Frenchie Tex

wrong color Hillary

2008-08-27T23:59:00.002+02:00

Happy belated b-day Obama!

2008-08-06T15:28:00.003+02:00

It was on Monday so I am a few days late (even though I knew about it then, just no time to blog). In any case, I found the Republican National Committee's birthday present quite pathetic, and frankly tasteless (tire gauges to mock Obama's assertion that properly inflated tires saves gas, which IT DOES, you idiot pickup truck and HUMMER-driving Republicans). It seems obvious that they are more about practical jokes (ok it was kind of funny), than smart policy wonkiness.

To boot, I like Paris Hilton's campaign video and I hate her... It just shows how idiotic McCain's PR people can be.

Back to French gossip

2008-08-06T09:33:00.003+02:00

So you probably know that Carla Bruni made it to the cover of Vanity Fair and most Americans probably reacted in an expected way- who is she? and why is she on the cover? well yes, they did and all critics were up in arms about her comparison to Jackie O - her gracefulness cannot be compared to the 21st century "sleep with money or power" Carla. If I am not mistaken, I think she beat Michelle (Obama) to a cover of VF?

Here are some articles I enjoyed on this subject:
- Radar magazine: Carla is a snore.
- Nothing like a matching outfit (of this is a photo, but related to the story)
- Huffington Post
- The Times (UK)

Apparently if Carla's transformation is possible, maybe so is Cindy McCain's?

Fish manicure

2008-08-06T09:28:00.003+02:00

I want one of these - my feet being in Paris means that they suffer most than most women's feet (walking around for hours in nice looking shoes on uneven cobblestone, as an example). Just give me a fish manicure when I am in the water in an island in the Indian Ocean... not in Alexandria, VA!

beat by bebemoche

2008-08-06T09:26:00.001+02:00

ok so if she had a good excuse for not blogging, i have none except lack of inspiration. and if you know my blog that means little. but i found a few stories worth sharing so i am back for a bit at least.

In memory of Sparrow

2008-06-18T17:41:00.004+02:00

I saw a sparrow die today. Sparrow fell onto the sidewalk and was moving slowly, not getting up. I tried to pick up Sparrow with a few envelopes to get Sparrow out of the way. A woman came to help and she took Sparrow in her hand. Sparrow died in her hand with a few women and a child watching. It was nice that Sparrow did not die alone. I shed a few tears for Sparrow after I put Sparrow in a garden to rest.

losers or procrastinators or nerds

2008-06-18T17:41:00.001+02:00

in response to Bebemoche

Who's taller? Klaus or Sarkozy?

2008-06-17T00:35:00.002+02:00

Vaclav Klaus is the same height as Carla Bruni Sarkozy. Looks a bit different than the photos of the presidentical couple...

Lisa Simpson and Lessons in Feminism.

2008-06-15T23:22:00.002+02:00

Two great postings by Jezebel.
Ode to feminism
Love for her father turns rebelious
Lisa's got it down...
"Well, I’m going to be a famous jazz musician. I’ve got it all figured out. I’ll be unappreciated in my own country, but my gutsy blues stylings will electrify the French. I’ll avoid the horrors of drug abuse, but I do plan to have several torrid love affairs. And I may or may not die young. I haven’t decided yet."

Lisa Simpson

2008-06-15T23:21:00.000+02:00

Real friends...

2008-06-15T22:54:00.002+02:00

finally this whole facebook/linkin/myspace phenomenon is supposed to make us feel less lonely? or to show off our capacity to hide behind whatever suits us that day (alcohol, nerdiness, etc.)?

The press and McCain

2008-06-15T22:41:00.002+02:00

Why was McCain's pathetically sexist joke from 1998 not reported in major newspapers?
Here it is by the way ("Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno.") as reported by Slate.

What else are we missing on this campaign?

McCain all of the sudden seems to love Mrs. Clinton....

Philip Glass plays for Richard Serra and Paris

2008-06-08T01:02:00.005+02:00

Fantastic experience. I was in the Grand Palais in Paris this evening with about 800 or so other people, sitting on the concrete floor, between the slabs of Richard Serra's Promenade.

Philip Glass played a piano which was slightly elevetated in the center of the crowd for nearly 2 hours - 4 different pieces - including Mad Rush (1979); Etude pour Piano; and the closing bit of Glassworks (1981). My favorite was Mad Rush - which you can see him performing performed on this 1980s' video. It's dark and passionate, and quite short, which makes it all the much more intense. You can listen to other recorded extracts on Glass' webpage.

Not on the Champs!!??!! Apple Store to open near the Louvre

2008-06-05T02:05:00.003+02:00

Finalement, Paris aura son "Apple Store" et au Louvre (galéries du carrousel pour être précis)... comme ça tous les touristes américains pourront dire que c'est moins cher chez eux !

lemon tree / les citronniers by Eran Riklis

2008-06-05T01:43:00.003+02:00

One of the best movies of the year. A must-see.
Subtle, simple, beautiful, poignant.

It tells the story of a Palestinian widow whose new neighbor is the Minister of Defense of Israel and his wife. His security forces deem that her backyard - a lemon tree grove she inherited from her father - is a national security threat and must be destroyed. She takes the case all the way up to the Supreme Court, with the help of her attorney (Ali Suliman from Paradise Now.

Here's a review of Les citronniers in French.

