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The last time I saw Neo… — 21 Comments

  1. I America, is water there you’ll give?
    This place where you am I going there?
    So much for my theory that you would be in exotic Spain. Frogville. Look out for muzzy youth burning cars! Order a hamburger and see if you get a fried egg on top of it. Oui?

  2. I can’t wait to read your follow-up articles detailing how the French are cowardly, obtuse, jealous, hypocritical, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

  3. Anonymous, we already know all that – why would Neo waste time repeating it?
    A veil on every frog woman, that’s my motto!

  4. My condolences Neo. Of all the wonderful European cities you’ve ended up there? Paris…..once a terrific destination. (but do make time to see Opera Garnier….fabulous!)

  5. Paris? Great! It’s a great time to be there.

    The best museum in Paris (more human-scaled than the overwhelming Louvre), the Museum de l’Orangerie, was closed for six years and has recently (finally) reopened. I think the Jeu de Paume (nearby) is also open. If so, we’re talking wall-sized Monets, Impressionism by the ton, endless color – you’ve got to go! It’s at the place de concord.

    Don’t miss the Morroccan restaurants. Most of the cafes are excellent, but the one really terrible cafe I stopped at (cassoulet made with hot dogs and baked beans – ugh) was empty around dinnertime. So, if no one in the neighborhood goes in there, it’s probably a sign of something.

  6. Be sure to avoid them ethnically unidentifiable car burning “youths”. The Fwench police apparently cant get a gasp on the problem.

    Be sure though, to visit some of their more redeeming centers of Fwench culture.

    Of course Im referring to Euro-Disney and McDonalds.

  7. As we disembarked from the plane, it was announced that, to get to the main terminal, “you’re going to need to be able to climb a couple of stairs.”

    It was better for a bit, then the terminal collapsed, I don’t mind the stairs anywhere as much as I mind the bus ride to/from the terminal and the airplane remote parking.

  8. “can somebody please tell me why it takes only a tiny bit longer to cross the six-hour time difference from the Eastern US to France than it takes to cross the continental US, which gives you a mere three-hour difference?”

    2 Reasons.

    First. Time zones are based on Longitude. Each time zone occupies 15 degrees of longitude (360/24) Because the lines of longitude intersect at the north and south poles, the distance between them, and thus the size of the time zones depends upon the distance from the poles. At the equator, each time zone is 1,000 miles wide, at the poles it is 0.

    Europe is mostly to the north of the US. Boston is at 42 degrees north Latitude and LA is at 34, but Paris is at 48. Thus when you go from the US to Europe, you are flying through smaller time zones.

    The Eastern states of the US are roughly 75 degrees of longitude from England (Greenwich, near London, is by convention 0 degrees longitude) Boston is 72, NY 74, Philly 75, DC 77. This translates to a 5 hour time difference.

    However, Paris, which is only 2 degrees east of London, is by French law, one hour of time earlier than London. Another illustration of French bloody mindedness. Lord, they are worthless lot.

  9. “Paris, the belly of the beast” I think we can be certain that all this travel will not be broadening your mind. What will ever make you change from this childish dualistic world view you have developed?

  10. Well, how cool for you, doing the world traveller thing. Can’t wait for your daily postings…you have such a readable and delightful style of casual commentary. And, of course, your more meaty subjects are always devoured enthusiastically by this reader so I’m looking forward to your heavy topics also.

  11. For a simpler explanation of your time-zone conundrum, neo-neo: you traveled to France by flying closer to the North Pole. It takes a lot less time to fly around the world when you fly around the Pole than if you try to fly around the Equator. But, then, we in Chicago have always recognized that it is Poland, not Paris, that marks the center of the universe :-).

  12. Thanks, all, and thanks for the time zone explanations.

    As for my old buddy neoneoconned–I believe you are an excellent example of a failure to understand my particular brand of humor. Of course, it’s not the only thing you fail to understand.

  13. Sounds like you are in the right frame of mind! You could just as easily be peeved beyond imagining. Have fun! We look forward to your travelogue!

  14. Neo, the time zone explanations help; you can fly around the north pole very quickly. But give some thought to the jet stream, which flows from West to East and can be especially helpful in the winter, depending on your direction and how quickly (or slowly) you want to arrive somewhere. Mark
    P.S. If you have time for Chartres Cathedral, take the tour with Professor Malcolm Miller.

  15. hmmmm i am sure that you do think of it as humour. Meanwhile in the real world it is just a collection of sniggering bigotries you share with your good buddies. Why not tell us something that has changed your mind in all this travelling?

    “if it weren’t for the French language and the beautiful old buildings, one could be in Anytown, USA.” maybe this could make you start to think about why US cultural and military imperialism is resented in so many parts of the world.

    Yankee go home as all this travelling is only a search for confirmation of your deep seated assumption that the USA is better than everywhere else.

  16. “Charles de Gaulle airport — I loathe that structure.”

    Yes, CDG is one of the worst airports in the developed world.

    “maybe this could make you start to think about why US cultural and military imperialism is resented in so many parts of the world.”

    Actually, most young people are not only hungry for U.S. “cultural imperialism” they imitate it, even those who claim to hate the U.S. Witness European hip-hop.

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