Thursday, January 10, 2013

French versus English volume 72

Montreal Bus company fart-catcher defends slighting English

Anglo community's very own Kapo, Marvin Rotrand
Montreal bus company spokesmanMarvin Rotrand, the token anglo fart-catcher, has once again defended the company from offering English services, claiming that the company's hands are tied by the law, a misrepresentation according to constitutional lawyer Julius Grey.
"Basically, we have to operate in French unless we can prove an absolute necessity in certain categories," said Rotrand.
"At the STM, we do have categories where that is necessary. For example, the people operating the [phones] have to be able to answer questions in English."
However, he said bus drivers or those who work at ticket kiosks don't fall under that category.
Rotrand said the corporation consulted with its legal department and agreed that the language laws apply directly to the transit authority.
"We have a huge volume of jurisprudence as to what our obligations are under Bill 101," he said.
Constitutional lawyer Julius Grey says Quebec's language laws do not prevent the STM from serving customers in English. Read the whole story at CBC
Here's another article on the story;
"It was a simple, straightforward request that Gazette transportation reporter Andy Riga put to the Société de transport de Montréal.
Using Quebec’s access-to-information law, Riga asked the transit authority what legal opinion it had, either from in-house counsel or outside lawyers, on how Bill 101’s language requirements apply to the agency’s employees — notably those whose jobs involve dealing with the public.
Yet getting a straightforward answer turned out to be no simple thing.
The initial response, from the STM’s director of legal affairs, Sylvie Tremblay, was that no such legal opinion exists. After that was reported, STM vice-chair Marvin Rotrand piped up to contradict her, saying that the STM does in fact have written opinions from its legal department about the matter.
However, not only was Rotrand at a loss to explain the discrepancy between their responses, he maintained that while he does have such opinions in hand, these cannot be shared with the public. Why not? Because, said Rotrand, it is STM policy to keep internal legal opinions confidential. Read the whole story at the Montreal Gazette
Arghh!!!....
Kudos to Andy Riga for getting the story.

Ripleys Nodogs Believe it or Not ....


This landed on my Facebook page and I will let the poster speak for himself;
"Hello. If there is anybody out there who can help me, I need it! I have lived in Québec since 2010. My partner (a francophone) and I have a lovely baby boy born here in Montréal. I have made great strides in learning French, and my son will be fluently bilingual. I am having a problem with my family name, however. Ever since I got my RAMQ card, the province has my surname listed in all lowercase letter. This is because the Nova Scotia birth certificate is printed in all capitals - so somewhere some fontionnaire without knowledge (or perhaps ulterior motive) listed me in all lowercase. I CANNOT seem to get my second c capitalized again. I have made numerous phone calls but all I hear is that they need to see my NS birth certificate - you know, the one written in all capitals so that you can't tell... So apparently after nearly 4 centuries on this continent, I will be the first "Maccall" - nice, eh? Government imposed!

Of course, they are now doing the same thing to my son as we have recently requested HIS birth certificate. I am awaiting word from Vital Statistics in Halifax on whether they can provide me with a letter of attestation or something, but other than that I really don't know what to do. It's breaking my heart and it's really frustrating. Is there anyone else out there from out of province with a Scottish last name who has successfully protected their name? Why isn't McGill know as "Mcgill" if there is such an issue with our names?

Will my MNA be sympathetic? ANY help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!" 
Link
 Readers, I challenge you to describe the above situation with one well-chosen word....

Rich versus Poor...

The lynching of Daniel Breton

Let me preface this piece by saying that there isn't a Quebec politician that I dislike more than Daniel Breton, not on a personal level, (I do not know the man,) but rather for the politics that he practices, an insane and unrealistic environmental fundamentalism that would have the effect of paralyzing and impoverishing Quebecers by bringing economic development in the resource field to a virtual standstill.
But I want to comment upon the way he was driven from cabinet, something that I really can't abide by as a democrat.
One of the very first rules that we learn in a democratic society is that our government is chosen by the majority and that those of us who 'lose' our election can grumble all we want, but in the end, must accept the choice of the people.

In highly developed democracies like Canada, this rule has been honoured ever since confederation. There's hardly one among us who hasn't been enraged by the outcome of a local, provincial or federal election, but we've all learned to grin and bear it.
This rule of the majority is particularly tested in Quebec, where the government switches every few years between two diametrically opposed sides with two very different optics as to how the province should be governed and where its future should lie.
The differences are fundamental, but just the same we all accept that the elected government has the right to govern as it sees fit (within the confines of the law.)

Daniel Breton is certainly no saint, but his transgressions were those of a poor man, that is, stiffing a landlord for a few thousand bucks and overstaying his welcome on employment insurance.
I'm not condoning his actions, but the Press made him out to be a degenerate thief and seemed to delight in 'taking him down.'
I can only think of all the rich businessmen who lie and cheat and when caught employ an army of lawyers to spend their way out of trouble and I can't help but feeling had Breton also been a rich businessman who pulled some dubious and illegal moves in his past, he would not have suffered a similar fate.

I am reminded of cads like Donald Trump who roll the dice with other people's money and when successful reap the rewards, when unsuccessful, stiff investors and hide behind bankruptcy laws, all the while sipping champagne and eating caviar.
It is without a doubt an unconscionable double standard.

The poor can't hide. They can't use high priced legal talent to shield themselves from justice.  People like Breton are at the mercy of the Press, from which they do not have the means to defend themselves like the richniks.
For those readers who believe that Breton's actions were unacceptable and his resignation was justified, I can only tell you how poorly you know our politicians.
I know too many who have done and continue to do much worse. Much, much worse, but they are never held to account because they are rich or powerful.

Why is it then when somebody tweeted salacious details of  Conservative cabinet Minister Vic Toews personal life, the Press was up in arms  over the invasion of privacy, the fact that he fathered an out-of-wedlock love-child with a much younger woman while married. Is it not  a matter that voters who place their trust in his good judgment, be apprised of? Link
Some readers may defend him by saying that his behaviour may be reprehensible but not illegal, so how about the fact that he was CONVICTED and fined after pleading guilty to breaking campaign finance laws.
How is it that the media went so easy on him and why is it that he remains in the Harper cabinet while Daniel Breton is relegated to the back benches?
I can repeat similar stories over and over again.

