Paris Parfait

Of rivers and streams; shipwreck and treasure

For Poetry Thursday's prompt "rivers," I've written five haiku, inspired by actual events:

The Spanish government has filed a lawsuit against US marine explorers over a shipwreck found laden with treasure. The wreck containing $500m in coins is believed to be a 17th Century vessel, supposedly found off the coast of England. But the Spanish government contends the wreck was found off the coast of Spain. Odyssey Marine Exploration has said only that it was found in the Atlantic Ocean. The lawsuit challenges the company's right to recover or possess any property of the Kingdom of Spain recovered from sunken ships.

Sunken ship's cargo
centuries' treasure buried
sees the light of day

Modern-day version
piracy on the High Seas
whose bounty is it?

When I first went to London to live, David took me on a grand tour of Devon. Wherever we went, he'd say, "Look, there's a river." And me being American and used to big rivers like the Mississippi would laugh and say, "That's not a river; that's a stream." It became a running joke between us.

That's the River Exe!"
She scoffs: "No, that's just a stream."
"Here, it's a river."

An American friend who lived in Paris for 16 years returned this spring for a visit. At a smart restaurant near the Palais Royale, she was offered a menu in English. She told me she'd never seen such "amusing and confusing" translations of French to English. Eventually, she was forced to call the waiter over and converse in French about what choices actually were offered. The waiter was gleeful at the news, as he'd apparently told the owner - who fancied he could speak English and had written the translation himself - that the translation was full of errors. He brought another menu for my friend to mark changes needed in red ink, so he could prove the restaurant owner wrong.

"Freshly-pooled tuna"
something lost in translation:
was it caught today?

And finally, weary of daily stories of war and car bombs; of land mines, rapes and killings; of corruption and lies poisoning our atmosphere:

Cry me a river
empty the tears in a stream
all emotions spent

For more river tales, visit Poetry Thursday. Photograph of the Alcazar Gardens, Sevilla, Spain. Many explorers strolled through these gardens while awaiting an audience with the King and Queen of Spain. Explorers such as Cristoforo Colombo (as the Spainards called him) sought financial support for their expeditions, which required crossing the High Seas. Shipwreck was an occupational hazard.

False allegations spark radical changes

After being detained at an airport as a terrorist suspect, a Bangladeshi-born American decided to put his whole life online for the US government to watch. Read the Wired story of how Hasan Elahi is beating the government at its own game. Elahi, an artist and Rutgers professor, documents his activities, meals and travel at his website TrackingTransience.net.

Whistleblower talks about AT&T's spying

I've written several pieces previously about the Electronic Frontier Foundation's ongoing class action lawsuit against AT&T for spying on Americans' phone calls and emails. In this eye-opening report, Wired talks to AT&T whistleblower Mark Klein. The relevations about the telecommunications giant's complicity with the National Security Agency are shocking, but sadly, no longer surprising.

Poster from Micah Wright's Propaganda Remix Project.

Stealth poetry

Sushi delivery motorcycles near La Motte Piquet, Paris.

Recently Poetry Thursday initiated an exercise in which participants each contributed one line to form a poem. It was fun, as the poem dipped and changed direction.

To prove that poetry isn't scary - that you might enjoy it and even be good at it - I'd like to introduce a "stealth" poem: throw a few lines together et voila - a poem!

To contribute, leave a line of poetry in the comments section that responds to the previous participant's line. Write the first thing that comes into your head; just have fun with it. This weekend I'll post the resulting poem.

Here are the first lines:

Always in a hurry: fast food, fast cars, fast work.
When the delivery arrived, she was ready...

Now it's your turn! Come on, let's play! What's the next line?

A local delight

Well-known to local residents, Le Petit Chatelet is one of the delights of Paris. Its location across the quay from Notre Dame and next door to Shakespeare & Co. bookstore puts the restaurant at risk of being mistaken for one of those centime-a-douze places with mediocre food catering to tourists. But it's the locals that fill Le Petit Chatelet for its superb cuisine, impeccable service and charm.

Many an evening we've had the pleasure of dining here, most recently Tuesday night with friends from London. If you're visiting Paris, phone ahead for reservations. It's simply impossible to have a bad meal. After dinner, you might enjoy taking a moonlit walk along the Seine, stroll around Notre Dame or cross the bridge to Ile Saint Louis. If you skipped dessert, you may want to indulge in Berthillon ice cream. You'll find a mix of locals and tourists lined up, waiting their turn for the famous treat.

Artistry and beauty at Versailles

An ornately-gilded and hand-painted baroque ceiling at Versailles depicts angels and cherubs, as well as the French royal crest.

Another painted ceiling leads to gold gilt and multi-coloured marble walls.

This huge bronze and gold chandelier is suspended from the top floor at Versailles, lighting the marble stairwell near the Chapelle Royale.

A marble bust of Louis XIV, who turned Versailles from a simple hunting lodge outside Paris to a magnificent gilded palace. On Wednesday, I'll be escorting friends from London to Versailles, so expect more photos - if you can stand more gold gilt! I'll look for different views this trip: less gilt, more outdoor scenes.

Celadon vases and a gold gilt and ebony marble clock grace this fireplace mantel of mottled ivory.

The garnet necklace

Hand-woven tapestry made for Louis XIV at Versailles, France.

I find the poem you wrote long ago,
the lines that inflamed my senses
and changed everything
and nothing.

An old spice cabinet
guarding secrets beckons.
Inside a hidden compartment
a heart-shaped box
keeps your gift safe:
the elegant necklace of garnets,
its delicate gold chain tied in knots.

It whispers of dinner at Vertigo
on shaky ground.
The dusky garnets matched the merlot
at The Redwood Room,
where Gustav Klimt paintings
shimmered in the soft light,
jazz murmured like a fever
and your hand clasped mine.

