Ma Promenade

A Terrorist of a different stripe – Exposed Accuser Nafissatou Diallo Now suing The New York Post as well.....Cashing In On The" Rich Dude."

2011-07-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

Strauss-Kahn's rape accuser Nafissatou Diallo (maid) ‘grew angry’ when he refused to pay after sex.
Diallo's lawyer, Kenneth Thompson, in his Sharptonesk way, confirms that the his client is suing New York Post.

Kenneth Thompson-Attorney NYC

The maid who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of abuse, has sued the New York Post after the newspaper described her as a prostitute.

"We ask that justice be done," says Togba R. Door, one of the leaders of the organization United African Congress.

The New York Guinean, hotel maid / lier and suspected hooker , Nafissatou Diallo, who alleged that former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn reportedly grew angry when he refused to pay her for sex.

However the brother of the Guinean woman said on Friday she was the victim of a smear campaign, after New York legal sources said doubts about her credibility had brought the case close to collapse. I think bro smells cash!

"These are lies that have been invented to discredit my sister," the man, called Mamoudou, told Reuters by telephone from his home region of Labe 300 km (200 miles) north of the Guinean capital Conakry.

Mamoudou, whose family name is withheld to protect his sister's identity in the USA, said he had not spoken to her since her accusation of attempted rape at the luxury New York hotel where she worked forced Strauss-Kahn to resign as head of the IMF and all but derailed his bid to win the French presidency.

However, as a devout Muslim like many in the poor African country, he doubted that his emigrant sister, whom has not seen for some years, would be treated fairly in the wealthy Western world:

"When you do not believe in God, you are capable of anything," he said.

Mamoudou was identified by Reuters as the brother of Nafissatoa Diallo in May , based on details given by her U.S. lawyer and by speaking to people in the Guinean community in New York and Conakry residents with roots in the Labe region. (Reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Mark John; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Nafissatou Diallo-Accuser

In her lawsuit, Diallo had claimed that she was not aware of Strauss Kahn’s identity and that he had raped her in his suite, but it has now been alleged that she was aware he was “a rich dude” and tried to take advantage.

The paper quoted a source close to the defence investigation as saying that the 32-year-old maid regularly got paid for sex at the hotel and that she performed oral sex on the Frenchman in exchange for money.

“She figured he's a rich dude, and she would get paid. She was told by the crew she ran with that this was a gold mine,” the source added.

However, he suggested that when Strauss Kahn refused to pay money to the woman after having sex with her, she grew angry.

“There was an expectation of money after the fact, but he was dismissive. He turned his back on her and got dressed. She remained in the room with him while he got dressed for at least nine minutes,” the source claimed.

It was reported yesterday that the maid is now facing a perjury charge and could even be deported from America for allegedly lying to the grand jury that indicted Strauss-Kahn on rape charges.

She had also reportedly admitted lying to gain asylum in the US and also cheating on her tax forms.

Tour de France: Garmin-Cervélo Takes First Ever Stage Victory

2011-07-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

Garmin-Cervélo won today's Tour de France stage 2 team time trial in Les Essarts. The victory marked the American-registered team's first ever Tour de France stage win. The BMC Racing Team of Cadel Evans finished second, followed by Bradley Wiggins' Team Sky. Thor Hushovd crossed the line first for Garmin-Cervélo and takes over as the leader of the Tour de France. David Millar is second at same time, and Cadel Evans is third at 1 second.

In the battle among the Bigs for the general classification, Cadel Evans, Bradley Wiggins, and Andy Schleck all gained time on pre-race favorite Alberto Contador whose Saxo Bank team finished eighth. Evans currently leads the favorites, followed by Bradley Wiggins at 3 seconds, Andy Schleck at 4 seconds, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner at 10 seconds, and Ivan Basso at :57. Yesterday, Contador lost 1:20 after he got caught out behind a crash and now sits 1:41 behind Evans. Today's stage added to his deficit, and he now faces a more difficult battle in his quest to win his fourth Tour de France.

French lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a bill to legalize same-sex marriage

2011-06-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

French lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a bill presented by the opposition Socialist Party seeking to legalize same-sex marriage, despite growing public support for gay rights.

The vote reflected opposition to gay marriage among President Nicolas Sarkozy's governing conservatives and the strain of traditional values that runs through many parts of France — away from the gay-friendly bars and neighbourhoods of Paris.

The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, turned down the measure by 293 votes to 222. Opposition was led by Sarkozy's UMP, while Socialists and other leftists supported the bill, which said "marriage can be contracted by two people of different sexes or of the same sex."

Supporters say France has fallen behind the curve on gay rights, as nearby countries like Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have legalized gay marriage.

Earlier this year, France's highest court ruled that laws banning gay marriage don't violate the constitution. The esteemed constitutional Court said any change would be up to parliament to decide.

In France, same-sex couples can form civil unions, but those do not confer inheritance rights or joint custody of goods, among other things.

Flight 447 soon to be demystified - Investigators were able to download data...

2011-05-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Investigators were able to download data over the weekend from the flight recorders from Air France Flight 447, France’s Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses reported Monday.

“These downloads gathered all of the data from the Flight Data recorder, as well as the whole recording of the last two hours of the flight from the Cockpit Voice Recorder,” the BEA said.

The information should help investigators piece together what happened to the Airbus A330, which crashed on its way between Rio de Janeiro and Paris on June 1, 2009, killing all 228 people aboard. The agency said detailed analysis of the data will take several weeks, with an interim report due out during the summer.

The BEA said its investigators downloaded the data in the presence of colleagues from Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil, an officer from the French judicial police and a court expert.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn maintenu en prison

2011-05-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Une juge new-yorkaise a ordonné l'incarcération de Dominique Strauss-Kahn et refusé de le libérer moyennant une caution d'un million de dollars, deux jours après son arrestation dans une affaire de crime sexuel contre une femme de chambre dans un hôtel de Manhattan.

After nearly two years of waiting, the light will perhaps finally be made on the Rio-Paris crash, Flight A330

2011-05-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

Recovered Flight Data Recorder

After nearly two years of waiting, the light will perhaps finally be made on the Rio-Paris crash. One of the two black boxes of the Airbus A330 of Air France, which had crashed at sea off Brazil on 1 June 2009, was recovered Sunday in the bottom of the South Atlantic, announced the Office of Investigation and Analysis ( BEA ).

The disaster had claimed 228 lives.

"The investigation team has located and identified the memory module of the flight data recorder, Flight Data Recorder (FDR) - Sunday morning at noon (French time). He was back on board the ship at 18:40 (Paris time), announced in a statement the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA), responsible for technical investigation.
Investigators from the French BEA (Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses) have recovered the wreckage of Air France Flight 447, the remains of which search crews found on April 3. All 228 aboard the Airbus A330-200 flying from Rio to Paris died when it crashed on June 1, 2009.

The Ile de Sein, a ship supplied by Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN) and equipped with a remotely operated vehicle provided by Phoenix International, will leave Cape Verde began the recovery phase of the operation on April 21. The BEA will has given priority to finding and recovering the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.

The Alucia ship, which launched the small Remus 6000 submarines that spotted the A330’s remains, left the area on April 9. The fourth search campaign started on March 25 and yielded positive results one week later. For once during the search effort, the BEA can consider itself lucky. The aircraft, scattered over a rectangle measuring 650 by 2,000 feet, lies 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface on a flat part of the seabed in an otherwise mountainous area. Some debris have partially sunk into the sand.

France's infamous riot police are threatening to strike over a new rule forbidding them from drinking wine with lunch

2011-05-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

France's riot police have accused the Interior Ministry of "trying to make us priests, but without the sacramental wine"

France's infamous riot police are threatening to strike over a new rule forbidding them from drinking wine with lunch, a cherished — and in many cases legally protected — French tradition.

That is how Dana Kennedy starts her article (merci à Damian) about "the right of CRS police" to have a "small quarter-liter of red to accompany meals on the ground".

The riot police in turn have accused the Interior Ministry of "trying to make us priests, but without the sacramental wine."

The 14,000 dark-blue-uniformed members of the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité, or CRS as they're known in France, have a reputation for heavy-handed tactics and abuses of power when responding to riot and crowd-control situations. They first gained notoriety during the May 1968 student uprisings in France.

So it was no surprise when they angrily denounced the new ban on drinking alcohol -- brought about after pictures of armed CRS police drinking beer while in full body armor and policing a student demonstration in October outraged officials and the public.

… Didier Mangione, the national director of the French Police Union, … said CRS officers were "not happy with being treated like children" and complained further that the Interior Ministry was trying to deprive the CRS of France's long-standing "tradition of conviviality."

PARIS - FRENCH New Wave cinema muse Marie-France Pisier was found dead in her swimming pool in the south of France on Sunday

2011-04-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

She was only 66 years old. She will be missed.

The investigating magistrate in the Mediterranean city of Toulon, near her villa at Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, said her husband found her body in the pool at around 4.00 am.

The cause of death is being investigated, but foul play is not suspected, the prosecutor said.
The actress had been due to travel to the Cannes Film Festival next month for a homage to leading French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Pisier's acting career began in 1961 after New Wave director Francois Truffaut saw her in a family photo taken in Nice. She went on to play for renowned filmmakers Luis Bunuel, Jacques Rivette and especially Andre Techine. Pisier won two Cesar awards - the French equivalent of the Oscars - for best supporting actress in Techine films, Cousin, Cousine in 1976 and Barocco in 1977. -- AFP

CANDELA: Libya - a Springboard For France On The World Stag...

2011-04-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

CANDELA: Libya - a Springboard For France On The World Stag...: "Article by Gary Anderson who is a retired Marine Corps officer. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University’s Ellio..."

Liberté, Egalité, And France’s Courageous Banning Of the Veil

2011-04-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

Now, more than 80 years after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, outlawed religious attire (including the headscarf and full veil for women) in his own, mostly Muslim country, the first Western nation has finally followed suit. Last week, France instituted its so-called “burqa ban,” making it illegal for women to cover their faces in the public arena. Violators of the law – which universally prohibits face coverings of any sort in public – face a fine of €150. Muslim men who are found to have forced their wives or daughter to wear such coverings, however, confront a higher penalty of €30,000 and a one-year prison term. It is a brave and long overdue step towards resolving the integration problems that plague Europe, where, increasingly, countries are arriving at the same unfortunate conclusion: multiculturalism, in the case of Muslim immigration, has been — and continues to be — an abject failure.

To be clear, the “multiculturalism” Europeans speak of differs slightly from the American use of the term. That all men and women are created equal remains a fundamental given in Western democratic though. But for Europeans, the conflicting values between its Muslim immigrant (and often, non-immigrant) populations and Western views creates untenable tensions as Muslim groups demand the curtailing of rights to free expression, require women to remain at home, or continue the inhuman practice of female genital mutilation. Consequently, when religious practices and beliefs conflict with the law of a democratic land, Europeans are increasingly asking, where does “freedom of religion” end?

Opponents to the French ban have seized on this question, arguing that the right to wear a niqab, or face covering, or a burqa, which conceals the entire body, is guaranteed as part of a woman’s right to practice her religion. Others maintain that the government has no right to dictate a woman’s clothing choice.

But these arguments are canards. It is, after all, illegal in most countries to appear naked in public, and though generally ignored and rarely enforced, the American “Flag Code” proscribes how – and where – the Stars and Stripes can be worn, either as accessory or attire. Laws further dictate the use and wear of concealed weapons, hard hats, helmets, and hairnets, all in the name of public safety. (And it is in large measure out of concern for public safety that French President Nicolas Sarkozy instituted the law; such garments make it easy to conceal weapons — and indeed, terror groups are increasingly recruiting women for just this reason. There have also been reports of other crimes committed by men disguised behind Islamic veils — not to mention ski masks.)

As for those who cry “foul” in the name of the free practice of religion, it is worth noting that the Koran, in fact, does not call for the wearing of the niqab – or, for that matter, for headscarves and similar such symbols of female modesty. Rather, these dress codes were imposed later by Islamic leaders, based on interpretations of the Koran that have also been adopted by Salafists and followers of other violent strains of Islam. It is this same interpretation, too, that legitimizes female genital mutilation and honor killings; yet I do not hear opponents of the new law advocating the murder of Muslim girls who, say, fall in love with non-Muslim boys against their fathers’ wishes.

In fact, the niqab and its relatives are arguably not even religious attire at all, but political statements that indicate alignment with the ideals of those like Belgian Islamist leader Abu Imran, who earlier this month (in an online statement against the French burqa ban) declared, “Oh, Sarkozy, Enemy of Allah, Dog of the Romans, Son of the Unbeliever…. We are coming, with our nuclear bombs of Allahu Akbar. We are coming because we reject democracy. We do not accept democracy.” Arguably, you might even say that the niqab is anti-Western, an expression of hate – hate speech – and already a violation of French and European laws.

