French Senate confirms pension reform bill

This ought to go over like a lead balloon. BBC:

The French Senate has passed a controversial pension reform bill, which has caused a series of strikes and protests around France.

The senators approved President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, and it could become law as early as next week.

Mr Sarkozy says the measure is necessary to reduce the deficit.

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French police break through blockade, open oil refinery

It's always painful to watch such violence in the name of oil. As the strikes continue, tensions continue to escalate in a very bad way. BBC:

Clashes have broken out outside a major oil refinery in France after riot police moved in to clear strikers who blockaded the terminal for 10 days.

Two people were hurt outside the Grandpuits refinery east of Paris, one of 12 facilities affected by strikes.

President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered the authorities to lift the blockade earlier this week after thousands of petrol stations across France ran dry.

The Senate will vote later on the pension reform that sparked the action.

Ministers said the bill would clear its last major hurdle in a matter of hours, after the Senate was asked to halt debate on hundreds of opposition amendments and hold a single vote on all of them.

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France braces for sixth day of national strikes

Both sides continue to dig in, with the government preparing to make the final vote later this week on pension reform. Drivers have been concerned over stories of fuel shortages though the government has insisted supplies are fine. BBC News:

Tuesday will be France's sixth national day of protests since early September with further disruption expected to air travel, trains and schools.

Half of flights in and out of Paris's Orly airport have been cancelled and 30% of flights at other airports have been affected.

One opinion poll on Monday suggested that 71% of those surveyed supported the strikers, despite the increasing effect on people's lives.

Oil refineries have been shut for a week, hundreds of petrol stations have run dry and a further day of national strikes is under way.

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Pension reform strikes continue in France as airports close to running out of fuel

Supposedly nobody should panic about the lack of fuel though. Why isn't clear, but nobody should worry about it. Maybe the new-fangled airplanes don't really need fuel but run on happy thoughts. BBC:

France is bracing itself for further mass protests over the government's plan to raise the retirement age.

Thousands of students are expected to join a fifth day of demonstrations in less than six weeks. Unions have called for more than 200 marches nationwide.

Strikes have shut most of France's oil refineries and depots and the fuel pipeline to Paris's main airports has been closed.

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French anti-pension reform strike rolls into third day

The strikes continue to disrupt transportation as they push back against the unpopular reforms. In Paris the travelers are aware of the strike but it is nowhere near the complete shutdown of the system in the mid-90s. For commuters getting in and out of Paris, I understand that is a much bigger problem due to fewer trains running. The strike could continue for days or even weeks due to the extremely high public support for the strike. CNN:

A strike to protest government pension reforms is set to extend into a third day Thursday.

On Wednesday, more than 1 million people walked out to protest the reforms -- and at least some of them will stay off the job on Thursday.

French workers are fighting government plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.

Ten out of 12 French oil refineries were hit by the strikes Wednesday, with eight of them fully or partially stopped, according to the French Union of Petroleum Industries.

About half of Paris Metro workers were on strike, and will stay off the job Thursday, a Metro-transport union spokesman said.

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Over 1.5 million hit the streets in France

Neither side is backing down for the moment though the protests yesterday appeared to be much larger than earlier this month. There is little doubt that the pension reform will be finalized though for many, this is much more about deterring Sarkozy from running for reelection in 2012. BBC:

French unions have staged their biggest strikes and demonstrations so far in opposition to the government's pension reform plans.

Unions put the national turnout on the third day of protests this month at 3.5m, while police said 1.2m people were involved.

The cabinet wants to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, and from 65 to 67 for a full state pension.

Some unions say they might extend or continue the strikes.

On Tuesday evening, strikers in the RATP Paris transport network voted to renew their action.

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French unions march against pension reform for third time this month

It's still difficult to tell what the outcome will be on this issue. On the one hand, the unions appear to be splintering, with many not joining the strike today. On the other, voters strongly support the actions against pension reform. If the unions manage to reunite, the strike could turn into an extended action and shut down transportation. BBC:

French unions are staging a national day of strikes and demonstrations in opposition to the government's pension reforms - the third in a month.

