imkittymyers at hotmail dot com
Sunday, December 04, 2005
(FWENCH) PEOPLE, WHO NEED (AMERICAN) PEOPLE
I'll admit that I take a certain satisfaction in the Fwenchies' mizz-a-wees, especially Ch'Iraq's.
CHIRAC TOASTED ON TV
FRENCH President Jacques Chirac is French toast following weeks of rioting by Muslim youths. Our man in the land of cheese-eating surrender monkeys reports TV station Canal Plus has a terrific daily satire program, "Les Guignols de Info" ('guignol' means 'puppet show'). It recently showed Chirac seeking help from Jack Bauer, the counterterrorist agent played by Kiefer Sutherland on "24," which is now in its fourth season on French TV. Bauer replied in a horrible accent, "Oui, Messieur President." Our field agent smirked, "Since Chirac constantly attacks the Americanization of French culture, it was particularly great." Meanwhile, Chirac, who just celebrated his 73rd birthday and is thought to be suffering from a stroke, has lost the war against Yankee influence. Plans were just announced for Gallic remakes of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and "Starksy & Hutch." The French, who think they invented rock 'n' roll, will probably claim credit for inventing these shows, too.
For those who love wine but not the Fwench, Ralph Peters has reviewed the book for you. GIFT IDEA: SOUR GRAPES IN PARIS :
JUDGMENT OF PARIS: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine
By George M. Taber
You don't have to dislike the French to enjoy this book, but it doesn't hurt. "Judgment of Paris" recalls how, in 1976, American underdogs bit the big poodle where it really hurt — in the wine culture, where France had been top dog since the Middle Ages.
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The experts were mortified. They'd trashed some of France's most famous wines, while praising unknown wines from California. And none of this would've been publicized if one journalist hadn't shown up during a slow news week: George Taber of Time, the author of this book.
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