The new socialist president of France and his prime minister create a lefty government with plenty of estrogen and a dash of crunchy granola. Yes! See the full-size infographic.
via @pascalcardonna
Biking the French campaign trail
For a project named La Campagne à vélo, two journalists, Raphael Krafft and Alexis Monchovet, are biking around France in order to meet French voters directly in their workplaces and homes until the end of the French presidential campaign in May.
Their Facebook page is the main portal: the two journalists post pictures of their trip, updates on their latest video, radio or written productions and ask for help or tips on their journey (the two bikers have to find a place to sleep every night!).
Read the rest and learn how you can keep up with Ralph and Alexis at Geeking the Elysée.
Gallica, France’s digital library
We could wander these virtual stacks for days! So far, the Bibliothèque nationale de France has digitized more than one million works, including books, maps, manuscripts, images, periodicals, scores and sound recordings, and made them available for free to the public at the Gallica digital library. This is France’s answer to Google Books, and the result of the big fight from a couple of years ago.
“Married To The Eiffel Tower” documentary
A documentary about objectophilia (being in love with objects). The part where the lady marries the Eiffel Tower starts at the 6:50 mark. Dig that ET cleavage tattoo! Watch the video on Documentary Heaven.
Seen @Brainpicker.
Cartooning for Peace
Thought up by the French cartoonist Plantu, Cartooning for Peace is an initiative born on 16 October 2006 at UN headquarters in New York. A two-day conference organised by Kofi Annan, the then Secretary General of the United Nations, brought together the twelve best-known political cartoonists in the world for “unlearning intolerance”.
Cartooning for Peace is based in Geneva. Don’t miss the current outdoor exhibit in Geneva till July 10: Geneva Lunch.
What exactly is a “bobo”?
Literally it means bourgeois bohème. For a thorough understanding of the breed, read An Illustrated Guide to Parisian Bobos in New York Magazine.
Parisians in a twist over yet another modern building
A strange sense of architectural déjà vu has gripped the French capital. Parisians, who in their day loathed the Eiffel Tower, the Pompidou Centre and the Louvre Pyramid, are campaigning once again to defeat a revolutionary new building.
via The Independent
INA : Institut national de l’audiovisuel
Video, radio and advertising archives are available to stream or download from the INA site (at least partly translated into English). Plus a nice boutique where you can get cool stuff like the Brigitte Bardot calendar in the image above.
The French-American Creative Exchange in Paris
Through collaboration with artists representing a variety of disciplines, F.A.C.E. (French-American Creative Exchange) endeavours to inspire and empower local urban communities by way of a creative, micro-political exchange. Interactive arts projects draw from their imagination and input in order to highlight social issues such as civic preservation and revitalization, education and progressive urban planning, all of which have a daily impact on local citizens.
Our thanks to the Paris Property Group for supporting this organization and letting us know about it!
French icons can have their cigarettes back
The Cultural Affairs and Education Committee of the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, voted Wednesday to exempt “artistic or cultural works” from a 1991 law that prohibits tobacco advertisements, but that also prevents the presence of tobacco in advertisements for goods of any kind.
Seen @ParisBuff, via NYTimes.com
French Resistance hero says “Indignez-vous !”
A 93-year-old former French Resistance spy who was once tortured by the Nazis says his runaway best-seller is a call to action to protect human rights and combat the yawning gap between rich and poor.
Buy Indignez-vous on the Francophilia Amazon store.
via NPR, image le-mont-parnasse.fr
French most pessimistic* in the world
The French live in one of the richest and safest countries in the world, yet they are global champions of pessimism, fearful of the future and longing for the past, according to a survey published this week.
*We say it’s realism rather than pessimism.
via AFP
Kindergarten philosophers in France
France is to start teaching philosophy to younger pupils, in some cases as young as four, provoking a row over whether the discipline is being dumbed down.
(We think it’s a brilliant idea.)
via Montreal Gazette
Peaches and coconuts: doing business with the French
It turns out that the English, American and North-European countries are the peaches. Their soft outside skin and tissue shows their open and direct approach in communication.
via Expat Friendly, image Jean-Louis Bouzou
Guess who has the world’s biggest bank?
BNP Paribas is now the world’s biggest bank by assets at a staggering $3.2 trillion, according to Bloomberg.
via BusinessInsider, image rediff.com