Sculpture in a Square

This modern sculpture is in Place St.-Germain-des-Pres, opposite the St.-Germain-des-Pres church.

I don't know details about the sculpture, so will tell you about the church, which is the oldest in Paris. (And yes I realise I should have photographed the church).

The 17th-century philosopher Rene Descartes and John Casimir, the King of Poland are among those buried in the church crypt.

Originating in 542, the church became a Benedictine Abbey, with much of it destroyed by fire in 1794.

The present church dates from the 11th century and was restored in the 19th-century. One of the three original towers survives, which houses a belfrey.

I am feeling the love here! I've been honoured with a Thinking Blogger Award four times, most recently by Dani at Colorful Prose in France and by Anna at Nature Trail in Canada. Both Colorful Prose and Nature Girl are well-deserved recipients of the same award. In the collaborative spirit of the Thinking Blogger Award, I've previously named five fascinating bloggers who make me think.

But there's more joy: Neil of Citizen of the Month in Los Angeles has named me as his Crush of the Day - for the second time! And I've received some lovely, encouraging emails. I am overwhelmed by the recognition and kudos. Thank you so much! Merci bien!

Once again I am hosting guests and finding it difficult to keep up with writing, vacuuming, cleaning, food shopping, being tour guide, etc., much less catch up with reading and commenting on your blogs. I am trying to fit in a little here, a little there, but woefully, am lagging behind. Please be patient with me. And be prepared for lots of photo essays, until things settle down long enough for me to write more than a short piece.

Monday night I had a bit of a panic when I couldn't access my weblog. My log-in and password didn't work, despite repeated attempts. I had dark visions of someone stealing my password, hijacking my blog and wreaking havoc! While the problem seems resolved, this little episode serves as a reminder that all of us should be backing up our blogs or saving information in our posts elsewhere.

In case you missed it, there's an interesting piece in the New York Times on "A Call for Manners in the World of Nasty Blogs." My theory is that manners are as important in blogging as they are in any situation. I know of a couple of instances where blogging friends have been subjected to threatening or rude and aggressive behaviour. Have you been bothered by anonymous commenters? Join the debate.

Comments

[Lynda]

Congratulations on your awards! Your blog is always thought provoking and inspiring. So far I haven't come across any nasty bloggers (and I hope I never do!) I've only removed one comment that made absolutely no sense but I have a feeling that it was a bot. Enjoy your visitors!

[jessie lavon /purple cucumbers]

just passing through, come on over for a visit

[tinker]

Congratulations, Tara - I'm so happy you're feeling the, much-deserved, blogger love!

I just received a "Thinking Blog" award, and am blushing to even be thought of as anything near a "thinking blog," when in the company of such as your writing~ Enjoy your kudos, Tara - yours are well-earned! xo

[Mary]

I haven't commented in awhile, so wanted to let you know, I'm here and doing my own soul searching of what else, but the meaning of life. I like your blog a lot and don't feel slighted if I can't get back an answer. You've got your hands full! Take it easy when you can.

[ally bean]

I agree with Brian: "my blog, my rules." However I didn't know that at first and did have some probs with mean commenters who I tried to reason with to no avail. Now, it's *poof* you're gone.

[Vanessa]

Oh no. The Blogging cooties. I hope they don't come near me. I must be more careful, changing passwords, etc. etc. Yes, there are lots of tips on typepad for this. How scary. I wonder what someone whould do if they virtualjacked my blog?

Oh and, I told you miss Loveliness, you have it all.. Beauty, brains, and personality! You should win the award of alllll times! The Oscar of blogging! xxo,Vanessa

[Delia]

Oh, this is an interesting one. No, so far I've been okay with the comments...but I think this must be a sure sign of a blog's growth and willingness to be open when people get pissed off enough to respond this way. I say now that I would just delete them and not care...but, in reality? Sigh, I'm afraid I'm one of those people who would take these things (however stupid) somewhat to heart. I am glad you've been getting love...all well-deserved!
Love,
D.

[Di Overton]

When I took the life changing decision to close my business I received a slanderous comment from an ex member of staff. I had to remove it as I was in the throws of finding new employment for other employees and it could have badly hampered my efforts.
I had to moderate comments which I think takes out some of the spontaneity out of blogging. Trouble is you can't trust everybody and there is always going to be some sad soul who feels the need to make nasty comments on someones blog. We are as powerless to prevent this as we are to stop any nasty thing that goes on in this world. All we can do is not agree with their actions.
Congratulations on your awards - so well deserved.

