Of reality.
People say things And people see me In a not entirely excellent state And now when he speaks I know That they know That it’s not him Not my him, … Continue reading
Cultural Oddities: Slave Jewellery
Isn’t that an extraordinary picture? All that jewellery you see, it’s gold. Solid gold. Salvador was the birthplace of slave jewellery. I think the concept doesn’t exist in any other … Continue reading
A Map of The Time Before
You can’t understand The Time Before without understanding the dynamics. Slave Hill (Slave Miguel’s Hill, to be precise) was the town house. One day I’ll tell you how it got … Continue reading
Before the Time Before
Writing [for me] is an exercise. A necessary exercise. Unlike other children, both my ability and desire to communicate were thoroughly limited. This wasn’t always a problem. My earliest memories … Continue reading
From the Rescuer to the Aggressor – understanding the 10 types of human | Science | The Guardian
“Dias tells the story of human behaviour through 10 tropes. The Kinsman will protect his or her own gene pool at the expense of any other. It’s illustrated in the … Continue reading
A Mild Headache & Peonies
–I have a mild headache. –We’re entering summer mode. We had guests a couple of weeks ago, but as of Wednesday it’s basically non-stop until September. Cold soups will feature … Continue reading
‘Are you yellow?’ Red Symons interview with Beverley Wang prompts ABC apology | The Guardian
Symons: “Do they speak Mandarin or Cantonese? Wang: “Who’s ‘they’?” Symons: “The people in Taiwan.” Wang: “They speak Taiwanese and they speak Mandarin. And in Canada, where I’m from, … Continue reading
The Changing of the Loos
The one terribly unpleasant thing I found when we moved into number 42 were the loos. From a little distance they look normal, but as one approaches, one discovers they’re … Continue reading
Progress in the bathroom
We’re halfway there. The tub is in place, the shower cubicle is being tiled, the cabinet thingy arrived, the loo is installed (and it works, which is always a good … Continue reading
Hips, Lovage, Heat & Banks
Lovage: The only good part of the title. I can’t believe I’ve gone 39 years without it. It looks like big flat leaf parsley but with a much stronger celery-like … Continue reading
The Day Will Come | Der kommer en dag
Director: Jesper W. Nielsen Written by: Søren Sveistrup Stars: Lars Mikkelsen, Sofie Gråbøl, Harald Kaiser Hermann, Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt “The year is 1967, and a blooming youth culture is on … Continue reading
I burst out laughing: Trump orders the slaying of Clooney newborns – The Whitechapel Whelk
US President, Donald Trump, has issued an executive order calling for the newborn twins of actor, George Clooney, to be put to death immediately. Source: Trump orders the slaying of … Continue reading
Perspective, Priorities & Women in Society
Yesterday I was reading John Oliver’s more than justified criticism of the coverage of the most recent terrorist attacks in London; this was shortly after reading an article someone emailed … Continue reading
Free speech is at the core of the left-right divide. But what are we fighting over? | Jason Wilson | Opinion | The Guardian
by Jason Wilson “… Free speech in the Bill of Rights is not freedom from criticism or disagreement. But this was not what Christian appears to have had in mind. … Continue reading
An Agendist’s (Mostly) Private Thoughts
It’s usually a bad idea to put people on a pedestal; Unless they’re blind or in a wheelchair, in which case it might be funny. Three of my grandparents are … Continue reading
“Home” of Friedrich Nietzsche – Palazzo Berlendis for Sale
Source: Home of Friedrich Nietzsche – Palazzo Berlendis for Sale 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms 300 m2 2,500,000 EUR (2,181,703 GBP) The advertisement is slightly misleading, this is actually an apartment … Continue reading
Must See: Betting On Zero
“From ‘Darfur Now’ writer/director Ted Braun comes a riveting docu-thriller following controversial hedge fund titan Bill Ackman as he puts a billion dollars on the line in his crusade … Continue reading
Our Very Own Honour Killings: 15enne uccide l’amico per un like su Facebook – Corriere.it
Un like di troppo e un commento, poco appropriato, sotto la foto di una ragazzina postata sul suo profilo Facebook, ha convinto Alex, 15 anni, che quello era uno sgarbo … Continue reading
The wonderful world of Herbert Spencer
“The presumption that any current opinion is not wholly false gains in strength according to the number of its adherents. Admitting, as we must, that life is impossible unless through … Continue reading
Ask not what a mirror can do for you-
Above are all Louis XIV mirrors. Fascinating period. As transitions go, probably one of the most significant in the history of art. We leave behind the heavy-handedness of everything that came … Continue reading
Some things never change- mostly the chandeliers
I was up a ladder cleaning the chandelier in the grey salon today and I started trying to count backwards to figure out the year when I bought it (because … Continue reading
Apparently “Chanel needs to understand Indigenous anger” over boomerangs
“If you are an Aboriginal person the idea that someone would pay nearly $2,000 for a designer boomerang is absurd. To pay that much for a boomerang would have to … Continue reading
Salvador Sobral WON Eurovision!!!
