SIDA in French means AIDS.

Every year in France (March 31, April 1 & 2), there’s a fund-raising event for AIDS awareness, prevention and assistance called, Sidaction organized by a not-for-profit organization with the same name.

Their mission is to fight against AIDS and to improve the quality of life for the people touched by AIDS. All funds collected are distributed as follows: 50% for research programs and 50% for programs related to prevention and assitance to patients.

Please consider contributing to Sidaction. You can do so by:

1) telephone - dial 110. (France only)
2) donating online by clicking on this link: Donate online
3) purchasing items from their Online Store
4) mailing a check to Sidaction (Download their form, fill it out, then mail it with your check to the address below)

Sidaction (website in French)
228 rue du Faubourg St Martin
75010 Paris FRANCE
Tel: +33.1.53.26.45.55 / Fax: +33.1.53.26.45.75

Start the drumroll. Tomorrow Jacques Chirac will announce the final outcome of the CPE and it looks like it is good to go. Though many deputies of the national assembly were against the CPE, it then had to go to the Conseil Constitutionnel before it could proceed. Today the proposal for the CPE passed through the Conseil Constitutionnel like a breeze, completely unobstructed. It is now up to Chirac to give it the go ahead, which it looks like he’ll do. Source: France2

There’s another national strike planned for next Tuesday but I don’t know what will happen when the CPE passes. It could mean more long-term strikes and some unhappy (anti-CPE) campers, including people not striking.

Note: The majority of the demonstrations are peaceful. I saw on the French news yesterday that CNN had compared this event with the violence and demonstrations of Tiananmen Square, showing only the extreme problematic strikers. That is not only incorrect and insane, but that kind of sensationalistic journalism should also be illegal.

I know junkfood is bad for you but it’s probably the only bad thing I consume, which makes me feel ok about it. I love wandering the junkfood isles of the French supermarkets because I find fun flavored food.

These are called, “Fritelles,” chips in the shape of French fries, and what makes more sense than having French Fry chips flavored with ketchup? Nothing. These are really good.

I thought I’d share that piece of trivia with y’all.

And no, this is not an ad in disguise (though maybe Heinz should pay me for this free publicity.)

[related: french junkfood: smoked ham bugles]

You can’t get to Urville by plane, train, car or boat but you can see it from the comfort of your own chair while you’re sitting at your computer.

Urville, France was previously accessible only if you could reach the deepest crevices of an imagination living inside the mind of a 28-year old autistic French guy named Gilles Tréhin, living in the south of France, in Cagnes-sur-mer, not far from Nice.

Now you can visit Urville if you visit his website. Phew!

At his site, you can see Urville in 200 amazing drawings, and see the detailed descriptions of its population, economy, culture, history and more. This is truly an impressive creation.

Urville: the website. Urville: the book

Also see: Art Savant: The City Inside My Head (short documentary online)

The strikes can’t help but make me wonder about the economic health of Europe in general. Here’s an interesting yet shockingly scary article to ponder.

From the Brussels Journal (an excerpt):

A man-made Disaster

Europe’s social disaster is unfolding while the rest of the world is booming at its fastest rate in three decades. 2004 and 2005 were record years for China and India, which have double-digit growth rates, and for the USA, which fully enjoys the benefits of globalization. The world’s economy is booming at an average rate of over 4%, but Europe’s growth has stagnated at an inflated 1.5%.
…
Europe’s present social model is unsustainable because it is based on robbery of future generations. Keeping the system in place would jeopardize the next generation’s future with an unbearable and uncompressible tax burden, and would seriously add to the risk of a total collapse of Europe. Moreover these expansionary social policies have not worked so far. In spite of the largest debt buildup in history Europe’s growth has remained weak anyway. Europe’s social model is built largely on credit to be paid back by its own children…

Read the full article

There’s a general national strike today in solidarity of the students fighting against the CPE.

Whether you’re for it or against it, you can find out what is going on in cities all over France.

Here’s a website in English by students covering events related to the manifestations against the CPE.

Unrest in France

Most people have heard by now that France is trying to crack down on illegal downloading of music and movies, an attempt to limit piracy. For now, France has decided that there will be a fine of 38 euros if you’re caught downloading pirated media. If you host pirated media for others to download the fine is 150 euros. If you write P2P software (file-sharing software like Limewire, BitTorrent etc.) the fine is a much more hefty fine of 300,000 euros and a 3-year prison sentence.

