David Jaggard
Yet More Paris Shop Signs: From the Ridiculous to the Sublimely Ridiculous, Part 11
Where Bad English Goes to Die
At the risk of stating the obvious, the world is in a sorry state. Economies are struggling, Russia is stirring up ancient hatreds, airplanes are dropping like rain, and the Middle East is going to hell even faster than usual. … Read More
Paris Shop Signs: From the Ridiculous to the Sublimely Ridiculous, Part 10
Payback for the Norman Invasion
Despite the fact that it’s downright convenient for me personally, I think English is a terrible choice for an international language. The spelling is fraught with anomalies, the prepositions are treacherous, and the verbal phrases are murder. Do we really … Read More
Waxing Philosophical Yet Again: I Take the 2014 “Bac Philo” Exam
Life, Liberty and The Whatever of Happiness
The immortal British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson said it best when he wrote, “In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. Well, except of course in France, where he must take the ‘bac’ test, guv!” … Read More
The World Cup and Me, Part Two: How I Came to Terms with Soccer — Sort Of
Wiser but Definitely Sadder...
Years went by. I struggled along in darkness, somehow making it from day to day even while suffering under a terrible burden — the burden of ignorance compounded by apathy and insularity. And it was good. I refer, of course, … Read More
Trains in France: Not Too Long, Not Too Tall … Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad
For Every Problem, There’s a €50 Million Solution
As we all know, the French railroad network is a paragon of efficiency and technical sophistication, making it possible to travel to any sizable town quickly and at low cost. Which is why we were all surprised last week to … Read More
Things Are Weird All Over, Part Two: Oddities of the United States
There’s More than the Atlantic Separating Us Now
I’ve been thinking about Stockholm Syndrome, the psychological process whereby hostages begin to sympathize with their captors. Although I have never been subjugated by violent aggressors and forcibly held under horrifying conditions, except of course for high school P.E. class, … Read More
Things Are Weird All Over, Part One: Oddities of France
Time for a Surreality Check
A rather hastily written article has been making the rounds on Facebook recently entitled “20 of the Weirdest Things About America That Americans Don’t Realize Are Weird.” Posted on Tickld.com by an anonymous and apparently British user under the pseudonym … Read More
Labor Conditions in France: Working Less Is a Full-time Job!
Tell Your Boss to Clock Off!
All week I’ve been getting messages from readers who live in other countries saying things like, “David, is it true that French people are forbidden to think about work outside of office hours?” “Is it true that you can get … Read More
The Story Behind the Strangeness Part Three: Paris and Points South
Why Bother With Logic?
When I wrote part one and part two of this recurring feature in 2012, I thought that France in general and Paris in particular would yield a steady supply of strange phenomena for me to comment on, rather like the … Read More
Google Finds Porn in the Louvre! And So Do I
Google Gags Me (In a Way)
Bad news for my mother: I’m a pornographer. Or at least that’s what Google says. But, mainly for the benefit of my mom, I can explain. In January 2012, I wrote a C’est Ironique about the sometimes-delicate dilemma of choosing … Read More