Paris Parfait

When I should have been writing

On Monday I spent probably two hours painstakingly arranging ten framed Japanese woodblock prints, circa 1895-1904 in a perfectly symmetrical arrangement on one wall of the salon (living room). But the result was - bland! Bleah! All one noticed was the symmetry of the arrangement, not the beauty of the prints. My husband came home from London last night and didn't seem too enthusiastic about the look. But he was happy to see something on the wall, other than nail holes. I'd started this project last Thursday and left the wall blank while I thought about what to do.

So today I took the Japanese woodblock prints down and started over. The photograph above is the result. Not sure if it will remain for long; I am forever switching art around from room to room and place to place. But the person to be blamed for triggering this particular redesign is Victoria of sfgirlbythebay. Recently she posted photos of the latest changes to her apartment. Her wall of prints looked so interesting, I was inspired to switch things around. After all, a girl has to take an occasional break from the computer, never mind those deadlines! A calm environment is a productive one, right?

From top left, a hand-hammered mirror from Amman, Jordan; needlepoint flowers from the garden district of Monroe, La., (found on eBay and reframed); 1940s beaded French flowers; an 1897 Japanese woodblock print found at Liberty, London; a 1903 Japanese woodblock print from Liberty; French oil painting of a Moroccan woman selling oranges, circa 1870; a trio of Moroccan-inspired collages by Kristen Robinson and an original cover of La Plume magazine, Paris, 1899, designed by Alphonse Mucha. Not sure about the flowers; originally I had nothing there, but the space seemed too empty. So I added a crystal and gilt sconce, which was too frou-frou. Something else may yet replace the flowers.

Of course I had to change two additional walls in the room to accommodate art! Hmmm, maybe it's time to sell more things...By the way, Kristen Robinson's art is featured on the cover of the August issue of Somerset Home! It's her second magazine cover this year - bravo, Kristen!

Eight things, SF moon shots and SARK

Photograph, San Francisco and moon on July 27 by Frederic Larson. See more of his outstanding work here and participate in his photo challenges.

You can also buy Larson's book Mystical San Francisco, which makes me homesick every time I glance at it. I also own two of Larson's mystical moon photographs.

I was tagged for an "eight random things" meme by Robyn at Garden Rooms. While I'm sure I've done similar memes at least twice, here are some more things you may not know about me.

Because I have a soft voice and good manners, people sometimes peg me as fragile. But like so many Southern women, I am a steel magnolia. Thanks to this core of inner strength - and a lot of prayer - I have persevered through tough times. I have little patience for those who once victimized, play that card endlessly. We all have our troubles, but we deal with them, then move on; we don't make the "poor pitiful me" act our life's work.

I am a backgammon wizard. But nine times out of ten, my husband beats me at Scrabble.

I appreciate the sounds of other languages being spoken all around me, even if I don't understand the languages. I find diversity reassuring and sameness worrying.

I love riding my bicycle, yet for ages, I've been too busy writing to take it off the balcony.

In recent years, I've developed vertigo; watching a moving carousel makes me dizzy.

My favourite cities all start with S and have a Spanish connection - San Francisco, Santa Fe and Sevilla. But I have no idea where my husband and I will live after Paris. If money were no object, we'd probably spend part of the year in San Francisco, part in Sevilla and the remainder in rural England - but not too far from London.

I am impatient, as well as a perfectionist - an impossible paradox.

You may have gathered by my political pieces and poetry that I don't suffer fools gladly. While I am polite and considerate of others, sometimes people don't deserve such grace. Before moving to Paris from London, my husband and I had dinner with a British colleague and his German girlfriend. She started the evening saying that in the 18 months she'd lived in Paris, the French were always rude to her. I quickly discovered why: she was one of the most aggressive and intolerant women I ever met. By mid-meal, I simply stopped talking to her, leaving my poor husband and his colleague to carry on the conversation. She was the only one oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

For SARK fans, here is an interesting piece in the San Francisco Chronicle.

If you want to play, post "eight things" on your own blog, or write eight things in the comments section here. Merci!

Unexpected beauty

Sometimes one comes across a touch of beauty in the most unexpected places. Photo of lone wildflower, New Zealand by Marie-Claire Holmes.

Just open your eyes
desolate beauty awaits
unexpected treat

The art of collecting

Choosing frames at Val d'Or, Paris for Rescuing of the Mime by Vanessa Valencia. The frame pictured is not the one I selected for the painting.

Lately, art has been disappearing from my walls, unceremoniously shoved in cupboards or tucked away in corners of closets. All this rearranging has been necessary to make way for er, ahem - a few, shall we say, original paintings by Vanessa Valencia. A small collection really.

It all started with the Strange Beautiful Lady. And then who could resist Pan's Widow, Rescuing of the Mime - and the rest? If you come to Paris, you can visit the Galerie de Vanessa Valencia Art Extraordinaire . Admission is free - but if you try to take a painting home with you, a note of caution: I have a very sensitive alarm system.

You, too can own some of Vanessa's delightful, whimsical art. Visit her etsy shop to check for updates on original work or for canvas prints of her paintings, as well as notecards and pottery.

Even more than art, I like collecting memories. But volumes of those memories are the treasure hunts involved in acquiring physical collections.

I have several collections including photographs, books, American Fiestaware, McCoy pottery, Native American pottery, English ironstone, French Limoges, religious icons, Madonna crowns, French Art Nouveau pieces, English and Belgian Arts & Crafts pieces and antique lace. The list goes on...

I've become an enthusiastic collector only in the last seven-and-a-half years living in Europe, where there are wonderful tempting objets d' art practically everywhere I go. As a journalist, I lived like a nomad for so long, that I lost many possessions in the process. I did manage to keep most of my books and photographs.

A few favourite items also survived the moves, including many of my daughter's toys and books and a small collection of stones. But for the most part, until 1996 in San Francisco, we didn't keep anything that wouldn't fit into a suitcase or box. The nesting instinct kicked in full force in France, where I've stayed in one place for the longest time in my adult life.

And it's not just me. Collecting has become a global phenomenon, with numerous clubs, books, magazines and websites devoted to specific areas of interest. Tell me about what you like to collect. Is it art? Or maybe you prefer coins, stamps or marbles? Perhaps you're into aquiring high-end objects such as classic cars and vintage diamonds? Maybe you like to scoop up seashells, sand dollars and sea glass while taking long walks on the beach? Or perhaps your passion is digging for arrowheads and pottery shards?

Whatever you collect, do you consider your finds an investment, which will appreciate in value or do you collect things simply because you like them? I do both, although usually I end up selling the things I buy as an investment rather quickly. I find if I'm not absolutely thrilled with the item, it just takes up space, as I won't display it - other than to a potential buyer. So out it goes.

I look for quirky objects that speak to me, not things that are necessarily expensive or valuable. A heart-shaped rock can make my heart skip a beat, just as much as finding a rare first edition of T.E. Lawrence's book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. What collections make your heart sing?

