Reflections, Reflections

Too funny, this exchange:

"The International Olympic Committee has the honor of announcing that the games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of London," IOC president Jacques Rogge announced, following a dramatic pause to open the envelope containing the winning city's name.

In recent days, backers for frontrunners and traditional rivals Britain and France have traded snide remarks, prompting a cross-Channel media slanging match.

Members of the London team annoyed the French by questioning the suitability of Paris's showpiece sports stadium, the Stade de France, drawing complaints from Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe.

British tabloids reacted crossly to reported comments by President Jacques Chirac -- speaking to the leaders of Russia and Germany earlier this week -- to the effect that "you can't trust people who have such lousy cuisine."

"The only thing they [the British] have done for European agriculture is mad cow disease," declared Chirac, in comments reported by the French newspaper, Liberation.

Although Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would not be tempted to respond, the mass-circulation UK tabloid The Sun called Chirac a "nasty, petty, racist creep."

The Daily Express said it hoped Chirac would have "remembered his manners" by the time Queen Elizabeth hosts him and other G8 leaders at a dinner in Scotland later Wednesday.

"As for her majesty, it would be quite understandable if she were tempted to reply to his rudeness with a plate of beans on toast," it added, suggesting that the best place for her to put the food would be "on his head."

Even the broadsheet papers bristled at Chirac's comment, with the Daily Telegraph saying the embattled French president "seems to have gone a little off his rocker."

Nothing like international brotherly love. :-)

I would have preferred Paris, 100 to 1. Make it 100,000 to 1. And, ugh, another victory for the detestable Blair. If I were real nasty, I would wish that Blair got mad cow disease. ;-P

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