Mr. Breton's real crime was being a member of the hoi-polloi, getting caught on piss-ant transgressions and not having the wherewithal to defend himself.
Had he been rich or powerful or both, the media would have laid off and Pauline Marois would not have thrown him under the bus so quickly.

...just my opinion


Descriptors? 

We don't need no stinkin' descriptors!

In an article posted in a Trois-Rivieres newspaper the local head honcho of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de la Mauricie (SSJB), Guy Rousseau,  complains about stores in the local mall that have English names. LINK{FR}
"The OQLF requires merchants whose image is English, add a generic term or slogan in French.  
For example 'Toys 'R' Us' could become 'Toys 'R' Us Magasin pour enfants' (store for children..ed)
"If you're in Norway, it is normal to display in Norwegian, likewise in Japan. Why would it be different here? Because we are only eight million? "Asks Mr. Rousseau. "We must stop denying our roots and show a little pride," he adds.
Mr. Rousseau should have gotten his facts straight before shooting off his mouth, because in both Norway and Japan, Toys 'R' Us uses it's original English doesn't use descriptors of ant sort. In fact a quick peek on Google streetview across Europe and Asia reveals that Toys 'R' Us doesn't use descriptors or a local version anywhere.
But hey, as long as nobody is checking....



 "Toys 'R' Us Magasin pour enfants"... Catchy, isn't it?

By the way, if you are too young to get the heading reference, it is a take on a scene in the classic Treasure of the Sierra Madre, starring Humphrey Bogart, where bandits impersonate law officers, which mimics my feeling about French language militant frauds like the above Guy Rousseau.
Watch the short scene over at Youtube.

French +English versus the NHL

I thought it would be appropriate for a small piece about the end of the NHL lockout, as hockey in the dark, cold days of mid-January to end-March is important to many Canadians across the country and where cheering for whatever team they choose is an important part of life.
Let us not forget that the vast majority of hockey fans are not wealthy, they follow the game on television, listen to talk shows on the radio and read stories about their team and the NHL on the internet, all virtually for a pittance.
For these not so well-moneyed fans, hockey is a wonderful distraction, where being a fan is something that even the poorest can afford.

For the rich fans who can afford the ticket prices, well that is their choice, it seems there is enough of these who can afford the ridiculously high prices and so the market dictates what people are willing to pay.
I've attended NHL hockey games across North America and remain amazed at the price differential between what American teams charge versus what Canadian teams charge.

Here's a chart of average ticket prices in the NHL, which you may or may not find interesting;
Check out this link from ESPN that details paid attendance by team, although those at the bottom end of the scale, I believe that the numbers are fictitious as tens of thousands of tickets are given away or dumped at a fraction of list price.

At any rate, at the top end of the scale, the Toronto Maple Leafs rake in over $106 million, just on ticket sales, exactly double the $53 million that the New York Rangers take in.

As for gate revenue for other Canadian teams are:
Montreal....... $83 million
Calgary......... $58 million
Vancouver..... $57 million
Edmonton..... $52 million
Ottawa.......... $47 million

At the bottom of the NHL is the Phoenix Coyotes, the NHL's basket case, which officially takes in just $19 million dollars, which is probably inflated anyways.
YIKES!!!

Here's another useless set of statistics that only a dedicated fan could find interesting, that is the average price of beer in an NHL arena, per average 16 oz. serving;

Canadiens..............$9.94
Rangers.................$7.50
M.Leafs.................$7.21
Capitals/Sabres.....$4.96
See the entire list


Do you think attending a Maple Leaf home game is a little expensive at say, $400 for the evening?
Check out this offer I received from COSTCO  to attend Super XLVII in New Orleans....YIKES!!!


By the way Cosmopolitan magazine has come out with a list of its thirty hottest NHL players, if by chance, you are interested.
By the way, Carey Price is rated number 7. See the list


Further reading;

Case not being taken seriously says Montreal man after tomato sandwich attack

PQ 'liberates' Lachine Hospital from English clutches

National Post editorial board: English is a right, not a privilege


Bilinguals Have Faster, More Adaptive Brains When They Get Older


Pardon My French, Quebec, But Your Language Laws Are Ridiculous

Nutbar Richard Bain gives an interview in French to crime reporter- Listen

After links to drug bust, two Quebec judges not given new cases

Quebec City mayor ranks 4th in world's best mayors list



The last laugh

Oh Sh!t Moments!!!   Click here for more  ....I promise you're gonna chuckle!



Have a good weekend!
Bonne fin de Semaine!

95 comments:

  1. RE: Daniel Breton = As much as I despise this lowlife Bougon, I think my disdain continues to gravitate around the likes of Jean-Francois Lisee and Maka Kotto...simply because they had higher aspirations than Breton did and failed, therefore turning them each into bigger Bougons than Daniel himself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you serve no meat buddy. what's wrong with lisée and kotto?

      Delete
    2. No, I just don't serve you, little man - be sure to remember that.

      Delete
    3. @resident evil

      why not? what's wrong with my question?

      why don't you share your knowledge?

      you should be more generous. you know, giving is even more fulfilling than receiving.

      Delete
    4. Il y a plus de plaisir à donner qu'à recevoir, surtout pour les tapes sur la gueule.

      Delete
  2. How interesting! Now we're actually doing this on purpose perhaps? Funny story: I recieved a voter card last September for the provincial elections and my name (never previously had this happened), was suddenly spelled with an 'accent aigu'! There is no 'accent aigu' in my Family name. Needless to say I contacted persons responsible to have this corrected and I was told it was too late to correct my name in the system. Naturally, this entire thing did not sit well with me at all. So I proceeded to serve them with a Caveat by phone, that if this descrepancy (their mistake and ineptitude) would keep me from voting on voting day, ALL F...HELL WOULD BREAK LOOSE THE LIKES THEY HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. Fortunately for all concerned, it did not keep me from voting! But how interesting to hear that this is happening to other people as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Speaking of that topic, I don't like it when people accentise Montreal and Quebec when they're writing in English. It looks so francophilic. There's an English spelling too, so why are they using the French spellings?
      Governments screw up names all of the time. Obviously with millions of people in the province, it can be hard to get every name perfect, but they should have to fix any mistakes they make. The treatment you and that MacCall woman received is disgusting! It's their fault and they should solve the problems they've created!