Photo of Pan's Widow courtesy of Vanessa Valencia. Read about more phenomenons at Sunday Scribblings.

Blogger Reflection Award

I have been privileged and honoured to be nominated for a Blogger Reflection Award by Autrice of The Bemused Muse. In return, I am to nominate five bloggers for the award:

1. Sherrie of Happytiler who pulls no punches in her art, posts and poetry about some of life's rockier situations and tough challenges. Never a dull moment around Sherrie, who doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, loudly and often!

2. Maddie of My Little India whose lovely poetic posts and mystical, ethereal photographs sometimes feel like some parallel, more peaceful universe, where you can drink chai tea and indulge your creative side as much as you like.

3. Laura of Laurelines, who draws and paints everything from the magical to the mundane, everywhere she goes. She also provides interesting asides and bits of history in her travels, making every visit to her art-filled blog a delightful treat.

4. Holli of Baby Faith, who writes with her whole heart about her daughter Faith, husband Tom and challenges encountered as her mom fights a serious illness. Whatever life throws at her, Holli always manages to retain her sense of humour. She is also a talented photographer.

5. Paul of The Harbour of Ourselves, for the humanity and humility of his astonishing posts about broad social issues and religion.

Now it's up to the five of you to nominate five deserving winners. The Blogger Reflection Award rules are: "This award should make an individual reflect upon five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way and who have provided a Godly example. In other words, five dear bloggers whom, when you reflect upon them, you are filled with a sense of pride and joy... of knowing them and being blessed by them.”

Once you have chosen five bloggers, write at least a paragraph about each one; link this post, so others can read it and the rules; leave your chosen bloggers a comment, informing them of their award and place the award icon on your website.

Like lambs to the slaughter

Lambs in New Zealand, photo by Marie-Claire Holmes.

For Poetry Thursday, this poem was sparked by an article by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Vanity Fair's Green issue (May). The Bush administration has eliminated numerous protections for our air, water and land, rolling back some 400 (!) environmental-protection laws. Kennedy writes that nearly every government agency involved with the environment is run by men and women who once worked or lobbied for the same polluting industries (oil, gas and logging) their departments were designed to police.

Like lambs to the slaughter*
we follow the flock
even if the flock is headed
in the wrong direction

The path shouldn't be so rocky
if protections are kept in place
but they're being eroded
by men with smooth demeanors

that can't disguise their intent
to trample any impediment
to their grand designs of greed
at nature's expense

Careless disregard for environment
to them money before all else
drill for oil and the rich get richer
and the earth more fragile

Stop these nefarious efforts
It's our responsibility
future generations counting on us
to save what's left

* Jeremiah 51:40, The Bible

Court to hear request for secret documents

At 11 a.m. Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will argue for the release of court orders supposedly authorizing the government's electronic domestic surveillance program that intercepts and analyzes millions of Americans' communications.

The White House first acknowledged the surveillance program's existence in 2005, claiming that surveillance could be conducted without warrants or judicial authorization of any kind. But in January of this year, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) had authorized collection of some communications. He said the surveillance program would now operate under its approval.

EFF filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the FISC orders and other records concerning the purported changes in the program. When the justice department
did not comply, EFF filed suit in federal court.

Thursday's hearing before Chief Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, will include oral arguments from both EFF and the DOJ. For more information about EFF's lawsuit, go here.

Those White House subpoenas

On June 27 the Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to the White House, Vice President Dick Cheney, the Department of Justice and the National Security Council for documents related to the National Security Agency's spying program. Last Wednesday, the committee agreed to extend the deadline for the administration to respond.

Disclosure of the requested documents could be a critical step toward revealing the full extent of the NSA's illegal spying and the role that telecommunications companies like AT&T played in it. The American public deserves to know the truth about the program and Congress should, to the fullest extent of its powers, make the Executive Branch comply.

In a letter accompanying the subpoenas, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy said the committee had previously made "no fewer than nine formal requests to the Department of Justice and to the White House, seeking information and documents about the authorization of and legal justification for this program. All requests have been rebuffed," Leahy wrote. " Our attempts to obtain information through testimony of administration witnesses have been met with a consistent pattern of evasion and misdirection.”

To read the four subpoenas, go here.

Lily pads and weeping willows

Not exactly Monet's water lilies at Giverny, but they're more accessible. Lily pads thrive in one of several ponds in the Bois du Boulogne, Paris.

The plume of smoke coming from the trees opposite the pond is from a barbeque grill. Several people were barbequing Sunday, right next to a large sign proclaiming "No barbeques!" Ah, the French: always the rebels!

From a distance, it looks as though a tree has fallen across the path leading from the bridge. In fact, the tree has leaned so far to the left, it's entwined with another.

This weeping willow offers cool shelter in summer's heat - not that it is warm in Paris at the moment - far from it!

A walk along the Seine

Would you like to take a stroll along the Seine? Walk with me on this path...

Rusty metal sculptures made of found objects.

Shall we ring the bell and stop for tea?

Birdhouses and flowerpot dolls suspended from tree branches.

Birdhouses, a bird feeder, butterfly and windchimes. The mushroom reminds me of one of Vanessa Valencia's paintings.

Antique wooden chairs with no seats.

Bright riverside flowers.

A boat obviously named in honour of Constance (Rochambeau), who celebrated her birthday last Friday.

An old boat propeller as sculpture.

A wooden mermaid sculpture graces a peniche.

Want to take a kayaking lesson?

Lacy wildflowers along the path.

A signpost marks the entryway to a grand peniche.

A floating restaurant.

Shall we stop here for lunch?

Of broomsticks and children's stories

This photo is in follow-up to my Sunday Scribblings piece "Something wicked." This afternoon David and I were walking down the street near the Parc Edmond de Rothschild and noticed this broom propped against the exterior wall.

Before we spotted the broom, I was telling David about Terri of Tinker Art's wise and whimsical scribble about Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz and fairy-tales from the perspective of modern life. Et voila - there was a "witch's broom" leaning against the wall! Of course being a naughty cheeky British boy, David was compelled to suggest, "There's your ride home."

Something wicked

For the Sunday Scribblings prompt "wicked," a short poem inspired by parallels of a 1929 treatise by T.E. Lawrence and present-day Iraq.

T.E. Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia) wrote the entry for "Guerilla" in the 14th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Referring to Arab resistance to Turkish occupation in the 1914-18 war, he wrote of the insurgents, "...Suppose they were an influence, a thing invulnerable, intangible, without front or back, drifting about like a gas? Armies were like plants, immobile as a whole, firm-rooted, nourished through long stems to the heads. The Arabs might be a vapour..."

