French with Benefits

"Do you know why May 8 is a holiday?"

2008-05-14T14:29:00.001-07:00

While perusing Le Parisien's main page last week (a website that has been nicely improved to compete with 20minutes.com, among others) I found a 'reporter in the street' video piece asking parisians enjoying their morning café why they celebrate May 8 every year.

To preclude this, I find myself often trying to correct the cocky American perspective that 'we saved those thankless french' in World War 2 and how 'unappreciative they are today'. I normally make good headway in explaining the impossible situation pre-1940 and how strong the french military actually was/is.

This video I found will surly make my job even harder if it ends up on video sharing websites. The reporter shows as several people struggle to come up with an answer to the 8 may holiday question: "Because of the warm weather?" ..."It has something to do with us winning" ...these responses go on. Out of the handful of responses, I believe only 1 person accurately explains that the French celebrate May 8 as the the liberation of Europe (V-E Day)...although the cute French smurf gets darn close.

Half comedy, half social profile, I found this video quite interesting (and also a strong counter to the many Jay Leno 'Man on the Street' clips showing how ignorant Americans can be).

May 1968: Les Soixante-Huitards

2008-05-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

It's not often american 'internauts' have the opportunity to experience French bande-dessiné albums online- obviously owing to copyright issues. However, Le Monde offers interested francophiles the opportunity to do so while gaining a better understanding of the May 1968 'revolution' which took place in France- not a very approachable subject for American audiences removed from the ongoing debate about its' effectiveness.

Le Monde's focus/promotion of "Mai 68: Histoire d'un Printemps" allows internet surfers to scroll page by page through an excellent album in a sort of 'sneak preview' of the ENTIRE ALBUM. Who knows how long this will be available, but while it is, I strongly suggest everyone take a look.

Aside from good storytelling with many different narrators, the authors include clever and funny artistic devices- a real staple of any french album.

Trains: Classify under "Ways France is Better"

2008-03-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

A recent issue of "Voyages d'affaires" magazine published a small article entitled "The SNCF to remove the paper ticket at the end of 2008". After a quick search, I found it in original french here. Now I'm a fan of the SNCF french system...it's hard not to be after experiencing it. I'd imagine fellow students/travelers have taken enjoyment in knowing that without a car or the need for a flight, one can 'deplace' around the country quite easily, something not so easily done here in the U.S.

In fact, chance meetings were always a happy recollection of trips long past- my favorites were when a Californian student and I shared out life stories and concerns (the ability to be frank with a complete stranger has limitless depths) and meeting an older gentleman who spoke no less than four languages, now retired from a career in the nuclear science industry.

To seriously compare the technology, the SNCF is fully committing to a ticketless program by the end of 2008, while US-Continental Airlines is giving a similar system a dry run.... in very limited capacity.

Even without comparing the obvious logistical problems here in the U.S., the SNCF, simply has a powerhouse marketing team. This previous summer for the "Coup du Monde", parisian train stations were outfitted with Madame Tussaud-esque mannequins of rugby players and SNCF employees, all in mid-play. And that is what makes 'le chemin de fer' so much FUN. I admit it, I was dazzled by the marketing and atmosphere around the system, contrasting with my younger memories of a gray dreary Amtrak train in Chicago.

US Visa Debate borders that of France

2008-03-14T18:18:00.001-07:00

Bill Gates made it clear he believes more H1-B visas for foreign workers in the U.S. is a cure to the U.S. job concerns. The U.S.' current soul-searching translates as an attempt to analyze possible sources for new jobs, or for ways to protect jobs already inside this country.

Some politicians arguing against Gates' opinion want employers to make a good-faith effort to find U.S. citizens for the job before looking abroad-something strangely familiar to anyone who has tried to find a job inside France.

Fresh from an internship in Paris this past summer, I was confident in my abilities and the possiblities. Two months later though, as my internship drew to a close I was left without any options and sensing my dream job in Paris wasn't to be. The difficulties I encountered weren't because of a lack of experience, but because of France's own visa rules- that an arduous search must be done domestically before a visa is granted to a 'foreigner'.

-Now I can't say I fault the country for protecting their jobs, but obviously for an outsider, it wasn't doing me any favors. Now comes the axis of the visa/worker argument. Are we here in the US trying to simply protect opportunities for the people already in this country (like the French policy), or is the United States in the business of attracting and keeping the best the world offers to continually advance?

Klapisch's Lutece...et la mienne

2008-02-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

I always treasure unique experiences and special encounters. Each of us embrace their own unique experiences and encounters in life. Fleeting memories can dissolve into the murkiness of the daily grind, or likewise solidify into the defining moment of a trip. A step beyond this scrapbook of personal souvenirs, the opportunity to share one of these intimate recollections with another is always fulfilling for multiple reasons.

I had the good fortune of 'experienceing' one of these shared memories while reading a promotional interview Le Parisien did with filmmaker Cedrick Klapisch about his new and tantalizing film "Paris". Klapisch predictably shares recollections of Paris, giving readers a glimpse into the anectdotal portfolio that helped birth his cinematic vision for the city (although he shares it in other films as well).