      Delete
    2. Oops, sorry I thought he was a woman for some reason, then I read the "himself" part. My mistake.

      Delete
  3. My useless comment on NHL attendance:

    The only reason that Chicago's average attendance is higher than Montreal's is because the United Center allows for standing sections that push attendance to be more than 100% capacity. That practice is not allowed by Quebec Fire Codes.

    The Bell Centre remains the highest-capacity arena in the NHL.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Qque chose de pourri (typing my pseudo, since i cannot login fom an ipad)
    That you buy the poverty excuse for crime says alot about our society, i know people not too rich, and tey o not rob, this guy was no poverty victim, gimme a break. Your compasssion for him is a slap to poor who do not rob and have pride to remain honest. No wonder you worked in politics, you lost some moral values.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Does this mean all of them are criminals if you are bellow a certain line of revenue? And that if you are, it's not your fault? Breton had an appartment full of empty wine bottle, he had money for wine, but not the rent. You are honest or you are not, poverty is a pale excuse of irresponability considering the resource available to the poor.

      Delete
    2. Again you change the subject, it's simple, your explanation in the context of what Breton claims, is an excuse. B your logic right or wrong do not exist, only excuses.
      You answered my comment by providing an excuse, my point was Breton excuses and the editor buying into it, is an insult to the honest poor, who do nit justify crimes or dishonesty based on their situation, you are honest or you are not, there is no gray.

      Delete
    3. Ah yes rhe US example, lets look at a more progressive society, the uk they have 4 times more violent crime than the US, cherry picking stats will do that.

      Delete
    4. @Anonymous Monday, January 14, 2013 at 3:50:00 PM EST

      A. Please choose a nick and don't post as Anonymous; it's actually forbidden, which you would have known had you read "How to Comment on this Blog" at the top of every page.

      B. When citing stats, please provide a source so we know you aren't pulling them out of thin air.

      C. Your poor spelling makes it hard to follow your argument; your replies might carry more weight if only you paid more attention to what you write.

      Delete
    5. @true montrealer

      "don't post as Anonymous; it's actually forbidden..."

      are you a blog administrator?

      "Your poor spelling makes it hard...bla bla bla"

      ah! you probably are not, cause you would have been aware of that rule from the same page you refer to:

      "No grammar cops or spelling monitors, we are here for ideas.

      Delete
  5. Editor,

    Let me preface this piece by saying that there isn't a Quebec politician that I dislike more than Daniel Breton...

    As I have been following you for years, you have to clarify this for me. Which one is actually at the top of your dislike list? It was Gilles Duceppe, then Thomas Mulcair, and now Daniel Breton. Which one is the one?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Little off topic but these seppies just go on and on making a mint raising shit everywhere they go: Daniel Turp hired to help Scotland with their independence referendum.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14224339

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. if this appointment is "raising shit" to you, it seems to me the "raisers" are the scots. what do you have against the scots cutie003?

      Delete
  7. Editor, let's be clear. The problem is not that Breton got the hook, the problem is that the others haven't. In a perfect world they all would so, no, I don't feel any sympathy for him but I am pissed off that the others have avoided it.
    As for the Leafs, I suspect it's largely because they are beneficiaries of corporations being able to deduct entertainment expenses. That's why they always sell out and yet you always see empty seats, particularly the way they've been playing lately. Despite the fact that I'm an occasional user of corporate seats, I really don't think the average tax-payer should be subsidizing my night out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. And now we, the taxpayer, are spending more money on Ms Pee's international travel to get her big nose in everyone else's business also. What an embarrassment this party is to all of us.
    http://www.globalnews.ca/pages/story.aspx?id=6442786589

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "What an embarrassment this party is to all of us."

      to all of you? who are you then?!?

      Delete
  9. RE EDM's post at 11+ pm on Jan 10 re using accents on Montreal and Quebec, surely the fundamental question is WHY francophones put up with the antique practice of diacritical marks/accents in their language? Think about it...they know how to pronounce the words of their language - don't they ? We English speaking folks manage fine without accents. Wouldn't it be terrific if franco Quebecers just said ENOUGH ! NO MORE ACCENTS ! Quebec would lead the francophone world...EDM would be happy...written French would be simplified...etc. Oh! What a Brave New World that has such people in it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Look, I didn't mean to offend anyone by saying that, I just consider Montreal to have English and French versions like London becomes Londres in French. I just don't get why people go out of their way to accentise the words when they're writing in English. I'm not criticising the French language, I just don't understand why people choose to use the French spelling when they're writing in English.

      Delete
    2. Oh boy... what a dumb comment. This is like saying why don't they stop using diacritics in German, Hungarian, Finnish, Czech, Polish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese... It's true though that Hebrew uses diacritics but normally doesn't bother with them since they are usually understood.

      English is unusual in not using diacritics. Actually, it used to use them and the New Yorker magazine still uses them in words like dais, cooperate, reelect, souffle, naive, latte, frappe, a newspaper expose or a rose wine. It's awkward that adjectives such as learned and beloved (which are each pronounced with two/three syllables) are now written the same as the past participles learned and beloved (which are pronounced with just one) or having to distinguish between a résumé vs. to resume. As for proper names, what about the Brontë sisters? Chloë Sevigny? Renée Zellweger? Beyoncé Knowles? Noël Coward? Zoë is not the same as Zoe. And if we skip the Roman alphabet altogether, who knows about Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Bengali, Hindi, Inuit... Let's get rid of all of them, is that what you're really saying?

      Delete
    3. As for EDM's comment, though, I agree. Why is it that in English, we call it the Université de Montréal instead of the University of Montreal? After all, in French they call it l'Université McGill, don't they?

      Delete
    4. @ The Cat, and at the risk of boring ED, in my view "English is [modern] in not using diacritics. Forget the affectations of celebrities. And, simply, Bronte is the norm... those who are interested in dear Emily know how to pronounce Bronte without the silly dots. And yes, let's get rid of all of them. Argung or worrying about using an accent on Quebec, or not, is absurd.

      Delete
    5. It may definitely appear trivial, and it probably is, although I agree with EDM's basic assertion.

      I suppose both carelessness and politicization are a factor. And both are to blame.

