Friday, September 24, 2010

French versus English Volume 15

TV commentator calls Anglos & Immigrants -"Abnormal"
In the unremitting hateful world of Quebec nationalists, anglophones and immigrants continue to represent an 'abnormality' because they won't vote for the Parti Quebecois. 
Imagine that!
For ex-MP and panel regular on RDI (CBC French news channel,) Jean-Pierre Charbonneau that's exactly what he said on air. Complaining that ethnics act too "anglo.'
"For many immigrants the constitutional question remains a sticking point, which hinders them from acting like normal citizens. In the end they act just like anglophones, who have an allergy towards the PQ even if it isn't about a referendum " Hear the Comment (French)
I guess voting for the PQ is what nationalists mean when they say they want immigrants to assimilate.

After viewers bombarded the station with complaints over the remarks, Mr. Charbonneau apologized telling the audience that at first he didn't even believe that he had made the offending remark and that he had to go to the tape for confirmation. Must have been a Freudian slip. And so Mr. Charbonneau told the audience in a mea culpa that he has nothing but the greatest respect for immigrants.  As for the anglos, not so much.... Ahemm.....
See him grovel here.. starting at 1:45sec. of the video

Militant Receives Absolute discharge 
After admitting harassing an anglophone candidate running for a city council position, Jean-Roch Villemaire was found guilty in a Gatineau courtroom. Link(French)
"As of late, I've sent several emails to West Quebeckers and Barbara Charlebois demanding that they stop anglicizing Quebec. I also wrote "Français", "Québec libre" and "FLQ" on two windows and the West Quebecers sign. I removed  about a dozen of Ms. Charlebois' election signs. I didn't commit any act of violence, nor did I make any calls to violence either.  - Jean-Roch Villemaire
 Read my post about the incident
After receiving a very generous 'absolute discharge' in court, Mr Villemaire seemed to have mellowed somewhat, perhaps wiser with his brush with the legal system. Or maybe he was just keeping up appearances until sentencing. As I predicted in that blog piece, he has remained off the militant grid ever since being charged. It remains to be seen whether he returns to his past ways, now that he is a 'free' man.
The only condition imposed upon him by the court was that he repay the Regional Association of West Quebecers, $500 for the trouble he caused, a sweet irony.

Talk-Show Host- Albertans are 'illiterate Hillbillies'
Decrying western Canadians opposition to the gun registry, afternoon talk-show host and noted anglo-basher Benoît Dutrizac called Albertans "a band of illiterate hillbillies' because according to  him, they are unable to fill out the necessary forms.

Taking the blowhard to task is blogger 'David' writing on the conservative web site- Republique de Bananes.
Apparently Mr. Dutrizac should check his figures before mouthing off. It seems that Alberta has the lowest rate of illiteracy in Canada and Quebec has the the highest and this by a wide margin! Over half of Quebeckers are either illiterate or functionally illiterate!
Touché!

Future Francophone teachers cheat on French Test
Exasperated by a French test that future francophone teacher must pass to be licensed and which they deem too difficult, someone has created a Facebook page where they disclose several of the test's  questions. The site has over 1,100 members where they 'discuss' aspects of the test. See the Facebook page HERE
Here's a sample of the type of stuff being posted;

 "For the September 12 2010, Here's what I remember of the vocabulary section;
Paradoxe, Tacite, Exubérant,
...Prendre le taureau par les cornes,
Marcher sur des oeufs,
le suffixe "ite" comme dans "cellulite" et "bronchite",
le suffixe "èdre" comme dans "polyèdre" ou "hexaèdre"  
Link(French)
It's good to know that the future guardians of the educational system are nothing more than a band of cheaters, spelt "T-R-I-C-H-E-U-R-S."

Who earns more, Francophones or Anglophones?
The current war over the question of who earns more, francophones or anglophones, between Jack Jebwab on the anglo side and Charles Castonguay on the francophone side,  is proof positive that depending on your point of view, it's possible to make statistics say just about anything.
It started with an article by Jebwad, claiming that francophones make more than anglophones. This was countered by Castonguay, an retired professor of mathematics, who 'proved' that the opposite was true. Now Jebwab is swinging back.
In a well written and perhaps unintentionally hilarious piece, Marian Scott of the Montreal Gazette describes the ongoing saga. 
Whether you're French or English you're going to enjoy seeing those statistics dance according to the 'caller.'
For added pleasure, read the article while listening to a recording of "Duelling Banjos," it'll set the perfect tone! 

Montreal becoming more "like them, less like us"
Writing from the cosy environs of the lily white, Catholic, Quebec City region, Réjean Labrie  decries the fact that immigrants are literally changing the face of Montreal.
"Little by little, Quebec is de-nationalizing, losing the elements of its own identity like a tree losing its leaves, becoming less like us and more like them.  Link (French)
I wouldn't have posted this run of the mill story except for a rather poignant allegorical photo that was included in the piece, a picture of a pure and bewildered Quebecoise, surrounded ignored and overwhelmed by 'les autres.'


Macleans dropping another bomb on Quebec
An email  from "Frank P." directed me over to Patrick Lagacé's blog where he advised readers that Macleans magazine is dropping another one of those Quebec-bashing bombshells in it's issue that drops today. Read some portions online, this week-end.

 As Frank P. wrote;
"Best we hold on to our "toques" as this one is going to create a wof "Ad nauseam Lamentata" (sic) by the usual nationalistic pseudo-victims zealots."
I've no doubt.....

 SEE ALSO:
 French versus English Volume 14