Ensuite j'ai vécu les dix premières années de ma vie place de la
Contrescarpe, dans le Ve . Le jardin où j'allais, en sortant de l'école
primaire, c'était les arènes de Lutèce. Quand votre espace de jeu est l'endroit
le plus vieux de Paris, il y a un mélange troublant entre votre propre enfance
et l'enfance de Paris. Le nombre d'heures que j'ai passées dans ce square ! Ça
donne un rapport extrêmement... organique avec cette ville.

Instantly on hearing Klapisch's childhood memory of amusement at the Lutece roman arena, I saw myself back in the same coliseum this past summer, enjoying a brilliantly sunny afternoon watching a group of children gleefully running through the arena's open center and windy stone steps just as Klapisch might have those years ago.

Many places in Paris, I could daydream of the bohemian past of Montmartre or of the long-dead royalty who passed the Louvre's halls, but the Lutece arena offers a different glimpse, the chance to understand Paris before there was a Paris. Here you can perceive the simplicity of the ile de la cite when it WAS the city, before it became the carrefour of a much larger and developed community.

And in the moment, I could appreciate sharing the fleeting recollection of a shared memory.

Le Pen... in the pen

2008-02-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the friendly old fellow would could pass for everyone's old racist grandfather (but that would be too nice a comparison) was just sentenced to three months in prison suspended sentence ('trois mois de prison avec sursis') and a fine of 10.000 EUR.

What earned him a punishment this time?

«En France du moins, l'Occupation allemande n'a pas été particulièrement
inhumaine, même s'il y eut des bavures, inévitables dans un pays de 550.000
kilomètres
carrés».
- 01/05 Rivarol

Translation: "In France at least, the German occupation wasn't particularly inhuman, even if there were some small problems, inevitable in a country of 550,000 square kilometers."

While Le Pen's latest comment is no new surprise to those familiar with his 'work', it seems to produce an ongoing shock among French and the public in general- regadless of nationality. And most, I would imagine, harbor a sense of schadenfreude every time Le Pen goes to court for his many many comments.

My event of choice to prove the alternative of Le Pen's rosy view of Occupation-era France is Oradour-sur-Glane, which I would greatly like to visit some day, as a testament to the horrors of occupation.

The unfortunate thing is that the 10,000 EUR fine will probably be a drop in the bucket to someone like Le Pen.

When the case first began, Le Monde cited a maximum of 5 years imprisonment and 45,000 EUR possible fine. Obviously looking at the actual end-result, there is a big difference between the two.

Sleeveface...off

2008-02-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

I originally picked up on this from French blogs. The concept is pretty simple, using the cover of a vinyl album to imitate a person's expression. Here's a nicely narrarated how-to.

Ironically, the first place I actually saw this was on a towering billboard in Cleveland to promote the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's current "The Doors" exhibit. Imagine, the Rock hall is THAT far ahead of the curve!

...and what would sleevefacing be without a little 'Frampton Comes Alive!"

et enfin, un 'best of' a la francais.

AFP Takes on Cleveland, Bruges to take on Toilet Paper

2008-01-30T04:44:00.000-08:00

It's not a habitude to speak about french news and Cleveland in the same sentence, but now two postings in a row!

Michael McIntyre over at Cleveland.com reported yesterday that an Agence France-Presse reporter who came to town to cover the subprime 'difficulties' made the small gaff of mistaking downtown Cleveland for Shaker Heights- complete with descriptions of desolate urban wasteland "gardens turning to weed". Peter Mackler, head AFP editor for North America admits he's very very sorry and won't meddle with Cleveland's sterling reputation again.

Just days before, Park City celebrated yet another year of the film industry tomfoolery that they call Sundance. One of the interesting selections was "In Bruges", a 'hitmen' film with a funny sense of humor. In real news, the actual Bruges seems to be suffering from its own problems.

Cleveland-Rouen Sister City Agreement

2008-01-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

After several months of hard work, an agreement between Cleveland and Rouen is now official!

On January 22 a delegation from Rouen met with CLE mayor Jackson to sign the final agreement. Because of my association with the FACC and obvious strong interest in France, I am very excited for such a connection, but after a quick internet search, also a little wary.

A Plain Dealer article from 2004 mentions Cleveland's high penchant for collecting sister-city agreements: by mid-2004, the city already claimed 18 such connections according to a PD article. (Now the number is 21). Even more disappointing is this quote:

"The relationships have been largely ceremonial," said John Lecky, executive
director of the International Community Council of Cleveland.

Hopefully this new agreement will succeed where others have failed and provide a stronger bond.

As an example, both Columbus and Cincinnati, only have seven such sister-city agreements a piece. While past agreements may not have lived up to higher hopes, Cincinnati does provide a good example of integrating sister-city culture into the urban environment.

Perhaps Cincinnati's most well-known sister-city, Munich, Germany is a hotbed for German culture, and something that Cincinnatians capitalize on often. As well has exporting the famed Hofbrau Haus-beer hall restaurant to Newport on the Levee, the city also celebrates Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati downtown with a festival that shuts down city streets.

While economic connections may be what business-minded officials see in sister-cities, cultural connections are what truly make such a relationship successful.

A few suggestions?

A series on Rouen in the Plain Dealer to give Clevelanders a sense of what Rouen is like
A cultural exchange with the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Rouen (we have museums, they have museums...)
A tourism promotion through Positively Cleveland (who doesn't like a little tourism in France? ...especially with the new Continental direct flight Cleveland-Paris?)
Location (for all the art lovers in Cleveland, Rouen is incredibly close to Monet's Giverny as well as ideally located in Normandy.

