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Stephanie Trouillard the French TV journalist and blogger has published an article on France24 titled ‘Can human DNA be patented?’ in which she states “The US Supreme Court is hearing a case against a US biotech company that wants to defend its exclusive rights over two human gene sequences that could be used to identify people at greater risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer. Myriad Genetics, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, developed a genetic diagnosis tool based on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes -- sequences that the company successfully patented -- in the late 1990s. …Myriad’s monopoly over the two genes is contested. Researchers, doctors and patients argue that the company’s patents prevent wider testing and research into cancer. The US-based Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) is one of several scientific bodies contesting Myriad’s patents at the Supreme Court, whose nine justices are expected to deliver their ruling in June. The AMP argues that the genetic sequences for which Myriad holds the patents, awarded in 1997 and 1998, unfairly block further and more extensive research into cancer treatments. … AMP lawyer Christopher Hansen argued to the court that a company could not have exclusive rights over DNA, it being a substance created by nature. “The question presented by this case is what exactly did Myriad invent?” Hansen said. “And the answer is nothing.” The groups opposing Myriad’s patents are supported by Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, who discovered the double helix structure of DNA in 1953. He argued that the product of nature could not be monopolised by any entity. "Knowledge per se cannot be patented. Myriad should not own breast cancer genes," Watson said outside the Supreme Court. Myriad, meanwhile, wants to secure its rights on the genetic sequences and so safeguard the substantial investments it made in researching and developing its analysis tools.”  Inspired by Stephanie Trouillard, France24 ow.ly/kuIe9 Image source ow.ly/kuIci Can human DNA be patented? (May 25 2013)

Stephanie Trouillard the French TV journalist and blogger has published an article on France24 titled ‘Can human DNA be patented?’ in which she states “The US Supreme Court is hearing a case against a US biotech company that wants to defend its exclusive rights over two human gene sequences that could be used to identify people at greater risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer. Myriad Genetics, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, developed a genetic diagnosis tool based on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes — sequences that the company successfully patented — in the late 1990s. …Myriad’s monopoly over the two genes is contested. Researchers, doctors and patients argue that the company’s patents prevent wider testing and research into cancer. The US-based Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) is one of several scientific bodies contesting Myriad’s patents at the Supreme Court, whose nine justices are expected to deliver their ruling in June. The AMP argues that the genetic sequences for which Myriad holds the patents, awarded in 1997 and 1998, unfairly block further and more extensive research into cancer treatments. … AMP lawyer Christopher Hansen argued to the court that a company could not have exclusive rights over DNA, it being a substance created by nature. “The question presented by this case is what exactly did Myriad invent?” Hansen said. “And the answer is nothing.” The groups opposing Myriad’s patents are supported by Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, who discovered the double helix structure of DNA in 1953. He argued that the product of nature could not be monopolised by any entity. “Knowledge per se cannot be patented. Myriad should not own breast cancer genes,” Watson said outside the Supreme Court. Myriad, meanwhile, wants to secure its rights on the genetic sequences and so safeguard the substantial investments it made in researching and developing its analysis tools.”

 

Inspired by Stephanie Trouillard, France24 ow.ly/kuIe9 Image source ow.ly/kuIci

 

 

Laurent Fabius the 66 year old French Socialist politician who served as Prime Minister and current Foreign Minister has been forced to deny rumors of tax evasion. In an article published on France24 by Joseph Bamat, titled ‘French foreign minister denies tax-evasion ‘rumour’’, Bamat states “Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius denied … a rumour that he may have a secret bank account in Switzerland. The allegation comes less than a week after former budget minister Jérôme Cahuzac admitted he lied about holding a secret Swiss bank account, in a tax-evasion scandal that has rocked the Socialist government of President François Hollande. There is no “substance or foundation” to the news report, Fabius said in a statement to the press, adding he would take legal action to “stop the diffusion of this false and slanderous information”.  …left-leaning daily Libération reported that the investigative news website Médiapart – which broke the Cahuzac affair – was looking into whether Fabius was also stashing away euros in “one or several” bank accounts across the border. It stated that Hollande’s cabinet is in a state of panic ahead of potentially devastating new revelations. “More than an affair, it’s a potential political bomb. Everyone thinks the same thing: if Fabius really does have a Swiss bank account, the entire government would fall. Immediately,” the newspaper wrote in its Monday edition that headlined, “The nightmare continues”. However, Libération did not publish any information or document proving that one of France’s top government minister’s had an illegal bank account. Left reeling from the Cahuzac affair, France's government attempted to take back the initiative by stating that it was looking into tightening Europe-wide measures against tax evasion. Médiapart chastised the newspaper Libération for publishing the allegations. Contacted by Libération, Médiapart staff journalist Fabrice Arfi said the only news it stood by was “what is published on our site”.”  Inspired by Joseph Bamat, France24 ow.ly/k8WiS Image source Olivier Ezratty ow.ly/k8Wgl Diffusion of false and slanderous information (May 13 2013)

 

Laurent Fabius the 66 year old French Socialist politician who served as Prime Minister and current Foreign Minister has been forced to deny rumors of tax evasion. In an article published on France24 by Joseph Bamat, titled ‘French foreign minister denies tax-evasion ‘rumour’’, Bamat states “Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius denied … a rumour that he may have a secret bank account in Switzerland. The allegation comes less than a week after former budget minister Jérôme Cahuzac admitted he lied about holding a secret Swiss bank account, in a tax-evasion scandal that has rocked the Socialist government of President François Hollande. There is no “substance or foundation” to the news report, Fabius said in a statement to the press, adding he would take legal action to “stop the diffusion of this false and slanderous information”.  …left-leaning daily Libération reported that the investigative news website Médiapart – which broke the Cahuzac affair – was looking into whether Fabius was also stashing away euros in “one or several” bank accounts across the border. It stated that Hollande’s cabinet is in a state of panic ahead of potentially devastating new revelations. “More than an affair, it’s a potential political bomb. Everyone thinks the same thing: if Fabius really does have a Swiss bank account, the entire government would fall. Immediately,” the newspaper wrote in its Monday edition that headlined, “The nightmare continues”. However, Libération did not publish any information or document proving that one of France’s top government minister’s had an illegal bank account. Left reeling from the Cahuzac affair, France’s government attempted to take back the initiative by stating that it was looking into tightening Europe-wide measures against tax evasion. Médiapart chastised the newspaper Libération for publishing the allegations. Contacted by Libération, Médiapart staff journalist Fabrice Arfi said the only news it stood by was “what is published on our site”.”

