Text 14323, 72 rader
Skriven 2010-05-03 13:13:37 av Johan Zwiekhorst (2:292/100)
  Kommentar till text 14273 av Maurice Kinal (1:261/38)
Ärende: discorporate and come with me
=====================================
Hi Maurice!

In your message to me, dated <Monday April 26 2010 14:54>, you wrote:

 >> As usual, the big problems are created by francophone
 >> polititians, not by francophone citizens.

 >MK: Sounds familiar but I'd be inclined to add the nonfrancophone
 >MK: politians as well.  Mixing them all up in Parliment almost guarentees
 >MK: impotency which can be a good thing for the rest of us.  Not always
 >MK: but I think on the major issues it works out, or at least so far it
 >MK: has.  :::knock on wood:::

With regards to Belgium, this provides a very good explanation of the issues:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde

 >> Throughout the history of Europe, the Big Three (England,
 >> Germany and France)

 >MK: I thought Germany only became a major player after the Napoleonic
 >MK: War(s) and I believe we can safely blame the French for that.  ;-)

Yes, but before that there was the kingdom of Prussia. And those three have
always been at war with each other over the centuries.

 >MK: Before that then Spain would have been one of the big players but
 >MK: argueably they'd have been more aligned with whatever the Hapsburg's
 >MK: were controlling given that the Spanish monarchy were a branch of the
 >MK: Hapsburgs ... I think they were.

Spain has only once been a major factor in Europe: during the reign of emperor
Charles V and his son Philip II. During their reign, they ruled most of Western
Europe.
Belgium was ruled by the Habsburgs after that and up until Napoleon invaded
Belgium and the Netherlands. Spain and Portugal did continue to play a big part
in European politics, but that was because of their navy and maritime influence
and not because of territorial disputes.

 >> middle of all that commotion and was taken by invading forces
 >> all the time? Right: Belgium.

 >MK: Yes.  I believe that goes all the way back to the Roman times.

Indeed. At that time, we were known as the Gauls.

 >> Especially Flanders

 >MK: There is a national poem here in Canada about Flanders.  We hear it
 >MK: every Nov 11th.

Is that about Flanders' fields and poppy roses? That would refer to the first
World War, where Canadians fought alongside Britains in the trenches in
Flanders.

 >MK: Perhaps a better question would be, what are you currently using on
 >MK: Ubuntu for word processing and why?

I currently use OpenOffice.org. My job is reviewing IT products for IT
magazines and AV products for AV magazines. The resulting document must be in
either ODF or RTF+XLS. Only OpenOffice.org has proven to be compatible enough
with Microsoft Office to allow the proper exchange of documents including all
fonts and layout.

Kind regards,

 ._|~/_

e-mail: johan@zwiekhorst.be_NOSPAM
web:    http://www.zwiekhorst.be_NOBOTS

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