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
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
Bakers, the KKK and the False Dilemma – Meerkat Musings
Interesting discussion via Darth Timon: “Let me start by saying that I have a measure of respect for anyone who puts their name to their posts and bares their soul … Continue reading
Jesus, the brownish dwarf
Very amusing article by Candida Moss: “Historically speaking, it is likely that the average first-century male from Roman Palestine would have had dark hair, brown eyes, and dark skin tone. … Continue reading
Another year (and a half)
This is our eighteenth month at number 42. It’s very little time, but the town seems to be changing already. Businesses are opening left and right. There’s a whole new commercial centre with … Continue reading
The COMPLETE Theresa May GUIDE to the meaning of BREXIT | via Pride’s Purge
Photo post. Source: The COMPLETE Theresa May GUIDE to the meaning of BREXIT | Pride’s Purge
Mike Pence Opposes Word ‘Vice’ On Religious Grounds, Doesn’t Want To Be Called Vice Presidential Candidate | Huffington Post
“… Pence’s comment about Duke came in response to a question after Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate for president, referred to Trump supporters, including Duke, as a “ basket of … Continue reading
Hard Brexit via Clare
“The Single Market is not a matter of common tariffs but common law. It is our agreement to common standards of product safety, for the good of consumers, as well … Continue reading
The Before
A friend from England just sent us this amazing picture. If you look closely, you’ll note number 42 doesn’t yet exist! Its future spot is where I’ve labelled Stanton 42. … Continue reading
How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet | TIME
Fantastic article at Time: “But trolling has become the main tool of the alt-right, an Internet-grown reactionary movement that works for men’s rights and against immigration and may have used … Continue reading
Faux-Bonsai
This is a Beaucarnea Recurvata (aka Nolina). You get the effect of a miniature palm/coconut tree for very little money (between €5 and €10) and even less work. It’ll do … Continue reading
Ideal reading for warm weather: Marcel Pagnol, Rabindranath Tagore & Jorge Amado
In case you haven’t heard any of those names, I urge you to investigate. Each is a legend in the country of their birth: France, India (Bengal) & Brazil. In … Continue reading
Social Comparison Theory
That paragraph from Marx’s Wage Labour & Capital distills the entire concept of Festinger’s Social Comparison Theory. It’s the backbone of the psychological manipulation that occurs/occurred in communist and fascist … Continue reading
New Feminism – via Unapologetics
by Agrudzinsky “Based on the newest French initiative, I propose a new way to eliminate oppression of the women in our civilized society. Oppressed women shall be fined. There must … Continue reading
Heat & more heat. Vegetarians look away now.
Today is supposed to be the hottest day yet this summer (in France). Fortunately not here in Mazamet. Albeit 29 isn’t exactly refreshing. Last year the weather was really great … Continue reading
A room full of many loud televisions
All on and each one on a different channel. That’s how my head feels on some days. It’s absolutely exhausting.
Christopher Biggins and the fall of civilisation
“Suppose you’d invited me round to dinner to celebrate my engagement to your daughter, which do you think would be more offensive? If a) I got violently drunk, threatened all … Continue reading
Racism Thwarted Thanks to Social Media – Cloak Unfurled
Burbank, CA – Thanks to a cadre of people on Twitter Monday, racist Ellen Degeneres was thwarted from spreading her divisive, white privilege message to the world when she tweeted … Continue reading
Fascinating concept: Trepalium
I’m usually not inclined to science fiction- but having read the description I couldn’t just walk away: “In a world where jobs are scarce, in a city where only 20% … Continue reading
What would real men look like in underwear ads?
This was from 2013, but as we’re being bombarded by images of athletes because of the Olympics, I thought it would be amusing to bring back. Have a peek at what … Continue reading
Superb. The importance of not being earnest.
Every year when the girls visit, they spoil us with the most wonderful things. Super-chic, super-stylish things that one buys in London. This year we got the Moët twin set, … Continue reading
When the livin’ is easy
That’s Mike and the girls looking at Mazamet from a medieval village on the Black Mountain. A tiny, cute village with a pleasant restaurant. The weather’s been amazing. The girls … Continue reading
A Fine Example of Civilized Behavior – Unapologetics
Among the few things making humans different from animals is clothing. No animals clothe themselves. People who don’t use clothes are often looked down upon as savages. I also thought … Continue reading
A Saturday in August
Morning in Castres We went to the market in Castres where the girls bought all sorts of cheeses, we got charcuterie and that became lunch here on the terrace with … Continue reading
Super-cute. Down the street & around the corner.
