Friday, June 7, 2013

French versus English Volume 86

This week in Quebec corruption

It was the last straw.
The new interim-mayor of Laval, Alexandre Duplessis, who replaced  ex-mayor Gilles Vaillancourt, (who is charged with gangsterism among other charges in relation to graft at city hall,) was fingered by a witness at the Charbonneau corruption inquiry as also being corrupt. In fact the entire ruling party, save a few councillors were accused by the witness of operating an illegal scheme to finance their political party through illegal contributions.
With that accusation, the provincial government was forced to put Quebec's third largest city under trusteeship. Read a story
**********
"A former top-ranking Quebec provincial police officer was arrested this week for allegedly receiving payments from a secret expense fund.
Denis Despelteau, 61, faces counts of fraud, breach of trust, forging documents and theft from the government, according to an arrest warrant obtained by QMI Agency.
Investigators believe Despelteau was paid under the table from the account for consulting work following his retirement." Link

What the Toronto Sun story doesn't say is that the arrest was hurried up because police feared that Despelteau was making arrangements to flee the country for good.
Another strange fact to emerge is that he owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Revenue Canada.
How can a cop, even a well-paid senior officer owe that much?
Something is veerrrry fishy! Link{fr}

Weekend reading:  The gangster politics of Laval  by Martin Patriquin in Maclean's

Language debates are holding up corporate plans, developer says

"Major corporations are putting expansion, relocations and long-term commitments on hold, because of the “unstable business environment” caused by the Parti Québécois hotly debated Bill 14, Jonathan Wener said Wednesday.
“The market has definitely gotten softer and a lot of people are putting major decisions on hold. It’s basically a wait-and-see attitude,” the head of Canderel Group of Companies, a national real estate development and management company, said.
Wener is the chairman and CEO of Montreal-based Canderel, which manages 9 million square feet of commercial space and has an additional 2 million square feet of residential development under construction nationally.
“I think it is extremely unfortunate that we live in a society that has reduced itself to thinking it needs language police to preserve its culture — point final,” Wener told The Gazette, in a reference to the Office québécois de la langue française. “I’ve travelled a good chunk of the world and when I talk about the fact that we have language police in Quebec they laugh at me.” Link

SSJB makes fools of themselves once again!

I read this story and was reminded of the great Shakespearean line;
"A countenance more in sorrow than in anger."

Click to read the  original story in French
Yes, I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the utter stupidity of the SSJB's local Laurentian region chapter, as well as the rank ignorance of the reporter who wrote this story.
"The Board of Directors of the Mouvement Québec français des Laurentides  (MQFL) welcomes the decision of the directors of Walmart in Saint-Jerome, to display its name with a French generic descriptor.

The company has indeed added the generic French "
Super centre Walmart (sic)" as required by the Charter of the French language.

Resistors
The MQFL emphasizes this fact to the many businesses that continue to display
English only banners. Moreover, the MQFL hoped that this example will be followed by other leaders in the business environment in large shopping centers and regrets that we see too many "Costco Wholesale", "Payless Shoes Source," "EBGames" and many other unilingual English names.

Réjean Arsenault, president of MQFL laments the resistance of some companies which threaten the French face of our region, names that appear only in English.

According to the president, this lack of respect for Quebec's francophone identity pollutes the visual environment and makes our malls pale copies of those of the United States or the rest of Canada.

The MQFL encourages consumers to act now to counteract this tendency towards an anglicized Laurentian landscape by promoting their disavowal to the offending business leaders."
I translated the whole article because I wanted to share with readers, the absurd mentality of these unilingual country rubes so sorely out of touch with the rest of North America, that they think the world revolves around them.
Let me explain to them that Walmart did not add the word "Supercentre" to satisfy the OQLF, with which they are already in court opposing any notion of French descriptors.

The term refers to a plus-sized store which sells food as well as the hard goods found in regular Walmart store across North America.

CLICK to read about Walmart's 'SUPERCENTRE'
All across Canada, (including Quebec) these expanded stores are differentiated from regular Walmarts with the addition of  'Supercentre' on the masthead, which is the same in English and French.
In the USA these stores are called "Supercenters" as opposed to "Supercentres" because of the difference in Canadian and American English. A shopping mall in Canada is referred to as 'centre.'
Sorry to burst your balloon, but Walmart made zero effort to comply with Quebec's language law.
I don't know which is worse, the foolish self-delusion of the SSJB or the utter ignorance of the journalist who wrote this story.

It reminds me of a story about my nephew, whose birthday fell just about the time the local town in which he lived sent up fireworks for Canada Day, each year.
As the family set up on the back balcony to take in the show, my brother dutifully reminded his son that he arranged the whole fireworks show as a birthday present! ... Call it a happy confluence of events!
Deceitful?...did you never lie about Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy?

More OQLF nonsense

I often listen to selected pieces from Quebec's talk radio, it isn't difficult to find pieces that interest me because  Radio Ego, posts interesting audio clips from the various talk-radio shows across Quebec.
In a clip about the OQLF, Stéphane Dupont went off on the organization telling listeners that it is such an embarrassment, it should just be shut down.
 He told the story about a Quebec truck manufacturer who was visited by the OQLF and received a complaint over a plaque on the wall.
It seems that the company had been cited for excellence by an international organization which issued the plaque to commemorate the achievement.
Readers you know the rest, I don't have to tell you that the OQLF objected because this international award was written in you-know-what. Listen in French

Quebec soccer bans turbans

"The Quebec Soccer Federation is forbidding turbans on the field of play, despite a directive from the Canadian Soccer Association saying turbans are okay.
For years, Sikh soccer players in Quebec were allowed to wear turbans, but last year the province’s soccer federation began to crack down.
At the time, the federation said it was only following the lead of the international soccer governing body FIFA and its Canadian counterpart.
FIFA still has yet to make a clear ruling on the issue.
Last week, the Canadian Soccer Association asked provincial soccer associations to allow turbans on the field.
But Quebec is still refusing to play ball." Read the rest of the story

Reaction is fast and furious with the federal government lodging an objection;
"Telling 5 year old kids they can't play soccer because of bogus safety excuses is not acceptable in any province," Vic Toews tweeted Monday. Read more
Fanned by anti-religious government rhetoric, religious intolerance in Quebec is growing at an alarming rate.
"In the Journal de Montréal, the province’s most-read newspaper, columnist Joseph Facal congratulated the federation for standing up to the “fanaticism” of religious minorities (who are simply defending a freedom promised them by Quebec’s own charter of rights).
And poll results recently published by the government suggest that the federation will have public opinion on its side. In the poll on religious accommodations commissioned by the government in March, one of the questions was whether to allow sports players to modify their uniforms or equipment for religious reasons.
For 81 per cent of all Quebecers — 87 per cent of francophones and 62 per cent of non-francophones— the answer was a resounding no."
Read the complete story
Quebec continues to garner bad publicity around the world.
Just read the opening paragraph in this BBC news story;

CLICK to go to the BBC story

"To protect the French language, Quebec must separate from Earth"

"Ground control to Major Pauline...."
National post journalist Matt Gurney wrote a sarcastic, somewhat nasty, tongue in cheek piece that advised Quebecers to move to Jupiter to protect their language.
"Well, it’s come down to this. The only way that Quebec is going to be able to promote and defend its own unique language is to pack up, wish us all well and head out onto the vast depths of space. The future of the French language will be secure only when the Jovian Lunar Colonies of New Quebec (or New New France) are up and running. It won’t be easy. Conditions will be harsh. There’ll be cosmic rays to contend with. Not to mention the debilitating effects of low, or zero, gravity on human physiology. The only thing that will get these brave colonists through all the hardships will be the fact that they’re doing what they have to do to protect their language. And that daycare only costs seven astrocredits a day." 
Read the story
The article drew an angry response from Sophie Durocher of the Journal de Montreal who perhaps didn't find the humor in it at all. Since the piece is behind a pay-wall, I've pulled out the salient sections for translation;
"We know that the English Canadian newspapers regularly take shots at francophones in Quebec and with the ascension to power of Pauline Marois' separatist government, things have frankly gotten worse. But let's say a "new frontier" has been reached with the publication of an incredible text in the National Post on Wednesday....
...Journalist Matt Gurney bluntly tells all francophone Quebecers to embark on a space shuttle called QSS (Quebec Star Ship) Parizeau and depart to live on another planet, called the Lunar Colonies of New Quebec (or New New France).

Good riddance, this is how Quebecers then can speak French, a language that, according to Gurney, is useless.

"Despite  increasingly obnoxious and pathetic efforts by Quebec to erase any trace of this English in its territory, says Gurney, it hasn't happened." The only solution, he said, is that Ms. Marois press the panic button and take all the francophones to a planet where they can finally protect and promote their language without imposing it on the rest of the world, which wants to
know nothing about this dead language.....

.....Gurney says the French he learned in school was never useful to him for anything, even after several visits in Quebec and two trips to France. (One also wonders what language he spoke when he was in Paris if it was not  French)....
....Do you think he could have written a story in the National Post with phrases like
"If the Jews are not happy, they should therefore go colonize Mars to promote a religion that nobody wants!  
Should blacks, who are whining all the time, be put in a shuttle and  sent to Pluto!  
If gays are so unhappy,  should they be sent to the moon?"...

..Gurney's text caused thousands of reactions and comments. And that of course resulted in venomous rants against Quebecers who still dare to fight for the French language...


..The only thing that francophone Quebecers want, Mr. Gurney, is to live in their own language, in peace with the other communities in the province...

It seems to me that we are not asking for the moon.
Link fr-PW

Bits'n Pieces

Sandwich Thrower a no-show in court
The judge called out Evelyn Samantha Donis' name four times but no answer, she wasn't in court, so the judge issued a bench warrant. Donis is charged with aggravated assault with a weapon causing bodily harm.
She's accused of throwing a tuna and tomato sandwich in the face of Alex Montreuil, who had a near fatal allergic reaction to it.
It happened last fall at the cafeteria of the Jewish General Hospital. Read more

The true cost of Food Independance
A few posts back, we discussed the PQ's policy of 'food independence' where the stated goal was to increase the share of Quebec-produced food sold in Quebec stores.
I tried to point out the folly of this program but was roundly rebuked by many in the comments sections that despite the cost, viewed the program as noble. Fair enough.
How much does buying certain food products locally actually cost today?
Here's an example.
In a piece entitled "The Camembert law" journalist Alain Dubuc tells us that in a French supermarket (France) a kilo of Camembert cheese sold for €7.16, equivalent to $9.60, while in Quebec, a kilo of locally produced Camembert is sold between $32.00 and $35.00.
Still think it's a good idea to force consumers to buy locally? Read the story in French

Does French Stand a Chance Against a Global English-language Tsunami?
"French, once the language of high culture, kings and queens, and pin-striped diplomats, is drowning in a global tsunami of English usage in commerce, science, education -- and even at the multilingual United Nations. The United Nations has six official languages but English and French are considered the "working" languages. Yet without fluent English, journalists can't understand press conferences, diplomats can't negotiate resolutions and officials in the field can't file reports.
Still many of the U.N. peacekeeping missions are in Africa -- and in French-speaking lands, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Mali. Too often senior U.N. officials heading these operations, while fluent in French, are not native French speakers.
At a recent session at the Consulate General of France in New York, Stephane Dujarric, director of the U.N.'s News and Media Division, said:
"So my simple answer is: learn English!" Read the rest of the story

Dan Delmar: Parti Quebecois plans to double-down on intolerance
"The PQ hopes to spread the same Francosupremacist mantra to the reasonable accommodation debate, forcing Quebecers to make a false choice between an impartial, secular (read: French-Catholic) public sector and a chaotic multicultural mishmash where menorahs and hijabs are wedged in the spokes of government. It’s not a question of coming to a consensus on what precisely Quebec values are – that would be an exercise in futility since those values are diverse and subjective. It is simply an attempt to take a shortcut to sovereignty by manufacturing conflict, which is the hallmark of a successful Péquiste government.  Read the rest of the story

Britain also concerned about creeping American English
‘If there is a more hideous language on the face of the Earth than the American form of English, I should like to know what it is.’ So said a member of the House of Lords in 1978......

....‘Unstoppable rise of American English: Study shows young Britons copying US writing style’, ran a Daily Mail story last year. The analysis of 74,000 children’s entries to a short story competition found that the written work was littered with such Americanisms as garbage (rubbish), trash can (dustbin), sidewalk (pavement), candy (sweets), sneakers (trainers), soda (fizzy drink), smart (clever), cranky (moody), and flashlight (torch). The Mail prognosticated ominously that the ‘future of written English will owe more to Hollywood films than Dickens or Shakespeare, if the findings of a study into children’s writing are anything to go by’. Read the story
Okay, How many of you knew that the British  version of a cupcake is a 'fairy cake?' Link

What Took the French So Long to Create a Word For "French Kiss?
The English refer to “English muffins” simply as “muffins.” The Canadians like to call “Canadian bacon,” “back bacon.” Now, what do the French call a French kiss? If you had asked that question before May 30 of this year, the answer would have been absolutely nothing.