It won't come out in the US until the end of the year - but was shown a few days ago in NYC at a festival for "Israel@60".

ciné en plein air version 2008

2008-05-20T21:10:00.003+02:00

ça y est - la liste des films pour le ciné en plein air de la villette est sur le site...
quelques changements - notamment le fait que ce n'est plus gratuit. c'est dommage.
mais il y a quelques soirées qui vaudront bien ces deux petits euros... à vous de voir.

American Apparel likes women

2008-04-22T23:30:00.003+02:00

female version of ad: http://store.americanapparel.net/rsapdf497w.html#i
male version of ad: http://store.americanapparel.net/rsapdf497.html

(will get photos up soon) once blogger cools it.

ridiculously hot sexy woman compared to unshaven, grungy, not even super hot guy... who said life was so unfair?

march madness in Africa?

2008-04-09T18:07:00.002+02:00

The site "Madness against Malaria" has organised the March madness to raise funds for insect repellent bed nets (LLINs -- also known by others as the romantic canopy net). Congrats on the idea and hopefully the implementation has been as successful - more than 25,000 nets have been paid for. See the distribution site for more detail or even better - donate!

Lucky bastard?

2008-04-09T09:12:00.003+02:00

Not because he died, but because he got a new heart AND married a woman half his age (wife of the suicidal person whose heart it was) ... and then he goes and shoots himself. Stop eating those Vidalia onions!
What a weird news story.
So this story begs the question - is love really in the heart (i.e. the real muscle)?

A special post for Bebemoche

2008-04-03T10:17:00.001+02:00

After months of not catching up with old friends, I have dedicated this post to a special blogger. This article on business class transatlantic travel was written just for you, Bebemoche - enjoy!

Poor English in Spam Email

2008-04-03T09:44:00.002+02:00

Spam gets annoying, but it seems that there is nearly no way to avoid it completely.
But what really ticks me off even more is the fact that the titles all use poor English. Here are some recent examples that come to mind:
- I give present for myself so great
- Make you money - take new work
- Husband not make you happy?

I'll keep adding to this as I come up with new ones. Feel free to post your silly spam.

Gordon likes Carla

2008-03-27T14:11:00.003+01:00

A little too close? Gordon Brown looks giddy next to Carla Bruni.

The Eiffel Tower with a collar?

2008-03-26T18:29:00.003+01:00

See it to believe it. There is currently a plan to put a "collar" around the Eiffel Tower so that it can hold more people on the coveted third floor viewing balcony. No one has heard of this bidding process so it is unlear if Serero has won or is just in the planning phase.
Ridiculous, if you ask me. All this to celebrate 120th anniversay. I wonder what is in store for the 150th?

it's an embarrassing editorial...

2008-03-23T01:17:00.002+01:00

it's gotten so bad that the Saturday paper editorial of the New York Times is commenting on the "bling-bling" aspect of our President. M. Sakrozy, can you please stop making the French the butt of all jokes? Merci beaucoup.

recent outings

2008-03-17T15:07:00.005+01:00

The Matterhorn - view from Zermatt village

The Matterhorn - view from an apple holder

Finishing the kitchen

Finishing the walls

checking out the floor tiles

A new monthly post

2008-03-17T15:00:00.003+01:00

To all my 7 fans out there ... thanks for your support during my period of silence!
I have nothing more to say today.
Thank you!

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

2008-02-11T14:33:00.001+01:00

poor planning in 2007

2007-12-24T18:17:00.000+01:00

no i am not talking about my personal schedule, which indeed does sometimes fit inot the "poor planning" category. rather this post is about silly decisions made by planning authorities around the world, courtesy of Planetizen.
For example:
- Great Britain has an estimated 4 million surveillance cameras monitoring public spaces. Recently, the government in one area announced that it will attach loudspeakers in 20 districts so that officials who monitor the locations can actually scold citizens who are spotted engaging in “antisocial” behavior.

- In February, when housing officials in a German town ran out of small apartments for low-income residents, they decided to put them in quarters that were larger than regulations allowed. However, the officials made the residents close off some rooms to stay within the allotted space, and said inspectors would make regular visits to see that no one cheated.

French Minister of Justice has 2 delinquent brothers

2007-12-17T18:18:00.001+01:00

Must be difficult to be Rachida Dati and keep a straight face:
As reported today in the conversative Figaro, both her brothers have been caught as drug dealers. What the article does not addres is whether they get better prison cells than others?

Huit mois ferme pour un frère de Rachida Dati

L.S. (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP
17/12/2007 |
Omar Dati, 36 ans, a été reconnu coupable de trafic de drogue.
Après Jamal, condamné en août à 12 mois de prison pour trafic de stupéfiants, c’est un autre frère de Rachida Dati qui a été envoyé lundi derrière les barreaux pour huit mois pour les mêmes faits.

Omar Dati, 36 ans, a été condamné en son absence à 8 mois de prison ferme pour trafic de stupéfiants en récidive. Déjà condamné en 2001 à 4 mois avec sursis pour trafic d’héroïne, Omar Dati était poursuivi pour «acquisition, détention, transport, usage et offre ou cession» de cannabis, avec quatre autres prévenus également absents à l’énoncé du jugement. Interpellé en juin 2005 puis placé sous contrôle judiciaire, Omar Dati avait reconnu avoir «dealé» pour 5 à 6.000 euros de cannabis pendant deux ans.