Nights in the fierce August heat
few words were spoken
but everything was said,
forging an invisible bond.
Despite the miles keeping us apart
and time and circumstance
too complicated to fathom,
the heart remembers.

Now I try to untangle
the fine knots that have intertwined.
No matter how hard I tug,
the strands won't loosen;
the links are too strong.
Like the tapestry of you and me:
such an intricate and complex weave;
impossible to unravel.

Excessive beauty

An elaborate gold gilt and opalescent glass chandelier suspended from the two-story ceiling of Chapelle Royale at Versailles, France. Beneath the cherubs, gold rays representing the "Sun King" and the royal Coat-of-Arms are depicted. The baroque chapel was Louis XIV's last addition to Versailles. It was designed by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

Defending Malalai Joya's right to free speech

Malalai Joya, the Afghan parliament member suspended for criticizing colleagues, should be reinstated, Human Rights Watch said this week. The organisation also urged parliament to revise parliamentary procedures that restrict freedom of speech.

Last Monday the Lower House of the Afghan parliament voted to suspend Joya for comments she made in a television interview on May 20. It is unclear whether Joya's suspension will run until the current parliamentary session ends in several weeks or whether she will be suspended for the remainder of her term in office, which ends in 2009. Several legislators have said that Joya also could be sued for contempt.

"Malalai Joya is a staunch defender of human rights and a powerful voice for Afghan women and she shouldn't have been suspended from parliament," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. He said Joya's comments don't warrant the punishment she received, nor do they warrant court proceedings.

Joya had criticized the parliament for failing to accomplish enough for the Afghan people, saying, "A stable or a zoo is better [than the legislature]; at least there you have a donkey that carries a load and a cow that provides milk. This parliament is worse than a stable or a zoo."

Mixing old and new

This photo was taken through a plate glass window of an appointment-only antiques shop on Ile Saint Louis, Paris. I like the simplicity of both the 18th-century chair and the hand-painted serving platter. Even though they're very old, they could blend with almost any modern decor.

Mixing old and new pieces helps give a room character. When choosing items for their home, too many people seem to adopt a "cookie-cutter" designer look. It may appeal to the eye, but it won't feel like home if it's missing key elements of individual taste, personality and flair.

Barbara Boxer says it best

Barbara Boxer makes me proud to be a California voter. In her speech May 24 on the Senate floor, Senator Boxer explained why she was joining many other principled Democrats and a few Republicans in opposing a funding bill stripped of benchmarks and a timetable for our soldiers to leave Iraq. Good for them for standing firm with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and saying "No!" to a blank check to fund the president's failed efforts in Iraq.

"In March and in April I voted for emergency spending legislation that would have fully funded our troops in Iraq, but also changed their mission to a sound one. That mission would have taken our troops out of the middle of a civil war, and put them into a support role, training Iraqi soldiers and police, fighting al Qaeda, and protecting our troops.

"The President will not agree to that. As a matter of fact, the President won't agree to any change in strategy in Iraq, and that is more than a shame for the American people; it is a tragedy. It doesn't seem to matter how many Americans die in Iraq, how many funerals we have here at home, or what the American people think. The President won't budge.

"This new bill on Iraq keeps the status quo. With a few frills around the outside, a few reports, a few words about benchmarks. While our troops die.

"I understand why this particular legislation is before us today. It's because this President wants to continue his one man show in Iraq. The President doesn't respect this Congress or the American people when it comes to Iraq. He wants to brush us all off like some annoying spot on his jacket.

"We have lost 3,427 American soldiers in Iraq. Of those, 731 (21%) have been from California or based in California. There are 25,549 American soldiers wounded. And today, after several days of worrying and praying, we received the tragic news of the death of Private Joseph J. Anzack JR., 20 years old, of Torrance, California, who was abducted during a deadly ambush south of Baghdad almost two weeks ago.

"One member of his platoon, Spc. Daniel Seitz, summed it up this way to the Associated Press: "It just angers me that it's just another friend I've got to lose and deal with, because I've already lost 13 friends since I've been here and I don't know if I can take any more of this."

"And he shouldn't have to. But with this bill, he will.The first half of this year has already been deadlier than any six-month period since the war began more than four years ago. In this month alone, 83 U.S. Service members have already been killed in Iraq.

"Let me be clear, there are many things in this bill that I strongly support--many provisions that I actually fought for, for our troops, for our veterans, for our farmers, and for the victims of Hurricane Katrina--but I must take a stand against this Iraq war and therefore I will vote no on this emergency spending bill."

Aller simple

Photo of a carnet of Paris metro tickets. This week's Sunday Scribblings prompt is "simple." And what could be more simple than "aller simple," the term in French for a one-way ticket on the Paris metro? One ticket is required per journey.

Little bits of history

Vintage tin and cardboard bon bon boxes and an iron and wood press - which still works - were among the items for sale at a recent brocante at Bastille, Paris.

Amnesty slams UK government's "politics of fear"

Amnesty International has slammed Tony Blair's government for using "politics of fear" with tougher anti-terror legislation, cracking down on asylum-seekers and allowing the prison population to soar. Amnesty condemned Britain's human rights record on many issues, including suppressing the free speech of anti-war protesters and failing to stand up to the United States over Guantanamo Bay.

Along with its scathing analysis of Britain's disregard for civil liberties, Amnesty challenged the next prime minister to show leadership by changing direction. Kate Allen, Amnesty's UK director, said, "Gordon Brown should reject the politics of fear and show principled leadership which respects human rights and upholds the rule of law." She urged Brown to call for the closure of Guantanamo Bay and investigate allegations that British officials have colluded with the CIA kidnapping terror suspects and transporting them around the world for interrogation.

"The UK should use its influence on the world to encourage others to put policy based on fear aside. If the UK is to be credible in this, it must have its own house in order by having a humane asylum policy and counter-terrorism measures that do not undermine basic human rights protections," the report said. Irene Khan, Amnesty's secretary general, called on Brown to take an international lead to find a solution to the Darfur conflict, which she referred to as "a bleeding wound on the world's conscience."