For centuries, there has been no official French word for French kissing. The situation has finally been rectified by the release of the 2014 edition of Le Petit Robert dictionary. When the famous French-language dictionary hit the shelves last Thursday, there were some new additions to the official French vocabulary including the recent slang term “galoche” (French kiss) and its verb form “galocher.” 
Link

By the way, of the words added to the Le Petit Robert dictionary this year, here is my favorite,
"Patenteux"
"This term is specific to Québécois French and describes a certain type of resourceful person who can fix your sink or repair your carburetor with nothing but the lint in his pocket and a stick of gum. A MacGyver, if you will."
More

Tennis star Serena Willaims speaks French.....and Italian!
I bet you didn't know that!
She is a self confessed Francophile and gave this on-court interview after her French Open win.

CLICK TO HEAR INTERVIEW
Here she is speaking Italian. YouTube
Whoda thunk?

Radio Canada drops 'Canada'
"The French-language CBC sought to calm a backlash over its rebranding efforts following complaints from top to bottom within the organization. Radio-Canada issued a statement late Thursday after fielding complaints from the federal cabinet table to the shop floor, with one of its own workers’ unions condemning a move that also drew a fair bit of public ridicule online.
The organization moved to insist its historic name will remain prominent.
The organization’s executive vice-president said in a statement that he wanted to correct “misperceptions” that the organization was changing its name.
Louis Lalande said it’s not. He said the new brand name “Ici” — French for, “Here” — will be part of the identity but the organizational name won’t otherwise change." Link

Video of the week
You've no doubt seen many car chase videos (usually in California) where the entire chase is captured live by helicopter.
Here's one that takes place just north of Montreal, filmed by a news helicopter operated by the TVA network.
Probably the best quality pursuit video I've ever seen, so congrats to the reporter, and crew for being Johnny-on-the-spot.

CLICK to view video

Here's a video by a Longueuil motel promoting this years Fete-St.Jean celebrations and promising customers a pretty good time...er......
Is this what it's come down to????




After viewing the video, the beer company demanded that their name be disassociated.
I wonder why...
This story just broke last night and there was but one comment under the story in Le Journal de Montreal, but very telling.
 "The truth hurts, eh?"
 
Quote of the week
"The linguist Claude Hagège says that “the paradox is that today the people who are responsible for Americanisation and the promotion of English are not American.” Fortunately, people who are not French (notably in Africa and Quebec) have enabled cultural diversity to flourish. Political leaders should be inspired by their tenacity, not by the foolish fatalism of a few academics. Link 



Have a great weekend!

Bonne fin de semaine!

229 comments:

  1. Bradley Cooper,John Malkovich et Jody Foster (pour ne nommer que ceux-ci) ont aussi de la culture :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUfDSduCQfA
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii7LZAxR1I4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPc-5SbiReo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Bradley Cooper,John Malkovich et Jody Foster (pour ne nommer que ceux-ci) ont aussi de la culture :"

      Yes because when all is said and done, they understand and acknowledge that "Language" is simply a tool that is used to communicate. Nothing more and nothing less. If only all you useless people could get that too, we could all finally move forward.

      Delete
    2. S.R,

      Is it not amazing that Jodie Foster speaks French better than Pauline Marois speaks English? It just shows the quality of separatist leader, does it not?

      Delete
    3. Keep in mind that Jodie Foster spent years at an exclusive french school when she was younger and spent a lot of time in France as noted below. I dont think Pauline Marois studied in any english institutions so no real surprise there.

      Foster attended a French-language prep school, the Lycée Français de Los Angeles, and graduated in 1980. She frequently stayed and worked in France as a teenager, and speaks French fluently.

      Frankly Bradley Cooper and Serena Wiliams level of french is pretty sad..Malovich is ok but nothing to write home about.

      Delete
    4. complicated,

      Okay, you win. You are right. Foster spent years at a French school and graduated from Yale while Marois never formally studied in English and even has no evidence that she graduated university at all. No surprise indeed. My bad in trying to compare them. However, please note that S.R wrote this:

      Bradley Cooper,John Malkovich et Jody Foster (pour ne nommer que ceux-ci) ont aussi de la culture

      Does this mean that Marois has less culture than Foster?

      Delete
    5. FROM ED
      Troy, Marois has less culture than Koko. Ed

      Delete
    6. Sad little conquered people... They need little crumbs like this to make themselves feel worthy. I’m so glad not to have a sad life like that poor wretch does. God save our cultured Queen!

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZR7pP7wzqQ

      Delete
    7. All, you should check out what these 2 guys from Montreal started so as to ridicule the OQLF and the language rules. This is a FRENCH ONLY ZONE !!!

      FRENCH ONLY ZONE HOME INVASION
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQLR1X52lMU

      FRENCH ONLY ZONE ST PATRICK'S DAY 2013
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXye79Q2gIM

      FRENCH ONLY ZONE CANADIENS
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2hWq02rJ-Y

      FRENCH ONLY ZONE PART DEUX
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YABB0Ht_lnI

      FRENCH ONLY ZONE CHINATOWN
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnXmu180uI4

      Delete
    8. Bradley Cooper's french is very good.

      Delete
    9. Formula 1 racing legend Jackie Stewart, a true Scots bairn, speaks fluent French. (I once heard/saw him interviewed in French and he handled it deftly.)
      And pro basketball superstar Kobe Bryant speaks fluent Italian.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_L6nVq2jspU#!
      So what is S.R's point? People who speak French as a second language are cultured? (On behalf of the tens of thousands of anglos who speak French, thanks for the compliment.) Or is he saying that anyone who speaks any second language is cultured?
      So what about people who speak French as a first language -- are they uncultured? I don't believe THAT. Maybe S.R is implying that if all these celebrities can speak a second language, then anyone can. I commend his open and welcoming attitude toward bilingualism. :)

      Delete
    10. Kobe grew up in Italy.

      Delete
    11. Clarification:
      * (On behalf of the tens of thousands of anglos in Quebec who speak French, thanks for the compliment.)

      Delete
    12. @ Mr. Santi: Right you are. His dad played basketball in the Italian League, and Kobe arrived in the country when he was 6. I just thought it'd be fun to throw Kobe's name into the mix of Celebrities Who Speak Languages Other Than English.

      Delete
    13. In the end the fact that some celebrities speak another language is pretty irrelevant. For instance Michael Douglas speaks french fairly well because his mother if french but I bet not many people know that. It all depends on a persons schooling, family background, educational background and so on.

      Bradley Coopers french was pretty simple..I wouldnt say its very good..thats being quite generous. He was searching a lot for some pretty simple words..he studied in france also for a couple years so again not surprising that he speaks some french. I find anglophones are often quite generous in their rating of another anglos french. In my experience generally most francophones I deal with speak much better english than the anglos speak french. Why - in most cases francophones have no choice but to speak english and in most cases the anglos have a choice..it makes a big difference on how motivated one is to master the other language.

      Delete
  2. Et viggo mortensen aussi...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-1x7YJ51uY

    ReplyDelete
  3. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTFriday, June 7, 2013 at 6:41:00 AM EDT

    "Et viggo mortensen aussi..."

    Car parler quelques mots de francais (d'une qualite suspecte en plus) fait qu'une personne a de la culture?

    Bravo, mon bien petit quebecois. Tu fais dur, mon ami. Pi s'ils mangeraient un pogo, un gateau vachon et un verre de chardonnay? Encore plus quebecois, alors?
    Je sais, je sais, S.R.... un quebecois qui parle l'anglais est un globish, qui sera banni de ton petit village endette qu'est le quebec.

    P.S. n'oublies pas de faire bouillir ton eau avant de la boire.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTFriday, June 7, 2013 at 6:49:00 AM EDT

    Famous quebecois Jacques Villeneuve permanently left quebekistan in 2012 due to... high quebec taxes.

    http://affaires.lapresse.ca/economie/quebec/201306/07/01-4658715-le-parcours-fiscal-de-jacques-villeneuve.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B2_la-presse-affaires_1243376_section_POS1

    ----------------------
    Sounds like France. LOL! More proof that socialist high taxes scares away the successful. I am confident that quebec will tax its way out of this. And for those who think that I bash quebec, well Ontarions are in the same bag as quebec.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @un gars bs de frankfort

      "And for those who think that I bash quebec, well Ontarions are in the same bag as quebec."

      right. you bash both. so you're twice as rude and irrelevant. not an improvement, mate.

      Delete
    2. http://sevendeadlydivas.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/jacktorrance.jpg

      Delete
    3. Jacques Villeneuve et le Québec

      http://affaires.lapresse.ca/opinions/chroniques/francis-vailles/201305/28/01-4655018-jacques-villeneuve-et-le-quebec.php

      Ou quoi faire pour qu'on parle de lui depuis qu'il a été expulsé du cirque de la formule 1.

      Un loser est un loser!

      Delete
    4. N'oublions Yves Michaud et Gilles Duceppe.

      Delete
    5. @appartchik

      dude you are not being constructive here. i'm sorry to be so blunt but someone's gotta tell you. why don't you comment francis vailles's article instead?

      you can also try to explain what you see as a common trait between michaud, duceppe and junior villeneuve, but i would avoid it if i were you, as there is none.

      Delete
    6. Student if I'm not in the mood to be constructive, I won't be. S.R lives by that principle.

      Michaud and Duceppe were unceremoniously dumped by their own.

      And please, don't adopt a hoity-toity attitude with me or anybody here who's generally demonstrated a clearer ability to discern and express themselves here than you, let alone knowledge of Canadian political and legal history and -- not to mention -- facts.

      Give it a rest, will ya?

      Delete
    7. @aparatchik

      "if I'm not in the mood to be constructive, I won't be. S.R lives by that principle."

      haha. s.r is doing it so you're doing it too. haha. dude come back tomorrow or whenever you feel better.

      "Michaud and Duceppe were unceremoniously dumped by their own."

      false. michaud was dumped by bouchard, who wasn't his own. and duceppe was never dumped at all. quebeckers just thought it was more important to dump harper rather than have a strong quebec opposition in ottawa. layton was the only option towards this objective at the time. proof of this is the great poll numbers duceppe would generate when it was rumored he would take over the pq. remember? or do you prefer to forget facts that don't fit your fantasy?

      "don't adopt a hoity-toity attitude with me or anybody here who's generally demonstrated a clearer ability to discern and express themselves here than you..."

      ok i won't.

      "Give it a rest, will ya?"

      what do you mean?

      Delete
    8. s.r is doing it so you're doing it too. haha. dude come back tomorrow or whenever you feel better.
      Funny you've never told S.R to kick his commenting style up a few notches. Why do you discriminate, student? That's not very nice.

      michaud was dumped by bouchard, who wasn't his own.
      Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. When everybody's at least nominally péquiste, who's to know?

      duceppe was never dumped at all. quebeckers just thought it was more important to dump harper[...]
      WOW that's some extra strength creativity right there. Duceppe didn't lose. Harper just didn't win... but Layton did. If you can contort your body the way you contort your mind, I'd love to watch you play a game of Twister...

      proof of this is the great poll numbers duceppe would generate when it was rumored he would take over the pq. remember?
      Then by your own convoluted electoral logic demonstrated above, Quebecers didn't give Marois a majority last September because with support for separation in the 30-40% range, they thought it was more important to dump Charest than to have a strong opposition in the form of the CAQ opposition. The fact that the Liberals won only a few seats fewer than the PQ means nothing in all of this.

      Delete
    9. @appartchick

      "Funny you've never told S.R to kick his commenting style up a few notches..."

      s.r is usually funny. when he's silly tons of regulars fall on his back in a second. why would i jump on an already full bandwagon? is my seal so important to you, mate?

      then about duceppe i'm sorry for you that he is still widely popular in quebec, as proven by the polls i mentioned earlier. it's not twisted, mate, it's a poll.

      i personally think he's great, and i could have voted for layton. i am not alone.

      and why you try to apply the same logics to another election that offered a totally different kit of issues is beyond me. can't even comment. sorry.

      Delete
    10. s.r is usually funny.
      PRICELESS! For the dweeble who comes here and on a daily basis takes it upon himself to adjudicate which participants have undermined their own credibility, you've sure sunk yourself this time. By jove, mate, you've really gone off your rocker this time.

      when he's silly tons of regulars fall on his back in a second. why would i jump on an already full bandwagon?
      You sure as hell don't hesitate with most of the other regulars on this site. If you're the impartial inquisitive type you claim to be, you would be consistent in your inquisitiveness. Clearly you lack credibility in your claims of studiousness.

      is my seal so important to you, mate?
      Quite the contrary. I just denounce your inconsistency and hypocrisy for what they are.

      then about duceppe i'm sorry for you that he is still widely popular in quebec, as proven by the polls i mentioned earlier. it's not twisted, mate, it's a poll.
      Let's see Duceppe eat Marois for breakfast and then watch him take on both Couillard, Legault, David/Khadir/Fontecilla, and Aussant. Then we'll talk about where he stands on the pecking order.

      and why you try to apply the same logics to another election that offered a totally different kit of issues is beyond me.
      Because for twenty years the likes of French-Canadian separatists have been looking to subvert our federal system by electing a Quebec-only separatist party with the hope of demonstrating Canada doesn't work. After two decades of that stupidity, even most separatists got tired of the charade and voted for Layton. If you can't read the writing on the wall for separatist parties that's been getting thicker over the past few years, you're either blind or deliberately shutting your eyes. Either way, there's no helping you.