Le tribunal est allé au-delà des réquisitions du substitut du procureur, Thierry Bas, qui avait demandé à l’audience, le 19 novembre, 7 mois de prison ferme en dénonçant un «dossier de stupéfiants intolérable». Les tribulations judiciaires des frères Dati défrayent régulièrement la chronique, leur sœur étant placé à un poste particulièrement exposé.

Global US companies take over Manhattan...

2007-10-15T18:53:00.001+02:00

Fun graph from the creators of GOOD magazine.

Regularity is the key...

2007-10-15T18:52:00.001+02:00

to many things, natural or otherwise, including blog readership.

ugh la segunda invasion...

2007-09-04T00:17:00.001+02:00

this is such a disappointment. i am too naive...

so 4 million other people thought this was worth watching...

2007-08-29T01:18:00.001+02:00

'US Americans', 'the Iraq' and 'everywhere such as' kills me.

Aidez-nous à remettre la France sur les rails en signalant tout comportement suspect grâce à ce formulaire...

2007-08-28T00:04:00.000+02:00

les délations, il y en a plus de 109 000. et sur le site du ministère de la culture* ! ah bon, c'est quoi exactement cette histoire?
tout d'abord, on lit dans le dico de l'académie française:

1)DÉLATION n. f. XVIe siècle. Emprunté du latin delatio, « dénonciation ».
Dénonciation inspirée par l'intérêt, la haine, le désir de nuire ou le sectarisme. Les tyrans ont toujours encouragé la délation. Être victime d'une délation.

ensuite on lit le site on voit que c'est défendre la patrie, la France d'avant et d'après, le franchouillard, la baguette, le vin, le fromton, notre suprématie mondiale, bref, notre train de vie tralalère...
mes délations préférées :

- M. ou Mme X dénonce son/sa : Voisin, M.
Pour le ou les faits suivants :
Prend les transports en commun
Elle sort, elle rigole, elle travaille à mi-temps, elle voyage,elle raconte sa vie, elle discute et elle regarde même pas sa messagerie de son portable, de ce fait elle est inconsciente des delations dont elle fait l'objet.
Mme Serfati n'est pas un bon modèle républicain, que la police fasse son travail, et qu'elle l'expulse immédiatement dans son bâtiment(le D).

- M. ou Mme X dénonce son/sa : Voisin, Ibrahima X.
Pour le ou les faits suivants :
Les femmes le trouve plus sexy que moi.
Et l'ot jour il m'a repris sur ma façon de causer, y prétend qu'on doit dire démocratie et non pas comme je dis des mots crasseux.
C'est qui ké plus français lui ou moi bordel de merde.

- M. ou Mme X dénonce sa : Voisine, souasig .
Pour le ou les faits suivants :
A des gènes de gauchiste
N'écoute pas Johnny Hallyday
Ne croit pas au plein emploi d'ici 5 ans
porte un prenom breton (risque de terrorisme d'ici peu)
mange biologique (rique de contamination du quartier)
a un mari moustachu (preuve d'une adhesion aux idées de Mr Bové)
souris dans la rue et dis bonjour (les personnes agées ainsi que les enfants courent un danger non négligeable lorsqu'ils la croisent)
part en voyage à Cuba (preuve d'adhesion aux idées communistes)
amène sa fille au théâtre (risque pour cette derniere de ce retrouvé dans le clan peu fréquentable des intermittants et aux troubadours qui pullulent dans notre patrie)

*Ok c'est pas le vrai site, mais il y a un bonus - you can buy a tshirt

sign of extreme boredom...

2007-08-27T08:53:00.000+02:00

when you need to create another life for yourself (virtually) with Second Life.

sounds pathetic to me. everyone is living a fake life, with fake couples being made on fake premises. why don't these people just get some sleep and do it the old-fashioned way - dream? or better yet, go crazy on a 'real' adventure with your 'real' partner? afraid of reality perhaps?

à lire dans le monde, la cyberbigamie.

vive les femmes (et les hommes anti-femmes)

2007-08-27T00:43:00.000+02:00

une journaliste féministe aux US Ellen Goodman attribue des prix aux hommes, dont le

DESPERATE (TO GET) HOUSEWIVES PRIZE: This goes to the British researchers who report that housework reduces the risk of breast cancer. For urging women to scrub their way to better health, we offer them the dustbin of history.

i bought an umbrella today...

2007-08-22T23:49:00.000+02:00

nothing interesting about that right? well this might be the second umbrella i my in my lifetime. i don't like umbrellas. well not the object really - aesthetically they are kind of a neat pointy but round shape. my cat likes to play under one drying in the house (and no, i have not had bad luck for the rest of my life). cool patterns and fabrics can accessorize any otherwise drab day. and there even exists the umbrella for lovers.

so back to my story. my new umbrella is small-ish, cost less than 6 euros and is bright red. i was looking for something fun, but all i had at my disposal was monoprix and i am lucky i did not end up with a faux chanel umbrella. but it was raining tonight and i didn't want to use it. it's not because i am afraid of poking someone's brain out accidentally, or to drip on some poor umbrella-less person, all of which happen to meat a seemingly incessant rate. i guess i just don't like the constriction under an umbrella. you have to think about where you want to look and then move the umbrella. you have to think about where you are walking because you are now taking up more room. basically, it's limiting. and no one ever died from a bit of rain.

so why did i buy an umbrella? why didn't i just use my good old securite hat to get through the day? because it has been raining pretty hard nearly nonstop for 24 hours and i have a job at which i have to look semipresentable, which is a difficult enough task. no more bike commuting plus an umbrella... what a crappy day.