We talked about Jamaica

The Poetry Thursday prompt is "who's talking," suggesting we write a poem using dialogue. While my poem doesn't contain actual dialogue, it relates real conversations about a longed-for adventure, deterred by a hurricane.

When I first read the prompt, I had no inspiration and wasn't sure I'd write anything. But last night the phrase "we talked about Jamaica" flew into my head, releasing a flood of memories and inspiring this poem:

For A

We talked about Jamaica:
two weeks of sun and sky,
a balcony in moonlight,
trading truth against a lie.

Probing kisses to quench our thirst
unsatisfied back there,
where others tried to part us
alone at last, so rare.

A walk along the coastline,
the chance to hold my hand;
the joy they wouldn't let us live
in a desert kingdom's land.

No hope for any future
while protocol held sway,
but longed-for precious moments
when we could get away.

A fantasy it was, too;
we knew that all along,
yet tried so hard to make it real
'til winds became too strong.

Our dreams swept up in palm trees
buried deep in island sands;
hidden treasure undiscovered,
fate had dealt its hand.

Warm evenings in the moon's glow
our dreams seemed oh so close
swept away by a hurricane's fury:
lost magic stings the most.

Boston skyline

Photo of city skyline on the riverfront, Boston, Massachusetts by Stratton Hatfield.

Sun rises and sets
the city basks in its glow
reflected glory

Do you have similar stories?

Bound by the Vast and Fathomless by Randall LaGro, oil and mixed media on wood panel. Photo courtesy of the Blue Rain Gallery, Taos, New Mexico.

This morning I was deeply distressed when reading Judith Malokoff's article "Unspoken" in the Columbia Journalism Review. It stirred up some painful memories of being a young reporter on my own in the Middle East. Sometimes the very people assigned to protect me were those who tried to harm me. Even the simplest experience or business transaction could become fraught with tension.

So many incidents happened in which I had to fend off unwelcome advances or felt uncomfortable, I can no longer recall all of them. And not all these instances were regulated to the Middle East. Here are just a few examples of fraught moments in my professional and personal life:

In Jordan, after interviewing an army general at a desert camp, the all-male television crew and I were invited to join the general for an early dinner at a popular Chinese restaurant in Amman. The general asked if I would come to his office later that week to consider editing the English version of a geographic atlas.

Looking for protection

Arriving at his office, I noticed that everyone seemed to be out to lunch, except for a security guard. In the general's office, he appeared to be all business, showing me the atlas and explaining what changes he wanted. I agreed to edit the English version of the atlas, which was full of mistakes. The general seemed to take this as his cue and strode to the door, ostensibly to ask the guard to bring tea. Instead he locked the door and attacked me.

I started to panic, until I noticed security cameras on the wall. I picked up a heavy book from the desk on which he was forcing me down and hit him hard in the head, then ran to the door and unlocked it. The security guard was nowhere to be seen, so I kept running until I found a taxi. The general repeatedly phoned the television station asking for me, to the point that the Arabic reporters noticed something odd about his behaviour and adopted a protective stance towards me. They would make sure I was escorted home every night in the television van and was never left alone when on assignment.

At this time I lived across the street from the Egyptian Ambassador's home. Soldiers manned a machine-gun mounted on the back of a jeep from a vacant lot across the road. Whether a taxi or a television van brought me home, the guards frequently would search the vehicle. So at least I felt safe at night.

When interviewing a local businessman for a story about a multi-national development project, he invited me to look at some architectural plans in the conference room, then locked the door. I had to hit him with a flagpole to get out of the room.

I was propositioned endlessly by taxi drivers and official drivers, assigned to take me to and from interviews with government figures. If I walked down the street, men would follow in their cars and try to talk to me. After watching subtitled episodes of Baywatch and silly movies portraying women as bimbos, these men apparently considered any Western woman fair game. An English friend was taking a taxi home from a party late at night and was attacked by the driver. Luckily, her screams were heard by a neighbour before she was seriously harmed.

Even after I'd had a baby, sexual harassment continued. A young police officer -the friend of a friend - was trying to help a Filipino woman who babysat for my daughter obtain her working papers. While waiting outdoors for our mutual friend to arrive, he asked if he could have a glass of water. I should have gone upstairs, got the water and brought it outside. Instead, my Southern upbringing kicked in and I naively invited him in for the water. The minute he walked through the door, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me. It took considerable force to shove him away. I shouted at him to wait outside, shoved him out the door and locked it.

When my friend arrived, I told him the story. He was mortified and angry that the police officer had tried to take advantage. I never saw the police officer again. (And I had to fire the babysitter, after she rang up hundreds of dinars in international charges on my telephone).

Of course I soon realised it was my fault for blurring the lines of social mores. By politely smiling and inviting the guy inside the apartment for a glass of water, he took it as an invitation. All too often in the Middle East, the simplest actions can be misinterpreted.

When talking to a respected Muslim lawyer about a case against my daughter's father, I was holding my daughter, then three months old. The lawyer came around his desk and tried to kiss me. I was pinned in between him and the desk, with my baby in my lap! Surprisingly, she slept through the ordeal. And I walked out of his office, never to return.

When being driven to my office after an interview in Shemisani with a well-known Palestinian leader, the car was hit by a young Kuwaiti student, driving his flash sportscar at great speed and running a stop sign. I was on the passenger side, which bore the brunt of the impact. At the hospital, the x-ray technologist repeatedly groped my breasts in the pretext of x-raying my cracked ribs, to the point that I slapped him and cursed him in Arabic. Did I report him? No. No one would have paid any attention, particularly to a woman upset by a traffic accident.