This house has just come on the market. I know because I still get real-estate newsletters for our town even though we’ve already bought. It’s a very decent size, 450m2 which … Continue reading
The problem with narratives.
In the context of the recent troubles of race/religion/violence a couple of analysts doing the rounds on 24 hour news channels are going with the story that France stands apart … Continue reading
Does This Rock Explain Why Egyptians Are Biblical Villains? – The Daily Beast
“… Perhaps the biblical description of dominance by Egyptians actually has very little to do with enslavement and more to do with the cultural memory of the more distant Amarna … Continue reading
This week at nº 42: wildlife pictures (sort of) and guest rooms
Okay- so it’s not wildlife pictures in that Sonel or Ark sort of way. It’s one where nothing is moving, which means I can almost photograph it in focus! It’s … Continue reading
The Narrow House
Ms. Parker’s Narrow House. And… Here’s how to use a flamethrower on weeds: A decent flamethrower with a little cart for the gas bottle costs around €100. Filling a gas bottle … Continue reading
Exhausting existentialism
The girls arrive next week. That’s excellent because their company does me a world of good. They don’t indulge angst- tortured by insomnia- pondering Dorothy Parker’s narrow house. Have I mentioned … Continue reading
Andrea Leadsom thinks men shouldn’t be employed to look after children in case they’re paedophiles
New Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom has warned it would be sensible not to employ a man to look after children in case they are a paedophile. Leadsom – who was … Continue reading
Michele Bachmann Says Jews Will Be Free To Say ‘Merry Christmas’ When Donald Trump Is President!
“He even said, ‘I don’t understand, when I was growing up, everybody said Merry Christmas. Even my Jews would say Merry Christmas,’” she explained. “’New York City, there are a … Continue reading
Nostalgia
The glads have come up. I planted them when we arrived last year in Spring but they didn’t flower last summer. The colour is lovely. It harmonises the pink of … Continue reading
Almost 10 thousand euros per month?
Yep. It’s apparently true. President Hollande keeps a hairdresser on staff at the Élysée Palace at a cost to the taxpayer of €9,895 per month. This has been the case … Continue reading
Trump’s VP Pick Mike Pence a Homophobe | Prometheus Unbound
Trump’s likely VP pick is homophobe Mike Pence. Here he is hemming and hawing on whether it should be legal to discriminate against gays and lesbians in Indiana. Lovely man. … Continue reading
Death of a Matador – and religion
Extraordinary picture, isn’t it? For the first time in decades a Matador in Spain was killed while “performing”. The bull gored him through the heart. His name was Victor Barrio. Spain … Continue reading
Must read: Black Lives Matter and the Facts of Life | Envisioning The American Dream
Earlier that year, a Negro family had moved into our lily-white neighborhood, with a son just my age. Ensconced in their newly built American Dream split level with the immaculate … Continue reading
Acorn Antiques to return to television with whole new cast!
Low production values, wobbly sets, overacting, appalling dialogue and wildly improbable plots- a British soap? No, the Tory leadership election.
Trump Delegate Looks Forward To Finding A ‘Real Man’ At GOP Convention | The Cretonia Times-Picayune
“BATON ROUGE – (CT&P) – Tanya “Hep C” McGhee, a Trump delegate from Syphilis Springs, Louisiana told CNN last week that she hopes to “land a real man” when she … Continue reading
The Guardian view on the Chilcot report: a country ruined, trust shattered, a reputation trashed | Editorial | Opinion | The Guardian
As always in matters of military aggression, the humane perspective has to start with the victims. Since the US-led, UK-backed invasion of Iraq in 2003, estimates of the lives lost … Continue reading
The Mask You Live In – Coalition of the Brave. The harm patriarchy inflicts on… men.
Video post. Source: The Mask You Live In – Coalition of the Brave
A Tuesday in July
Recognize the church? That’s our street in the late 19th century. The building at the end no longer exists, and the trees are gone. Well, there are trees now, but … Continue reading
Life at no. 42, month 16. The good and the not quite
So it’s been sixteen months. I’ve more or less lost my sense of time. Some days I feel like I’ve been here forever, others I wake up and still … Continue reading
Glorious weather!
