Je fart dans votre direction générale

ST.-VICTOR-DE-CESSIEU, France — The French, known for their mistrust of banks, are not just stuffing money into mattresses in these anxious days of recession and minuscule interest rates. They are also putting their cash into cows.

For Pierre Marguerit, 60, cows make a safe, secure investment, allowing for long-term growth from a renewable resource. The cow contracts are hardly new, but go back to Richard the Lionheart; the French word for livestock, “cheptel,” is the root for “capital.”

These are not exactly cash cows. But investment in Mr. Marguerit’s Holsteins will bring a 4 to 5 percent return a year after taxes, he said, based on “natural growth” — the sale of their offspring. That compares to an interest rate now of 0.75 percent on the basic French bank account.

Don't get to comfortable with the cow thing, my French friends. The United Nations shall be along shortly to...settle up on the methane releases causing global warming.

Quit saying that...someone will get hurt...

PARIS: The French authorities will increase their checks on television, radio and the Internet to prevent any hate messages prompted by the conflict in Gaza from spreading, Prime Minister François Fillon said Friday.

France is experiencing an increase in anti-Semitic acts apparently related to Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 1,100 Palestinians in three weeks. Thirteen Israelis have been killed.

Meanwhile...in the real world.

But almost every day brings news of another attack on a synagogue, a rash of xenophobic graffiti or, in some cases, violence against people. The police are investigating allegations that radical pro-Israel youths beat up three Arab teenagers Monday outside their school in a wealthy area of Paris.

So...in order to "crack down" on synagogue attacks, xenophobic graffiti and actual physical violence (not to mention Muslim Yutes burning cars)...the French authorites are going to rigorously monitor the internet for someone saying something they think is offensive.

I'm not a big fan of the French to begin with...and this will not close the gap of my discontent.

PS: Don't you just love the way Reuters evaluates morality based on how many people have died...and avoid the basis of the conflict in the first place? The Israelis 13 Palestinians 1,100...Israelis bad...Palestinians victims...(Margin of error 100% due to bias reporting)