but tonight i really enjoyed walking home in the rain - not too heavy no hat and a great light across montmartre... and i need a new phone.

ma dernière vadrouille

2007-08-21T20:18:00.000+02:00

en bretagne du sud...

learning about the french

2007-08-21T19:59:00.000+02:00

et on dit que la racaille française ressemble à la racaille ricaine... mais pas du tout ! on a de l'éducation ici, de la délicatesse. une vidéo à ne pas manquer...

gare aux cons

Sarkozy, bad summer related

2007-08-16T23:58:00.001+02:00

Since Nicholas Sarkozy was elected in France, the weather in Paris has been poor. The summer has been highlighted not by the sun, but mostly by storms, rapidly changing weather, low temperatures and heavy rains. According to Meteo France, the month of July was considered "depressing," with cumulative rainfall three times higer than the average. The number of sunny days and the temperature recorded were also below average.
Is this a conspiracy against Delanoë's Paris Plages?

more indonesian smiles

2007-08-01T04:07:00.000+02:00

Balinese family on Galungan 27 June

friendly indonesians

2007-08-01T03:40:00.000+02:00

in the past month, i have...

2007-08-01T03:25:00.000+02:00

- escaped france to go to indonesia for two weeks.
- escaped the new velib craze in paris to go hiking in the alps.
- applauded an anti-sarko ad shown before movies at la villette to help refugees with children in french schools
- been trying to stay in shape by running more.
- bought a fun bikini and a one-piece bathing suit, with the idea of wearing the one-piece to exercise enough so i can fit into that bikini. i haven't worn either yet.
- avoided les soldes and only got 2 pairs of shoes, two bathing suits (see above), a tank top. i mostly haven't had the time to go shopping.
- kept on dreaming that i could travel the world and not have to work or work with fun travel.
- planned to escape often, but when and where to next?

A month and a half recovery...

2007-08-01T03:20:00.001+02:00

Ok no more politics. no more jeers. there is more fun to be had in summery paris! which is anything but summery - today was sunny but still too chilly. has been grey all weekend. and way too chilly. i miss warm hot summers in philly. hot and humid yes. too-hot-to-be-in-the-sun type heat. yes. i miss it. i miss the oone-houre drive to the beach - yes the jersey shore - where to swim you have to be within a 10m wide surveillance area while an 18 year-old lifeguard flexes their muscles- and you can't enjoy the pleasure of the sea anymore. yes somehow i still miss all that. but that's the weather in paris' fault. if it were warm and sunny like we had a bit last summer in july (or was it june?) where it was so hot, it felt good on the skin.... aah those were the days. and they are not the days of today... it's august 1... i'm hoping ill get my summer soon enough.

Notre président saoul - our drunk president

2007-06-11T14:42:00.001+02:00

Not to be missed - Sarkozy is visibly drunk at a press conference emerging from a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

It's not in the French press... go figure.

corporate women's rights in S. Korea

2007-06-10T21:14:00.001+02:00

A woman in South Korea has won the right to not drink - forcing her to drink as part of her job was consered a violation of human dignity. An omitted detail: the article never mentions how men also partake in weekly visits to sex clubs...

I also thought this line in the IHT article was odd:

However, as more women have joined her division, she said, the emphasis on alcohol has decreased. "Before it was always grilled pork with soju followed by mixed drinks," she said. "Now, I can suggest that we go to a Thai or Italian restaurant."

(and drink beer or wine instead??!)

villette sonique

2007-06-10T20:46:00.000+02:00

didn't stay to see her - tennis final + grading + voting today - wish I had though - Uffie

managed to get out of the house on a gorgeous day today - went to villette sonique to catch Jens Lekman - sax horn guitar computer guitar drums... i have no video camera but i enjoyed this song I found online - cut-off acoustic version here though. also black cab - a classic. sweet.

Haka, la culture du rubgy

2007-06-09T13:07:00.000+02:00

j'apprends des trucs tous les jours en lisant Le monde

Donc le haka, n'est pas seulement une forme de danse de guerre des Maoris selon Wikipedia (je déteste, mais bon...), et pas seulement pour les hommes, mais qu'est-ce que c'est impressionnant de les voir tous détester l'equipe adversaire avec cette passion intense...

quelques exemples de différents hakas :
- France- All Blacks - juin 2007
- le nouveau Haka, Kapa o Pango, qui a fait fureur en Europe v. Australie
- Haka écossais

- et les paroles du Ka Mate Haka
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora, ka ora
Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru
Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra
Upane, upane
Upane kaupane
Whiti te ra.

It is death, it is death
It is life, it is life
This is the hairy man
Who caused the sun to shine again for me
Up the ladder, up the ladder
Up to the top
The sun shines.

c'est super l'été à Paris

2007-05-29T22:30:00.000+02:00

weeeeeeeeee-heeeeeeeeeeeeeee

ça y est - c'est l'été - même si j'ai du mettre une laine aujourd'hui et hier - c'est bel et bien l'été. la villette a finalement annoncé la liste des films en plein air pour cette année et c'est SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-per !!!!!!!!!!

ça commence avec gosford park, ça s'agite avec volver et all about eve et ça finit avec million dollar babe - quelle belle surprise par rapport à l'année dernière !!

Nothing escapes mobile phones...

2007-05-27T17:12:00.000+02:00

You can even make a call from Mount Everest (8848m above sea level)... what a sad world this has become.

