Paris Parfait

San Francisco and falling off my pedestal

Another view of San Francisco, photographed May 22 through the glass at Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill.

Where to begin? I am bursting with exciting news of meeting amazing people at BlogHer and beyond and of intriguing new opportunities with wings. My daughter Jordana arrived yesterday and got off the plane to learn that she's been hired by a certain cutting-edge company and is moving to Philadelphia! Hooray!

As you might imagine, I've been taking many photographs. I will post those, along with details about the conference and fascinating people I've been spending time with, once I return to Paris. Just one funny note for now: Tuesday morning I took a pair of trousers that have traveled with me from London to Paris to Savannah to San Francisco to Vancouver, then back to Paris and again to San Francisco - in the search for a tailor to alter the length - and finally found one near Union Square. (That's the thing about having a talented designer daughter - she never has time to sew for her mom).

Two Ukrainian women had me stand on a very high rickety pedestal, wearing heels that didn't fit. It seemed to be taking a long time for them to pin the trousers and I started to feel dizzy. I turned my head and the dizziness seemed to subside, then it returned in waves. I grabbed the tailor's shoulder, just as I quite literally started to topple off the pedestal.

I had to laugh, as the incident reminded me that years ago when I lived in San Francisco, my ex-boyfriend placed me on a pedestal so high, I couldn't help but fall off (not being perfect, after all). Plus ca meme, plus ca meme chose. (The more things change, the more they remain they same).

Inside the arches at the top of Coit Tower, May 2008.

1930s light fixtures at Coit Tower.

Mural above the elevator that goes to the top of Coit Tower.

Progress

Climbing the stairway home, Telegraph Hill Historic District, San Francisco.

"Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments." - John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, 1939.

Tara Bradford is traveling. In her absence, timed posts should appear.

Regarding the view

Cut-out room divider, furniture design exhibition at the Jessop Center for the Arts, Savannah, Georgia.

"Live in rooms full of light." - Cornelius Celsus

Tara Bradford currently is in San Francisco. In her absence, timed posts should appear.

Cakes and confections

Wedding and other decorative cakes at I Dream of Cake, North Beach, San Francisco.

La mode, la mode, la mode

Chartreuse dress, the Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, Georgia.

"Life is the garment we continually alter, but which never seems to fit." - David McCord, Whereas to Mr. Franklin, 1956

La mode la mode la mode is a Paris-based television program on designer fashion. Tara Bradford is traveling. In her absence, timed posts should appear.

San Francisco and Savannah vitrines

Chanel on Maiden Lane, San Francisco. Not quite the same glamour as the Chanel vitrines in Paris!

A flower bed at Marc Jacobs.

Butterflies are free at 24e, a mid-century home furnishings store downtown in Savannah, Ga.

A sculptural brushed steel fountain at 24e.

Tara Bradford currently is in San Francisco. Photographs taken during visits in May and June 2008.

North Beach doorways

Art Deco door, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.

Balcony grillwork - including an unexpected sculpture on the second floor - and twisty trees, near Union and Montgomery Streets.

Gilt lion's head medallion, Union Street.

Flowers enhance this house, Telegraph Hill.

A mural on a house near Union and Montgomery Streets.

Tara Bradford is currently in San Francisco. Photographs taken in May 2008.

Love remains

"Bottle brush" plant, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.

"Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning." - Thornton Wilder, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, 1927

Tara Bradford is traveling. In her absence, timed posts should appear.

BlogHer-bound

San Francisco photographed May 22 through the glass at Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill.

Am off to San Francisco for fun and adventure at the BlogHer conference, where I'm looking forward to seeing some of my favourite bloggers and meeting new ones. I will remain in San Francisco for nearly two weeks to see friends and enjoy my favourite American city. Prepared posts should appear in my absence. Will try to blog live from time to time, although my laptop stayed in Paris. But my cameras will be with me, so watch this space!

Into the mystic

Flags flying on the ferry from Vancouver, British Columbia to Bowen Island.

Won't you ferry my
dreams to that distant shore where
a candle still burns?

Listen to Van Morrison's Into the Mystic and watch a lovely video for your gypsy soul.

The New Yorker falls into the gutter

The New Yorker magazine is deservedly under fire for its tasteless, deliberately provocative and racist cover featuring Sen. Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. The July 21 cover is supposedly a satirical depiction of all the Republican-fueled right-wing false rumours and innuendo currently poisoning the political atmosphere.