      Common nouns borrowed (particularly from French) are frequently listed in dictionaries with both spellings. Sometimes the variant without diacritics is preferred, sometimes the opposite.

      Proper nouns for individuals can take the diacritics or not, and the call to use them or not should be up to the individual possessing the name.

      I'm also particularly retentive (sensitive?) about diacritics myself.

      If a place-name has a long-established and legitimate spelling in English without diacritics, it does come off as extremely pompous -- at least to me -- when a writer/translator goes with the variant that includes diacritics. When the words Montreal and Quebec appear in an English-language texts spelled with acute accents, I tend to interpret both a maladroit and boorish disregard for established forms in addition to an open display of petty political chauvinism if not outright subtle revanchism.

      Although I am a vocal proponent of bilingual signage, I find the accented versions acceptable if space or design considerations make repeating a word with only a minor modification seem more ridiculous than typographically correct in both languages. Examples such as the logos for the City of Montreal and the Province of Quebec come to mind. In an actual text, however, where everything else is in correct English spelling, I favor correct established English-language spellings.

      Same carries over to French. I also happen to disagree with French writers who maintain the practice of not putting accents when a word or letter is capitalized and would normally (in French) call for one (particularly, but not limited to the case of É). Even worse are those who can't be bothered to use accents altogether; email messages, in a personal and especially in a professional context is one example I find both galling and glaring. Technology has evolved and all modern character sets support the functionality...

      Delete
    6. FROM ED
      All this talk about accents, why not discuss the important things about French, like the fact that it is downright confusing. Translate;- "He is going to see his grandmother." In French it is "Il va pour voir sa grandmere.", which in English becomes "He is going to see HER grandmother." I'm not sure if that means he's going to see his grandmother's grandmother or his wife's grandmother or perhaps Red Riding Hood grandmother. On top of masculine and feminine for dead things they can't even get it straight with live people. I've said it before and I'll say it again, French is a decadent language. Ed

      Delete
    7. Ed, I have to put my two cents in here. I don`t consider talking about how confusing you think French is "important things about French". I don`t think sitting around talking about how you don`t like the language is very constructive, isn`t our fight against the separatists and not their language? I happen to enjoy the language, accents and all. What I don`t like are the seppies. Besides, I can say the same thing about what you wrote in English. He is going to see his grandmother...who`s grandmother? His father`s grandmother, his friend`s grandmother, etc.

      Delete
    8. The Cat,

      I see all the languages that you list and I have my comment on German. German language can be easily written without diacritics. The only diacritic German uses is umlaut (ä, ö, ü). It also has one ligature (ß). The letters with umlaut can be substituted by adding an e. Example: Müller by Mueller and Matthäus by Matthaeus. As for ß, it can be substituted by ss. Example: Strasse for Straße.

      Point is, German can live just fine without special characters.

      Delete
    9. FROM ED
      Laurie, He is going to see 'her' grandmother. Sorry if this is over your head. Think about it you'll see it eventually. Ed

      Delete
    10. Mr. Brown,

      I have to agree with Laurie and Yannick. We have no problem with the French language per se. Our issue is the forced usage of that language and the suppression of other language. Languages have different ways of expressing something. In your case, the French way is confusing because you are thinking about English way of expression. For me, it is just another way of expression since my native language does not even have possessive pronoun.

      Delete
    11. Mr Brown,

      You find troublesome masculine and feminine for dead things?

      When I told my daughters that there was, in english, a "it" pronoun for a third category of words, a category that was not masculine, nor feminine, but neutral, they thought that it was simply and completely stupid and uselessly complicated. (I told them that it was just designed from a different logic.)

      Delete
    12. French is downright confusing? :)

      What does "japanese flu vaccine" means? Does it mean "Vaccin de la grippe japonaise" or "Vaccin japonais de la grippe". Is it the vaccine or the flu that is japanese? In french, the meaning is obvious. In english, I guess that you have to rely on the context...

      Delete
    13. REWRITE :

      French is downright confusing? :)

      What does "japanese flu vaccine" mean? Does it mean "Vaccin de la grippe japonaise" or "Vaccin japonais de la grippe". Is it the vaccine or the flu that is japanese? In french, the meaning is obvious. In english, I guess that you have to rely on the context...

      Delete
    14. M. Patrice,

      Since you are correcting a very minor error in "mean" and "means", allow me to point out that in front of "it" it is supposedly an "an" instead of an "a". Also, in English the adjectival form of place names is in capital. Thus it is "Japanese" instead of "japanese". As well, name of a language is capital: French and English.

      Maybe you want to rewrite one more time.

      Delete
    15. Troy,

      Thank you for correcting my errors.

      I don't have the patience to correct all the mistakes I vainly try to avoid.

      Delete
    16. @ M. Patrice,

      "When I told my daughters that there was, in english, a "it" pronoun for a third category of words, a category that was not masculine, nor feminine, but neutral, they thought that it was simply and completely stupid and uselessly complicated."

      Who gives a damn what your daughters think? You've undoubtedly brainwashed them with Franco-supremacist, separatist garbage.

      Delete
    17. @durham

      "Who gives a damn what your daughters think?"

      i do.

      and i think you missed the point michel was making in that english also has its weird bits, durham. probably as every language does. so founding an anti-french argument on this, like ed is doing, is futile.

      "You've undoubtedly brainwashed them with Franco-supremacist, separatist garbage."

      most baseless comment yet on this page.

      Delete
    18. Troy,

      I try my best to write correctly. Obviously in vain. Thank you for correcting my errors.

      student,

      Thank you.

      Delete
    19. "What does "japanese flu vaccine" mean? Does it mean "Vaccin de la grippe japonaise" or "Vaccin japonais de la grippe". Is it the vaccine or the flu that is japanese?"

      Michel, this usually arises from sloppy writing which, unfortunately, is occuring more and more in the press. It can be easily avoided by writng "vaccine for the Japanese flu" or "Japanese-made flu vaccine". Also, for the first time I agree with Student: I'm interested in how your daughters view english.

      Delete
    20. "Separatists are sub-human!"

      "Hate! Hate! Hate!"

      I am not the one calling for restrictions or bans on languages and the elimination of the rights and freedoms of others.