      Delete
  5. Hahaha...some of these stories are very entertaining, but the most hilarious ones is the story of Walmart's "Supercentre". Seems to me that some people need to get out more.

    ReplyDelete
  6. LordDirchester

    From the HuffPost article cited above,
    "At a recent session at the Consulate General of France in New York, Stephane Dujarric, director of the U.N.'s News and Media Division, said:

    "So my simple answer is: learn English!

    "It's not abdicating in the face of an English tsunami. It's about making sure you know how to swim."

    If you don't speak and especially write English fluently you will not be hired in an international organization or you will not be able to prosper in it. Let's recognize that in this very point in human history, English is the dominant language. Nothing lasts forever. Tomorrow it may be Mandarin and a few hundred years later Arabic. But today it's English. That's an indisputable fact."

    The Quebec government, sheltered from the harsh realities of the real World thanks to massive transfer payments from the English parts of Canada would be wise to at least acknowledge the fact that learning and teaching English to Québécois students might actually give them a fighting chance to succeed in life. Instead, fear and demagoguery are what guides the Quebec public education system when it comes to Second Langue instruction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True story:

      Earlier this week I was at a Conference in Toronto with a bunch of colleagues from throughout Canada. Various people gave presentations, one in particular was from Quebec City. He could barely articulate in English and it became a very uncomfortable 20 minutes ...of people in the audience shaking their heads and whispering. Imagine a room full of 250 people, murmering they could barely understand and some even walking out. Imagine how this guy looked in front of the Executive all in attendance.

      Afterwards, when he was off the podium, and presentations were over, he made a beeline straight to me and asked ..."How bad was it?", I was honest and responded that it was bad enough that he seriously consider and intensive English course. He felt badly the whole day and for the entire time we were there, hardly participated at any of the extra curricular activities in the evenings.

      Reality dictates that if you are going to play in the real world of 'Industry and Commerce', ensure you have what it takes in the first place to be able to play...it takes knowing the ENGLISH LANGUAGE for starters.

      "It's not abdicating in the face of an English tsunami. It's about making sure you know how to swim."

      AMEN

      Delete
    2. Lord Dirchester,

      The Quebec government, sheltered from the harsh realities of the real World thanks to massive transfer payments from the English parts of Canada would be wise to at least acknowledge the fact that learning and teaching English to Québécois students might actually give them a fighting chance to succeed in life. Instead, fear and demagoguery are what guides the Quebec public education system when it comes to Second Langue instruction.

      You nailed it on the head. The other thing is that for every single thing that Quebecers consume - from paper clips and breads to boats, houses and industrial machinery - somebody in the supply chain is working in English to provide them. Put it simply, if the province stops speaking English, the province gets nothing.

      Delete
    3. The Quebec government, [...] would be wise to at least acknowledge the fact that learning and teaching English to Québécois students might actually give them a fighting chance to succeed in life.

      If you keep a people isolated from the rest of the world, and keep education standards low, it's much easier to control them through fear and propaganda, which is essentially what the PQ thrives on.
      It's much harder to lie to people who have sufficient information to form their own opinion.

      The separatists simply replaced the Catholic Church.

      It's also an added bonus for the Unions, who love collecting money from a flock of sheep.

      Delete
    4. For sure Troy and if this province ever separates, and there is no federal government to protect the french language, every damn thing they eat, drink and poop will be shipped to them in a language they hate and have no tolerance for - are they then going to refuse the goods, services and food that they will have to import to survive because they will still hate the people that produce, ship and make the necessities of life? Won't take long for them to starve, I guess, because there will be no more tolerance for them and their crazy demands - no more will they be "special" to anyone in the ROC or North America. Will serve them right of course and the rest of us that will have remained a part of Canada, will have the last laugh.

      Delete
    5. I agree with Cutie003, an independent Quebec would be a third world country, probably the poorest country of all the Western World.

      Delete
    6. @john johnson

      that is a silly claim, mate. you probably didn't know that quebec is on par with other western democracies for gdp per capita, even though it's not pumping oil and even though its economy is constrained by another entity that has diverging interests. safe bets are towards an improvement of quebec's economy, in the medium term, if it were independant.

      Delete
    7. @yannick

      that's you opinion, mate.

      no control over half your taxes is a constraint.

      Delete
    8. In Quebec's case, it's a blessing. That way only half the taxes are squandered, instead of all of it.

      Delete
    9. @yannick

      sure, as if public money wasn't wasted in ottawa. you're bad at one-liners, mate. keep posting them if you feel the urge, but use an alternate id. this way you won't spoil the well regarded "yannick" nickname.

      Delete
  7. Thanks Editor once more for some great finds However, the rebranding of Radio-Canada by their own management is a complete classic of gross corporate management failure, and is not an April Fool's joke. Can you say "out to lunch", I can only imagine that the Board and senior execs are either:
    (a) totally clueless, particularly regarding the source of their funding;
    (b) hard line separatists who cannot stand seeing the word Canada
    (c) seeking an early retirement and a big fat payoff deal as compensation
    (d) all of the above.
    Its even more hilarious that its happening under Harper's watch. I guess all separatists must be just loving this. The one thing that will be interesting is to see the reaction of francophones already most Devoir readers appear pretty shocked and pissed off, which says something.

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Fanned by anti-religious government rhetoric, religious intolerance in Quebec is growing at an alarming rate."

    It has always been there, except that now they all feel completely free to show it openly. THAT is what is growing at an allarming rate. Feeling comfortable about overtly displaying racial intollerance of any kind. THAT is what we're not stopping fast enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No reason to hide it anymore - the government practically encourages it - don't know how we will ever stop it with that kind of prompting from our own legislators. We have to hope they start taking a good long look at themselves at some point in time. Scary actually.

      Delete
    2. What is really scary is that no one points the finger to say this is racial discrimination and it is wrong. This is Racism and it is against the Law. You are correct Cutie when you say that the government practically encourages it and even the Leader of CAQ opposition at this point does his share by stating things like: "We are not into Religious accomodation", straightfaced without even blinking.

      This is who is in charge of this province, Racist, Xenophobic and Intollerant A-holes....Congrats !!! Just don't be all horrified when people call you Nazi's, cause this is exactly the path the Nazi's undertook on their way to creating the Holocaust.

      oh and PS: complicated....you proud??

      Delete
    3. And drawing the parallel line between the Nazi's and the separatist government(s) of quebec are no longer far-reaching and I don't care what anyone says. We are headed down a really dreadful path in this province and no one seems interested in putting a stop to the slide.

      Delete
    4. @anectote & cutie003

      godwin point reached. you lose. that was fast.

      Delete
    5. Poor student… you have completely misunderstood the concept of Godwin’s Law. You lose.

      What do they teach you people at UQAM anyway?

      Delete
    6. @r.s

      i think cutie003 and anectote just gave our community a textbook example of the godwin law. please tell me in your own words why you think it doesn't qualify.

      Delete
    7. I think Troy's use of facts to demolish the doughnut love myth often invoked by S.R against anglos makes Troy an evildoer and a Nazi.

      Does that qualify as an adequate assertion of Goodwin's law?

      If we're going to trivialize things both tragic and idiotic, we may as well have fun with it, right?

      Delete
    8. @appartchik

      "Does that qualify as an adequate assertion of Goodwin's law?"

      no. as you are not serious. seriousness is a mandatory element to be found in any good godwin law example.

      Delete
    9. Wrong again. I'm being funny. Like your hero S.R, only more caustic. And in both official languages.

      Delete
  9. The PQ caught lying about the liberals again:
    http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique-quebecoise/201306/06/01-4658568-deux-ministres-pequistes-sont-contredits-par-une-lettre-de-florent-gagne.php
    Sorry seppies and complicated - this time around the liars are caught with their pants down. Won't be the last time they try to put everything on the liberals.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great piece by Dan Delmar. Surprisingly, this is the same guy who penned the piece about angryphones last week. Too bad the comments under the article are now closed, I wanted to write asking if it is the same Dan Delmar.





    ReplyDelete
  11. "Yet another predictable round of melancholic anguish ensues at the point where it is discovered that English kids call 911 rather than 999 when they want the help of the police, that they are now eating too much fast food and becoming obese at U.S rates or that their traditional vowels are being Australianized." - Paul Gilroy, "Postcolonial Melancholia"

    ReplyDelete
  12. Be sure to catch Barry Wilson on CTV News at noon - he touches on those stupid, bigoted ads that IF have put on the station concerning speaking french only in Quebec, about the CBC changing it's name and about the turban disputes with the soccer league, agreeing with the federalist side on all of them. Not sure if they have stopped running the ads though - hopefully they did after we all screamed bloody murder about them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. is your real name richard bain?

      Delete
    2. Je ne crois pas que CTV peut se permettre de refuser des revenus publicitaires pour 20 frustrés d'angryphones.

      @student

      Richard Henry Bain: qui est-il?

      http://www.ameriquebec.net/actualites/2013/06/05/richard-henry-bain-qui-est-il-10050.qc

      Jolie jupette à carreaux :)

      Delete
    3. Jaloux, Sébastien?

      C'est ton alter ego qui a rédiger cet mettant en vedette le blogue d'Editor?

      Il aurait également dû faire mention des autres intervenants comme moi, adski, Yannick, et même Y.L et toi s'il voulait présenter un compte-rendu équilibré.

      Mais c'est bien beau. AmériQuébec est loin d'être un portail sérieusement équilibré. Ce site, comme Vigile d'ailleurs. Eux aussi ont leur palette d'intervenants colorés, hyper-politisés, anglophobes, très "artistiques" et qui vivent une lubie qui leur est propre. On n'a qu'à penser à des types comme Luc Archambault, qui invente des mots comme "neufrançiens" afin d'éviter de parler de canadiens-français, de la période de la Nouvelle-France à la période contemporaine.

      Bien qu'il existe des différences importantes entre moi et les nombreux intervenants sur ce site, il faut vraiment se questionner sur le sérieux (ou encore de l'alarmisme) du "Sylvain" qui aurait accouché de cette chie. Cette dernière doit bien jouer sur les sensibilités seppies mais l'on peinerait de la qualifier de compte rendu édifiant...

      Delete
    4. @appartachik

      "Il aurait également dû faire mention des autres intervenants comme moi..."

      why you?!?

      Delete
    5. This from the guy who keeps bemoaning the evils of taking things out of context and then turning around and doing that very same thing!

      Why not me and only Cutie? Why not Y.L too? Why not you? After all, this blog is a mishmash of different points of view. No one person speaks for all the commenters here. Quoting Cutie's feelings about her generally feeling under attack from separatist foot soldier groups and her overall feeling of dispossession as being wholly representative of all discussion here is demonstrably false and shows that AmeriQuébec contributor's motivation for what it is: partisan, sensationalist, and unrepresentative.

      But then again, those three elements are what rally vast numbers of pitchfork-wielding militants anywhere and anytime.

      Delete
    6. @apartchik

      the dude has cleverly noticed cutie003 cries the same hateful stuff as bain does. why the hell would he mention you and me?!? if someone thinks you're the bestest thing and does an article based on a selection of your comments, will you argue he should have also quoted un gars bs de frankfort and other regulars?!? the guy is honest enough not to generalize his conclusion to all this blog's community and you give him grief?!? come on use logics please apparatchik.

      the only line where he includes a few more no dogs or anglophones contributors is this one: "...plusieurs anglophones sont atteints de haine chronique envers le Québec."

      will you argue against that when contributors routinely and openly express their targeted hate on these pages?!?

      Delete
    7. You separatists are so stupid - trying to link me to Bain - what is the matter with your heads? They are obviously full of sand and/or shit for brains. I've never threatened to do anything violent - the only thing I've said, and which some of the stupid rags that you read have picked up on, is a comment that "we have to get rid of these people" meaning by election or partition you fools. Stop trying to make it out for more than what it is - a simple statement of fact that your ideals are killing this province and our country which they are. Mr. Bain is in jail where he should be - much more than can be said of your hero's in the FLQ that are paid handsomely by the PQ who use reference to their murderous acts to advance your cause for separation. By the way, why is it that Mr. Bain is not considered a hero by the anglophones in this province? Could it be that we do not agree that it's OK to murder people? Unlike your FLQ hero's. The stupid spin you people put on these things is outrageous, blatant lies and innuendo which you use to create your own fairy tale. And I will confirm that I hate you separatists for the destruction and actual attacks (physical and by law) on the anglophone and allphone communities that reside here. Not hard for us to do at this point in time - 40 years of legal suffocation of our communities and our right to live in peace and harmony with our francophone friends and neighbours does tend to make one hateful of a cause.