Last week, on 21 May, a British climber called home from the top of his plight (and sweetly sponsored by Motorola, he had a MOTO Z8 GSM mobile handset).

One American likes the French...

2007-05-16T20:32:00.000+02:00

Bill Maher on youtube.

drop the dress, ségo

2007-05-07T16:05:00.000+02:00

Apparently it isn't as good luck as she thought. Wearing the same dress the fourth time round in a 2-week period did not prove to be a charm.

merci quand même, ségo !

"moi" = "inflated ego" in English

2007-04-30T17:49:00.001+02:00

This is really funny - the France2 excuse is lame, but good practical joke on Sarkozy.

Le traducteur et "l'ego surdimensionné" de Nicolas Sarkozy
LEMONDE.FR | 30.04.07

"moi" = "inflated ego" in English

2007-04-30T17:49:00.000+02:00

This is really funny - the France2 excuse is lame, but good practical joke on Sarkozy.

Le traducteur et "l'ego surdimensionné" de Nicolas Sarkozy
LEMONDE.FR | 30.04.07

il est déprimant, notre monde...

2007-04-30T17:37:00.000+02:00

Afghanistan : les talibans sont de retour
LE MONDE | 30.04.07

Make that 3 times!!

2007-04-27T21:03:00.000+02:00

Ségolène Royal wore the same dress for the third time this week in her television presentation last night on TF1.
Let's hope she uses Dryel.

Ségolène wears the same dress twice in 3 days.

2007-04-26T01:25:00.000+02:00

first is from today Wednesday A vous de juger:
second time is when voting on Sunday:

Sarkozy dit ce soir...

2007-04-25T21:36:00.000+02:00

pugnacité = ses qualités
pour ses defauts, ça serait "discourtois et tellement convenu" ("it would be rude and so conventional," presumably to give her faults)

that's what Nicolas Sarkozy thinks about Ségolène Royal's qualities (combativeness, sometimes used pejoratively).

See video of 45-minute interview on 26 April 2007 on TF1.

Sarkozy et son porte parole, la ministre Rachida Dati

2007-04-25T21:22:00.000+02:00

en effet ça craint... :)
à voir absoluement et prendre avec un grain de sel !!
Rachida Dati
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Tl8hBPdMs

Le Pet Food scandale !

2007-04-24T21:13:00.000+02:00

Alerte chats, chiens en danger ! Encore des victimes de la globalisation !

on en parle aux US depuis un mois, mais quasiment pas du tout en France. Et cependant, de nombreuses marques vendues en France sont fabriqués aux Etats-Unis (Iams, Science Diet, Hills, Eukanuba) et touchées par la crise alimentaire.

La trace d'un produit nocif utilisé pour la production de plastique a été trouvée dans la nourriture pour animaux et semble liée à la mort de plusieurs animaux doméstiques aux Etats-Unis. Ceci a entraîné un "pet food recall" de plus de 100 marques pour retirer les produits possiblement contaminés.

Pour voir les marques et les produits cités par le departement régulateur aux US (le FDA): http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/

Les dernières nouvelles dans la presse:
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272612896.shtml

Pour les dernières nouvelles datées du FDA 22 avril : http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01615.html

Les produits nocifs se trouvent dans le gluten de blé, les protéines de riz et de maïs. LIsez bien ce que vous donnez à manger à vos chers chats et chiens !

j'attends le cinémà en plein air !!!

2007-04-23T00:16:00.000+02:00

vite l'été vite...

PRAIRIE DU TRIANGLE - la villette
Du 17 juillet au 26 août 2007
FESTIVAL DE CINÉMA
EN PLEIN AIR
PREMIÈRE CLASSE ET STRAPONTIN
« Première classe et strapontin » ou comment
dans un contexte social, politique ou historique
déterminé on se fabrique une destinée. Million
dollar baby de Clint Eastwood, Historias Minimas
de l’Argentin Carlos Sorin, My fair lady de
George Cukor, Au loin s’en vont les nuages de
Aki Kaurismaki ou encore le dernier film de
Pedro Almodovar, Volver, seront à l’affiche.

j'ai voté - une indécise en moins !!

2007-04-22T17:27:00.000+02:00

it's always the same - been a few years since i had that feeling. heart races, permanent smile on my face, excitment, feeling of belonging with the crowd, i dunno it triggers the same effect every time. le vote. voting. j'adore....

presidential elections in France. we all want change, yet we are afraid of at what expense that change will occur. literally vacillating in the voting both, i don't think that i was that different from many of the other undecided voters.

bon le choix est fait - vive la démocratie !

à 17h00, le taux de participation est à 73,87 % !! bravo les français !

les français à l'étranger sur TV5

2007-04-17T22:11:00.000+02:00

une émission avec Sarkozy et Bayrou en invités ce soir... ça change.

Foreign policy in France

2007-04-17T19:58:00.001+02:00

Just the other day I was having a conversation about the fact that the presidential elections in France are surprisingly devoid of foreign policy (not including immigration), compared to the US. People here vote for the president according to the social and economic policy platforms, with little interest in Europe or beyond. The candidates do mention foreign policy issues from time to time, but not much in relation to the significance it has in the job posting. Presidents in France stand nearly alone when it comes to foreign policy, thanks to the Ve république.

Interesting article today in the IHT on the way foreign policy works in France.