(I confess, though, that I am amused by the cognitive twist involved by women who at once exploit democracy by declaring their “democratic right” to wear the veil, and yet choose to do so as a statement against democracy itself. I am even more amused — though equally dismayed — by those who fall for this hypocrisy.)

Additionally, many experts contend that frequently, the young women who wear burqas and niqabs (and it is mostly younger women) do so against their parents’ wishes. They are also more often likely to be converts to Islam. Carla Rus, a Dutch psychiatrist who specializes in working with Muslim girls, maintains that the niqab – and conversion to Islam generally – reflects a desire for discipline, a fear of too much freedom. In Islam, there are rules of behavior. In extremist Islam, there are even rules of dress. One might argue, of course, that true freedom must permit the individual the choice not to be free. But true humanitarianism does not.

This is why Kemal Ataturk had the wisdom to abolish these atrocities from his Republic, and why France is right to follow – however belatedly – his example. The niqab , beyond its oppressiveness, forms a barrier, a wall, between the wearer and those whom she encounters. Even the word “niqab” has its roots in the word for “barrier,” “seclusion,” or “mask”; it announces separation, otherness, refusal. To contend that wearing one is in some way a testament to piety or virtue is absurd. Virtue exists, after all, not in what we conceal of our bodies, but in what we reveal by the way we live our lives.

This, too, is why more Western countries should adopt the French law against face coverings in public. While the women who wear them are, in fact, “refusing” the society in which they live, they may discover that, without their veils, that same society embraces them regardless. They may find friendships with women they’d otherwise not have met; and in turn, non-Muslim women may discover friends in them. In speaking, in interacting, they will come to know one another, to understand not the rumors and the myths, but the realities of one another’s lives and cultures. One cannot, after all, legislate faith. But it is possible to legislate a society in which faith forms no barriers between people, where “equality” applies to each and every one of us, and the principles of liberté, egalité, fraternité, stand stronger than the rest.

By ABIGAIL R. ESMAN

X Rated Paris ~ Get naughty during your next visit to Paris by visiting the notorious Pigalle Place where you will find The Moulin Rouge cabaret

2011-04-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

Get naughty during your next visit to Paris by visiting the notorious Pigalle Place, an epicenter of sex shops, peep shows, strip clubs, cabarets and general adults-only, X-rated adventures.

This neighborhood in Montmartre has long been notorious as a popular hotspot for the more risqué crowd. It is home to some of Paris' most famous cabarets ("Moulin Rouge," for instance, was immortalized by artist Toulouse Lautrec as well as Hollywood), or other topless and nude shows.

As one of the oldest Parisian cabarets, the Moulin Rouge is part of our national heritage. It is a festive and emblematic place which has its own history like any other monument."

There is clearly none more famous than the Moulin Rouge. For a few minutes, visitors can enter the shiny, feathered world of the Moulin Rouge. It will be an experience of a lifetime!

There are several strip clubs here, and it is said one can buy a overpriced bottle of champagne and that markup covers getting a girl as a bonus.

You can also find the Musee d'Erotisme (erotic museum) at 72, Boulevard de Clichy.

The neighborhood's raunchy reputation led to its World War II nickname of Pig Alley, as soldiers descended on the area for adult entertainment.

It is best to visit the neighborhood during the day, at least for the first time, and get your bearings. You can get to Pigalle Place by taking the Metro to the Pigalle stop.

This area of Paris isn't just about the down and dirty, though. There are many less libido-related sites here, and more lofty cultural pursuits.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born into an aristocratic family in the south of France in 1864

Toulouse Lautrec's studio was here. Artists Picasso and Maurice Neumont also once lived here. You can view the works of artist Salvador Dali as well at Espace Dalí Montmartre.

If you feel shy about adventuring into this neighborhood alone, there are several tour groups that will guide you. You can usually find a brochure for "adults-only" tours of Pigalle at your hotel, or see the link on the top right of this page.

If you are looking for a risqué night of X-rated fun, Pigalle Place provides all the dirty diversions one could seek.

France is A Hero As French helicopter Mission Rescue Japan's Ambassador in West Africa on Thursday

2011-04-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

The French went in after Gbagbo soldiers broke into the residence, where ambassador ,Yoshifumi Okamura and seven of his staff had taken shelter inside a safe room, armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard said .

French forces, who have already joined helicopter raids to destroy Gbagbo's heavy weapons, also struck two pick-up trucks belonging to armed assailants who tried to break into the French ambassador's residence in the former colony.

The strikes came as forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara laid siege to Gbagbo's own residence after an attempt to extract him from his bunker on Wednesday met with fierce resistance.
Fighting continued in the economic capital Abidjan as Ouattara's forces tried to unseat Gbagbo, who has refused to cede power after losing last November's presidential election to Ouattara, according to results certified by the United Nations..

Sporadic gunfire could be heard coming from Gbagbo's presidential palace in the Plateau district on Thursday, a week after Ouattara's soldiers arrived in the city.
Gbagbo is believed to be holed up in his personal residence, which lies in a cul-de-sac at the heart of the leafy, upscale Cocody embassy district.

The Japanese ambassador said mercenaries had stormed his residence. Burkhard said pro-Gbagbo loyalists had set up rocket launchers on the roof of the building.

"I was blocked in my room and these people had seized my residence," Okamura said.

French troops abseiled down a rope from their helicopter before it landed and Okamura was taken on board.
Burkhard said the French forces, who were shot at, fired back in self-defense, destroying at least one armored vehicle and two pick-up trucks. No French soldiers were injured but one of the Japanese officials was hurt.

REPUBLICAN GUARD

Defense Minister Gerard Longuet told the French Senate Gbagbo had around 1,000 men, 200 of whom are in his residence.
They include his feared Republican Guard and youth militias armed with heavy weapons, who pushed back an assault by Ouattara's men on Wednesday after talks led by the United Nations and France to secure Gbagbo's departure failed.

The former colonial power in Ivory Coast has taken a leading role in talks to persuade Gbagbo to hand over to Ouattara and end the standoff over the contested election in November.
"Gbagbo's fall will happen, inevitably, in, I am not going to say the hours or days ahead, I am cautious," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Thursday.

"This has been going on for four months. When people say we should give time to mediation -- we have given plenty of time to mediation efforts."
Gbagbo, who has refused to recognize Ouattara's victory, said on Wednesday he had no intention of stepping down.
Helicopters from French forces and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast bombarded Gbagbo's heavy weapons stockpiles earlier this week, including those near his residence.
Analysts said Ouattara forces, who swept south last week in a lightly contested march toward Abidjan, could struggle to best Gbagbo's remaining presidential guard and militias.

"Just like in Libya, it's going to take both the rebels and outside forces to push Gbagbo out," said Sebastian Spio-Garbrah, analyst at DaMina Advisors in New York.
Gbagbo has ruled Ivory Coast since 2000 and blames Paris for supporting the north of the country in the civil war of 2002-03. Rebels from that war now make up the bulk of Ouattara's force.

Last year's long-delayed election in the world's top cocoa producing nation was meant to draw a line under the civil war, but Gbagbo's refusal to give up power has plunged the country into violence that has killed more than 1,500 people.

Follow-Up on Libyan Rebels expressing little gratitude for French Assistance- Today they beg for more help !!!

2011-03-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Opposition fighters sing a different song as they pleaded for strikes while fleeing the hamlet of Bin Jawwad, where artillery shells crashed thunderously, raising plumes of smoke. No such strikes were launched during the fighting, and

rebels shouted, "Sarkozy, where are you?"

Libya – Moammar Gadhafi's forces hammered rebels with tanks and rockets, turning their rapid advance into a panicked retreat in an hourslong battle Tuesday. The fighting underscored the dilemma facing the U.S. and its allies in Libya: Rebels may be unable to oust Gadhafi militarily unless already contentious international airstrikes go even further in taking out his forces.

Little Gratitude Forthcoming From Libyan Rebels - They Say Thanks But Please Leave-

2011-03-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Angel one day and Devil The next if you take a poll in Libya- Maybe they do not deserve our help!

Libya: Rebels Thank Sarkozy, ‘But Now Quit the Country’

(AGI) Paris — The insurgents have thanked Nicolas Sarkozy for his armed intervention in Libya, saying “foreign forces” must go. This is the substance of a letter from the head of the Transitional Council in Benghazi, Mahmoud Jibril, to the French President, which said “In the middle of the night, your planes destroyed tanks that were set to crush Benghazi. The Libyan people see you as liberators. Its recognition will be eternal.” Mr Jibril added, however, “we do not want outside forces. We won the first battle thanks to you, but will win the next battle through our own means.” .

French President Nicolas Sarkozy takes military action against Libya

2011-03-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

The photo above shows what happens when a Libyan jet takes on a French fighter jet

It has begun - From the AP: "Top officials from the United States, Europe and the Arab world have announced immediate military action to protect civilians amid combat between Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces and rebel fighters. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after an emergency summit in Paris on Saturday that France has already taken military action against Libya. Sarkozy said "our determination is total." Earlier Saturday, Libyan government troops forces stormed into the rebel capital of Benghazi, apparently ignoring a proclaimed cease-fire and potentially complicating any allied military action."

Several French Rafale fighter jets on Saturday overflew "all Libyan territory" on reconnaissance mission, ready to enforce an air-exclusion zone to halt Muammar Qaddafi’s attacks on opposition, a French military source said, as Western leaders met in Paris to consider their next steps.

The planes were in the air not far from Libya this afternoon and were ready to carry out air strikes if there are orders from President Nicolas Sarkozy, a military official with knowledge of the preparations said on condition of anonymity.

World leaders gathered in Paris on Saturday to discuss a coordinated military intervention in Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi defied the West with an advance into the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

A witness from the western town of Zintin has told Al Arabiya that Gaddafi forces were pounding the town with artillery and residents, including women and children, were taking refuge hideouts in the city.

The witness added that Gaddafi forces were attempting to subdue the opposition-held town because of its strategic location west of the capital Tripoli.

An unnamed U.S. official has said the ongoing violence against Libyan civilians "obviously has an impact" on the international community's next steps

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Sarkozy met privately and then sat down with Arab leaders, an African Union representative, European Union representatives and European heads of state to prepare rapid U.N.-mandated action.

After Gaddafi broke his pledge of a ceasefire overnight, sources close to the Paris talks said military strikes could start as soon as the meeting ends on Saturday afternoon, with France, Britain and Canada in an initial operation and any participation by the United States or Arab nations coming later.
"The strikes could start around 3 or 4 o'clock (1400-1500 GMT)," one source said, adding that Gaddafi's advance into the eastern city of Benghazi had increased pressure to act fast.
A second source said it was "certainly possible" that strikes would start straight after the meeting.

Sarkozy will address the media after the meeting wraps up at around 3:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) and Clinton, Cameron and Merkel are also expected to make statements.

Iraq's foreign minister was at the talks, as was the Qatari prime minister and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, even though Germany is not expected to participate in any action for now.

Determined to prove its diplomatic clout after its clumsy handling of the revolt in Tunisia, Paris has been at the forefront of coordinating a world response to the crisis in Libya, where Gaddafi's troops outgun rag-tag and poorly armed rebel forces. Sarkozy was the first foreign leader to recognize the opposition and drop support for Gaddafi.

Backed by Cameron, Sarkozy convened Saturday's talks in a matter of hours after pushing France's U.N. Security Council partners hard this week to back a resolution allowing possible military action and a no-fly zone over Libya.

NATO ambassadors met in Brussels earlier on Saturday to discuss involvement by the 28-member military alliance in enforcing a no-fly zone, but no decision was taken.

A NATO diplomat said Britain, the United States and Canada were in favour of NATO taking a lead in any operation but said Paris was lukewarm on the idea.

"There could be a decision tomorrow saying that NATO will engage in a no-fly zone, but it's still not clear whether it will be a coalition of the willing, or a NATO operation," the diplomat said.

"France seems to have some problem with it being a NATO operation, given NATO's reputation in the Arab world as a result of Afghanistan and given that NATO is seen as an alliance dominated by the United States."

He added: "What is certain is that time is pressing. A delay of 12 hours of so could be very harmful."

Gaddafi's push into Libya's second city of 670,000 people, in spite of the ceasefire pledged on Friday, appeared to be an attempt to pre-empt Western military action.

France and Britain declined to react to the latest attacks ahead of the Paris talks, but a French government source said the international community must act fast.

"Everything is ready (to act) but the decision is now a political one. It's clear we have to move quickly," he said.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe met EU Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton earlier on Saturday to discuss the EU's role

France gains own version of WikiLeaks called FrenchLeaks

2011-03-11T03:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.frenchleaks.fr/

French AFP

Paris, 10 March 2011: Mediapart on Thursday [10 March] launched FrenchLeaks, a website inspired by WikiLeaks, that asks citizens to forward documents which, after investigation and validation by in-house journalists, will be made available to the public.