      Delete
    8. if someone thinks you're the bestest thing and does an article based on a selection of your comments, will you argue he should have also quoted un gars bs de frankfort and other regulars?!? the guy is honest enough not to generalize his conclusion to all this blog's community and you give him grief?!?

      Inasmuch as the Sylvain who wrote that article is speaking in generalities and insinuates that future potential assassins like Bain likely to come from the ranks of our comment section, yes, I do argue that. That accusation is not a trite one at all. This is because what we really have is a diverse cross-section of old and young, local and expat, informed, misinformed, and uninformed, anglo, franco, and allo alike. You're more likely to find a higher proportion of militant groupthink with more bluster in the comments section of a Mathieu Bock-Côté rant, or at worst, just as much (but from a different direction). Like this one here. And yet, no mention of that by Sylvain. I wonder why.

      the only line where he includes a few more no dogs or anglophones contributors is this one: "...plusieurs anglophones sont atteints de haine chronique envers le Québec."
      Yeah. That polemicist confuses chronic hatred toward Quebec with understandable dislike for militant French-Canadian ethnic and cultural supremacy masquerading behind verbiage like "self-determination" and "integration".

      will you argue against that when contributors routinely and openly express their targeted hate on these pages?!?
      Whenever I read somebody on this or any other page write that they're actually going to suit up and pull off an assassination at such and such an event, you're damn straight I'll denounce it. I'll also tell the authorities. Until then, arguing about how stupid our laws and citizens are is fair game, as far as I'm concerned.

      Mr. Bain is in jail where he should be - much more than can be said of your hero's in the FLQ that are paid handsomely by the PQ who use reference to their murderous acts to advance your cause for separation
      Extremely valid and pertinent point. Bain is a villain. Meantime, we've got Falardeau films and others actively working to rehabilitate the image of the kidnappers in our society. I'm not just referring to the Rose brothers. I'm talking about justifying the kidnappings and murder -- and not just with thinly veiled language.

      And I will confirm that I hate you separatists for the destruction and actual attacks (physical and by law) on the anglophone and allphone communities that reside here. Not hard for us to do at this point in time - 40 years of legal suffocation of our communities and our right to live in peace and harmony with our francophone friends and neighbours does tend to make one hateful of a cause.
      Student, these aren't the rantings of a crazy old lady. I'm of the post-bill 101 generation and I endorse about 80 percent of what she's saying. And I'm also of part allo and French-Canadian stock. This view -- and the related call to moderation and just getting along without ugly and divisive identity politics -- is more mainstream than many think. And in your self-proclaimed moderation, I'd frankly like to read you espousing it a little more here. Doing so, rather than assuming the role of a minor apologist and misconstruer of participants' word choices would go a long way to show genuine study of the community you come here to read and comment about every day.

      And perhaps would make you as likeable to the likes of Cutie as it would to me or even Yannick or Michel Patrice.

      Think about it.

      Delete
    9. Wanted to put the same comments on that rag "ameriquebec" but the site will not allow it. How convenient. Thank you Apparatchik - talk about taking things out of context. The comments I have made over the past 10 months or so have never threatened anyone - what a pile of tripe. I have warned that suppressing the rights and freedoms of people can bring on violent reactions as is evidenced by thousands of countries throughout history and even current times and that I do want the province to be rid of the separatists but never, ever did I advocate that they be murdered. These people read what they want to into every statement and fact as proven by the Charbonneau Commission testimony and blatant corruption in this province. They are masters at spinning and slanting everything that is ever in print and have been taking lessons from their leaders well. It's too bad that they are headed for disaster in the near future should they continue down the same road. Unfortunately they are dragging too many of us along for their fated ride.

      Delete
    10. Wanted to put the same comments on that rag "ameriquebec" but the site will not allow it.

      Why not? Just look for the "ajoutez un commentaire" link and fill out your info.

      I do want the province to be rid of the separatists but never, ever did I advocate that they be murdered.
      Tells you something about the existential weight some of them have accepted to inextricably binding who they are to one political ideal.

      These people read what they want to into every statement and fact
      Lazy. But convenient. Damn the consequences.

      [...]as proven by the Charbonneau Commission testimony and blatant corruption in this province[...]
      Can somebody tell me why that commission is so great? Just as soon as we uncover everything about how fraud has been perpetrated, the fraudsters will just find a new way to do it -- until they're discovered again in a few years. Cat and mouse. This is far from the be-all and end-all...

      They [...] have been taking lessons from their leaders well.
      It's called 'when I want your opinion, I'll give it to you' -- and it's the staple of all political systems.

      It's too bad that they are headed for disaster in the near future should they continue down the same road.
      If the separatist movement can implode and shrivel up just as our fanatic catholicism did in the sixties, I'm comfortable with that. Settling the one and the other with a moderate acceptance of what is, rather than what some think ought to be seems to me to be the more organic way to let our collective destiny unfold.

      Unfortunately they are dragging too many of us along for their fated ride.
      Maybe, but it's always darkest before dawn. Or, conversely, the supernova comes before the ball of gas finally extinguishes itself. Or, conversely, it always smells bad after gas has been passed, but just open a window, give it a while and the room should be fine.

      Delete
    11. When I went to register it states that "no comments are allowed at this time" so couldn't post. I'm also comfortable with the separatist movement imploding - the faster the better. Perhaps we will then be able to move forward in this province. I too would like it to extinguish itself quickly. Seem to be a lot of comments on line that this isolationist mentality is taking a toll on the population as a whole - many think that they cannot live by themselves any longer and want to open the province to a different way of thinking - I hope more and more people start realizing that they cannot survive alone. It is a necessity if we want to thrive again in North America.

      Delete
    12. And I just read an article in Vigil.net and there was this Sylvain mentioning me again in an article about Bain! One has to wonder if SR, YL and/or student are really Sylvain doesn't one? Seems very coincidental to me that this guy writes a column and mentions me and then writes a comment in the comments section on another article concerning Bain but there is no separatist contributor on here by the name of "Sylvain". If he's not ashamed to put his real name on the article in the americquebec paper, why is he afraid to put his real name on here? And if he's that outspoken, I'm positive he would have had things to say on here before now as he mentions this blog twice also. So one of you may as well come out of the closet = it's pretty clear that should take your rightful place among the big boys and girls.

      Delete
    13. @appartchik

      "I endorse about 80 percent of what she's (cutie003) saying."

      what's the 20% you don't endorse?

      Delete
    14. You separatists are so stupid - trying to link me to Bain - what is the matter with your heads?

      It's simply a sign of their dire straits, Cutie. Nothing to worry about...

      Delete
    15. Thanks RS but I totally resent their inferring that something I said in any way connects me to Mr. Bain whom I do not know, have never heard of before the election and do not agree with, in any way, shape or form, that assassination is what I was suggesting when I said "we have to get rid of them". It's no wonder the followers of the separatist movement live in their own imagined world; the truth and facts totally elude them. God help us all if they ever managed to get a clear majority to leave Canada; we would be living in caves and/or dens of some sort. I'd like to shake the marbles in their brains loose.

      Delete
    16. By the way, in reply to the eyebrow-raising blog post by Mathieu Bock-Côté that Apparatchik linked to above at 1:18 PM (about how "Frenchifying" allophones is not sufficient but that they need to be “Quebecified” in order to “save” Quebec), an engaged reader, who represents the more typical viewpoint of the majority of we Quebecers (that is to say, those who do not buy into separatist dogma), published this response on HuffPost Quebec. Apparatchik, among others, will surely want to read the original piece in French (linked below) and for the others, here is an English translation:


      Pegasus, Bellerophon and the Bock-Côté doctrine
      BY: Karl W. Sasseville: 06/06/2013
      http://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/karl-w-sasseville/bock-cote-francisation-immigrants_b_3382436.html

      In a piece published Monday in the Journal de Montréal, Mr. Bock-Côté, whose writing style and gift of gab I admire, postulates that the Frenchification of newcomers is insufficient and that the State, by means of the public education system, has the duty to take on the "huge task" of teaching immigrants to say "nous" with regards to the host society, namely, the white and francophone historical majority in Quebec.

      Although it is difficult to imagine that a sociologist of his status could seriously claim that the said historic majority itself speaks with one voice and of a single "nous", it is indeed in these terms that he poses the issue of the integration of cultural minorities into Quebec society.

      In his view, Quebec’s social cohesion is threatened by immigration levels that are too high, by the cosmopolitanism of Montreal as well as by the undoubted development of a globalized, "diversitary" (ED: this is a made-up word, implying a dim view of diversity) society in which national identities are irrevocably destined to become consumed by Anglo-American imperialism. One can easily imagine that the fervent conservative nationalist fears that this "nation-state crisis” annihilates his chances of seeing the birth of the state of national merger that would finally allow our "oppressed people" to reach Mt. Olympus.

      The antidote that will soothe all the ills of the Nation? It is simply the reduction of immigration levels down to nothing, without any regard for demographics and the upcoming inversion of the Quebec social pyramid, distorting the country's history in order to fully assimilate immigrants into the Bock-Côtéian vision of Quebec identity and to secede from Canada.

      “Quebecization”… wazzat?

      Regarding the integration of newcomers, Bock-Côté is quite clear: "One thing is certain, the Frenchification of immigrants will not suffice. We will also have to explicitly count on their Quebecization. "

      Their Quebecization?

      "It is through history that a young immigrant can quickly, very quickly, take to the fold of the host society in order to fully join it. (...) Rather than focus on multiculturalism and its "right to being different", we must rely on the nation and on one’s duty to belong," he adds.

      I see.

      So in addition to sterilizing our history by proposing only a one-dimensional, ethnocentric and dogmatic vision of it, I suppose that we will also have to, depending on the host region and the duty of belonging that is specific to it, "count on" on the Abitibization, the Magdalenization, the Gaspeziation or, the height of post-modern evil, the Montrealization of these "foreigners" that Bock-Côté presents to us as being genuine perpetrators of genocide?

      I’ll take a pass, thanks.

      Delete
    17. An ethnocentric concept of identity

      "Bill 101 was meant to produce francophone Quebecers. Generally speaking, it has instead produced bilingual Canadians. This is not merely a nuance," writes Mathieu Bock-Côté.

      Indeed, it is not only a nuance, but in point of fact a false dilemma, a false dichotomy, in other words, a fallacy. Bock-Côté’s ethnocentric nationalism assails multiculturalism and the so-called dogma of the right to being different. But we must admit that his doctrine has nothing to envy with respect to dogmatism.

      His reasoning only makes sense if one accepts the single-culture premise that he presents to us as being an intrinsic truth: that one cannot be both a francophone Quebecer and a bilingual Canadian. As if identity absolutely has to be reduced to one single membership. "Identity is not given once and for all, it is built and transforms itself throughout one’s existence," wrote Amin Maalouf in Les Identités Meurtrières (1998), a book I recently re-read and for which, by the way, I wish to thank my cousin Simon, from whom I had "borrowed" it almost 10 years ago.

      As opposed to Bock-Côté’s semi-paralyzed doctrine, the French-Lebanese and Christian writer develops a humanistic and pluralistic approach, arguing for a globalization that is respectful of the cultural diversity that characterizes the human species since the dawn of time, but a globalization that is also aware of the interdependence of all cultures, precisely because of their shared membership in a single humanity. Amin Maalouf thinks he would be lying if he considered himself French rather than Lebanese or Lebanese rather than French. This did not, however, prevent him from integrating into French society so well that he was elected to the Académie française in 2011.

      By bringing about this false dichotomy, Bock-Côté attempts to convince us that Canadian identity and Quebec identity are mutually exclusive and irreconcilable. He scrupulously avoids admitting that they are mutually and reciprocally constructed. But as my passport attests, I am a Montrealer, a francophone Quebecer and a Canadian bilingual, all at the same time. Need I say more?

      The fall

      As with Bellerophon, the hero of Greek mythology who did not accept that he was both a hero and a human at the same time, Bock-Côté does not accept the fact that he is both a Canadian and a Quebecer. Language and culture represent the warhorse upon which he defeats the Chimera that was the British oppressor and reaches the peak of Mt. Olympus by leaving behind the land of those vulgar federalist mortals.

      But here we are in the 21st century, the Chimera is defeated and our language and our culture are both thriving, not only in Quebec and in Canada but around the world. As with Bellerophon when he tried to reach the summit of Mount Olympus on the back of Pegasus, the Bock-Côté doctrine commits the sin of pride by confusing honor with intense patriotism. Contrasting the "vices" of the city with the virtues of regions, as the priests of yore used to do, will change nothing. We are all aware of the benefits that entail from the cultural and economic vitality of Quebec's metropolis for all regions of Quebec and of Canada. As with Pegasus among the constellations, the French fact in America is here to stay, separation or no separation.