How absolutely wonderful. First Macron, now this. There is much light at the end of this tunnel.
Canadian journalists support ‘appropriation prize’ after online furore | The Guardian
“The piece sparked furore on social media. While some defended Niedzviecki’s idea, others described the piece as clueless and an insult to the indigenous writers who had contributed to the … Continue reading
Armand Albert Rateau: Lanvin’s Art Deco designer | Christie’s
Lanvin and the man she chose to design her apartment. “Armand Albert Rateau was one of France’s greatest Art Deco designers, creating everything from furniture to theatre interiors. Meredith Etherington-Smith … Continue reading
Floridus and Herbidus but not Fruitidus (well, a little)
and I forgot to mention… there are teak chairs available from VidaXL (sold to most of Europe with free shipping) for just €60 each. They also make 2 and 3 … Continue reading
The science of inequality: why people prefer unequal societies | Inequality | The Guardian
“… For example, studies of income and happiness have revealed that, once a basic level of wealth is achieved, relative wealth is more important for overall happiness. Similarly, a vast … Continue reading
From Denying to the Grave
From Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us by Sara E. Gorman, Jack M. Gorman, M.d., Jack M. Gorman, Oxford University Press Rabbit Feet and … Continue reading
Teresa Cristina sings Roses Don’t Speak
“… I complain to the roses. What nonsense. Roses don’t speak. Roses only exhale the scent they steal from you…”
April at nº 42
It’s been a busy month. And dusty. Work has begun to move the west bathroom into a larger room. And what was the bathroom is going to become a dressing … Continue reading
Does Revenge Serve an Evolutionary Purpose? – Scientific American
“Why all the celebration after the killing of Osama bin Laden? A psychologist who studies evolution and human behavior explains the complex desire for vengeance” Source: Does Revenge Serve an … Continue reading
The Red-Pill Right Swaps Chivalry for Misogyny – via TDB
“An investigation by The Daily Beast about the New Hampshire state representative who was secretly behind The Red Pill (“the web’s most popular online destination for pickup artistry and men’s … Continue reading
The Secret Life of the Mind: How Your Brain Thinks, Feels, and Decides by Dr. Mariano Sigman
“Where do our thoughts come from? How do we make choices and trust our judgments? What is the role of the unconscious? Can we manipulate our dreams? In this mind-bending … Continue reading
In the land of zeros and ones- there are questions
Curiosity, hope and the constant impulse to compare ourselves- all part of the human evolutionary strategy. Doesn’t that mean we can whittle everything down into those terms? What follows is that most … Continue reading
Changes
Dealing with the limited counter space in the kitchen has not been easy, but finally we have a solution. A cross between an island and a table. It’s the height … Continue reading
Heuristics & Biases (borrowed from GSU)
I love graphs and tables 😀 This one is amusing. The more I look through comments on newspapers and blogs, the more I notice the extent to which people rely … Continue reading
Ai Funghi
Here I am, a month or so in. This seems to be working for me. Intellectually what I knew I wanted was, shall we say, a divorce from the ego. … Continue reading
America’s Cult of Ignorance – The Daily Beast
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political … Continue reading
From Venice to Florence to Mazamet
… Finally settled on a mirror for the entrance hall. Not as nice as the blue glass Venetian version from the other day, but attractive nonetheless. This one is Florentine. … Continue reading
A North Italian, Clear & Cobalt Blue Glass Mirror| VENICE, 1st half of the 18th century | Christie’s
A NORTH ITALIAN ENGRAVED, CLEAR AND COBALT BLUE GLASS MIRROR VENICE, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY The rectangular plate within a stepped foliate-decorated surround interspersed with oval medallions depicting flowering urns … Continue reading
New & Old
Isn’t that wonderful? I just love de la Simone. This is my 2nd week of microdosing. For a crazy person it’s more art than science. The overall effect is good. … Continue reading
Notes on The Time Before
I want to continue talking about that period because it’s oddly relevant to what’s going on in the world today… As a child with grandparents from three different countries and … Continue reading
The Butchering of the Age of Reason – via TDB
“Our country is in a crisis that threatens to set us back 400 years. I know this sounds dramatic, and I am not talking about politics, I’m talking about reversing … Continue reading
Reflections on White Masculinity via The Guardian + Society’s failure to discuss ideas.