It’s an absolutely gorgeous day. Life is good! The garden is coming along very nicely. The Medici vases I had made arrived a few days ago. I put two by … Continue reading
Officer, I was walking down the street when a gang of Micro-Aggressions attacked me!
Yes, my friends, this is what we’re up against: the infantilization of society. A game of semantics so ridiculous that people making an effort not to be racist are deemed racist. … Continue reading
Exercises in Sophisticated Theology™: Is Gin a Girly Drink? A Refutation of The Pink Agendist | Truth and Tolerance
The following is an excerpt from Refutatio et Exscidium Hereticorum by St Remy of Aquitaine (1150? – 1205). Book Four is De Spiritus which concerns itself with Angels, Demons, and Alcohol. In Question 14, … Continue reading
Valuable masterpieces in UK galleries replaced with fakes | ArtsHub United Kingdom
Seven paintings were replaced with copies by Sky Arts for a new TV series called Fake! The Great Masterpiece Challenge. Only the museum curators, the production team from IWC Media, … Continue reading
Bye bye, Boris, the man who wouldn’t clear up his own mess | Marina Hyde | Opinion | The Guardian
Here comes Boris Johnson, half an hour before deadline closes. He’s going to chuck his hat in the ring like Blackadder’s Lord Flashheart, isn’t he? “I’ve got a plan, and … Continue reading
Theresa May Emerges as a Contender to Lead Tories – WSJ
LONDON— Theresa May, one of the U.K.’s longest-serving home secretaries, has emerged as a favorite to become the next prime minister. Source: Theresa May Emerges as a Contender for U.K. … Continue reading
A Lesson From ‘Brexit’: On Immigration, Feelings Trump Facts – The New York Times
“Many citizens, particularly those who have suffered under the economic pressures of globalization, express their anxiety over these changes by focusing on another form of change: foreigners in their midst. … Continue reading
Boris Johnson: markets and the pound are ‘stable’—- Seriously???
“Are they? Boris Johnson, seen as one of the main contenders to replace David Cameron as UK prime minister, has suggested the worst of the markets turmoil is behind Britain, … Continue reading
Slowly but surely. Apartment 3 (2 bed/2 bath)
It’s taken longer than we hoped… but we’re there. The rooms were a bit fiddly in this one- very few right angles. In all I’m happy. Mike deserves a ton … Continue reading
Brexit: The carnage has begun
The FTSE saw losses yesterday worth a few hundred billion. Australia followed suit with losses of 50 billion in shares (AUD). The GBP is at a 40 year low. Moody’s has … Continue reading
The mood is ugly, and an MP is dead | Polly Toynbee | The Guardian
“There are many decent people involved in the campaign to secure Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, many who respect the referendum as the exercise in democracy that it is. But … Continue reading
Outstanding documentary – The Dishonesty Project (The Matrix Experiment)
(Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies: Feature Film It’s human nature to lie; we all do it! From scandalous headlines to little white lies, (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies … Continue reading
(Video) Anderson Cooper goes at Florida AG Pam Bondi for her disingenuous LGBT position
The Josiah Effect: How Moderate Religion Fuels Fundamentalism | Quillette
“In both Islam and Christianity, it is easy to dismiss fundamentalist doctrines as perversions of scripture. But the fundamentalists have a ready defense against this charge. When Curtis suggested that … Continue reading
Ideas worth examining: Theoretical and Actual Violence | Truth and Tolerance
Not everyone gets why I actually like D.P. Monahan despite our differing views, but this may help explain it: “Rhetoric about the deep failings of America appeals to our Puritan … Continue reading
Christian Pastor Celebrates Nightclub Massacre: “There’s 50 Less Pedophiles in This World”
Pastor Steven Anderson, whose hate knows no bounds, celebrated the deaths of 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando in a 4-minute mini-sermon that cited the Bible as justification … Continue reading
The Morning After.The Instrumentalisation of a Massacre.
I watched that scene unfold on Sky News last night in disbelief. That, my friends, is the lens of homophobia. Mark Longhurst completely dismisses the LGBT identity of the victims of … Continue reading
Orlando Shooter’s Father Says Omar Mateen Was Angry Over Two Men Kissing – Towleroad
Mir Seddique, Mateen’s father told NBC News, “this has nothing to do with religion.” Seddique said his son got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami a couple … Continue reading
The alleged shooter of Pulse Orlando is named: Omar Mateen
Omar Mir Seddique Mateen has been named as the gunman who killed as many as 20 people and wounded 40 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, CBS News … Continue reading
Is it really Christians who are under attack? The story of a prolonged aggression.