      The latest polls indicate that support for nationalist forces have been tumbling since the government of Pauline Marois took power. The ethnocentric invective that rains down from the likes of Jules Falardeau and Mathieu Bock-Côté does not seem to be able to reverse this trend and, as with Bellerophon, who was forever blinded after his fall, ethnic nationalism will undoubtedly continue its wanderings in the darkest of ideological blindness. Let's just hope that it will not drag us along with it.

      Follow Karl W. Sasseville on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ @KarlSasseville

      Delete
  13. FROM ED
    Can anyone tell me why someone would dial 999? Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I'm not mistaken Ed, they use 999 in England rather than 911.

      Delete
    2. ROM ED
      That does not explain Adski's post, Is he talking about English kids here or in England. If so why would Brits brats dial 911?. Why would we dial 999?
      Editor, Don't be surprise to see the st.Jerome Wal Mart disappear. They don't like being told what to do. There was a Wal Mart in LaSalle where people complained about their parking lot emptying onto the recently built streets with all new houses. When the city walled off one side of the lot. They closed down and opened in the industrial section. Ed

      Delete
    3. 999 = European 911, it's the emergency services phone number in the UK and in other European countries too, including mine. UK kids get the 911 from American movies and tv shows.

      I'm explaining this not knowing fully if Ed is asking this seriously or just yanking my chain.

      Delete
    4. Mr. Brown,

      The United Kingdom and many of its ex-colonies (except Canada) use 999 as its emergency number.* Because of the influence of American TV - as we know the emergency number in the US is 911 - UK children get to think that 911 is their emergency number, instead of 999.

      The moral of the story is that American culture is so influential to British youths, they even forget their own emergency number.


      *It is worth noted, however that to be in-line with the EU the UK is shifting to 112 emergency number.

      Delete
    5. FROM ED
      Troy, Thank you. it all makes sense to me now. As the absentminded professor said when he urinated into the wind, "It all comes back to me now." Ed

      Delete
  14. I am actually waiting for Yannick, the defender of the local-grown produce, to comment about the price of cheese here that is almost 4 times than that of France. Is the gross price different still a justification for the "access to a world-class sustainable agriculture"?

    As for me, food sovereignty can go and fly a kite. I love mangoes, have been since I was a child. See if there is any Quebec-grown mangoes in February.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Yannick,

      Because France by itself is the biggest cheese consumer in the world?

      I also noticed - this observation may mean nothing in the grand scheme of things - that I found a lot more of cheese from France in Hannaford Plattsburgh than I did in IGA, Provigo or Metro Plus in my neighborhood.

      Delete
    3. Scandalous. I thought we were France's favorite.

      Non ingérence, non indifférence my Mutt-Canadian ass!

      Mother France is selling us out again!
      (sarcasm... sort of.)

      Delete
  15. After the actions and comments made by the Quebec Soccer Federation, it would be fitting for Maclean's magazine to run a new front cover story entitled: "Quebec - The most racist province in Canada". This is not Quebec bashing, it would clearly speak the truth.

    Honestly, this province is absolutely disgusting in its attitudes and behavior. The only positive thing about the Parti Quebecois coming into power, is they've stirred up what's always been festering below the surface, and brought it to the top, FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE. Be it this or any of the other stories breaking out in the last few months, they've all gone international. Good embarrass Quebec, embarrass Canada for allowing Quebec to exist and go on unchallenged within its borders.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've asked this question before on American sites but have never received an answer. Perhaps someone here could venture a guess:
      What would Obama do if he had a renegade state in the US? What action do you think he would take to correct the situation?

      Delete
    2. Cutie003,

      It happened. It is called the American Civil War.

      Delete
    3. Surely Troy we can do better than - you know I was referring to today because Obama was far from president in those days:)

      Delete
    4. @apple iigs

      why is it racist not to allow players to play soccer with a turban?!?

      reminder: head shots are permitted in soccer.

      Delete
    5. Head shots use the forehead. Your point is invalid.

      Delete
    6. @student is a numbnut

      will you agree that the turban extends the forehead, then?

      http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Sikh_wearing_turban.jpg

      wouldn't that be an unfair advantage?

      p.s. please don't assume that these further considerations validate your shit argument. it's shit because you can do a headshot with any sub-part of your head. just ask a soccer player if you don't believe me.

      Delete
    7. Since you claim to be a “student”, it should naturally occur to you that you ought to open your mind and “study” what the difference between a keski, a patka and a pagh is before you even think about lecturing other people with your narrow-mindedness, Mr. Shit-for-Brains.

      Delete
    8. @ student

      Does this really need to be spelled out? It's racist because it excludes a specific person based on their religious belief, which in turn is directly linked to their race. No different from forbidding an orthodox Jew wearing a Yamaka. To be blunt, this screams of the south in the 1950's, when black people were forbidden from attending "white" schools, or drinking from "white" water fountains. Here we have people forbidden from using "white Quebecois" soccer fields. Quebec has finally dropped to this level of ignorance.

      And anyone, I repeat, ANYONE who honestly believes this ban is for safety reasons, they have shit for brains. Of course the separatists (and their followers) running this province ARE shit for brains, as is the case with most racists and bigots.

      Delete
    9. @appl iigs

      "It's racist because it excludes a specific person based on their religious belief..."

      not at all. it excludes funky headgear. in a sport where you hit the ball with the head.

      Delete
    10. If turbans are a safety issue or if they give players an unfair advantage, then why haven't other jurisdictions banned them as well? Could it be that other places are just not as racist and bigoted as Quebec is?

      Delete
    11. No. Their Sikhs are just less dangerous than ours.

      Today turbans, tomorrow, English-equal-to-French on signage, and the day after, no more divisive questions about our identity.

      Do you not realize how destructive this all could be? The entire separatist cottage industry built since the Quiet Revolution will go the way of the do-do and we'll actually have to go forward as a part of a system we've been told to hate.

      And coming to terms with that system and proudly articulating our own slight variation within it would amount to an admission of how at least some of our efforts over the past decades have been for naught.

      And to admit we've been wrong about certain aspects of our nationalism is something the opinion leaders within the separatist establishment just won't do.

      At least not yet.

      Delete
    12. @durham

      err no. "If turbans are a safety issue or if they give players an unfair advantage", and "other jurisdictions" didn't ban it, it's because fairness and safety do not top their priority list. but you should ask them, mate. it's a good question.

      but i understand your "argument". something is done a certain way elsewhere, so it must be the correct way to do it. as far as i'm concerned, i try to avoid this shortcut and redo the thinking by myself. yes it's more difficult, but i can do it. can you durham?

      Delete
    13. It's done a different way EVERYWHERE else. Again only Quebec stands out and not in a positive manner. The language laws also prove that fairness is a totally alien concept here. As others have noted, you just can't stand the sight of turbans - period. That's why you and your ilk want to ban them from all government jobs as well.

      Delete
    14. @durham

      "It's done a different way EVERYWHERE else."

      who cares? can't you try to think things over from scratch for once? maybe quebec will end up being the only place where the ball won't bounce off randomly from player's heads.

      "you just can't stand the sight of turbans"

      dude you have zero basis to claim this.

      "That's why you (...) want to ban them from all government jobs as well."

      impugning motives. invalid argument. try again.

      Delete
    15. "....the ball won't bounce off randomly from player's heads."

      Your comments are ridiculous.

      If there had ever been a soccer injury due to someone wearing a turban you might have an argument against them, but there is no record of any injuries occurring anywhere, including Quebec.

      Delete
    16. @durham

      i would agree to letting sikhs play official matches with this kind of turban http://tinyurl.com/bnveeus but only if the knot is tied on the back of the head. wouldn't this be an acceptable compromise to you durham?

      towards the front like in this picture is just absurd in a sport where you hit the ball with the head.

      and my "ball bouncing randomly" argument i made earlier was obviously related to the fairness issue, not security.

      Delete
    17. From the “Let’s kick Racism out of Football” website:

      “11-year-old Aaron Singh from Edinburgh has been selected to join Italian giants Juventus at their prestigious summer training camp.”
      http://www.kickitout.org/news.php/news_id/4404

      Some societies are simply more advanced than ours.

      Delete
    18. "Some societies are simply more advanced than ours"

      Ou l'inverse :)

      Delete
  16. That hagège quote is nice and may be true, but he's a bad actor in context. He's a huge supporter of the loi toubon, and has argued about the "death" of the French language before, He's no grand defender of linguistic diversity at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "He's no grand defender of linguistic diversity at all."

      The best test for this would be to ask him if he would promote "linguistic diversity" in places where French predominates. My guess is that in those places he would favor "minorities should adapt to the majority" approach, and back it up with the good old "normalité mondiale" argumentation.

      Delete
    2. Yes actually he's one of the worst hypocrites regarding linguistic diversity. Perhaps someone should ask him about breton, he's definitely in the french supremacy group.

      Delete
  17. Monique Jérôme-Forget chez les péquistes

    http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/national/archives/2013/06/20130607-122532.html

    Bienvenue chez les Seppies Monique!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTSaturday, June 8, 2013 at 9:37:00 AM EDT

      Bin oui, Monique la globish, mangeuse de donut:
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monique_J%C3%A9r%C3%B4me-Forget

      Ta petite Monique est une anglophile 100%. Bravo, S.R.

      Delete
    2. Est-ce qu'on s'attendait à un grand titre moins sensationnaliste? Impossible -- ça vient de TVA.

      Mais ce qui surprend, c'est le fond de la chose:

      Monique Jérôme-Forget assure qu'elle fera un travail exempt de partisanerie politique.
      [...] Pour elle, tout ce qui compte c'est de protéger les sièges sociaux québécois.


      Je me demande bien où étaient tous ces beaux mots -- des libéraux, des péquistes, et des unionistes -- dans les années 60, 70 et 80 lorsqu'on assistait à une hémorragie de nos sièges sociaux sans précédent dans l'histoire de notre métropole, et du fait même, la perte de statut même de métropole du pays sans rien faire pour arrêter le saignement...

      Dommage qu'il ait fallu que les 'nègres blancs' s'emparent de la 'plantation' (ou que les fous s'emparent de l'asile, les deux analogies conviennent) de façon tout à fait déstabilisante -- autant pour Montréal que pour le Québec tout entier, pour constater l'ampleur du problème.

      Le réveille-matin collectif qui vient de sonner me parait unique en son genre. Muni d'une fonction "snooze" qui dure non pas une cinquantaine de minutes mais une cinquantaine d'années.

      Ce serait drôle si ce n'était pas tragique.

      Delete
  18. FROM ED
    Be interesting to see what the ROC thinks of the radio Canada name change. If Harper was smart he would use it as an excuse to stop funding for it. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ed

      "Be interesting to see what the ROC thinks of the radio Canada name change."

      you don't understand something that's quite simple, mate. radio-canada won't change name. they just decided to add a common denominator to all current platforms names. here's what it is now:

      tout.tv
      rdi
      la premire chaine
      espace musique
      etc.

      as you can see, it's not radio-canada tout.tv. or radio-canada rdi.

      and now it will be:

      ici tout.tv
      ici la premire chaine
      ici rdi
      ici espac musiqu
      etc.

      do you understand now ed? nothing removed, just a keyword added that links them all.

      by jove i wasn't expecting having to explain this today. you guys...!

      Delete
    2. Et le réseau anglais se nomme bien Cib ici

      Delete
    3. Not only did the francophone management of Radio-Canada botch the launch of their rebranding but they are now in damage control mode because the feeble excuses offered to attempt at rationalizing it are being met with complete derision… even by readers of the separatist Le Devoir!!! Now that’s quite an accomplishment. People are mocking how Radio-Canada reporters will be expected to sign off their reports: “Ici, ICI”? However will they manage to distinguish themselves with “Ici, TVA” or “Ici, c’est Pepsi”?

      Delete
    4. CBC executives should have checked this out closer. Sam Nourozi was licenced for a new multi ethnic TV station in Montreal which will be called "ICI". Mr. Norouzi has apparently registered the brand name which makes it unusable by the CBC. The CBC are saying they were using I as a descriptive before so have rights to the name (eg: ICI Radio Canada, ICI Musique Espace). Well, I guess they will have to take that up with Mr. Norouzi's lawyers. In reality, the branding and name "ICI" has already been registerd. Just FYI

      Delete
    5. Radio-Canada. Bientôt ici.

      Why the sudden need to brand everything as "here"?
      Simple. It's a none too tacit acknowledgement that until now, many at Radio-Canada haven't been all there!

      And on that point, I would most emphatically concur.

