Turkies, penguins... they're both birds!

Happy Thanksgiving to those Gentle Readers who celebrate it! Have hundreds of Napoleon look-alikes sliding on the ice on their bellies and feel better about your turkey-filled one.

So this is why France has socialized health care!

Apparently the rest of this week is ust going to be "funny commercials starting Napoleon", so you have fair warning, Gentle Readers.

For those Gentle Readers who do not speak French, the ad goes:
Napoleon: Long live France! Long live the Republic! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaah! (charges!)
Horse: (whinnies)
Napoleon: But what are you doing, I said, 'Long live France'?!
General: It's not possible! We don't have any insurance.
Napoleon: But why?!
General: It's very expensive!

Garmin 2008 60 second Super Bowl Commercial

Look what the Amateur Historian's youtube trawling has unearthed now! The real reason why Napoleon kept his hand tucked in his coat, according to the makers of Garmin.

Clearly not a fan of France.

The 1830 French war with Algeria is, in the opinion of the Amateur Historian, more than a little odd. For one thing, it was orchestrated by the French king Charles X to distract French people from his absolutest policies (they weren't) and to rouse a feeling of French pride and patriotism via colonization that was planned to rival England's(it didn't) and for another, it had such a very odd beginning.

During the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt, the French bought a large amount of grain from Algeria and, after thirty or so years, the Dey of Algiers expectedly wanted to know when he was going to get paid. The French consul was not forthcoming nor was he particularly polite, so the Dey hit the French consul on the arm with a fly-swatter/fan made out of feathers.

Somehow, this was given as an acceptable excuse to take over Algeria.

If nautical nonsense be something you wish....

Occasionally, parents have supportive comments when their offspring run off with significant others. Some parents simply have funny ones.

When James Joyce ran off with Nora Barnacle, Mr. Joyce was said to comment, "She'll certainly stick to him."

Le Bien qui fait Mal - Mozart l'Opéra Rock

Ah ha, Gentle Readers, to what depths does the Amateur Historian distain to trwal through to present you the oddest historically related material on youtube?

Here is the stage version of Le Bien qui fait Mal! There are, alas, no clowns, but there are a lot of scantily clad interprative dancers frolicking in front of a chamber orchestra who clearly don't care about what's going on in front of them. Unfortunately one does not see Salieri as he makes his prehistoric cry of rage, but one can see Mozart rocking out in lieu of, you know, actually conducting his music, and, after the song you can see him get hit upside the head by his in-laws, some of whom are dress more accurately than others. The Amateur Historian, for one, would like to know where Constanze Mozart's sleeves went.

Le bien qui fait mal Clip Officiel

Ah ha, Gentle Readers, here is something decidedly more in the spirit of Halloween! Here is another gem carefully mined from Mozart l'Opera Rock, where Salieri once again hears some of Mozart's work and seems to dive straight down into the tormented depths of his id, as represented by interprative dancers. Pay attention at 2:14, where I think the Emperor of Austria wanders in to act as Salieri's very forboding superego and at 2:19 where Salieri is inexplicably molested by a clown and makes his signature dying pterodactyl noise once again.

Dudley Moore Beethoven Sonata Parody

The Amateur Historian is extremely fond of Beethoven, but often feels quite sorry for the pianists who must tackle the more Romantic sonatas.

On an unrelated note that certainly betrays the Amateur Historian's country of origion, Happy Halloween to those Gentle Readers that celebrate it!