What?

Once again, I have too little time for a proper update - I've been hard at work ever since coming back from the UK.

It was great to see friends and family overe there - big hellos to Stephen, Alex, Dan, Karen, Howard, and Pregnant Penny. :-)

Actually, I'd really intended just to complain about France, French immigration/assimilation policy, and Chirac. Big surprise, eh? Since this is a very quick update, I'll just say that the Commission's offer of 50 million euros to France to help redress its inequalities is ludicrous. France is hardly in need of funding - what it does need is a change in policy to fully recognise and tackle this problem directly. And that's exactly what President Chirac has failed to do. Curfews and the state of emergency are short term measures, and Chirac's long-term proposals amount to little more than a reaffirmation of "French values" (I'm assuming this means inequality and racial discrimination) and the establishment of a voluntary task force to promote youth employment. So that's all right then - there's no need to identify the under privilaged and racist employers after all. Other French politicians have stressed the need for economic growth and relaxed labour market restrictions. Good luck to them.