[The book is] “slated for 2018 . It’s based on interviews with four different groups around the world. One of them is an organization in Sweden which helps young neo-Nazis … Continue reading
The Grey Agendist
Well, the hair is grey, anyway. Very, very grey. Also, very, very short. My mood is up. We’ve had over a week of excellent weather now. One day at 18º … Continue reading
Matisse, Tiziano, Veronese & Diana Vreeland
Bacchus & Ariadne have just left. They’re on their way to Madrid where they’ll be restored by the exceptionally able hand who presided over much of the work at the … Continue reading
The Anatomy of Populist Economics by Brigitte Granville – Project Syndicate
A bit of a long read, but well worth it. Professor Brigitte Granville’s article is outstanding. PARIS – For at least the past year, populism has been wreaking havoc on … Continue reading
Musée d’Orsay: Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870). La jeunesse de l’impressionnisme.
“Comment regarder l’oeuvre de Frédéric Bazille, mort au combat en 1870 lors de la guerre franco-prussienne alors qu’il n’était âgé que de 28 ans ? Si ses premières toiles sont … Continue reading
The time before
The first part of the flight, Oklahoma (where my father had a position at a University since two years earlier) to Florida was Pan Am. The second was in a … Continue reading
Pastoral Amusements
Isn’t that room stunning? The tapestry you see on the wall on the left is the Cheval Fondu from the Amusements Champêtres series. It was thought to be Beauvais but … Continue reading
I don’t know how many souls I have
It’s profoundly problematic that every time I’m confronted with the notion that I’m not immortal, I desperately want to die. Who was that Victorian author who said Germans were incapable … Continue reading
Him, Daniel Blake
We watched Ken Loach’s film last night. Beautifully done but excruciatingly sad. I spent the rest of the evening feeling generally guilty- and selfish, and clueless, and uncaring. It’s something … Continue reading
The Last Straw Fallacy: Another Causal Fallacy and Its Harmful Effects
by Carolyn Cusick & Mark Peter November 2015 Argumentation; Nov. 2015, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p. 457 “We have noticed a pattern of arguments that exhibit a type of irrationality … Continue reading
Thinking aloud
I was awake until very late last night looking at old pictures. In particular pictures where the Bacchus painting appears. A collector contacted me to make an offer. We haven’t … Continue reading
The David Irving Method & Wanker Theory
One of the less talked about films of last year was Denial. Not as cheerful as La La Land or dramatic as Fences, it tells the story of the libel … Continue reading
From Simulation Confusion by K. Sanes
“… more often, we are being deliberately tricked, by people who have something to gain by manipulating us with misleading appearances. Indeed, much of America’s economy is based on providing … Continue reading
Reading books is good. Dressed of sea.