“FrenchLeaks makes documents available to the public, which have been used in Mediapart investigations into, for instance, the Bettencourt affair [regarding the management of L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt's fortune] and the Karachi affair [the fatal bombing that allegedly followed an end to kickbacks on French submarine sales to Pakistan] and also invites citizens to send in reports,” explained editor-in-chief Edwy Plenel at a news conference at Mediapart’s Paris offices.

“Our website protects the anonymity and security of sources and thereby makes it possible to upload documents that will then be viewed by the editors and published if relevant,” he went on to say.

For the former editor-in-chief of Le Monde, FrenchLeaks “renders concrete an alliance between journalists and citizen whistleblowers”.

“What we find, we make public,” he added, explaining that it would be possible to download and reproduce all documents. “There will be journalistic input before they go on line. We have editorial responsibility,” he insisted.

While the documents are to be freely accessible, the journalists’ investigations linked to them will, on the other hand, be uploaded on Mediapart which, itself, will require subscription. Mediapart, launched three years ago, know has 48,000 paying subscribers.

FrenchLeaks

« Tout individu a droit à la liberté d’opinion et d’expression, ce qui implique (…) le droit de chercher, de recevoir et de répandre, sans considérations de frontières, les informations et les idées par quelque moyen d’expression que ce soit. » (Article 19 de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme, adoptée à Paris le 10 décembre 1948.)

FrenchLeaks est un site dédié à la diffusion de documents d’intérêt public concernant notamment la France et l’Europe. Edité par le journal d’information en ligne Mediapart, il est au service du droit à l’information et du débat démocratique, dans une indépendance totale vis-à-vis des pouvoirs politiques et économiques.

FrenchLeaks est un outil documentaire et un instrument d’alerte. D’une part, il met à la libre disposition du public des documents ayant fait l’objet d’investigations des journalistes de Mediapart. D’autre part, il permet à des sources de nous transmettre, en toute sécurité et confidentialité, des documents d’intérêt public qui seront mis en ligne après une enquête préalable répondant aux règles professionnelles du journalisme.

Cyber attack on French Finance Ministry

2011-03-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

HACKERS have infiltrated Finance Ministry computers to access documents linked to France’s presidency of the G20.

Between December and the start of March, the ministry was subject to a “gigantic cyber attack”, according to the magazine Paris Match, which broke the story on its website.

Speaking on Europe 1 radio, Budget Minister François Baroin confirmed that “information has certainly been obtained” by hackers, probably from a source outside France, and that “what they were targeting was the organisation of the G20”.

In total, 150 computers are said to have been hacked into after spyware was introduced via attachments on emails sent from pirated email addresses.

Paris Match, which cited “sources close to the affair”, said “numerous documents” linked to the G20 group, which brings together major economies to discuss the world economy, had been copied.

The head of national IT security agency ANSII, Patrick Pailloux, told the magazine “this is the first attack against the French state of this scale”.

According to the magazine, “a high-ranking official” also told them some of the information had been redirected to Chinese sites, but that “this doesn’t mean much”.

Mr Pailloux said: “For two months now, 20-30 ANSII people have been working day and night. The hackers tried to infiltrate other ministries as well, but as far as we know only Bercy [the Finance Ministry] was affected.”

Sarkozy sets sights on defining role of Islam in a secular France ~There are no soldiers but it is nevertheless like a World War II Nazi occupation

2011-02-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

Sarkozy sets sights on defining role of Islam in a secular France

Following last year’s controversial ban on the full Islamic veil in public places, French President Nicolas Sarkozy now wants to formalise the relationship between Islam and France's fiercely secular state. By Tony Todd (text) French President Nicolas Sarkozy has set his sights on the role of Islam in a secular France, which looks set to become a major theme ahead of the 2012 presidential elections.

Sarkozy said Tuesday that he wants to launch a debate in April on the role and influence of the country’s second-biggest religion.

The call for a discussion on Islam follows comments Sarkozy made last week that “multiculturalism is not working” and is seen as a bid to win back voters from the far-right National Front party.

“There is a growing gulf between the media portrayal of Islam and the preoccupations of the French people,” Sarkozy told members of his conservative Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party at a dinner he hosted this week.

And while it remains unclear whether the president would look to encode the debate’s findings in a new law, one unnamed UMP lawmaker told right-wing daily Le Figaro, “The role of Islam in France is going to be a central issue in the 2012 presidential campaign.”

‘This is a secular country:

Sarkozy told his UMP dinner guests that a refusal to address Islam’s role would lead France down the wrong path. “In the 1980s we were careless about immigration because it was a taboo subject – and now we are paying the price for it,” Sarkozy told the party members dining at the Elysée presidential palace. “The same thing is happening with Islam in France right now.”

“It is out of the question that French society should be influenced by Islam,” he continued. “This is a secular country.”

Sarkozy went on to set a deadline for a final decision on what role religion should play in France: “We need to formalise our position on the role of religions in France once and for all, and I want this to be achieved in 2011.”

Religion and the law

Secularism in France, a country with Catholic roots but a deep-rooted suspicion of religion, has been enforced by law for over a century.

“The Republic does not officially recognise, pay salaries for, nor subsidise any religion,” states a December 1905 law on the separation between church and state.

The law adds: “It is henceforth forbidden to erect or display any religious signs or emblems publicly, and political meetings may not take place in places of worship.”

FRANCE'S MUSLIM VEIL DEBATE

Legislation in 2004 reinforced this position, by outlawing the display of religious symbols in schools – such as headscarves and crucifixes – as well as the ban introduced last autumn on the wearing of the full Islamic veil in public places.

The law also bans religious processions but does not address prayer meetings in the city streets (some mosques in France have overcrowding issues, thus leading to an overspill into the streets), which is a particular bugbear of the National Front.

“We need to have a debate on prayer meetings in the streets,” Sarkozy told his UMP party faithful, echoing the concerns of the far right. “In a secular country, we cannot tolerate having a public call to prayer.”

Speaking at a rally in Lyon in December, National Front leader Marine Le Pen went even further, comparing prayers in the street to the World War II Nazi “occupation”.

“There are of course no tanks, there are no soldiers, but it is nevertheless an occupation, and it weighs heavily on local residents,” she said.

http://www.lejr.info/blog/index.php?2007/09

Nicolas Sarkozy declares multiculturalism had failed

2011-02-10T19:37:00.000-08:00

French president Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday declared that multiculturalism had failed, joining a growing number of world leaders or ex-leaders who have condemned it.

"We have been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving him," he said in a television interview in which he declared the concept a "failure".

Prime Minister David Cameron last month pronounced his country's long-standing policy of multiculturalism a failure, calling for better integration of young Muslims to combat home-grown extremism.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Australia's former prime minister John Howard and former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar have also in recent months said multicultural policies have not successfully integrated immigrants.

In an article from The American Thinker Yew articulates the following:

Lee Kuan Yew ranks as one of the most successful statesmen of the 20th century, having led Singapore to independence, and built a thriving prosperous mini-state with a world class economy, out of an ethnically diverse population. He retired as the world's longest serving prime minister, and at 87 years of age, has little to lose in speaking his mind.

Thus, his candor in discussing the assimilation of Muslims is perhaps understandable, but still startling in a world of political correctness and compulsory sensitivity to Muslims, who are never expected to reciprocate.
Singapore has a substantial Muslim minority, mostly Malays but also some Indian Muslims. Throughout its history, Singapore has striven to keep ethnic tensions minimized among its diverse population (ethnic Chinese being the largest group [74%], followed by Malays[13%], Indians, and others -- including many westerners). At one point in the 1960s, Lee spearheaded a merger with majority-Muslim Malaysia, but it quickly fell apart.

In the book, Mr Lee, when asked to assess the progress of multiracialism in Singapore, said: "I have to speak candidly to be of value, but I do not wish to offend the Muslim community.

"I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came, and if you asked me for my observations, the other communities have easier integration - friends, intermarriages and so on, Indians with Chinese, Chinese with Indians - than Muslims. That's the result of the surge from the Arab states."

He added: "I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam."

France lauds euro bond vow

2011-01-14T04:59:00.000-08:00

PARIS (Kyodo) French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde on Tuesday commended Japan for its plan to buy a large portion of the eurozone bonds soon to be issued to help stabilize Ireland's troubled financial system, Japanese officials said.

Lagarde said at a meeting with financial services minister Shozaburo Jimi, now on a Paris visit, that France deeply appreciates the Japanese plan to buy some 20 percent of the bonds being issued this month by the European Financial Stability Facility.

She was also quoted as saying the Japanese expression of its readiness to help bail out Ireland has enhanced international confidence in the euro.

The EFSF, a Luxembourg-based rescue fund for nations that use the euro, is to issue debt worth several billions of euros to finance the cost of an international bailout of Ireland.

Earlier in the day in Tokyo, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Japan is "thinking about purchasing an amount that tops 20 percent" of the bonds being floated by the EFSF.

Islam still considered a threat in France, Germany

2011-01-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

London, Jan 7 – Islam is still considered a threat by millions of French and German nationals and most believe that Muslims have failed to integrate properly in the society, a media report said Friday.

The results of a poll in French newspaper Le Monde revealed that 42 percent of French and 40 percent of Germans consider the presence of Islamic communities ‘a threat’ to their national identities, the Daily Express reported.

France and Germany have the biggest Muslim communities in Europe.

‘Islam and integration: French and Germans admit failure,’ said the headline of the article in Le Monde.

The poll, carried out with marketing firm IFOP, said 68 percent of French and 75 percent of Germans believe Muslims are ‘not well integrated into society’.

Meanwhile, an editorial in Le Monde commented: ‘As Islam becomes a permanent and increasingly conspicuous fixture of European societies, public opinion is clearly tensing up, though disparities do appear between young and old and between Left and Right-wing.’

Jerome Fourquet, of IFOP, said the results ‘go beyond linking immigration with security, or immigration with unemployment, to linking Islam with a threat to identity’.

He said he would like to extend the research to countries such as Britain, where he believed the results would be very much the same.

The threat of terrorism has increasingly been linked with Muslim communities in all European countries, including Britain.

France is a secular society, but the most of its population are Catholics. No official figures are available but the country is estimated to be home to around six million Muslims, many from its former North African colonies.

German authorities estimate that their own Muslim population is about 4.5 million, many of them Turks who emigrated in the 1960s.

The Le Monde/IFOP survey polled 1,600 adults — 800 in France and 800 in Germany.

Debunking the Myth of French Rudeness

2011-01-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

France has been the pinnacle of civilization and decorum, both in Western Europe and abroad, for civilizations. Men and women continue to travel from all over the world to France in order to sample the finest foods, drink the finest wines, and buy the finest fabrics. To speak French is not only to be educated, it is to be refined.

Make no mistake about it, the Parisians are refined…
Men and women jog in polos. Everyone wears neutral colors – primarily black and gray – so as not to draw unwanted attention. The French do not wear revealing clothing nor do they wear shorts until it is impossibly hot to wear pants (mid-June, at the earliest). You say hello as soon as you walk into a store and you treat the salesman, waiter, what-have-you, with the utmost respect, because you are in their store, after all. If you are walking down the street eating a sandwich, every two people you pass will say “bon appetit.” This, to the French, is common courtesy. Extending common courtesy, however, does not mean smiling at everyone who looks your way, saying “thank you” repeatedly until you’re blue in the face, or pretending to be absolutely enamored with a new acquaintance… and that is what’s so difficult for us happy-go-lucky, friends-with-everyone Americans to accept.
For Americans, the French may be “civilized,” but that does not imply courteous. Most Americans believe the French to be a cold, pretentious, unappreciative people because they seldom seem overjoyed to meet strangers, are unwilling to help customers, and “we saved their butts TWICE but when do they ever say ‘thank you’!” Conversely, the French believe Americans to be an obnoxious, stubborn, ignorant people who do what they want when they want, without any regard for anyone else, both in politics and daily life. “It is always the Americans who are the loudest, most annoying people in the metro,” claims a friend. However, despite our opposing ideas of what constitutes “courtesy,” I find that the number-one thing that irritates the French most about Americans is English.
When talking to my friend Emilie (who works as a waitress) about Americans, she rolled her eyes and said, “Americans walk into the restaurant and start blabbering to me in English, they don’t even say Bonjour! And then they get mad when I respond in French… and once they find out we don’t provide a menu in English, they leave. We’re in France for god’s sake!”
Sure, we are the world’s number one superpower, and that definitely gives us a little leeway to “do as we please,” but what’s so hard about learning a few token French phrases before traveling to France? Most of the Europeans – let alone French people – I encounter speak at least three languages, one of which is almost certainly English. “I speak English. I am happy to speak English. If someone comes up to me on the street and asks me ‘parlez-vous anglais?’ I will respond in English. But if someone comes up to me and starts immediately speaking English, I will stare at them blankly and then respond in rapid French,” claims my friend, Cécile.
Most Americans who travel to Paris find a beautiful city inhabited by horrendously rude people, and they could not be more wrong. Granted, many Parisians do not like American tourists, but if you make an effort to at least try to speak French, 9 times out of 10, you will encounter a very helpful French person. Then again, American tourists should also be aware of the minute cultural differences that have an enormous impact…
For instance, just because a French person doesn’t beam at you when they’re talking to you does not mean they’re envisioning punching you in the face. French social interaction is very very very different from American social interaction. In America, at a party, everyone is obliged to make small talk with most of the guests. Not only are we obliged to make small talk, we have to seem genuinely interested in both the conversation and the person – that’s “polite.” But that’s surely not the case in France.
Back in February, when my one-and-only French friend, Erika, introduced me to her group of 8 friends, all of them politely did la bise (the French greeting: one kiss on each cheek) and then proceeded to pretend like I didn’t exist for the next three hours (because that’s how long it takes to drink a coffee in Paris). When we met the second time, they began to incorporate me in the conversation, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that I spoke French! By the third time we hung out, they were treating me as if we had been friends forever – I am not exaggerating. Friendship here is a process, it’s not touch-and-go like it is in the United States. “In America, you are friends with everyone, but no one really knows you. Here, your few friends are your family. We are friends for life,” said Erika.
Both in politics and daily life, the French are very private, and they are very proud. They are proud of their food (Warning: do not ask for salt from any French chef unless they offer), their home, their job, their language… I’ve found that to befriend a French person is to respect them, their boundaries, their culture, and – first and foremost – their language.
by Rachel Ryan