Where am I going with this? I recently discovered Radiosity, a freeware software program for Mac by Periodic Software that allows you to record internet radio (specifically, Shoutcast®-compatible Internet radio streams) as mp3’s. You can even schedule the days of the week that you want to record, the time, and the Internet station, and then listen to your recordings later on iTunes, iPod or whatever device or player you want. This freeware is for Mac but I’m sure there’s an equivalent for PC.

My point here is that people can simply record internet radio music on to their hard drives just like they can download music from a p2p community on to their hard drives. So, it made me wonder if the French legislators even know what they’re talking about. Will they try to shut this down too, then shut down ftp, then shut down the ENTIRE internet in France?! Sound crazy? Well. Like the U.S., crazy things do happen in France ;-).

Anyway, I was just wondering.

Back to Radiosity. Click here to Download Radiosity (1 MB)
Note: Requires Tiger

[List of Shoutcast Radio Stations (my fave KCRW is on this list yay), Periodic Software]

Tête de nègre is a French dessert with a really troublesome and terribly non-politically correct name. There seems to be many different variations on this pastry. The industrial version you see in the photo uses chocolate sprinkles on the outside and I believe there is some sort of white cream or meringue inside, though I don’t know for sure because I didn’t buy it. Some others call for meringue that is slowly cooked in the oven then later covered with chocolate mousse. In any case, it is a round ball that is covered in chocolate.

I couldn’t bring myself to buying it based on its name. It just bugs me too much. I wish it was called, Tête de chocolat or…anything but what they call it!!…instead. I will have to make Tête de choco myself (this version looks interesting).

Tête means head and nègre is an ethnically pejorative term for a black person (that you can probably guess). Originally, however, I believe the usage of nègre meant “black” (person) but has evolved into something much more debasing today. I’ve asked a few French people today about it and they say that it is no longer acceptable to use this term. (It is, rather, something they’d expect to hear from someone like Le Pen, the fascist leader of the National Front.)

This is Mitchu, the cutest chair hugging Parisian cat I’ve ever seen. He has loved this white chair ever since he was a kitten, according to the post at the cutest blog ever, Cute Overload.

If you need a daily “Awwwww” and warm fuzzy feeling to start the day, I definitely recommend visiting Cute Overload for all things cute. I especially love the hedgehog photos and of course, puppies of Boston Terriers and Pugs. It is almost too much to handle.

Cute Overload

This is a post written by guest blogger: Bruce

From the point of view of the students and businesses, the CPE is actually a good thing. Here are a few thoughts:

1) If you’re employed in a CDD* and find a CDI** , you can’t quit your CDD ( CDDs are not breakable ) ; as a result, someone else takes your dream job. ( with the CPE nothing prevents your from looking for a CDI! )

2) With the CPE, you can look for a job that offers better pay and and you can easily quit if you find one!

3) With the CPE you can leave if you don’t like your boss or co-workers! Also, what if you absolutely hate the job you have under the CPE, and it’s something that is something you have no desire to do? No problem because you’re not bound by contract to stay. Think of it from your point of view (It’s your life, afterall), not the employer.

For a business in France, a 1 to 3 month notice (of being fired or laid off) is required to give an employee. You must pay that employee during the notice period. Let’s imagine my small business is in difficulty. If there is a 1 or 3 months notice requirement, I can not afford pay the employee+social charges ( 3000-4000E is huge for a little biz ).

So let’s look at it this way: micro businesses will generate employment under the CPE that they will not create with the actual system. ( it’s just too risky because of the social charges that are too heavy, and the URSAFF*** doesn’t allow payments that are even 1 hour late! When they say the 15th at midnight , there is someone collecting the mail 00:00 from their mailbox!! )

Note to the strikers : If you don’t want to be fired, just create your own job! Your boss will never fire you! Ha… but in France businesses pay taxes even if they don’t make any money, what an incentive ( 3000 euros the first year, even if your company earned 0 euros… ).

* CDD - Contrat de travail à durée déterminée (limited contract, renewable only once)
** CDI - Contrat de travail à durée indéterminée (permanent hire)
*** - URSSAF - Union de Recouvrement des Cotisations de Securite Sociale et d’allocation familial (sort of like Social Security)

Our developer friend, Julien, based in Paris, was thinking about you when he made Android. It is a perfect distraction to forget that it is, in fact, Monday. Who said you can’t have fun on Monday?