Ministers want to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, and the state pension age from 65 to 67.

The civil aviation authority says up to half of flights to and from France have been cancelled because of walkouts.

Meanwhile, public transport and energy sector workers are set to vote on whether to begin open-ended strikes.

The rolling strikes would be organised by serving notice of 24-hour stoppages and renewed each day before they expired. Members of the union would need to be balloted at the end of the strike day on Tuesday.

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French rogue trader sentenced to 3 years in jail, fined $7 billion

Jérôme Kerviel, the former trader at Société Générale was found guilty by a judge in France. If only this meant the rest of the bankers who lost billions and trillions in risky gambles were also going to prison. There never seemed to be much doubt about his illegal trading though the decision to lay all of the blame with Kerviel did come as a surprise. The defendant's excuse that he was a victim of the system may have some merit though blaming the system for everything was a bit much.

Equally extreme was the decision to fine Kerviel nearly $7 million, which was the amount lost by the bank during his failed trade. Again, if the courts were consistent on such issues, maybe, but until everyone else is returned the trillions lost during the crisis, it feels like he's being blamed for the banking crisis. The banks have the luxury of their own insider influence in politics that has enabled them to skate through the banking crisis with barely a scratch.

As Bill Clinton reminded us when he defended his Wall Street friends and tore into liberals, the bankers mostly acted within the law. Perhaps. And this is exactly why many are still so upset with this one-sided system that is owned by the big name banks. Where is the justice for the destruction of global wealth? Are we really to believe banks are innocent and the real victims? The Guardian:

The ruling read out in Paris's historic Palais de Justice was eagerly anticipated. But few had predicted how hard the court would come down on Kerviel, the man behind one of history's biggest trading scandals.

Accused of breach of trust, computer abuse and forgery, the 33-year-old was convicted of all three charges and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with two years suspended. In an order that prompted an audible gasp from court observers, he was also told to pay damages to Société Générale of €4.9bn (£4.2bn) – the total sum of money his risky betting strategies cost his former employers in January 2008.

It is understood the bank views the granting of damages as a symbolic payment, and may not intend to force its erstwhile employee into a lifetime of unpayable debt. Its lawyer, Jean Veil, said the tough verdict was "moral compensation" for a company which insists it knew nothing of the malpractice. "It has been very clearly shown that Jérôme Kerviel's behaviour, his lies, were so sophisticated that the bank could not suspect what he was doing," he added.

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Art riches revealed in apartment that was abandoned for 70 years

Opening that door must have been an amazing experience. Even more incredible is that a Parisian flat - in the 9th no less, not the 7th or 8th - was not burgled over that period of time.

Entering the untouched, cobweb-filled flat in Paris' 9th arrondissement, one expert said it was like stumbling into the castle of Sleeping Beauty, where time had stood still since 1900.

"There was a smell of old dust," said Olivier Choppin-Janvry, who made the discovery. Walking under high wooden ceilings, past an old wood stove and stone sink in the kitchen, he spotted a stuffed ostrich and a Mickey Mouse toy dating from before the war, as well as an exquisite dressing table.

But he said his heart missed a beat when he caught sight of a stunning tableau of a woman in a pink muslin evening dress.

The painting was by Boldini and the subject a beautiful Frenchwoman who turned out to be the artist's former muse and whose granddaughter it was who had left the flat uninhabited for more than half a century.

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French march against retirement age reform

The issue for the strike yesterday and the strike earlier this month has been over the decision to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. As an outsider, the increase sounds quite small as many other countries only allow official retirement at 65 or 67. Where is does sound unfair is the rapid transition from the current age requirement. As I've mentioned before, there are countless marches in Paris and even though yesterday's march was large, it's doubtful that it was large enough to have any impact on the Senate confirmation.

French unions have reported turnout of nearly three million people at rallies against pension reform but police figures are much lower.