Something wicked this way comes*
it drifts like vapours
among the trees and beyond the rocks
it wafts through towns and villages
in hidden alleyways and narrow streets
it ducks behind cars and carts
hovers motionless behind a statue
and lurks among shadows
lying in wait
for its next victims

Using gas warfare as a metaphor for insurgency, Lawrence wrote that to control the land they occupied, the Turks "would have need of a fortified post every four square miles and a post could not be less than 20 men. The Turks would need 600,000 men to meet the combined ill wills of all the local Arab people. They had 100,000 men available."

"Rebellion must have an unassailable base ...in the minds of men converted to its creed. It must have a sophisticated alien enemy, in the form of a disciplined army of occupation too small to fulfill the doctrine of acreage: too few to adjust number to space, in order to dominate the whole area effectively from fortified posts.

"It must have a friendly population, not actively friendly, but sympathetic to the point of not betraying rebel movements to the enemy. Rebellions can be made by 2 per cent active in a striking force and 98 per cent passively sympathetic ... Granted mobility, security ... time, and doctrine ... victory will rest with the insurgents, for the algebraical factors are in the end decisive and against them perfections of means and spirit struggle quite in vain."

*"Something wicked this way comes" is a phrase originating in Act IV Scene I of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The speaker is the second witch: "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." By this point in the play, Macbeth has been revealed to be the wicked thing, as both a traitor and a murderer.

Happy birthday Marie-Claire!

Photograph taken on a cool, breezy day in New Zealand

For those readers who have asked about Marie-Claire Holmes, whose beautiful photographs often appear in my blog, here she is! And today's her birthday. Wishing you a bonne anniversaire, Marie-Claire! See you next month (with birthday presents)!

Summer mysteries

"The person most likely to murder you sits across the breakfast table. Your nearest and dearest, the one who sleeps on the pillow next to yours and shares your checking account, can be far more lethal than any sinister stranger lurking in the shadows. Love kills." from Edna Buchanan's book Never Let Them See You Cry

At the top of my summer reading list is Edna Buchanan's new book Love Kills. As you can see by this stack of Buchanan's mysteries, I'm a fan. Since 1993 when a friend recommended The Corpse Had a Familiar Face and Never Let Them See You Cry, I've read all of Buchanan's books. The ones I couldn't find in hardback, I bought in paperback.

Buchanan is a former Putlizer Prize-winning reporter for the Miami Herald. Her books are fast-paced and suspenseful; my only complaint is they aren't long enough! I always finish her books wanting more - and maybe that's the secret of her success. She's been nominated for two Edgar awards and two of her early books were made into movies for television starring the late Elizabeth Montgomery. If you're a mystery fan, check out her books; you won't be disappointed.

Power in the beholder

Part of a deck of Tarot cards bought years ago in Carmel, California.

At noon I suddenly remembered it was Poetry Thursday. So much to say and so little time. Here's a quick haiku:

Interpret the cards
if you like, but answers you
seek lie within you.

French bikes, British irony and Hemingway's home

Update July 19th: Apparently I was mistaken in calling this a sea lion napping on the rocks in New Zealand. A reader says it's a "New Zealand fur seal." Photo by Marie-Claire Holmes.

Bicycling around Paris

If you're visiting Paris you can rent bicycles at many stations around Paris. Some 10,600 bicycles are available as part of a program known as Velib, (a combination of the French words vélo -bicycle - and liberté -freedom). An annual pass for the bike service is €29; a one-day pass is €1, with the first half-hour free. Paris currently boasts 230 miles of bike paths.

And of course professional cyclists are currently participating in the Tour de France, which concludes at the end of July on the Champs Elysee.

Victoria Beckham and British humour

Much has been made in the American press about David and Victoria Beckham. But Victoria, the former Spice Girl can make a legitimate claim of being misunderstood. She is a master of British irony, a form of self-deprecating humour. I'm married to a Brit, so I have become accustomed to such humour.

When Victoria says she can't hire a nanny that is too good-looking and "it's all about me," she's making fun of herself. When she said she was pulled over by police and didn't want to get out of the car because she was wearing flat shoes, she was joking. I've seen her on a few British talk shows and she's really very funny; she has a great ability to laugh at herself and her image in the media. She's had lots of practice, having been hounded by the media for years.

Both in Britain and in Spain, when her husband played football for Real Madrid, Victoria, David and their three children have been the subject of intense media focus and speculation. As for Victoria's preoccupation with clothes and image, she's right, "It's exhausting being fabulous." She should fit right into appearance-conscious Los Angeles!

Sanctions affect restoration on Hemingway home

As Conor Clarke in Havana and Ewen MacAskill in Washington report in The Independent, London, sanctions against Cuba are affecting restoration work on the late writer Ernest Hemingway's home:

"The bullfighting posters are just as he left them and so are the 9,000 books that line even the bathroom walls. The den, cluttered with mounted heads from hunting trips around the world, still has a well-stocked bar, with bottles of Old Forester bourbon and Gordon's gin an arm's length from his favourite sitting chair.
Finca Vigia, or Lookout Farm, 10 miles east of Havana, is the place Ernest Hemingway called home from 1939 to 1960 and it is there that the author's abundant tastes, in literature and in life, are on display. Visitors can see where Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea, where he dined with Errol Flynn and where Ava Gardner was reported to have skinny-dipped.

"Hemingway liked trouble and the chances are he would have enjoyed the fact that he is still creating it almost 50 years after his death. Finca Vigia has become a symbol of the struggle between the US and Cuba.
For the past two years, a group of American organisations has been working to restore the battered house and save the manuscripts and books. But US sanctions against Cuba have hindered the group's attempts to collaborate with the Cuban government. The Bush administration's response has been mixed, flitting between acquiescence and obstruction."

Snow-cones

For all those sweltering in the summer heat, some cooling pictures of snow-capped mountains in New Zealand. They remind me of icy "sno-cones" from childhood. Do you remember those? Photos by Marie-Claire Holmes.

Fragile beauty

Delicate silks and organzas bind heavy gilt roses and lilacs to this 19th-century textile. Having survived nearly 200 years of temperature variations and damage, the essence of its beauty remains. A talented seamstress could remove the embroidered flowers and stitch them onto a more durable fabric or use them in an art project.

Fragile appearance
yet at our core lies real strength
faith can move mountains

Magic in the mundane

A view of the underpinnings of the Eiffel Tower, Paris shows interesting form, design and architectural details.

Sometimes there is magic in the mundane. The trick for all writers, artists and photographers is to pay attention to one's surroundings. From A Writer's Book of Days by Judy Reeves:

"...Can you describe the texture of moonlight on your bedroom ceiling or the face of the old man down the street as he walked his dog? 'The truth is in the details,' someone once said and the only way to know the truth is to pay attention.

"Paying attention brings into focus the specificity not only of good writing, but of mindful living. The great spiritual leader Thieh Nhat Hanh said mindfulness is to be present in the present moment. It is in the present moment you find the details that will enrich your writing and bring it to life. "There is ecstasy in paying attention," said Anne Lamott.

