope they don’t hate me. So far they don’t, so I must be doing something right . . .

S: “I hope it’s abundantly clear that I never advocated violence or discrimination based on Frenchitude. Iwas just enjoying myself making fun of the French, and ranting in a safe forum.”

I: Oh, yeah, totally. I was being silly.