The CFDT federation said 2.9 million had joined events across France, exceeding the turnout of 2.5 million on 7 September.

Police put turnout in Paris at less than a quarter of the unions' figure.

Marches and rallies were held as strikes closed down much of the country's public transport.

The pension reform bill, which raises the retirement age from 60 to 62, has already been passed by France's lower house of parliament.

It will be debated from 5 October by the upper house, the Senate, where it is expected to pass comfortably.

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France confirms Al-Qaeda kidnapping of citizens in Niger

In this case it probably has little or nothing to do with the recent burqa ban and more to do with the regional instability. BBC:

France's foreign ministry has confirmed that an al-Qaeda group is holding five of its citizens after abducting them from a uranium mine in Niger.

A ministry spokesman said France had no proof the five were alive but had "good reasons" to believe they were.

He said a claim from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was genuine.

Another two people, one from Togo and and the other from Madagascar, were seized along with the French group.

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French parliament confirms burqa ban

While many people are offended by the burqa, it's hard to see how this political move will help the women or help the country around the world. Many French travel extensively so it they could easily be put in harms way with this move.

The Senate passed the bill by 246 votes to one Tuesday and, having already cleared the lower house in July, the bill will now be reviewed by the Constitutional Council, which has a month to confirm its legality.

The text makes no mention of Islam, but President Nicolas Sarkozy's government promoted the law as a means to protect women from being forced to wear Muslim full-face veils such as the burqa or the niqab.

Once in force, the law provides for a six-month period of "education" to explain to women already wearing a face veil that they face arrest and a fine if they continue to do so in any public space.

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Face of Muslim stonemason added to famous French cathedral

What a great idea which is of course, under attack by right wing extremists. Why should it be a problem for a Muslim to be immortalized after working a lifetime restoring a World Heritage cathedral? Anyone who has visited Spain is no doubt familiar with the beautiful Mudéjar architecture that is everywhere in the south. Should that all be destroyed because Muslims built some of the most stunning buildings of the 15th and 16th century? Extremists really need to get a life.

Why damage control? This was a nice thing to do so if people don't like it, tough. This was an exceptionally nice gesture and all religions could learn something from it.

A Muslim stonemason who spent nearly four decades helping to restore a Roman Catholic cathedral in France has been immortalized as a winged gargoyle peering out from its facade - with the inscription "God is great" written in French and Arabic.

It was conceived as a symbol of inter-religious friendship that reflects the city of Lyon's links to its large Muslim population. But a widely publicized outcry from a small extreme-right group has forced the Archdiocese of Lyon into damage control.

"This has nothing to do with religion. It's a sculptor who wants to pay homage to a construction site chief," said the Rev. Michel Cacaud, rector of the cathedral. "That's all."

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Paris Metro to heat apartment buildings

Why not use the heat that is already being generated to help reduce costs? It's a surprise more of this is not done around the world, but of course, they already do in Norway and Sweden. The Guardian:

Warmth generated by sweaty passengers as they commute on the Paris Mètro may be used to heat a block of low-income flats located near the Pompidou Centre in the city centre. This could slash the building's energy bill and carbon footprint by a third, according to the property's owner.

The temperature in nearby Rambuteau Mètro station stays at a toasty 14-20C degrees all year round thanks to the heat generated by passengers, trains and other machinery. Paris Habitat-OPH, the owners of the building, plan to use the underground heat to warm up water as it courses through pipes. It will then be pumped to the surface into an underfloor heating system in the block of flats.

"It's a huge source of free, zero-carbon heat so it couldn't make more sense," said Dr Patrick James, a researcher at the University of Southampton's School of Civil Engineering and the Environment. "I guess the only problem will be if there's a train strike in the winter, in which case they'll need a back-up source of heat."

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Why is 'halal' food so dangerous?