 

Inspired by Joseph Bamat, France24 ow.ly/k8WiS Image source Olivier Ezratty ow.ly/k8Wgl

Dominique Moisi the 66 year old French political scientist and writer, co-founder and senior advisor of the Paris-based Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI), has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘France’s German Mirror’. Moisi states “…Berlin is a construction site that has managed to transform its multiple pasts into positive energy. …That positive energy contrasts starkly with the decadent beauty of Paris, a city that is on a path of “museification.” Of course, if you can afford to live there, Paris remains a great place to be. But Berlin is a better place to work, even if what you do is very poorly paid. …Thanks to its moderate housing costs, Berlin has not become, like Paris, a ghetto for the rich. Unlike the French, who are handicapped by the high cost of housing, Germans’ purchasing power is more harmoniously distributed, creating more room for household consumption to contribute to economic growth. Germany’s positive energy is, of course, the result of success translated into confidence, which Chancellor Angela Merkel incarnates with strength and simplicity. Merkel has changed profoundly while in office. Five years ago, she did not exude the natural authority that she now possesses. Today, like Pope Francis, she is clearly at ease with herself. Has there been a French president since François Mitterrand who was truly a match for a German chancellor? If France has replaced Germany as “the sick man of Europe,” it is for political reasons, above all: vision, courage, and strength on the northern side of the Rhine, and vacillation, inertia, and weakness on the southern. …France’s current direction is a source of deep concern in Germany, whose evolution should be seen in France as a source of inspiration – an example to be emulated, even if the country must not fall into self-flagellation. …France today can and should learn from Germany.”  Inspired by Dominique Moisi, Project Syndicate ow.ly/jBdO4 Image source Voltairenet ow.ly/jBdJt France can and should learn from Germany (April 24 2013)

 

Dominique Moisi the 66 year old French political scientist and writer, co-founder and senior advisor of the Paris-based Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI), has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘France’s German Mirror’. Moisi states “…Berlin is a construction site that has managed to transform its multiple pasts into positive energy. …That positive energy contrasts starkly with the decadent beauty of Paris, a city that is on a path of “museification.” Of course, if you can afford to live there, Paris remains a great place to be. But Berlin is a better place to work, even if what you do is very poorly paid. …Thanks to its moderate housing costs, Berlin has not become, like Paris, a ghetto for the rich. Unlike the French, who are handicapped by the high cost of housing, Germans’ purchasing power is more harmoniously distributed, creating more room for household consumption to contribute to economic growth. Germany’s positive energy is, of course, the result of success translated into confidence, which Chancellor Angela Merkel incarnates with strength and simplicity. Merkel has changed profoundly while in office. Five years ago, she did not exude the natural authority that she now possesses. Today, like Pope Francis, she is clearly at ease with herself. Has there been a French president since François Mitterrand who was truly a match for a German chancellor? If France has replaced Germany as “the sick man of Europe,” it is for political reasons, above all: vision, courage, and strength on the northern side of the Rhine, and vacillation, inertia, and weakness on the southern. …France’s current direction is a source of deep concern in Germany, whose evolution should be seen in France as a source of inspiration – an example to be emulated, even if the country must not fall into self-flagellation. …France today can and should learn from Germany.”

 

Inspired by Dominique Moisi, Project Syndicate ow.ly/jBdO4 Image source Voltairenet ow.ly/jBdJt

Jean Pisani-Ferry the 61 year old French Professor, economist and public policy expert, currently the Director of Bruegel a Brussels-based economic think tank, has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘Is the Euro Crisis Over?’. Pisani-Ferry states “Financial crises tend to start abruptly and end by surprise. Three years ago, the euro crisis began when Greece became a cause for concern among policymakers and a cause for excitement among money managers. Since the end of 2012, a sort of armistice has prevailed. Does that mean that the crisis is over? By the usual standards of financial crises, three years is a long time. A year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, confidence in the United States’ financial system had been restored, and recovery had begun. A little more than a year after the 1997 exchange-rate debacle triggered Asian economies’ worst recession in decades, they were thriving again. Has the eurozone, at long last, reached the inflection point? Many battles were fought in the last three years – over Greece, Ireland, Spain, and Italy, to name the main ones. The European Union’s financial warriors are exhausted. Hedge funds first made money betting that the crisis would worsen, but then lost money betting on a eurozone breakup. Policymakers first lost credibility by being behind the curve, and then recouped some of it by embracing bold initiatives. Recent data suggest that capital has started returning to southern Europe. The current change in market sentiment is also motivated by two significant policy changes. First, European leaders agreed in June 2012 on a major overhaul of the eurozone. By embarking on a banking union, which will transfer to the European level responsibility for bank supervision… Second, by launching its new “outright monetary transactions” scheme in September, the European Central Bank took responsibility for preserving the integrity of the eurozone…”  Inspired by Jean Pisani-Ferry, Project Sync ow.ly/j4ps2 Image source Twitter ow.ly/j4p4X Is the Euro Crisis Over? (April 3 2013)

 

Jean Pisani-Ferry the 61 year old French Professor, economist and public policy expert, currently the Director of Bruegel a Brussels-based economic think tank, has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘Is the Euro Crisis Over?’. Pisani-Ferry states “Financial crises tend to start abruptly and end by surprise. Three years ago, the euro crisis began when Greece became a cause for concern among policymakers and a cause for excitement among money managers. Since the end of 2012, a sort of armistice has prevailed. Does that mean that the crisis is over? By the usual standards of financial crises, three years is a long time. A year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, confidence in the United States’ financial system had been restored, and recovery had begun. A little more than a year after the 1997 exchange-rate debacle triggered Asian economies’ worst recession in decades, they were thriving again. Has the eurozone, at long last, reached the inflection point? Many battles were fought in the last three years – over Greece, Ireland, Spain, and Italy, to name the main ones. The European Union’s financial warriors are exhausted. Hedge funds first made money betting that the crisis would worsen, but then lost money betting on a eurozone breakup. Policymakers first lost credibility by being behind the curve, and then recouped some of it by embracing bold initiatives. Recent data suggest that capital has started returning to southern Europe. The current change in market sentiment is also motivated by two significant policy changes. First, European leaders agreed in June 2012 on a major overhaul of the eurozone. By embarking on a banking union, which will transfer to the European level responsibility for bank supervision… Second, by launching its new “outright monetary transactions” scheme in September, the European Central Bank took responsibility for preserving the integrity of the eurozone…”

 

Inspired by Jean Pisani-Ferry, Project Sync ow.ly/j4ps2 Image source Twitter ow.ly/j4p4X

Daniel Buren the 74 year old French conceptual artist, classified as an abstract minimalist known best for using regular, contrasting maxi stripes to integrate the visual surface and architectural space, notably historical, landmark architecture. Among his chief concerns is the ‘scene of production’ as a way of presenting art and highlighting facture (the process of ‘making’ rather than for example, mimesis or representation of anything but the work itself). The work is site specific installation, having a relation to its setting in contrast to prevailing ideas of a work of art standing alone. Buren has been profiled in an article by Roberta Smith for the New York Times titled ‘Daniel Buren: 'Electricity Fabric Paint Paper Vinyl ...', Smith states “[Buren]  who reduced painting to awning stripes printed on canvas or paper some 40 years ago, has probably eked more mileage out of this signature end-of-painting motif than any artist could logically expect. …Buren shows the latest versions of site-specific works in vertically striped paper that date back three and four decades. These pieces are, in effect, intermittent expanses of wallpaper that alter our sense of a space and create a nice graphic, even decorative punch. …Buren takes up the striped canvas again, but with several twists. In one he layers the canvas with white-striped Plexiglas to block or expose the colored stripes beneath. In the other group glam-rock chic prevails: the canvas is luminescent, cut with a curved or a diagonal edge that is lined with a glowing strand of fiber optics. Despite their newness, these pieces conjure the early-1960s work of artists like Frank Stella and Robert Mangold; they are arbitrary and conventional, and could be derivative student works that Mr. Buren abandoned to make the site-specific pieces at Petzel. Mr. Buren gets credit for choosing art over ideology, but he has to do more than relearn old tricks.”  Inspired by Roberta Smith, New York Times ow.ly/hYBrJ Image source Français ow.ly/hYBqs 130305 Electricity Fabric Paint Paper Vinyl