This isn’t a post I expect anyone to read from beginning to end. It’s more than anything else, an exercise, an illustration. In 2005 the SPLC published a timeline of … Continue reading
The *safe-space* people are at it again.
For the love of Mithra. The safe-space people are back to annoy us all. Here’s Robby Soave’s take: “The Craziest Demands of College Kids in 2016 No grades, no … Continue reading
First week of June at no. 42. The garden, the scullery and fish
The lilies are opening! Absolutely stunning. The weather’s been superb and so I’ve spent much time in the garden. Pruning, cleaning, weeding- and digging. And there’s been progress in … Continue reading
Trump Orders Surrogates to Intensify Criticism of Judge and Journalists – Bloomberg Politics
An embattled Donald Trump urgently rallied his most visible supporters to defend his attacks on a federal judge’s Mexican ancestry during a conference call on Monday in which he ordered them to question … Continue reading
Free Speech vs Hate Speech Part II
Yesterday someone re-blogged the previous post on free speech vs. hate speech with a critique. The critique itself wasn’t unreasonable, although the author basically relied on the slippery slope fallacy. His … Continue reading
Catholics vs. Evangelicals. Have you chosen to be chosen (correctly)?
The more I read comments by American Evangelicals online- the more I’m mystified by their organogram of beliefs. You see, a Catholic can at least say to himself that his … Continue reading
Hate Speech vs. Free Speech
After a discussion this week with an American blogger regarding free speech, I decided to do a little research. Apparently the US is the only developed nation which does not … Continue reading
Donald Trump’s ‘Secret’: Americans Love Bullsh*t Peddlers and Miracle Cures – by Michael Moynihan
Absolute must read article: Indeed, Americans have a particular talent for transforming charlatans, cranks, and frauds into celebrities—and a particular tolerance for fact-free fads promoted by already-existing celebrities. Our favorite … Continue reading
Post-truth politics: Michael Gove says it’s time to tell Europe’s elites ‘you’re fired’?!?
Listening to Boris Johnson and Michael Gove in the past two weeks one would be obliged to think they’d left the Tories to start a Neo-Bolshevik British revolution. They do … Continue reading
Transgender bill passes House with unexpected support
BOSTON — Support for the transgender public accommodations bill exceeded expectations on Wednesday as it not only passed the House, but earned a veto-proof majority, something House Speaker Robert DeLeo … Continue reading
Otherization Part II: of religion, race and sexual orientation
Otherization is not done casually or accidentally. It exists in one context and one context alone. It’s designed to afford one’s self privileges that were not earned. It’s an attack … Continue reading
From Cardinal Cañizares to Donald Trump to Brexit: The Objective of Othering.
“Social identities are relational; groups typically define themselves in relation to others. This is because identity has little meaning without the “other”. So, by defining itself a group defines others. … Continue reading
Man in dress and funny hat says gender equality is biggest threat to civilization in all human history.
Mithra help us all! Cardinal Cañizares of Valencia, sporting his white muumuu and a hat which doubles as a lightning rod, has been bestowing his senility on anyone willing to listen. His current bugbears are … Continue reading
Did the Devil Really Write This Bible? Candida Moss on the Codex Gigas
“It’s not just the scale of the book that make it unusual, but also its contents. In addition to the Vulgate (the Latin version of the Bible), it contains a … Continue reading
Tomatoes and other green things
Starting the tomatoes early this year was a good idea. Some of the Russian ones are already at about an inch in diameter. I’ve been tidying up the greenhouse. The peonies … Continue reading
Almost as difficult to get rid of as the super-gonorrhea her husband got at ex-gay camp!
The title is a joke, obviously; I say this for legal reasons 🙂 She’s baa-aack. Yesterday I was given the news that Katy Faust of Grace Church Seattle was back … Continue reading
An Espalier of Citrus- and gardening in May
From the Italian spalliera (something to rest on). You take a tree and you train it flat. If done well it can look really extraordinary. Here’s an apple tree: Last year … Continue reading
Ollie Dabbous at Sotheby’s
From: Anna Pinkney Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 6:25 PM Subject: Dabbous Pop-Up Restaurant at Sotheby’s DABBOUS AT SOTHEBY’S A celebration of all things British: In a one-off experience that … Continue reading
This is how propaganda works: Donald Trump’s Worthless Real Estate Math
…In his presidential disclosure Trump valued the golf course and its massive clubhouse at more than $50 million. In tax documents Trump valued the same property at just $1.35 million… … Continue reading
Yanis Varoufakis: Australia’s negative gearing is ‘scandalous’ | World news | The Guardian
Negative gearing – a tax minimisation strategy for property investors – has become a key campaign issue this year. The Labor opposition is promising to end negative gearing on existing … Continue reading
The internet was the great equalizer- until it wasn’t.
