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Set-up?
It now appears that the story of a 23 year old Australian muslim who alleged that she had been chased off a Riviera beach at Villeneuve-Loubet for wearing a burkini was a set-up. This report in Nice Matin has the story as seen by locals who were actually on the beach at the time.
The camera was apparently set up before the woman arrived and plonked herself down. She and her companion were originally asked to move since they were sitting in the space reserved for jet-skis. Then one of the locals asked the camera man to stop filming since he was taking photos of local children, which the parents objected to. This was why the father wanted to call the police – to stop the filming of his children. So far, so totally nothing to do with burkinis. How very disappointing for this Aussie who had flown all that distance to “show her support for local muslim women”. Still, never let facts get in the way of the untruth you want to spread. Has Channel 7 been conned?
I haven’t seen any burkinis in the past week we’ve been in Antibes, just along the coast from Villeneuve-Loubet, but every day I’ve seen jeeps full of paratroopers patrolling the old town and tourist areas. I find them very reassuring. I like that sort of show of support.
Fish Dependence Day
Purely by chance I found an article on a French news site – next to one on the rising level of the Seine, but I think that’s just coincidence – on Fish Dependence Day. I had never heard of this before. According to the WWF France has already consumed its year’s quota of fish in less than six months. France consumes 35kg of fish per person per year which is one and a half times the European average and makes France the fifth largest consumer.
Some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Ireland and Estonia produce as much or more fish than they consume. But those countries which consume more than they produce have to import from other countries and in many instances the people of these other countries have more need of the fish than European consumers, and I don’t suppose they see much financial benefit from the sale of these fish either.
Apparently 48% of North Atlantic fish stocks are overexploited and this figure rises to a horrific 93% in the Mediterranean.
One thing that struck me was that there was no mention of the UK. I have seen the French and Spanish refrigerated lorries queuing up on the quayside of Scottish ports like Ullapool ready to load the catches of crabs and langoustines as soon as the fishing boats dock. Mr Cameron has forgotten to warn us that on 24th June this year there will be nary a foreign HGV in sight and the Scottish fishermen will be offering their catch to passers-by. In your dreams, Cameron!
What I want is for 24th June 2016 to be British fish independence day when we can reclaim our fishing grounds and catch our own fish with no Brussels-imposed limits, no throwing surplus fish back into the sea and with fishery protection vessels chasing the foreign trawlers away.
http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/entry/fish-dependence-2016-update
O wad some power the giftie gi’e us …
Anything to convince himself that he’s still important. I hope you enjoy this, Christopher.
Next thing we know Salmond will employ someone to throw a rotten haggis at him. I suppose he expected everyone to know who he is and bow down accordingly. Now Alex, repeat after me “Sic transit gloria mundi” and then go and find someone to explain it to you.
Soor plums for Nicola
I don’t know whether Scotland’s First Minister is proposing to visit the Davis Cup match in Glasgow this weekend. If she does she may be horrified to see the large number of spectators wearing “Back the Brits” Tshirts as well as all the Union flags, the Union face masks and red, white and blue pompoms. There are a few Scottish flags, but the support is overwhelmingly British. These are presumably some of the people who voted the ‘wrong way’ in the referendum. There are even two guys in hideous Union Jack suits.
(Bearsy and Boadicea, I did feel sorry for little Kokkinakis. At the end of the second set I felt somone ought to have taken the poor wee soul away and given him a ‘jeely piece’ or other treat. He did recover a bit in the third set, but I’m not convinced he’s capable of what his loud-mouthed friend suggested.)
A slap in the face for a Sturgeon
All together now, with JM leading the chorus – “I blame Alex Salmond.”
To tell or not to tell?
There’s a readers’ poll in Le Figaro this morning. The question is “Was Hollande right to make public the fact that an Islamist plot has been discovered and dismantled in France?” Seventy-seven percent of those who responded voted that Hollande was wrong to do so. (Of course 77% of the French would say Hollande was wrong to say it was raining while standing in the middle of a downpour!)
One would hope that Hollande had the agreement of France’s security and intelligence services to make this announcement, but we don’t know. So, is it better to rub the noses of of wannabe terrorists in France in yet another failure? Or would it be better to simply jail the would-be perpetrators quietly and leave the terrorist community in the dark? I should imagine that the first alternative might simply spur them on to greater efforts, while the second might spread disquiet and despondency “pour décourager les autres”.
I don’t believe it!
This idiot, whose name I had never heard before, is apparently standing for the leadership of the LibDims. I don’t know whether this suggestion will actually be on his manifesto.
What possible reason could a childrens’ programme for a very young age range have for bringing in homosexual characters? My two little granddaughters love the Peppa Pig characters. There are boys and girls, Mummies and Daddies and some grandparents and other adults. There are no sexual connotations whatsoever and no need to introduce any. If the LibDims really want to commit political suicide, they now know what to do.
Southpaw kangaroos
Can anyone explain why this vital discovery has taken so long? Bearsy? Boadicea? Apart from those who actually box kangaroos in circuses and fairs, is it relevant to the rest of us? I can understand the researchers from St Petersburg State University wishing to visit Australia to escape a Russian winter, but couldn’t they have found something else to research? The water carrying capacity of camels perhaps?
Whose rights come first?
I apologise that so much of my inspiration comes from France and I have to give links to French newspapers. This is an interesting problem.
A homeless man, though it turns out that he does have a roof over his head, has been begging on the streets of Nice accompanied by a Jack Russell puppy. This little dog has now been taken from him by an animal welfare charity. Local businesses have drafted a petition to have the dog returned to the man.
It turns out that, although a kind waiter brings the man food and the dog always gets some, French cuisine does not always agree with canine tummies. This beggar has already had animals removed from his care. Personally when I see beggars anywhere accompanied by cats and dogs, my first instinct is to cut the leads and make off with the animals. A friend of our daughter kindheartedly bought some food for the dog in one instance and needless to say got a mouthful of abuse by way of thanks. Presumably you don’t get much by way of drink or drugs in exchange for a tin of Whiskas
Personally I think the local businesses in this corner of Nice are wrong. The beggar lost his wife and daughter in a fire, it is reported, but no one put a collar and lead on him and made him sit all day on the pavement.
So who’s your “only” one?
I’ve just seen an advert for a rerun of a Rebus episode tomorrow night with, it said, either John Hannah or Ken Stott. For me Ken Stott is Rebus and that’s that. Similarly Sean Connery is the only James Bond for me, and Ioan Gruffud is the only Hornblower (sorry, Gregory Peck). To go even farther back in my viewing I consider Rupert Davies as my only Maigret with Ewen Solon as Lucas. Apologies to Michael Gambon, but there it is.
Do other Charioteers have their “only” actors to play certain roles?
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