That makes sense, Propellerheads and Clavia being innovative Swedish companies and Finland gets credit for being connected via the occupation. But I can't figure out why we have to have things translated into French as well. What have the French ever done? Le Synthesarthur Electronique?

B

Correct! We thank Sweden for those centuries of occupation daily.

I once found a software version of an EMS synth that was made by a French guy. Only trouble was the bloody manual.. :rolleyes:

Anyway. I have to go to work today. Bugger.

I'm taking a break from work and driving up from Melbourne to Brisbane over a few weeks. No plans and no clue what I am doing.

So the insults will be much reduced until I am back. Sorry for the interruption in service.

Cheers,
B

Outside of fine wine and cheese, the greatest French accomplishment would have to be hairy women. France had a military policy years ago that if Germany were invaded by by Russia, that the French would lob low-atomic mass nuclear artillery into Germany to eliminate the potential of the Soviet advance into the land of the Gauls. I'm sure Germany was very fond of that policy.

Recently I heard that Germany will not deploy their troops in foreign conflicts (aka "NATO" projects), and that they will only use German troops to fight if Germany is invaded. The handful of German troops that are in Afghanistan are in the lowest danger/least militarily active region by Germany's decree. Funny how the formerly blood thirsty Visigoths have become passive, sissy NIMBYists. Have they forgotten the bombing of the discotechs in Berlin in the 80's/90's?

;)

You should read Der Baader Meinhoff Komplex by Stefan Aust.

Plus, Germany was forbidden to have an army that would engage in foreign engagements until it suited US policy to have them onside again.

Plus, I had a very beautiful French girlfriend when you were about 11 yrs old.

;)

Will definitley check out htat book, OVM. I've never read anything about them other than what was in the Bild Zeitung during 81'-83', when they were issuing bomb threats against my elementary school (as well as other schools in U.S. housing areas). We were driven to school in a different touring bus every day of the week as a deterrent to getting kidnapped. Can you imagine if that wasn't done? "Ohhhhh, look at the big yellow school bus filled with Amercian children! Let's pull them over and play with them!" We had no idea how much danger we were in by just being there. My Dad was shot at by a guy armed with a fully-automatic M-16 while at work, talking outside to two of his peers on a lunch break.

Another good point about Germany's army being forbidden to participate in foreign conflict until it suited U.S. policy, totally fogot about that one. I say we ask them to pay back every penny of money expended on the reconcstruction efforts during the Marshall Plan. The U.S. gets crapped on in a majority of their international aid projects of any variety, we really should keep the money at home and stay the hell out of international politics for about 20 years, since obviously everybody else has a better idea of how the world should work. At this point I'm curious to see what the big brains in the EC, China, and India, and elsewhere think should be done, and what amount of their own resourses they are willing to sacrifice for others. uesses on that one?

OK, despite my default anti-French inclinations, stats on the ex-girlfriend please. Pictures???

;)

Alex mate, I forgot your childhood in W Germany. That was indeed a hot time. I was in Frankfurt in 82 and got dragged along to the weekly demo at the airport.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...tbahn_West.jpg
Was quite a wake up to get blasted by police water canon and baton-charged! Looking back, I was just a naive middle class English kid who didn't know his arse from his elbow - and far too scared to get involved.
I read Baader Meinhof Komplex in German, but I think there is an English translation. If you're interested in that period, there's really no more comprehensive history. The jailed RAF members hated Aust for it. He's got a German Wiki mention:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Aust

The US will not stay out of international affairs as there's too much money being made. And why would you want the Germans to pay back all the Marshall Plan money ffs? They've all turned out to be good consumers.

You have to understand why the kids of 60's West Germany became radical. The US was using Germany as a stop-over refuelling depot for the B52's that were anihalating the Vietcong. This was genocide being repeated just 20 years after the holocaust of WW2. The post war generation in Germany was horrified at what its parents had done - and here it was happening again. NIE WIEDER was the cry and they fucking meant it. Check out Aust's book for a less glamorous and better informed summary than mine.

Finally. I wish I had some pictures mate. We're talking 27 years ago here. I spent 6 months in Bourges in France learning the language, washing plates and eating good food for the first time in my life. I have got a couple of pics of those days, but none with pretty girls. I'll try and scan them for ya!

;-)

Now there's the side of Baader Meinhof that was never discussed on U.S. Army bases - the fact that the "Fatherland" was being used as a refueling depot for the flying fortresses of death, heading for Vietnam. It's one big mind fuck isn't it? The whole story, the real picture of everything is fragmented (intentionally) into so many sub-realities in an effort to maintain the desired reality of a given people's controlling majority. No wonder comic books, TV, junk food, alcohol, and all other effortless vices have so much appeal. FFS! I've got to take some time to read these links you've dropped once my school work is done this weekend, it is info I would never have dug up on my own, so thanks for it, honest and truly. We used to sneak off the base to convert our U.S. dollar allownaces to Deutsch Marks, buy some Legos, Gummi Bears, and Bazooka bubble gum, and then sneak back on base -all the time wondering why the MPs (military police) were so damn pissed if they caught us sneaking around, because if one of our stupid asses got abducted, they would be cleaning toilets with toothbrushes in Fort Leavenworht for the rest of their enlistment...

I'll post a picture of me flicking the camera my middle finger at age 7 if you can dig up one of those vintage pictures of you in the land of the Frenchies. My brother bought a Polaroid in 1979, and I had a one-fingered answer for his request of me to say "Cheese!"

;)