"As you awaken in the morning, notice the light in your room, the wrinkle of sheets, the smell of air. Be present as you go through your day, mindful of such details as the mist rising from the orange you peel, the ridges of pattern in the peel's colour that fade to yellow near the green nub of stem and the stem's starlike pattern."

"...By paying attention and writing what you perceive, you find your own truth and this is what you will pass on in your writing."

Bastille Day

French 19th-century lithograph "La Promenade sous le Berceau" depicting children playing games in a Paris park. Today is Bastille Day. After fireworks late last night, celebrations kicked off with a parade on the Champs Elysee - with 26 European countries participating - followed by various fetes, including the Grand Prix de Paris at l'Hippodrome de Longchamp. And more fireworks tonight lighting up the skies over Longchamp. C'est magnifique! Bonne fete les tous! Hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Hair shirt

For Sunday Scribblings, this week's prompt is hair. This poem was fueled by recent news events, as more and more young Muslims are persuaded by zealots to commit violent acts. Islam is being hijacked by extremists, while the true believers of the Islamic faith - including the guardians of Mecca - curiously remain silent. Why aren't they rising up in droves to protest these criminal acts, which clearly are forbidden in the Koran? Where are the strong, powerful voices defending Islam?

It's his twisted version of the hair shirt
that belt of explosives
strapped around his waist.

If it's detonated,
he's convinced he'll go straight to heaven
where young virgins await.

Why should he doubt it?
he's been told often enough:
his is a noble sacrifice.

At the madrassa, he recites his prayers
and waits for the chance
to prove his worthiness.

Martyr for a cause greater than himself,
unaware Islamic teachings manipulated
to serve beliefs of a few radicals.

The young recruit follows orders,
believing the mullah's assurance
a non-believer's blood doesn't count

and nothing else matters
but an Islamic state,
even if innocents must die

to realise this goal.
Such actions richly rewarded,
but where does it say this in the Koran?

Never mind if he can't find the passage;
the mullah promised and he's an educated man,
guiding him towards an early death

in the name of Allah.
Others must reclaim the true Islam
that's been hijacked by zealots.

A religion of tolerance and respect,
yet mosques over-run by bloodthirsty criminals
in an unholy alliance

charting their own sinister course,
inciting thousands of people
living in poverty, ignorance and oppression.

Address those three issues
and terrorism will be vanquished;
muezzins everywhere chanting prayers of peace.

Practical magic

Six 19th-century glass pharmacy bottles with their original glass stoppers are the latest addition to my collection of French pharmacy items. I found them at Agape in Paris. The 19th-century chemists' cabinet itself is full, so these bottles, along with the coloured ones (below) have been regulated to the top of the hanging cabinet.

Part of the contents of the pharmacy cabinet. Remember the movie Practical Magic, based on Alice Hoffman's book? The set designer filled the aunts' house with antique pharmacy items for mixing and brewing strange concoctions. I've been enchanted ever since seeing the film (and I have the DVD). The late (and future; it's set to relaunch in November) Victoria magazine ran a feature story about the movie set and I'm slowly, but surely collecting many similar items. I am intrigued by the potent combination of history, science and magic associated with these old bottles, jars, funnels, etc. Hmm, maybe I should try creating a magic potion or two. Do you have any recipes? Happy Friday the 13th!

Blood on their hands

"...under President Bush, the independence of the surgeon general has been placed below industry lobbying and the demands of the religious right. The Bush White House banned Dr. Richard Carmona from speaking or issuing reports on stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, prisons, mental health and international health issues, he has revealed. For years, the White House also tried to "water down" a key report on the dangers of second-hand smoke, he said. When it was published last year, the report stated that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke can cause immediate harm."

When I read this story, I was nearly incandescent with rage. My poem for Poetry Thursday was inspired by the shameful inhumanity of this story, as well as yet another assault on freedom of speech:

Hubris and lies and a chief doctor too long silenced
by an administration with no regard
for facts or reality, much less the nation's health.
Don't talk about this or that subject
it might upset someone;
never mind if it might kill them.

We wouldn't want to discuss such things
in polite society.
Better to let them get sick or die
if they don't have health insurance
than present the truth in black and white
and find solutions.

Not enough to sacrifice a great city to incompetence
or thousands of young soldiers to war;
careless disregard for health of the nation's citizens
goes beyond the bounds of human decency.
It is criminal behaviour
endorsed by the government:

Blood on their hands.

Inhabitants by Ramon Rodriguez, acrylic on canvas. Photo courtesy of the Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico.

On a brighter note...

A 19th-century mannequin found at the Antiquities Brocante at Bastille, Paris. As he's currently adorned with my husband's ties and a candybox beret, we refer to him as "Tie-boy." He lives in the hallway, next to a cheery yellow bookcase containing design books and magazines.

Thank you all for your kind, sympathetic comments on Tuesday. I'm at a stage of my book where as Norman Mailer says, one must dig deep within to write the truth. This process of excavating memories can prove painful - hence my melancholy and every trivial, yet annoying little thing adding to my stress level.

You might be amused to learn that Bernard Delanoe, the mayor of Paris, launched a "charm offensive" this week to combat the image of the French capital as rude. A survey by the Global Market Institute ranked Paris as the most visited city in the world, but also one of the rudest. In terms of hospitality, Paris was ranked 52nd out of 60 cities represented.

Paris residents are being asked to "take the time to give information to visitors" and "make use of foreign language skills to reply to them in their language." In return, tourists are being asked to try French products, "respect the city and use public transport."

Meanwhile, two plumbers spent four hours today removing the old hot water tank and installing a new one! Finally, a dry carpet in the hallway. The next step is to write the building owner to provide paperwork needed to file an insurance claim. The carpet needs replacing and damage to the wall repaired. And of course, a separate letter to the building owner is required, concerning our upstairs neighbour's leak that's damaging our bathroom ceiling. It's always something!

On a brighter note, remember the fabulous Vanessa Valencia's Strange Beautiful Lady and her rather eventful trip to Paris? Now the artist's filmmaker brother Adam - who has quite a few talents of his own - has composed a wonderful, haunting melody, inspired by the Lady. Listen to it here.

The Strange Beautiful Lady has danced around the room to Adam's music until she's dizzy. She's a bit giddy and flustered, but very honoured to have such a gorgeous tune dedicated to her and her new owner. What a fantastic surprise!

A necklace and earrings handmade by Ali of Ali to Africa, Brazil to the Bay, photographed atop 19th-century French documents. See her Alexandra Amaro designs at Etsy.

Summer fun - a Cath Kidston notebook for scribbling ideas and inspiration while gadding about in comfy turquoise sneakers!

Soothing Italian botantical soaps from Liberty of London. Even the packaging is charming.

An American 19th-century industrial bobbin threader, found in France by Julie Isore at Agape. Someday it will be in my daughter Jordana's atelier, along with other quirky antique sewing paraphanelia we've found here.