because we’re forced to inhabit the perspective of another human being. We should do that all the time. Dedicate a part of the day to that. I’ve never understood lack … Continue reading
Things an agendist does when he’s bored: This is a Reince Priebus
Well, I was bored yesterday and so decided to make a joke (picture and all) out of the name of the current White House chief of staff . The people … Continue reading
In case you missed it: Matt Frei
“Meet The Trumps: From Immigrant To President Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States and commander in chief of America’s armed forces, the most powerful position in … Continue reading
Let’s just say they wish today was over: Penelope Fillon & Marine Le Pen
Marine Le Pen: élue au Parlement européen, et est accusée d’avoir rémunéré avec des fonds européens comme assistante parlementaire Catherine Griset, alors que celle-ci travaillait essentiellement pour le FN. Cette dernière … Continue reading
Skittles, Terrorism & the Hippopotamus Factor
These excellent graphs are by the wonderful people at Datagraver. For more interesting graphs, numbers and information on terrorism, Oxford University’s OWID is fantastic. I thought it would be interesting for … Continue reading
Warmth at last
Winter sun! The weather is finally improving. After a reasonably pleasant December, the cold front was not fun. It did get us back into action and the attic of number 42 … Continue reading
Prevent Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the United Kingdom. – Petitions
If you’re a UK citizen or resident, you can sign this petition: Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government, … Continue reading
A Series of Even More Unfortunate Events: The Appalling Airport
No sooner had the Baudelaire orphans handed their passports to the immigration officer than they looked up and realized it was actually Count Olaf in disguise! In a very, very bad disguise. … Continue reading
The fire that burns unseen – Luís Vaz de Camões
16th century poetry and also some wonderful music. Amor é um fogo que arde sem se ver, é ferida que doi, e não se sente; é um contentamento descontente, é … Continue reading
Sean Spicer: Trump considering 20% tax on Mexican imports – Business Insider
“Sean Spicer, White House press secretary for President Donald Trump, told reporters on Thursday that the administration is pushing for a 20% border tax on Mexican imports. “When you look at … Continue reading
Christianity and the Strong Arm of the Law: Do the religious not trust themselves? | myatheistlife
“The Pink Agendist has a pretty awesome blog. His take on this topic is stunning, and allows us to see how the church set the tone for what they now … Continue reading
The Last Shaman by James Freeman
This documentary is now on Netflix. Interesting concept. James suffers from acute depression. He’s tired. He’s tried all sorts of treatments but nothing has really worked. He decides to “give … Continue reading
Is rape imaginary?
…“The dissociation of labor and disintegration of society, which liberty and free competition occasion, is especially injurious to the poorer class; for besides the labor necessary to support the family, … Continue reading
Saving the Temple Neuf
Our mayor has launched a fundraising initiative aimed at restoring three of the more important religious buildings in town. One of them is the Temple Neuf, also known as the … Continue reading
The Magic(al thinking) Word of 2016/2017: Deal
Bold, ambitious, Global Britain- those were some of the terms Theresa May repeated ad nauseum in today’s speech on Brexit. The most used word, however, was deal. That is undoubtedly … Continue reading
The Mother of All Muckrakers
“… Tarbell was the nemesis of John D. Rockefeller, the creator of Standard Oil, precursor of ExxonMobil. But she was a lot more than that — as a journalist she … Continue reading
Lessons in Ethics: The Moral of Annie
The moral of Annie is that there was a time when it really didn’t matter how talented your child was and/or how well they could sing, if it was a Ginger, … Continue reading
The adventures of President Shyster & his Shysterettes
By now you’ve probably seen President Shyster posing next to a table covered in files: The setup was extraordinary. Basically he said, Dear Public, these are papers. Papers mean I … Continue reading
Little- thinking
When I was little I sometimes wished an aeroplane would crash. This was generally to get rid of a single person- which makes it terribly inefficient methodologically. Wishing for choking would’ve … Continue reading
What would 18 year old you think?
I read this the other day and it stuck in my mind. It’s from a speech by the author of The Black Swan, N.N. Taleb. Interesting notion. To go back to … Continue reading
From Istanbul to Moscow, cold snap wreaks havoc across Europe (PHOTOS) — RT News
“Bone-freezing cold, heavy snowstorms, and floods have been plaguing the European continent this week, causing power outages, traffic jams, cancelled flights, and even a stream of plastic eggs with toys … Continue reading
Words. So many words. Rosemonde Gérard.
Lorsque tu seras vieux et que je serai vieille, Lorsque mes cheveux blonds seront des cheveux blancs, Au mois de mai, dans le jardin qui s’ensoleille, Nous irons réchauffer nos … Continue reading
A chest for the scullery
The chest for the scullery is in place. I wanted something very specific so we had it made (adapted actually) in Germany and then shipped to us in a flat … Continue reading
Attempts at mind control
Because I obviously need(ed) to *wear* a reminder in very large letters.