[Brian]

Hi Tara,

Having been the recipient of very nasty attacks at other blogs, I can understand why some bloggers use moderation and private blogs to write.

However, any comments I don't like on my blogs are deleted. Period. My blog, my rules. Free speech doesn't enter into the equation, you want free speech, write posts on your blog. :)

Besides, who really cares in the end, you should know who your friends are by now.

Hope things calm down soon.

[Colette]

Congratulations on the Thinking Blogger award! You deserve it more than I do!!

Good manners should be everywhere, but unfortunately a lot of people think they can say anything on the Internet. Usually they're that way in real life too. And of course, as I always say, people do NOT read; they see a few words, go off on the negative tangent their brain works with, and mistake their perception for fact.

I don't like the concept of "free speech" being messed with, either. If "free speech" means being rude and nasty to me on my turf, then my "freedom" is to delete it. More harm has been done to that concept than anything!
xox

[Amber]

Congrats to you, Tara! Well done. Your blog is indeed "a thinking blog".

I have never really had anyone be rude to me on my own blog. Only one time a kid read my 100 things and said if I loved God I shouldn't cuss so much. LOL! I laughed when I saw she was a kid, and told her something about not being so judgmental, as a Christian. Ha!

But I did have a blogger friend's fucknut husband get my email from her email history, and send me some crazy emails. I emailed him back and told him what a jerk he was, and then he went off like the true asshead he was. Kory ended up emailing him, and telling him he was going to break his legs if he ever tried to contact me again...He stopped. lol. Yeah, that was odd! Lot's of crazy people out there!

I don't know why people have to be rude and mean on blogs. I think these people feel very powerless in life, and the blogs help them feel tough because they can pretend to stronger than they are... While they hide behind the screen, probably naked, or dressed as some freaky clown, or something. All alone...Only with cats. And they have acne.

:)

[AnnieElf]

I was commented at once but it was very mild rudeness. More surprising than upsetting. However, I have two blogging friends who have been hectored to the point of changing their blogs, one going very anonymous. Manners called for? Yes indeed.

[hollibobolli]

No, people just write entire posts about me on other blogs because they know I'll moderate their booty on my blog.

Manners are important in all areas of life. Period. EXCLAMATION POINT!!

Wait - you vaccuum while guests are there? I can barely vaccuum when it's just me!!

I know you're busy and I don't have time to write a post yet, but I left a link in my comment section.

xx

[Gerald]

I was taken aback recently when someone accused me of being a dirty-old-man [except she was less polite than that] because I'd posted a photo of an naked mannequin in a shop window. I decided that if she were genuine, she'd obviously not looked at any other photos on my blog and would probably not return to read any reply and if she wasn't genuine then any reply I made would be irrelevant, so I just deleted the comment.

[nutster]

Very thought provoking. Thanks for the link, T. I had seen a brief televised snippet on Sunday on this topic. I pooh poohed it at the time, even after they had mentioned Kathy Sierra. I didn't realize that it had elevated to death threats.

A code of civility is an interesting concept. My thought is that, if a person commenting doesn't know what civility is, reading about it may actually cause more of the undesirable behavior. Many people break rules for attention. If you have no enforcement, all it does is that it may make a few people sliding into the grey area scale back. If someone is going to make death threats, alter photos of an author, or make lewd remarks, I don't see where the code will help. Hey, look no further than the Geneva Convention and the extremist countries.....and there is enforcement there. (No, don't look at the US as an example of a violater...you stop that! LOL)

Congrats on the deserved accolades once again.

[Jeanne]

Beautiful my lovely friend.
Blessings!

[bella]

That's great news Tara. Your blog is one of the sweetest places in cyberspace.
I always look forward to reading and seeing your photos, your news info, your travels, and adventures.

[artzyjudie]

Hi girl! Just checking in. Been gone from the puter a few days. Nope, no nasty bloggers here. I would just let them go in one ear and out the other and not waste my time with someone who has no life! Speaking of which...at work someone got fired. Deserved it. And is being VERY vindictive writing hate mail to many people. I got some too. I just don't understand people who cannot accept life's ups and downs and just get on with it. Thank goodness for good people like you. I can always come here and find interesting thoughts and wonderful pictures. Thanks Tara!