Have you noticed the change? It’s happened on Google, Ebay, Amazon and basically everywhere you turn on the internet. When you type things in- you no longer get the results … Continue reading
The Hilarious Story of the Palmarian Church
Origins: “In March 1968, four Spanish schoolgirls (only known as Ana, Josefa, Rafaela and Ana María) stated they saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary by a little tree on … Continue reading
Christie’s NY: The Joan Rivers Sale
“As the first female host of a late night network television talk show, well-known for her co-hosting of E!’s Fashion Police and her acerbic but honest and clever remarks, the … Continue reading
How People Become Atheists 2: A White Tower Comic
Originally posted on White Tower Musings:
Zande, Ark, Sirius, Mak, Claire, ClubS, Meeka, Pontificator, KJ, Dr., Cara and everyone else… have a look at this guy’s stuff. He’s clever. White Tower Musings View original post
Brexit: The EU’s “red tape”?
A constant refrain of the out campaigners seems to be the EU’s red tape and how Europe interferes with British law. On occasion they go on to say the UK … Continue reading
The imbecility goes on: Pseudo-feminists and a new angle?
First they proposed a solution to a nonexistent problem: let’s stop trans women using women’s bathrooms to stop the attacks that have never happened. Ever. And this week they’re back … Continue reading
Ukrainians, Castles & Eurovision
Guests have come and gone. They’re now back in den Haag and Kiev. After the exhaustion of cleaning was over, I had a fantastic time. We took them to visit the chateau … Continue reading
Roy Moore may be removed from AL Supreme Court!!!
“The Southern Poverty Law Center continues its quest to remove Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore from the bench. Today they moved one step closer. The Alabama Judicial Inquiry … Continue reading
Why do (some) online plant sellers lie through their teeth?
I’ve been looking for Indigoletta rose to buy and grow on the garage. It’s a rose with a very fine, delicate colour (see above.) Looking online, again and again, I … Continue reading
Hilarious: How to become Parisian in one hour
Comedian Olivier Giraud explains (amongst other things) the differences between dealing with a shop attendant in America versus one in Paris. Vid is in English (only 4 minutes.)
How the Kleptocrats’ $12 Trillion Heist Helps Keep Most of the World Impoverished – The Daily Beast
An investigative economist has crunched 45 years of official statistics to discover just how much kleptocrats have plundered from 150 mostly poor nations. Full text: How the Kleptocrats’ $12 Trillion … Continue reading
Rhododendron in flower
Isn’t that a wonderful colour? I think I’m going to get more of it. I spent the morning planting hostas under the camellias. When they arrived this morning I panicked. … Continue reading
The Brainwashing of My Dad + Pick a dictator, any dictator.
Yesterday I watched The Brainwashing Of My Dad. It’s a film about the rise and socio-cultural effects of right-wing media in the United States (Fox, Limbaugh etc.) It’s interesting but comes … Continue reading
Of religion and successful marketing: The doctrine of finding solutions to nonexistent problems
If you follow American politics, by now you’re privy to the case of the many bathroom bills introduced by religious conservatives in various states. The recent, rather unsurprising revelation that all … Continue reading
Sorry Bigots, Your Facebook Memes Are Wrong – The Daily Beast
Sorry Bigots, Your Facebook Memes Are Wrong by Samantha Allen Anti-trans, Target-boycotting memes are all over social media. And they’re all fake. If you see a viral anti-transgender post circulating … Continue reading
This week at № 42
The tiles for the scullery have arrived. They’re by an Italian company called Marca Corona- from their new Terra collection. I’ve been sanding the cupboards which are going to be … Continue reading
Plans for the wall (and plant identification help!)
I’ve decided that I want to make the wall that’s behind the house a bit more interesting. Especially because that’s where the entrance door is. The planting is already great, … Continue reading
Exasperating: Hijab Day
“The Hijab Day event was held (last week) in the wake of Prime Minister Manuel Valls’ statement that he wished to ban all forms of religious headscarves at French universities.” … Continue reading
The kitchen garden + The Russians are coming!