US troops could remain in Iraq for years, Petraeus says

"We're now in the fifth year of ground combat operations in Iraq and this deck of cards is coming crashing down. And it's landing heavily on the heads of the soldiers and the Marines who have been deployed again and again, while the rest of the country sits back and debates Iraq as an intellectual or emotional exercise." - Democratic Senator Jim Webb

No need to wait for his report in September. In a BBC interview this week, Gen. David Petraeus, the head of US forces in Iraq, said fighting the insurgency is a "long term endeavour" which could take decades.

Speaking to the BBC's John Simpson in Baquba, Gen Petraeus suggested the recent troops surge was producing gains on the ground. But he warned that US forces were engaged in a "tough fight" which will get "harder before it gets easier." "Northern Ireland, I think, taught you that very well. My counterparts in your [British] forces really understand this kind of operation... It took a long time, decades," he said. "I don't know whether this will be decades, but the average counter-insurgency is somewhere around a nine-or-ten-year endeavour."

Petraeus said that more important than the length of time needed to stabilise Iraq was the number of US troops required to remain in the country. "I think the question is at what level... and really, the question is how can we gradually reduce our forces so we reduce the strain on the army, on the nation and so forth?" he noted.

Delusion and denial

His comments came amidst numerous US calls for a rapid troop withdrawal. Yet at a public appearance Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio, Bush again defended his troop "surge." He insisted troop levels in Iraq "will be decided by our commanders on the ground, not by political figures in Washington, D.C." Bush was referring to two Senate amendments calling for withdrawing combat forces before April 2008. In May, Bush vetoed a war-funding bill that contained such a provision.

"I fully understand that this is a difficult war. It's hard on the American people. But I will once again explain the consequences of failure to the American people," Bush said. He also talked of a "plan for victory." Somebody needs to wake this guy up, as he is dreaming. There will be no victory for anyone in Iraq, least of all the Iraqis.

Meanwhile, Congress prepares to vote on amendments on a $650bn Pentagon funding bill, which would curtail Bush's authority. At least ten Republicans already have broken ranks with Bush. Were they to vote with Democrats opposed to the war, the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster seem possible. A few more Republicans opposing Bush's Iraq policy could come close to the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto. Senators and congressmen facing re-election in 2008 are worried the increasingly unpopular war could cost them their jobs.

Later this week the White House will deliver a report on political and military progress in Iraq. It is expected to affirm what the media reports every single day: sectarian violence continues, armed militias operate with impunity throughout the country and the Iraqi government is accomplishing few of its promises. The London-based Independent says the Bush administration contends the report is "a mere snapshot of the situation before the US troop increase has had time to show results." But the report confirms US soldiers are trapped in the middle of a civil war, in all but name.

Reconstruction contracts and Blackwater

Of course nobody talks about this, but one of the reasons Bush, Cheney et al are reluctant to withdraw troops from Iraq is who would protect their friends like Halliburton, reaping the rich financial rewards of Iraqi reconstruction projects? Oh, wait, there's Blackwater...you know, the 25,000-strong mercenary army that American tax dollars have funded? So those big companies really don't need American soldiers to guard their interests, as they get progressively richer from the ruins of a broken country. They have Blackwater's hired guns to protect them.

Figures released Tuesday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office indicate the war currently costs ten billion dollars per month! Total spending on Iraq is edging close to $500bn. If Afghanistan is included, Bush's "war on terror" has cost more than $600bn, nearly as much as the Vietnam War. (An aside: The money poured into Iraq presumably would go a long way in providing health care benefits for 47 million uninsured Americans, as well as education. Something is morally wrong with this equation: seemingly unlimited funds designated for war, rather than caring for the nation's own citizens).

As of Tuesday, US casualties total 3,650 dead and 25,000 wounded, many with lost limbs and serious lifestyle-altering injuries; some soldiers are missing, presumably kidnapped and possibly dead.

On dreams and confidence

Pensive oil and mixed media on panel by Randall LaGro, photo courtesy of the Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico.

All my life I've had dreams that seem real; some have inspired positive action and travel; others have foreshadowed dark events.

Today I've been feeling melancholy, memories of a friend who was murdered tumbling through my head. He is a character in my book and writing about him pushes recollections - both good and bad - to the surface.

My mood wasn't helped by two routine encounters which underline how the simplest actions in France can become fraught. First, at the pharmacy I asked for Zyrtec, the over-the-counter anti-allergy pill. The salesclerk told me in French, "It does not exist in France." I replied, "Well it existed two weeks ago when I bought it here." She shrugged and replied, without cracking a smile, "It died."

Later, ordering a chicken sandwich at a crowded Paul boulangerie, the clerk pretended he couldn't hear me. When I repeated my request, he smirked and feigned that he couldn't understand me. The gallant Frenchman in front of me said to him very sharply, "You heard her. She said a chicken sandwich." The clerk then asked if I wanted anything else. I replied, "C'est tout." (That's all). Again, he asked the same question. And the Frenchman in front of me looked at me and shook his head, as though to say, the guy is out of it; just ignore him.

It amazes me how after more than six years here, these little encounters can make one feel so small and powerless. If I were in the US or Britain, I would have had a retort for the rude clerk. Here I could do nothing and if I tried, I'd be ignored or ridiculed. It's the plight of every foreigner anywhere; we're not supposed to make waves. All the way home, I was wishing I were anywhere but France, dealing with plumbing problems, missing mail and unpleasant neighbours. Of course these problems exist everywhere; somehow they seem worse when wading through seemingly endless French bureaucracy.

Once home, I opened Naomi Epel's book Writers Dreaming, in which 26 writers talk about the effect of dreams on their work. One of the first passages I read was about San Francisco-based writer Amy Tan's dreams shortly after her friend Pete was murdered. "...One night I entered into a dream and Pete was there. He said, "I want to take you to this place where I live." I thought, Well, that's interesting. When we arrived, I saw it was a wonderful idyllic setting with a lot of creatures flying around: elephants, camels, people. I said, "I'd like to try flying myself." And he said, "Sure, but since you're not dead, you have to go over to that booth there and rent some wings. They're only a quarter." I said, "Great," and I went and rented the wings.

"I took off and I was flying around with all the other people, having a wonderful time. All of a sudden, I realized, "This is ridiculous. How can I fly with these twenty-five-cent wings?" Immediately I started to fall. I was terrified I was going to die. Then I thought, wait a minute. I was just flying a minute ago and I started flying again. I went back and forth with this - falling and flying, falling and flying - until it finally dawned on me what this was about. I said to myself: It is not these wings that enable you to fly; it's your own confidence."

"I realized there were many things in my life that I was not allowing myself to do because I lacked the confidence. I needed the props. I could see all the props that I'd been using and they were just like those twenty-five-cent wings. I could see how ridiculous it was." And yes, I can see how ridiculous it is to let silly encounters conducted in a second language undermine my confidence, just because I was feeling blue.