In my opinion, The New Yorker's mean-spirited cover echoes the sensationalist reporting of trashy tabloids, rather than of a seasoned, objective publication. Shame on The New Yorker for dragging political discourse into the gutter and helping spread rumours and lies to a gullible populace! Just imagine the negative backlash if the magazine had done a similar "satire" cover about John McCain and his wife Cindy, or the Clintons!

A Newsweek poll released Friday suggested 12 percent of those polled believe Obama was sworn in as a U.S. senator on a Koran, while 26 percent believed that he was raised as a Muslim. Neither allegation is true.

Bush continues efforts to wreak havoc on the environment

Meanwhile, President George W. Bush continues his quest to see how much damage he can do before leaving office. Today he lifted an executive ban on drilling for oil in most US coastal waters. He also urged Congress to ends its separate ban on drilling, to "reduce US dependence on oil imports." Isn't that rich, coming from the man who once said gasoline would be cheap, once we went to war in Iraq??!! On Friday, oil prices reached $147 a barrel.

Republican candidate John McCain touts offshore drilling for its "psychological" benefits to Americans worried about the high price of gas. But environmentalists say offshore drilling would take at least a decade to have any effect on oil supply and would worsen climate change.

Democratic leaders also oppose ending the drilling ban. Some 68 million acres already are under government lease and can be drilled. California Sen. Barbara Boxer said Bush's proposal "is something you'd expect from an oil company CEO, not the president of the United States." "The president is taking special-interest government to a new level and threatening our thriving coastal economy," Boxer, the chairwoman of the Senate Environment Committee, said. Sign the petition here asking Congress to continue to oppose off-shore drilling.

Fête Nationale

Four jockeys - including Frankie Dettori (at left, bottom row) are pictured at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. Tonight a special Bastille Day group of races will be run at Longchamp.

Today is Bastille Day in France. Along with the usual parade down the Champs Elysee, festivities and fireworks, the former hostage Ingrid Betancourt will be appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. The decoration is one of France's highest civilian honours. French President Nicolas Sarkozy will present the award to Betancourt this afternoon at the Elysee Palace.

Betancourt, 46, has Colombian and French citizenship and received a hero's welcome in France ten days ago. She was freed July 2, after being held hostage six-and-a-half years in the Colombian jungle. Colombian soldiers posing as FARC rebels rescued her and other hostages.

Also on Bastille Day, traditionally a French rider will attempt to claim a stage win for the Tour de France's mountain climb from Pau to Hautacam in the Pyrenees.

The triumph of optimism

Bride and groom posing for photos, July 12, 2008 on the bridge overlooking Notre Dame, Paris.

Joy.

Hand-in-hand. "...the triumph of hope over experience." - Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784.

Meanwhile, on the bridge to Ile Saint-Louis, a crowd is assembled...

...waiting to see this guy balance a bicycle on his nose!

Talk about balance!

After that spectacle, somehow balancing this tiny bicycle doesn't seem quite so impressive. But this 12-year-old steals the show.

Travel woes and political fiascos

Houses on Telegraph Hill, overlooking San Francisco Bay.

For those of us traveling this summer, guess it's small consolation to know even airline pilots have to endure over-the-top behaviour from airport security personnel, now wearing fake shiny badges.

An excerpt from Patrick Smith's article in Salon:

"...This inconvenient rule is in place because of another inconvenient rule, the one that makes connecting passengers claim and recheck their luggage when arriving from places outside the United States -- even though their bags have already been screened at the point of departure. The thinking is that people could unpack this or that dangerous item from a checked suitcase -- a 4-ounce bottle of shampoo, say -- then carry it onto the next flight.

"So, together with a throng of exhausted passengers, most of whom are rushing to catch connections, I'm funneled into the grimy, dimly-lit checkpoint. I hoist my luggage -- my black flight case, my backpack and a roll-aboard suitcase -- onto the X-ray belt, then pass through the metal detector. Once on the other side, I'm waiting for my stuff to reappear when suddenly the belt comes to a stop. "Bag check!" shouts the guard behind the monitor."