Finally, the official list of Cleveland's sister-cities for those interested:

Conakry, Guinea
Ibadan, Nigeria
Segundo Montes, Morazan, El Salvador
Volgograd, Volgogradskaya, Russia
Taipei Municipality, Taiwan
Holon, Israel
Lima, Lima, Peru
Heidenheim, Hessen, Germany
Miskolc, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Hungary
West Mayo, Mayo, Ireland
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Fieri, Albania
Alexandria, Egypt
Rouen, France
Klaipeda, Klaipedos Rajonas, Lithuania
Bangalore, India
Brasov, Brasov, Romania
Bratislava, Bratislavsky, Slovakia
Cleveland County, England, UK
Gdansk, Pomorskie, Poland
Ljubljana, Cankova-Tisina, Slovenia

(For those who are counting, I tried to see how Cleveland matches up against other U.S. cities. NYC: 10, Miami, FL.: 20, Los Angeles, CA.: 23!)

Mitterand vente aux encheres

2008-01-28T11:14:00.000-08:00

Those French political enthusiasts with an interest for history will be happy to note that a large quantity of Francois Mitterand memorabilia and personal items will be sold tomorrow. Feeling like a gift from Barbara Bush or a Halston cravate? It's all possible!

Auction house Tajan in the 8th arrondissement of Paris is managing the affaire and it should be interesting to see how results go- Mitterand's wife specifically priced lots low so "so that all the French people who loved Mitterrand can make bids" (according to an auction organizer, BBC).

Best of luck to those interested.

Persepolis & Angouleme

2008-01-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to see that Satrapi was able to secure a distribution deal in the U.S. for Persepolis, with Sony Pictures no less! With an official December 25 release, the film is finally starting to filter out of major markets like NYC and Toronto into normalized America. The film is biographical in nature and follows Satrapi's own life from oppressive Iran (under the Shah) up to a modern-day Paris, where she currently lives and works. Find the trailer here.

I had the great opportunity of seeing one of the Persepolis bande dessinee- from which the film takes it's story, and was immediately dazzled by the unique animation- something that translates well in the film. This past summer when the film came out, one of the early pre-release screenings took place in the tiny Montmartre theater Studio 28. This was a little 'boheme' style place with wacky chandeliers personally created by Jean Cocteau and a tiny bar with room for maybe four people. The experience was enlightening as much for the mood as for the film, and it went on to plenty of support in France.

Alternatively, the Bande dessinee festival at Angouleme just closed by presenting it's high awards for 2008. An animated French equivalent of Park City with a more democratic mix of up-starts and reknowned artists, it provides an opportunity for the community to meet with artists and present recent works by French BD publishing houses. The top honor this year at Angouleme goes to "Monsieur Jean". Here's an extract of the book.

For anyone new to French culture, the world of bande-dessinee is truly a fantastic place for discovery for all ages.

'Who has the right to destroy a work of art?'

2008-01-16T17:35:00.001-08:00

This micro-controversy in France is a good example of the complicated laws that often govern culture and history in a country so rich with the two.

Recently, a work of art by contemporary creator Jean-Pierre Raynaud valued at approximately 100,000 EUR was destroyed after a disagreement between Raynaud and the owner.

In a similar situation, Daniel Buren, a sculptor with a large exhibition currently situated at the Palais Royal off rue de Rivoli is threatening to do the job himself(EN). Decrying what he considers a lack of maintenance (le remettre en etat), Buren is calling on the state to step up and rehabilitate the work, or in a grandiose alternative, he would destroy it himself.

Work is planned...in 2009.

In an interesting twist on both cases, the ADAGP (French association for artists rights in the visual arts) has established legal guidelines that prohibit a work of art from being destroyed, even after it has been purchased by a second party. They further stipulate that the work must be maintained or the artist may agree to have it destroyed.

In Raynaud's case, the owner did not have permission for the destruction, and in Buren's case, the question arises if he could legally destroy works he created, when they are no longer his own?

Bruni/Sarko Marriage? Full of holes

2008-01-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

It stemmed from a brief appearing in L'Est Republicain (an 'independent' newspaper appearing in Nancy and Epinal near Strasbourg)..."Sarko reportedly marries". Then 20 Minutes the powerhouse free-news daily based in the Paris area grabbed a hold of the tantalizing story. Eventually Agence-France Presse now has done a piece on it appearing on the New York Times website.

But for all the coverage dedicated to Sarkozy's 'new friend', how dependable is news of their marriage? 'L'Est Republicain' is an outsider in the Parisian scene, mostly covering 'big' stories about the petanque federation (think bocce ball with a twist) or a follow-up to the ongoing Ark de Zoe story.

Where did they get their source for the marriage? A friend of a witness (no names) says it happened.

We're now seeing "The New York Times reports that Agence France-Presse is reporting that L'Est Republicain reported a close relation of a witness was present when the couple was married".

What kind of verification is there for a convoluted line of 'he said/she said' reporting like that?

In the meantime, you can be fairly certain that Bruni and Sarkozy are likely not married, and none of the newspapers reporting they are will have to run a retraction- because they weren't the ones who said so!