France braces for annual New Year's car torching ~ No Effective Remedy~

2010-12-31T20:49:00.000-08:00

Pathetic. Yes, let's all hide under our beds while Muslim youth set thousands of our cars ablaze. And let's stick our heads further up our sphincters and stop reporting the actual number of cars burned -- that way we can continue to pretend nothing is happening while the continent descends in chaos. There's a plan! That and the Euro-Med partnership that is flooding Europe with more Muslim immigrants.Notice the sharia media -- no mention of Muslims or Islam anyhere. Good doggies.

France braces for annual New Year's car torching as reported by Reuters.

PARIS (Reuters) – France will deploy extra police and keep vandalism statistics under wraps on New Year's Eve to fight what authorities say has become an annual "sweepstakes" of disaffected [Muslim] youths competing to see who can burn the most cars.

Youths in depressed suburbs of French cities have been torching hundreds of vehicles on New Year's Eve and Bastille Day since the early 1990s. Police say the annual rite has turned competitive, with youths tracking the news in the first days of the new year to see which neighborhood did the most damage.

"I have decided to put an end to the competition, the sweepstakes, and will longer publish the number of burned vehicles," Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said this week, adding that publishing statistics encouraged vandalism.

Opposition politicians described the move as an attempt by President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government to cover up the violence.

"The government tends to eliminate unfavorable indicators. The interior minister has been publishing trumped-up statistics for years, and now Hortefeux is going even further," Socialist deputy Delphine Batho, a security specialist, told Reuters.

Last year, the Interior Ministry said 1,137 cars had been torched, a 30 percent rise on 2008. French media reported at the time that several thousand cars had been burned.

Nearly 54,000 police officers will be deployed across France, a rise of some 6,000 compared to normal New Year's Eve staffing levels, and additional command posts set up in several cities, Hortefeux said on Friday.

The image of burning cars remains particularly evocative in France in the wake of urban riots in December 2005. Sarkozy came to power in 2007 promising to quell violence, but crime and vandalism have inched up in the past year.

Arson in France's "sensitive urban areas" rose by 17.2 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to a 2010 study by the Observatory of Sensitive Urban Zones. In 2009 a total of 12,874 cars were burned, it reported

Variety Is The Spice Of Life So Leave It To The French To Find 205 WAYS TO SAY “PENIS”

2010-12-29T06:56:00.000-08:00

You may think this is a totally useless list of words to know in French, but I say it could be extremely handy to know. For example, if you knew these words, you’d get the photo above. AND, you’d understand why many French women will not sit on these. How useful is that?! So, without further ado, I give you “penis” in 205 French words. One of my favorites is le doigt qui n’a pas d’ongle / the finger without a nail.

General:

* le pénis

* le phallus

* le sexe

* la verge

* la mentule (francisation littéraire et désuète du latin mentula)

* le vit (littéraire désuet, utilisé dans les chansons paillardes et les contrepèteries)

* Le guillery: (vieux français)

Slang Expressions:

* L’andouillette (région de Troyes)

* L’arrache patate ( seulement au Québec )

* La banane

* le bangala

* Le Bat (prononcer batte) ( seulement au Québec )

* La belette

* Le Bazar ( Belgique )

* le bazouka

* le bâton de berger

* le bâton de manioc

* le barreau de chaise

* le beignet (Catalogne, rapport au beignet catalan)

* la between

* la bichouette

* la biloute (Nord-Pas de Calais)

* la biroute (Nord-Pas de Calais)

* la bistouquette

* la bite ou bitte

* la bitoune

* la bizoune

* la boutifarre (seulement en Catalogne, désigne le boudin Catalan)

* le bras de Vénus (rapport au gâteau du même nom faisant référence à la Vénus de Milo)

* le braque

* le braquemard ou braquemart

* le bras de vitesse ( seulement au Québec )

* le cabot

* le calibre 12

* le chauve à col roulé

* le chibre

* le chichi (entre autres dans la région du tonnerois)

* la chienne ( seulement au Québec )

* le chinois

* la chose

* le cigare

* le colosse

* la Crochue

* le dard

* le démonte-pneus

* didine

* la douille ( seulement au Québec )

* le doigt qui n’a pas d’ongle

* l’engin

* la flamberge

* la flûte

* le fourniment

* la frétille

* la frétillette

* la graine ( seulement au Québec )

* le grand chauve à col roulé

* le grand chauve poilu

* le gourdin

* la guiche

* la guitare

* l’instrument

* la juste sèche ( rapport à la marque de saucisson éponyme )

* le jésus

* le kiki ou quiqui

* le levier

* la machine

* la mailloche ( seulement au Québec )

* le manche

* le manche à couilles

* le mandrin

* la manguise

* le mât

* la matraque

* le méné ( seulement au Québec et pour désigner la verge d’un enfant )

* le membre

* mérinos

* le moineau

* le moine ( seulement au Québec )

* Le Mono-Couille

* M. l’aspergeur

* Nadon

* le nem

* le nœud (désigne surtout le gland)

* la nouille

* le paf

* le pen ( seulement au Québec )

* le pelo

* le pénible

* le p’tit gaston

* le perchoir à condor

* le petit oiseau

* le pieu

* la pine

* la poilue

* le poisson

* polduk

* la pompe à plaisir

* popaul ou popol

* la poutre

* la quéquette

* la queue

* la rabistouquette (en Bretagne)

* Le ramoneur

* Le robinet d’amour

* la rousquille (Catalogne, rapport au biscuit local du même nom)

* La saucisse

* Le saucisson

* sarse

* sbab

* sboub

* le shaft ( seulement au Québec )

* Le Schafft ( seulement à Lutry )

* Le spaghetti

* tebine

* la teub (verlan de bite)

* La trique

* la trompe

* le tiche ( en belgique )

* le tube

* le vié ( déformation de “vit”)

* la virgule

* le vermiceau

* la vermicelle

* la Wanoune ( seulement à Saint-Monique (Québec))

* le Wipi (nievre)

* le z’boub

* le zeb

* la zézette

* le z’guègue

* le zigomar

* la zigounette

* la zize

* le zizi

* la zizouille

* le zizou

* le zob

* le zobi (pluriel : zèbi)

* Le foufonau

Vulgar expressions:

* avoir l’andouillette qui bave (région de Troyes) (vulgaire)

* le bazooka

* l’asperge : sucer une asperge = faire une fellation

* la baguette magique

* la balayette : “dans le cul la balayette” (vulgaire)

* Dresser les couleurs = être en érection

* Emmener Popaul au cirque = avoir une relation sexuelle

* étrangler le borgne = se masturber

* (se) battre les couilles en neige = se masturber (Région de Liège)

* Charles-le-Chauve

* le (grand) chauve à col roulé

* le cigare à moustache

* le chêne : rapport au sirop d’érable (sperme) et au gland

* le triple décimètre ou le double décimètre

* s’astiquer le chinois = se masturber

* la colonne : se taper (sur) la colonne = se masturber

* le colosse : je vais aller faire pleurer le colosse = je vais uriner

* le cyclope : moucher le cyclope = se masturber

* l’élastique : tirer sur l’élastique = se masturber

* faire « pleurer » (ou « baver ») Georges = uriner

* jack n’a qu’un œil

* le jambon : avoir le jambon qui transpire dans le torchon (le slip)

* junior+

* la flûte : jouer de la flûte = fellation

* la gaule (avoir la.)=être en érection

* la lance d’amour

* le manche : s’astiquer le manche = se masturber

* le manche à couilles

* le membre viril

* le membre turgescent

* le missile : s’astiquer le missile = se masturber

* le monstre : faire pleurer le monstre = uriner

* la nouille : égoutter la nouille = aller uriner

* tremper sa nouille : avoir une relation sexuelle

* tremper son biscuit(-sa biscotte)= avoir une relation sexuelle

* le petit Jésus : mettre le petit Jésus dans la crêche = avoir une relation sexuelle

* le petit oiseau

* le petit soldat

* aller changer l’eau des oliviers = uriner

* le paquet : avoir les bonbons qui collent au paquet

* le pingouin : cirer le pingouin = se masturber

* le poireau : se palucher le poireau = se masturber ; faire dégorger le poireau = éjaculer ; se secouer le poireau = se masturber ; glouglouter le poireau = faire une fellation ; s’astiquer le poireau = se masturber ; se faire tutoyer le poireau = se faire faire une fellation ; se faire taquiner le poireau = se faire faire une fellation

* le pompier

* pomper (ou se faire.)= faire une fellation

* Le piquet : dresser le piquet de tente = être en érection

* le robinet

* le saxophone à moustache

* le service trois pièces

* le soldat : le soldat est au garde à vous = en érection

* le sucre d’orge

* le tube à jus d’homme

* Le trois-pièces cuisine

* faire un aller-retour sur la veine bleue = faire une fellation

* Mini-me

* se faire faire un changement d’huile ( seulement au Québec )

* Se graisser le salami = se masturber

* la coquette

* se faire beurrer la tartine = se faire faire une fellation

* Se faire pogner la poche (seulement par un Paré)

* Changer son poisson d’eau = aller uriner

* Se poignarder comme un chien = se masturber

* Sous le plus grand chapiteau du monde = être en érection dans son lit (rapport à l’émission éponyme)

* Avoir le dur

* La veuve poignet = se masturber

* Tremper le biscuit = avoir une relation sexuelle

* Tremper le croissant = avoir une relation sexuelle

* Polir le mât = se masturber

* se saucer le pinceau

15th Century manuscript from Leonardo da Vinci Found In French Public Library

2010-12-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

The manuscript, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, is in 15th century Italian with words running right to left in mirror-writing. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

A long-lost fragment of manuscript by Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci has been uncovered in a public library in western France after lying forgotten in storage for nearly one and a half centuries.

The text, written from right to left in Leonardo's characteristic mirror-writing, was among 5,000 documents donated to the city of Nantes in 1872 by wealthy collector Pierre-Antoine Labouchère, and then left to languish in local archives.

It was only when a local journalist came across a reference to the document's location in a biography of the Italian master that the manuscript was tracked down.

"He was most probably writing in 15th-century Italian, and possibly in other languages, so it now has to be deciphered," said Agnes Marcetteau, head of the Nantes library where the manuscript was found.

For the time being, however, the contents of the Leonardo script – a few lines on a yellowed scrap of paper – remain a mystery and experts have yet to decipher the artist's brown scrawl, she said.

This is the second rare item uncovered in Labouchère's collection, after the discovery in 2008 of an unseen score by composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one of the major artists, scientists and thinkers of the Renaissance. While the Mona Lisa, which attracts thousands of visitors each day to the Louvre in Paris, is considered the most famous painting in the world, he is also know for his scientific studies and engineering drawings. In 1486 he designed a prototype for a flying machine not unlike today's helicopters.

Muslems Taking Over France? Will the French people rise up against the political correctness?

2010-11-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

France's 751 no-go areas, the so-called zones urbaines sensibles (ZUS, sensitive urban areas), where 5 million people — 8 percent of the population — live...

People get mugged, even murdered, in the ZUS, but the media prefer not to write about it. When large-scale rioting erupts and officers and firemen are attacked, the behavior of the thugs is condoned with references to their "poverty" and to the "racism" of the indigenous French. The French media never devote their attention to the bleak situation of intimidation and lawlessness in which 8 percent of the population, including many poor indigenous French, are forced to live. Muslim racism toward the "infidels" is never mentioned...