Daniel Buren the 74 year old French conceptual artist, classified as an abstract minimalist known best for using regular, contrasting maxi stripes to integrate the visual surface and architectural space, notably historical, landmark architecture. Among his chief concerns is the ‘scene of production’ as a way of presenting art and highlighting facture (the process of ‘making’ rather than for example, mimesis or representation of anything but the work itself). The work is site specific installation, having a relation to its setting in contrast to prevailing ideas of a work of art standing alone. Buren has been profiled in an article by Roberta Smith for the New York Times titled ‘Daniel Buren: ‘Electricity Fabric Paint Paper Vinyl …’, Smith states “[Buren]  who reduced painting to awning stripes printed on canvas or paper some 40 years ago, has probably eked more mileage out of this signature end-of-painting motif than any artist could logically expect. …Buren shows the latest versions of site-specific works in vertically striped paper that date back three and four decades. These pieces are, in effect, intermittent expanses of wallpaper that alter our sense of a space and create a nice graphic, even decorative punch. …Buren takes up the striped canvas again, but with several twists. In one he layers the canvas with white-striped Plexiglas to block or expose the colored stripes beneath. In the other group glam-rock chic prevails: the canvas is luminescent, cut with a curved or a diagonal edge that is lined with a glowing strand of fiber optics. Despite their newness, these pieces conjure the early-1960s work of artists like Frank Stella and Robert Mangold; they are arbitrary and conventional, and could be derivative student works that Mr. Buren abandoned to make the site-specific pieces at Petzel. Mr. Buren gets credit for choosing art over ideology, but he has to do more than relearn old tricks.”

 

Inspired by Roberta Smith, New York Times ow.ly/hYBrJ Image source Français ow.ly/hYBqs

Vanessa Dougnac the French journalist based in New Delhi having worked for two years with Hikari Films on the story India's Red Tide about the country's Maoist insurgency, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘China's "String Of Pearls" Strategy To Secure The Ports Of South Asia’. Dougnac states “…Nowadays in Bangladesh, it’s hard to miss all the Chinese constructions. In October, there was yet another Chinese delegation signing deals and offering subsidized loans for a water treatment facility, a private power plant and an international airport in the fishing port of Cox’s Bazar. But mostly, China is building a spectacular deep-sea harbor in the island of Sonadia for an estimated cost of $5 billion. There is also a tunnel under the Chittagong River, a China-Bangladesh highway via Burma (Myanmar), and the project of a new industrial park. …the Chinese focus on the strategic sector of transportation can be seen in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. All of these countries surround… India. In a region where it has always been very influential, the Indian government was quick to suspect the Chinese expansion of hiding an “encirclement” strategy. The two Asian giants are locked in a struggle for regional domination. …The “small” nations of the Indian subcontinent have always been wary of their Indian big brother, whose domination they resent. …Chinese investments are visibly geared toward improving maritime transport infrastructures. …Being present in every port has a purpose: it’s the famous “string of pearls” strategy, which consists in China getting exemption from port of call taxes and securing trading routes for Middle Eastern oil while asserting its commercial influence. For now, China’s involvement in Bangladesh is undeniably a positive thing, as it is a symbol of dynamic development.”  Inspired by Vanessa Dougnac, Worldcrunch ow.ly/hhQ9f Image source vanessadougnac ow.ly/hhPBC China’s “String Of Pearls” Strategy (February 8 2013)

Vanessa Dougnac the French journalist based in New Delhi having worked for two years with Hikari Films on the story India’s Red Tide about the country’s Maoist insurgency, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘China’s “String Of Pearls” Strategy To Secure The Ports Of South Asia’. Dougnac states “…Nowadays in Bangladesh, it’s hard to miss all the Chinese constructions. In October, there was yet another Chinese delegation signing deals and offering subsidized loans for a water treatment facility, a private power plant and an international airport in the fishing port of Cox’s Bazar. But mostly, China is building a spectacular deep-sea harbor in the island of Sonadia for an estimated cost of $5 billion. There is also a tunnel under the Chittagong River, a China-Bangladesh highway via Burma (Myanmar), and the project of a new industrial park. …the Chinese focus on the strategic sector of transportation can be seen in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. All of these countries surround… India. In a region where it has always been very influential, the Indian government was quick to suspect the Chinese expansion of hiding an “encirclement” strategy. The two Asian giants are locked in a struggle for regional domination. …The “small” nations of the Indian subcontinent have always been wary of their Indian big brother, whose domination they resent. …Chinese investments are visibly geared toward improving maritime transport infrastructures. …Being present in every port has a purpose: it’s the famous “string of pearls” strategy, which consists in China getting exemption from port of call taxes and securing trading routes for Middle Eastern oil while asserting its commercial influence. For now, China’s involvement in Bangladesh is undeniably a positive thing, as it is a symbol of dynamic development.”

 

Inspired by Vanessa Dougnac, Worldcrunch ow.ly/hhQ9f Image source vanessadougnac ow.ly/hhPBC

Boris Manenti the French journalist with Le Nouvel Observateur has published an article in the monthly magazine ‘Obsession’ on how big data collections could lead to big brother. In the article he states “Big Data is the massive volume of digital data that is so large to process that it needs additional management tools and database processing applications. It is much more than a concept; it’s a whole new technology that promises to “revolutionize our everyday lives.” The term “Big Data” originated from a simple observation. Every day around the world, 2.5 exabytes of data are generated. This data comes from everywhere: social networks, photos and videos posted on the Internet, GPS coordinates from smart phones, weather statistics from every corner of the earth, banking transactions, and so on. This massive amount of information only reveals its full potential after being processed, analyzed and cross-referenced.  …The implications of Big Data are numerous – in theory at least. For the moment, the analysis of massive amounts of data mostly concerns companies who use it as a way to analyze their clients’ consumer habits. …The problem is the public’s acceptance. Big Data cannot be allowed to turn into “Big Brother.” “The users’ trust is crucial,” says Chuck Hollis. “To get the best medical treatment, we give our doctor as much information as we can, because we trust him. Big Data needs to convince its users it can be trusted in the same way.” He adds: “Every new technology creates new fears. Fire, electricity, the Internet, Big Data. With good there is always bad, we just need to keep that in check.”  Inspired by Boris Manenti, Nouvel Observateur ow.ly/gXF3Z Image source Twitter ow.ly/gXF2K Big data collections could lead to big brother (January 31 2013)

