France isn't on the verge of collapsing yet, promise.

[castalie]

I'm sure I posted some weird entries over the two years I've been on LJ but I think this one will be #1.

Ok guys? You'll have to to tell me what exactly your news [I'm talking about foreign, ie not French] are saying about the French riots because I'm really starting to wonder. Seriously, foreigners are more worried than we are and there's something wrong with that.

It's not a war, it's not a revolution, it's certainly spreading - and you can partly thank the media for that - and damage is made and things are burning [from cars to schools, sadly] people are touched by them, some of them lost a lot unfortunately so I'm not telling you it's nothing or that nothing is happening, I'm not making it sound less important than it is, but so far, we are not living in fear and we are not hiding in our houses either and there's no climate of fear like apparently everyone living abroad think there is. Just no. And btw, it's much more complex than what most media abroad might want you to believe.

So, like, you can stop imagining the worst because it's just your media making the situation look worse than it is, I swear. Stop worrying, alright? And hey, until Saturday did you hear me talk about the riots? Even once? Did I seem worried the past eleven days? No. I finally mentioned them when they hit Choisy-le-Roi because dude, I was surprised to see them here - or maybe not surprised, but whatever - but I haven't been scared or even worried, and I live in the suburb, where according to some American news the riots are "all over". No, they're not *g*

So a big hug to everyone, but you can stop thinking we're all dying here - we're not :-) So far. Dude you are making me worried now lol But seriously trust your flist more than your media, and you'll be fine. You'll know when I'll start to worry.

ETA: Though wait! If I tell you that your news are telling the truth... would you welcome me in your home? Also, because of the trauma, I think I should go and visit a lot of you - all around the world, just to forget about the situation in France, you know? *cough*

ETA2: Btw? If I jinxed myself by posting this entry and the situation gets really bad, I'll blame you all, just so you know *g*

Comments

[seiyaharris.livejournal.com]

The most recent BBC website story is here. I must admit, I've been a little zombielike when it comes to the news the last week or so and this story on Firefox's latest headlines is the first thing I really knew about it. Ahem. lol

Glad you are not cowering under your kitchen table and are not barricaded in your home and therefore unable to come to London! ;)

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Dude, I'll start burning some cars myself dues to the riots I couldn't go to London!

And okay, bad joke, but still *cough*

[seiyaharris.livejournal.com]

lol doofus *g*

The BBC 10 o'clock news was a little excitable about it, btu I took the news cool an easy for I have the word of the people ;)

the one with the foreign media coverage

[babycakesin.livejournal.com]

they keep talking about it as if France was on the verge of collapsing under the pressure put on the government by the immigrants. (I keep having to tell people that most of those rioters are French, but whatever)

It's because most of the time, the medias don't talk about France, so when they start updating on France every single day, yeah, people get worried.

Which says a lot about the crappiness of medias, but whatever *sighs* I have a feeling that some of them are just gloating about it - I tend to stick to the Guignols *giggles*

Re: the one with the foreign media coverage

[castalie.livejournal.com]

I just imagine foreigners thinking we're all living under martial law, forced to stay hidden in our houses, cowering under the beds in fear of being blow up *rolls eyes* This is so ridiculous! Talk about trusting the media *makes gag noise*

Re: the one with the foreign media coverage

[babycakesin.livejournal.com]

well, it is understandable. We don't live in a society of 'information' but in a society of 'entertainment'. Look at the media coverage of the earthquake in Pakistan v. the tsunami - one was over mediatised, the other was not. It all depends on whether or not it's a slow news day. If those riots had happened during the Katrina media coverage, they would have left us alone *shrugs*

[french-hobbit.livejournal.com]

I second that - and i'm interested in the news from abroad, too... Mouse, did you actually read some news saying the riots are 'all over'? what do they want to prove with that? *shakes head*

Nothing to do with it, but I've found all the episodes of Numbers season1 I didn't have! so, no need for you to burn them. I'm going to catch up with it and you'll know all about my thoughts, yoohoo!

[castalie.livejournal.com]

I didn't read it, but an American asked me about the situation in Paris because according to the journalists the riots were all over the place, sic.