I can't count the number of times I've missed domestic flight connections at Hartsfield International in Atlanta - even with two hours between time of arrival and connecting flight departure - because of the extremely long lines and slowness of security personnel. In May, I arrived in Atlanta, grabbed my luggage, took it through customs, then headed straight to another airline security point, where I handed over my luggage for the connecting flight to Savannah.

Then I got in line for another security check, before being allowed to leave the terminal and catch my connnecting flight. At least 500 people were already in line, most of them exhausted after all-night flights. I wanted to take a picture of the line which snaked around 16 rows - and the man in a security uniform herding people through, like cattle - but figured security would question me - and I'd never make my connection!

Later that month I flew from San Francisco to Vancouver, British Columbia. Never have I been treated so badly at any airport, even in Third World countries known for rough treatment of passengers. The Canadian Customs officers treated me with suspicion from the moment I arrived, asking a hundred questions about who I was going to meet, did I have their home addresses and telephone numbers, how did I know my friends, where was I staying, etc., etc. This questioning - in a hostile, brusque manner - went on for several minutes. They certainly didn't make me feel welcome; by the time they were finished, I was wishing I'd stayed in San Francisco!

At least next week's flight is direct from Paris to San Francisco, so no worries about connections. Here's hoping your summer travels go smoothly, without mishaps or hassles!

The Bay Bridge at twilight.

Presidential campaign follies

Ten more reasons - just this week! - why John McCain should not be president. Please, if you have even for a moment considered voting for Sen. McCain, read this piece and watch the video of McCain speaking. And here's a list of 61 issues about which McCain has changed his position (aka flip-flopping).

This makes light of the fiasco that is our government.

And here's yet another scandal involving the Bush White House - caught on tape!

Southern Poverty Law Center fights for workers' rights

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is embroiled in a battle for the rights of farmworkers who have been cheated out of their pay by a subsidiary of Fresh Del Monte Produce. The company is a $3.4 billion food giant, but its subsidiary is trying to hide behind third-party labor contractors — or "field bosses" — who repeatedly shortchanged hundreds of hard-working men and women who put in long days in the scorching onion fields of South Georgia.

The SPLC is suing Del Monte Fresh Produce Southeast for cheating approximately 500 migrant farmworkers out of their legal wages. When the workers were cheated on payday, Del Monte claimed they weren't responsible, blaming an independent "labor contractor."

The SPLC calls Del Monte's actions a "shocking violation of the workers' rights. We must send a powerful message to Del Monte Fresh Produce Southeast and other employers who'd like to wash their hands of responsibility for the abuse of their workers." The SPLC went to court and won the first round of the legal battle against Del Monte. Next, the SPLC must prove how and to what extent its clients were cheated.

Please stand with the workers and make your voice heard. Tell Fresh Del Monte Produce to do the right thing and insure its subsidiary pay workers what they are owed.

Passive-aggressive notes

For anyone who's ever had run-ins with roommates or annoying co-workers, these notes may make you smile.

Marie-Antoinette's shoes and a rare collection

This beautiful 18th-century bonnet belonged to Marie-Antoinette's daughter. Marie-Antoinette's duchesse satin shoe is to the right of the bonnet. The historical items are part of an astonishing museum-quality collection at a family chateau in the Loire Valley, France.

The former Queen of France's shoes and monogrammed and embroidered garters. At left is her daughter's bonnet. Click photos to enlarge.

Faded grandeur of 17th-century hand-stitched slippers. Wooden and ivory crucifixion figures of Christ and gold gilt angel wings are stuffed inside the shoes.

Out with the old

This morning I was walking past, just as workmen were prying off the sign over a neighbourhood boulangerie.

The sign fell suddenly, landing upright against the old hitching posts on the sidewalk. Whether or not the boulangerie is closed forever or just for remodeling under the government's tax scheme remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. we thought capitulation on FISA, while battering the Fourth Amendment was bad...Seems there is more mischief in the making from our feckless leaders. Apparently, it's not enough for them to undermine our civil liberties; now their sights are trained on eroding the environment!

While ignoring Senate votes on important issues like FISA and Medicare legislation, John McCain seems to be living in some sort of alternate universe. Sen. Edward Kennedy left treatment from cancer Wednesday to cast his vote on Democratic legislation to avert cuts to Medicare doctors. Last month House Republicans defied their leadership to support the measure. On Wednesday the measure passed the Senate 69 to 23, with many Republicans crossing the aisle to vote with the Democrats. Yet again, John McCain couldn't be bothered to show up and vote.