What about you? Do you have dreams that infuse your work or affect your decisions? Is your self-confidence occasionally affected by chance encounters?

A wet cool July - in more ways than one

Photo of a local fishmonger's lovely underwater mural on aluminum shutters. I took this photo while standing across the street; you can see the mural's reflections in the rain-slick sidewalk pavement.

It's not just the weather that's wet and unseasonably cool. Our hallway carpet is being continuously soaked from a leaking hot water tank. After three weeks of waiting for the gardien to bring a plumber, we sent a letter to the building management. This afternoon - exactly one month after the problem began - a plumber arrived. But this being France, after identifying the problems, did the plumber begin to fix them? No. After two phone calls, the plumber announced that his office will telephone us to let us know when the work will begin. Meanwhile, I'm doing two loads of laundry per day to wash towels soaking up the leak.

A wide crack and damp patch in the ceiling of the second bathroom appears to be caused by a leak from our upstairs voisin - this would be the same neighbour that has screaming fights with his girlfriend and plays basketball indoors. The plumber advised I should telephone the neighbour to complain about the leak. Instead, I'll have to write a letter and send it with proof of delivery. The neighbour doesn't like confrontation. In the past when we complained in person, then by letter about his incessant basketball-playing and occasional shouting matches, he denied everything. He insisted the sound "must be coming from another apartment," even though the basketball net was clearly visible from his open doorway.

After informing the rebellious neighbour of the leak coming from his apartment, the next step is to notify the building owner and our insurance company to file a claim. Normally with this sort of problem, we would have phoned a plumber right away, then applied for reimbursement through insurance and the building owner. But this being France, certain procedures must be followed. Ah, the bureaucracy; nothing is ever easy in this country! Hope your week is off to a better start!

More hand-painted underwater murals grace the local seafood shop's shutters.

It's official: Petra is a Wonder of the World!

I've always told family and friends that the beautiful city of Petra, Jordan should be considered one of the Wonders of the World. And now it's official! Petra has joined six other choice locations awarded designations as the "New Seven Wonders of the World."

Other winners are Chichén Itzá, Mexico; Christ Redeemer, Brazil; The Great Wall, China; Machu Picchu, Peru; the Roman Colloseum, Italy and the Taj Mahal, India. Felicitations to all the deserving Wonders!

Sending special congratulations to King Abdullah, Queen Rania and the people of Jordan. Petra has long been one of my favourite destinations. If you haven't yet visited, add it to your travel list of dream places! You won't be disappointed. We're hoping to spend part of the month of December in Jordan - with of course, a visit to Petra.

Photo of the Treasury at Petra, lit by farolitos.

Coloured sandstone formations at Petra are part of its myriad attractions.

A cave at Petra shows details of the stunning rock in the ancient city of the Nabateans.

Still searching...

...for an antique headboard that fits the queen-size bed! I brought the bed with me from San Francisco, as it has a really firm mattress, yet is wonderfully comfortable. This corner of our bedroom is reflected in the mercury glass of a French giltwood mirror, circa 1830. Obviously the mirror needs sympathetic restoration, but I'm reluctant to relinquish it for the month or more it will take for the work - and I rather like its worn look. The room doesn't always look like this; I change the duvet cover, pillows, etc. to create new looks a few times per year.

Yes, that ugly box-like thing between the mirror and the linen cupboard is a heater. The church candlestick on top of it was the first antique I bought at the Marche aux Puces at Porte de Clignacourt, Paris.

Am posting this photo in response to Sophie Honeysuckle, one of my favourite UK bloggers, who has requested stories about beds. Niki of Nostalgia at the Stone House also has posted a lovely photo of her bed. Check out their sites for more bedtime stories.

That insurance company memo...

Moore challenges CEO to debate system's merits

Whoops! Bet this is one very annoyed insurance executive. An employee at Capital BlueCross sent Michael Moore a confidential memo about the potential impact of his new film Sicko on insurance subscribers. And Moore has challenged the insurance company's CEO to debate the "merits of a system that kills thousands of innocent Americans every year."

The memo was written and circulated by Barclay Fitzpatrick, vice president of Corporate Communications at Capital BlueCross. Moore calls the memo "a fascinating look at how one health care company views Sicko -- and what it fears its larger impact will be on the public. The industry's only hope, the memo seems to indicate, is if the movie "flops."

Fitzpatrick writes: "In typical Moore fashion, government and business leaders are behind a conspiracy to keep the little guy down and dominated while getting rich." After viewing Sicko, Fitzpatrick wrote, "You would have to be dead to be unaffected by Moore's movie. "Sicko" leaves audiences feeling "ashamed to be...a capitalist and part of a 'me' society instead of a 'we' society."

Fitzpatrick walks out of the theater to witness an unusual sight: people - strangers - mingling and talking to each other. "'I didn't know they (the insurers) did that!' was a common exclamation followed by a discussion of the example," according to Fitzpatrick. He then assesses the film's impact: "[T]he impact on small business decision makers, our members, the community and our employees could be significant. Ignoring its impact might be a successful strategy only if it flops, but that has not been the history of Moore's films ... If popular, the movie will have a negative impact on our image in this community."

The BlueCross memo suggests a strategy in dealing with Sicko and offers the BCBS "talking points" to be used in discounting the film.

Text of Fitzpatrick's memo:

"I was able to see Sicko last night in Lancaster. There were about 30 other viewers in the theatre covering all age groups. I have attached the well-written memo from one of our partners, which describes cases used in the movie, to the end of my memo. Also attached are the latest talking points from BCBSA. I will focus on impact to our brands, issues, and suggested strategies in this memo."

The Movie

"You would have to be dead to be unaffected by Moore's movie, he is an effective storyteller. In Sicko Moore presents a collage of injustices by selecting stories, no matter how exceptional to the norm, that present the health insurance industry as a set of organizations and people dedicated to denying claims in the name of profit. Denial for treatments that are considered "experimental" is a common story, along with denial for previous conditions, and denial for application errors or omissions. Individual employees from Humana and other insurers are interviewed who claim to have actively pursued claim denial as an institutionalized goal in the name of profit.

The Tolix chair: Industrial chic

This chair is one of the original versions of the iconic "Chaise A" designed in the 1930s by Xavier Pauchard, a Burgundy artisan. Pauchard designed a complete range of galvinised steel furniture under the Tolix brand.

This metal chair came to enjoy great fortune and favour. As it was strong, stackable and hence utilitarian, it was used in crew quarters aboard the ocean liner Normandie. For over 50 years, Tolix chairs and barstools graced cafes, terraces, village halls, hospitals, barracks and the like.

Reissued in 1986, it found a new fanbase among professional designers and the general public. Designers and decorators have gone mad for its original metallic patina.