Okay good! Can't wait to hear what you thought of the missing episodes *g*

[marecagee.livejournal.com]

You're not worried at all? Not even for your car? Or to be bothered by idiots who act even more like idiots than they usually do? You're less nervous than I am, then. :)

(And I know you said not-French, but there's a tidbit in the 20 Minutes today saying they're talking as much about the riots than Irak on CNN, and they have correspondants specials. There are *six* CNN reporters assigned to the case. Never once before an american channel must have talked so much about national news that weren't their own, IMO).

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Honestly? No. If there's new incidents in Choisy I'll get worried about the car - among other things - but am I worried, like, on a daily basis? Absolutely not :-) Not yet, at least.

Apparently CNN is proving to be the crappiest news provider ever known to man *blink* Well ok, one of the crappiest lol

[sockich.livejournal.com]

Well...'round here there's currently a story about starting a police hour (is that what you call 'em?) and there's usually a daily update on the news but nothing about any apocalypse, lol (though there was some noise about the riots spreading to other cuntries...).

You're quite welcome in my home, anything to help you get past the trauma. ;)

Btw? If I jinxed myself by posting this entry and the situation gets really bad, I'll blame you all, just so you know *g*

Well, naturally. *g*

[castalie.livejournal.com]

A girl from Germany laughed at the news about the French riots spreading over there - so I'd say to take this kind of news with a grain of salt too *g* A couple of burnt cars doesn't an European riot makes ;-)

Aww thanks! I've never been to Slovenia so I'll definitely keep your offer in mind lol

[dont-callmebabe.livejournal.com]

LOL.
J'espère bien que ça ne va pas empirer ! Et pas uniquement pour te contredire:b

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Ca c'est du soutien lol

[dont-callmebabe.livejournal.com]

Je trouve aussi *beams* <---OMG, Babycakes me déteins dessus ou quoi ?

Sinon, dans un autre registre, t'es ok pour me rejoindre à Bercy demain ??
Je me suis décidée à y aller coûte que coûte au final. *brandis l'appareil numérique emprunté à Cat pour l'occasion*
Tu peux même me passe 1 coup de fil ou 1 texto demain si tu veux, les acteurs sont censés arriver pour 18 heures, mais j'y serais dès 14 heures, je pense.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Hey j'avais complètement raté ce commentaire ! Ca me va, je trouve ça plutôt amusant, je t'avouerais et hey, si on arrive à le voir le Daniel ? On pourra rendre tous les fans jaloux, ça c'est la classe lol

Je t'envoie un texto là.

[slb44.livejournal.com]

I try to get a wide range of sources for my news on a daily basis, but living on the Canada/US border I can see how the Yanks would think things are worse then they are. Plus I've been reading your journal. So I take all that and make my own judgements on what's really happening.

Either way, if they do get worse or you just feel like it, your welcome to come visit and stay here any time. *bg*

[castalie.livejournal.com]

You're definitely doing the smart thing *g* I didn't realise how the foreign medias were painting the situation here but wow, it's quite... annoying isn't the right word, but I'm being zen here :-)

[moimoietmoi.livejournal.com]

You're so right about the riots... I'm very angry at the media right now!

A little something to distract us, poor-French-people-faced-with-an-insurrection-in-our-own-country *g*:
a Sam/Dean Supernatural fic

[castalie.livejournal.com]

It's annoying, I second the thought *sigh*

And thanks for the link!

[x5-536.livejournal.com]

ack, i can't help you there. aussie news suck ass so instead at watch the French news at 9:30am ... i know. but okay, i'll turn the tv on and listen to aussie news when i have turn and let you know ... if i welcome you in my home, will you write porn for me?

[x5-536.livejournal.com]

*i watch. sorry. just woke up.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Hey it's ok, maybe it's even a good thing I don't know what the Aussi news would say, as it's already annoying enough lol

if i welcome you in my home, will you write porn for me?

I certainly would!

[x5-536.livejournal.com]

*snorts at icon* i bought that ticket as well, ahhahaaha. you haven't posted the fics yet, have you?

anyways, they had the riots on the news for a total of 30 seconds (i kid you not) with pictures of cars burning and said that "islamic leaders fear a backlash against muslims but have been unsuccessful in ..." i don't remember the rest but basically they were saying that they've been unsuccessful in negotiating with the rioters.

...um?