"The Next Anne Frank"

2008-01-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks to The French Journal for this tidbit. A new book comes out this week, basically the edited diaries of Helene Berr, a Jewish woman in Paris during ww2. I'm sure given the context and location, Paris in ww2, it is destined to be an incredible read.

Unfortunately, this is the second time I've seen the 'French Anne Frank' moniker attached to the works of some unsuspecting jewish writer's work. Last year I had the good fortune to read Irene Nemirovsky's 'Suite Francaise'; a novel carrying the near-unbearable weight of an irony not lost on post-ww2 era readers.

Both works will most definitely be solidified in the annals of post-occupation French literature, along with the Patrick Modiano cornerstone: 'Dora Bruder' (Modiano fittingly has written the preface for the new book), but what does it say about this type of literature that every such novel being published gets the same PR framing 'Oh, it's like Anne Frank, ...but in France'.

To get some background on Berr's journals, here is Modiano's preface in the Nouvelle Observateur. In the same painfully researched style as he used to give life to Bruder, he depicts a background for Berr full of scholarly opportunity at the Sorbonne, then disintegrating around the pivotal loss of her father, sent to Drancy.

The Nouvelle Observateur's online show "Bookmark" recently did a small video piece entitled "The Overwhelming Journal of Helene Berr" (en Francais) for those that are interested. It gives some background and the host reads several excerpts.

For readers unfamiliar with any of these works, I'd strongly recommend reading Modiano, Nemirovsky, and then the newer novel, to see the progression of Shoah literature developing in France.

Au revoir le Clop!

2008-01-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

The beginning of 2008 carried added significance for French citizens, having to live life under the fresh 'instrument of oppression', the dreaded anti-smoking ordinance!

On Jan. 1, 2008 laws went into effect prohibiting smoking in public places, a la local cafe or 'zinc bar'. And to american USD standards, the fines aren't just a few pennies either, but the equivalent of $93 per infraction.

As you'd imagine, there was a healthy portion of protest from French smokers ("They're trying to take our liberties away!"). There still is one cafe at least that is hoping to fight the good fight and put up a modern version of french resistance.

In Lyon, one owner plans to fight fines with supporters from smoking loyalists in, what the owner so euphemistically refers to as 'an act of artistic delinquence.'

The LA Times just recently put out a parting shot commentary on the topic ("France has banned its Frenchness")- a bit exaggerated, but a good read.

A small news tidbit some years ago of the famed-french Gaulois cigarette mark stopping production was a good but slight hint of what has finally come to pass. Maybe even the French will be dispatching with some of their fashionista ways in favor of a healthier more modern lifestyle.

It is hard to believe though, that the French will take the ban as well as people in the U.S. have. Just this past summer sitting in for 'clope' (cigarette) breaks in Paris, the younger generations seem just as invested in the cigarette as previous ones.

When the French Lost (Spectacularly)

2007-12-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, while browsing for the PERFECT wine guide as a gift, I came across a book with the wordy title "Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine".

I probably spent another 30 minutes simply leafing through it, unwilling, after I began, to give it anything less than a full perusal. The "judgement in Paris" as it's now known, is still a very underappreciated event (and rarely mentioned in Europe, it would seem).

As the US was celebrating a bicentennial, a little wine shop in Paris managed by Steven Spurrier organized a friendly little blind tasting competition, pitting French against Californian. As a sidenote- the key to the book being so significant, is that it's author, George Taber, was the only journalist in attendance at the event, uniquely qualified to give first person perspective as only a journalist-storyteller can.

The spectacular significance of the event is even being cribbed by Hollywood at the moment, apparently in two different pictures.

The story gets really juicy (probably to the great zeal of many Americans) when the 11 French judges (heavy hitters with major wine industry groups) began the judging, preferring and even interpreting Californian wines as 'true French works'.

As the votes were tallied, several of the judges attempted to alter their results when they realized what was happening and some later cried fraud. In both reds and whites Californians were chosen against French 6-4. To best sum up the significance of the tasting, some of the 11 judges refuse to discuss it, even today.

As a cheat sheet for wine lovers, here is a list of California labels sampled (some are still very reasonably priced):

Chateau Montelena (since 1882)
Chalone Vineyard
Spring Mountain Vineyard (recently visited by Conan O'Brien)
Stag's Leap Wine Cellar
David Bruce
Grgich Hills (not in the competition, but winemaker Mike Grgich produced the Montelena Chardonnay that won the '76 competition)

Arche de Zoe recap

2007-12-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

For those curious about how the curious french affair a la Soudan is going since it was last published some months ago, 20 Minutes offers some nice coverage. Included are profiles of each of the six members detained at the moment. Eric Breteau is the president and 'cerveau' of the organization.

It seems that lawyers for the parents of Sudanese orphans caught up in the organization's efforts are demanding 1 million EUR.

For more perspective, here is a nice pictorial timeline of events.

Spitting Cobra: So is it 15 or 20?