      Delete
    6. Could be a problem for Radio Canada....Looks like ICI is already trademarked and registered.

      http://blog.fagstein.com/2013/03/27/cbc-vs-ici/

      Guess the Crown Corp lawyers will badger poor old Sam with his own tax dollars.

      Westerner

      Delete
    7. Seriously, their attempted justification for the rebranding is that reporters historically have signed off with “Ici Radio-Canada”. The renaming of radio-canada.ca to ici.ca is like renaming Radiotelevisión Española to aqui.es or the BBC to this.co.uk (based on their historical “This is London calling”).

      Unsurprisingly, Francophones in the rest of Canada see right through the bullshit. For them, “Ici” means “Over there” for a network that was already very much overly Quebec-centric.

      Meanwhile, others are shocked to discover that while the CBC is undergoing budget cuts, Radio-Canada has so much money and staff resources on their hands to waste on such a useless project that nobody wanted and that they should not be surprised to have their taxpayer-funded budget cut soon. Even Radio-Canada union members are furious at the millions that have been spent on such a ridiculous change while they are undergoing job cuts. Others point out that if Executive VP Louis Lalande had been this incompetent in the private sector, he would have been fired by now.

      On and on it goes, even the troll suddenly is keeping very quiet now about this example of bungling by separatist francophone management. Despite trying to pull the wool over their eyes, one thing all are agreed on: that this was an attempt to remove the word “Canada” from the eyes and ears of those who have an allergy to it, despite Radio-Canada’s very existence being due to its having a pan-Canadian mandate. “RC” is a perfectly good and perfectly understood way of unifying the various channels that they’ve created.

      Have a look at the list of public broadcasters around the world. Not a single one has ever come up with such a dumb name as “Ici”! Nor have they ever tried to pass it off as some sort of “modernizing”.

      Delete
    8. @r.s

      apparently you haven't read my comment at 10:52. you should have done so. you'd have learned that radio-canada has not changed it name to ici. it just added ici to all its platform names.

      and no, rc is not perfectly good. ici, a real word, is much more evocative than rc. your suggestion is bad.

      and no, ici being a unique thing amongst world public broadcaters is not a proof of anything. uniqueness, from a marketing point of view, is very valuable.

      and yes, radio-canada also has to deal with cuts. apparently though they still have a marketing budget. i'm sure cbc has one as well, despite what you are suggesting.

      "this was an attempt to remove the word “Canada” from the eyes and ears of those who have an allergy to it..."

      canada is not removed. but ici is added. can you handle that nuance r.s? i'm sorry if it fucks up your daily opportunity to gratuitously bash separatists.

      Delete
    9. As Steve Faguy pointed out in his blog above, Mr. Norouzi did everything he was supposed to when setting up his new station ICI (International Channel/Canal international), making sure nobody else was using the name for a TV station and then registering it himself and getting it approved.

      Just because Radio-Canada botched their due diligence, they are now throwing their legal team at the rightful owner of the ICI trademark in order to bully him and push him around.

      Delete
  19. Using safety as a reason to ban turbans from soccer has to be the most specious argument possible. Wearing a turban when "heading" the ball would somewhat lessen the impact and therefore lower the risk of concussion/long-term brain damage. Likewise, if an opposing player and I are both going up for the ball, I'd rather knock heads with a guy wearing a turban than someone bare-headed. If they're concerned about safety, maybe they should consider making turbans mandatory.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My favourite comment of the day......

      Delete
    2. come on mate. pick another fight. playing soccer with a turban just doesn't make sense: http://tinyurl.com/mrebkek.

      even this tighter version will have the ball bounce randomly: http://tinyurl.com/maaqbop.

      and i can't see how the standard turban won't give a wierd impulse to the ball: http://tinyurl.com/6qrdax.

      that's for sports. then safty. well in my opinion it's easy to imagine a melee following a corner kick, a dude elbowing unvoluntarily a turban to the ground, the turban untangling itself and another dude tripping over the cloth. therefore it's dangerous. maybe they could play with a swimming hat? or the tight version above but without the big knot on top?

      Delete
    3. You do realize that this about allowing children to get some fresh air and exercise while interacting with their friends, don't you, you nincompoop?

      You shame Quebec.

      Delete
    4. Student is right, safety IS important.

      So important in fact, I think out of safety, it best we no longer speak French when outdoors. See, I just read in this blog moments ago, that the French Quebec accent sounds just like a duck.
      http://vivianswiftblog.com/?p=6819

      Therefore, if I speak French outdoors, I might very well attract the attention of swarm of rabid ducks flying overhead! They could swoop down and peck at me and other persons to death! Sure there have been no reports of injury or death from speaking duck-sounding Quebec French anywhere in Quebec or the rest of Canada, but do we want to take the risk? Gosh, absolutely not! If you want to speak French outdoors and risk potential attack from rabid ducks, then do it in your own backyard!

      Ducks have sharp bills and teeth I heard. If we're going to be safe about those nasty turbans, then we must ensure safety from ducks too! Be safe, only speak French indoors! (or your own backyard!)
      Oh, what's that? Offensive? Oh please, don't be ridiculous, this is all about safety, nothing more, nothing less.

      Delete
    5. So French (France) shopkeepers in St-Malo state on the record that they think the accent of Quebec tourists sounds like “the quacking of a duck”. Bwah-hah-ha!!!

      Poor colonized people who think they aren't colonized… so sad! (Heheh!)

      I almost feel sorry for the intelligent ones who know they have the likes of S.R/Y.L on their side...

      Delete
    6. Listen for yourselves to the shameful explanation by Brigitte Frot (president of the QSF), telling kids that they can “go play in their own backyards”:
      http://globalnews.ca/news/610967/listen-brigitte-frot-on-quebecs-ban-on-turbans-in-soccer/

      Regardless that every single province and state in North America has already found there to be no safety issues whatsoever, Quebec is attempting to hide behind professional FIFA rules (even though FIFA doesn’t ban headwear even in professional sports) and are rather attempting to justify themselves with this fig leaf, even for little kids who simply want to play soccer after school.

      STOP SHAMING QUEBEC, YOU FREAKING FREAKS!!!
      YOU ARE RIDICULING OUR HOMELAND WITH YOUR CONSTANT FEAR AND INSECURITY!!!

      Delete
    7. Even in the one-in-a-million chance that a Sikh kid might accidentally hit the ball directly with their topknot, then what? Is that an advantage or a disadvantage? Who knows? Who cares? What is it exactly that are you worried about? These are kids who want to run around and play with their friends! Who do you think you are to prevent that?

      Besides, we’re talking about a whopping 100-200 kids in Lasalle and thereabouts. You can rest assured that your precious little pure-laine Québécois children in Quebec City and Chicoutimi are still going to grow up completely untainted by any pernicious contact with any foreign cultures, you dolt.

      Delete
    8. "Listen for yourselves to the shameful explanation by Brigitte Frot (president of the QSF), telling kids that they can “go play in their own backyards”:
      http://globalnews.ca/news/610967/listen-brigitte-frot-on-quebecs-ban-on-turbans-in-soccer/"

      Frot should be fired over this
      QSF should be sued over this.

      Delete
    9. " well in my opinion it's easy to imagine a melee following a corner kick, a dude elbowing unvoluntarily a turban to the ground, the turban untangling itself and another dude tripping over the cloth. therefore it's dangerous. maybe they could play with a swimming hat? or the tight version above but without the big knot on top?"

      If there were a nobel prize for Stupid...you'd win it...hands down.

      Delete
    10. Apples is right...no more French outdoors...it endangers our species...hahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhaha.....!!!!

      Delete
    11. @r.s

      "You do realize that this about allowing children to get some fresh air..."

      nope. i do realize it's about writing down standard rules and establishing what is acceptable gear for league and tournament football matches.

      @appl iigs

      haha you are funny. but why do you head off towards absurdity? we were having a discussion.

      @true montraler

      ok now that you have addressed frot's comments why don't you come back to mine?

      @equanimity

      "one-in-a-million chance that a Sikh kid might accidentally hit the ball directly with their topknot, then what?"

      one in a million?!? bad estimate, mate. then what? well then the sikh team wins the tounament on a fluke. if this can be avoided then it should be.

      "These are kids who want to run around and play with their friends! Who do you think you are to prevent that?"

      you're off. what they want is to prevent bad rebounds and players turning ankles after a turban untangles itself. why couldn't they play with a smooth hat?!

      Delete
    12. @quanimity

      "...we’re talking about a whopping 100-200 kids in Lasalle and thereabouts."

      cool. but won't these lasalle kids want to play in provincial tournaments as well? then what?

      plus you make it a point that they are "kids". that it should be fine for "kids". does this mean you agree turbans should be banned for teenagers and adults? then, at what age kids are not kids anymore in your humble opinion equanimity?

      Delete
    13. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTSaturday, June 8, 2013 at 9:32:00 AM EDT

      To close the debate on turbans and soccer, I 110% agree withg the quebec soccer federation.
      This is Canada. This is our land, a Christian land. "They" immigrated here. "They" should submit to our customs. If "they" are not happy, "they" are free to go back where they came from.

      Delete
    14. I love it!

      Now all we need is for the remaining natives on the continent to rise up and demand that all we crazy "post-Columbians" pack up and return to the hellholes our criminal, impoverished, and/or opportunistic ancestors came from and call it an era.

      Delete
    15. Un Gars said "I 110% agree withg the quebec soccer federation. This is Canada. This is our land, a Christian land. "They" immigrated here. "They" should submit to our customs. If "they" are not happy, "they" are free to go back where they came from."
      The real problem that you, Dudent and the Quebec Soccer Federation has is nothing to do with safety. You just don't want to see a turban anywhere you go. It's a lot easier for you bigots to avert your eyes than to send "Them" back to where they came from.

      Dudent Said: "well in my opinion it's easy to imagine a melee following a corner kick, a dude elbowing unvoluntarily a turban to the ground, the turban untangling itself and another dude tripping over the cloth. therefore it's dangerous."
      I see, so we can expect the soccer federations will move to force the replacement of all laced soccer shoes with Velcro: so that the laces can't come undone and become a tripping hazard. Do you actually think about the crap you write? Dudent, go look in the mirror and see a real, live racist. Call it what it is, don't use lame safety excuses: YOU...DON'T...WANT...TO...SEE...A...TURBAN

      Delete
    16. @diognes

      "Dudent, go look in the mirror and see a real, live racist."

      that's not what i see, mate. if you wanna prove i'm a racist you'll have to find something stronger than the similarity betwen a shoe lace and a unfolded turban. or were you trying to be funny?

      "Do you actually think about the crap you write?"

      of course. do you?

      Delete
    17. No, Dudent, I don't think very much about the crap you write because it is crap. On an intellectual basis, except that you post in english, I don't see much difference between what you write and the the merde that S.R. and Y.L. put up. Perhaps "Student" is an alter-ego of one of them, which would go a long way toward explaining why you never take issue with their light-weight efforts.

      Delete
    18. "you're off. what they want is to prevent bad rebounds and players turning ankles after a turban untangles itself. why couldn't they play with a smooth hat?!"

      Does anyone has any statistics related to how many accidents happened during soccer games because of a turban untangling itself? It's not like sikhs started playing soccer yesterday afternoon and there wasn't enough time for data collection, right?

      Delete
    19. Did these kids had the freedom of choice to decide if they wanted to wear that turban or not?

      I'm happy that my parents chose not to let any priest drop a drop of fluid on my head while I was still an infant.

      Delete
    20. I do like how even now, they keep trying to argue the phoney “safety” angle; it discredits them and highlights why no one else is interested in living in their hate-fuelled, franco-supremacist, nationalist dream country that is never going to happen anyway, under their ugly, divisive identity politics.

      Far from showing leadership in these matters, Quebec is demonstrating itself as being a retrograde provincial backwater. So many other areas of the world have long ago dealt with these issues but insular Quebec is behind the curve and is only now playing catch-up. Every single other province and state in North America has already dealt with this issue long ago.

      The Quebec Soccer Federation falls under the authority of the Canadian Soccer Association, which has called on provincial associations to allow religious headwear; Quebec is the only province to resist and create barriers for children and teenagers who want to play amateur soccer after school. Even though the CSA has told the QSF that turbans are OK, the QSF is still trying to claim that they are “only” following rules set out by FIFA, even though professional FIFA rules do not explicitly state a position on turbans.

      Even QSF director Brigitte Frot (yes, the one who told these kids they can go “play in their own backyards”) admits that there have never been any injuries resulting from headwear (unlike, say, from the cleats on the players’ shoes or from the ball itself beaning them in the head). Nowhere in the world have soccer players been tripping over unravelled turbans left and right. Nowhere in the world have headshots caused any advantages or disadvantages whatsoever. That would explain why the QSF has been back-pedalling lately, erasing negative postings from their Facebook page and are now being silent until they issue another press release, expected to come next week.

      Still, in trying to understand this attitude, Quebec’s desperate need to “preserve” its culture has once again been put forward as a reason for this backward attitude. Insular pequiste “logic” is desperately determined to show us that Quebec culture is ever so completely different from and more “safety-conscious” than every other place in the world.