The ZUS exist not only because Muslims wish to live in their own areas according to their own culture and their own Shariah laws, but also because organized crime wants to operate without the judicial and fiscal interference of the French state. In France, Shariah law and mafia rule have become almost identical...

Recently the Islamist ideologue Tariq Ramadan was appointed professor at Leiden University, the eldest and most prestigious university in the Netherlands. His chair is being financed by the Sultan of Oman. In Europe as elsewhere, large sums of Saudi and Gulf money are being used to buy universities and media outlets. The purpose is not to promote a moderate form of Islam and to stimulate Muslim immigrants to assimilate into their Western host countries, but to do exactly the opposite...

Detailed info about no-go areas:
http://tinyurl.com/2a5y6kn

FATHER Christmas’s French office officially opens for letters from children in France today

2010-11-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

Father Christmas's French office open

November , 2010

FATHER Christmas’s French office officially opens for letters from children in France today.

The office is in fact a branch of la Poste at Libourne, in the Gironde, which has been receiving children’s letters on behalf of Santa Claus, and replying for 50 years.

These days you can also send emails: last year Le Père Nöel received 150,000 emails and a million letters. This year there are 60 staff working on the job.

Letters come from more than 100 countries, mainly French-speaking, but also from countries like Russia, where writing to Father Christmas is popular and even from the Far East, like China and Japan.

Everyone who writes before December 20 will receive a reply. To email, see www.laposte.fr/pere-noel For hand-written letters, they simply need posting in a letter box, addressed to Le Père Noël.

Sarkozy Forms A New Goverment, With Fillon Remaining As Prime Minister~Fillon’s new focus will be on creating more jobs and national security~

2010-11-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

Fillon’s new cabinet pulls the government to the right

Paris, France (GenevaLunch) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy Saturday dissolved his government when Prime Minister François Fillon handed in his resignation, and Sarkozy then formed a new one, with Fillon remaining as prime minister. The unusual move, since government changes are not normally announced on weekends, came four days after France’s new pension law went into effect, raising the retirement age from 60 to 62, despite weeks of turmoil caused by strikes against the pension plan.

The president promised in June that he would form a new government once the pension law changed.

Fillon has led the government as long as Sarkozy has been in office, since May 2007. His popularity ratings remain well above those of Sarkozy.

Fillon’s new focus will be on creating more jobs and national security, he said Sunday. Le Monde Monday morning calls the new government a victory for Fillon in the run-up to the 2012 French presidential elections, and a repositioning of the government, to the right.

Two high-profile departures are Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner, Socialist, and unpopular and scandal-plagued now ex-Labour Minister Eric Woerth, according to France 24.

The new French Cabinet lineup:

Finance Minister: Christine Lagarde

Interior Minister: Brice Hortefeux

Defence Minister: Alain Juppe

Foreign Affairs Minister: Michèle Alliot-Marie

Education Minister: Luc Chatel

Justice Minister: Michel Mercier

Labour Minister: Xavier Bertrand

Agriculture Minister: Bruno Le Maire

Culture Minister: Frédéric Mitterrand

VOL AF276 - Air France Music "A380 Inspiration"

2010-11-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

VOL AF276 - Air France Music "A380 Inspiration" from airfrancemusic on Vimeo.

Last week Parisian agency BETC Euro RSCG presented three music acts with an unusual challenge: to write and record a song during an Air France flight between Paris and Tokyo...

Gonzales, Monsieur Monsieur and The Shoes all took part in the event, which aimed to highlight Air France's introduction of the A380 aircraft to the Paris-Tokyo route. The roomy aircraft, which has unfortunately been suffering from a bad PR run of late due to Qantas' engine troubles, provided space in which the musicians could work, as the film above documents.

Business Deals Inked as France Tries to Woo China

2010-11-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Chinese President Hu Jintao

Chinese President Hu Jintao got the red carpet treatment when he arrived in Paris Thursday at the start of a three-day visit. His French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy met him at the airport and their motorcade drove down the Champs Elysees.
At an elaborate state dinner, Sarkozy praised China and said Beijing's contribution to a range of key political, economic and environment issues was indispensible.

Friendly Relations

Sarkozy said France and China would go forward in a climate of friendship and understanding. He said the two sides were determined to contribute to the solutions of today's big problems.

France joins a growing European effort to woo Chinese investment and trade. On Thursday, Paris and Beijing signed a slew of business deals worth more than $20 billion. More broadly, Hu's visit comes after a European tour by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao who presided over a European Union-China summit last month.

Essential Support

China has inked business deals with Greece and Italy. Ireland and Hungary are also competing for Chinese investments. And this year, the EU overtook the United States as China's largest trading partner. For France, China's support is particular essential since Paris takes over the presidency next week of the G20 group of top economic powers.
But human rights activists fear Europe may tone down its criticism of China's human rights record as it pushes its financial interests. Mr. Sarkozy did not mention China's human rights during his state dinner speech.
Rights group Amnesty International called for protests in the Riviera town of Nice, where President Hu was visiting Friday. Amnesty member Jacques-Noel Bouttefeux-Leclerq told French radio the group wanted to draw particular attention to the plight of imprisoned Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. A senior Chinese official has warned European governments they would have to bear the consequences if they supported the Nobel winner.

President Sarkozy Becoming A World Leader ~ Is Targeted By A Bomb Intended For The French Embassy

2010-11-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

The police detained the two suspects and destroyed three more letter bombs. One

was addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, but may have been meant to be delivered to the French Embassy, and the others were addressed to the Belgian and Dutch embassies.

ATHENS — Letter bombs exploded at the Swiss and Russian embassies in Athens on Tuesday and three more devices were found by police that were addressed to other embassies as counter-terrorism officers questioned two suspects in connection with a series of attacks that began on Monday. No injuries were reported in the explosions on Tuesday.

The two suspects, aged 22 and 24, are both Greek, according to police who published their photographs on an official Web site late on Monday without naming them. The 22-year-old is a suspected member of the Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire, a small domestic terror group that has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on government and business targets over the past two years that caused no injuries.

The series of letter bombs — all apparently meant to be delivered locally — stirred wider international interest because of the discovery of package bombs that were carried on airplanes from Yemen and were intercepted last Friday in Dubai and Britain.

However, Thanassis Kokkalakis, a spokesman for the Greek police said on Monday that the profile of the suspects and techniques used suggested no connection to Al Qaeda or to the parcel bombs. “There is no evidence suggesting any link to international terrorism,” he said.

A spokesman for the Greek government, which is preparing for local government elections on Sunday, said the attacks were “efforts to disturb the peace and order of Greek society.”

The spokesmen, Giorgos Petalotis, said the domestic terrorists would be thwarted.

On Monday, a package addressed to the Mexican Embassy exploded in the hands of a courier firm worker, causing minor injuries..

On Tuesday, personnel at the Swiss Embassy who were aware of the thwarted attacks threw a suspicious package out of the building, according to media reports. It exploded. There were no immediate details about the blast at the Russian Embassy.

A device sent to the Bulgarian Embassy was destroyed by police bomb disposal experts shortly afterward. Another letter bomb, addressed to the Chilean Embassy, was destroyed by police outside Parliament. A fourth package, addressed to the German Embassy, was returned to the courier firm which had delivered it and destroyed.

Parcel bombs are rarely used by domestic terror groups in Greece but a similar device detonated inside the capital’s public order ministry in June, killing the chief aide to the then minister, who had been the intended target. No group has claimed responsibility for the June attack which occurred after security officials unwittingly transferred the letter into the compound.

Greece has had a history of domestic terrorism since the fall of a military dictatorship in the mid-1970s. That wave peaked in the 1980s, but the fatal shooting of a teenager by a police officer in December 2008 triggered the emergence of several new militant guerrilla groups, some of which have engaged in terrorism.

The Sect of Revolutionaries is an exception among the groups, in that it has actively aimed to kill rather than focusing on protesting government and big business. It claimed responsibility for the murder of a Greek police officer and a journalist over the past two years and has threatened more lethal attacks against police, journalists and other targets. The spokesman for the Greek police said that ballistics tests on the two nine-millimeter Glock pistols confiscated from the two suspects showed that the weapons had not been used in previous attacks by the Sect of Revolutionaries.

Osama bin Laden threatens French troops, France announces pullout from Afghanistan

2010-10-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

France denies any connection between its decision to remove troops from Afghanistan in 2011 and Osama bin Laden's pledge to attack French troops.

France is leaving Afghanistan. Though President Obama has committed to reducing America’s footprint in Afghanistan beginning July 2011, the withdrawal of another ally is likely to add an additional layer of challenge to maneuver that reduction. And the timing of the announcement has put France’s decision under some scrutiny.

France’s announcement came a day after the release of a tape with a message believed to be from Osama Bin Laden, who threatened to attack French citizens because of their presence in Afghanistan and treatment of Muslims. French officials were quick to insist that there is “absolutely no link” between the threat and their decision to begin withdrawing troops in 2011.

"There's a fixed date for NATO in the framework of its new strategy, that's the start of 2011, because in 2011 we're going to transfer a whole series of districts to the Afghans,” said France’s Defense Minister Herve Morin in an article by Agence France-Presse. “At that moment, there could be the first movements or first withdrawals of Allied forces from Afghanistan. In any case, that's the calendar set by Barack Obama, that in 2011 the first American troops could quit Afghanistan.”

There are approximately 3,500 French troops in Afghanistan, stationed mostly to the east of Kabul. France has had soldiers in Afghanistan since 2001 and 50 of those soldiers have died over the course of the nine-year war. France has previously indicated that it would not send additional troops to Afghanistan.

French officials have yet to confirm the authenticity of the tape, in which the Al Qaeda leader threatens to kill and kidnap more French citizens as a result of their involvement in what Mr. bin Laden calls an unjust war.

“The equation is very clear and simple: as you kill, you will be killed; as you take others hostages, you will be taken hostages,” said bin Laden in a part of the tape given to Al Jazeera.

** Paris says bin Laden message is genuine

** U.S. Official Praises French Military, Political Support

Tom A. Peter

Kabul , Oct 28

FRENCH SAFER SEX ADS: ART, OBSCENITY, OR PUBLIC HEALTH? ~AIDS PREVENTION ~ DOES THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS?

2010-10-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

These two AIDS prevention ads won a bronze medal at the Cannes International Ad Festival. The ads are very explicit with tongues and male privates foremost in the ads.

Some may term this shockvertising, others art, but however you view the ads, they are sure to hold your attention for that split second longer than normal to deliver the important message. Many ad critics are questioning the obvious hetero slant of the ads, which may have kept them from getting the gold.

Shock value or intrigue are all ways to get attention. You will look at them like a bad accident that you cannot take your eyes off of. Isn’t this the point! Advertizing does this all the time to seduce or shock to get your attention. The principal is no less effective or appropriate for public service; or is it? Is there a line beyond, for the sake of decency, we should not cross? A line that creates a shock so vulgar that it negatively colors the message? Maybe this is true. For me the jury is still out. One thing is sure; if you are offended by an advertiser’s methods you can contact them directly and express your opinion and encourage others to do the same. Also elected government officials tend to investigate ads that may cross the line as in the Banned nonsmoking ad in France.

Sarkozy Leads and Germany now Follows ! France openly admits its ambitions to protect French culture. Immigration and the Muslem Question.

2010-10-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

France openly admits its ambitions to protect French culture and has been largely
supported by the world community.

It appears that liberal democratic European countries are suddenly discovering their ‘national heritage’ and their ‘national culture’?

Thilo Sarrazin has always been a provocateur. In 2008, for example, he proposed to reduce the daily welfare benefits to €3.76 since he considered €4.25 per day as too much. This time, he is not targeting Germany’s welfare recipients but the country’s Muslim immigrants as the following quote vividly illustrates:

"I don't want the country of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be largely Muslim, or that Turkish or Arabic will be spoken in large areas, that women will wear headscarves and the daily rhythm is set by the call of the muezzin. If I want to experience that, I can just take a vacation in the Orient."

Mr. Sarrazin to contributes to the question in his basic thesis is: The Muslim immigration to Germany must be stopped because the German people’s intelligence potential is decreasing in a natural way since the “cognitive less gifted Muslims” in Germany are generally bearing more children than the German population:

“The cultural alienation of Muslim immigrants could be offset, if these immigrants would contribute a highly skilled or intellectual potential. This, however, is not detectable. Indicators rather show that the opposite is the case, and it is not guaranteed that the reason for this lies only in the uneducated background (of the immigrants). Genetic burdens also play an important role, for example, in case of migrants from the Middle East where genetic diseases are caused by the common custom of marrying relatives which leads to an above average high share of different genetic disorders.” Across Europe and around the world nations are suffering from immigration policies which allow immigration from Muslims who have no desire to assimilate into the culture but to effectively destroy it from the inside out.” Sarrazin has suggested a point system to evaluate a candidate’s potential to integrate into German society.

