JEWS AND BICYCLE RIDERS...

An old joke, but a good one ...

In 1936 an elderly Jew was walking down a lonely street in Berlin. Suddenly
he was accosted by three burly Nazi ruffians, who taunted him. One demanded
angrily: "Isn't it true, old man, that the Jews are the cause of all the
problems we now have in Germany?"

The old man, no fool, replied, "Actually, it's the Jews and the bicycle
riders."

The irate hooligan looked puzzled and asked "Why the bicycle riders?"

The old man replied: "Why the Jews?"

Albert Richter, l'un des plus grands coureurs cyclistes allemands de l'entre-deux-guerres. Un champion qui refusa d'incarner le modèle aryen - ce qui lui coûta la vie

Une vieille blague mais une bonne...

En 1936 un vieux Juif marche dans une rue déserte de Berlin. Il est soudain accosté par trois voyous nazis excités qui le testent. L'un d'eux lui demande rageusement : « N'est-ce pas, vieillard, que les Juifs sont la cause de tous les problèmes qu'on a en ce moment en Allemagne? »

Le vieil homme, pas si bête, de répondre : « Oui bien sûr, les Juifs et les cyclistes. »

Le voyou étonné demande : « Pourquoi les cyclistes? »

Et le vieil homme : « Et pourquoi les Juifs? »

I ENJOY BRIGHTON & HOVE BLOGS SO MUCH !

Since I've joined the B&H E-democracy Forum, I feel every day as if I were becoming a kind of Brighton and Hove citizen! A virtual citizen maybe, but a citizen yet ... Hence I can « sort of » improve my english, don't I ? (is'nt this « sort of » word a very « classical » standard 'bad-english' way of speaking, just tell me, please !)

I met there a number of kind and interesting folks to whom I would like to be introduced in real life too. Therefore, i'd just need to cross the Channel ! ( Dieppe/Newhaven: a five days return ticket for four people with a car, 99 euros only in June)

First, Elizabeth R. to whom I had « requested to make contact ». She replied to me soon, a private message I had required on my e-mail adress but... sorry I couldn't comment on her blogs - « they are on an institutional server with extra security ». I couldn't reply ...to her reply either : so, what is to be done ? (I'd really like to chat with Liz)A number of others then, all of them nice and gentle. I could read many new (for me!) and interesting things, about wireless cities for instance, informations on health, waves, bees...

I enjoy myself on this place. I am discovering that I can find a real pleasure in writing in english ... and, well, my shyness thereabout is vanishing too. But I remain conscious that I have still a long way to run before I become...an english writer, an acceptable one I mean.

The forum is a valuable place but I wonder why there are no pictures of other members, no e-mail adress either, no simple link between reality and virtuality. A strange flavour of secrecy. Tell me why please. Has Britain become such a police-state that you have to take the greatest care day after day to escape this orwelian nightmare ? Tony (agreing with Glenn) told us that « A view from 'without' can provide insights that are perhaps overlooked from 'within' ». In fact he was welcoming my joining the forum. Thanks! The « outsider » is trying to do his best : providing insights... I like that job ! I rather love it, to say true ! But frenchies are quite selfish and proud of themselves, aren't they ?

An now, last but not least, Kathy Mcmullen ! She gave a most intersting reply to my latest post on the forum : « Whose interests is a wireless city going to serve? Powerful commercial interests. Who gets left behind? » she wrote. I agree. Yes we need « a model of development where human wellness is at the centre ». I could have spelt the same idea exactly the same way. And Kathy was kind enough to translate her post into french for me : thanks a lot ! Kathy is a very open-minded person who has been living recently in such strange places as France, Botswana, Liverpool and even Birmingham. I happen to find myslef in agreement with her on a huge panel of subjects, including Irak-Iran for instance, or a class approach to environmental (and other) topics.

Looking forward to hear from you soon ! JV

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