Boris Manenti the French journalist with Le Nouvel Observateur has published an article in the monthly magazine ‘Obsession’ on how big data collections could lead to big brother. In the article he states “Big Data is the massive volume of digital data that is so large to process that it needs additional management tools and database processing applications. It is much more than a concept; it’s a whole new technology that promises to “revolutionize our everyday lives.” The term “Big Data” originated from a simple observation. Every day around the world, 2.5 exabytes of data are generated. This data comes from everywhere: social networks, photos and videos posted on the Internet, GPS coordinates from smart phones, weather statistics from every corner of the earth, banking transactions, and so on. This massive amount of information only reveals its full potential after being processed, analyzed and cross-referenced.  …The implications of Big Data are numerous – in theory at least. For the moment, the analysis of massive amounts of data mostly concerns companies who use it as a way to analyze their clients’ consumer habits. …The problem is the public’s acceptance. Big Data cannot be allowed to turn into “Big Brother.” “The users’ trust is crucial,” says Chuck Hollis. “To get the best medical treatment, we give our doctor as much information as we can, because we trust him. Big Data needs to convince its users it can be trusted in the same way.” He adds: “Every new technology creates new fears. Fire, electricity, the Internet, Big Data. With good there is always bad, we just need to keep that in check.”

 

Inspired by Boris Manenti, Nouvel Observateur ow.ly/gXF3Z Image source Twitter ow.ly/gXF2K

Gilles van Kote the French reporter and Deputy Head of Environment and Science for the daily Le Monde, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘How A Palm Oil Boom Is Tearing Apart The Indigenous Tribes Of The Philippines’.  Van Kote states “The palm oil plantation, started in 2005 by Nakeen, a subsidiary of the Filipino group A. Brown Company Inc. (ABCI), is very small – 200 hectares. Yet it still managed to upset the natural balance of this isolated northern region of the island of Mindanao, south of the Philippines archipelago… In 2008, the Hagpa Higaonon [tribe, one of the country’s many indigenous communities] was awarded a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) for 14,313 hectares of their territory, in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples Rights Acts. A victory that doesn’t, however, make them immune to other people’s greed. Nakeen has already announced its ambition to expand its plantation, which is already partly on the ancestral domain. …The arrival of Nakeen and its oil palms created a rift in the local population. The local authorities wanted to turn the region into the "capital of palm oil" in Mindanao. …Nakeen offered locals between 5,000 and 8,000 pesos ($121 and $194) a year per hectare to rent their land for 25 years. …for a daily wage of 200 pesos ($4,87). …The Alternative Forum for Research in Mindanao (Afrim), a Filipino organization, claims that these rental agreements "turn farmers into farm workers" and that "jobs are only available for a small percentage of the population – for a wage inferior to the minimum legal wage." …While an oil palm plantation in place of a forest that is already being exploited isn’t considered as deforestation in the Philippines, the environmental impact is very real. …an international mission launched by NGOs concerning another Filipino group in northern Mindanao found that the rental agreements were illegal and human rights were violated. “  Inspired by Gilles Van Kote, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gR3Em Image source Mediapart ow.ly/gR3zO Palm oil boom tearing apart indigenous tribes (January 22 2013)Gilles van Kote the French reporter and Deputy Head of Environment and Science for the daily Le Monde, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘How A Palm Oil Boom Is Tearing Apart The Indigenous Tribes Of The Philippines’.  Van Kote states “The palm oil plantation, started in 2005 by Nakeen, a subsidiary of the Filipino group A. Brown Company Inc. (ABCI), is very small – 200 hectares. Yet it still managed to upset the natural balance of this isolated northern region of the island of Mindanao, south of the Philippines archipelago… In 2008, the Hagpa Higaonon [tribe, one of the country’s many indigenous communities] was awarded a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) for 14,313 hectares of their territory, in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples Rights Acts. A victory that doesn’t, however, make them immune to other people’s greed. Nakeen has already announced its ambition to expand its plantation, which is already partly on the ancestral domain. …The arrival of Nakeen and its oil palms created a rift in the local population. The local authorities wanted to turn the region into the “capital of palm oil” in Mindanao. …Nakeen offered locals between 5,000 and 8,000 pesos ($121 and $194) a year per hectare to rent their land for 25 years. …for a daily wage of 200 pesos ($4,87). …The Alternative Forum for Research in Mindanao (Afrim), a Filipino organization, claims that these rental agreements “turn farmers into farm workers” and that “jobs are only available for a small percentage of the population – for a wage inferior to the minimum legal wage.” …While an oil palm plantation in place of a forest that is already being exploited isn’t considered as deforestation in the Philippines, the environmental impact is very real. …an international mission launched by NGOs concerning another Filipino group in northern Mindanao found that the rental agreements were illegal and human rights were violated. “

 

Inspired by Gilles Van Kote, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gR3Em Image source Mediapart ow.ly/gR3zO

 

Audrey Garric the French journalist for Le Monde has published an article titled ‘Climate weapons really exist?’ in which she states “Could the rising tide of … natural disasters be explained by man’s voluntary action? Could these cataclysms be triggered deliberately by the army, for political reasons? For years, these conspiracy theories, relayed generously on the Internet, suggest that the climate could be manipulated as part of strategic or tactical wars. …In the U.S., from the 1950s, official reports or statements recognize the military usefulness of climate change techniques. "Intervention in atmospheric and climatic matters . . . will unfold on a scale difficult to imagine at present . . . this will merge each nation’s affairs with those of every other, more thoroughly than the threat of a nuclear or any other war would have done," said American mathematician John von Neumann at the height of the Cold War in 1955. Between 1967 and 1972 during the Vietnam War, Operation Popeye used cloud "seeding" techniques by injecting silver iodine. The idea was to trigger rain and extend monsoon season in order to slow down the movement of enemy troops through the Ho-Chi-Minh trail. As the U.S. and Russia were holding a scientific race to be the first to control the climate, the UN decided to create a legal framework. In 1977, the Enmod Convention, ratified by the UN General Assembly banned the military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques. It targets "any technique for changing - through the deliberate manipulation of natural processes - the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, or of outer space."”   Inspired by Audrey Garric, Le Monde ow.ly/gKAOs Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKACe Do climate weapons really exist? (January 19 2013)

Audrey Garric the French journalist for Le Monde has published an article titled ‘Climate weapons really exist?’ in which she states “Could the rising tide of … natural disasters be explained by man’s voluntary action? Could these cataclysms be triggered deliberately by the army, for political reasons? For years, these conspiracy theories, relayed generously on the Internet, suggest that the climate could be manipulated as part of strategic or tactical wars. …In the U.S., from the 1950s, official reports or statements recognize the military usefulness of climate change techniques. “Intervention in atmospheric and climatic matters . . . will unfold on a scale difficult to imagine at present . . . this will merge each nation’s affairs with those of every other, more thoroughly than the threat of a nuclear or any other war would have done,” said American mathematician John von Neumann at the height of the Cold War in 1955. Between 1967 and 1972 during the Vietnam War, Operation Popeye used cloud “seeding” techniques by injecting silver iodine. The idea was to trigger rain and extend monsoon season in order to slow down the movement of enemy troops through the Ho-Chi-Minh trail. As the U.S. and Russia were holding a scientific race to be the first to control the climate, the UN decided to create a legal framework. In 1977, the Enmod Convention, ratified by the UN General Assembly banned the military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques. It targets “any technique for changing – through the deliberate manipulation of natural processes – the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, or of outer space.””