Wishful thinking: from Proxylane to Dedifferentiated Rose Cells
I can’t tell you how annoying I find advertisements for cosmetics. What’s most irritating is that they work. The world’s wealthiest woman is, after all, Liliane Bettencourt the owner of L’Oreal. What … Continue reading
The unbearable heaviness of being.
Milan Kundera is a stupid name. There, I said it. I don’t mention it often, but I was one of those clever children. You get high scores on a test … Continue reading
Darwin, Bonaparte & the Samaritan (starting the year on a good note!)
That’s the title of Michel Serre’s new book. Unfortunately I think it’s not yet available in English (but it is in French & Spanish.) He’s one of the great minds … Continue reading
Julia Engelmann (Poem) with English Subtitles (and good ham!)
I was going to continue writing about existentialism today- but in an effort not to depress anyone before the Reveillon, I’ll give you something rather beautiful instead. You might already … Continue reading
Stufen
I remember being 10 and sitting in the back seat of the car (a town car), my parents were up front, and I asked them why they thought they should … Continue reading
Why we are willing to pay for mega expensive things
by Paul Harrison Director, Centre for Employee and Consumer Wellbeing; Senior lecturer, Deakin Business School- The Conversation Australia “It may not seem logical or good value for money, but there are … Continue reading
Dear Eagle’s Talons
This just arrived. I got it online. It says: Dear Eagle’s Talons, We await your arrival with impatience. Are you enjoying yourself? Goodbye my dear Eagle’s Talons. Hug Jeanne for … Continue reading
Stupid and sometimes not
I’ve been jumping rope for two weeks now to lose weight. It’s ridiculous- but somehow less ridiculous than jogging or doing any other sort of public exercise. My waist is … Continue reading
Light-hearted things
In the first half of the 20th century there were squads called Einsatzgruppen- HA! Just kidding. No depressing history or politics today. I promised a picture of the Louis Philippe … Continue reading
George Michael, pop superstar, dies at 53 | Music | The Guardian
Star who made his name as half of pop group Wham! has died peacefully at home, according to his publicist Source: George Michael, pop superstar, dies at 53 | Music … Continue reading
Twas the night before Christmas (eve- all’s about eve)
Alagna was at Versailles last week. Magnificent. I don’t go to things like that anymore because- because I don’t like leaving the house unnecessarily, or travelling, or pretending I’m interested … Continue reading
It’s not cold
14 degrees celsius today. We had a couple of colder and rainy days earlier in the week but the predictions are that this winter in the Tarn will be mild. … Continue reading
Democrats, demagogues and despots via the FT
“The more powerful the passions and the more uncontained the ambitions, the more likely the democratic system will collapse into despotism. Demagogues are the Achilles heel of democracy. There is … Continue reading
Ich bin ein Berliner
Right now we don’t know what the reasons were- and frankly I imagine the motivation doesn’t play much of a role in the feeling of loss of those who have lost … Continue reading
When The New York Times Defended Putting a Black Man in the Bronx Zoo – TDB
Just as the late Stephen Jay Gould updated Charles Darwin by arguing that humans evolved through fits and starts—“punctuated equilibrium”—social progress also is less steady than we would like. Even … Continue reading
The end of an era?
That’s the cover of this month’s municipal magazine. The major item is the motorway. It’s reminding us we’re in the final stage before the concession. It’s also reminding us this … Continue reading
The Evil Agendist
You know those Christmas cards they make you buy every year from the people who paint with the paintbrush in their mouth or feet or wherever because they’re missing limbs? … Continue reading
Books, Food & 10 Year Plans
We left Spain 2 years ago today. What you see above is my last bloody mary at the marina. I loved the marina in winter, barely a tourist in sight. … Continue reading
Welcome to the age of anger
The seismic events of 2016 have revealed a world in chaos – and one that old ideas of liberal rationalism can no longer explain by Pankaj Mishra “Writing in the … Continue reading
Racist troll guilty of harassing Labour MP with antisemitic posts | The Guardian
A racist internet troll has been found guilty of harassing a Labour MP with a series of anti-Jewish rants sent after the jailing of a fellow far-right extremist. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, … Continue reading
Autumnal in G Minor
Time insists on passing. I looked at the calendar today and realized that this time two years ago, we were packing up Villa l’Africaine. Yesterday I received a lovely card … Continue reading
What Gamergate should have taught us about the ‘alt-right’ + Let’s talk about language.