The debate in Germany is only an indicator of what kind of transformation Europe is going through. Approximately 15 to 20 million Muslims are currently residing in the EU. This population is expected to double by 2025. Thirteen countries still do not recognize Islam as a religion, even though it is at least the second largest religion in 16 of 37 European countries (Turkey not included!).3 Considering these facts, questions of European values and identities will have to be addressed.

It appears that Britain and the rest of the European Union are ignoring a demographic time bomb: a recent rush into the EU by migrants, including millions of Muslims, will change the continent beyond recognition over the next two decades, and almost no policy-makers are talking about it.

The numbers are startling. Only 3.2 per cent of Spain's population was foreign-born in 1998. In 2007 it was 13.4 per cent. Europe's Muslim population has more than doubled in the past 30 years and will have doubled again by 2015. In Brussels, the top seven baby boys' names recently were Mohamed, Adam, Rayan, Ayoub, Mehdi, Amine and Hamza.

Statistics indicate that Europe's low white birth rate, coupled with faster multiplying migrants, will change fundamentally what we take to mean by European culture and society. The altered population mix has far-reaching implications for education, housing, welfare, labor, the arts and everything in between. It could have a critical impact on foreign policy: a study was submitted to the US Air Force on how America's relationship with Europe might evolve. Yet EU officials admit that these issues are not receiving the attention they deserve. EU. Mr Perkowski's study says: "Faced with rapidly growing, disenfranchised and increasingly politically empowered Muslim populations within the borders of some of its oldest and strongest allies, the US could be faced with ever stronger challenges to its Middle East foreign policies."

It appears that in Europe, in the US and around the world nations are beginning to deliberate on the issue of Muslim immigration. Preservation of culture is the privilege of each nation and need not bow to the haunts of political correctness when destructive forces threaten. It is the duty of each of the nation’s leaders to protect and preserve the integrity of the nation they serve. It is the mandate of each leader that in doing so that they manifest the will of the people and the preservation of their culture.

Halloween in France? Verdicts banning the "Our Body: The Universe Within"

2010-10-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

France's highest court has held up two previous verdicts banning the "Our Body: The Universe Within" exhibition, making France the first country to ban the controversial human body expo.

By Priscille LAFITTE (text)

The highest judicial authority in France has definitively banned the exhibition “Our Body: The Universe Within”, upholding two previous court decisions that raised concerns over the striking expo that showcases actual human body parts, organs and skin.

The ruling is significant both because banning exhibitions in France is a rarity, and because it makes France the first country to chase out “Our Body". The exhibition has enjoyed successful runs in the United States and Germany.

“Our Body” uses a technique of polymer impregnation, developed by the German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, that precisely preserves human tissues down to the cell level and cancels putrefaction. It has stunned visitors with its detailed display of intertwining human body systems.

The exhibition was presented to French audiences, first in Lyon and Marseille in the spring of 2008, then in Paris in February 2009, before running into legal troubles.

Body of evidence

Soon after their arrival, the origins of the bodies became a matter of debate in France. Two organisations, “Together against the death penalty” and “Solidarity China”, said they suspected the bodies came from the Chinese prison authority, and not from Hong Kong medical schools, as “Our Body” producer Studio 2 Productions claims.

The exposed body parts and organs are so perfectly preserved, the two rights organisations argued, that they must have been delivered just moments after death. Another observation brought forth by the two groups was that the bodies show no evidence of serious pathology that could have caused immediate death.

Bunches of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in April 2010. French police said Wednesday they were hunting thieves

2010-10-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

BEZIERS, France (AFP) –
French police said Wednesday they were hunting thieves who sneaked on to a farmer's land under cover of darkness and harvested his entire crop of cabernet sauvignon grapes.

The thieves used a wine-harvesting machine when they struck Sunday night in the southern area of Villeneuve-les-Beziers and then transported the 30 tonnes of stolen grapes in a truck.

The theft from the two hectares of land meant that the farmer lost an entire year's work.

In France, it is illegal for a person to kiss another on railways.

2010-09-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

In France, it is illegal for a person to kiss another on railways.

Other bits of Trivia and weird facts

In 1967, the first successful heart transplant was performed in Cape Town, South Africa.

A 27 year old heir to a sausage empire was handed o ticket for 116,000 pounds for driving at 80 km/hr in a 40 km/hr zone. This is because the speeding tickets in Finland are based on how much money a person makes.

A man filed a lawsuit against his doctor because he survived longer than what the doctor had predicted.

A surfer once sued another surfer for "stealing his wave." The case was thrown out because the court was unable to put a price on "pain and suffering" endured by the surfer watching someone else ride "his" wave.

David Rice Atchinson was President of the United States for exactly one day. This happened due to a glitch in American law at the time.

In 1985, a pregnant women was falsely accused of shoplifting a basketball.

In Israel, religious law forbids picking your nose on Sabbath.

In Quebec, Canada, an old law states that margarine must be a different colour than butter.

In Singapore, it is illegal to sell or own chewing gum.

In the 1985 Boise, Idaho mayoral election, there were four write-in votes for Mr. Potato Head.

Since the United Nations was founded in 1945, there have been 140 wars.

The first person to die in the electric chair was William Kemmler, an ax murderer from New York on August 6, 1890.

The majority of burglaries occur during the daytime when people are not home.

The triangular shape that Toblerone chocolates are packaged in, is protected by law.

English sailors were referred to as "limeys" because sailors added lime juice to their diet to combat scurvy.

1 out of every 4 kids in the USA is overweight.

41% of women apply body or hand moisturizer a minimum three times a day.

75-90% of primary physician visits are due to stress.

A blink lasts approximately 0.3 seconds.

A ear trumpet was used before the hearing aid was invented by people who had difficulty hearing.

A fetus develops fingerprints at eighteen weeks.

A fetus that is four months old, will becomes startled and turn away if a light is flashed on the mother's stomach.

French anti-smoking ad..BANNED

2010-07-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

This campaign from the French anti-smoking organisation Droits des Non Fumeurs compares smoking among teenagers to forced oral sex. The campaign in fact was trying to make an analogy of the submissive nature of these two things. The images showed teenagers kneeling down to suck cancer sticks, like they unwillingly perform oral sex.

Paris, France (AHN) -- French doctors on Thursday claimed their full-face transplant on a 35-year-old man on June 26 and 27 was the world's first because it included tear ducts and eyelids.

2010-07-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

French surgeon Laurent Lantieri poses in his office at the Henri Mondor hospital in Creteil, south of Paris, Thursday July 8, 2010.

Paris, France (AHN) -- French doctors on Thursday claimed their full-face transplant on a 35-year-old man on June 26 and 27 was the world's first because it included tear ducts and eyelids.

Professor Laurent Lantieri, MD is a French plastic surgeon who is a pioneer in the field of face transplantation., led the surgery. A previous claim by Spanish doctors of doing the same operation was not considered a full-face transplant because no replacement of tear ducts was involved.
Lantieri reported that the patient was doing fine at the Creteil Henri-Mondor hospital located in the suburbs of Paris.
It was not Lantieri's first face transplant. He has done partial and nearly-complete face transplants before, including that of a man with a massive tumor on his face, a condition called Von Recklinghausen's disease. About 13 months after the 2007 transplant, the man was reintegrated into society.
In April, 30 Spanish doctors at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona transplanted a face unto 38-year-old Isabelle Dinoire, who lost her nose, lips and chin after being attacked by a dog. Bernard Devauchelle, a professor of facial surgery at a hospital in Amiens in northern France, led the operation.

France;s Famous Guillotine Now On A Thriller Exhibit In Paris

2010-07-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Some 33 years after the last head rolled in France, the guillotine is back—as a cutting-edge display item in a Paris museum exhibit about crime and punishment. The former instrument of death was displayed at the request of Robert Badinter, the politician who ended the death penalty in France, who was thrilled to see his “old enemy” reduced to a museum object.

But with France currently facing overcrowded prisons and high rates of recidivism, not everyone shares Badinter’s view. “I think it’s a shame this stops at 1981,” one museum visitor told the Guardian. The 14-foot device had a long tradition in France, from the rolling heads of 18th-century revolutionaries to the final guillotine execution, in 1977, of convicted murderer-rapist Hamida Djandoubi in Marseille.

Fight AIDS with 120-foot Condom ~ French guys are geniuses

2010-06-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

What better way to fight AIDS then make a 120-foot condom, fill it with helium, and send it into the sky and around the world. Thank you French people. You guys are geniuses.

Safe sex is a big issue, and the French now have a condom to match. This curiously shaped, 120-foot balloon went on display Jan. 26 at the Palais de la Decouverte, as part of a campaign created by the French association CondomFly to promote condom use and the prevention of AIDS.

The French have unveiled their latest weapon in the battle against sexually transmitted diseases: a 120-foot condom filled with helium that went on display Tuesday at the Palais de la Decouverte in Paris.

The giant inflatable – dubbed "Condomfiere" – will set off on a five-continent tour to promote World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, part of a campaign started by the safe-sex group CondomFly. The dirigible condom carries three passengers plus a pilot.

Before starting its international sojourn, the floating behemoth will stop in Vienna for the 18th International AIDS Conference in June, where it will disperse heath information, as it will throughout its travels.

Even if Condomfiere could make it to the United States by Thanksgiving, it's unlikely Macy's will include it among the giant balloons it parades down Broadway.

And that's not just because of Condomfiere's sexual nature. It's also because of its size.

Since 1997, New York City officials have limited Macy's Thanksgiving Parade floats to 70 feet in length, 40 feet in width and 78 feet in length. It was a rule that forced Woody Woodpecker, among others, into retirement.

New York City, however, is doing its part to promote condom use. The Health Department, which hands out 40 million prophylactics a year – up from 1 million in 2002 – is holding a design-a-condom wrapper contest.

Nearly 600 contestants have jazzed up the city condom's rather stodgy labels, while reminding users about the importance of guarding oneself from sexually transmitted diseases.
"We want to keep people excited about the brand," says Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, "because we know that condoms protect health."
To be sure, "excitement" is a word one uses advisedly around a condom, especially if it stretches 120 feet long

Tourists at the Eiffel Tower witnessed a rollerblader break a world record

2010-06-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Breaking a World Record

2010-06-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Taig Khris, an extreme sports inline skating champion, threw himself from the bottom section of the tower dropping 10m before landing on a 30m-high ramp.

The skater, who calls himself the 'ramp warrior', lost his footing on landing on his first attempt but decided to have another go.

Second time round he found his feet and set a new world record for the highest jump on rollerskates ever to take place.

After completing the jumps, he said:"Two years non-stop, I didn't sleep for nights and nights for that small moment up there and now, as you can see, I made it so that's cool."

Slipper Socks From France- Coochicoos

2010-06-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be a slipper lover to appreciate these crazy, wonderful, French creations.

Sizes and designs for children and adults can be found by clicking the link at the top of this post.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

French fishing boat rescues stranded 16 year old Abby Sunderland

2010-06-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

A French fishing vessel rescued a California teenager Saturday from her crippled sailboat in the turbulent southern Indian Ocean, bringing relief to her family but ending her around-the-world sailing effort.

Laurence Sunderland , the father of 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, told reporters outside his home that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority had contacted him to confirm the rescue more than 2,000 miles from the western Australia coast. Her boat abandoned, she’ll spend at least a week on a series of boats headed for Reunion Island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

“She got out of her vessel with the clothes on her back, and we are just really excited and ecstatic that Abigail is in safe hands,” he said. “She was in good spirits ... She talked to her mother.”

See Link For Full Story

Air France to offer A380 service to Tokyo

2010-06-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

From September 1 passengers flying Air France between Paris CDG and Tokyo Narita will be able to sample the A380 superjumbo.

Mind you, Air France will not be the first European carrier to serve Tokyo with the A380. That honour goes to Germany’s Lufthansa which will inaugurate A380 flights between Europe and Japan next Friday when it launches a rival service out of Frankfurt into Tokyo Narita.

But Air France’s new service will be a worthy competitor especially, as with Lufthansa, its flights are timed to offer a large number of connecting possibilities through its Paris CDG hub.

The A380 will operate Air France’s flight AF276 every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from Paris CDG which arrives into Tokyo the next morning at 0810. Return A380 flight AF275 will depart Narita at 1150 every Monday, Thursday and Saturday to land back into CDG the same day at 1715. From October 5, Air France says the A380 service will be upgraded to a daily frequency.

The carrier’s A380 accommodates a maximum of 538 passengers. There are nine first class seats on the lower deck and 80 business class seats upstairs. Economy class is split between the A380’s upper and lower decks. Note that Air France’s A380s do not currently have premium economy seating, but the carrier is due to start equipping its superjumbos with the product from next year (see online news May 25).

