Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France'

Guardian ^ | 2/11/03 | Gary Younge in New York and Jon Henley in Paris

[Burkeman1]

Darn son- I am- Grew up on Bernard street, off Linden street, two blocks away from the junior high (or middle school as they called it later.) My family first lived on Rice street- right across from the High school when I was a toddler- our backyard was the high school baseball fields were the little league tryouts were held. Our last home in Wellesley was on Great Plain ave or route 122 into Needham and to the dump.

[Kip Lange]

I'd rather not discuss exactly where I live but you coulda just clicked on my name and seen: Wellesley, MA. ;-)

Played center and tackle. ;-)

Heh, isn't the Wellesley dump great? It's world-famous; they always bring tourists to it as a model of dumps. Or "Recycling Center", I guess, as it's called now. :-)

F'ing ticked every since the "School Committe" or whatever cost Roy getting re-elected as selectman.

[Burkeman1]

No- i t wasn't 93- it happened before even I was in high school. I know that Wellsley kicked bum several years later- but when Wellesley defeated Natick in the mid 80's- it was a huge deal as no one expected it.

[Kip Lange]

Was talking about two different teams. The team we're talking about now...'92/'93...is the one that beat Walpole for the first time since 1962 to win the Div I Superbowl -- with the rare hb shuffle pass that we NEVER used out of fear of getting players hurt.

Mastro -- or *Maestro*? heh. Tracy is now head coach; Levin is athletic director. Don't know what happened to whatsisname, athletic director before Levin and FB coach before him as well...name is escaping me at the moment.

There are a few members of that '92/'93 team that are in the gulf right now...

[metesky]

PS- hate Brockton.

LOL! Doesn't everybody that ever lost to them?

I played at Haverhill High back in the late fifties and early sixties. Haverhill was Division I (Class A) back then and until Brockton passed them in the late seventies or early eighties, had won more Division I championships than any school in Eastern Mass (look it up).

In the spring of 1960 Brockton and Haverhill were supposed to be the two best teams in the state, so they put us together in spring training for a "live" scrimmage.

Along about the third or fourth series of plays a massive on field brawl broke out that took about twenty minutes for the coaches to quell. LOL!

Brockton beat us in the old Garden in the spring of '62 in basketball, too. The school you love to hate...

[Burkeman1]

Roy? I worked for that guy to raise money for the MASS GOP! Switzler is his name? And his wife Greta? Do they still have that real estate thing going on Washington street next to St. Moritz ski shop? Is that still there? He was a connected guy back then. Had all the old yankee names on roledex. That guy even ran for governor one time and was shot down after the media found out he lied about his viet nam service.

[Kip Lange]

and dang, I got to say it: "DOWN! RED-SET-GO! RED-SET-GO!"

:-)

[Burkeman1]

Is your name rich young?

[Kip Lange]

Roy? I worked for that guy to raise money for the MASS GOP! Switzler is his name?

Yes.

And his wife Greta?

Helga, a beautiful woman who passed from ALS about a year ago. I can find out where to send charity contribs. if you'd like.

Do they still have that real estate thing going on Washington street next to St. Moritz ski shop? Is that still there?

Yes. I advise all people looking to relocate to Wellesley to use it, too. ;-)

He was a connected guy back then. Had all the old yankee names on roledex.

He still is. Just had lunch with Andy Card about a month ago.

That guy even ran for governor one time and was shot down after the media found out he lied about his viet nam service.

He didn't exactly lie but I'm not getting into that right now. ;-)

[Kip Lange]

No, my name is Kip Lange, but I know Rich Young. ;-) Ask him about me sometime if you're in touch with him. :-)

[metesky]

You guys both played Eastern Mass HS football, so here's a story you'll both appreciate that liberal author Paul Theroux tells:

Theroux was sitting in a bar in Australia and feeling a little homesick when he recognized an American accent at the other end of the bar. Theroux approached the guy and introduced himself, hoping for a little Yankee empathy.

The man asked where Theroux was from and Theroux answered, "Medford (Meffa to the natives)."

"Oh yeah," the man replied. "I'm from Waltham and we used to kick your a$$ all the time."

It really is a small world.

[Kip Lange]

Also bears mentioning that I've never met a more solid, nicer guy than Roy. GREAT guy. A lot of people don't like his gruff, but he gave 'em *hell* when he was in the legislature...every time they started to spend spend spend...up would come Roy out of his seat, barking out, "MRRRRRRRRRRR. SPEEEEEEEEAKER!" :-)

[Burkeman1]

I am and will. Good to know some Wellesley folk are still conservative and Republican. From what I have heard the town has become a Democrat enclave. Is Ed Bleiler still there? Remember the old Italian GOP neighborhood behind the junior high? Remember that little store? Gambolinis? I bet it isn't there anymore.

[Kip Lange]

Is this the part where we're all supposed to get together, hold hands, and sing "Kumbaya"? :-)

[Kip Lange]

Dunnno re: Ed Bleiler. Goobellini's, I believe it was...long since closed. :-(

Town has *become* a democrat enclave? Always was. :-)

Very much remember the old Italian neighborhood behind the junior high. It's not all Italian anymore...but there are some GOP folks there...possibly related to me... ;-)

Tell Rich this: "Orgazmomometer" (I guarantee you he will start laughing his ass off). Also -- FReepmail me after you talk to him, I'd love to mail him & catc hup, last time I saw him was when I was picking up a bottle of wine at Town Line like two years ago...

[Burkeman1]

Yep- Old Roy did do that. But the Locke boys didn't like him- and I worked for them as well when Cheryl Jacques defeated their father. In fact- I worked for both at the same time and there was a lot of hate between the camps.

[Kip Lange]

You aren't by any chance related to Dan Burke, are you...?

[HighWheeler]

..."Cheese-eating surrender monkeys" - a phrase coined by Bart Simpson...

Yup, the writer got it wrong. Click on on Willies picture

Click on Willies Picture!

[Kip Lange]

Let me throw another name at you, see if you know it...not in your age group, of course, but: Jack Quinlan?

[metesky]

No, it's the part where you kiss my Greek a$$.