      M. Patrice's comments on the "it" pronoun in English were probably his own, rather than those of his daughters anyways.

      Delete
    21. What you are, Durham, is being obnoxiously rude and disrespectful to someone based on how they vote. That's plenty hateful to me. Michel deserves better, I've no doubt that te comment was in fact from his daughters, and we are all interested in hearing something from a different perspective. Those of us who don't wisely keep that to themselves rather than embarass themselves like you did.

      Delete
    22. Diogenes,

      "arises from sloppy writing...It can be easily avoided by writing..." You are right.

      What do my daughters think of english? I don't really know for sure.

      I think that my oldest daughter (she is 12) thinks of english as an ability that (most/many) adults have, like driving a car or cooking. She sees that it is a language that is much spoken outside of Québec (we are back from a trip in the Carribean and in the US, so she heard a lot of english...). She noticed that native english speakers tend to speak english only. She thinks of it as one of her uncles's native language (and as one of the languages spoken by her two cousins). She doesn't like english class much because she needs above average efforts to get (just) below average results, unlike other classes where she gets above average results with below average efforts.

      She knows that french is the most germanic of all roman languages and that many english words come from french, therefore she is lucky to speak french ; if she spoke Japanese for instance, english would be even more difficult to learn.

      What does she think of english? I don't know what to tell you. What do you have in mind? That I have told her that it is the language of the big bad oppressor? :)

      Delete
    23. @ Yannick,

      So the defender of Nazis is the defender of Michel too.

      Excuse me for being hostile towards those who vote to ban my language and remove my basic human rights. And Michel doesn't deserve better. He has made his share of rude and disrespectful comments to others on this blog. I can remember a recent example where he attacked Cutie003, Apparatchik and myself.

      "they thought that 'it' was simply and completely stupid and uselessly complicated."

      That sounds more like an utterance from Michel, rather than the statement of a child, who would more likely say that its 'silly' or something to that effect.

      Delete
    24. @durham

      "So the defender of Nazis is the defender of Michel too."

      wtf?

      "...those who vote to ban my language and remove my basic human rights."

      which one of your basic human rights is michel voting to remove durham?

      "I can remember a recent example where he attacked Cutie003, Apparatchik and myself."

      oh you remember? can you quote please?

      "That sounds more like an utterance from Michel, rather than the statement of a child..."

      i don't agree with you. in my opinion "stupid" and "complicated" are likely to be part of michel's twelve years old daughter's vocabulary.

      Delete
    25. "I can remember a recent example where he attacked Cutie003, Apparatchik and myself."

      - oh you remember? can you quote please?"

      I guess that he is refering to this comment of mine : http://nodogsoranglophones.blogspot.ca/2012/11/quebecs-war-of-poppies.html?showComment=1352496566822#c441511416229555409

      The context : for thousandth time, someone made a comment accusing two commenters to be the same person. I find those accusations tiring and uninteresting, so I gave my two cents. When I said "the clever Durham", I guess that he felt that I was being sarcastic and he was right.

      I feel guilthy. That a man keeps on calling you franco-supremacist, keeps on amalgamating you with nazis, keeps on calling you racist or bigots is no reason to throw in one's face a reply as cruel as this sarcastic "the clever Durham". My usual short temper. Sorry. I apologize. I hope that he will overcome this traumatic experience and move on with his life.

      Delete
    26. @ student,

      "which one of your basic human rights is michel voting to remove durham?"

      I'm referring to freedom of expression. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled that Quebec's language laws broke an international convention on civil and political rights. Michel supports those laws.

      @ Yannick,

      "I had hoped that you would one day concede that you were wrong about the Nazi thing, I see you won't."

      Have you considered that you might be wrong? Several commenters requested in the past that you retract your pledge to defend Nazis but it's obvious that you will never do so. The whole concept just makes my skin crawl.

      "I don't think I remember a single time that Michel was rude."

      Here's one for you. Read the link that he provided himself this morning, where he refers to someone "as an old more or less unilingual anglo lady who doesn't have much of a clue..."



      Delete
    27. @durham

      "I'm referring to freedom of expression."

      what can't you express because of bill 101 durham?

      more info about the united nations thing please. with sources and all.

      Delete
    28. Look the United Nations up on the web. It's very easy to do.

      Here's another one. The late Premier Robert Bourassa said himself that "fundamental liberties have been suspended in Quebec."

      Delete
    29. "Look the United Nations up on the web. It's very easy to do."

      i didn't find anything. seems you're better than me at finding stuff on the internet.

      "The late Premier Robert Bourassa said himself that fundamental liberties have been suspended in Quebec."

      was he referring to october crisis?

      i repeat my question as i think it's important:

      what can't you express because of bill 101 durham?

      Delete
  10. FROM ED
    EDITOR, You tell us the best way to fight for Anglo rights is to promote this blog. Cutie, Mr.Sauga and nyself have been doing that but what can we send? Chatter about accents is so irrelevant and boring thta even the trolls aren't commenting today. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gee, Ed, you complain when there are trolls and even when there are not. Are you always Mr. Grumpypants?

      http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo115/ninjaturtle76/b65601-grumpy-cat.jpg

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      Hey EDM
      I apologize for my post. You're right, I go to far.

      When Mr. Sauga came up with the idea of getting the North American news media into our struggle for our rights, it struck me as an idea that was practical, doable and effective. I went in headfirst with my usual overexuberance and foresaw everyone here writing a barrage of emails which the media could not ignore. I contacted CNN and Jack Cafferty's people said, "get us the material and we'll do a story." I had the same result with George Christopolous in Toronto and foresaw a win for all of us.
      I still think it was a great dream but I realize now it will never happen. Like Mark Twain said about the weather, "Everybody complains abot the weather but nobody does anything about it."
      I will now accept the idea that if you're the only one who sees it that way, don't fight'em join 'em. I will stop kicking the dead horse, he might get up and bite me.
      I believe that whatever happens in Quebec will have to depend on the voters which for now
      apparently will be the same cme election time. Ed

      Delete
    3. The reason I'm not writing any emails or letters is because I'm just a kid. I don't have any personal experience with the effects of separatism because Quebec has had a federalist government for most of my life, and I'm still too young for people to care if I'm a, as they would put it, foreigner refusing to speak the language. I don't know a great deal about politics, and my style of writing is poor enough that even if I did send a letter, the media would not pay attention to it. Maybe if I was a young boy of a single digit age I could perhaps draw attention, but overall they would prefer the word of an older person with more knowledge of politics and more stories to tell. That comment I made about accents was innappropriate, and I give the Editor my permission to remove it, as I don't want it to turn any readers away from this blog.

