Hal smoking dope secretly down in the pump room. Gets call from Orin who is in AZ. Canadian separatism comes up, then a discussion of Ennet Rehab House where people used to be forced to eat rocks. Nice humorous touch--prefer eating rocks to talking to do-gooders . . . next a long (too long) comic scene describing a brick layer who misuses pulley system and yo-yos back and forth, up and down, each time injuring some new body part. Funny at first, but . . . description of Hawaii 5-O as compared to Hill Street Blues. Hawaii 5-O hero is tough guy who does things, solves problems, man on his own. Hero of HSB is bureaucrat, post-Modern hero, who is a hero in the way he manages all the complexities around him, criminals, co-workers, etc. but still gets job done. Liked this section even though I've never seen either program. . . Another black humor section follows. Woman has artificial heart in her purse, attached to her body, working as heart. Purse snatcher steals it and kills her . . . next is a discussion of the negatives of video phones, again insightful, funny, but too long. A little editing is a good thing!
"Ambassadors are essentially spies with titles." Napoleon President of Italy . . . Peace treaty with England (Amiens) in March 1802, with Turkey in June 1802 . . . flawed peace treaty with England because there was no opening up of France for trade with England, infuriating the English who thought peace would mean trade. . . tourism, though--Brits come to Paris and admire Napoleon . . . British liberals enamored . . . Napoleon "consul for life" . . . lots of unsettled territories, Switzerland being the largest . . . Industrialization much greater in England than France . . . France in 1802 is about the same as England in 1780 as a manufacturing center . . . Napoleon is basically Anglophobic, complaining of any art work that celebrates English victories being shown in Louvre . . . peace unraveling . . . by 1803 . . . War May 18, 1803! . . . Louisiana Territory sold, advantageous to both parties. France gets money; USA gets land. France avoids possible war with ...
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