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 (although here they prefer … 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
Thoughts on The Best News You Don’t Know
Source: The Best News You Don’t Know, Kristof for the NYT, 22/09/16 “As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly this week, all the evidence suggests that we … Continue reading
The Year We Lived Stupidly: Tory minister on what Brexit means … via Pride’s Purge
(not satire – it’s the Tories!) So we’ve finally found out what Tories mean when they say “Brexit means Brexit”. Former banker, Tory minister and very very nearly Tory leader Andrea … Continue reading
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore Suspended for Rest of His Term Over Defiance on Gay Marriage – WSJ
“A disciplinary court suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore for the remainder of his term Friday for violating judicial ethics in his defiance of federal court rulings on same-sex marriage. The decision … Continue reading
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