      In trying to explore this extremely unusual attitude, CBC Radio’s “The Current” explored the issue with Léger Marketing VP Christian Bourque, University of Montreal professor Rachad Antonius and Quebec MNA Kathleen Weil. You can read/listen to the piece here:
      http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2013/06/05/the-ban-on-turban-wearing-soccer-players-in-quebec/

      Will cocooned pequistes understand one day that Quebec is a part of the world?

      Delete
    21. This reminds me of when I was a teenager in the early 1980s and a Sikh buddy took a friend and me (underage!) out to our first “bar à danseuses nues”… Luckily, his patka didn’t unravel all over the stage, tripping up the nude lasses and causing them to fall to the floor!

      And to think that here we are, more than 30 years later, still discussing the matter in Quebec… /facepalm

      Delete
    22. I am fairly certain that there things that leads to more slippery hazard than a turban on a stripper's stage.

      Delete
    23. Un Gars writes:

      To close the debate on turbans and soccer, I 110% agree withg the quebec soccer federation. This is Canada. This is our land, a Christian land. "They" immigrated here. "They" should submit to our customs. If "they" are not happy, "they" are free to go back where they came from.

      Another thing about Canada, Gars, is that it is historically and traditionally part of the British Empire. Sikhs have a long tradition being part of that Empire, including fighting for and dying for the British Crown. If your objection to turbans is from the point of view that Canada is "our land" and a "Christian land", as you indicate above, then you are ignoring the very essence of what it means to be Canadian.

      The following photograph should be instructive:

      http://www.sikharchives.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/SikhRegiment11.jpg

      Delete
    24. FIFA E-mail Confirms Turbans Acceptable Under FIFA Laws

      http://www.friendsofsoccer.com/?p=38

      Delete
    25. @ Student

      "haha you are funny. but why do you head off towards absurdity? we were having a discussion."

      If you honestly believe the QSF banned turbans for safety issues--and no other reason whatsoever, then I honestly believe speaking "QUACKbec French" outdoors is a safety issue. Yep, yep, yep...I don't want to risk being attacked by ducks. No Quackbecing near me, thank you very much. Safety first!

      I'm being no more absurd than they are, aren't I.

      This is another thinly veiled excuse, much like the excuse of Bill 14 for protecting the French language and culture.

      The bottom line is you, the government and the Quebecois population here KNOW these are lies and excuses, in a sad attempt to cover up blatant acts of racism and bigotry. You tells these lies so often you start believing them yourself!

      Well make no mistake, you can no longer hide what your doing from Canada and the rest of the world, and there are already consequences to these criminal actions. As we speak, business are already withdrawing from Quebec. Companies are holding off expansion and freezing hiring in Quebec, head offices are making plans to leave--forever. No one wants to invest here long term! No one wants to do business with third world thugs and criminals. Quebec's economy is quickly headed towards doom, as it continues to shrivel and die with each passing month.

      Delete
    26. @apple iigs

      "As we speak, business are already withdrawing from Quebec..."

      the bogeyman! cool rendition of a classic rant, mate. the drama, the urge, you've got it all. i must admit it seems to work on weaker minds. and it's a shame. but you'll need more to get me to think you know what you're talking about.

      Delete
    27. I wonder how long it will take the QSF to flip-flop now that they can't hide behind the FIFA fig leaf anymore.

      Delete
    28. ... actually, student, apple is right. Business are withdrawing from quebec. maybe not yet the big ones. I am moving my business elsewhere. So is my partner. One of my clients has already closed shop two months ago and opened in TO and another is waiting for the end of the lease.

      i know, we're small fish in a big pond. But here's some food for thought: my company alone has given business to other qc companies close to 100K between jan 2012-jan 2013. Keeping in mind that about 65% of my earnings were from outside qc, that meant 'taking' money from outside and bringing it in qc, paying taxes and spending it here. So now, that's gone. What's 'worse' is that my business grew quite considerably since the beginning of this year with both clients from and outside qc. i've notified my Flients from qc that i will be moving shortly, in case they prefer to deal with someone local. so far, the majority will still be my clients. So, imo, that translates into a big loss for qc - the money i was bringing from outside + business i was subcontracting in qc + the earnings from my qc clients that will be spent somewhere else. so if I am not the only business owner moving out of qc, guess who's going to feel the loss? But that doesn't matter does it? freedom has no price.

      As a side note, I've read that after hollande's win many of france's wealthy business owners have moved and it has been estimated that this will translate in a 1,000,000 lost jobs. wish i kept the link for reference.

      Delete
    29. @ts

      i know someone who just set up shop in quebec. i guess it compensates for your departure.

      but why are you leaving anyways? looks like your business was thriving while being based in quebec. maybe you should stay, mate.

      Delete
    30. @ student

      Don't believe me, read this article from last week:
      http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Language+debates+holding+corporate+plans+developer+says/8451858/story.html

      And I've read countless stories of businesses leaving Quebec even before the PQ regained power, now it's becoming a whirlwind. Just look around, read the news, it's not fantasy.

      Here's an editoral snippet from The Montreal Suburban:

      (on Bill 14 and how Quebec plans to pull out of international human rights and the 1992 UN Covenant)

      "...but puts into question whether Quebec governments can be trusted on their acceptance of signed international accords regulating commerce. Foreign investors would stay away from here as if there was a plaque. And there is one. The destruction of 700 years of due process of law".

      The REAL bogeyman are all the "A Louer" signs and empty shops I see suddenly popping up all over downtown Montreal and the surrounding areas. It's starting to look like Quebec after the 1995 referendum all over again.

      Delete
  20. @ S.R

    Aujourd'hui aux États-Unis c'est le National Doughnut Day. HuffPost Canada et Québec ainsi que CTV en ont fait mention. À ma connaissance jamais on n’avait entendu parler de cette fête à ce point, qui existe pourtant depuis 1938. Selon Wikipédia les Canadiens-anglais emboîtent le pas de plus en plus. Nul doute qu'au train où vont les choses ce beau grand peuple qu'est le peuple americano-canadian sera un jour uni dans la célébration du donut. MDR!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donc les canadiens-montréalais vont ajouter une fête de plus au calendrier à laquelle nous ne pourrons tenir d'élections...

      Le "Donut day"...Pas croyable!

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      I don't understand how the word ici could be seen as a name. Only an idiot could think that. Ed

      Delete
    3. Quebec Hypocrites are hypocriticalSaturday, June 8, 2013 at 2:03:00 AM EDT

      From Recettes du Québec: Thématiques: Les beignes: 67 recettes

      http://www.recettes.qc.ca/thematiques/thematique.php?id_thematique=95


      Pathetic pequistes are pathetic...

      Delete
    4. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTSaturday, June 8, 2013 at 9:28:00 AM EDT

      Separatistes!!!!!
      Separez-vous donc!
      Vous en avez marre du Canada? S.R., student, Y.L., etc
      Le Canada en a marre de vous, quebekistanais!
      Allez ouste!, grande gueules. Vous n'etes meme pas assez hommes/femmes pour initier ce grand geste. Vous preferez perdre votre temps a des conneries comme agir en enfants de 11 ans ici.
      Vous preferez aussi de vous ennivrer le 23 juin et de fumer de la drogue, ecouter du locolocass ou Paul Piche, Gilles Vigneault et de discuter de vous separer. Jamais, bien petit peuple, serez-vous assez intelligent pour etre independant.
      quebec=fail

      Delete
    5. ugBSdc et son nouveau band

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzPODxwV6K4

      Saucisses,bière et...crack au menu

      Wunderbar!!!

      Delete
    6. les canadiens-montréalais vont ajouter une fête de plus au calendrier à laquelle nous ne pourrons tenir d'élections...

      Pour faire un clin d'oeil à tes efforts sur ce blogue à nous sensibiliser aux lien entre les fédéralistes, les anglophones, et les beignes, S.R, je propose qu'on ajoute une "journée nationale des doughnuts" au calendrier. Le 24 juin s'impose comme le choix qui conviendrait le mieux. En retour, on pourrait ajouter au 1er juillet l'appellation "National Poutine Day", question de mieux concilier les deux solitudes.

      ça marche?

      Delete
    7. "A day without donut is not a good day"

      - Americanadian proverb

      Delete
    8. Cute. Although an Americanadian would know which word to correctly pluralize in that sentence.

      Clearly you're one aging foot soldier who's not in danger of linguistic assimilation and have been making it all up as you go along.

      "We collectively call your bluff."
      -- Americanada

      Delete
    9. What is all this obsession with doughnuts? Do you not know that apart from the province of Ontario there are more Tim Hortons outlets in the province of Quebec than in any other province, territory or U.S. state?

      Delete
    10. it's an old gag/pseudo argument on this blog that was initially invoked ages ago by the poster currently known as S.R and is a supposed reference to how English Canadians/Americans are obese, bland, Tim Horton's-buying/doughnut-eating creatures.

      It's a silly stereotype that sustains the lesser separatist participants on this site. How cruel you are to use facts to burst their preconceived stereotype. You're pure evil, Troy.

      Delete
    11. Apparatchik,

      If you want to play with voodoo statistics - something that separatists seem to fond to do - I can give you this. The borough of Manhattan in New York has the population of 1.6 million people. There are 14 Tim Hortons outlets in Manhattan. The region of Saguenay-Lac St-Jean (the "heartland of Quebec sovereignty movement") with population of 275 000 has 12 Tim Hortons outlets.

      It does seem that those Saguenéens love their Timbits much, much more than New Yorkers, does it not?

      Delete
    12. From the Canada Newswire website:

      http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/996273/tim-hortons-celebrates-opening-of-500th-restaurant-in-quebec

      QUOTE:

      Tim Hortons Celebrates Opening of 500th Restaurant in Quebec

      Targets Quebec for Future Growth and Continued Momentum

      ST. ADELE, QC, June 20, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Tim Hortons celebrates its fastest growing region with the opening of its 500th restaurant in Quebec. Located in St. Adele, in the Laurentians, it is the first Tim Hortons franchise to open in this town, and is indicative of the growth and opportunity for expansion that the company sees for Quebec.

      In the past ten years, Tim Hortons has doubled the number of restaurants in Quebec, and same restaurant sales continue to outpace the rest of Canada. This trend indicates that the Tim Hortons brand is resonating with guests in La Belle province.

      "Quebecers have truly embraced us over the past decade making Tim Hortons the favourite cup of coffee here," explains Michael Nadeau, Vice President, Quebec, Tim Hortons.

      To meet the needs of local customers, Tim Hortons works closely with restaurant owners to tailor the menu. Regional offerings include cretons (a pork spread) and popular breakfast items beans and toast. Quebec also inspired the addition of soup to Tim Hortons' menu and the creation of the very popular Ham and Cheese Croissant sandwich.

      The company predicts strong future growth opportunities within Quebec and is investing in both people and resources to ensure that the momentum continues.

      "Quebec is a key market for Tim Hortons," explains Nadeau. "As we continue to expand here, we are looking for community-minded, entrepreneurial owners to help us bring the Tim Hortons 'Always Fresh' service to the next level."

      END QUOTE.

      Doughnuts are more popular amongst the sugar-loving Quebecois than with Anglophone Canadians. If Tim Hortons wants to improve their sales in Quebec even more they should add Vachon cakes such as Jos Louis and May Wests to their menus.

      Delete
    13. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

      I can just picture the separatists covering their ears and chanting to themselves: we're not listening an-y-more!

      Delete
    14. FROM ED
      " demand that all we crazy "post-Columbians" pack up and return to the hellholes our criminal, impoverished, and/or opportunistic ancestors came from and call it an era." Please Apparatchik, speak for yourself. My ancestors were not criminal
      impoverished types. One of my uncles loves to swing from trees and telephone poles but the doctors convinced him to put on clothes when he does it. Ed

      Delete
    15. My wife and I go to the Tim Hortons in downtown Montreal almost everyday and fortunately little French is ever spoken in this place.

      Delete
    16. There may be fewer Tim Horton's per capita in Manhatten than in Quebec but that is a function of Tim Horton's being a Canadian company with greater and easier access to open outlets in Canada, including Quebec.

      If the issue is whether one culture or another eats more donuts, then consider how many Dunkin Donuts locations are in Manhatten. According to the store locator at their site, there are 50 Dunkin Donuts stores in Manhatten. And I suspect there are a lot more than the 50 because when you do the same search for Brooklyn, the results are also 50. So I suspect the store locator has a limit of showing only 50 but that there is way more.

      See:

      https://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dunkindonuts/en/stores.html

      Delete
    17. Combien de Dunkin Donuts,de Krispy kream et autres "Donut shops"?

      Delete
    18. Please Apparatchik, speak for yourself. My ancestors were not criminal
      impoverished types.