      Delete
    4. FROM ED
      HEY EDM
      Your post was right in keeping with the discussion of the day. When you apologized with no need to, I realized my over enthusiasm is pushing people too far. Thanks for the wake up call.
      It's not like I have nothing else to do. I write for magazines monthly, mostly silliness for teen mags. I am trying to get my novel published and write Christian Children's stories as well. I have
      been People's Warden at an Anglican Church for 22 years and although I am now retired I still have many who come to me with their troubles whom I feel must be helped. I was advisor, along with my wife when she was alive to a group for gay teens for ten years and their are still many who are now adults still come to me with questions.
      So I will lay back and it will be less stress for me and the others on the blog.

      Delete
    5. 15 000 dollars to see a football game... I hope to gosh the NFL isn't expanding here to Canada like some believe. Thanks to whoever invented the television.

      Delete
    6. You're clearly a hard working man that cares about his community. Also I wish you luck with getting your book published, Mr Brown. What kind of novel are you writing?

      Delete
  11. I read the NHL hottest players in Cosmo and it is truly dumb. Really, Jagr, Kessel and Hartnell are there while Toews is not?

    ReplyDelete
  12. It would be interesting to see that lady that threw the tomato sandwich at the gentleman with the allergy charged with a hate crime rather than mischief or whatever. The sentencing could be very different and it would gather a lot of publicity. I wonder if that man has even thought of asking his lawyer to pursue it that way. A couple of others could do the same like the person involved in that attack by the STM employee.

    ReplyDelete
  13. FROM ED
    EDM
    I don't want to fill up the blog wth personal things. If your interested cntact me at edbown@bell.net. You can read it if you like. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  14. See how different it is between French and English media in response to a piece of news. This is La Presse's take on the issue of Lachine Hospital.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After reading both the French and English versions I'm still in the dark about whether it's really another english hospital we're losing or are we losing a french one? Does anyone have a short explanation of what is going on here?

      Delete
    2. @cutie003

      "After reading both the French and English versions I'm still in the dark..."

      so what is your mother tongue!? is there one language you understand cutie003?

      Delete
  15. About Daniel Breton, Editor, I don`t like the fact that you made excuses for his criminal behavior. Aren`t some "rules of a democratic society" to hire representatives with integrity? The PQ appointed someone with absolutely no personal or professional integrity. Just because others have committed the same or worse crimes is no reason to excuse his behavior and no reason to accept the PQ appointing such a person.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I agree with you Laurie - we are supposed to hold our representatives to a higher standard that the ordinary Joe. I don't expect my politicians to be plagued by crimes from their past - Breton should have cleared up the problem with his landlord if nothing else. Wine bottles - who cares because we don't know who drank them but he skipped out on his rent and never bothered to make it up to the person that owned the building in which he resided. No reason for that. Speeding at 175km an hour is just plain reckless and endangered the lift of everyone else on the road at the time. You could understand if it was like 15km over but 175km is outrageous.

    ReplyDelete
  17. FROM ED
    Let me straighten out a few things. First, I don't care about accents because I do not use them whether I'm writing French or English. I do not think French is a dcadent language. To be decadent it would have to be not in use and french is very much in use on this Earth. I merely said that to try to elicit some lively responses and it did.
    When I wrote the prime minister I mentioned that the English in Quebec were waking to the fact that their language rights were being denied and that they were starting to rebel against it. I suggested he take action for us before we have to embarrass the Canadian government through the news media. I suggested he check this blog to see how anglos felt. I'm sure his office boy, Peter Penashue has checked the blog and told the P.M., "Go back sleep. There's nothing to worry about with that crowd. It's all just talk. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just wrote my first e-mail on the subject, as professional like as I could. I hope it has some effect.

      Delete
    2. Way to go EDM - the more of us that put up a fight, in writing, the more attention we will garner and hopefully get this province back on the road to having rights and freedoms for ALL its citizens! We have no choice now - these separatists are doing more and more damage to the economy and to Canada as a whole. They are way more outspoken and demanding than we are and with groups like IF and SJBS continuously writing our city councils and our provincial governments, it looks like we don't care that they are taking us to the brink of economic and social disaster. Thank you for taking the time to participate.

      Delete
    3. @ed

      you have been chasing trolls for the last two weeks ed. s.r is a troll, i am a troll, complicated is a troll, we are all the same troll, none of us really exist, etc. we got it all.

      and here you are admitting that you wrote something about the french language "to try to elicit some lively responses".

      here is the wikipedia definition of a internet troll: "a troll is someone who posts inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community (...) with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response..."

      now, who is the troll ed?

      should we start inciting contributors to stop feeding you ed?

      Delete
    4. @ student

      I have been following this blog for a long time and I would say that both S.R and yourself qualify as trolls whose main intent is to disrupt the comments section.

      Delete
    5. FROM ED
      DURHAM
      I simply don't answer trolls and I don't read their post. I did this time because I read yours. He knows he is a troll and he knows very well what his purpose is. Ed

      Delete
    6. @durham

      "I would say that both S.R and yourself qualify as trolls..."

      ok i know that, you are repetitive mate.

      but what about ed's admission of writing a bit with the intent of disrupting the flow of comments? this behavior seems to fit your definition of a troll quite tightly don't you think durham?

      Delete
  18. ATTENTION READERS;
    This week's Monday post will be skipped as I am out of the country and quite honestly, because time constraints have conspired with an otherwise occupied mind to offer a quality product.

    I'll be back Wednesday with a post that I'm sure you'll be interested in;
    "THE FLQ VERSUS RICHARD BAIN"
    See you then!