New York days

I interviewed an European politician, who invited me to dinner. When I declined, he chased me around his hotel room in New York. A Belgian man who was the general manager of a landmark hotel asked for my help in a public relations campaign, then attacked me in his office - even though he was friends with the man I was dating! None of these men made any attempts at finesse or subtlety - they just reached out and grabbed what they wanted.

A diplomat gave me a ride home from the UN; enroute, he tried to put his hand up my skirt. I jumped out in the middle of Park Avenue traffic. The incident reminded me of my first job in New York at an advertising agency, owned by an Irish-American with a fondness for the bottle. He often returned from long liquid lunches, reeking of booze. While I was sitting at my desk, he'd come up behind me and try to grope me.

Then there's this story, which thankfully is not mine. To this day, this tale - told to me by a diplomat whom I considered a friend - fills me with revulsion. One evening the diplomat was walking to his car parked on Third Avenue and an attractive young woman ran up to him and said, "Please, can you help me? Someone is bothering me and I'm frightened." The diplomat told her to get into the car and he'd give her a lift.

The young woman was trembling, obviously anxious and fearful. As they drove uptown, she thanked him profusely, saying he'd "saved her" from a terrible fate and how could she ever repay him? The diplomat's response was to park the car in a quiet neighbourhood and insist the young woman perform oral sex! Needless to say, after hearing that man's story, we were no longer friends. The fact that he talked about it so casually, as though it was nothing, highlighted the disconnect between male and female thinking.

In the course of your career, have you experienced similar incidents of sexual harassment? Did you tell anyone in authority? Did anyone listen and take you seriously?

American music festival postponed after threats

The Three Days in America festival scheduled for this weekend in Paris has been cancelled, after organisers received death threats from a group claiming links to Al Qaida. Event organisers said they decided to postpone the festival for the public's safety.

Death threats and warnings suggesting the event might be attacked were made in anonymous telephone calls and a poorly-written letter containing spelling errors. The threats claimed the festival's organisers support "American imperialists" and the new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Some people refer to the right-wing president as "Sarkozy the American" for his pro-US views.

After meeting police and anti-terrorist officers, Gilles Yolle, the festival director, said he did not regret calling off the festival, planned for this weekend in the Parc Saint Cloud on the outskirts of Paris. The event was expected to attract 20,000 visitors.

The festival, featuring country music and gospel music by American and European performers, line-dancing, a display of classic American cars and tributes to Elvis Presley and John Wayne, was also targeted last year. Press officer Chantal Tenot said, "Last year we received threats several months before the event, but we discovered they came from a small group of North Africans in the banlieue and we were able to deal with them. This time when we received the letter with a mixture of threats, mentioning al-Qaida and full of spelling mistakes we weren't sure how serious it was. But coming just before the event we couldn't take the risk. It's in a big park and we cannot have a security officer up every tree."

Tenot told reporters that organisers hope to re-arrange the festival for September. "Then the elections will have long been over and hopefully the political situation will have calmed down a bit," she said.

Glimpses of Versailles interiors

A hand-woven tapestry panel at Versailles dating from the chateau's origins as a country hunting lodge.

Gilt hunting instruments - including bows and arrows and knives - decorate a marble panel.

An ornate chandelier with heavy crystal drops accents the decorative ceiling.

Brocade draperies shot through with gold thread surround the Sun King's bed. Note the ornate gilt carvings above the canopy, as well as the plumed feathers.

A red marble and gold gilt bust wears a laurel leaf crown in the antechamber of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Another ornately-dressed and drapery-lined bed in the public area of the chateau. The gold gilt headboard is centered by an image of the Sun King.

A view of the canopy of the bed pictured above, with an oil painting above the bed and a crystal chandelier completing the luxurious look.

A velvet and gilt bench in the same chambre as the bed above. Portions of the walls are covered with silk, and edged with silver dentelle interspersed with large gold beads.

The canopy of the elaborately-dressed bed where Marie-Antoinette publicly gave birth to each of her children.

Marble sculptures trimmed with gilt adorn a reception area at Versailles.

A gilt wood chair upholstered in silk in the council room at Versailles.

A decorative stool covered with aqua silk and trimmed with passamenterie in the king's bedroom.

Gilt trim on marble fireplaces is typical throughout the chateau.

A gold lion's head adorns a mottled-marble fireplace in a large reception room.

Most fireplaces at Versaille contain gold gilt andirons similar to these urn-shaped ones.

One very fine wine

When deleting photos from my digital camera, I came across this photo of a superb bottle of wine. It was taken after our anniversary dinner and shows the wine bottle complete with the dust and sediment on it when purchased at auction. Don't be deterred by the messy bottle - the wine is excellent!

Postcard Project update

I was thrilled to receive this imaginative postcard collage (pictured, front and back) from Suzanna Bond of Yorba Linda, California.

Opening my mailbox has been a treat lately, as it's been stuffed with beautiful cards and thoughtful notes from far-flung spots across the globe.

Thank you all! It's such fun exchanging actual mail, as opposed to email.

One woman participating in the project has sent email expressing concern her postcard hasn't arrived. Most of the nearly 50 cards I've written have been mailed. But some of you who signed up still need to email your mailing address.

La poste from France takes time, so if you haven't received your postcard from Paris, don't despair: it's either on its way or it will be tout de suite!

Taking the truth for a spin

Gold gilt masks preside over the artists' entrance to L'Opera at Versailles, France.

Dress her up in a gossamer confection
cunningly designed to conceal her flaws
and expose certain angles.
Blinded by her beauty,
prospective suitors line up,
waiting to take this dazzling creature
for a spin on the dance floor.

Her dance card is full,
her audience spellbound -
until the tissue-like concoction wears thin,
the fabric is torn away
and the elaborate mask falls,
exposing the truth
no amount of spin can hide.

This poem was inspired by the practice of "spinning the story" to the media - a bad habit heartily endorsed by certain governments. Sadly, all too often, the press doesn't bother to question these stories. To see more masks torn away, visit Sunday Scribblings.

