Joel Radio #92: Argo, The Gold Colored Boy

Yeah, I was trying to be helpful. Or educational, whatever. When you go to Europe, as the European! I’d gladly admit when I don’t know anything about your destination and wouldn’t be offended if you ignore my advice, but I’ve been around a bit and made my experiences over the years.

So eff you, Joel!

So anyway, I’ve been to Paris quite a few times (had a girlfriend there for a few years) and I don’t really speak French. Yeah, it’s a tourist destination and I did not say nobody there speaks English. It’s just that French people do not like to do it (as a general rule which of course has exceptions). They will if it’s their job, they won’t like it. Hence my point – if they speak English with you on their own volition, it’s a tourist place and you gotta be aware of that. Of course if you are impressed by a cheese platter then I guess it doesn’t really matter.

Train connection from Paris to Amsterdam is just over three hours with the Thalys (high-speed train, uses TGV). If you consider the overhead of checking in etc it’s actually a viable option, especially since in my personal opinion train rides are less annoying and you get to see more of the area in between, but air fare may actually be cheaper.

I worked in IT at Lufthansa, not in the actual airline business. Though I gotta say I have only ever had a problem with airline staff being crappy once; both during and outside my work at LH airline staff has always been great to me. Of course they should not have lost Corey’s bag – normally those things still get on the same plane. It means someone messed up or, less likely, the plane was loaded to capacity. Anyway, the juice pushers aren’t just flying waitresses. It’s their job to ensure the safety of passengers on board and if in their judgement you bag won’t fit – even if it’s an error of judgement – then it doesn’t go on the plane. No warped vision about it, just a stewardess doing her job.

TV discussion: I think the reason most of the really old stuff isn’t shown anymore isn’t just because tastes have changed, or that there is simply so much new crap for the consumer to consume; it’s also because modern audiences don’t tolerate B&W anymore. (Hell I know someone who won’t see anything that isn’t in 3d.) I am not sure how many channels you had as teenagers, I grew up with two and a half, extended to five around the time I was 14-15, There’s a great deal more competition here nowadays.

JOEL – joelradio.com seems to be free at the moment, iirc you originally wanted it for your podcast.