 

Inspired by Audrey Garric, Le Monde ow.ly/gKAOs Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKACe

Benoit Georges the French journalist and head of Innovations and Skills department with Les Echos has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘Do Smart Phones Make Us Dumber? Asking The Internet's Intelligence Questions’. Georges states “Italian linguist Raffaele Simone and French philosopher Jean-Michel Besnier deliver very different views on the matter. According to Simone, modern men and women are “caught in the Web,” absorbed in the “media sphere”, which he describes as an “environment in which online electronic media play a fundamental role,” and create, “from nothing, trends, needs and new pressures.” …Written knowledge allows thoughts to be structured and more complex than oral communications. It is based on a specific form of intelligence Simone called “sequential” – meaning the way we assimilate new information, one after the other. The Web and videos, on the other hand, favor a “simultaneous” form of intelligence – we are capable of taking in different types of information at the same time but without “being able to put them in order as a logical succession, with hierarchy.” …Jean-Michel Besnier’s … asks a simple question: “How does the cultured species that we are, born from the Age of Enlightenment and having witnessed totalitarianism, let itself become a slave to its machines?” The situations in which we delegate our responsibility to objects or programs are multiplying: Search engines algorithms decide which websites best match our needs; the so called “service” robots that are supposed to take better care than us of the elderly or autistic children; the GPS navigators without which we are completely lost… Besnier believes this dehumanization existed long before computers. According to him, the industrial revolution – that transformed men into operators of machines that were more powerful than them – was already part of this movement.”   Inspired by Benoit Georges, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gH0mm Image source Twitter ow.ly/gH0kW Do smart phones make us dumber? (January 16 2013)

Benoit Georges the French journalist and head of Innovations and Skills department with Les Echos has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘Do Smart Phones Make Us Dumber? Asking The Internet’s Intelligence Questions’. Georges states “Italian linguist Raffaele Simone and French philosopher Jean-Michel Besnier deliver very different views on the matter. According to Simone, modern men and women are “caught in the Web,” absorbed in the “media sphere”, which he describes as an “environment in which online electronic media play a fundamental role,” and create, “from nothing, trends, needs and new pressures.” …Written knowledge allows thoughts to be structured and more complex than oral communications. It is based on a specific form of intelligence Simone called “sequential” – meaning the way we assimilate new information, one after the other. The Web and videos, on the other hand, favor a “simultaneous” form of intelligence – we are capable of taking in different types of information at the same time but without “being able to put them in order as a logical succession, with hierarchy.” …Jean-Michel Besnier’s … asks a simple question: “How does the cultured species that we are, born from the Age of Enlightenment and having witnessed totalitarianism, let itself become a slave to its machines?” The situations in which we delegate our responsibility to objects or programs are multiplying: Search engines algorithms decide which websites best match our needs; the so called “service” robots that are supposed to take better care than us of the elderly or autistic children; the GPS navigators without which we are completely lost… Besnier believes this dehumanization existed long before computers. According to him, the industrial revolution – that transformed men into operators of machines that were more powerful than them – was already part of this movement.”

 

Inspired by Benoit Georges, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gH0mm Image source Twitter ow.ly/gH0kW

Phrasing is more important than the style (November 18 2012) Phrasing is more important than the style (November 18 2012)

Scurti Franck the 47 year old French photographer and videographer nominated for the Duchamp Prize discussed with Céline Piettre for a Blouin Artinfo article on being an Artist without a style. Franck states “I haven’t done a project for the Prix Duchamp. I work every day and I’ve chosen three works that seem to me to make sense together. I selected them from a group of works that I created over the last three months. In fact, I just decided. …When I prepare an exhibition I never think about money. I create and then I decide. The term “production” has gradually replaced “creation,” and facing what I consider to be a crisis of representation, my desire is to reflect, in the wider sense of the word, on the creative process. I work with “poor” means and oppose them to “big productions” and to what I consider to be spectacle. …Often it’s the idea that leads me to choose a medium. But sometimes it’s the opposite. When I work with found objects, for example. …I don’t see any difference between a stainless steel sculpture and a work that uses found objects. It’s the same act, and they’re the same thing. Judging a work only by its material aspects often means falling into the trap of facile spectacle. …Although I’m not interested in art for art’s sake, I like working on the meaning of my pieces and placing them at a certain level in the discourse on art. …I work on the whole, on a total oeuvre. If you really examine what I do, you’ll notice that my works sometimes have different styles and appearances but speak to one another. …I really think that things are happening elsewhere today. Don’t you kind of feel as if you’ve seen everything? The phrasing is more important than the style, I believe.”

 

Inspired by Céline Piettre ow.ly/f5xoH image source laboralcentrodearte ow.ly/f5xJW

Artists must not become brand names for collectors (October 31 2012) Artists must not become brand names for collectors (October 31 2012)

Jean-François Torres the French President of the Concrete Art Space founded in 1990 by Sybil Albers and Gottfried Honegger, the Espace de l’Art Concret has educational studios, an art center, and a building housing the Albers-Honegger collection, on its campus near Nice on the Côte d’Azur. In an interview with Juliette Soulez for Blouin Artinfo, Torres states “The Concrete Art Space resists the temptation to make exhibitions that are too crowd-pleasing. We have a lot of freedom. We can sometimes show unknown artists who were very significant in art history. …I believe above all that artists must not become brand names for collectors to buy. At the Concrete Art Space, we situate ourselves in a more experimental vein. Plus, in terms of our budget, we are required to develop other approaches, which lead to original projects that are very specific to our space. …It’s quite beautiful the way that the donation building, a contemporary and even experimental building, contrasts with the 15th-century castle where the art center is located. Inside the donation building you feel as if you’re in a living room. The architecture doesn’t dominate the works. …In my opinion, the impact of the Concrete Art Space does not necessarily depend on the number of visitors. If we show someone that there is something other than an image imposed by the world in which we live, that is already a lot. And concrete art in particular can inspire this type of self-reflection. …We would also like to pursue our activities with an Internet program that could be used in schools. At the Concrete Art Space, children discover that simply with a few colors and geometrical shapes the world is more beautiful to look at. And that’s great.”