2007-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

One of the great joys I get out of my French language skills is being able to digest the news from a widened circle of outlets. In the middle of reports in both English and French, I notice tiny differences. Differences that actually aren't so tiny in a journalistic way. One of my early run-ins with these journalistic differences was during President Sarkozy's jaunty vacation in New Hampshire. The details of the event with two photographers was interpreted two very different ways by the French and US press. The English-language media typically picked up this detail:

According to Mr Cole [AP photographer], they told Mr Sarkozy repeatedly that they did not speak French. Mr Cole said he asked whether any of the other passengers on Mr Sarkozy's boat spoke English, but that no-one answered or intervened.

Now here's the version francaise (extracted from Le Figaro coverage):

.... Une femme s'est alors exprimée en anglais en relayant la demande du chef de l'Etat français qu'on le laisse tranquille lui et son entourage, a dit DeWitt.[A woman explained in English, relaying the request of the president, to leave him and his entourage alone.]

This might not seem like much (and maybe I'm just arguing semantics) but as a journalist who has been ingrained with the concept of quality work, the difference is this: the so-called English version gives the air of an angry, berating president with no sense of communication and a little tinge of snob (accompanied nicely by this photo). The second version, suggesting that a woman with the Sarkozy group translated the president's wishes to the AP photographers, suggests a more friendly harmonic ending through a clear communication. Either perspective can most definitely shape an image.

Thus the reason for the tangent (and why that weird title about a snake?). You may have read today about a giant (8.2 meter, about 5.5 feet) long spitting cobra in Africa. Here's a pic of the cute little guy. The question over the article, pivots around the fact of just how powerful the cobra's venom is when biting a human. The 20minutes.fr version which I saw stated the quantity of venom extracated from this snake was enough to kill 20 people. More than likely this came from the Agence France-Presse coverage which stated similar. On the other hand, the Reuters wire story offers 15 as the number of people which can be killed by this giant snake. So who is right?

Probably most importantly "6.2ml of liquid venom, weighing 7.1g" was taken from the snake. Now if I just had that venom-to-dead-humans formula laying around somewhere...Anyone?

French Riots Pt. 2

2007-12-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

It seems as if once again, the 'opportunity' presented by rioting in the parisian banlieus has been lost. The violence escalating since '05, (there are reports of low caliber hunting rifles being used by rioters), the administration has duly belittled the rioting class by referring to them as nothing more than hoods and gangsters.

Granted, France's vision of gangster seems to have changed since the 60's, with well-dressed members dashing about in their Citroen.

Unfortunately, the apple seems to have fallen quite far from the tree. These suburban outbursts aren't seen with an ounce of credibility. They weren't in 2005 (when so many vows were made to improve the situation) and the events are most definitely not giving any credence to suburban tension in France today. This tension is apparent on both sides, with Sarkozy's famous 'name calling' back in '05. Today he pronounces 'no angelicism for the delinquents'.

Sarkozy has always had a 'tough love' policy. He practically campaigned on it to win the presidency. So it is no surprise that he wouldn't be greeting rioters, arms-open. But the constant downplaying of suburban problems is quite destructive.

Even Fadela Amara, Secretary of State, charged with city politics (a good French euphemism if I've heard one), has offered a very unsympathetic stance. Sarkozy recently requested a review of the situation by Amara and it will be little surprise when she delivers her response simplistically criticizing rioters as thieves and vandals. A recent interview with Le Parisien has Amara stating "What happened wasn't a social crisis, it was urban violence, anarchy".

There is no respect given. Unfortunately governmental criticism is so pervasive, it may/probably already has instilled in authorities that there is nothing to be done for the lower class residents of these areas.

The startling example and a possible counterpoint for Sarkozy's zero tolerance policy is the example that spawned the '05 riots. It appears in review that the two boys electrocuted in Clichy-sous-Bois ran into a power substation in fear of nearby police.

The fear that caused these boys to hide and the underlying tension that blossomed once again north of Paris this past month is no simple matter of violence, but does indeed draw into question social questions that need to be confronted, by Sarkozy, by the government, and by the French society.

In the end, it seems as though both sides will have to sacrifice something near-and-dear to their hearts. The government will have to be open minded about real social difficulties that the suburban communities face while reducing the harsh image the police have. Rioters will have to accept a very real authority by the police and gendarmerie.

For a point of reference, this map shows locations for the '05 parisian riots. Villiers-le-bel appears just north of Paris.

Cleveland Subprime Problem with Subpar Possibilities

2007-11-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

How excited was I to see my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio featured so prominently as of late in the national subprime loans 'crisis'... at least that is what BBC is calling it.

But I digress. I was actually drawn into the topic by, of all people, Philippe Grangereau, Washington correspondent for Libération since 2006. Grangereau's new video follows social and public problems as well as the difficulty for homeowners, put in the situation of having to flounder about for any ray of hope.

I strongly suggest the video be viewed to get a 'taste' of the problem and how the French are reporting/perceiving it.

One week following Grangereau's video, Liberation delivered an interesting piece about new legalistics in the 'loans war'.

As a brief 'P.S.' before ending this post, consult my friendly library's website to get more background about the subprime brouhaha.

Reporters without Borders in need of statistics course

2007-11-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

Reporters Without Borders, the international journalism organization based in the comfy quarters of Paris' 2nd arrondissement just released their annual "2007 world press freedom index" in mid October. A rating system for press freedom is culled from the results of a questionnaire sent out to journalism-based organizations and human-rights organizations around the world.

NOTE: I attempted to contact Reporters without Borders last week but I'm still waiting for a response...