When it's available, I buy kosher for certain foods and travel across Paris to my favorite butcher who sells halal products. I know some people who choose kosher meals on flights because they believe that it's going to be better than the standard meals. The way some are reacting to this scandal that's not a scandal, you would think that eating halal will somehow force Islam on you and you will be a changed person. I can somewhat appreciate one mayor's concern that by selling halal only products at a Quick (when other Quick restaurants sell non-halal) might promote segregation instead of bringing people together but it still sounds like a stretch.

I can't say that I feel segregated when I buy food at my halal butcher. I'm much more interested in the fact that I'm buying the tastiest chickens for the best price in Paris. Is that really so bad?

On Wednesday, popular French fast food chain Quick, the No. 2 burger chain in France after McDonald's, started serving halal-only food in 22 of its French outlets, targeting France's large Muslim population, an underexploited market that has long been ignored by big business.

If it's a savvy business decision — Quick says sales doubled at restaurants that have tested the concept — the move has also opened a new chapter in the perennial war over how much society should accommodate Muslim traditions.

Or in essence, what it means to be French.

Politicians left and right have attacked the move from every conceivable angle. Some ask why halal food should be foisted on the general population, while others worry the Quicks in question will promote segregation of the Muslim community instead of acceptance. France argues that integration is the only option for minorities, and the only way to preserve social cohesion.

Just a guess here but any talk about "preserving" social cohesion is a joke. It doesn't exist today and focusing on side issues like this rather than true integration into schools and jobs will only delay any serious progress on the issue. Read More......

France and UK to pool aircraft carriers

Some say that it's an interesting idea in theory but won't work in practice. (If so, a good theory is always a winner in France, regardless of practical application.) What is also striking about this potential move is that it never could have been done by Labour. While combining/sharing the military forces has made perfect sense in Europe for years, attempting such an agreement from the left would have brought cries of treason from the right. It's not unlike Nixon and China, in US terms.

Britain and France are expected to reveal plans to share the use of their aircraft carriers.

This would allow Britain to scrap or downgrade one of the two replacement carriers announced in 2007 at a cost of £5.2bn, but would risk thousands of shipyard jobs.

David Cameron and President Nicolas Sarkozy are expected to announce the proposal in November.

The arrangement would ensure that one of three ships – one French, two British – remained permanently on patrol. Currently Britain's two aging vessels – HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious – are occasionally both in dock at the same time.

A decision on the future of the two planned replacement carriers will be announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review in October. A shared patrolling scheme with the French military would allow one to be built to a lesser specification, sold to another country or scrapped.

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A hodge podge of photos from yesterday in Alsace

Meet Noirdie the goat.



Noirdie (or "blackie," in French) is the goat of my friend Frank, from graduate school, who now lives out in Alsace, a region in eastern France along the border with Switzerland. Frank likes his animals, so his home has become a virtual Noah's Ark of animal goodness. Frank and his wife and two kids have two Golden Retrievers, eight or so cats, four chickens (for the eggs), a goat (who lives with the chickens), a parrot, a parakeet, and a turtle. I think that's everything. The luxury of having a nice house in the country.



Every morning Frank, or the kids, go out to the henhouse and pick some fresh eggs for breakfast. The last two days we've had "oeufs à la coque," which I think is soft-boiled eggs. They were quite good, my first time with super fresh eggs - and look kids, no salmonella!



I'm not an expert on French geography, but the area out here sure looks like farm country.



As I mentioned yesterday, it's also flower country.



And cat country.



It's also, apparently, frog country. On our drive around the neighborhood, Frank explained to me that this pathway through the woods was closed every September because of frogs. You see, they mate in September, and hoards of them gather on this road to either mate, or go mate, or something. Suffice it to say, the road is closed for a good month due to frogs. Seriously.



The other fun thing we came upon, while out running a few errands, was a wedding party off to get married, or off to the reception. The bride was taking the horse drawn carriage, it's not clear where the groom was.




It was a pretty rainy weekend, unfortunately, but yesterday evening the sun finally popped out a bit. The sun is gorgeous here at sunset, reminds me of the sun you see in Paris at this time of year, or the sun you see in the Netherlands (think Rembrandt). This is simply Frank's fruit basket, but I loved the way the sun was hitting it just for a few minutes.