“It’s understandable that the world didn’t much care about Gamergate. The 2014 hashtag campaign, ostensibly founded to protest about perceived ethical failures in games journalism, clearly thrived on hate – … Continue reading
Viviane Amsalem & Body Ritual Among the Nacirema
Last night we watched Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem. Everything about it is superb. Watch the trailer because it gives a very good idea of how the film plays … Continue reading
Religious radicalisation before there was ISIS: Reports of the West’s Enlightenment have been greatly exaggerated.
Catholic seminarians in late 1930’s Pamplona taking up arms for what the church itself called a Crusade. The crusade involved overthrowing the democratically elected 2nd Republic. Catholicism became omnipresent in … Continue reading
Photos of historical England ‘challenge Downton Abbey myth’ | Art and design | The Guardian
“Images of factories, schools, universities and civic buildings rising among old streetscapes – but also of rotting houses, barefoot children and faces pinched with poverty – have been unearthed from … Continue reading
Already Happening: The Normalization of Trumpism – via TDB
“… Only the characteristic bluntness of a child, who proclaimed the emperor’s nudity as he paraded through the streets humiliating himself and his kingdom, threatened to break the spell. But … Continue reading
White nationalists? Alt-right? If you see a Nazi, say Nazi | Lindy West | The Guardian
“What does it take to call a Nazi a Nazi? In the interminable fortnight since the election of Donald Trump, the US press has been floundering in a gyre of … Continue reading
What So Many People Don’t Get About the U.S. Working Class via The Harvard Business Review
“My father-in-law grew up eating blood soup. He hated it, whether because of the taste or the humiliation, I never knew. His alcoholic father regularly drank up the family wage, … Continue reading
The Economist’s Ode to Canada
“In this depressing company of wall-builders, door-slammers and drawbridge-raisers, Canada stands out as a heartening exception. It happily admits more than 300,000 immigrants a year, nearly 1% of its population—a … Continue reading
History – Attention Must Be Paid | Envisioning The American Dream
“In my constant field of vision, are a series of framed vintage Vanity Fair magazine covers from 1933 that powerfully illustrate that most tumultuous year, a year that would have … Continue reading
Lord Haw-Haw: How a Little Liar Sold the Biggest One – The Daily Beast
“While studying at the University of London in the early 1920s, Joyce became virulently anti-Semitic. Some say that when a leftist slashed his face from the edge of his lip … Continue reading
What Trump Exposed About the G.O.P. – The New York Times
Best analysis yet. By a mile! By MARK SCHMITT NOV. 11, 2016 The election of 2016 is the culmination of this ideological era, but ironically reveals its hollowness. The … Continue reading
My Very Own Question Time: On shame, guilt & victimhood
This has been on my mind for a while: How do the anthropological notions of Shame Society and Guilt Society – and the newer term (for a very old behaviour) Victimhood … Continue reading
Must Read: Resisting Resentment Politics Down Under, Paul Tyson
How owning our Resentment can save Australian Politics In this piece, Paul Tyson, honorary Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, outlines his take on the rise of right wing … Continue reading
After the election we will not mourn. We will organize | Gloria Steinem | Opinion | The Guardian
“In my country, the white-lash and the man-lash have just created President Donald Trump, an unqualified candidate who came up not through politics, but through inheriting money, a gift for … Continue reading
Absolutely Fascinating
I was awake late last night and then early this morning. I think like most, I expected Clinton to win. WOW! What a shock. I’ll probably surprise you by not … Continue reading
The Curious Cases of Nawaz & Ali
In case you haven’t yet heard, The SPLC has published a list of what they call Islamophobes. I prefer the traditional term, which is simply racist. Or in this precise … Continue reading
How do we combat flawed thinking?
SANE ASYLUM The Swiss Know How to Beat Wingnuts Flavia Kleiner and Operation Libero handed the anti-immigrant right a major defeat last spring. Now they’re building their ‘rebellion of the … Continue reading
Building II, Apartment 5
We’re speeding this along because the tenants want to move in on Saturday. A newlywed couple. He’s in the military- got transferred here and they weren’t finding it easy to find somewhere … Continue reading
Converted bus #TinyHouse
“When I was a kid I was fascinated by the idea of Gypsy caravans. Now, I’m fascinated by Tiny Houses, and this converted bus is one of the best I’ve … Continue reading
First there was the vote. What now? The future of Brexit.
