Weekend update on French riots

I just wasted about ½ hour writing a post.  My computer froze up, and I had to do a “hard re-boot”. That meant unplugging it and taking out the battery. It doesn’t happen that often, but, when it does, it’s invariably when I’m in the middle of writing a long post, filled with links, pictures, and complicated formatting. Naturally, I lost everything.  I never back up when it’s crucial.

It’s just another reason to do my initial writing in Word, and post directly from there. At least it’s relatively easy to back up. Not to mention spell-check on the fly. And – hey, why DO I bother to write a post directly in Blogger anymore?

I was commenting on the French riots.  Although the MSM has reported that the violence is diminishing, it sure doesn’t seem like it to me. The BBC reports that

Groups of boys and young men still hang around outside the area's shops and cafes and treat strangers with deep suspicion, if not outright hostility.

Although some complain that their voices are never heard, as we tried to speak to local residents, we were told at one point to leave the area or risk being attacked.

Gee, ‘ya think that overt intimidation might explain why your message isn’t getting out?

It’s merely the racist French that are picking on them, for ABSOLUTELY no reason. The headscarf ban in public schools remains a point of contention. There is no ban at the university level, however. From the BBC, again,

"We are studying to be able to work later," Ms ben Naser says. "And we all we know that if you wear a veil all the doors will close."

She says her mother, who has a PhD in philosophy and wears a headscarf, does not have a job as a result.

Oui, because we all know how employers, even in France, just batter down the doors to get their hands on a philosophy major. Even better, a philosophy PhD.

Parenthetical comment – dial-up sucks.

Captain’s Quarters points out something I’ve also noted before

These riots have organization, resilience, and structure -- and where those elements exist, so does strategic thinking.