If old school style games are your thing, Android will not disappoint. It is an action game designed in the spirit of the classic game Lode Runner (from the 80’s). You have to control a cute android running around a teeny world collecting things, climbing ladders and vines and jumping on trampolines. The little guy is also equipped with bombs that help him defend himself against…the baddies. The bombs also dig new routes for him to explore. He must collect all of the gold to open the exit to the next level. There are a total of 125 levels.

It is harmless game play except for the fact that it is really addictive.

Download the demo for PC

Download the demo for Mac

Have a blast.

What is the saying? When the cat’s away, the mice will play. But right now in France, it’s: When the anti-CPE students are protesting away, the rats will play. What am I talking about?

Four days ago, while all the students were demonstrating against the new labor laws, Dominique de Villepin made an announcement that people from the Eastern European countries: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland will find it much simpler to work in France. Should the students be also worried about this? Me thinks a big OUI. That final decision will be made on May 1. I don’t think the students have paid any attention to this or even know about it.

I can’t admit to knowing why the students are protesting in the first place, actually. (I don’t really buy their reasons why.) Though, I think it’s a die-hard cultural thing. It is extremely bizarre to me to hear that a two-year probationary period labor law is bad. To me, that just seems fine. Work hard for two years with the possibility of getting permanently hired. The French students’ first reaction is more analogous to the glass being half empty. Instead of thinking, “I have a job!” They think, “I’m going to get fired!”

Even before they find that job in the first place. Is it me, or is that a bit wacky?

Yea, I know, it’s a little more complex than that. Companies in France have been extremely wary of hiring people because they know how hard it is to fire them. If they hire someone that is dead weight, basically doing no work, then they are essentially stuck with that person and have to pay all of the taxes and fees, salary and retirement necessary as an employer. I wished they could have just changed the law that keeps employees immune to being fired. But that’s just me and I’m from the U.S. where “working is a good thing” and where you can pretty much be fired at any moment in time (except for maybe tenured academicians, I’m not sure.)

Anyway, France has a huge non-working population that can not find work, a huge unemployed population (which is separate), a gargantuan deficit, and declining job opportunities. Among the students entering the job market, only about half of them might find jobs, but now, with the opening of the borders from eastern Europe, it may mean even less of them will actually find jobs. If I were a student, I’d stop protesting immédiatement and start looking for work!

Do the Eastern Europeans care about the CPE? Nope. They’re happy to have jobs.

Yesterday’s excitement about Jerry Lewis’ merited (or not) French Legend of Honor made me wonder about who else has received this illustrious medal. I’ve actually heard or read people having said (including Elisabeth’s comment) that the medal is given to everyone. I wanted to know who “everyone” was. I took a quick look at the list of the notables that received the medal.

Among the recipients I first found: David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Jules Verne, Simon Wiesenthal, Norman Mailer, Satyajit Ray, Olivier Messiaen, Charles Lindbergh, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Alexander Graham Bell. I think a majority of people would agree that these awardees probably deserve the recognition. THEN! There are the others: Sharon Stone, Gérard Depardieu, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Jerry Lewis. Why and how were they selected? You’ll have to find out yourself. I think that info would be available at the the official Légion d’Honneur website (in French). You could also check out the museum in Paris (info below).

I think some truly merit the award and receive it, but then there are times the selection is based on their connections. How branché are they? Jerry Lewis must be buds with Jacque Chirac or something. Or, simply chock it up to great public relations people on the part of the latter listed recipients — or a famous two second crotch shot in a 90’s movie…

Palais de la Légion d’honneur (and Museum)
2, rue de la Légion d’honneur
75007 Paris France
Open daily (except on Mondays) 2–5 pm
RER: Musée d’Orsay (opposite the main entrance of the Musée d’Orsay)

[Also see the List of Recipients and the History of the Legion of Honor at Wikipedia]

You love him, you really love him!!!!!

Whoa! Professor!!!

Don’t get on my case. There has been lots of dispute as to whether Jerry Lewis is really loved in France. It has been confirmed: The Nutty Professor has just received a medal and induction into the Legion of Honor.

I’m just sayin’…

BTW, I just saw that reported on the 8 o’clock French news (France 2).

This is sad and scares me.

From the EU Observer:

Bird flu is continuing to spread with Denmark reporting the first case of the avian flu and Azerbaijan reporting three human deaths possibly caused by the virus….