 

Inspired by Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/eJ05X image source Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/eJ01i

I vomited out everything I had inside (August 25 2012) I vomited out everything I had inside (August 25 2012)

Thierry Guetta the 46 year old French American Los Angeles based filmmaker and street artist known as Mr. Brainwash has been profiled by Matilda Battersby for the Independent in an article titled ‘Mr Brainwash: Banksy’s street-art protégé and his latest brainwave – The master of hype arrives in London for a blockbuster new show’. Battersby states “…when we met last month Mr Brainwash told me he still had no idea what to do with the 120,000ft space [the Old Sorting Office] and isn’t anywhere near finishing the work for it. He has the blind optimism of a child, and is convinced it will come together magically. …He propels himself through the conversation like a Duracell Bunny on steroids, wearing paint-spattered jeans and hoodie. His legs jiggle, his arms flap, he jumps up and down and uses his hands to draw in the air. He’s often been accused of being a fake. But after spending an hour in his company I’m astonished to find myself thinking he’s anything but: kooky, yes; scarily energetic, too; but endearing and bubbling over with vim. If this is an act then he deserves that Oscar. …he says: “I take everything seriously and I do everything with my heart. So when I got the chance of doing something I was like a mental patient who finally got to see a shrink. I vomited out everything I had inside.” … His signature style pitches somewhere between Banksy’s black and white stencils and Andy Warhol’s colourful prints. He draws straight on walls or prints computerized images onto large sheets of paper and pastes them up in separate pieces. It is a technique he learned while following Fairey and his work is now almost as ubiquitous in LA as Fairey’s own.”

 

Inspired by The Independent ow.ly/d0Lnl image source Facebook ow.ly/d0Lg3

Giant high-heel shoe of pots and lids (August 6 2012) Giant high-heel shoe of pots and lids (August 6 2012)

Joana Vasconcelos the 41 year old Portuguese-French artist renowned for her appropriations, de-contextualisation and subversion of pre-existent objects and everyday realities. Vasconcelos’ work has been critiqued by Patricia Vieira & Michael Marder in an Aljazeera article, where her piece titled ‘Dorothy’ is described as a “giant high-heel shoe is created by putting together aluminium pots and lids of various sizes. …Dorothy juxtaposes the most recognisable markers of the stereotypical private and public female roles: the pots symbolise housekeeping duties and the high-heel shoe stands for the glamorous image of a seductress. The artist and her work become channels for the communication among disparate things that did not previously belong to the same spatial and temporal constellation. The pots and the shoe speak to one another, and what they relate to us in their thingly language is the material underside of women’s oppression. In Dorothy, Vasconcelos stages an encounter not only between things drawn from two different spheres of everyday life but also between a given thing and a seemingly incongruous milieu. This is accomplished both by changing the dimensions of a normal shoe and by placing the giant shoe in an unexpected setting: a garden or a hall of Versailles.” Vasconcelos’ sculptures and installations, as well as performances and video or photographic records, reveal an acute sense of scale and mastery of colour, while combining in the materialization of concepts that challenge the prearranged routines of daily life.

 

Inspired by Patricia Vieira & Michael Marder ow.ly/czsIV image source Facebook ow.ly/cExiI

Daniel Gros the German Director of the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies, and former economic adviser to the European Commission, believes that only determined action by EU governments that is strongly supported by their citizens will save the common currency. Gros published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Democracy versus the eurozone‘ in which he states “The reality is that the larger member states are more equal than the others. Of course, this is not fair, but the EU’s inability to impose its view on democratic countries might actually sometimes be for the best, given that even the Commission is fallible. The broader message from the Greek and French elections is that the attempt to impose a benevolent creditors’ dictatorship is now being met by a debtors’ revolt. Financial markets have reacted as strongly as they have because investors recognise that the “sovereign” in sovereign debt is an electorate that can simply decide not to pay. This is already the case in Greece, but the fate of the euro will be decided in the larger, systemically important countries like Italy and Spain. Only determined action by their governments, supported by their citizens, will show that they merit unreserved support from the rest of the eurozone. At this point, nothing less can save the common currency.”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/bzDeO image source World Economic Forum ow.ly/bzD9E

Patrick Rouxel the French filmmaker has released a “visual essay ‘Green’ about the impact of deforestation in Indonesia as seen through the eyes of a dying orangutan [with] stunning images of the natural world and its biodiversity are counter-pointed with scenes of their destruction and the resulting cruelty to animals.” Rouxel in an article published on Aljazeera states “I know that the impact of the film is insignificant regarding the global picture. I know that human greed and indifference will eventually destroy all of Indonesia’s forests, but I still prefer to fight and resist rather than do nothing. I didn’t put any shots of local Dayak people in the nature sequences of the film because these sequences refer to today’s forests, the ones where orangutans and many other species are presently being wiped out to make room for oil palm plantations. Today in Kalimantan, there is hardly any forest left with both Dayaks and orangutans still living in them. Usually, where there are Dayaks all the orangutans would have long been shot and eaten. It is mostly in the patches of forest where there are no Dayak hunters that one can still find orangutans.”

Inspired Patrick Rouxel http://ow.ly/9O9pg by image source Earth Touch http://ow.ly/9OajH

Maurice Benayoun the 54 year old Algerian born French new-media artist and theorist whose recent works comprise large-scale urban installations and interactive exhibitions “hopes his recent work will in fact aid and engage the Occupy Wall Street movement, which he says is still more potent in the U.S. than in Europe — though not for long” according to Michael Kurcfeld in his recent article published on Huffington Post. Benayoun arrives in Manhattan to unveil the latest in an ongoing multimedia series called “The Mechanics of Emotion” — a 15-part opus which grew out of the idea that the Internet is the world’s nervous system, and that messages sent between users crossed “zones of pain and pleasure” near and far. Using various analytic and graphic tools in his ever-evolving tech arsenal, he set out to map the world’s emotions. In one part, he created a series of “frozen feelings” — machine-made sculptures of digitally carved disks in various materials. Each disk bore a topographic pattern that corresponded to real-time Web data which inventoried emotional states in the 3,200 biggest cities on the planet, by tracking word clusters …”

 

Inspired by Michael Kurcfeld http://ow.ly/9v94d image source MoBen http://ow.ly/9v8Zx

Jean-Claude Mas the 72 year old French founder of the company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) that manufactured thousands of breast implants has been arrested by French police in a manslaughter investigation. Mas’s company provided hundreds of thousands of faulty breast implants constructed from industrial grade silicone, some of which ruptured after being implanted, resulting in one woman dying from a rare cancer. The company had been earlier closed by French authorities and since gone into liquidation, leaving thousands of woman exposed to the toxic products without financial recourse to have the implants removed. Mas in an attempt to save money in the production process authorized the use of an unapproved cheaper grade industrial silicon in lieu of surgical grade materials, and is under investigation for fraud as a result. The implants have proved vulnerable to leaks that allow the seeping of the inferior silicon into victims body.