And finally, here's a last shot of Noirdie. (And if you can't get enough of her, here's a short video I shot of her on my iphone.)

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Les Maisons d'Alsace

I'm in the French region of Alsace, visiting an old friend from graduate school who I probably haven't seen in twenty years (yikes). He lives in an area that's right near the borders of both Switzerland and Germany, and only about 8 miles west of Basel, Switzerland.

A brief history of Alsace from Wikipedia:

The name "Alsace" derives from the Germanic Ell-sass, meaning "Seated on the Ill",[2] a river in Alsace. The region was historically part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was gradually annexed by France in the 17th century under kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV and made one of the provinces of France. Alsace is frequently mentioned in conjunction with Lorraine, because German possession of parts of these two régions (as the imperial province Alsace-Lorraine, 1871–1918) was contested in the 19th and 20th centuries, during which Alsace changed hands four times between France and Germany in 75 years.

Probably the most striking thing about the region is the homes. To me, at least, they look awfully Germanic and Alpine. A bit like ski chalets. Except not quite. There's an abstract quality to both the colors of the home, and the seemingly random design of the lattice. Have a look.



Oh, another thing you'll notice, everywhere, are the flowers. The small villages around here are flower CRAZY. And it's great. They're everywhere along the roads. My friend Frank says "they" even give out stars to the villages, to denote who has the prettiest flower arrangements, so it's a bit of a cold "flower" war along the Franco-Swiss-German border.



A bit more of the funky home colors:



And finally, a few other styles, mixed with the ubiquitous flower arrangements.

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Late night Paris

An evening with friends in Paris usually consists of dinner or a bar, or on the weekend, dancing. I decided to grab a few videos of nights out with the friends, in order to share with you guys a typical Parisian night on the town.

One evening last week, I took a visiting American friend to Marcus' favorite new bar, Les Souffleurs, in the Marais. From what I can tell, Souffleurs comes from souffle, to blow. A souffleur is actually a prompter in the theater - someone off stage who gives the actors their lines, or "blows" the words to the actors. Souffleur has also been used as the name of a French submarine, because of the "blow spout." So it's hard to know the intent. Hell, it could even be a sexual pun.

I guess you'd call Les Souffleurs a "gay bar," except it's really just a very cool bar that just happens to have a pretty gay clientelle. Maybe calling it straight-friendly would be more appropriate. It's a skinny little hole in the wall with all sorts of charm and ambience. A nice, cute, relatively young - and friendly - crowd, and dancing in the very small basement cave until the hour is late. (And the mojitos are good, and not outrageously priced, for Paris.) Here's a quick video of Marcus sharing a story at the bar.



Saturday night we had arranged with Friday night's picnic crowd to meet at a bar where, before midnight, they dance Tango and waltzes. It was a total hoot. Then at midnight, they switch for a few minutes to a line dance that they call "the Madison." It sounded awfully familiar to me until an American friend mentioned "it's the Hustle!" I unfortunately did not get a video of the Frenchies doing the Hustle, as I had been grabbed onto the dance floor by my friend Clément, and was trying desperately to remember the dance steps I learned in 8th grade (a long time ago). I failed miserably.

After midnight, the music switched to "Rock" as the French call it. Which isn't really rock. It's oldies from the French and American 60s, 70s, and a wee bit from the 80s (too wee a bit). It was great fun. Basically a healthy mix of American and French 70s discos (and more). Here's the gang dancing to Claude François' "Magnolias for Ever." Which, best as I can gather, is a cheesy French disco song.

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Paris, Je T'aime

8 minutes long. A-dor-able, as we say in French. (The subtitles are hard to read, but they are JUST readable, if you try.) Part of a larger series of films made about the different arrondissements, or neighborhoods, in Paris. This one is about the 14th, where Chris and Joelle live, and where I lived when I studied here. It's not very long. Worth watching.

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