Azerbaijan is also where the first dog to be killed by the virus was found. The dog was found in the capital Baku on 9 March…

Read the full article

With all of the French university student protests against the CPE, another separate yet contributory issue keeps emerging within the dialogue: Race Relations. The job contract CPE will give employers the ability to hire someone under 26 for 2 years and then be able to easily fire them up to and at the end of the contract, or simply hire them permanently. The students are against this because they say it will be harder to lease accommodation or buy property and vehicles for those 2 years. I don’t think that is actually the case and feel that the students have been manipulated by the extreme left to think it is a reason to dispute the new law. I’ve heard countless times from friends and reports that if you are a person of color looking for an apartment, you are oftentimes rejected for a reason of race discrimmination rather than the lack of a permanent job. I personally know someone who called an owner of an apartment for rent in Paris, and the first thing the owner asked was, “What color is your skin?” She said, “black.” The owner said, “The apartment is already rented.” That is the most blatant of racist apartment owners, but other “intolerant” proprietors can be less obvious with the same intentions.

However, the experience of a person of color in Europe will vary and the very nature of the “Black Experience in Europe” changes from situation to situation, region to region, different histories and many other cultural factors. The face of Europe is changing at the speed of light, with borders becoming more transparent, and the movement of peoples in constant evolution.

Where am I going with this? I wasn’t sure for a while but now I remember.

For all of the academes out there and people interested in the subject, there will be a 2-day symposium at Northwestern University exploring “Black Europe and the African Diaspora.” It is an extension of the “Black Paris” experience, and sounds like it will be packed with dynamic debate, animated discussion and illuminating stories. (Ok, maybe some heated arguments, who knows. Tant mieux!)

The Symposium Mission (an excerpt)

…In recognition of the significance of Blacks who have migrated to or were born and/or raised in Europe—what we refer to as “Black Europe”—this international symposium aims not only to explore a site essential to the African Diaspora, but also to interrogate and challenge the very concepts and terms informing this exploration. This would include the notions of “blackness,” “diaspora,” belonging,” common ideas of “Europe” in general, and “Black Europe” itself…

The symposium is free and open to the public.

Black Europe and the African Diaspora
Date: April 21-22, 2006 - Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Download form to register: Registration Form Download (pdf)
Click here to see the Schedule
For more info: Black Europe and the African Diaspora

Cool widget that shows your French TV program and movie listings. You can personalize your own list and you can add your must-see programs to iCal and have it warn you two minutes before the show starts! It’s also possible to record programs in progress with the correct hardware and software. [Download Widget CineTV from Mac PouPou]

Note: Only works on Macs running Tiger.

The word “petrified” doesn’t even come close to how I feel about going to the French dentist. The sentiment is rather amplified by a million or so, roughly. My dentist appointment is in 3 hours. Does the photo of Orin Scrivello, DDS aka Steve Martin in The Little Shop of Horrors describe it better? Oui, un peu.

I never had any issues or problems with the dentist until I moved to France. (Not to say all dentists in France are bad, I just haven’t found any evidence that argues that point.) The last time I was chez le dentiste en France, this is what happened: I was having a filling done, then suddenly this is what i hear from the dentist, “OOPS!” I’m not kidding, though it was more of an “OHPS!” and simultaneously, while my mouth is pried completely open practically splitting my lips, I feel something drop on my tongue. Removing any remaining confidence or comfort to the experience, the dentist then stops and blurts, “qu’est-ce que je vais faire?” (What am I going to do??)

That’s something you don’t want to hear from your dentist.

He grabs the object off my tongue and shoves it in front of my eyes and says, “Your tooth broke in half.”

The only other time I felt like spontaneously projectile barfing was when I broke a bone in my foot and I heard it crack and could feel it break. I felt sick. I honestly didn’t know what to say. Anyway, he ends up leaving half a tooth and fills the rest with filling, shaping it so it mimics the fallen half of my tooth. Seriously.

Thinking to myself, I ponder the idea of looking more French by not smiling anymore. (Light bulb: THAT’S why the French don’t smile. French dentistry!)

He tells me that the filling material will eventually drop and I’ll need a crown. He also hastens to add that it was the fault of my tooth. I wish he could’ve read my mind because I was thinking: jackass jackass jackass!) Why couldn’t he take responsibility for his own ineptitude? Pfffff.

I have another dentist now.