British MPs vote to restrict Freedom of Information

Tony Blair is flitting about on his "farewell tour," seeking praise and consolation for his failed policies. While Britain waits for him to go and Gordon Brown to take office, Members of Parliament (MPs) have done an astonishing thing that undermines their pledge of open government. They've voted to grant themselves blanket exemption from Freedom of Information legislation that affects every government agency in Britain!

The move was roundly condemned Friday by freedom of information campaigners and MPs opposed to the measure, who said it represents an attack on democracy. Former Conservative chief whip David Maclean, claimed change to the law is needed to protect MPs' private correspondence.

On Friday, the former Tory Cabinet minister Lord Baker of Dorking condemned as "scandalous" his former Commons colleague's attempt to exempt both Houses from the open government legislation. In an impassioned speech, Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat spokesman said "This has been a shameful day for the House of Commons. MPs should set an example of open government, not apply it to everybody but ourselves." He appealed to the House of Lords to "deliver" MPs from "this terrible mistake." Hughes spoke after opponents of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill secured its third reading by 96 votes to 25.

Despite the government's stated "neutrality" on the bill, several ministers voted in favour of a third reading, including Caroline Flint, Phil Woolas, Joan Ryan, Meg Munn, Ian McCartney, Tony McNulty, Parmjit Dhanda, and Maria Eagle. Parliamentary Private Secretary Angela Smith backed the measure, as did deputy chief whip Bob Ainsworth. Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information said he deplored the bill and the surprising support it had elicited.

Media reports indicate the Labour Party has secretly campaigned in support of the exemption. An email circulated by Labour's parliamentary committee urged back bench MPs to support a private members' bill that would prevent the public using Freedom of Information legislation to view MPs' correspondence. Further, government ministers have promoted additional damaging restrictions to the FOI Act that would ration the number of media requests allowed.

On Thursday, Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor addressed a group of media lawyers, journalists and academics at a Press Gazette/ Newspaper Society Media Law conference. He repeated the government's intention to press ahead with the proposal to limit requests made by the media.

Maclean's bill will now proceed to the House of Lords. The FOI (Amendment) Bill will need their support to become law.

Moore's new film premieres at Cannes

Michael Moore's film "Sicko" about the health care industry in America premieres Saturday night at the Cannes Film Festival. An excerpt from his email today:

"Bush's Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, launched an investigation of a trip I took to Cuba to film scenes for the movie. These scenes involve a group of 9/11 rescue workers who are suffering from illnesses obtained from working down at Ground Zero. They have received little or no help with their health care from the government. I do not want to give away what actually happens in the movie because I don't want to spoil it for you...

"This preemptive action taken by the Bush administration...led our attorneys to fear for the safety of our film, noting that Secretary Paulson may try to claim that the content of the movie was obtained through a violation of the trade embargo that our country has against Cuba and the travel laws that prohibit average citizens of our free country from traveling to Cuba. (The law does not prohibit anyone from exercising their first amendment right of a free press and documentaries are protected works of journalism.)

"I was floored when our lawyers told me this. "Are you saying they might actually confiscate our movie?" "Yes," was the answer. "These days, anything is possible. Even if there is just a 20 percent chance the government would seize our movie before Cannes, does anyone want to take that risk? Certainly not."

"So there we were last week, spiriting a duplicate master negative out of the country just so no one from the government would take it from us. (Seriously, I can't believe I just typed those words! Did I mention that I'm an American, and this is America and NO ONE should ever have to say they had to do such a thing?)

"...Investigating ME because I'm trying to help some 9/11 rescue workers our government has abandoned? Once again, up is down and black is white. There are only two people in need of an investigation and a trial, and the desire for this across America is so widespread you don't even need to see the one's smirk or hear the other's sneer to know who I am talking about."

Hard to see the funny side

Japanese dish at a boutique on the Ile Saint Louis, Paris.

The Poetry Thursday prompt is to write a funny poem, but I wasn't in the mood. Here's a rough first draft with a flash of political humour:

Update at midnight Thursday Paris time: Paul Wolfowitz has resigned from the World Bank! Also, Senate Democrats are seeking a no-confidence vote in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Despite mounting criticism
they simply won't go
determined to stay; keep the status quo
even when everyone around them knows
confidence is virtually zero.

Hard to see the funny side
when ethics made to look bad;
Wolfowitz is still there
and that makes me mad:
his arrogance riding roughshod.

Why does Gonzales still have his job
when his deputy and all those attorneys are gone?
Why should Olmert keep his post
when his defense minister's thrown
out on his laurels?

Why is Scooter Libby going to jail
when Cheney and Rove created the trail
in a deliberate rush to fell
a CIA agent whose husband wouldn't tell
their lies to hasten war?

How do people in power
get away with misdeeds?
Whatever happened to honourable creeds?
Where lies the truth in attempts to deceive?
Is there a single word said we can really believe?

Who's to blame for these calamities;
where does the buck stop anymore?
It keeps getting passed from door to door
as the dollar sinks to the currency floor;
how long can we stay afloat?

Faith in government at an all-time low
it's no longer on merit, it's who you know.
How many times must we hear Tony Snow
spinning strange yarns to the gullible press
who need to think more and listen less?

Birthday wishes for Alan Johnston

A fuschia French piovine in full bloom.

Today is BBC correspondent Alan Johnston's 45th birthday, but sadly he is unable to celebrate. It has been 66 days since Johnston was seized at gunpoint in Gaza.

Despite numerous international appeals and local Palestinian and Israeli demonstrations for his release, Johnston's situation remains unknown. Read his fellow BBC correspondent's birthday tribute here.

The Palestinians have recently done much to damage their own cause, starting with Johnston's kidnapping, apparently by a splinter group. This week political infighting has made a mockery of a Palestinian unity government. Differences have escalated to the point that Fateh and Hamas factions are ambushing and killing each other in the streets. On Wednesday a group of journalists in a press building were under seige from sniper fire.