[lilithilien.livejournal.com]

OK, I feel your pain. I was on vacation in Mexico one year when I heard there was an earthquake in Seattle (where I lived then). Watching the news it sounded like the city had been levelled. I was sure we'd return and there'd be nothing left of our house. Lo and behold, the media was exaggerating! So yeah. It's ridiculous.

But if you do need to escape the horrible riots, you are welcome to come over here. Warm tropical beaches, lots of rum, I think it's a good place to ride out the storm!

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Foreign media... *shakes head* I guess they need something outrageous to interest their audience? Or they want revenge over something - I mean, it's so OTT, you have to wonder what is their agenda, exactly.

But if you do need to escape the horrible riots, you are welcome to come over here. Warm tropical beaches, lots of rum, I think it's a good place to ride out the storm!

Thanks! I have the best flist ever! lol

[jennixen.livejournal.com]

I was gonna ask YOU if you could give me news because I wanted to hear from someone IN France.

News are always tricky because it's almost often biased in some way or the other.
THe news I've seen in Sweden haven't mentioned a lot about WHY the people are rioting but they spoke briefly to a Swedish girl who used to live in one of the suburbs and has a lot of friends there and she was very direct in what she said: basically it's a problem that has to do with poverty and the government ignoring the situation for years n years and that it's actually the police that has the most aggression but the media isn't covering that.

But apart from that, no news has mentioned WHY people are rioting. I am confused.

And yeah, it sounds very serious with over a thousand cars being burned over the country and 100 people hurt.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

basically it's a problem that has to do with poverty and the government ignoring the situation for years n years and that it's actually the police that has the most aggression but the media isn't covering that.

Something like that - though the new riots, ie the riots which aren't the original ones are basically done to "do better" than the other cities. Since the media keeps covering the riots, it makes other cities want to be talked about in the news too. You can bet those guys have no idea why it all started in the first place, or if they do, they don't give a shit, they just want to burn things, is all.

As for the police, people are always blaming them all, but believe me they're not always the culprits - and sometimes they're just the targets of those guys' violence.

It all started after two kids died - two minors who were out in the middle of the night with a third friend, this one survived - after they were chased by the police - except aforementioned third kid denied the police was involved, but well, you never know. They hid in an electrical central [okay so that's not it but I have no idea how to say transformateur EDF] and they got electrocuted.

Anyway, the kids die and some youth in the suburb [in Clichy] want some revenge and to show how angry they are at the situation and at the death of those kids, they start burnings cars and breaking stuff. As they do. Only this time, instead of stopping as it usually does, it started spreading... and people up the ante and so on and so forth. In the end, when you look at it, it was also a way to show how resentful those guys are towards the gvt in general, towards Sarkozy in particular - and it all comes back to the economic situation in the suburbs and all.

But all those "revendications" - if you can call them that - have been forgotten by the new rioters, no doubt. The average rioter is sixteen years old, apparently - don't tell me those guys really "think" of the reasons why they're doing all this. They just want to be "tough" and shit.

And it is serious - but not the extent the foreign medias are painting it. Far from it. So you were going to do the right thing asking me about how bad it was *g* I think having a flist is great in those occasions when you can ask people living in the countries :-)

[jennixen.livejournal.com]

"So you were going to do the right thing asking me about how bad it was *g* I think having a flist is great in those occasions when you can ask people living in the countries :-)"

I ALWAYS think it's a great point in asking the people close to what's happening. :)
I also think it's always important to hear different sides of the story, both when it comes to private stuff and media stuff. :)
Whenever family or friends fight I rarely take sides before I've heard from different people.
I know that everyone always sees things from their own point of view...

[castalie.livejournal.com]

We always need to get a wide range of information and better yet, from people living in the country/area as opposed to the news. So yeah, hail to LJ for that lol

[pro-f-iler.livejournal.com]

Oh, Mouse, it's gonna drive you nuts to read what the LA Times is saying about the riots in France. ::shakes head:: You don't even want to know.

I understand the frustration of the French, especially if you consider the long-term effect this may have on trade and tourism. I personally know of three people in RL who are planning to cancel travel plans to your country--all business trips BTW, and one friend on LJ (do you know logovo?) who is traveling to Paris for pleasure this week and has expressed a small concern. I do not blame them in the least, because all we've been hearing is the bad.

