SECOND THOUGHTS

I was in London in 1964 when the Beatles' first movie, A Hard Day's Night, was released.  I actually saw it in a theater in Trafalger Square -- pretty cool.  I loved it [indeed, I even loved the music, believe it or not].  My very favorite line in the movie is delivered by the harrassed TV producer tasked with putting on the show that is the frame for the movie.  He grows increasingly desperate as showtime approaches and the gallivanting lads have not returned to the studio. Finally, in exasperation, he cries, "If they do not show up in ten mintes, I am going to be doing "The News in Welsh."

I thought of that last evening as Susie and I idly surfed our now functional TV set, checking to see which stations we can actually get.  I am afraid I was unfairly negative when I wrote, on this blog, that there is nothing to watch.  In fact, we can get the news in French, the news in English, the business news in English, more business news in English, the news in Arabic, the news in Japanese, the news in Russian, the news in several other Slavic languages that I was unable to disambiguate, and fifteen regional news stations from every corner of France.

On one of the English language news stations [SkyNews?], I caught an interview with a distressed young member of la jeunesse d'orees nouvelles" -- a French version of a Wall Street wunderkind -- who was reacting to the announcement that the new socialist government plans to impose a tax of 75% on annual incomes above one million Euros.  "Seventy-five percent on over a million Euros," he said in manifest anguish, "what is the point of working hard?"

I wanted to put my fist through the screen on the off chance that it would connect with his pretty face.  "Right, you spoiled bastard," I screamed, "why don't you knock off after you have made a million and let someone else take over the hard work of screwing up the economy?"  I suspect he could not hear me.