Tokyo will be the third destination for Air France’s A380 after New York (which was launched in November last year) and Johannesburg (which started last February).

Medieval cannon at Firepower, Museum of the Royal Artillery

2010-05-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Medieval cannon Firepower

2010-05-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

A life-size reconstruction of the first illustrated cannon in Western Europe, from the Walter De Milemete manuscript of c1326 held by Christ Church, Oxford. The original manuscript shows a brass vase, unsecured on a table, being set off by a knight in chainmail and with an arrow in this position [see above].

Modern thinking is that the vase [guns were known as vase de feu at this time] was narrow bore and used like a harpoon gun to fire a spear whose long shank has been inserted down the narrow bore.
The other interpretation is that the bore was wider and perhaps the complete arrow had been loaded into the barrel and what the artist was attempting to show was the arrow at the moment of leaving the muzzle.
Although dated to circa 1326, the Milemete manuscript shows the knight wearing anachronistic armour of nearer 1280 or 1290 date, suggesting the illustration may be a copy and - therefore - guns were in use at an earlier date.
An attempt to build a real Milemete gun working on the 'harpoon' theory and fire it for a television documentary met with mixed results. The arrow went several hundred yards but broke up.
Another theory, of course, is that the manuscript artist had never seen such a weapon but drew a speculative piece based on the name 'vase de feu'. This would explain why, in the manuscript, no attempt has been made to secure the barrel against recoil forces

Swim Suits or Bikinis For Miss France - Whats at stake? Who will win? You Decide..

2010-05-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Miss France Beauty Pageant-Bikinis or No Bikinis-You Decide

2010-05-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

In a London report, Italian prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi’s empire is embroiled in a row with Miss France’s self-styled moral guardian Genevieve de Fontenay, 77, over wearing bikinis in the beauty pageant.

De Fontenay has accused Endemol France, the Berlusconi-owned group which brought reality TV to France, of turning Miss France into trash.

“Those (girls) who like opening their legs will be with Endemol and those with a bit of class will stay by my side,” the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

In fact, several former Miss France laureates were pitted against each other and both camps claim to have majority support.

In the eyes of La France Profonde, de Fontenay has been instrumental in keeping rampant feminism at bay while maintaining decorum.

On the other hand, Berlusconi’s media group is not averse to healthy doses of on-screen bare flesh.

Endemol bought the rights off de Fontenay for the Miss France label in 2002 for 10 million euros, promising not to lower the tone and to pay her a monthly 5,000-euro fee to oversee the pageant until the end of this year.

However, she was ruffled when Endemol ordered contestants to wear their hair down, rather than in a bun, and don bikinis rather than swimsuits in the final. (Above)

But the last straw was when a French magazine published lewd photographs of Kelly Bochenko, (left) a Miss France contestant, in poses de Fontenay described as “gynecological”.
The Bochenko headlines read:

"Miss Paris, Kelly Bochenko abandoned by family for posing nude"

This broke her cardinal rule that her “girls” should never take their clothes off in public.
The last Miss France to do that, Valerie Begue, was stripped of her crown.

Endemol then sealed the rift in her view by inviting Bochenko to participate in its reality TV show, ‘Celebrity Farm’.

De Fontenay raged at Endemol executives for an hour telling them they had “adulterated” the spirit of Miss France before storming out and announcing that she was starting a rival pageant that respects her moral and dress codes.

Endemol hit back via Sylvie Tellier, director general of its Miss France organization who won the contest herself in 2002.

“Mme de Fontenay no longer represents Miss France nor can she claim the Miss France label. She must stay away from this year’s winner and cannot turn up to contests,” she said.

She warned that regional committees, had until May 10 to swear allegiance to Endemol or lose the use of the Miss France brand, and any accompanying TV rights.

Endemol claims that already 14 out of the 37 regions are on its side.

Others have come out in favor of Mrs de Fontenay, including the powerful Western France region. (ANI)

Paris France Beauty Treament~Fish Pedicure

2010-05-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Something Fishy In Paris France

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A new trend in Paris, France has captured the attention of those seeking beauty as tiny fish nibble away at dead skin on your feet. The technique originated in Turkey and parts of Asia to treat skin conditions.
“First of all lots of shrieking, surprise and tickling which I found unbearable. But, little by little you get used to it,” said a willing patron. “And by now almost forget that the ends of your feet are getting nibbled. In the end, it’s not so bad.”
The salon’s owner believes that fish are better for the skin than ordinary pedicures.
“The difference between this and the traditional treatment is that nobody does a scrubbing stage which you do with a file. And here we do that with little fish that eat the dead skin,” the salon owner said to a reporter. “There is a difference in terms of results which is that when you file the skin with a file the epidermis is irritated and it grows back more quickly. Whereas with the fish it’s much more natural and so it’s much longer for dead skin to grow back.”

The cost of this treatment runs around $65 US. E-73.383

French Goverment & Law enforcement Stands Firm On Resricting Headcoverings For Women

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Driver fined for wearing face veil

Practicality: The safety of the traveling public takes priority over the whims of those who would drive half-blind for the sake of a supremacist ideology. "Driver wearing Islamic face veil fined in France," by Pierre-Baptiste Vanzini for the Associated Press, April 23:

NANTES, France - A woman driver wearing an Islamic face veil has been fined by French police for not having a clear field of vision. The fine was small, but it garnered big attention Friday and may illustrate what is to come as the president pushes to outlaw the veils nationwide.

Traffic police in the western city of Nantes fined the 31-year-old woman euro22 ($29) in early April, her lawyer said. The fine was based on a rule that says drivers should have freedom of movement and a sufficient field of vision, lawyer Jean-Michel Pollono said.

Only Al Pacino gets to drive blind. And only in that one movie.

Pollono said Friday that he is protesting the decision, saying a veil is no different from a motorcycle helmet in terms of hindrance to vision.

The driver gave a news conference Friday -- while wearing the niqab veil, which covers the entire face except for the eyes -- and expressed "a feeling of injustice" over the incident.

"I didn't commit any infraction," said the driver, who declined to give her name. "I see just as well as you. ... I have driven like this for nine years. I've not had any problems."

The driver is French by nationality. The lawyer said she had never been stopped until now, after months of recent parliamentary discussion and government talk about possibly banning the veils.

But wait, there's more:

As the case escalated in the media spotlight, Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux's office said he wrote to his counterpart at the Immigration Ministry to request a study into whether the woman's Algerian-born husband could be stripped of French nationality for suspected illegal behavior.

In the letter to Immigration Minister Eric Besson, Hortefeux said the man was suspected of polygamy and fraud of state social services by allegedly benefiting from state financial aid for single parents paid to each of his four wives -- all of whom wear veils. An Interior Ministry official provided details of the letter, though not the husband's name, to The Associated Press...

Holidays in France ~ A favorate for Brits

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The UK has much to offer and many people are choosing to stay at home and holiday here.
But this does not mean people have forgotten the benefits of a holiday in France.
According to a spokesperson from the country’s Tourism Development Agency – ATOUT FRANCE – some 74 million people chose to visit France in 2009.
"Great Britain remains one of the key markets for France and France is still one of the favourite destinations for British tourists," he commented.
Recent reports had found a six per cent drop in tourists last year, thought to be a result of the economic crisis.
But the spokesperson claimed the industry is feeling positive about the prospects for this year and explains the cheap cost of travel to France from the UK is a huge bonus.
If you’ve booked a stay in a French holiday cottage, you can expect to choose from a huge variety of activities to do.
These range from wine tours, skiing and popping to the seaside, the spokesperson explains.
So it seems now is a great time to hop across the Channel and enjoy a taste of France.

Castles Of France ~ Le Château de Luynes

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The elegant residential block of the château, in brick and stone, was built during the reign of Louis XI, while the two wings date from the 17C. The interior houses sumptuous tapestries, paintings and antique furniture. Photographing inside this part of the castle is, unfortunately, not allowed nor are any pictures of the amazing furnishings, paintings and tapestries for sale in the souvenir shop belonging to the castle. The castle is still inhabited by one Count. As a result you get a tour through the castle, and then enjoy antique paintings and hunting trophies interspersed with family photos and see the residents

In spite of de Luynes being currently occupied we are fortunate enough to have a few pictures of the interior of this wonderful castle. YIKES In addition we will do our best to describe the various rooms through-out. Please enjoy your humble tour via Ma Promenade.

Location Of Chateau de Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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Luynes medieval castle

Dating from the 11C and 15C

Coat Of Arms For Chateau de Luynes

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History of The Chateau of Luynes

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The de luynes is 12th century fortress, and still has people living inside it. The chateau of luynes has survived the centuries thanks to the great families who know how to take care of this wonderful castle. Many great kings of the past used to live in the chateau of luynes such as Louis XI and Louis XIII.The luynes garden is and inexpressible charm to each family that has live in the chateau of luynes. The villages bellow the chateau luynes have an old blacksmith’s shop beside the entrance to the steps leading up to the castle; there is also an old wooden market-hall and at the back of the castle there is a beautiful river that flows behind the castle. The chateau of luynes was destroyed but then rebuild in the 12th century but the second time it was re-built it had stronger walls made out of modern bricks to sustain it from there enemies that would try again to destroy the chateau of luynes. But failed on countless adepts.

THE GUARD'S ROOM ~ Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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THE GUARD'S ROOM: Now, on the groundfloor, the oldest part of the castle (like the foundations). This room was designed for the soldiers, the guards in the medieval past. Nowadays, the family uses this room to organise banquets after a hunt.

It is finely furnished with:
- a Flemish chandelier (XVIlth)
- an impressive Veniclan mirror carved in wood and covered of gold-leaves (XVIIIth-Roccoco style),
On the back - paintings:
- on the right: a large painting signed MONTPEZAT represents a hunting rendez-vous in Marchenoir forest. The great-grand-father of the actual Duke of Luynes is dressed in red. He was killed at the battle of Loigny in 1870 when he only was 25 years old.
- On the other side: the attractive Marie of Rohan on the left (when she was seventeen years old and Duchess of Luynes) and "Monsieur le Comte" on the right ( Louis XIII's cousin), Count of Soissons. They both plotted against Richelieu, as many nobles did at that time, disliking his despotism and his never-ending 'Thirty Years War' against tho Habsbourg dynasty ( Spain).
In Renaissance style:
- The Italian table with extensions (leaves). The food was shown before eating and a taste officer verified if food and wines were not poisoned. It's the reason why it was called 'credenza' (the 'confidence' in Italian language).
- The king's chair usually set up in a bedroom and used as a seat, a chest and a table (the seatback could be pulled down) when travelling.
In the 2d Empire style (XIXth): the 'indiscret', the 3-seat-sofa replaced the 2-seat-sofa called the 'confident' (Louis XVth style). In the indiscret, 2 persons keep on talking but another one henceflorth listens! The only indiscretion in Loire Valley...

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At the opening of a side valley to the north, you came upon the Castle of Luynes standing on its rock, reminding one of Charles d'Albret, another favourite of Louis XIII. I do not know whether the Duke ever came to his castle. He was probably too busy at Court, fighting the battles of the young King against the machinations of his mother, Marie de Medicis, Richelieu, and the Marechal d'Ancre.

I remember reading somewhere how skilled he was in training hawks, and that the boy King, who had so little to occupy or amuse him, first grew to love the handsome young Duke on account of the splendid hunting birds he gave him. The King found other uses for him later. Do you remember the story of the murder of the Marshal? That was Luyne's work. He and the King had planned it between them.

" And now," said little Louis, half crying for joy, as the shouts of " Vive le Roi! " told him that the plot had succeeded, and that his enemy was really dead; " and now I am King! I have always been King, but for the future I shall be King more than ever."

Chateau de Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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The Gardens of Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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The attractive gardens are well laid-out, the harmony of their design reflecting a certain quest for the good life. From the delightful inner courtyard there is a fine panorama of the Loire Valley.

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The village lying at the foot of the rock is picturesque, with the blacksmith's shop beside the entrance to the steps leading up the castle, and an old wooden market-hall, such as one now seldom sees in this part of France. And in its broad, stony bed the river keeps turning and twisting, like a restless sleeper unable to make up his mind on which side to lie.

The approcah to Chateau de Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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Arial View Of The Chateau Of Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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THE DINING ROOM- Luynes - Castles Of France

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THE DINING ROOM: Even now the Luynes family eat their meals in this room (built in 1699). It shows classical furnishings such as: The chandelier and the "sconces" (made of crystal-Bohemia) - the consola (on the left-hand-side) a game hunting table, made of marble and painted wood (trompe-l'oeil) - on the table: an earthenware soup bowl made in Moustiers XVIIth. The Flemish tapestries were made in Brussels in the early XVIIIth by Urbain and Daniel Leyniers. They used to be in the city hall of Brussels, they were then rolled up and stored in an attic for one century (away from daylight), which explains their excellent condition. The scanes refer to Greek mythology: At the back "Venus and Adonys lovers" - on the left "Thetis a beautiful nymph visiting the sea god Nérée.

