Ahh the French

[Imran Siddiqui]

It is still your subjective view of "a direct measure of how many people like it" = better.

[Fake Boris]

While I wouldn't go as far as Ozzy, his post did get me thinking. There are a lot of problems with the French attitude towards preserving culture, but one of the biggest is that it assumes that any foreign "contamination" will invariably degrade or diminish French culture, when the opposite is far more likely to be true. If the British of the late fifties had been guarding their heritage as zealously as the French would no doubt like to guard theirs, they would have brushed off all manner of noxious American influences--and the world would have missed out on the Beatles, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin...

This is just plain wrong.

The French do not wish to protect their culture against "contamination", they want to preserve a strong cultural sector operating *from* France. It does not matter if they're borrowing from something else, as long as it is preserving a vitality that works locally.

[Fake Boris]

Think about this: French prized books tend to be intellectual with popular appeal, while in the US it tends to be popular with intellectual appeal.

Also: the average Frenchman is much more educated than the average American. This is so obvious, only a ****** could try to deny this.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oncle Boris is doing us all a public service. He's reminding us why we hate the French

[Fake Boris]

Yes Imran, try to deny that the average level of culture is higher in France than in the US. You are the one doing the rest of the world a favor.

[Fake Boris]

Isn't it great how our favorite critics of nationalisms have such a knee-jerk nationalistic reaction to being pointed out the obvious?

[Elok]

Average level of culture, huh? What unit do you measure that in, an upturned nose?

[giblets]

Yes Imran, try to deny that the average level of culture is higher in France than in the US. You are the one doing the rest of the world a favor.

What does "average level of culture" even mean? Is this like in Civilization where building libraries and temples causes you to accumulate culture points so your borders expand...?

[Hauldren Collider]

Every Boris post strengthens the premise that his opinions on just about everything are worthless.

[Krill]

...so the Big Mac Index is based on a fallacy?

Interesting point. You're probably correct.

[giblets]

Average level of culture, huh? What unit do you measure that in, an upturned nose?

Maybe he's talking about bacteria culture? So the French bathe less, therefore they have more bacteria cultures growing on their bodies...? Makes sense.

[Elok]

What does "average level of culture" even mean? Is this like in Civilization where building libraries and temples causes you to accumulate culture points so your borders expand...?

There was a lot of pop-rushing around Alsace and Lorraine a coupla decades back, come to think of it...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yes Imran, try to deny that the average level of culture is higher in France than in the US. You are the one doing the rest of the world a favor.

What do you mean "try to deny". I believe I am already denying such.

[Dinner]

I've had some.

http://wevegotbothkinds.blogspot.com/2010/05/two-buck-chuck.html

Certainly very drinkable, certainly better than some wine that costs a bit more, certainly not better than a properly decent wine.

It looks like you tried three different reds. Hopefully you also tried one of their chardonnays because that's the one which routinely rates 95 points plus.

[C0ckney]

Middle class ARE the common man.

that's a horrible sentence. also, when i say middle class, i'm not using the rather meaningless american 'middle class', where everyone calls themselves 'middle class'. i'm talking about what brasilians mean when they say middle class.