The insanity of Palestinians killing each other must stop. Turning on each other won't solve their problems, but create more. How can anyone help them if they won't help themselves? I pray they will come to their senses and work together to achieve their common goals. And I pray Alan Johnston is safe and soon will be reunited with his family, friends and colleagues.

Where do we stand?

Flowers mark a World War I memorial at the Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Where do we stand? Like the song says, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything."

On Sunday I heard that my young nephew in the National Guard is being sent to Iraq. And regular readers of Paris Parfait will know that for a long time I have been outraged - and frequently vocal about my outrage - at the Bush administration and their hopelessly inept handling of the Iraq War. I am also outraged about practically everything else the Bush administration has attempted - the list of their abysmal failures and repeated efforts to suppress civil liberties is so long, I work myself into a fury, just thinking about them.

Today, Mark Morford's column in the San Francisco Chronicle struck a chord. Remember the scene from the Oscar-winning film "Network," when a character says, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!?" Well these days, too many people seem to follow along like sheep, accepting whatever happens with nary a protest. I can't understand this way of thinking. Whatever your politics, I urge you to read Morford's piece and consider what we stand for as a nation and what we believe as individuals:

"I think it was Keith Olbermann who said it first, who said yes wow that Virginia Tech shooting rampage was horrible and shocking and brutal and oh my God we lost a lot of really good, honest American kids and Something Should Be Done.

"And maybe let's start with the wide-eyed gun-rights maniacs and the conservative pseudo-cowboys and those twitchy Second Amendment paranoids who somehow still think that we all must cling to our nasty little Glocks 'cuz gosh, what might happen if our own government turns on us and nobody has their little handgun to protect their kids from the tanks and the missiles and the heat-ray guns? Right.

"But hey wait (Olbermann went on to say), then again, in the 10 days prior to that horrific shooting, didn't we also lose nearly exactly that same number of young people over in Iraq (well over 30) to even more brutal idiocy and insanity, to cluster bombs and insurgent shootings and gruesome death and a hugely inept, warmongering American president who is so violently unable to see just what kind of bland, lackluster evil he has wrought upon the planet that he is now on the verge of entering the record books as the Worst President in History?

"And maybe, just maybe, given how we are still losing double-digit numbers of good, honest American bodies every week in Iraq, just as we have for the past four solid years, perhaps we should be equally -- if not perhaps quite a bit more -- appalled and disgusted and shocked that this "war" is still raging, nonstop, to the tune of 3,400 dead Americans and tens of thousands wounded and counting fast?

"What, in other words, is wrong with us? Where is our outrage? Where is the pain and wailing and the candlelight vigils? Why has it become so easy to let Iraq turn into this numb, forgettable, boring thing, a blip in media, a sad yawn in your day?"

La France's day in the spotlight

Carved sculpture on the Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Today La France takes the spotlight, as Nicolas Sarkozy takes oath as president, Jacques Chirac departs and the 60th Cannes Film Festival begins.

In his first speech as president, Sarkozy appealed to those across the political spectrum, pledging a new era of change and tolerance. France "needs to take risks and follow initiatives," he said. The country also needs to "rehabilitate the values of work, effort, merit and respect," he remarked.

Sarkozy attacked racism and stressed that "order and authority is needed" to deal with security challenges. "We need results because the French people in their daily lives need improvements... We need to invent new solutions." Sarkozy warned that "never have the risks of inertia been so great for France" as in today's fast-paced world. But he vowed to defend La France's independence and identity.

Meanwhile in Cannes, opening ceremonies have begun at the 60th Cannes Film Festival. Hollywood stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon are expected to promote their latest film Ocean's 13.

The panel of judges for the Cannes competition is headed by Stephen Frears, director of The Queen. Actresses Maggie Cheung of Hong Kong and Toni Colette of Australia join Turkey's Nobel-winning author Orhan Pamuk on the panel.

The competition continues through Sunday, May 27, when the French Open tennis championship begins at Roland Garros in Paris.

Israel violates law of occupation, Red Cross says

The state of Israel is violating international humanitarian law, according to a confidential report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The organisation has accused Israel of "general disregard" for "its obligations under international humanitarian law - and the law of occupation in particular," to serve its own interests.

The ICRC report leaked to the media condemns Israel's usage of its role as an occupying power "in order to further its own interests or those of its own population to the detriment of the population of the occupied territory," which it says is "foreign to the letter and spirit of occupation law."

The committee said the Israeli policy has far-reaching humanitarian consequences for Palestinians living under occupation in East Jerusalem, including isolation of Palestinians living in Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, problems of access to basic services and a "condition of artificial illegality," in which thousands of Palestinians live in Jerusalem without ability to obtain permanent residency.

Israel is creating "a Greater Jerusalem Envelope" by constructing the separation barrier, establishing an outer ring of Jewish settlements beyond expanded municipal boundaries and creating a dense road network linking Israeli neighborhoods and settlements in and outside Jerusalem, the report said.

Pentagon imposes web access restrictions

The US military is blocking troops from using YouTube, MySpace and 11 other websites used for sharing photos, video clips and messages. The decision effectively prevents thousands of soldiers from communicating with friends and family, unless they have their own computers - a rare luxury in war zones.

For many US soldiers serving overseas, YouTube and similar websites are the easiest ways to communicate. Various media reports indicate the Pentagon is blocking access to sites for "technical reasons." The Pentagon claims accessing and sending video across the Internet takes too much bandwidth, slowing down the military's computer system. Security concerns are also an issue.

Ironically the Pentagon recently began posting its own videos on YouTube showing soldiers in action in Iraq. The move is an attempt "to reach out to a younger audience and to show successes of the US military," the Pentagon said. In other words, they're trying to recruit more young people for military service.

