Dialogue entre Michael Phelps et Alain Bernard
Previous dialogues: Sarkozy and Qaddafi, Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos
tags: france, michael phelps, olympics 2008, alain bernard, world record
Dialogue Entre Nicolas Sarkozy et Muammar Qaddafi
Previous Dialogues: Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos
tags: france, dalai lama, gaddafi, sarkozy snubs the dalai lama, china’s french poodle
Franco-American Conversations: Another Leak at the Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant
Two nights ago on the evening news Francoise Laborde lightly mentioned that there was yet ANOTHER uranium leak at the Tricastin nuclear power plant near Avignon. This makes a reported 3 radioactive leaks in the last couple of months, and 2 leaks at the same plant. Only partially paying attention, I wasn’t sure I heard correctly. Me, “Wait. WHAT??!” But the subject was over in literally 20 seconds. No elaboration of any kind. This seemed like substantial news but it was slipped hidden in between back to school news and international news (video archive Edition du Mercredi 6 Août 2008).
Me: That nuclear power plant in Tricastin is 30 years old or so, and it’s encountering more and more problems.
Him: Yup.
Me: Is this an accident waiting to happen, here? I mean, it’s literally falling apart at the seams.
Him: Probably.
Me: Should we get the hell outta Dodge?
Him: Dodge?
Me: Should we leave France? I don’t want to be here when that things blows. You know, a French Chernobyl.
Him: Don’t worry about it. It probably has already blown.
Me: Um. Great. No wonder I’ve been feeling so crappy lately.
Link: Tricastin: Encore une fuite cachée? (in French)
tags: france, uranium leaks, tricastin, radiation, contamination
Dimanche Dialogue Entre Florent Pagny, Xavier Darcos et Zidane 
Known for his raspy voice and chart topping pop songs, Florent Pagny (left) sung his tax woes in the song, “Ma Liberté de Penser
” (My freedom to think), and even though this happened long ago, France is rather merciless and never lets neither him nor anyone else forget about any of their past predicaments particularly if they involve stepping over legal lines.
Note: Xavier Darcos is France’s Education Minister (though it would’ve been more ironic if he’d been the Finance Minister…)
tags: france florent pagny zidane xavier darcos taxes
Dimanche Dialogue Entre Daniel Balavoine et Francois Mitterrand 
As a chronic conspiracy theorist and as a person who strongly believes that no politician is good, this imagined dialogue spawned from my various psycho suspicions. It’s a conversation between Late French Singer/Activist Daniel Balavoine and Late President of the French Republic Francois Mitterrand - based on a very well-known confrontation between the two on a talk show in 1980. (Here’s a transcription in French.) Perhaps more “Dialogues Entre Quelqu’un et Quelqu’un d’autre” in France will surface here if I remember to post some. Something for Sundays.
Anyway, back to the dialogue between two dead people.
During the fateful day on live French TV, it appeared that Francois Mitterrand, then running for French President, attempted to lure the youth vote by having the popular singer invited as a “trophy” guest on the live talk show. It was obvious that they had no intention of letting Balavoine say anything. So, Balavoine exploded in anger. He insisted on having air-time for what he had to say, and, in a nutshell, he was trying to represent young adults expressing that they shared a sense of hopelessness because of many unanswered questions and ignored problems. They no longer believed in French politics and policies and felt desperate. He wanted to warn world leaders, which seemed like a direct criticism to Mitterand, that if the situation did not improve, this desperation would surely result in devastating consequences.
I don’t believe Mitterrand was very pleased. That being said, I’m positive the communist party wasn’t very happy, either, with what Balavoine said about them. (He’d questioned what they REALLY did with the money they received.) Wait. Balavoine also criticized Gaston Deferre, who was mayor of Marseille at the time, remarking that he and his administration were not the best societal role models…
Daniel Balavoine was killed in 1986 in a SO-CALLED, “accident.” YES. I don’t really think it was an accident.
It could have been Deferre! Hold on. He also mentioned that M. Soisson, the Ministre de la jeunesse / the Youth Minister, is OLD! And how could a Youth Minister truly act on behalf young adults if he, himself, is old. It might have been Soisson!
tags: france daniel balavoine confrontation francois mitterrand not an accident who killed daniel balavoine?