But if you are planning to travel all over the world and visit your LJ friends (just to distract yourself from all of this, of course), do let me know. There are so many cool things to do in LA. *g*

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Hee, no I don't think I want to know *closes eyes*

I don't know logovo but you can tell her/him that they needn't worry at all. They just need to stop watching the news and they'll be fine. And I can't blame people who think that way either - I missed the news yesterday but apparently they included small segments of foreign news and everyone who saw them were appalled! In particular the CNN news which were so ridiculous than it could be laughable... so anyway, tell anyone you can that no, it's not like the news make it look like. At all.

Woohoo! A new address to go to, thanks lol

[aswanargent.livejournal.com]

Oh, hi! You're in L.A.? So am I. (Actually, I live in Calabasas (West San Fernando Valley), but work in the heart of downtown (Sixth and Flower, right across the street from the Central Library, and one block away from the Biltmore and the Bonaventure.)

I typically don't read the L.A. Times except to pick up a copy on Friday for the new film listings. I've got daily subscriptions to the Financial Times and New York Times; I trust them a lot more for international news coverage. That said, when I saw that the L.A. paper had the the French story ON THE FRONT PAGE the other day, I thought that things must really be bad if even the L.A. Times was starting to pay attention. I'm glad to hear from Mouse and others that things aren't really as dire as we're being led to believe. Still, there's been at least one death (not the two boys at the beginning of this), and the government's talking about imposing curfews, so *shrugs* it's hard not to be at least a little concerned.

[(Anonymous)]

o.O I just heard there was continued rioting.. but I'm in Canada, so maybe it's... less... somehow. xD;

[castalie.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to wonder if the American news aren't making blowing the riots out of proportion just to get some ridiculous revenge over the French. I mean... I don't know *shrug* Then again, it seems it's being exaggerated pretty much everywhere, so I don't think it's an American bias, just the world wanting some sensational news to show their audience.

[pro-f-iler.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't think it's anything against the French at all. Our media does it ten times worse to our own cities, blowing the slightest things out of proportion to make it seem like all hell has broken loose. It's amazing anyone wants to visit beautiful Southern California at all, what with all the alleged LAPD beatings, race and gang riots, earthquakes, wildfires and landslides. WTF? LOL.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

News are like movies, they need to have violence and blood and big explosions in order to interest their audience *sigh* It's sad and pathetic but if that's what most of people want to see, why would they suddenly stop showing OTT coverage to show the truth, right?

[whitevanilla.livejournal.com]

I salute you.

And you're right. No one seems worried in the slightest.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Salve, Brit!

And see? People should all have an LJ with an international flist that they'll consult each time something happens in the world lol

[kajagougou.livejournal.com]

Hey, on ne se connait pas vraiment mais je voulais quand même réagir ^^'
Désolé si je parle en français, je crois que j'aurai un peu de mal à m'exprimer en anglais sur ce sujet...
J'habite en Belgique, donc on ne peut pas dire que je suis vraiment étrangère à tout ce qui se passe...
Ici, les évènements en France font la une de tous les magazines et restent le point central de tous nos journaux télévisés. Et je crois bien que c'est aussi le cas chez vous... Et plus les médias en parlent, plus ils exagèrent l'importance des évènements, et plus ils s'amusent à nous faire psychoter ou créer un climat de terreur...
Ceci dit, hier soir, quand ils ont annoncé qu'un homme de 60 ans s'est fait tué en voulant éteindre une poubelle parce que des jeunes se sont jetés sur lui, ou que cinq voitures ont brûlées dans une commune à Bruxelles, je pense qu'on avait un peu de quoi s'inquiéter... Un peu... ^^'
Ou encore quand sur TF1 hier, un politicien (dont je ne connais pas le nom, j'avoue) a parlé d'instaurer un couvre-feu, je me suis posé des questions sur la gravité de la situation... Autour de moi, j'entends plusieurs personnes dire que si ça ne s'améliore pas, l'armée devrait quadriller le territoire...
Uh. L'armée, quadriller le territoire ?
Ca me paraît déjà extremiste, mais voilà, on en parle. Et des rumeurs circulent, comme quoi ceux qui brûleraient les voitures ne seraient pas français. Ni ne vivraient même dans le pays. Ou qu'ils appartiennent tout simplement à un réseau.
Ca peut être ridicule, mais c'est certain que face à ça je me suis demandé si en France on se sentait en sécurité... Je suis ravie de voir que c'est pas aussi grave qu'on ne le pense et je vais arrêter de psychoter ;-)
(un sujet rien à voir, mais il y a-t-il un endroit où on peut dl kaamelott sur le net ? on n'a pas m6 ici ^^')