Irresistible treats from Bastille

This 19th-century zinc weathervane found at the Antiquites Brocante at Bastille was our fifth wedding anniversary present. We already had the tall zinc base, which once stood on the roof of a chateau - now the picture is complete! Both my husband and I have fond childhood memories of steam trains, so the moment I saw this weathervane, I knew it was coming home with me.

A decorative Madonna crown to add to my collection. Some stones are missing, but I think that adds to the charm. Too bad the remaining jewels aren't real!

A set of 19th-century candlesticks featuring heavy ameythst crystal drops shaped like bird's eggs.

An art nouveau pewter and wooden frame sparkles with opalescent stones, along with a faded sepia photo of an unknown French soldier. I also bought two small wooden easels from the Arts and Crafts period.

This early 20th-century doll's hat is fashioned of beautiful handmade lace, trimmed with a brown satin ribbon and millinery flower.

Another doll's hat in a 1920s design, covered with Alencon lace and wrapped with printed cotton ribbon.

This 18th-century silver Italian prayer ornament is now part of my collection of religious symbols.

I bought a complete alphabet of typeface letters, as well as this collage of letters and printers' symbols. I've already written about the rare lot of historical documents that I couldn't resist. Luckily, the next big brocante isn't until September! Hmmm, of course there is that teensy little brocante this summer at St. Sulpice. Want to join me?

And so it begins

A French bleu-Marine striped beret and a box of French chocolates

As President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy prepares to take office on Wednesday, La France is abuzz with talk of his curious post-election behaviour.

On the plus side, Sarkozy reportedly has offered the foreign minister's job to Socialist politician Bernard Kouchner. One of the founders of Medecins sans Frontieres, Kouchner, 67 is a former UN administrator in Kosovo. He was also a leader of the May 1968 student revolt. In his victory speech, Sarkozy lamented the "moral legacy" of that revolt.

Sarkozy has been widely criticised for mounting a divisive election campaign, appealing to "tribal instincts" of right-wing voters. In his post-election speech, he promised to govern for "the whole of France," opening his administration to senior figures with opposing views.

In choosing his government, Sarkozy must juggle three conflicting campaign promises: to appoint women to half of the senior posts; to open his administration to the opposition and reduce the number of ministerial positions. Consequently, many close allies hoping for plum posts will be disappointed.

In Paris, angry words are said to have been exchanged with Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, who had expected a move to foreign affairs. The foreign affairs job was also discussed with Hubert Védrine, who had the post in 1997-2002 under Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Francois Fillon, 53 is expected to be named Prime Ministor. Madame Alliot-Marie may move to justice or keep her current post.

Sarkozy plans to split the economics ministry into two: a strategic ministry for economic affairs and a managerial ministry for employment, finance and the budget. Jean-Louis Borloo is expected to be named head of the new economics ministry. He is believed to be adept at negotiating social reforms with trade unionists.

On Monday Sarkozy conducted preliminary talks with union leaders. He agreed to negotiate - rather than impose - his plans for changes in unemployment and trades union law. But most union leaders take Sarkozy's promises with a grain of salt. The country is already bracing for a series of strikes expected in September, following the re-entree of Parisiennes returning from their summer holidays.

Sarkozy's wife didn't vote

On the negative side, Sarkozy's private life has caused quite a stir. The latest controversy involves Sarkozy stopping publication of the story about his wife not voting in the second round of the presidential elections. The Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche - which like Paris-Match is owned by the Hachette-Lagardére media group - had planned to publish the story about Cécilia Sarkozy.

Newspaper editor Jacques Espérandieu denied Monday that he had been pressured by publisher Hachette-Lagardère, which is controlled by Sarkozy's friend Arnaud Lagardère. The editor said he removed the story because "it infringed Madame Sarkozy's right to privacy." Two unions in the Hachette-Lagardère group complained the story was"censored" by management "to please the president-elect, or maybe on his orders."

Madame Sarkozy, who disappeared from public view during the campaign, re-appeared late on election night, dressed in a casual grey cotton blouse and trousers. The next day, Sarkozy, his wife and their ten-year-old son began a three-day Mediterranean cruise as guests of one of France's richest men. Upon his return to Paris, Sarkozy faced a barrage of criticism of his "billionaire's holiday" off the coast of Malta. Sarkozy responded: "I've no intention of hiding. I've no intention of lying. I've no intention of saying sorry."

After his election victory Sarkozy said he was taking a three-day "retreat" to "weigh the gravity of the burdens which now fall on my shoulders." His entourage hinted he was going to a monastery. But Sarkozy and his family flew to Malta in the executive jet of billionaire Vincent Bolloré. They then went aboard the Paloma, Bollore's $3.5m yacht.

No one questioned Sarkozy's right to a holiday before accepting his role as president, but some of his allies wondered about his judgement in leaping from a campaign in which he preached the "values of hard work" to a three-day break with jet set friends. Socialist politician Vincent Peillon, a former spokesman for Sarkozy's opponent Segelene Royal, accused the president-elect of displaying a "kind of arrogant, even insulting behaviour." During the campaign, Sarkozy praised the "France that gets up early" and urged the country to work harder, Peillon said. But once he was elected, he was off enjoying himself with his billionaire friends, Peillon noted.

Under the provocative headline "Boat People," the newspaper Libération suggested Sarkozy was copying the "bad taste and exhibitionism" of Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister. Le Monde published a front-page cartoon showing Sarkozy's wife sunbathing on a yacht and saying - in the style of Marie-Antoinette - "shut up, you poor people."

While Sarkozy cavorted on the yacht, scattered, violent protests against his election continued in several French cities. Media reports indicated most protests involved youths associated with far-left or anarchist groups. Some car burnings, as well as arson attacks on buildings were reported in poor suburbs surrounding Paris and other cities. It is the first time in modern French history that election results were met with such violent protests. In my neighbourhood, Sarkozy's campaign posters were gouged out with a pen-knife.