The apparently flawed analysis of this year's results comes to light when looking at the correlation between smaller countries and higher ranking on the index. John Rosenthal brings this truth to light seamlessly in "The RSF Press Freedom Index: Independent Assessment or EU Propaganda?"of his recent study at World Politics Review.

It appears that the RSF study simply measured instances of "physical attacks, imprisonment and direct threats" per country, without making any allocation for differences in population. Naturally, the countries with larger populations were set-up to fail: they appear with worse rankings regardless of the amount of press freedom that exists.

No Pasaran! picked up on Rosenthal's November 6 The RSF Press Freedom Index: Independent Assessment or EU Propaganda? (Part I) three days later, bringing "Reporters without Scruples", a focus of the journalistic organization's financial contributors. EU contributions to Reporters without Borders, both Rosenthal and Pasaran argue, is strongly influencing- and ironically creating a bias among Borders' activities.

November 10, one day after the Pasaran piece, Dirck the Noonan delivered the simply titled "Press Freedom" with a WONDERFUL statistics section (RSF just might want to consult 'ole Dirck the next time they decide to create a study).

Of even greater significance, Dirck's study offers rankings based on the population nominalization that RSF lacked:

What if we take the scores and normalize them for
population?
Surprise surprise, the rankings change
dramatically.

The top 5
countries by this measure are US,
Germany, Japan, UK, and
Belgium.
Trinidad drops from 19 to 43. Mauritius from 25
to 45. Namibia from
26 to 42. Poor little Iceland from 1 to 37.

The misfortune of this erroneous grading system is seen in the typical local newspaper article that originates in this type of study and press release. Tahiti Presse delivered this article just as the RSF study was published, further promoting the original statistics.

Even worse than the 'gas station-in-the-desert' analogy someone may make regarding Tahiti, such information also seeps into publications as prominent as the International Herald Tribune.

Wine Spectator delivers French accolades

2007-11-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

I feel it's appropriate to come back with a post about wine, ignoring the fact that this is a french-related blog, because for the past several weeks I have been deeply involved part-time with the wonderful nectar of the grapes. In this short while even I have been able to appreciate the prestige of the 'Chateauneuf' moniker, navigating through a shelf of trumped-up French labels with their larger-digit price tags (My experience of a summer spent in the Burgundy city of Dijon involves bottles of red priced below 5 euros, something that normally sell for $20+ in the US markets).

The Wine Spectator's 2007 list of Top 10 wines has just been published with a 2005 French Chateauneuf-du-Pape being selected as #1. The French Journal has been doing an excellent job of counting down each of the top 10 and WS has done an even better job of making the experience wonderfully interactive by featuring some great commentaire on each choice narrated/hosted by the magazine's Senior Editor, James Molesworth.

Molesworth adds his own witticisms which I wouldn't attempt to replicate ("I doubt that any of you have any '87 Chateauneuf-du-Pape's in your cellar; that's because it was a pretty deplorable vintage").

An interesting but altogether understandable fact that distribution reps, wine salesmen and connoisseurs have all explained to me (with plenty of emotion) is that wine MUST be tasted, it can't be taught or learned any other way. Which I find revealing about the whole wine culture, whether it be France, Napa, or in an Australian Malbec. Wine is a full-contact sport- just without the football-like aggression that entails.

For those of us interested in really learning the not-so-complicated meanings and history behind the names and titles, Chateauneuf-du-Pape is both a small location (where the wine comes from) as well as the definition for a specific blend of 13 different types of grapes for the wine production (Thanks due to Mr. Wikipedia, or is it Mrs.?).

Sarko-stalking at the touch of a button

2007-11-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

While the only real reference we have for the global movements of world leaders is the occassional article or coverage of such-and-such meeting, an enterprising individual with French newspaper 20 Minutes (a vibrant online resource for fresh French content) has created the Google Maps-equivalent of a blog documenting french President Sarkozy's every trip, called "Sarko Map". See the full 20 Minutes article here. Although quite interesting and helpful for all those political analysis papers, the site could still use a little bit more information for many of the entries.

While I am on the subject of 20 Minutes, I feel I should also mention Metro. Both free daily journals are handed out at many RATP metro stations in Paris during the morning commute and with wonderful online interfaces, I'd imagine they are giving Le Parisien a run for it's money.

20 Minutes' name originates with the newspaper's concept of providing all the necessary news in a readable 20 minutes...about the time of a morning commute (except when you live in the 17th arrondissement like I did and you have a 45 minute commute). Metro is based on the same concept and reads like a copy of People magazine for all the tabloid-rich headlines that area made in Paris and surrounding areas of Ile de la France each day.

These aren't your children's comics...

2007-11-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of Facebook (aside from the incessant notifications) is the fact that I can really LEARN what others are doing, both job and interests-wise. Just around mid October I found a few of my French friends posting cover images to seemingly realistic comic books (moreso bande dessinee-style) in their profiles.

At first I took them for ridiculous examples that someone had dug up-like tke 1970s LP record covers that just COULDN'T POSSIBLY have been real. But then the titles got more and more absurd.

As a precursor, the Martine book series for children began publishing in 1954 with a success somewhat comparable to Herge's Tintin.