    ReplyDelete
  19. FROM ED
    M.patrice, If your feel that the word it is more complicated than the following then you and your daughters are definitely francophone.
    Generally masculine Generally feminine
    Nouns referring to male people. Nouns referring to female people.
    A handful of nouns are masculine, whatever the gender of the person they refer to, e.g.: amateur, auteur, témoin, vainqueur, voyou plus certain job titles. These are feminine, whatever the gender of the person: personne, victime, recrue (recruit), connaissance (acquaintance).
    Certain nouns referring to animals that can refer to only the male of the species. For example: étalon (stallion), cerf (stag), matou (tomcat). Certain nouns referring to animals that can refer to only the female of the species. For example: chatte (female cat), chienne (bitch), louve (she-wolf).
    Masculine nouns that are 'generic' terms and can refer to either a male or female of the species. For example, le cheval can refer to either a male or female horse. Feminine nouns that are 'generic' terms and can refer to either male or female of the species. For example, la souris can refer to either a male or female mouse.
    Names of towns. Other place names (departments, rivers, countries) not ending in -e. Place names ending in -e.
    Common exceptions: le Mexique, le Combodge, le Rhône, le Finistère (French department), le Zimbabwe (-e pronounced). Common exception: la Franche-Comté (French department). Sometimes town names, especially if they look or sound feminine (e.g. Marseilles ending in -es), can be treated as feminine. This is quite rare, though.
    Nouns ending in:

    -age
    -ment
    -il, -ail, -eil, -ueil
    -é (but not -té)
    -eau and -ou
    -ème, -ège
    -i, -at, -et and -ot
    -er
    -oir
    -isme
    -ing
    -ard
    Words ending in other consonants (in the spelling).

    Nouns ending in:

    -tion, -sion and -son
    -ure
    -ude, -ade
    -ée
    -té
    -ière
    Consonant followed by -ie
    -euse
    -ance, -ence
    Most other endings consisting of Vowel + Consonant + e: -ine, -ise, -alle, -elle, -esse, -ette etc

    Nouns ending in -eur, generally derived from a verb, denoting people or machines carrying out an activity: aspirateur, facteur, ordinateur Figurative nouns ending in -eur, usually derived from an adjective: rougeur, largeur, pâleur, couleur, horreur, rumeur
    Principal exceptions (look feminine but actually masculine): cimetière, episode, espace, intervalle, lycée, magazine, mille, musée, réverbère, silence, squelette, stade Principal exceptions (look masculine but actually feminine): cage, eau, image, merci, page, peau, plage
    Compound nouns of the form verb-noun: porte-monnaie, pare-brise, tire-bouchon. --
    Common rules and patterns for deciding if a French noun is masculine or feminine.

    Where there is a conflict, rules to do with a word's construction or function generally override rules to do with the word's sound or ending. For example, pare-brise ends in the normally feminine ending -ise, but is of the form verb-noun so is masculine.

    These are just rules for masculine and feminine of dead things. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's bewildering how different languages that appear so similar to eachother such as English and French are. It's funny how we all seem to be able to speak our first languages fine by the time we reach the age of self awareness, yet mastering a second or third language is somewhat of an extraordinary feat. All bilingual francophones/anglophones alike deserve a pat on the back.

      Delete
    2. Mr Brown,

      "...then you and your daughters are definitely francophone."

      Yes, exactely. All that you listed isn't complicated to me because I learned it uncounciously and effortlessly as a child.

      As an adult who speaks both french and english, I understand that it is difficult for an anglophone. And, as a english speaking adult, I don't think that "it" for neutral is really complicated, but for a francophone child who learns english, the concept of neutral is at first puzzling.

      Delete
    3. By the time I was ready for school,I was confortable in 4 languages. While in school, me and 2 other guys faught for last place in a class of 30 students.Go figure.

      Delete
    4. EDM,

      Being interested in languages, I came over the years to think that learning another language is an enormous task.

      That's why I said before that I can understand that an anglo who grew up in Québec never really learned french, it is just not that simple.

      Delete
    5. No Michel it is a very difficult language to master and I wish now that I had learned it when I was much younger but my friends wanted to learn English - not much of an excuse but I have nothing against the French language as such and I envy people that are fluently bilingual but hate the separatists for the economic turmoil we are continuously in because of their stupid language laws. People that are fluently bilingual are employable anywhere but if they only speak French, they are employable only in Quebec. That leaves us little room for anyone to invest in property here, not just because of language, but the outrageous taxes and laws that they have to adhere to. This renders our real estate values practically immovable and our businesses dormant.

      Delete
    6. Cutie003,

      "No Michel it is a very difficult language to master"

      Just to avoid misunderstanding : I said that it IS difficult and that I DO UNDERSTAND that some Québec anglos never learned french.

      Delete
  20. Just found this on the Internet = perhaps some of you knew about it but they are putting pressure on Quebec from outside Quebec, such as no investments, no work, etc. until rights and freedoms are restored which I totally agree with. We can also alert them of any e-mails we are sending to the US etc. You will notice that this was in November 2012 so a lot of you may know about it - I guess I'm behind the times.
    http://alliancequebec2.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/alliance-quebec-2-initiating-press-release/

    ReplyDelete
  21. Cutie, thanks for the link.

    I can see our friend Jean Naimard is at it again:

    "Multiculturalism is just some more imperialistic device to “divide and rule” by having citizens segregate themselves in little ghettos so they cannot band together unanimously against the canadian colonizers.
    In Québec, it also serves the purpose of making immigrants believe that the french are just another bunch of immigrants, like them, instead of being the actual founders of Canada."

    Paranoia much?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idiots, no less. I really wish that the average separatist, not the politicians, could get a chance to really look at the world around them and realize how wonderful it is to be able to speak two languages!

      Delete
    2. The alternative to multiculturalism is the "melting pot", which is what Quebec nationalists want for Quebec (excpet that they call it by a different name: "interculturalism"). The problem with the melting pot idea is that it never works in practice as it is said to work in theory. In theory it is supposed to level the playing field and make everyone an equal in the community, in practice some sort of hierarchy is always retained. In the US, a melting pot country, you can be an Italian American, Hispanic American, Greek American, Polish American, etc...but WASP Americans are still the dominant group, culturally and politically, just as in Canadian multiculturalism, where one dominant culture (Anglo) dominates over other cultures (Italian Canadian, Ukrainian Canadian, Indian Canadian, Chinese Canadian, French Canadian, etc...). In a melting pot scenario it would be the same thing, with a minor difference being that all the other (non-Anglo) cultures would have less incentive to preserve their cultural heritage, and would disappear faster.