 

Inspired by Angelique Chrisafis http://ow.ly/8SxvL image source http://ow.ly/8SxFI

Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona the 45 year old French former international footballer and current film actor affectionately nicknamed “King Eric”, has declared he will be a candidate in the 2012 French presidential election. Cantona has written to the mayors throughout France to gain the 500 signatures required to campaign for election, with his primary aim to give social housing a priority in the campaign, with support to homeless charities. Cantona had previously in 2010 called for a social revolution with a run on the major retail banks, encouraging bank customers to withdraw their funds in protest at the global financial crisis. Cantona’s call was labeled irresponsible and misguided, and his call was not taken up after condemnation from politicians and bankers due to the potentially disastrous outcomes if pursued. In the letter to the French mayors, Cantona stated he is “a citizen very much aware of our times” and he needed to speak out “at a time when our country faces difficult choices”.

 

Inspired by France 24 http://ow.ly/8BOYG image source Georges Biard http://ow.ly/8BP53

Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin the 58 year old French former Prime Minister and career diplomat regarded as a Jacques Chirac’s protégé, has announced his intention to run in the 2012 French presidential election. de Villepin will be up against the current President Nicolas Sarkozy, a bitter rival following his acquittal by a French appeals court where de Villepin had been accused of smearing Sarkozy. In making his announcement de Villepin expressed his concern with “France humiliated by the law of the markets which imposes more and austerity … I have confidence in the ability of the French people to discern what is in the public interest and to what point, more than ever, national unity is required of us all. I believe one needs more courage than that.” de Villepin is a former member of Sarkozy’s UMP party, resigning to publish his own political manifesto.

 

Inspired by France24 http://ow.ly/82L3O image source Marie-Lan Nguyen http://ow.ly/82KXw

Bernard-Henri Lévy the 63 year old French intellectual and philosopher, known simply as BHL and one of the leaders of the 1976 “Nouveaux Philosophes” (New Philosophers) movement, has reached the best seller list with a collaborative book titled “Public Enemies”. The best seller is a publication of letters exchanged with Michel Houellebecq since 2008, where the two speak of their personal lives, reputations, religion, sex and politics. In a review of the book George Walden writes “Much of the fun of these letters stems from their almost satirically contrasting characters: Lévy, the well-born playboy of the western mind and pocket Apollo, versus Houellebecq, the drunken, ill-favoured, lower-middle-class grouch. As Lévy parades his learning and sleek bare chest dandiacally across the world (his letters are mostly written from hotels), Houellebecq sits at home with his dog, sluicing and smoking to heroically self-harming excess.”

 

Inspired by George Walden http://ow.ly/7Vooh image source headweb http://ow.ly/7Votw

Suha Arafat the 48 year old widow of the former Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is now the subject of an arrest warrant relating to a high level corruption investigation by the Tunisian authorities. The investigation relates to the International School of Carthage, founded in 2006 by both Suha Arafat and the former president Ben Ali’s wife, Leila Trabelsi a former hairdresser. A WikiLeaks cable has revealed the Tunisian government under Ben Ali granted his wife a $1.5 million grant along with land for the schools development. Arafat was born in Jerusalem, has French citizenship, and lived in Tunisia for three years following her husband’s death. She became a naturalized citizen of Tunisia, until her citizenship was revoked following a dispute with Trabelsi over the closure of the school. Forced to leave Arafat now lives in Malta.

 

Inspired by Aljazerra http://ow.ly/7kfsN image source http://ow.ly/7kfzh

François Gérard Georges Hollande the 57 year old French politician has won the Socialist Party’s presidential primary, entitling him to challenge Nicolas Sarkozy as the Party’s nominee in the 2012 presidential elections. Hollande considered a moderate won nearly 57% of the vote beating his rival Martine Aubry, who is largely credited with the introduction of the 35 hour working week. Hollande is the former partner of Ségolène Royal with who he has four children. Royal was defeated by Sarkozy in the 2007 French presidential election, and within a month of the defeat the couple separated over a relationship between Hollande and a journalist. Dominique Strauss-Kahn until his imprisonment in the US on rape charges alleged by a New York hotel maid, had been the front runner for the Socialist Party nomination.

 

Inspired by aljazeera http://ow.ly/75Z4l image source Margaux L’Hermite http://ow.ly/75Z5L

Michel Neyret the 55 year old French ‘Super-cop’, the deputy police chief of Lyon, France’s second largest city, has been charged with associating with criminals and supplying drugs to informants. Neyret, while highly respected for his effective methods in reducing violent and drug crimes, is renowned for his glamorous social lifestyle. Neyret admitted he may have been just “imprudent” when accepting a trip to Morocco and the use of a Ferrari from significant crime figures. Neyret claims that he is not corrupt but just portrayed that way, but is now suspended from duties and remanded into custody after phone taps related to international drug investigations suggested otherwise. Neyret is accused of corrupt activities including drug trafficking and associating with criminals. Five other police officers are also under investigation raising larger issues of ethics within the National Police Force.

 

Inspired by Tony Todd http://ow.ly/6TuYL image source rtl.be http://ow.ly/6TuIB

Richard Prince the 61 year old US painter and photographer, renown for appropriation of photographs and their ‘re-photographing’, continues to contest his right to use material alleged to be in violation of copyright laws. French photographer Patrick Cariou filed suit against Prince’s work ‘Canal Zone’ for copyright infringement and financial harm that had been caused, due to his own show being cancelled as a result of Prince’s exhibition of the material. A US District Court ruled Prince’s use of the material was not fair use, however Prince has won the right to appeal to the Federal Court to contest the decision. Prince is famous for his series the Cowboys, a group of rephotographs created from 1980 to 1992 from Marlboro cigarette advertisements, the Marlboro Man represents an idealized figure of American masculinity.

 

Inspired by Kate Deimling http://ht.ly/6wEfP image source  Drpaluga http://ow.ly/6y44s

Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu the 62 year old French actor and Academy Award nominee created an incident on board an Air France-KLM subsidiary airline CityJet, when he urinated onto the floor of the plane. Depardieu was visibly under the effects of alcohol, stood up while the plane was taxiing for its short flight from Paris to Dublin. When challenged to return to his seat he declared “I want to piss, I want to piss”. Requested by the stewardess to remain seated for approximately 15 minutes till take off and cruising altitude was reached, Depardieu responded by immediately urinating onto the floor, then sat back down. The flight was subsequently delayed as it returned to the parking area for cleaning. No action has been taken against him by the airline company. Inspired by France24 ow.ly/69aGK image source Georges Biard ow.ly/69aDj I want to piss, I want to piss (August 29 2011)

Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu the 62 year old French actor and Academy Award nominee created an incident on board an Air France-KLM subsidiary airline CityJet, when he urinated onto the floor of the plane. Depardieu was visibly under the effects of alcohol, stood up while the plane was taxiing for its short flight from Paris to Dublin. When challenged to return to his seat he declared “I want to piss, I want to piss”. Requested by the stewardess to remain seated for approximately 15 minutes till take off and cruising altitude was reached, Depardieu responded by immediately urinating onto the floor, then sat back down. The flight was subsequently delayed as it returned to the parking area for cleaning. No action has been taken against him by the airline company.