The baby bok choy has come and been eaten. Excellent, easy crop. It only takes 30 to 45 days from seed to table. They’ve been replaced by a variety of … Continue reading
Blue skies, wisteria & other things
The wisteria looks glorious this year. I’ve planted euphorbia characias wulfenii at the base- and also liatris spicata. I think the ton-sur-ton effect will be amusing. Elsewhere in the garden … Continue reading
Day 12
I stopped smoking completely 12 days ago. A day and a half before we went to the funeral. A long time ago I used to smoke two packs of Marlboro … Continue reading
Death & Taxes
There was a dead pigeon in the garden yesterday. I didn’t know what to do with it. I was terribly tempted to fling it into the neighbour’s garden or onto … Continue reading
April at number 42
…I’ve been up a ladder cleaning the facade. Up a very tall ladder-and it was incredibly frightening. Between not falling off and holding the power-washer gun (big and heavy) with … Continue reading
So it’s March 23rd- again.
It’s been a thoroughly pleasant few days. Some of our favourite people (former neighbours and friends) from Sotogrande came to stay. We had lunch at home, we went out to get … Continue reading
Veni, Vidi, Perivi
One of the people we first met when we arrived in Mazamet is ill. It was all very quick. In December we went to their Christmas party. He was working … Continue reading
One True Ideologies: Sectarianism. I think she just said white supremacist.
The way my encounter with the TERF group began was bad enough- but trust me, it’s been all downhill from there. People who don’t embrace their discriminatory ideology aren’t just alleged supporters … Continue reading
The pseudo-feminists: TERF’s. This is how cults work.
I must admit I hadn’t heard of this movement until very recently- and what an unpleasant surprise it has been. They represent, for all intents and purposes, the opposite of … Continue reading
Brexit: Best play yet comes from outside Britain!
Speaking to the Financial Times, French economy minister Emmanuel Macron has thrown a spanner into the British debate to leave or stay in the EU. Macron warns that, of course, France has … Continue reading
A very short lesson in political philosophy: The reality of politics. Cowboys vs. Indians?
Most people think we can describe politics with the linear model above. One side wants one thing, the other wants the opposite. Yes to abortion rights, no to abortion rights. … Continue reading
Poorly Educated Voters Choose Giant Penis To Lead Republican Party
WASHINGTON – (CT&P) – Businessman, megalomaniac, and fascist prick Donald Trump was chosen overwhelmingly over other candidates by poorly educated idiots in Super Tuesday pri… Source: Poorly Educated Voters … Continue reading
Doodling Floor Plans
Okay- I’ve been doodling and doodling to see what I could actually come up with for the currently unused atelier area. If you don’t recall, it looks like this: The … Continue reading
Cardinal George Pell dismissed complaints about pedophile priest as being of ‘not much interest’
“Cardinal Pell continued to deny knowledge of Ridsdale having molested children, despite attending meetings agreeing to move him numerous times, and the widespread nature of complaints about the pedophile’s activities … Continue reading
Are you ever afraid? The weight of decision making.
Les Echos just published an article a few days ago on the evolution of property prices in France from the crisis to now. Paris (obviously) tops the list as the most … Continue reading
And the Darwin Award Goes to…
Should we laugh or should we cry? Or should we just cross our fingers and hope, really hope this person doesn’t contaminate the gene pool by reproducing? Let’s just go … Continue reading
Coddling Idiots: Safe Spaces, Trigger Warnings & Microagressions
That, my friends, was an actual discussion chez Roughseas. I’ve been hearing murmurs of this new phenomena for a while now, but I’d never seen it in action (courtesy of … Continue reading
Diary of the Oppressive White Male
I read something appalling yesterday. Of course I understand that when people are young, they see the world in the first person. All that exists, only exists in relation to … Continue reading
Umberto Eco on Political Correctness (Translated and Revisited)
Eco died a few days ago. He’s best known as the author of The Name of the Rose, but he was also an exceptional social commentator and philosopher. Among his … Continue reading
The Eight Species of Gaymen. A Non-Scientific Study by The Pink Agendist
In my many years out, I’ve been conducting entirely non-scientific (anti-scientific, even) research to identify and inform society of the many species of gaymen they may come into contact with … Continue reading
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