Customised versions in red, cream or green, which are sold at Conran and Graham and Greene, among other stores, often have a waiting list. Antiques dealers and collectors of 20th-century modernist furniture are busy scouring the French countryside looking for originals. They have become highly-prized symbols of la France profonde.

A book by Brigette Durieux, Inoxydable Tolix, traces the history and popularity of the Tolix chairs. The edition is in French and English. An exhibition Tolix a  Beaubourg is on view at the Centre Pompidou in Paris through 2008.

The Tolix chair photographed is one of a set of six, found at Agape, Paris. The Tolix stool, with its original blue-grey paint and patina of age showing, was purchased two years ago at Agape.

Solidays: Le weekend!

Solidays, the three-day annual music festival, begins Friday at l'Hippodrome de Longchamp. That's in the Bois du Boulogne, just across the street from our apartment. Yes, one very noisy weekend is ahead! The sound checks are going on as I write this - lots of booming bass.

Performers include Lily Allen, Sum 41, Lauryn Hill, Kaiser Chiefs, Sean Lennon, Yannick Noah, Paolo Nutini, Abd Al Malik, Diam's, Joey Starr, Oxmo Puccino, Superbus, Grand Corps Malade, FFF and Ayo.

Ticket-holders are allowed to camp in specified areas of the Bois for eight euros per person, which covers three days' camping. Tickets may be purchased online or at the entrance gates at Longchamp. Proceeds go to Solidarite Sida. See map below.

Connections

This ebony and giltwood decorative cabinet at Versailles, France is trimmed with gold coins. I like the symbolism of the discourse between men and women; each appears to be listening to each other's point of view.

This week I've been a bit under the weather. Rather than write my own poem for Poetry Thursday, I'm sharing an excerpt of a poem from Alice Walker. It reminds me of our connections via the blogosphere:

"At this time of mourning
May we be connected to each other
May we know the range and depth of feelings in
ourselves and in
Each other
There is vulnerability, fear, love, rage, hatred,
compassion,
Courage, despair and
Hope in ourselves, each other and the world.
May we know our most authentic feelings
And voice them when we speak
May we tap into soul and spirit when we are silent
together
May healing begin in us
May we form and become a circle."

."..Speak for yourself
And listen to each other.
Put judgment aside
Remember that anything voiced that you want
to silence
May be a silenced part of yourself...
...Invite blessings,
Until we meet again."

Alan Johnston is free!

Update July 5 - Read about Amnesty International honouring Alan Johnston's radio reporting here.

Wonderful news - after 114 days of being held hostage in Gaza, BBC correspondent Alan Johnston is free! Johnston talked about his ordeal in an early morning press conference. Read more of his extraordinary story here.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Handmade American flag found in a Paris antiques shop.

Time to remember who we are

"Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none...Freedom of religion, freedom of the press and freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus* and trial by juries impartially selected. These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and the blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civil instructions, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust and should we wander from them in moments of error or alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty and safety." - Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801

Meanwhile, with the current president...

Senate issues subpoenas to White House and Vice President

After voting to authorize subpoenas for information on the National Security Agency (NSA) spying program last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee has officially issued them. Chairman Patrick Leahy sent subpoenas to the Department of Justice, the Office of the White House, the Office of the Vice President and the National Security Council for documents relating to the Committee's inquiry into the warrantless electronic surveillance program.

The subpoenas seek documents related to authorization and reauthorization of the program or programs; legal analysis or opinions about the surveillance; orders, decisions or opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) concerning the surveillance; agreements between the Executive Branch and telecommunications or other companies regarding liability for assisting with or participating in surveillance and documents concerning shutting down an investigation of the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) relating to the surveillance."

This is a critical step toward revealing the full extent of the NSA's illegal spying and the role  telecommunications companies like AT&T played in the program. The deadline for the Bush administration to respond is July 18.

Judge warns against loss of civil liberties

The judge who presided over the super-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) from 1995 to 2002 has criticized the Bush administration's warrantless domestic surveillance. Judge Royce Lamberth made a simple point that bears repeating: "[J]udges understand the war has to be fought, but it can't be at all costs... We still have to preserve our civil liberties. Judges are the kinds of people you want to entrust that kind of judgment to more than the executive."

In other words, our system of checks and balances doesn't - and shouldn't - allow the executive to say "trust us" and get to spy on anyone and everyone at will.

Freedom of Information requests are backlogged

The Freedom of Information Act (or FOIA) turns 40 today. Since 1967, the FOIA has been indispensable to journalists and historians requiring information about the inner workings of government. But many obstacles stop FOIA fulfilling its promise, including time, according to the Columbia Journalism Review. A report by the National Security Archives says FOIA requests are backlogged, often languishing for months, if not years before fulfillment. The oldest pending request has awaited response for 20 years! A further 16 requesters have waited over 15 years. The CIA’s “family jewels” documents, released online last week, initially were requested in 1992.

The FOIA stipulates that responses to requests are issued within 20 days and documents be provided in a timely manner. 

*George W. Bush has abolished the right of habeas corpus for prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 2006, the US Supreme Court ruled that military tribunals established by the Bush administration were illegal. But Bush and the then Republican-led Congress skirted the ruling by devising the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The act created a new system of interrogating and prosecuting terrorism suspects, most worryingly, denying prisoners their right to file writs of habeas corpus. The principle of habeas corpus, which demands judicial inquiry into the legality of detention, dates prior to the Magna Carta. Ulysses S. Grant was the last president to suspend habeas corpus on Oct. 17, 1871.

Dolls, Ratatouille and summer sales

Inspired by young Boone's philosophy of digital photography - "real life, enhanced," this and two photographs below are cartoon-version shots of window displays at a toy store in Passy in the 16th arrondisement. Les poupees. made of soft molded plastic, are modern-day versions of Kewpie dolls.

This doll has blue hair to match her colourful striped outfit, as she climbs a pole at the playground.

This ferris wheel of dolls is constantly revolving. Occasionally a doll becomes dizzy and tumbles out.

A quick shot as I ran past in the rain of the movie poster for Disney's film Ratatouille, on the side of a bus stop in Passy.

The Paris summer sales are ongoing, including a shoe sale at Ann Tuil. I didn't buy shoes, but I did bring home a few art supplies!

Even the scapegoat escapes

"I respect the jury’s verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison." - George W. Bush

There he goes again, putting himself and his cronies above the law. So he really doesn't respect the jury's verdict or the law. What do you want to bet a complete pardon is just around the corner? After all, one can't have Libby spilling the beans about what Cheney and Rove really got up to vis a vis leaking Valerie Plame's name to the press.

Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. Libby was convicted in March of lying to authorities and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of covert CIA operative Valeire Plame's identity. As former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, he was the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.

From my poem on May 17, "Hard to see the funny side:"

"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?"

From my poem March 22, "Fired up!:"

"...The emperor has no clothes
but his court jesters weave and bob
painting the scenes just so
no one can see behind the facade
focus that harsh light anywhere
but firmly on the truth."