Joking about killing Iranians isn't very diplomatic, much less presidential (And with its stupid headline, the Associated Press continued its run of shoddy reporting). Could this man be any more woefully ill-equipped and unprepared to lead a nation?

Dumb, dumber and delusional.

ACLU files lawsuit challenging FISA

As expected, this afternoon George W. Bush signed the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (FAA) into law. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wasted no time in filing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenging the law and suing John (Mike) McConnell, director of National Intelligence; Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, Director of the National Security Agency and chief of the Central Security Service and Michael Mukasey, attorney general.

Plaintiffs include The Nation magazine, journalists Naomi Wolf and Chris Hedges; attorneys David Nevin, Scott McKay, Dan Arshack and Sylvia Royce and several organisations, including Amnesty International and the Global Fund for Women. See the full list of plaintiffs here.

The lawsuit claims that the FAA violates the Fourth Amendment, allowing the government to eavesdrop on the constitutionally-protected communications of American citizens and residents without securing individualized warrants and without specifying the time, place or length of the surveillance, or how the information gathered will be disseminated or how long records will be maintained. Further, the bill violates the First Amendment by authorizing the government to intercept constitutionally-protected communications without judicial oversight.

The FAA also violates the principle of separation of powers, allowing the government to continue surveillance activities, even if the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has deemed those activities illegal. After all, even the government is supposed to obey the law.

The ACLU noted that not only has Congress legalized the Bush administration’s secret NSA spying program, it has given the government even more power to listen to phone calls and read email than the Bush administration illegally claimed for itself under its secret program!

Spineless senators back telecoms immunity

Fish in an optician's window, Passy, Paris.

Pathetic. It's 10 p.m. Paris time and I just got home from a photo shoot in the Loire Valley to learn the U.S. Senate passed the FISA bill, giving AT&T, Verizon et al blanket immunity for warrantless spying on Americans. Twenty-eight courageous senators stood up for the Fourth Amendment, voting against the so-called "compromise" bill. They include Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, who tirelessly have worked to strip telecoms immunity from the bill. Moments before the final vote, a group of senators voted to filibuster the vote, including Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, Feingold, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Tom Harkin of Iowa.

To my great disappointment and dismay, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barack Obama voted yes on the compromise bill. And they were wrong to do so. John McCain, as usual, didn't bother to vote.

So now all those big telecom companies that are raking in money hand over fist may avoid lawsuits filed by customers who are furious their personal information was given to the government without a warrant. Plus, our phone calls and email can be monitored, no warrant needed. Thanks a lot, all you brave senators. You've really done America proud with your strong principled stance for civil liberties.

Here's the brutal truth from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF):

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate this afternoon passed the FISA Amendments Act, broadly expanding the president's warrantless surveillance authority and unconstitutionally granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in the president's illegal domestic wiretapping program. The House of Representatives passed the same bill last month and President Bush is expected to sign the legislation into law shortly.

"It is an immeasurable tragedy that just after its return from the Fourth of July holiday, the Senate has chosen to pass a bill that betrays the spirit of 1776 by radically expanding the president's spying powers and granting immunity to the companies that colluded in his illegal surveillance program," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston "This so-called compromise bill represents a shameful capitulation to the overreaching demands of an imperial president. As Senator Leahy put it in yesterday's debate, the retroactive immunity provision of the bill upends the scales of justice and makes Congress and the courts handmaidens to the White House's cover-up of its illegal surveillance program."

The FISA Amendments Act won passage after several amendments intended to remove or modify the bill's immunity provision failed to pass. One amendment, offered by Senator Christopher Dodd, would have stripped immunity from the bill altogether. Another, introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman, would have stayed the pending cases against the telecoms and delayed the implementation of the immunity provision until the Inspectors General of the Department of Justice and other U.S. government intelligence agencies finished their investigation into the spying program, thereby preventing Congress from granting immunity in the dark.

"We thank those senators who courageously opposed telecom immunity and vow to them and to the American people, that the fight for accountability over the president's illegal surveillance is not over," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. "Even though Congress has failed to protect the privacy of Americans and uphold the rule of law, we will not abandon our defense of liberty. We will fight this unconstitutional grant of immunity in the courtroom and in the Congress, requesting repeal of the immunity in the next session, while seeking justice from the Judiciary. Nor can the lawless officials who approved this massive violation of Americans' rights rest easy, for we will file a new suit against the government and challenge warrantless wiretapping, past, present and future."