It seems that at Martine Cover Generator a few French friends came up with the inside joke of making a website where you could choose your very own 'Martine' book cover and write whatever you want. As the website's informational section testifies, in less than a month, (the website that supposedly began October 18 as an inside joke and claims to have reached over 5.5 million hits in that same period.

More than a bit of good comedy though, it provides an Albert Brooks equivalent on behalf of the French internet-saavy population: What makes the French laugh?

A few examples (and some of my favorites):
"Martine hopes to make money from an internet gag"
"Martine and rachida inflate their resumes"
-a quip over Rachida Dadi's recent CV controversy

And many more to be filed under politically incorrect... and here

The concept provides for a great addition to the 'time wasting' potential of the 'net, but in another sense, it is a better example of the basic issues that people are currently concentrating on. "Martine Buys a Congolese Child" -a possible swipe at the recent Zoe's Ark controversy previously discussed.

Another gem mocks Sarkozy's "Work more to earn more" (travailler plus pour gagner plus) slogan.

The concept has gotten a bit of press on French news sites such as the Parisian Paper 20 Minutes but is as a whole still under the 'wire'.

Providing that Casterman, the series' publisher doesn't take the satire the wrong way, many more Martine covers will be making their internet presence known- whether or not little Martine can do anything about it.

Political Paparazzi!

2007-11-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

Now maybe I talk too much about Sarkozy, but this time I'll let someone else do the talking. Yesterday I came across another French blog which has full coverage of President Sarkozy's trip to the U.S. from an almost 'People-esque' style. It would have beendownright hilarious if the writer pushed it far enough to make the reports more along the lines of 'Oh my god! I see him! I see him'. But neverthe less, good content on the smaller details of what kind of 'activities' he will be participating in.

From another Good French blog, here's the list of guests for the White House dinner. Gush over guests like the Chairmen of Musee d'Orsay and Le Louvre!

UPDATE: View a clip of Sarkozy's speech here.

In Other News: The Velib' bicycle system that took Paris by storm while I was there this past summer, is getting a few updates. Primarily safety signs on the front of each bike's basket, and bicycling classes for adults. Both very positive things. To me, it is a near miracle that bicyclists in Paris survive in the numbers they do. You only occassionally hear of unfortunate biking disasters. The rues of Paris are savage enough without having to navigate them a velo.

While Europe has been slow to turn on to the iPhone system (primarily because of already advanced cell technology on the continent and a difficulty finding a company willing to use it) a very neat iPhone application just came out that gives up-to-date statistics of how many velib bicycles remain at any given Velib station. This can come in handy since one of the main gripes with people I spoke to, was either the lack of bicycles at a station, or the lack of AVAILABLE SPACES if one wanted to park in a specific location. With stations spaced out quite a ways, it is a definite inconvenience having to find an alternate location if the one near your office is full (as many are in certain business-centric areas).

If you are going to comment live on National Radio, at least do a little research

2007-11-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a pretty devoted NPR listener. To be honest, I don't listen to much else while I'm in my car. So I get the whole gamut of NPR, MPR and PRI shows...along with probably some other alphabet soup names. In an effort to get a better idea about what the heck is going on in the world, I'm always willing to give a show a listen, whether it's about scientific news, or good 'ole political commentary. About two weeks ago I was listening to 'The Diane Rehm Show' broadcasting out of D.C. During the "11:00 News Roundup", Diane Rehm delves into the (impending) Sarkozy divorce and public transportation strike with this statement/question:

"Now you've got two stories here, in France: President Sarkozy's apparent split in the marriage and you've got a transportation strike nationwide that could go on. Are the two interrelated?"

At face value, I imagine that maybe Rehm simply wanted to present a basic question so the audience could get behind the story... or I hope. To anyone who had been following either issue to any degree, it would be apparent though that there didn't exist any 'connectivity'. The French strike. It's a fact. Fortunately the commentators were able to latch onto that quick concept, but let any further commentary fall to the wayside, making a joke about...French strikers.

While I don't expect a dissertation of the French political situation every time French affairs are discussed, I can hope a little background be required Can't I? Especially among the group of commentators present for this piece:

Tom Gjelten, correspondent, NPR
James Kitfield, senior correspondent, "National Journal" magazine
Jerry Seib, Washington bureau chief, "The Wall Street Journal"

Here's to hoping that next time I don't get so depressed with the quality of French news analysis.

Sarkozy's American-loving, a weakness?

2007-11-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

When I read about Sarkozy's upcoming Nov 6-7 visit to meet with President Bush and speak before Congress, my initial thought was "enough with the visits already!" before reading that this will be his first official visit to the U.S. First? I suppose they didn't want to mark his first visit like this . It seems obvious that the French president and new divorcee wants to establish a strong political connection with the U.S. ("it's purely professional, I swear"). He might want to go easy on all the presidential smooching though for the respresentative of a country that makes a national pastime out of pretending to detest the Americans.

Sarkozy has been quick and decisive to frame himself as a the French ticket for change, which he has worked equally hard to portray once elected. His decision to do away with some of the stoggy traditions of Bastille Day was a perfect example. Thus, following the Chirac governments's complications with la Maison Blanche, it has been politically imperative for Sarkozy to represent the change he has been flouting in international policy.

These successes and an American curiosity with the new president make him a popular guy at the moment, but the real test of his political saavy comes when things start to hit speed bumps.