THE DRAWING ROOM ~ Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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THE DRAWING ROOM: This room was redeveloped wih a lower ceilling in the early XVIIIth century. It's located out of the reception rooms and it gives a real feeling that the château is still inhabited. Many of the pieces of furniture and pictures date back to XVIIIth century. On the back wall: a child, Marie Charles, 5th Duke of Luynes and his uncle Paul d'Albort, Cardinal of Sens, who was very progressive, fighting especially for social laws.

On the left hand side: "La Fête do la Fédération" (Champ de Mars - Paris - 14th July 1790) which illustrates an event during the French Revolution - picture drawn by a famous French illustrator during the Révolution, Moreau.

The 1st Renaissance fireplace shows the coat of arms of the Luynes: The lions are the symbol of the Alberti family (the Luynes family's Italian ancestors- XVth) and the she-wolves are the emblerm of the Favorite's grandmother (from Luynes city in southern France).

The two busts represent: on the left-hand-side: Charles Honoré, 3rd Duke, Colbert's son-in-law, the councellor of Louis XIVth. He educated the king's grand-son, Louis the Duke of Bourgogne who died before becoming king.
On the right-hand-side: Louis-Joseph, 6th Duke who took an active part in the French Revolution. By removing the aristocratic emblems seen in the courtyard (coat of arms of The Luynes) and because of his political position, he protected his château from the revolutionaries. He and his wife were sent to jail for nine months but not to the guillotine...

THE LOUIS XIII'S ROOM ~ de Lyunes ~ Castles Of France

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THE LOUIS XIII'S ROOM: The first Duke of Luynes, Charles d'Albort, was the favorite of Louis XIII, king of France in the early XVIIIth century, he became a Duke when he purchased the château in 1619, and the 'Connétable' (the commander of the French army) in 1620. After his death (1621), he was replaced as first counsellor by the famous Cardinal de Richelieu.

This room shows:
- on the back wall, a large painting: this is a descendent of the first duke - the Duke of Chaulnes - his father, Charles Honoré, the 3rd Duke of Luynes married Jeanne Marie Colbert, the Chancellor of exchequer's daughter. This work of art was painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud, the King Louis XlV's great portraitist.
About the life-style in a princely residence:
- a Dutch baroque marriage wardrobe with exceptional markings with wood and bone.
- a Flemish tapestry from Audenart city (early XVIIth century) which represents a scene of verdure (landscape).
- a chest In 2nd Renaissance style (Henri II), the most popular furniture during the XVth and XVIth centuries. It was a portable trunk (for clothes, silver plate) when travelling.
- two cannons which were offered by Louis XV king of France to the 5th Duke, colonel of the Dragoons in the French Army.
- Many trophies remind us that the Luynes family has been keen on hunting for generations.

2) THE KING'S ROOM: A certain number of French kings stayed on the estate full of game and wild animals (Charles VII, Louis XI, Francis I, Louis XIII). In the Renaissance, when Cathérine de Médicis led her sons Francis II and Charles IX to Candes-Saint-Martin, a place of pilgrimage, she often chose Luynes as a resting point (located between Amboise and Chinon).
More recently, the Queenmother of England and Prince Charles came to the Château of Luynes.

Architecture Of Chateau de Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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Architecture Of The Chateau de Lyunes ~ Castles Of France

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Thank You ForVisiting At The Chateau de Luynes ~ Castles Of France

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I think of Paris When I Think of France

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A France vacation is, with good reason, one of the most visited countries in the world. It has everything one could ever want from a vacation destination: a spectacular city (Paris), sun soaked beaches (French Riviera) more monuments than one could possibly imagine (too many to name! Eiffel Tower, perhaps?), lovely nature (Provence, Loire Valley, etc), incredible mountain scenery (the Alps), and so much more! France is truly a divine vacation destination with the finest dining, superb local wines, and of course the citizens, who seem to truly comprehend the essence of life. Your France vacation is sure to be an experience to remember.

Paris, the City of Light, and its surroundings are the most visited region. Paris' stunning architecture, fascinating monuments, engrossing museums, charming people, and incredible, cosmopolitan atmosphere make it, without a doubt, a captivating destination for your France vacations.

Western France vacations, towards the Atlantic coast, holds the treasures of Normandy & Brittany, with their rolling hills, sandy beaches and quaint, tranquil harbor towns. Normandy & Brittany’s coastline is more rugged, with a unique atmosphere that differs slightly from the rest of France - one can still sense the Celtic origins of this western region.

The eastern section of France consists of the Alsace, Lorraine, Franche Comté and Burgundy regions. Here again, one finds a landscape of verdant, rolling hills dotted with beautiful cities including Metz, Strasbourg, Nancy and Dijon. This region produces many delicious world class wines, including incomparable pinot noirs and chardonnays valued the world over.

France’s central vacation region is, in many ways, the most tranquil part of France. The gem of this region is the Loire valley, with its castles, châteaux, and truly lovely towns. Chartres with its famous cathedral and Tours rates among the most beautiful French cities. Some of these have already been featured here in previous posts.

The Alps are ideal for winter skiing during a France vacation, not too mention summer trekking. Albertville, Grenoble and Chamonix have all served as host sites for Olympic games. The villages of the Alps are truly endearing.

The world renown, South of France seems to have an endless supply of wonders for France Vacations: stunning natural setting, excellent cuisine, breathtaking Roman ruins, and, of course, the Côte d’Azur, or French Riviera. Visitors continue to flock to this region yearly, where towns like Nice and Cannes have been heralded as true celebrity hot spots for years.

This southern region is quite extensive; where, in addition to the fabulous coast, big cities like Marseille and Toulon are also true must sees. The Provence, as well, is enchanting, adorned with tiny villages and luxuriously aromatic lavender fields- a must see for any France vacation.

The Southwest of France is home to the Dordogne, one of France’s quintessential regions. This valley is immensely beautiful, its towns are genuinely hospitable and the food is so fantastic, it's difficult to fathom the citizens of this region contemplate going elsewhere for their vacations.

André François ~ French cartoonist.

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André François (November 9, 1915 – April 11, 2005), born André Farkas, was a Hungarian-born French cartoonist.

He was born to a Hungarian Jewish family in Temesvár, Austria-Hungary (now Timişoara, Romania), He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest (1932-33). He moved to Paris in 1934 and entered to the atelier of the famous poster artist Adolphe Cassandre (1935-36). He became a French citizen in 1939.

Studio

Click for larger image

From Auction House Records

Illustration: Napoleonic cat with Mickey Mouse medal.

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In Paris he immediately went to A. M. Cassandre studio. Later on he said: “I remember that I learned precision and toughness there.” He admired the works of Ensor and Spilliaert and visited Guernica (bull-fighting scene), one of Picasso’s paintings in an international exhibition in 1937.

1939 was a turning point in his life as he was naturalized as French citizen and chose the name Francois for himself. He discovered the sea and married a young girl by the name of Margaret Edmunds and they lived together until the turn of the century.

André-François Barbe

(b. 1936, France)

André-François Barbe's first illustrations were published in 1958 in Le Rire. After that, he worked for several French magazines, including Charlie Mensuel, Hara-Kiri, l'Écho des Savanes and Le Monde. Besides his work for the French market, Barbe( seen above) has worked for foreign magazines like Punch and Playboy (USA). In addition to his comic career, "Barbe" has created many press illustrations

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Other Illustrations

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Castles of France - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg

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With an area of 1.5 ha, High Kœnigsbourg castle is the largest in Alsace after apparently is that of Guirbaden.

At the end of the fifteenth century, High Kœnigsbourg have housed, they say, nearly two hundred people.

Upper Kœnigsbourg (or High Koenigsburg) is a solid position. It has a length of about 260 meters and an average width of about 50 meters.

It is unknown when a castle was first built on the site. The first explicit mention that is known was in 1147. It took its name from the original Königsburg (German, "King's Castle") in 1192.

Frederick Hohenstauf (family of Hohenstaufen) said "Le Borgne, Duke of Swabia, had probably spotted the strategic importance of Mount Stophanberch (height: 755 m, stretching from west to east, perpendicular to the plain) since this castle is mentioned for the first time in the twelfth century; namely from 1147, under the name of Estufin (which is the form of Romanesque Staufen), And in 1184 under the name of Konigsberg.

The name of Stophanberch appears for the first time in 774 in a donation of land made by Charlemagne in the priory by Lièpvre Fulrad, abbot of Saint-Denis

Table of Arms from Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg- France

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Table of arms (from "Die Hohkönigsburg, 1908), in connection with the history of the castle High Kœnigsbourg (from Bodo Ebhardt)

Click to Enlarge

Welcome to Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg

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The entrance to the arms of Tierstein (or Thierstein)

Outer wall lower south side - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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The castle seen from the path of arrival (outer wall lower south side)

In the early thirteenth century the castle passed from the Hohenstaufen family to the Dukes of Lorraine who entrusted it to the Ratsamhausen family who held the castle until the fifteenth century. A coalition of cities attacked and burned the castle in 1462.

The ruins passed to the Thiersteins who rebuilt them after 1479 with a defensive system suited to the new artillery of the time. In 1517 the Thierstein died without an heir and the castle came into the possession of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - South Side

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It was abandoned after the Thirty Years' War because it had been burned and pillaged by Swedish troops after a 52-day siege. For a few hundred years the castle was left unused and became overgrown by the forest. Various romantic poets and artists were inspired by the castle during this time.

Southern elevation of Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg

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It was given by the city of Sélestat to the German emperor Wilhelm II in 1899. Wilhelm wished to create for himself a castle lauding the qualities of the medieval time of Alsace and more generally of German civilization. He hoped it would reinforce the bond of Alsatians with Germany, as they had only recently (1871) been incorporated into the German Reich. The management of the restoration of this fortified castle was entrusted to Bodo Ebhardt. Work proceeded from 1900 to 1908.

The entrance to the arms of Tierstein (or Thierstein) - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg- France

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View from the door of honor to the outer door. Notice the "Crest of Arms" over the door.

The tower is a square tower to the fifteenth century, which served as the ultimate place to retreat if attacked. Severe criticisms were made in the height of the tower restored by architect Bodo .. Arms above the entrance door to the dungeon;

The staircase of the tower was restored in the early twentieth century based on a reference of 1558/1559 and the lapidary elements still in place. This sandstone stairway access mask of the original tower, located at height for a defensive reason.

After passing the entrance gate (10) arms of Tierstein (or Thierstein), we notice on the right, a wall of thin (XV-XXth century) and left the house south on its rocky outcrop

(XII-twentieth century).

Bodo Ebhart's aim was, as near as possible, to rebuild it as it was on the eve of the Thirty Years' War. He relied as much as possible on historical accounts, but, occasionally lacking information, he had to improvise some parts of the stronghold. For example, the Keep tower is now reckoned to be about 14 metres too tall. Wilhelm also encouraged certain modifications which emphasised a romantic nostalgia for Germanic civilization. For example, the main dining hall has a taller roof than it did at the time, and links between the Hohenzollern family with the Habsburgs of the Holy Roman Empire are over-emphasized.

Interior well - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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The well depths of 62 meters

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Water Tank For Kitchen - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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Placed near the kitchen (82), the tank was supplied either by rain collected from roofs, either by carrying containers from outside the castle. The small building that covers the tank is a creation of architect Bodo Ebhardt therein is depicted on a pillar angle, compass in hand.

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On the second floor of the north house tour begins with two parts to the Empress (90). The paneling provide better insulation.

The coussièges (Note: bench built into the recess of a window) are provided near the windows to enjoy the light.

Iron Heaters -

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The upper pan is modern, while the lower part reuses two iron plates found on site during excavation.

Paneling-room Holiday - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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Paneling-room Holiday - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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Paneling-room Holiday - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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Imperial Hall - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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In the West house, then you move into the Imperial Hall or village hall or room Kaiser (100). On the ceiling of the hall of an eagle Kaiser (Note: in heraldic figure of an eagle) and imperial emblems mark the political nature of this piece).

The design and decoration of the hall date from the years 1910-1912. The frescoes are the painter Leo Schnug Strasbourg (1878-1933). The walls are covered with carved paneling. The back of the room, also called hall, has a forum for musicians and laying down the initial height of the rooms (this platform is located above the chamber Lorraine).

Imperial Hall Painting - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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Painting by L. Schnug in the hall

Entrance to the Armory

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The Armory

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Artilary - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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The Guns of The Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg

Artilary - Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - France

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12 Pounder Mid 18th Century

je vous remercie de me joindre au Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg. S'il vous plaît me joindre à nouveau.

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I thank you for joining me at the Chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg. Please contact me again.