EFF is representing the plaintiffs in Hepting v. AT&T, a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of millions of AT&T customers whose private domestic communications and communications records were illegally handed over to the National Security Agency (NSA). EFF has been appointed co-coordinating counsel for all 47 of the outstanding lawsuits concerning the government's warrantless surveillance program.

And the ACLU says it will sue for violating the Fourth Amendment, if Bush signs the bill into law.

"If we do not change course and stand up for our Constitution, for what is best in America, for what we know is right and just, then history will most certainly decide that that it was those of us in this body who bare equal responsibility for the President's decisions-for it was us who looked the other way, time and time again." - Sen. Chris Dodd

And just how out of touch can one presidential candidate be?

A bouquet for you

Bouquet of roses, Passy, Paris.

A bouquet of roses for you, with many thanks for your good wishes and encouraging words.

The FISA fight continues

This week the Senate is debating and voting on a bill giving AT&T, Verizon and other telecoms retroactive immunity for their role in cooperating with the Bush administration's warrantless spying on Americans. Chris Dodd, Russ Feingold and 11 other principled senators are trying to strip the immunity clause from the bill.

Please telephone Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at 202.224.3542 and ask that he pull the FISA "compromise" bill, which will let AT&T and the other telecoms off the hook. The bill also effectively would quash the numerous class action lawsuits currently pending against the telecoms.

Last week Chief Judge Vaughn Walker of the Northern District of California issued an opinion in Al Haramain v. Bush, one of the cases challenging the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program. The court held that FISA preempts the state secrets privilege and that the president's authorities under Article II of the Constitution do not give him the power to overrule FISA. The Electronic Frontier Foundation said the court decision "dramatically undermines key arguments for telecom immunity" on the eve of the Senate vote.

Meanwhile, in the mainstream media this is rather shocking. McCain's 27 flip flops don't bode well for a potential commander-in-chief role. And the AP continues its ridiculous spate of campaign stories.

Leaps of faith

The Transamerica Pyramid Building, viewed from Montgomery and Union, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.

"Be bold and mighty forces come to your aid. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy; the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elemental truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to one that would never otherwise have occurred. A while stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would come his way." - E.H. Murray, Scottish explorer, Himalayan expedition.

Some fun-filled adventures coming up this summer, involving travel and leaps of faith.

A leap of faith requires courage. It means considering the worst-case scenario, but still going ahead. To me, trusting a positive outcome implies belief in yourself; in the ideas of magic and possibility and in the kindness of friends and strangers alike. A daring leap of faith encourages the universe to shift to help realise one's goals. Taking a risk suggests: "I'm willing to try - let's see what we can accomplish together!"

Despite high hopes, it can be a little scary to jump off the deep end. I've just bought a new camera, because my next leap of faith involves collaborating on a book with one of France's premiere antiques dealers. This is a woman of impeccable taste and elegant style, who happens to own - and sell - some of the most wonderful antiques and collectibles imaginable. Hmmm, this could be dangerous. (Note to self: Do not bring any antiques home with you!) Shooting begins Wednesday...wonder if I can figure out how the new camera works by then?

The second leap of faith begins next week in San Francisco. First, there's the BlogHer conference at the St. Francis, where I'll be sharing a room with this inspiring poet and meeting these two amazing women in person, among other fascinating bloggers.

And that fabulous gypsy Alex and I are hosting a Sunday brunch for more than a dozen creative, talented women, most whom we have never met. Then I'll stay in San Francisco for another ten days, spending time with my dear friends Tangobaby and Studio Wellspring, who already have a few adventures planned, at least one involving magic tricks!

I'll also be seeing my friends Susan, Deirdre, Brenda Walton and Joan, who owns the fantastic spend-all-afternoon-there store Timeless Treasures (photos in an upcoming post). Plus I'll be meeting several Bay Area blogging friends for the first time. And my daughter Jordana may fly out for a few days. My head is spinning, just thinking about all the excitement!

Now to sort out this camera...