“The widespread assumption that Britain would remain in the EU gave way, after the June referendum, to the antithesis: the prospect of “hard” Brexit. Now, courtesy of Japanese carmaker Nissan, … Continue reading
What Do Trump and Marx Have in Common? – The New York Times
HAMBURG, Germany — “We have a word in German, “Wutbürger,” which means “angry citizen” — though like many German compound words, its meaning can never quite be captured in a … Continue reading
The 1909 Strikes
The more I read the more interesting this place becomes. Above you can see the 1909 strike by the wool workers. A pivotal moment in history as it led to … Continue reading
1911: The first time an aeroplane flew over Mazamet
It was photographed at the precise moment it was flying over our neighbourhood. Right under the portrait of aviator Roger Morin you can see the Temple at the end of … Continue reading
which in turn was based on, which in turn was based on, which in turn was based on
In trying to see if I could find a replica of the Cormouls house in Canada I got distracted and ended up revisiting the career and history of Horace Trumbauer. … Continue reading
The brain adapts to dishonesty : Nature Neuroscience : Nature Research
“Dishonesty is an integral part of our social world, influencing domains ranging from finance and politics to personal relationships. Anecdotally, digressions from a moral code are often described as a … Continue reading
Indian Summers in France
Today it’s 21º Celsius. Perfectly pleasant. The sun has been coming and going and I have been raking. Endless raking under the walnut tree. And pruning. I want to keep … Continue reading
When Grand Meant Grand. Resurrecting a house.
As I’ve mentioned previously I was mystified when I heard the story of the property that used to neighbour number 42. A most impressive hôtel particulier owned by the Cormouls-Houlès family. … Continue reading
Mazamet, then and now
The Napoleon III building on Boulevard de Lattre de Tassigny is getting a face lift. It was for sale when we moved here, but the sign soon disappeared. I wonder if … Continue reading
Lipovetsky on Lightness
I haven’t read it yet- but have read much about it, including a couple of the author’s interviews. The topic interests me. He discusses modern society and the new culture of … Continue reading
Magnificence: Yvette Chauviré
One of the great ballerinas (certainly one of my favourites) of the 20th century died today at the age of 99. Here she is as the Dying Swan.
Racial identity is a biological nonsense, says Reith lecturer
It’ll only take you a few minutes to read this (by this I mean the full text!), go on, indulge me! “Regarded as one of the world’s greatest thinkers … Continue reading
(Conservative) Niall Ferguson on (Conservative) May’s Abbanomics
Even though Ferguson is often a jack ass, this is an excellent article. “On one side, the citizens of the world — the Weltbürger — who are only citizens in the … Continue reading
A Saturday in Mid-October
I’m politically exhausted. This weekend I don’t want to hear about Trump, Theresa May, Spain’s lack of government- or François Hollande (France’s version of lack of government.) So let’s talk … Continue reading
Patriarchy, feminism & other things
What do you think gay boys fear being called the most when we’re young? It’s not a short list, is it? I bet you came up with at least three … Continue reading
Women, Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal (?)
Part I. Here’s a report from the World Bank that everyone should read. Especially before the idiot du jour decides it’s time to dismiss feminism. Highlights: About 155 countries have at … Continue reading
Monitoring (One’s Own) Prejudices
… If you recall … The idea for the apartments was a creative/design exercise. How do we make something attractive that’s also affordable. Affordable enough for people living on a … Continue reading
Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005 – The Washington Post
On soap opera set, the GOP nominee bragged about groping and trying to have sex with women. Source: Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005 – … Continue reading
Welcome to the ‘White Identity Retreat’: The Rise in Student Segregation – The Daily Beast
“A 2004 study that examined “ethnic enclaves” within college universities, surveying incoming freshmen at the University of California, Los Angeles the week before classes began and those same students each … Continue reading
The Wonderful World of Meera Sodha
I rarely buy cookbooks anymore. After a certain point it feels like we’ve got every recipe we could ever possibly want… but three weeks ago I was reading about a young … Continue reading
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