[Nina]

I have never been subjected to rude comments. I have been ignored though:-))

Nah. In all honesty, the only bad thing which had happened to me through my blog is that some people (Malaysians) had been investigating my background and there's some vicious gossips going around about how 'not very nice' I am as a person etc

I was hurt and upset at first (and still do from time to time) but I am going to keep my blog going no matter what.

Love. Nina
p.s You sound really busy! Congrats re: all these nominations. Great stuff. You deserve it!

[AscenderRisesAbove]

thanks for the heads up on the nytimes article; wow - i had no idea people could be so nasty! maybe it is the general feeling in the world due to all that is going on that people have to kick someone else.

you have been our blog crush every day for a long time...

[JanePoe (aka Deborah)]

The article you linked to posts a provocative question ... when do "rules" need to come into play? I've belonged to several coalition groups that started out grassroots and then had to formalize themselves in order to achieve legitimacy and make progress. It is an unfortunate fact that manners, civility or whatever you wish to call it, is not automatic (especially in arenas that are – or started as – fringe groups).

When fringe goes mainstream you can bet there will be serious growing pains.

Congrats on your kudos ... well deserved babe!! Cheers & love, JP

[The Bold Soul]

I hadn't had much trouble with nasty blog commentors... until this past week when I posted what I thought was a lovely, positive upbeat post in which one or two remarks were misintepreted and words were put into my "mouth" by a few individuals who were so enraged they went on the attack. It put me in the position of having to try and explain further, which only seemed to infuriate these few irate individuals even further. Really unbelievable how people can resent you for expressing your personal opinion on your own personal blog. I can certainly understand voicing an opposing point of view if the person can express their opposition in a way that is mature and respectful of my right to write what I please, and that's one of the reason I leave comments open and even unmoderated, but when some reduce their dissent to the level of an 8-year old, it's really pitiful. The last, most recent nasty one had the person calling me "fat, aged, and menopausal". Lovely, huh? I used to see some other bloggers getting blasted by crazy commentors and now I know what it feels like. You don't know whether to laugh and mock them for it, or lash back. Sometimes doing nothing is the wisest course, but other times doing nothing is like saying: "Gee, I'm a doormat, please walk all over me!" Nasty is one thing, but when they start misquoting me and twisting my words to the point where THEIR version becomes outright untruths, that's when I've felt I had to speak up and try to set the record straight. (Of course these people are so warped they don't believe anything once they've made up their narrow minds.) So much for free speech.

I'll go and read that article you linked to; I'd like to see what the Times has to say (must've missed that one in my regular daily news feeds), so thanks for the link!

And congrats on being acknowledged as a Thinking Blogger because you most certainly are!

[Donna]

If..."deleting a visitor’s comment amounts to an assault on their right to free speech..." (from the NYT article), then paint me guilty. There is no way I am going to be bullied into accepting an offensive comment on my blog on that defense. Thanks for linking to the story, Tara.

Tara responds:
Donna I agree with you. I will delete any comment that's rude and offensive. One can state an opposing view without name-calling and personal attacks. If someone is that unhappy with something I write, they can stop reading!

[kristen]

I've been lucky with not having any nastiness on my blog and also, being nominated as a thinking blogger - I wouldn't have thought so but it's true.

I wouldn't even know how to back up my blog - yikes!!

[Becca]

Congratulations, Tara, on all your honors. Your words and photos provide food for thought on so many levels, which is why a stop at your blog is always a highlight of my day, no matter what else is going on :)

I have heard a few horror stories of bloggers receiving disparaging comments and even threats. I have been extremely fortunate to have met only wonderful, positive voices on my blog. I hope that continues!

[Mizsmoochielips]

I have been so lucky *knock on wood and throwing salt over my shoulder* to have normal folks commenting on mine - I've only ever deleted one visitor's comment as it made no sense whatsoever and his blog was not something anyone I know would want to read! Now I'm off to read the article :)
Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

[pam aries]

ps:I just read the New York Times article! ...Seee.. this is why you win"The Thinking Blog Award"!!! It made me THINK! For instance..even if you IGNORE some of these hateful bloggers, they still find a way to use the pen as a weapon ...almightier than the sword!

[pam aries]

bon jour! Girl..you definitely deserve the THinking Blog awards! I love "Crush of the Day" How cool is that! ?!!! Ooooo...lala. you are on the receiving end of a crush! Hee hee! Which , in this case, is quite an honor! AS for nasty Blogs/bloggers I do not give them the time of day! Pshaw! not worth it...!