P.S. Stop by and check out Robin's beautiful photographs (and her kind words about my latest project). And my new banner? It's a combination of my photograph at Pont du Hoc, Normandy, France and Madelyn Mulvaney's photographs in Vancouver, British Columbia. The technical genius who creates most of the Paris Parfait banners is Brian Rowan, based in Florida.

Bush administration threatens Montana forests

Never mind the environment - there's money to be made!

Outrageous! The Bush administration has done it again - reversed 40 years of US Forest Service history, by striking a deal to destroy thousands of acres of mountain forestland to build residential subdivisions in Montana. The Washington Post reports the deal was struck behind closed doors between Mark E. Rey, the former timber lobbyist who oversees the U.S. Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber Co., a former logging company turned real estate investment trust that is building homes. Plum Creek owns more than 8 million acres nationwide, including 1.2 million acres in the mountains of western Montana, where local officials were stunned and outraged at the deal.

"We have 40 years of Forest Service history that has been reversed in the last three months," said Pat O'Herren, an official in Missoula County, which is threatening to sue the Forest Service for forgoing environmental assessments and other procedures that would have given the public a voice in the matter. Read the full story here.

Edwards to debate Rove

The Buffalo News reports that former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will debate Republican spin-meister Karl Rove Sept. 26 at the University of Buffalo as part of the school’s Distinguished Speakers Series. In the midst of the U.S. attorney scandal, Edwards called on President Bush to “fire Karl Rove.” When Rove announced he was resigning from the White House, Edwards released a statement: “Goodbye, good riddance.”

Of course, Rove is still trying to shape history - as a commentator for Fox "News" and the Wall Street Journal and directing John McCain's campaign for Bush's third term. Wonder what those 14 lobbyists on McCain's staff think about Rove bossing them around?

Meanwhile, Rove is in violation of a congressional subpoena and could face contempt proceedings, House Democratic leaders said. The House Commercial and Administrative Law subcommittee, part of the Judiciary committee, has sought Rove’s testimony since a 60 Minutes television report linked him to allegedly politically-motivated prosecution of the Alabama governor. A subpoena was issued after failing to work out a deal with Rove’s lawyer. Rove claims "executive privilege," even though he no longer works at the White House.

In a letter to Luskin, Conyers and Sanchez said, “We want to make clear that the subcommittee will convene as scheduled and expects Mr. Rove to appear and that a refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings, including statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives.”

AP's sloppy reporting continues

What has happened to the Associated Press? The news agency once was the standard-bearer for journalism standards. Yet in the American presidential campaign, we've seen AP reporters Nedra Pickler, Liz Sidoti, Jennifer Loven and Steven Hurst either get their facts wrong or deliberately distort them - even after they've been proven wrong! This is sloppy, careless, biased reporting. Where are the AP editors and why are they allowing such erroneous stories to be distributed to newspapers around the country?

John McCain's absurd campaign claim

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo dissects John McCain's latest absurd campaign promise:

"...Today John McCain is getting lots of press for his new plan to balance the budget during his first term -- what can only be called an extraordinarily ambitious promise. The first pick was from Mike Allen's piece late last night in The Politico.

"Now, the general routine is the face of this kind of candidate announcement is that journalists and economists look at the numbers to see if they add up. In most cases, the exercises generates fairly unsatisfying contradictory opinions, with some experts saying one thing and other experts another.

"But here's the thing. McCain doesn't have any numbers. None. Not vague numbers of fuzzy math. He just says he's going to do it. Any other candidate would get laughed off the stage with that kind of nonsense or more likely reporters just wouldn't agree to give them a write up. But this is all over the place.

"The simple truth is that given his foreign policy promises in Iraq and tax cut promises at home there's really no way McCain could come up with even a fuzzy plan to balance the budget in his first term. So he's decided instead just promise it. Included in his white paper is just the standard hocum about cutting waste, fraud and abuse in government and making sure we have "reasonable economic growth."

"Remember, this is the guy who's riding on his reputation for 'straight talk'. And he's just promised that he'll balance the budget in his first term. For any serious reporter covering this campaign that should immediately lead to a request for actual numbers to back up how he's going to accomplish that.

"As I noted last night, one of McCain's vague assertions was that he "would reserve all savings from victory in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations in the fight against Islamic extremists for reducing the deficit." So what are the numbers behind that? We just asked the McCain campaign and the response we got was ...