A few comments:
1) on US-French cooperation on terrorism, the latest news this week revealed that French intelligence had obtained information regarding plans for the events that occured on September 11, which they shared with the CIA :

"Dès janvier 2001, la direction d'Al-Qaida se montre néanmoins transparente aux yeux – et aux oreilles – des espions français. Les rédacteurs détaillent même les désaccords entre terroristes sur les modalités pratiques du détournement envisagé. Jamais ils ne doutent de leur intention. Provisoirement, les djihadistes privilégient la capture d'un avion entre Francfort et les Etats-Unis. Ils établissent une liste de sept compagnies possibles. Deux seront finalement choisies par les pirates du 11-Septembre : American Airlines et United Airlines (voir fac-similé). Dans son introduction, l'auteur de la note annonce : "Selon les services ouzbeks de renseignement, le projet d'un détournement d'avion semble avoir été discuté en début d'année 2000 lors d'une réunion à Kaboul entre des représentants de l'organisation d'Oussama Ben Laden…

Comme toutes les informations évoquant des risques contre des intérêts américains, la note a été transmise à la CIA par le service des relations extérieures de la DGSE, responsable des coopérations entre alliés (renommé depuis service des liaisons)."

2) I think that Prof. Moravcsik unfairly evaluates Ségolène Royal's ability with foreign policy. Although she has might (arguably) have less "direct" experience in foreign policy, she made it a point in the early days of her presidential campaign to go to various countries (not without some controversy though). Sarkozy's first choice was the UK, not excatly a political minefield like Royal's choices of China, Lebanon and Senegal. She also bothered to write a letter to French voters who live abroad, although hers is dated 9 days after Sarkozy's letter.

3) Royal's biggest "foreign policy" gaffe is not mentioned in the article. She stated sometime last week that she would refuse to shake George Bush's hand as if nothing had ever happened, as if we didn't disagree on tactical and strategic issues. Silly, but mostly it was said to point out that Sarkozy had done just that.

4) An interesting addition to this article would have been an evaluation of the French opinion abroad. Le Monde provided a good analysis several weeks ago.

27 celsius - 81 fahrenheit

2007-04-15T13:10:00.000+02:00

trop bo ce temps - du soleil, un petit vent frais, un dîner en terrasse avec des amis hier soir, c la joie totale de pouvoir passer du temps dehors, de flâner avec ses habits d'été, de voir le chat dormir au soleil dans l'appartement... et tout ça depuis mardi dernier !

Nature or nurture?

2007-04-14T14:07:00.000+02:00

This week, Sarkozy stated in a press interview that pedophilia and suicidial tendencies are genetically-determined diseases.

I've been wondering what is the cause of the different color African daisies on my balcony. They are from the same plant, same root, yet one branch has gone nearly white and the other branch has stayed its original purple color. Nature or nurture?

Spoonerism

2007-04-13T14:49:00.001+02:00

spoonerism \SPOO-nuh-riz-uhm\, noun:
The transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words.

Some examples:

- We all know what it is to have a half-warmed fish ["half-formed wish"] inside us.
- The Lord is a shoving leopard ["loving shepherd"].
- It is kisstomary to cuss ["customary to kiss"] the bride.
- Is the bean dizzy ["dean busy"]?
- When the boys come back from France, we'll have the hags flung out ["flags hung out"]!
- Let me sew you to your sheet ["show you to your seat"].

Spoonerism comes from the name of the Rev. William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), a kindly but nervous Anglican clergyman and educationalist. All the above examples were committed by (or attributed to) him.

News from the other side of the ocean...

2007-04-03T23:39:00.000+02:00

Is it possible??? Manuel Antonio Noriega, aka cara de piña, could be returning to the country he ruined with murders and hatred during his dictatorship? Ay, my abuela is turning in her grave!

See article from NewsMax.

Queen Rania of Jordan

2007-04-03T23:21:00.000+02:00

I ran into her twice today at work. Once, around 1pm, she was waiting for the elevator with 3 bodyguards and 12-15 cm heels - dressed in a golden embroidered suit. very classy. too much though. i estimated she was about 40 (actually 37). loads of makeup. hair up. then when i left work around 7pm i actually had to wait to let her and her entourage pass. she was wearing a white pleated silk mini-skirt (or maybe bottom of her dress - difficult to know). very modern and fun. the wind was such that it started lifting up when she walked in - an older woman with her said with a laugh "marilyn monroe." um yeah that would probably be an insult to rania. she's got looks and smarts. no photos. sorry.

another government lie detected...

2007-03-30T18:19:00.000+02:00

The person who was the center of the riots in Paris this past week got upset after he jumped the turnstile and was contrôlé by the RATP and then police. The police and the (new, very young, very bold) minister of the interior said that Angelo Hoekelet was an illegal immigrant. In fact, as reported in this latest article in Le monde, he arrived in France in 1985 at age 11 as part of the (very commonplace) family reunification migration flow. Since then, he had received a deportation notice, which he appealed and won in September 2006 and he missed his meeting for a carte de séjour on 5 April (he was still detained then). So he has the right to be in France. Basta! Fin d'histoire! According to the cops, the mistake was because the system hadn't been updated (no apology given). The ministry has yet to issue a response (and probably won't).

French elections - 1

2007-03-30T12:54:00.000+02:00

my first comment... In reading a bit of the foreign press (nice site btw) on the presidential elections in France, I find that the UK is bashing socialism, the US is bashing democratic choice and is anti-feminist. All in all, they find the election process humorous and love to take a jab at the French (isn't it getting old already??).