 

Inspired by France24 http://ow.ly/69aGK image source Georges Biard http://ow.ly/69aDj

Frédéric Lefebvre the 47 year old French Secretary of State with responsibilities for tourism has created some bemusement within the industry as he adds credibility to the fabled stories of French rudeness. Lefebvre is concerned the myth of the French shop keeper as a sneering grouch depicts the French unfavorably. Lefebvre stated he “would like to make a strong effort to improve the sense of welcoming in France”, and is keen to promote an alternative perception that there is more to French tourism than the Eiffel Tower. While tourist numbers to France are the highest in the world, the duration of visitor stays are quite short resulting in lower sales per visit. The Ministry is advocating a new marketing strategy with smiles abundant, promoting provincial cities, regions and festivals. Inspired by france24 ow.ly/5TXHx image source La diag ow.ly/5TXCx Sorry we’re rude, but give us more money (August 6 2011)

Frédéric Lefebvre the 47 year old French Secretary of State with responsibilities for tourism has created some bemusement within the industry as he adds credibility to the fabled stories of French rudeness. Lefebvre is concerned the myth of the French shop keeper as a sneering grouch depicts the French unfavorably. Lefebvre stated he “would like to make a strong effort to improve the sense of welcoming in France”, and is keen to promote an alternative perception that there is more to French tourism than the Eiffel Tower. While tourist numbers to France are the highest in the world, the duration of visitor stays are quite short resulting in lower sales per visit. The Ministry is advocating a new marketing strategy with smiles abundant, promoting provincial cities, regions and festivals.

 

Inspired by france24.com http://ow.ly/5TXHx image source La diag http://ow.ly/5TXCx

Benoit Julien de Pommerol a French military chaplain stationed in Afghanistan has been reassigned to the French Antilles following accusations of Islamophobia in a report he wrote published on the internet. In the report de Pommerol denounced the French army’s deference to Islam as “babouche-licking”, citing examples including of a female soldier forced to wear a head covering veil and preparation of religious feasts for nationals. The French army officials rejected de Pommerol’s accusations claiming “it’s a matter of courtesy, common sense and education to respect other people’s religion” attempting to try and “earn acceptance by respecting local customs” and were specific decisions “made in a specific operational context.” The report has played into the national sensitivities that have grown towards Islam in France, resulting in tense anti-islamic reactions. Inspired by Nathalie Guibert ow.ly/5DfX4  image source Military Photos ow.ly/5DfIJ Accused the army of babouche-licking (July 26 2011)

Benoit Julien de Pommerol a French military chaplain stationed in Afghanistan has been reassigned to the French Antilles following accusations of Islamophobia in a report he wrote published on the internet. In the report de Pommerol denounced the French army’s deference to Islam as “babouche-licking”, citing examples including of a female soldier forced to wear a head covering veil and preparation of religious feasts for nationals. The French army officials rejected de Pommerol’s accusations claiming “it’s a matter of courtesy, common sense and education to respect other people’s religion” attempting to try and “earn acceptance by respecting local customs” and were specific decisions “made in a specific operational context.” The report has played into the national sensitivities that have grown towards Islam in France, resulting in tense anti-islamic reactions.

 

Inspired by Nathalie Guibert http://ow.ly/5DfX4  image source Military Photos http://ow.ly/5DfIJ

Yasmina Reza the 51 year old Tony Award winning French playwright renowned for her gifted plays that included “Life X 3″, “Art” and “God of Carnage” has been interviewed by Elaine Sciolino of the New York Times, who describes the encounter as probing as she attempted to break through the steely barrier to the underlying fragility that Reza wavers between, presenting “a determination to be judged by her work alone and a desire that it be understood and appreciated.” Reza is also an accomplished novelist with her works “Desolation”, “Adam Haberberg” and “Hammerklavier”; her 2007 book “Dawn Evening or Night” was an up close observers perspective of Nicolas Sarkozy’s run for the French presidency. Although having attained international fame, Reza still has the goal to have a play performed at the Comédie-Française”. Inspired by Elaine Sciolino  ow.ly/5aQrH image source arlindo-correia ow.ly/5aR6z It’s more like, Who are you? (July 22 2011)

Yasmina Reza the 51 year old Tony Award winning French playwright renowned for her gifted plays that included “Life X 3″, “Art” and “God of Carnage” has been interviewed by Elaine Sciolino of the New York Times, who describes the encounter as probing as she attempted to break through the steely barrier to the underlying fragility that Reza wavers between, presenting “a determination to be judged by her work alone and a desire that it be understood and appreciated.” Reza is also an accomplished novelist with her works “Desolation”, “Adam Haberberg” and “Hammerklavier”; her 2007 book “Dawn Evening or Night” was an up close observers perspective of Nicolas Sarkozy’s run for the French presidency. Although having attained international fame, Reza still has the goal to have a play performed at the Comédie-Française”.

 

Inspired by Elaine Sciolino ow.ly/5aQrH image source arlindo-correia ow.ly/5aR6z

Marine Le Pen the 42 year old French politician and president of the Front National (FN) party, the youngest daughter of the renowned Jean-Marie Le Pen founder of the FN, and likely 2012 French presidential candidate has come out on top of several polls indicating that she would beat the incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy if an election was to be held now. Le Pen has taken over her retired father’s role as the European face of bigotry and emblem of right wing extremism. Le Pen maximizes the simplicity of populist politics to garner support for her resurging party’s popularity within the electorate. Anti immigration and vilification of the Muslim community are central policy planks of her party’s platform, utilizing headline grabbing Nazi occupation rhetoric when describing Muslim cultural aspects. Role as the European face of bigotry (July 5 2011)

Marine Le Pen the 42 year old French politician and president of the Front National (FN) party, the youngest daughter of the renowned Jean-Marie Le Pen founder of the FN, and likely 2012 French presidential candidate has come out on top of several polls indicating that she would beat the incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy if an election was to be held now. Le Pen has taken over her retired father’s role as the European face of bigotry and emblem of right wing extremism. Le Pen maximizes the simplicity of populist politics to garner support for her resurging party’s popularity within the electorate. Anti immigration and vilification of the Muslim community are central policy planks of her party’s platform, utilizing headline grabbing Nazi occupation rhetoric when describing Muslim cultural aspects.

 

Inspired by Russell Shorto http://ow.ly/5wLAT image source National Front http://ow.ly/5wLHI

Leadership should better reflect its membership (June 3rd) Leadership should better reflect its membership (June 3rd)

Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde the 55 year old French Minister of Economic Affairs has been nominated with the support of UK and German governments as a possible successor to Dominique Strauss-Kahn following his resignation as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Lagarde potentially also has support from the USA, along with many other EU nations. Despite 187 countries having representation on the IMF, there is a quota based voting system favoring the USA and EU, providing an unwritten convention that the USA nominates the president to the World Bank, and the EU nominates the managing director for the IMF. Although not an economist, Lagarde stated on her nomination “If I’m elected, I’ll bring all my expertise as a lawyer, a minister, a manager, and a woman”.

Inspired by Annie Lowrey http://ow.ly/55OFE image source MEDEF http://ow.ly/55OAE

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