      Quebec separatists want the American model for Quebec, but not because they want to integrate us all into their culture, but because multiculturalism leaves too many "undesirable" reference points for people, while the melting pot leaves only one reference point, which in Quebec is L'Etat Quebecois and les peuples Quebecois.

      This desire for deference to the Quebecois state/people is essentially a result of an ego trip that drives the post-1970s Quebec nationalism, which prior to the 1970s might have been a force for a necessary change, but since then has been mostly about ego tripping and shoring up of economic gains.

      Delete
    3. Jean Naimard only stuck around on this blog for a day or two because all of his arguments were quickly blown out of the water.

      Delete
    4. The problem is even the US recognized the "melting pot" doesn't work, and now they are a "salad bowl" where each individual brings unique characteristics to the "salad" every nationality, every language, every heritage brings its own characteristics. Hopefully Quebec will learn from the US's evolution, I'm not holding out hope though...lol.

      Delete
  22. FROM ED
    Michel,
    There is one thing about learning a language that you
    have to understand, not everyone has the same ear.
    Like music some people can pick up an instrument and play while others never learn. After 65 years as a keyboardist I still cannot play without the sheet music in front of me. My friend who played piano in clubs all his life can play from Classsics to BumbleBoogie all by ear.
    I learned French naturally as a kid growing up amongst mixed lingos but my written French which is very good comes from high school. The problem I have in writing it is having to look up the gender
    a damn nuisance really. When speaking I use masc/fem only for people for the rest I skip the word. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  23. FROM ED
    The melting pot does work, but forsome it takes longer than others. When I was a boy we were flooded with Irish, Scottish and Brit refuges escaping the threat of war. They blended right in. They were the same colour, mostly the same language (except for the highlanders) and basically same religions. After the war came Italian, Greek and other Europeans who learned English and blended right in. The reason they learned English instead of french was because of the military presence in their countries most of them spoke english before they came. Today Asians, Latinos and Afros come here and are accepted by the Anglos, look how many are visually present, newscasters etc. We know that in some countries it works better than others and often depends on things like the economy. England is having trouble with the youth due to lack of jobs. Countries who import immigrants to bolster their economy should make sure they can sustain the standard of living. That doesn't work here in Quebec of course because qualified professionals such as Doctor's etc. are not considered pur lain. The world has 'Doctors Without Borders' we have doctors without jobs, even though we need them.
    The melting pot does work but for some it takes more time to be accepted. I'm surrounde by asians
    italians muslims african and even francophone neighbours; who all communicate in English. Their is a few separatist families in the co-ops across the street from me and I notice the teen boys and girls gather
    on the front stairs keep very much to themselves. There is a nice Anglo kid lives in the same building speaks fluent French having a french mother but he goes to English school so they won't bother with him. He comes out the door walks between them to get down the stairs and goesoff without a word. Sad Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "They blended right in. They were the same colour, mostly the same language (except for the highlanders) and basically same religions"

      This kind of illustrates my point.


      "Today Asians, Latinos and Afros come here and are accepted by the Anglos, look how many are visually present, newscasters etc"

      Ok, but the "visual presence" on television is a very poor indicator. Like the number of black basketball player millionaires in the NBA is a poor indicator of the status of blacks in the US.

      I would actually argue that the "visual presence" on television and in mass culture is a ploy to purposely distort the real picture.


      "England is having trouble with the youth due to lack of jobs"

      The problem in England (and France, US, Canada, QC) goes beyond the issue of economy. Yes, in good economic times the problems with racial/ethnic relations are usually soothed, but these problems still exist under the surface. There is a good book on the subject called "Postcolonial Melancholia" which traces the problems in ethnic relations to a simple fact: the nostalgia of western whites (the book is about Brits but the same can be said of Americans, the French, Anglo Canadians, post-1970s French Canadians, Australians, etc...) for the good old hierarchies that are slowly withering away, but which many people still want to preserve. Even in the absence of politcal mechanisms to reinforce that nostalgia (i.e. no more state-enforced segregation, though anti-Spanish laws are now popping up in Arizona), that nostalgia is perpetuated in culture, attitudes, mentality, and behavior.

      http://books.google.ca/books/about/Postcolonial_Melancholia.html?id=c2C0pqWaXjsC


      The late Christopher Hitchens also made a similar point talking about the Tea Party, and linking it to the anxiety of the whites about a possibility of losing the privilege of being the majority. For me, the SSJB is our equivalent of the Tea Party, and reflects the fear of QC francophones of not being in the majority one day.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6CeNRCBvo



      There is also a good speech on the pathology of white privilege, in how it actually destroys the whites morally and culturally, while destroying the non-white economically. If you have an hour, check it out. The speech is on white privilege in the US, but I see Canadian francos and anglos victimized by similar supremacist self-delusions as well.

      http://vimeo.com/25637392

      Delete
  24. FROM ED
    ADSKI
    You have onviously studied in depth the subject and you present it well but I don't need to read any books or seek other opinions on what is going on before my eyes. I go by what I read in the media each day and the news coverages. I go also by what I see and more importantly feel around me.
    I will not believe that asian and latino newscasters is a ploy. These people got their jobs because they earned them and were accepted by their peers.
    I don't need a book about the Tea Party to confuse the truth. The truth of the teaa party is money. Nothing else. They are a bunch of greedy and heartless Republicans who want a president that will allow the tax incentives for the wealthy. They wanr a president that will maintain wars so their leaders like Donald Rumsfeldt and Dick Cheney can sell weapons and war materials. I could write a book that would make the Tea Party look like a choir of angels. I could also write a book about what they really are. I could make either one believable.
    I've said several times, don't overthink things, it only clouds the main issue. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  25. I can completely understand that poor lady's birth certificate problem. I have a similar problem, my first name is Andrea. When I first had to apply for a provincial birth certificate at 17 in order to apply for a Canadian passport (I only had a baptismal certificate). I filled out the appropriate forms and send in the appropriate documentation.

    Three weeks later I received my crisp new birth certificate in the mail except my name was spelled Andréa. A french accent was added to my name, because that is how you pronounce it in French.

    Since then, I've gone through a couple of passports, RAMQ and driver's licences, all without the misspelling of my name on them, but it makes me wonder if these so-called fonctionnaires are taking it upon themselves to Francisise names whenever they see fit.

    ReplyDelete