Arthur Goldhammer over at French Politics touches lightly on Sarkozy's possible problems once he has to take a stand against the U.S. on something...anything. The inevitability of this is that if the French president, already touted as 'the American' by much of the mediasphere, doesn't, he'll be perceived by French politicals as TOO close to the U.S. It's a two sided question, with either outcome possibly hurting Sarkozy's still-shiny appearance.

Update: Zoe members under further Scrutiny

2007-11-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

Further analysis of the 103 children who Zoe's Ark attempted to fly out of Chad suggest that 85 of them come from the border region between Chad and Sudan, according to UNICEF and the Red Cross. The crux of the complication is that, as Radio France International notes,

"However the nationality of the children will be difficult to establish, because the mobility is vaste in the region, and families often cross borders or are nomades."

Marc Garmirian, a video journalist reporting for Le Monde has been able to get some nice interview footage with what appear to be incarcerated members of Zoe's Ark in Chad. The most recent of which features a female volunteer explaining that she did not consider the question of legitimacy during the operation- a strong indicator that the well-meaning intentions of the organization may quickly be overshadowed by the questionable legality of what the organization did... or attempted to.

Le Parisien draws an even closer case with strong evidence through interviews with the children in question that a majority of them claim to have at least one living parent, and even more intriguing, that many of them seem to be in a decent physical state. A document of declaration by Zoe's Ark partner-organization 'Children Rescue' makes a very clear declaration that the mission objective was to set up a medical post and emergency housing center for orphan children, but absolutely no mention of any movement, such as the organized flight out of the country.

Each new piece of evidence that becomes public about this case suggests that, as the mainstream media are quick to pick up on, there are great pitfalls to well-meaning aid to struggling nations. Unfortunately, it also becomes less and less like the 'hail mary' flight of survival for 103 children, and takes on more the appearance of kidnapping for rather fit children.

Zoe's Ark: Controversy du jour

2007-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Making big waves in Europe, but almost unheard in the U.S. is the controversy surrounding the organization "L'Arche de Zoe", an organization who's objective is to fly children out of conflict areas such as Darfur. On Oct. 30, Chad authorities arrested nine French citizens (and seven Spanish-flight crew for the chartered jet) who were attempting to fly approximately 103 children out of Chad to a destination in Europe. Hidden below a grandiose explication of their work is the clear statement that the organization attempts to 'evacuate' children from areas such as Darfur to give them a new life in Europe.

Several things make me think the Chad arrests were more political though, than the news would have us believe. Foremost, the organization's own website has a nice press release from April 28, 2007 detailing the 10,000 orphans the organization had already 'evacuated' to Europe and the U.S., so this was by no means a secret operation. Even further, the organization was set-up following 2004's Asian tsunami, working to help orphans in that area.

Following the Chad arrests, Sarkozy condemned the attacks and Chad President Idriss Deby called the attempt 'kidnapping', however a closer look reveals not one but two apparent organizations, linked by actions. Zoe's Ark members arrived in Chad to establish 'Children Rescue', a seemingly distinct aid operation for refugees at the beginning of September. The links really begin when refugees were apparently selected to come to the aid camps and were there collected into the 103 children who were set to leave the country on behalf of Zoe's Ark.

Because of conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan, already known to most of the world, many refugees have been forced to flee the country completely, and not simply the region where they resided. Thus, Sudanese refugees mix with eastern Chad citizens who may flee their own region because of ethnic violence, creating a complicated mix. At the moment, President Deby is declaring the French workers 'kidnappers' - which may be true if the children prove to be from Chad, but mixing of refugees from both countries makes this very difficult to find.

For a first hand look at the members of l'Arche de Zoe explaining a bit more: this video

For a cautious look from a French perspective, check out Franceglobal.com

French Total doesn't want Burmese to suffer!

2007-10-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

French Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner commented today that "if Total leaves Myanmar, the Thai and Burmese populations will be the first to suffer from it". So... the French government is strongly supporting Total's oil presence in Myanmar because they care about the people of the country?

I was a little confused by this too, so I checked up on what kind of 'official' response the French gave following last month's government crackdown (that was eventually blamed on the monks who led protests).

While Kouchner is coming out so pro-Total today, at the beginning of the month, it was decidedly another case: the same foreign minister officially stating that oil giant Total would not be spared from official sanctions against Myanmar.

Total is also one of approximately 15 oil companies (mostly Asian) to operate in another fun, sandy place to the west.

Sarkozy: Now I'm Angry!

2007-10-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

So what better way to start a blog relating to that Gaulish country, than through a controversy!

Since '60 Minutes' began heavily promoting their Sarko interview with clips of the president walking out, there was plenty of hype over his temper and the right of a journalist (do high-flouting correspondents even allow people like Lesley Stahl get away with such a moniker?) to ask such personal questions. However, once the interview actually ran, all we saw was the president walk out as the subject matter dipped into personal matters (not the 'Hulk Smash!' rage we were all expecting (hoping?) to be privy to).

Nonetheless, in the aftermath, all that remains is a French president seemingly unaffected by the hype, a possibly bruised American journalist, and the constant cries that Americans are too intrusive with public figures private lives (a concept much more serious in France) a la Princess Diana.