The latest article sent me in a fury - thank you Stephen Clarke of the NYT ("No Sex, Please, We’re French" 23 March 2007). Funny how Ségolène Royal's marital status (not married, in long term relationship with the father of her 4 children) takes precedence over the fact that Nicholas Sarkozy had several lovers (while married, not even separated at the time).

Forbes shouldn't get in the business of fortune-telling - seems no more reliable than looking into a crystal ball: Sarkozy likely to win French election. How do they know more than we (the French people and press) do?

And you thought the US was obese?

2007-03-27T21:50:00.000+02:00

If you are a woman older than age 15 AND from a small Pacific island (eg Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Samoa) OR from parts of the Middle East (Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, UAE), THEN you are highly likely to be OBESE... Yep, 1/3 of women in these countries are way too heavy (based on BMI) and Nauru wins the super size me prize - nearly 80% of women are obsese! And, the US is doing well - only 1/5th of adult women are unsightly.

Three important questions:
- Any causal effect? Does hiding your body under a hijab or a sarong make it easier for women to get fat?
- Can this information kill tourism in the Pacific Islands?
- Are Samoa girl scout cookies responsible for the fact that 2/3 of adult women are obsese in Samoa?

Source: WHO, 2006, http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat2006_riskfactors.pdf

drumroll...

2007-03-27T12:15:00.000+02:00

so no one is reading my blog except me. that's pathetic. no visitors. i need to do a better job of being smart, witty, funny, insightful, endearing, interesting, independent, free, critical, persuasive, etc. boy-o-boy. i am certainly off to a bad start today! maybe tomorrow.

plants running

2007-03-26T13:08:00.000+02:00

the heat is off, the sun is out and kosmo found his pillow heated by the sun. my african daisies survived the winter and the parisian pollution. one branch is white lilac, another dark purple. the dna must have gotten split somehow. weird.

my new sport for 2007 - running. been trying to make it out for a 10k run per week + several small ones in between. ça marche pour le moment. last weekend was the foulées du tertre. didn't run but looks manageable. most people arrived under one hour - the fastest was probably around 25-30 minutes. serious marathon prep - 3 weeks to go. will i ever run one?

my mood today

2007-03-09T16:41:00.000+01:00

birthday for the babe

2007-03-09T16:37:00.000+01:00

go a little crazy today!

more of where i have been in 2007

2007-03-06T00:14:00.000+01:00

la suisse

le train suisse

le mont cervin - ze matterhorn

Zermatt - noon

2007-03-06T00:10:00.000+01:00

where i have been recently...

2007-03-06T00:07:00.000+01:00

the beaches, toronto

niagara falls, canada

niagara on the lake

i like americans, really...

2007-03-05T12:06:00.000+01:00

... but this is 6 minutes of great fun at their (our) expense. It could be done probably for other countries, but isn't. Why is that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

Seeking blond wig for city cyclist

2007-02-23T01:19:00.000+01:00

Drivers give helmeted cyclists less room?

Motorists give greater leeway to cyclists who do not wear safety helmets, according to a study by a academic in Britain who was hit by traffic twice as he rode his bike to carry out his research. Researcher Ian Walker from the Department of Psychology of Britain's University of Bath found drivers were up to two times more likely to get close when passing cyclists wearing helmets than when overtaking bare-headed pedalers. He said wearing a helmet might therefore make a collision more likely, but a safety-advocacy group cautioned against giving up a helmet's protection against head injury in hopes of avoiding a crash. To conduct his experiment, Walker rode a bicycle fitted with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor and recorded data from more than 2,500 overtaking motorists. He spent half his time wearing a helmet and half bare-headed. He says he was struck by a bus and a truck while wearing the helmet but was uninjured. Walker, whose research has been accepted for publication in the international journal Accident Analysis & Prevention at a date not yet set, said his study followed previous research that found many drivers saw cyclists as a group of "lycra-clad street-warriors.." "This may lead drivers to believe cyclists with helmets are more serious, experienced and predictable than those without," he said in a statement released on Tuesday. Walker found drivers passed an average of 3.3 inches (8.5 cm) closer to cyclists with a helmet than without, giving cyclists the room needed to avoid drain covers and potholes. As part of his experiment, Walker also donned a blond wig and found drivers gave him an average of 5.5 inches more space when they passed what appeared to be a female cyclist. "We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for children, but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a car is very controversial," said Walker. "Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place." A spokesman for Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said the study highlighted the vulnerability of cyclists and the need for drivers to take greater care. "But we would not recommend people stop wearing cycle helmets because of this research. Helmets have been shown to reduce the likelihood of head and brain injuries in a crash," said the spokesman.

© Copyright Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.

meilleurs noms français...

2007-01-25T12:21:00.000+01:00

A part Jeux, Beurrier et Malhomme, qui sont des classiques de chez nous, j'adore ma nouvelle trouvaille - Tas d'Homme - sans blague !

