This new widget for Mac allows you to see the last five news items, the top six dowloaded software titles and the last five software downloads added to the French website LogicielMac.com. by Thomas Vignes
Note: in French
0 Comments
Mac Stuff: Logiciel Mac Widget
Upcoming Events in France: Hot Air Balloon Festival 
Every year, the Rassemblement de Montgolfières (gathering of hot air balloons) brings balloonists from all over the world to partake in a three-day ballooning celebration in Le Puy-en-Velay (in central France in Auvergne) during the Armistice holiday.
Le Puy en Velay, is a perfect venue with ideal conditions for ballooning and is world renowned for its picturesque volcanic rocks. The 40 or so balloonists gather for this non-competitive event but everyone is invited as spectators. You can watch the colorful puffy balloons while sipping local wines and sampling the yummy cheeses that makes France France.
Hot Air Balloon Festival
November 10-12, 2006
Le Puy-en-Velay, France
For more information contact Jean-Marc Guerain
Telephone: 33) 04 71 02 73 18 or 33) 04 71 09 38 41 (Le Puy en Velay Tourist Office)
Cassis, France
You can’t get much more postcard perfect with the Mediterranean bijou harbor village of Cassis, which is only about 10 miles southeast of Marseille.
It’s hard to believe that Cassis was at one time an old fishing town, only seen by the rugged fisherman and modest locals. It was an inevitable progression, though, that it would go from basic, to artsy to chic. Now, artists can’t afford to live here.
Cassis even has its own AOC status (granted in 1936) for its very dry wine that has a bouquet of rosemary and heather. The white wine, made from Bourboulenc, Clairette, Marsanne and Ugni Blanc grapes, actually has a very pale green tint to it. They say in Cassis that this wine received a divine quality when God descended from the heavens and shed a tear on a grape vine and voila, divine AOC wine from Cassis was born. Anyway, the Marseillais say that this is the only drink worthy of washing down bouillabaisse.
I believe the chateau perched above the port is privately owned and is a gite or a hotel. If you’ve stayed there, can you post a comment or email me about it? Thanks.
Cassis a good place to relax, have a provencal meal, people watch and take in the amazing scenery, or do something more seaworthy and take sailing lessons, go windsurfing or catch a ferry to the nearby famous Calanques (which I’ll write about after I sift through my million photos.)
There’s a pretty but teeny tiny sandy beach with a stunning backdrop of cliffs, but if you try to go here during the summer, you’ll be lucky if you find a spot bigger than a stamp.
Gasp! Can You Believe It?
We saw this sarcastic sign not long ago, and a photo was in order. My rough translation: Last week, by enormous chance, we learned that even today, there are still people who throw trash on the ground!
Photo Addiction 
I’m not sure how I stumbled upon this site but I am getting progressively into photoblogs and sites with just images. Maybe I am getting too lazy to read? I dunno. Anyway, here’s a good one from Damien Debin from Nantes. He shoots really beautiful photos. You can rate the photos on his site too.
Cute Micro Cars
Though I’m not much into cars, these are an exception because they are so mini and cute! I’m not very excited about seeing them on the highways, however, because they usually don’t go very fast, which makes them dangerous road hazards. They are best seen at exhibitions, and due to the existence of many micro car fans, you can go see them whenever they exhibit. Here’s their site:
On their website you’ll be able to find out about upcoming events all over France.
What do you want to be when you grown up in France?
My 9-year-old French nephew was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. He answered, “Un Chomeur.” (Unemployed.) We laughed but of course know that it is really not funny.
Unemployment in France is at a staggering number, something like 10%, which in reality means much much more than that. Joblessness, not necessarily meaning unemployment, is probably even higher. (if not, it’s high in any case) Why? Quite possibly because there are some incredibly unlucky people in France but also, very likely is that there aren’t as many desired positions available. There could be some laziness in this mix as well but to me, I believe that people are training or studying for jobs that simply aren’t available to them once they finish their education. If they were studying things like plumbing, welding, mechanics, carpentry, farming and other vocational jobs, or even medicine, they wouldn’t have to report to the ANPE looking at the jobs listings (to no avail) or collect their social welfare check (that barely pays all the bills) every month.
If I had more dentists to choose from, man, I’d be tremendously grateful.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t train for things they don’t want to do, and I’m not insisting that they will not find jobs after their education. I honestly hope people will be able to work in the job they want. What it comes down to is that it is my hope that more and more people will realize that if they concentrated on the basics: bakery, repair shops, hardware stores, nursing – stuff that is actually slowly dying out (I mean it), then they will not have to come across the unfortunate situation of not finding work. I worry about what is happening in France. Whenever anyone needs anything done on their house, from plumbing, to window replacement or electrical work, or if they need to see a doctor or dentist, inevitably, they always have to wait months before someone is available to take care of them. There simply are not enough people in these jobs. The work is there, people. Why do you think the Polish plumbers are here??! Studying to be a computer programmer used to be a sure thing, but you’re more likely to find work as a carpenter. How many of our French computer programming friends are out of work? Beaucoup. On the other hand, computer repair guys are in high demand.
I think France is also worried about this trend. This only recently occurred to me when I was shopping for kids’ gifts. I saw these toys (below) and one screamed, “BECOME A BUTCHER!”
They’re for 4 year olds and up. Get the message to the kid early in life, maybe? Here are some more:
BECOME A FARMER! (A farmer that wears a hardhat, that is) The tractor is kind of cool, though.
BECOME A BAKER! (Yes! But a good one. Oh pretty please.)
BECOME A FARMER! (More hardhat wearing farmers here. Concentrate on growing veggies and flowers!)
I also think there’s a huge need for healthcare workers. Someone we know is a retiring doctor trying to sell his practice. It has been for sale for quite a some time now. He’d mentioned that there’s a sad decline in medical school enrollment because more and more students are not willing to spend all of those 10 or more required years for training.
A word of advice: if you are considering the agriculture business, I do not recommend getting into the wine business in France.