Some reactions to Bush commuting Libby's sentence (from Editor & Publisher):

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said the move “cements the legacy of an administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and its ideology above the law.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mi.) released a statement saying that "until now, it appeared that the President merely turned a blind eye to a high ranking administration official leaking classified information. The President's action today makes it clear that he condones such activity. This decision is inconsistent with the rule of law and sends a horrible signal to the American people and our intelligence operatives who place their lives at risk everyday."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stated that "the President's decision to commute Mr. Libby's sentence is disgraceful. Libby's conviction was the one faint glimmer of accountability for White House efforts to manipulate intelligence and silence critics of the Iraq war. Now, even that small bit of justice has been undone."

Patrick Fitzgerald, the federal prosecutor in the CIA leak case, released a brief statement: "We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not comment on the exercise of that prerogative.

"We comment only on the statement in which the President termed the sentence imposed by the judge as 'excessive.' The sentence in this case was imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country. In this case, an experienced federal judge considered extensive argument from the parties and then imposed a sentence consistent with the applicable laws. It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals. That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing."

Charles Schumer, a Democratic senator, echoed this: "As Independence Day nears, we're reminded that one of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under the law. This commutation completely tramples on that principle."

An old box of blocks

A lucky find at the recent brocante at Saint Sulpice, Paris was this early 20th-century wooden box, featuring an image of the French Foreign Legion on its cover.

Inside the box is a set of wooden puzzle blocks, which can be transformed into several pictures, including the seaside scene shown and Les Marionnettes, as below. It's similar to a box of alphabet blocks, found last spring at a brocante at Chatou.

Want to be a pseudo-blogger?

Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock might have been intrigued by the modern-day subterfuge involved in pseudo-blogging. Photo of an advertising sign outside a Paris bookshop.

As though maintaining one's own blog isn't time-consuming enough! Did you know that some individuals are paid - up to $2000 per month - to blog, network, etc. for someone else? Apparently, online networking has become so important, busy executives are paying others to do it for them! Here's Rory Cellan-Jones's BBC article on the latest internet phenomenon:

"Is Stephen Fry really on Facebook? As Facebook continues its explosive growth here's one question troubling me. Are my friends for real?

"This week I received this intriguing message from a man who moves in London's new media circles. He wrote: "I met somebody the other day who told me that online networking was so important and he didn't have the time, he was paying somebody to be him online. To blog, network, post etc . £1,000 a month too. Apparently it's a new occupation which he reckons already numbers hundreds of people, paid to be other people!"

"I rang the sender of the message - a real-world friend as well as a Facebook contact - and he gave me more details. "This guy is a busy entrepreneur and he says that wherever he goes, people marvel at the energy he still manages to put into blogging and networking - and he then tells them it is all being done by a guy he pays to do it."

"It's well known that Chinese workers spend long hours earning "gold" on the online game World of Warcraft, so that busy Western gamers can buy a new sword without putting in an excessive amount of time in front of their computers. But are there really crowds of busy executives hiring others to do the online dirty work for them?

"One of the things I like about Facebook is that its users appear to be there under their own identities - rather than the "lonelygirl15" of YouTube, or "crazyguy1603" on MySpace. I started worrying about some of my Facebook "friends." Were they who they said they were?

"What about Brent Hoberman, the founder of lastminute.com and one of the elite members of London's "digerati?" Surely a busy man like him, in the middle of starting up a new online venture, does not have time to update his status on Facebook, ask his friends about their favourite books and films and take part in discussions about TV property programmes?

"When I contacted him he assured me (via a Blackberry message, mind you) that this was the real Hoberman. "I think if I could get someone else to manage my e-mail then I could outsource social networking," he said. "But I can't, and think one has slightly lost the plot if that happens."

"Good, so he's the real him. But what about my dear friend Sir Patrick Moore? I joined up with him a couple of weeks ago and was not entirely convinced he was the great astronomer. His profile said he was here for "random play" and "whatever I can get" and his home town was Pinner.

"I happened to know that Sir Patrick lives in Selsey, in Sussex, so I wrote seeking reassurance. "It is definitely me," he replied some days later, "extraordinary as it may seem! I was told about Facebook by some young camera crew I was working with, you see and I was intrigued how people are able to communicate these days. "You 're quite right I do live in Selsey, Pinner is the town in which I was born."

"Hmm, still not entirely convinced. And then there is Stephen Fry. As an admirer of the great comic writer and actor (and gadget obsessive) I was delighted to spot him on another friend's network. And even more pleased when my friendship request was accepted. But his friends list appeared to be growing at an alarming rate, he was busy asking questions, playing rock, paper, scissors, and describing his favourite artists using the "ilike" application.

"Surely this was the work of a gifted assistant? Then came his latest status update: "Stephen is...concerned about the number of friendship requests he's getting. Don't want to turn anyone down, but 20+ every hour and rising is getting to be a worry."

"Confirmation, then, that this was the real Stephen Fry, facing one of the dilemmas of modern manners - how to politely decline an offer of online friendship. The actor has now set up a friendship group as a point of contact for all those strangers who want to be his friends. But, like millions of others, he seems to have caught the Facebook bug."

Court ruling forces search engine to log users

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) have urged a California court to overturn a ruling that requires an Internet search engine to create and store logs of user activities. The ruling is part of electronic discovery obligations in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by motion picture studios against TorrentSpy, a search engine that indexes materials made publicly available via the Bit Torrent file sharing protocol.

TorrentSpy has never logged its visitors' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. But a federal magistrate judge has ordered TorrentSpy to activate logging and turn the logged data over to the studios. "This unprecedented ruling has implications well beyond the file sharing context," said EFF Staff Attorney Corynne McSherry. "Giving litigants the power to rewrite their opponent's privacy policies poses a risk to all Internet users."

The magistrate judge incorrectly reasoned that, because IP addresses exist in the Random Access Memory(RAM) of TorrentSpy's webservers, they are "electronically stored information" that must be collected and turned over to the studios, under rules of federal discovery. This decision could reach every function carried out by a digital device. Every keystroke at a computer keyboard, for example, is temporarily held in RAM, even if it is immediately deleted and never saved. Similarly, digital telephone systems make recordings of every conversation, moment by moment, in RAM.

"In the analog world, a court would never think to force a company to record telephone calls, transcribe employee conversations, or log other ephemeral information," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Fred von Lohmann. "There is no reason why the rules should be different simply because a company uses digital technologies."

The decision also threatens to radically increase burdens that companies face in federal lawsuits, potentially forcing them to create and store an avalanche of data, including computer server logs, digital telephone conversations and drafts of documents never saved or sent. The magistrate judge in the case has stayed her order while TorrentSpy appeals the ruling. The case is Columbia Pictures Industries v. Bunnell, No. 06-01093 FMC, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California before Judge Florence-Marie Cooper.