Mutombo not MVP, but gets MBP award

2007-01-25T00:40:00.000+01:00

mbp = mushed over by president
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa [ed: what country? or is that too difficult to remember? afraid of pulling another slovakia-slovenia mix-up?], amid great poverty and disease [ed: like all other African countries??!!]. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine [ed: quite a stretch], but Coach John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the N.B.A., and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth or the duty to share his blessings with others. He built a brand new hospital in his old hometown [ed: technically he didn't BUILD it; also, other people should be given credit for this charitable act]. A friend has said of this good hearted man: “Mutombo believes that God has given him this opportunity to do great things.” And we are proud to call this son of the Congo [ed: oooh-aaah impressive - can't get the democratic and republic part out, can you?] a citizen of the United States of America.
(see NYT 01/23/2007)

Christmas, new year's and heckman

2007-01-09T13:02:00.000+01:00

Heckman - who is he? my new lover... i have spent weeks and days and hours late at night cuddled up with him, trying to understand the difference between his structure and his selection. and being a total nerd.

bonne année à tous!

this, i didn't make up... ouch

2006-12-22T18:48:00.001+01:00

Your Christmas is Most Like: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

You can't really get into the Christmas spirit...

But it usually gets to you by the end of the holiday.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

i'm a what ??

2006-12-22T18:36:00.000+01:00

You Are an Appletini

Most of the time, you're a typical party girl / guy.

But when you get super sauced, you really up your sex appeal.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Bonne année ou bonne fin d'année ?

2006-12-21T00:34:00.000+01:00

Le débat... et-ce que ça apporte la poisse de dire bonne année aux personnes avant la nouvelle année ? Il parait que oui... C'est la première fois que j'entends cela. Et vous, ça vous dit quelque chose ?

il existe les faux blogs...

2006-12-21T00:33:00.000+01:00

Attention ! Sony a créé un blog pour attirer l'attention à son produit pour les fêtes de fin d'année...

Diversity scholarships to join elite Eating Clubs?

2006-12-19T17:39:00.000+01:00

Yep, Princeton University decided to allocate scholarships to juniors and seniors who wanted to join the famous independent eating clubs. Their cost is about $2,000 more than the cafeteria, but allow students to partake in social activities. The goal is to increase the diversity of the eating clubs. I did my graduate work across the street from many eating clubs. Their lavish preparations for Friday night social "activities" and the necessary clean-up on Saturday mornings (of plastic cups, beer bottles and other human waste) make me thrilled that I contribute to that university fund...

Read this for more information on the eating clubs "bicker" system.

Ivy Hall, one of the campuses oldest eating clubs, only allowed its first female members in 1991, after a US Supreme court ruling (refusing to review a NJ Supreme Court ruling that all-male membership violated state civil rights laws).

Oh and here's another glorious moment for the Ivy Club.

ce n'est pas de l'art contemporain...

2006-12-19T17:33:00.000+01:00

les sdf ont des nouvelles tentes au bord du canal saint martin. pour noël...

L'art et le derrière...

2006-12-14T22:41:00.001+01:00

Teacher suspended over use of posterior to create artwork

You think you are poor?

2006-12-14T22:15:00.001+01:00

See the Global Rich List

The best thing about Canada...

2006-12-14T22:14:00.000+01:00

... is New York City.

Les aristochats

2006-11-20T06:07:00.000+01:00

Steve Carrell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdEKJATpJcM

Ça sera Ségo contre Sarko ?

2006-11-17T02:46:00.000+01:00

Le Superman français gagne le titre en Thaïlande

2006-11-17T02:38:00.000+01:00

In Bangkok, 41-year-old Philippe Hortion wins Strongman 2006 title after pulling three pick-up trucks over 15 metres, lifting 96-kilogram metal pipes over his head five times within two minutes, flipping a 350kg tractor tire four times in two minutes, carrying a 100kg log for 10-metres and placing a 100-kilogramme container on a table. See the news broadcast. The guys are very big and very strong.

Judge Locke rules burrito rules

2006-11-13T23:59:00.000+01:00

WORCESTER, Mass. - Is a burrito a sandwich? The Panera Bread Co. bakery-and-cafechain says yes. But a judge said no, ruling against Panera in its bid to prevent a Mexican restaurant from moving into the same shopping mall. Panera has a clause in its lease that prevents the White City Shopping Center inShrewsbury from renting to another sandwich shop. Panera tried to invoke that clause to stop the opening of an Qdoba Mexican Grill.But Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke cited Webster's Dictionary as well astestimony from a chef and a former high-ranking federal agriculture official in ruling that Qdoba's burritos and other offerings are not sandwiches. The difference, the judge ruled, comes down to two slices of bread versus one tortilla."A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with achoice filling of meat, rice, and beans," Locke wrote in a decision released last week.

In court papers, Panera, a St. Louis-based chain of more than 900 cafes, arguedfor a broad definition of a sandwich, saying that a flour tortilla is bread and that a food product with bread and a filling is a sandwich. Qdoba, owned by San Diego-based Jack in the Box Inc., called food experts to testify on its behalf. Among them was Cambridge chef Chris Schlesinger, who said in an affidavit: "Iknow of no chef or culinary historian who would call a burrito a sandwich. Indeed, the notion would be absurd to any credible chef or culinary historian."

(story from the Boston Globe)

Borat meets Becky Anderson of CNN

2006-11-05T19:52:00.000+01:00

Borat interview

So you thought that was funny....

2006-11-05T19:42:00.000+01:00

Try this for a good laugh...

Bebemoche finds the original "treadmill dance" video by the band Ok-Go...

They seem to have found a nitch for these dancing videos à la Bowie - check out "A Million Ways" on http://thewilltorock.blogspot.com/.

Attention à Sarko

2006-10-29T12:34:00.000+01:00

Vidéo en français compilation de discours publics du Ministre de l'intérieur Nicolas Sarkozy.