      That leaves the very credible possibility that they were simply motivated by the opportunity -- economic or otherwise -- that the New World represented. I think the three possibilities for migration I enumerated speak for just about all of us. With the possible exception of those whose ancestors were brought here by force.

      (And even with the exception of Liberians, I don't see the descendants of most of the slaves brought to the new world moving back to Africa...)

      Delete
    19. Mr. Kondaks,

      Please note that I started with "If you want to play with voodoo statistics..."

      Delete
    20. On the subject of Donuts (and a bit off tangent from the discussion) did you guys know there are only 5 Dunkin' Donuts shops left in all of Canada? And oddly enough, they're *all* located in Montreal. Don't be surprised if those disappear shortly though, they've been gradually closing up shop.

      Delete
  21. FROM ED
    As much as I sympathize with the Turbaned soccer players, I can't help feeling that Sikhs go over board with their religious demands.
    Years ago, in LaSalle I fought against Sikh children carrying a kirpan in schools. Our kids were being suspended for things like scissors and nail clippers while Sikhs carried a razor sharp dagger.
    A dagger is more dangerous than a turban but less noticeable
    because they are hidden. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTSaturday, June 8, 2013 at 9:40:00 AM EDT

      @ED
      "I can't help feeling that Sikhs go over board with their religious demands."

      I concur. They and all other immigrants, if they don't find Canada suitable, are free to go back home.

      Delete
    2. Oh, to muse ever-so-loftily... precisely where is "home"?

      ... and then we reproach the separatists for the same "[insert federalist-aligned entity] go home".

      Delete
    3. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTSaturday, June 8, 2013 at 12:23:00 PM EDT

      @Apparatchik:

      Nobody makes immigrants come to Canada. They should be cognisant that we have particular traditions and customs. They must integrate. Nothing to do with separatists.

      Delete
    4. Oh but it does. Because those same separatists will use that same sort of nativist speech to demand that everybody bend to their will.

      The problem with all this is that in short order we'll all be demanding compliance with what is already a very subjective set of values. Not to mention what passes for "acceptable" cosmetically. There's no end to the lunacy that kind of thinking can engender. Taking it to a provincial or municipal level, or even giving it neighborhood, street, or family scope... where do expectations of conformity end? And who gets to decide what flies and what doesn't? And why?

      Delete
    5. FROM ED
      "where do expectations of conformity end? And who gets to decide what flies and what doesn't? And why?" the Sikhs themselves have the power. They could rule that the turbans can be removed at times for games. They stick like super glue to the rules created by the ten super gurus who invented the religion. At the same time they expect us to drop things that are the very basis of our religion, such as the Lord's Prayer.

      Delete
    6. Ed writes:

      "At the same time (Sikhs) expect us to drop things that are the very basis of our religion, such as the Lord's Prayer."

      Really? And when exactly did this occur, Ed? Or are you just making that up?

      Sikhism is not Hinduism but it is close to it (I believe it is an offshoot from Hinduism). Hindus have thousands of gods; indeed, for them, the more the merrier. As such, Hindus have no problem recognizing Jesus and other religions' god(s) as completely legitimate incarnations of gods. I suspect Sikhs feel the same.

      As such, Sikhs would most likely have no problem with either the Lord's Prayer or in saying it along with others. I am no expert in religions or Sikhism and I will be happy to stand corrected if wonderful, tolerant Ed can give us a link to demonstrate when and where exactly Sikhs have "expected us to drop things that are the very basis of our religion."

      Oh, and Ed: as we are all familiar with how you feel about the Jews, it may interest you to know that I attended Iona Avenue School in Montreal, a Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal school. Yet despite the fact that 90% of the students and faculty were Jewish, no one had a problem reciting the Lord's Prayer -- which you claim is part of "our religion" -- each and every morning for the seven years I attended.

      Delete
    7. FROM ED
      I wish I could answer you Tony. If you had posted without the snide remarks , I would be happy to answer but you are not looking for an answer. you just want a chance to insult and start a fight. I have no time for you bullshit. You're still the little boy that throws spitballs just to be annoying. Ed.

      Delete
    8. Ed,

      The best way to deal with bigots such as yourself is to treat them as the bullies that they are. Bullies don't deserve either respect or civility.

      Delete
  22. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE FRANKFORTSaturday, June 8, 2013 at 9:38:00 AM EDT

    Bin oui, Monique la globish, mangeuse de donut:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monique_J%C3%A9r%C3%B4me-Forget

    Ta petite Monique est une anglophile 100%. Bravo, S.R.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Gotta love this comment re: the Sophie Durocher story:

    Michel111
    Bravo Mme Durocher. Vous avez fait réagir les lecteurs. Les commentaires sont légion. Peu importe le fond de l'article, le vrai ou le faux, ce sont les réactions qui comptent. Du sensationnalisme à la tonne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It appears that a great many JdM commenters are of the opinion “But they hate us! They all hate us! Why do they hate us? Just because we are trying to save our language by spitting on English wherever we can and are trying to stamp it out of existence in Quebec then turn around and accept billions of dollars in handouts from them every year, they still hate us! What is the matter with them? Let’s separate now.”

      Only a few people try to show them the folly of this argument, and for their efforts they immediately get jumped on and called “colonized”, thus ending the discussion. Brilliant!

      Delete
    2. As soon as anyone, francophones included, disagree with the agenda of the separatists, they are immediately classified as "assimilated" and/or "colonized" and disregarded by their own. This is just part of the routine of the separatists - they have alienated many of their own kind without a second thought and don't care. Same as the francophones that have left quebec and are happy residing in other places in Canada - they are "assimilated" and/or "colonized" and the separatists that scream about lack of bilingualism elsewhere in Canada do not even listen to others that tell them their culture and language are alive and well outside of quebec. Makes one wonder what Thanksgiving and Christmas are like when they visit from outside this insular province.

      Delete
    3. "As soon as anyone, francophones included, disagree with the agenda of the separatists, they are immediately classified as "assimilated"

      just so i understand your bad argument cutie003, is it similar to you classifying federalists like complicated as a separatist because he thinks anglos need to assume their share of responsibility in the conflict?

      Delete
    4. @r.s

      i read the comments and i didn't see the one you quote. can you help, or did you make it up to suit your agenda?

      Delete
    5. No more BS of taking "share" of blame for anything. Neither I, nor my ancestors, had piss all to do with the war 200+ years ago and I have nothing, NOTHING, to do with your insecurity and intolerance of everything other than pur laine francophone BS. You people just enjoy watching others squirm and gain all your feelings of power from this adrenaline rush you seem to get every time you see our communities, be they anglophone or allophone, get dealt another blow from your racist, bigoted leaders. Your world is so small I'm surprised that you can still turnaround without touching something that offends your senses. When you come to your senses and see that the world does not revolve around you, it may be too late to stop the bankruptcy that we're headed for. Idiots.

      Delete
    6. Dudent wrote:"@r.s

      i read the comments and i didn't see the one you quote. can you help, or did you make it up to suit your agenda?"
      Wow. I'm not surprised that you didn't find that quote. In fact, I'd have been shocked if you had and I'm amused to no end that you actually went and looked for it. When I read "It appears that a great many JdM commenters are of the opinion" immediately preceding what R.S. put in quotation marks, I interpret it as his taking the theme of many commenters and distilling them into one synthesized quote to give a general, but fairly concise idea of what they, as a group, are writing. The addition at the end of your post of "or did you make it up to suit your agenda?" is an excellent example of the snottiness (or what Apparatchik more generously refers to as your hoity-toity attitude)that you regularly display which makes you completely devoid of charm.
      In answer to your question, no, I don't R.S. or anyone else here can help you.

      Delete
    7. Right on, Diogenes. Imagine! A scholar who's unfamiliar with paraphrasing... will wonders never cease?

      Delete
    8. @r.s

      i also didn't find the comments that could be summed up by your paraphrase. it would be nice for the community if you can copy and paste them here. it will then be possible for me and others to judge if your false quote is accurate or if you're blowing up things big time. unfortunately if you don't do it i'll just have to assume the later.

      Delete
    9. Also, as you can see for yourselves, separatists have two putdowns for everyone who doesn’t share their ethnocentric, separatist dogma: either you are “colonized” or you are “Quebec-bashing”.

      And yet they feel perfectly justified with their brazen attempts at eliminating any trace of Quebec’s longstanding English history; in their minds, that’s not bashing at all.

      That’s the binary, separatist mindset for you (as exhibited by Mathieu Bock-Côté and dissected in the HuffPost article elsewhere on this page). Obviously, one cannot love Quebec and wish to rescue it from disaster.

      Delete
    10. Dudent said:"t will then be possible for me and others to judge if your false quote is accurate or if you're blowing up things big time".
      You know, Dudent, you're starting to remind me of a Jethro Tull album from the '70s. By definition a paraphrase is not a quote, so it can't possibly be a "false quote". Since R.S. made it pretty clear to us (alright, most of us) that it wasn't a quote, the fact that you "assumed" that it was is your error and your problem. To quote you from Friday, "by jove i wasn't expecting having to explain this today"
      The thing I really respect about you is that you walk the walk as far as evidence goes. We don't have to assume that you're an ill-mannered, obnoxious wanker, you prove it very day. I bet you could provide references from all your classmates to back it up, too. That's depth.

      Delete
    11. @diogenes

      i had already understood all this, mate. you're wasting your time. i know what a quote is, and i know that r.s made up his quote to sum up what he perceived was a trend following durocher's article.

      i wanted to know which comments r.s amalgamated to produce his "paraphrase", as i didn't see any that fit it even remotely.

      is it clearer for you now diogenes?

      Delete
    12. @diognes

      "The thing I really respect about you is that you walk the walk as far as evidence goes."

      thanks mate.

      Delete
    13. “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” — Jonathan Swift: Polite Conversation, dialogue iii (1738)

      Delete
  24. Gotta love watching the PQ implode:
    http://www.cjad.com/CJADLocalNews/entry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10554828&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium
    the faster the better! The whole party would do well to resign.

    ReplyDelete
  25. PQ minister Drainville: Planning fixed Quebec elections on Rosh Hashanah is not intolerant

    http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/minister+Planning+election+Rosh+Hashanah+intolerant/8494889/story.html

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love this blog and admire your ability to expose the insanity that passes for public policy and sound judgment in Quebec. I am a political refugee from Quebec - I am a bilingual and bicultural Anglophone, even a former member of Parti Quebecois (forgive me my youthful sins) - but I left many years after Bill 101, tired of the parochialism of Quebecers. The final impetus was a word of caution from a very senior bureaucrat in the Quebec government to the effect that, while I may have been one of the most integrated anglos to be found, I would never be fully accepted by the French. Not exactly "No dogs or anglos" allowed, but close enough.

    I have referred readers of my blog www.theweeklywhine.com, which features occasional commentary on Quebec, to your website as a great source of material - for laughing and crying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you David - just proves what we have been saying all along: you can be the most bilingual anglophone in the world and you will never, ever be accepted as "pur laine" francophone - the lies and deceit from the separatists is, of course, that they stay the course on this language issue to ensure their "language" is "protected" while they are as bad as pre-war Germany wherein the Germans wanted to create the "perfect" race. Quebec separatists are no different I'm afraid. All we can expect next is that they will have to have blue eyes and blond hair to prove that they are "pur laine" francophone and have proper papers showing their heritage back to the Plains of Abraham. And the sad part is they don't even see themselves as the racist, bigots they really are!

      Delete
    2. Your blog sounded interesting until I reached the section where you state that equal rights for gays and lesbians “perverts the meaning of marriage”. Also, nobody “subverted” or “expropriated” the Canada Day holiday, as you state. You might want to read up about the Stonewall Riots that occurred on June 28th, 1969. This is the date that is commemorated by Gay Pride celebrations around the world.

      Montreal (and other cities) used to celebrate at the end of June but this proved inconvenient here because it fell between St. Jean Baptiste and Canada Day, so it was moved to the more convenient August long weekend instead. Celebrations in different cities are now spread out on different weekends all summer long, in order to accommodate tourism. I think Toronto is the only Canadian city that still celebrates the original date, on the weekend closest to Stonewall.

      Incidentally, Torontonians don’t want Rob Ford to attend anymore.

      Delete
  27. FROM ED
    Cutie, perhaps when David said "your blog" he was referring to the Editor. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was thanking him for his comment about not being accepted by the francophone separatist community Ed not about the blog. I'm sure you know this without my having to point it out.

      Delete
  28. I'm confused. Where did Mr Gurney call french "useless"? It seems to me like the Journal reporter is trying desperately to find something wrong with Gurney's piece.

    As far as American English goes, while I'm surprised that it's started to effect the UK, its influence here in Canada has gotten very large. I frequently hear my fellow schoolchildren use words like "zee" for Z and "soda". I'm of largely British descent, so I know how to speak correct English, but, unfortunately, the same can not be said for many of my peers. English classes are clearly not doing a good enough job at emphasising the proper Canadian form of English.

    ReplyDelete