Where's Charlie?

So mom took the car for its 60km service today. I said “pick up a copy of Charlie Hebdo while you’re there”. I was interested to see what they’d make of what was made of them; though to be honest I never really understood much of what the publication was on about (except for the really obvious stuff).

Well.

No.

The woman in the newsagent threw her hands up and said that’s the millionth time she’d been asked. No, no, no, they were all sold out by 8 o’clock this morning.¹

Wait…

…doesn’t that place open at half eight?

:-)

On a vaguely related topic, JK Rowling’s tweet in response to something Ol’Rupe (Murdoch) said (tweeted?). Wonderful!

¹ Would it be cynical of me to wonder how many people bought multiple copies just to list ’em on eBay?

No, no, no, they were all sold out by 8 o’clock this morning.
Wait…
…doesn’t that place open at half eight?

According to BBC news reports sales in many (most?) outlets was limited to one copy per customer, numerous outlets were shown with queues of people in the early morning darkness.

Would it be cynical of me to wonder how many people bought multiple copies just to list ’em on eBay

It seems most people questioned bought it to support the idea.
Idea? Well, to quote a lady from a press conference involving living C.H. staff “They said they killed Charlie¹. Stupid people, before this few knew of Charlie, now it is the most famous in the world”

Ideas are hard to kill. Left to their own devices I suspect the average citizen would ignore such things, only when someone violently says they cannot/must not have something do they insist it is their choice not the aggressors choice. It’s something France and the UK have in common – not wanting to be told what they must do.

¹ A reference to the killers shouts in the street, on video taken from a neighbouring building after the event.

were shown with queues of people in the early morning darkness.

Wow. That’s… That’s…

“They said they killed Charlie. Stupid people, before this few knew of Charlie, now it is the most famous in the world”

Oh yes, the Streisand effect in full swing. At this moment in time, Charlie Hebdo probably ranks alongside Time magazine for how many people know about it.

Left to their own devices I suspect the average citizen would ignore such things,

I have been informed that the magazine was begging for donations in November. Had they not done anything, the “blasphemers” will still be alive but the publication they represent mightn’t have made it to the end of the year. Heck, it might not even have seen winter out.