Sarkozy's centre-right party, the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) still has a parliamentary election to win on June 10 and 17. His opponents are expected to make their voices heard.

Lux lighting at Liberty

A luxurious crystal waterfall cascades from the top floor at Liberty of London.

A side view of the suspended strings of crystal lights, with a glimpse of the beautiful Gothic arches of Liberty's fourth floor ceiling.

An antique iron French day bed, its mattress and pillows covered with cheery Provencal cotton fabrics.

A vintage wooden birdhouse is for sale on the fourth floor. Alas, no signs of any Arts and Crafts pieces for which Liberty is so famous. They must have been preparing for an exhibition.

A mirror framed by a curious combination of molded plastic action figures and iconic images, sprayed gold.

Window displays or the lack of them

During a visit to London last week, I was disappointed when seeking out imaginative window displays. Instead, I found several windows in progress. In Liberty & Co.'s windows (below) the signs read "Don't look now; we're getting dressed." The photo was taken of the words on the window, with passing traffic and scaffolding across the street reflected in the glass.

On High Street Kensington, I didn't see any interesting window displays, but I was amused by this phone booth advertisement. Where are the superheroes when we need them??!!

Ancient churches in Montreuil-sur-mer

Montreuil-sur-mer is filled with beautiful churches, many of them dating back several centuries. This building is now the annex of a larger church, but was probably the original church, before additions were built.

I really like this old wooden door and the coloured brick and stone in the church annex.

The church as viewed from a distance.

An arched entranceway over the church's main double doors with statues of Christ and angels.

The entrance features a stone statue of Madonna and child.

A starburst of stone at the church's entranceway echoes a star above statues over the doorway.

One of the stained glass interior windows that graces the main part of the church.

A decorative altar in a small chapel.

A Madonna statue, a candelabra and a paintng in another chapel.

Prayer candles are lit inside a third chapel.

A statue of a saint on a stone pillar.

Bonne Fete Maman!

Vintage French "Fete de Mere"cards

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mother and to all you hard-working moms and grandmothers out there!

A rare find

A rare lot of French historical documents dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The top document is dated 19 March, 1776. Click photo to view detail.

Attention artists and collectors! Last week on Opening Day at the Antiquites Brocante at Bastille, I was thrilled to purchase a lot of nearly 300 original historical documents. Dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the documents - deeds of sale, various business transactions or marriage certificates - are beautifully handwritten in script, typically on both sides of the heavy, thick paper. All documents contain French government stamps and/or official red wax seals.

I had to take a deep breath before taking the plunge, as the documents were quite expensive. But I figured I'd never again see such an extraordinary collection in one place. Alas, I couldn't possibly afford a separate lot of official documents from the French presence in Indochine.

As I have been lucky to find so many delightful things at Paris brocantes and flea markets, I am running out of space. I've decided to part with a few treasures, starting with some of these historical documents. If you are interested in purchasing documents to photocopy for art projects or to frame the originals for added elegance in your decor, please email me.

Every week I will add new items to the "Tara's treasures" box, located in the sidebar (the left-hand column). Most items offered for sale can be easily packed and mailed, to avoid expensive shipping costs.

Bouquets and best wishes

A profusion of beautiful blooms in luscious shades of coral, pink, lavender, purple and red at Liberty & Co., London. Wishing my parents very Happy Birthday celebrations - today is my dad's birthday; Saturday is my mother's special day. And of course, Sunday is Mother's Day!

I congratulate my old friend Jose Ramos-Horta for his impressive victory in presidential elections in East Timor. I am confident he will do his best to improve the lives of East Timorese citizens and help insure a stronger, safer country.

Israelis plan settlements on occupied land

From today's Guardian, excerpts of an article by Conal Urquhart, reporting from Tel Aviv:

Jerusalem's city council plans to build three settlements on land occupied in 1967, in contravention of international law. It was announced Thursday that settlements will be built near Bethlehem and Ramallah - land already earmarked for a future Palestinian state.

Israel repeatedly has defied international law forbidding construction on land acquired by war. Since 1967 Israel has built homes for about 500,000 Israelis in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The construction would link existing Jewish settlements in Jerusalem with settlements in the West Bank. Saeb Erekat, head of negotiations for the Palestinians, said the building plans suggest Israel has no real interest in peace. "Today it is obvious that Israel wants Jerusalem for only some of Jerusalem's people," he said. "I wish Israel would do what majorities of both Palestinians and Israelis want: accept the two-state solution and accept peace."

While Israel says it supports the creation of a Palestinian state, its building projects - which include walls, fences, bypasses and tunnels as well as settlements - restrict the amount of land available to the new state. In 1967 Israel annexed East Jerusalem. Most of its residents remain in limbo, neither residents of Israel, nor of the West Bank. To ensure its hold on East Jerusalem, Israel has built a series of settlements dividing the city. The annexation was condemned by the UN and has not been recognised by any major country.

Tangle

Shop window on Oxford Street, London - If you click on this photo to view the detail, you'll notice the reflection of a black cab passing, as well as of the photographer (in the mirror). I like the pile of vintage hat boxes and millinery feathers.

Thank you for all the wonderful anniversary wishes! I returned from London last night and this morning was the first chance I had to look at Poetry Thursday's random prompt - my word was "tangle." As I'm in a bit of a mad rush today, here's a quick first draft of a poem about a tangled web ending in tragedy:

A tangle of curls
a broken web of whorls
a mystery unfurls

Who murdered this woman
her golden hair matted with blood
fingerprints smeared

on the telephone
near her bed
will they reveal

the killer's identity
who tried to keep hidden
a tangle of deceit

lies and alibis
that came crashing down
in a moment of rage

and shattered illusions
along with the crystal vase
lying next to the victim

Will clues be enough
to find the secret lover
who loved her to death?

Happy anniversary

David in an unguarded moment at Montreuil-sur-mer, France

Happy fifth anniversary to the wonderful man I married, who always makes me laugh.