This story was previously titled "Were they drunk as skunks or what? Handing Over the US Presidency - AFP"
Were they drunk as skunks or what? Handing Over the EU Presidency - AFP »
Posted By gamahuche 5 months, 2 weeks ago in NewsPrague's historic Charles Bridge witnessed a wobbly symbolic handover of the Czech European Union presidency to Sweden on Saturday as officials passed a keg of Czech beer from one boat to another.
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gamahuche
"I would rather be a square peg than fit in a pigeon hole" -
an essay which won me the "Lamb Essay Prize" at the Religious ...
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gamahuche5 months, 2 weeks ago
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In its early days the freed-from-Communism Czechoslovakia [prior to its "velvet divorce" into the Czech Republic and Slovakia] was known as Absurdistan.. On one level, for those who appreciate Dada humour and surrealism, which have always been much in evidence, this seemed a valid description - even one which could engender national pride.. No one, I believe could fail to find this story amusing; HOWEVER for it to take place as an anti-climax to the most abysmal failure of EU caretaking that the Czechs have just allowed to take place is more like adding insult to injury. Was it funny? Yes - should I have posted it under humour - maybe. I'd rather describe it as 5 parts bitter and 1 part sweet. If you're NOT Czech - feel free to laugh AT us!
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gamahuche5 months, 2 weeks ago
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AAAARRRRGGGHH!!
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Stupid typo of the month in the title - EU PRESIDENCY - NOT US!!
And no - it wasn't because I was as drunk as a skunk!
This kind of embarassment leaves me plain cold sober!
Maybe in a couple of hours I'll be able to drink a beer in a more tranquil mood!-
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gamahuche5 months, 2 weeks ago
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But the Agency responsible for the story was equal careless - the caption to the pic that accompanies the story describes a "barrel of bear".
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[Maybe that's what the Russians would hand over if they were participants in the EU game.] -
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jordan115 months, 2 weeks ago
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Yanno, when I saw the "barrel of bear", I had to think about it for a second. When I saw the heading, I thought pc25 was on the loose, and when I saw "Absurdistan" I just laughed. Not at you. It just seems that missteps and errors seem to take on a life of their own sometimes, and Absurdistan was mentioned at the perfect time, LOL! Happens to me a lot. My kids keep notes.
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gamahuche5 months, 2 weeks ago
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FTA
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"The event took place near the historic Charles Bridge -- which was badly damaged during the Swedish siege of Prague during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648)."
A 48 kilo keg weighs over 100lbs..
Maybe they really WERE trying to get one back on the Swedes - who are not amongst the greatest appreciators of beer in the world..
Do they even have a brewery yet??
When I lived in Copenhagen [a VERY long time ago]the Tuborg and Carlsberg breweries were always awash with Swedes guzzling beer and filling up their car-boots to bring it back across on the ferry and saving a packet on the tax that they would have paid in Sweden.
As for the 30 Years War - even a little earlier than that, in the C17th, we haven't got over that yet! They pillaged tons of our treasures of which the most irritating was losing our libraries. Most of our Alchemy Books, for example, finished up in the hands of Queen Christina of Sweden - one of the few known women to have been a serious alchemist.
Recently the had the chutzpah to "LEND" us back one of the more famous books [not an alchemical one] known as the "Devil's Bible" and frequently described as the largest book in the world.
There's a video of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYxDZvietcI
I wasn't able to watch it because of sleeping members of the household - if its not good there are others there too.
Incidentally I believe that it weighs somewhat more than the keg of beer..-
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gamahuche5 months, 2 weeks ago
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OOPS!!!! That U-tube clip is a terrrible sensationalist load of obfuscating bunkum!!
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my apologies! Apparently from National Geographic?!?
Here is a much better web-site which actually shows you the entire book!!
http://www.kb.se/codex-gigas/eng/
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gamahuche5 months, 2 weeks ago
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Well its definitely not boring!!
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If you can ignore 90% of the Politics and enjoy beer and castles and VERY beautiful women - in whichever order (ideally in combination!)- its a great place, with the one proviso that learning Czech is requisite for full enjoyment and THAT is a tall order for most who attempt it.
There is one letter that many Czechs need to go to remedial classes to learn to pronounce - and many never succeed. President Havel can't say it - nor can I.
My daughter can perfectly ..
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kz10244Comment removed: Spam
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kz102445 months, 2 weeks ago
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All Hail Queen Nancy's 757
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The Jet is a USAF Boeing 757
*And they STILL want to talk about Sarah's clothing??
Republicans! Are you out there?
*MADAME PELOSI*
Madame Pelosi wasn't happy with the small private jet that comes with the Speaker's job...no, Madame Pelosi was aggravated that this little jet had to stop to refuel, so she ordered a Big Fat 200 seat jet that could get her back to California without stopping!
Many, many legislators walked by and grinned with glee as Joe informed everyone what Nancy's Big Fat Jet costs us, the hard working American Taxpayers, for the thousands of gallons of fuel every week.
Since she only works 3 days a week, this gas guzzling jet gets fueled and she flies home to California, cost to the taxpayers of about $60,000 one way!
As Joe put it, 'Unfortunately we have to pay to bring her back on Monday Night.' Cost to us is another $60,000. Folks, that is $480,000 per month and that is an annual cost to the taxpayers of $5,760,000. No wonder she complains about the cost of this war...it might cramp her style and she is styling, on my back and yours.
I think of the military families in this country doing without and this woman, who heads up the most do-nothing Congress in the history of this country, keeps fueling that jet while doing nothing.
Madame Pelosi wants you and me to conserve our carbon footprint. She wants us to buy smaller cars and Obama wants us to get a bicycle pump and air up our tires.
These people are nuts.
If you think this is outrageous, forward it to all those on your email list!
Keep in mind the figures above do NOT include cost of plane or crew, just fuel! One wonders what her total package costs us? And she wants to tax OUR IRAs & 401Ks.....
YOU WILL NEVER SEE THIS IN ANY NEWSPAPERS IN THE COUNTRY! THEY HAVE NO GUTS - THEY WOULD RATHER SEE PEOPLE STARVING THAN REPORT ON THE MONSTER THAT IS NANCY PELOSI!
(OBAMADECEPTION.NET) -
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tdrapeau5 months, 1 week ago
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And our last left field trophy is awarded to kz10244 (unless of course the comment was made when the title pointed to the US Presidency being handed over...)
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I actually knew the Czech Republic had the highest beer consumption per capita, because I am a Sporcle addict:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/world_beer_consumptio...
Cheers!
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