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Salut *waves*

Les médias se délectent des émeutes, c'est clair - très sincèrement on se demande où on en serait là s'ils avaient fait moins de tapage. Ca ne se serait sans doute pas étendu autant. Forcément, les petits copains n'auraient pas cherché à imiter et à surpasser leurs potes des autres villes. Mais bon, on en est là, on en est là *sigh*

La moyenne d'âge des émeutiers est de seize ans - t'en trouves des plus jeunes et des plus vieux, mais c'est une population très jeune évidemment et ils sont tous français. D'origines pour certains oui, mais bel et bien français.

Et ils ont instauré un couvre-feu hier soir. J'étais pas là donc j'ai pas pu suivre exactement de quoi il retournait mais je crois qu'il s'agit surtout d'un couvre-feu pour mineurs - et c'est à la discrétion des maires, je crois, donc pour le moment tout le monde ne devrait pas être concerné. J'avais entendu parler d'arrêt de la circulation durant le-dit couvre-feu mais je pense que c'est en cas extrême - enfin tout ça pour dire, oui la situation est sérieuse évidemment, mais non, on ne sent pas menacé ou quoi *g* Pour le moment lol

Ah et pour Kaamelott, apparemment tu peux choper les épisode sur eMule. En attendant, tiens quelques épisodes que tu peux téléchagement maintenant :-)

Les Neiges Eternelles - L'Alliance: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B0VFN71B

L'Ancien temps - La Fête du Printemps: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ACBS66NG

Arthur in Love - L'Invincible: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=497SNZL4

Normalement ils devraient encore être actifs. S'ils ne le sont plus, tente celle-ci pour les deux premiers:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4G14FGWW

[kajagougou.livejournal.com]

J'ai pas encore eu le temps de te remercier, la honte ! Enfin, merchiiiiiiiiiiiiii !
J'adore déjà. J'ai vu "Les Neiges Eternelles", et je télécharge le reste. Un message pacifique aux Visigoth : "coucou". J'ai explosé de rire. Tout ça pour dire que c'est excellent ;-)
Ah, je déteste ne pas avoir M6 !
Enfin, encore merci *o*

[yami-tai.livejournal.com]

I haven't caught the news today but yesterday they were saying that France was getting ready for its twelfth? (can't remember exactly) night of violence, which had now spread from the mainly immigrant part of Paris to other areas of the city. They also said that an elderly man who was attacked a few nights ago had died.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Sadly, an elderly man did die during the tweltfh night, yeah. It was bound to happen. If that's "all" they're saying and they're not painting the situation as it we were at war, I guess your news are trying to stick close the events, at least *g*

[audrarose.livejournal.com]

Okay, late, but...

Two things we can assume about France from US news:

1. Chaos! Paris burns! Run! Save yourself!

2. Villepin has really cool suits.

Glad to hear the situation isn't dire. *bg*

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, don't trust your teevee, Audra! In particular since Paris isn't touched at all - or there were like three cars burnt only. But I guess it's better to name Paris since hey, in sci-fi movies, it's usually one of the first capitals to get destroyed, at least you'll know the reference lol

Though Dominique de Villepin does have cool suits, so that at least you can believe ;-)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

This is late and Becca covered the UK already so I really don't have anything valid to say, except our newspaper had a very scary looking picture of burned out cars.

The paper is trash though, always going for sensation so I'm not surprised at all the facts have been glossed over.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Feels like every country is going for sensation and blowing the whole thing out of proportions - not that it's surprising per se, but I can't believe the way they're depicting it - you'd think it's a civil war - or even more stupid yet, a religious war. Dude, you'd think those guys would do their homework before covering something, right?

Now that a curfew has been imposed in some cities, I prefer not to even think of how some medias will paint the new picture *hides*