"It's pretty straightforward, as we win, costs will go down with a smaller footprint over time, and those savings will go to deficit reduction. It's really the logical extension of Senator McCain's position as articulated in the 2013 speech. Achieving success in Iraq would obviously lead to reduced expenditures on the effort."

"This is what's behind McCain's promise. I'll do a lot of things that will get the deficit down. One of them is the the guarantee of victories in Iraq and Afghanistan and obviously that will save a lot of money.

"As I said, this is the reductio ad absurdum of the mad pass John McCain gets on everything. He's pledging to balance the budget in four years and when asked for details he says, 'We'll get back to you on that.'"

A walk in Vancouver

Let's take a walk through downtown Vancouver, past the castles in the air...

Past the sharks...

Ooh, let's stop a minute to talk to this cute superhero guy. Seems they're training for Chip's Not Dead Yet memorial mile run/walk/parade up the 10th Avenue hill. Proceeds from the event went to the BC Children's Hospital.

One of the few remaining historic homes in downtown Vancouver that hasn't been replaced by a tall building.

The Ashby House Bed & Breakfast is surrounded by beautiful flowers, tended by the owner.

A stone frog and mosaics on the sidewalk near Ashby House.

Notice all the different modes of transport converged in this small area.

Pink and white blossoms.

Purple majesty.

Little offerings on Sunset Beach.

At English Bay the giant Inuit sculpture Inukshuk is a popular tourist attraction.

A girl sits on a rock reading.

The curved wall of the Aids memorial.

Crossing the bridge to the Granville Island Market.

A wide variety of spices, herbs, fresh fruits and organic vegetables are on offer.

Shall we stop for some tea? Maybe some pie or a tart?

Perhaps some chutney to take home with us? I'd like to extend my personal thanks to Nancy Sotham and Madelyn Mulvaney for taking me to all these delightful places in Vancouver.

Wedding wishes for Ali and Rico

Wedding gown on display at the Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Ga.

Wishing a lifetime of love, joy and buena fortuna to Ali and Rico! Today they celebrate their wedding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with family and friends. Next stop: a honeymoon in Vietnam!

Remembering absent friends

"To pray you open your whole self to sky, to earth, to sun, to moon to one whole voice that is you. And know there is more that you can't see, can't hear, can't know except in moments steadily growing and in languages that aren't always sound, but other circles of motion."

"Like eagle that Sunday morning over Salt River. Circled in blue sky in wind, swept our hearts clean with sacred wings. We see you, see ourselves and know that we must take the utmost care and kindess in all things..."

Excerpt from "Eagle Poem" by Joy Harjo.

Orchids and other floral offerings on May 24, 2008 at an AIDS memorial, Charleson Park, False Creek, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Waiting for the ferry

Waiting for the ferry to Bowen Island, Vancouver, British Columbia.

"...We can
go down to the well
of the heart,
down the river of words
to the island
of the kiss..."

From the poem "Nine o'Clock" by Federico Garcia Lorca, A Season in Granada.

Mainstream media foiled again

Happy 4th of July! Photo of placard, River Street Sweets, Savannah, Ga. The store is famous for its pecan pralines.

Zachary Roth writes in the Columbia Journalism Review that the press missed what Wesley Clark really said about McCain's military record.

So: The latest round of mock outrage—in a presidential race that has turned the tactic into an art form—now comes in response to comments made by General Wesley Clark. Appearing as a surrogate for Barack Obama on CBS’s Face the Nation, Clark, in reference to John McCain, said:

"I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war…But he hasn’t held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded—that wasn’t a wartime squadron. He hasn’t been there and ordered the bombs to fall.

When moderator Bob Schieffer interjected that “Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences, either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down”, Clark responded: “Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.”

The McCain camp, sensing an opportunity, complained that Clark had “attacked John McCain’s military service record.” Of course, Clark had done nothing of the kind. He had questioned the relevance of McCain’s combat experience as a qualification to be president of the United States. This is a distinction that you’d expect any reasonably intelligent nine-year old to be able to grasp.

The elusive Persisting Star

...Still elusive...Madelyn Mulvaney taking photos at the Granville Island Market in Vancouver. Rarely is she without her camera.

You may know this photographer and blogger extraordinaire through her sunny, uplifting words and unique photos. She's fond of hiding her face behind books, behind her camera, even behind a green typewriter! It's a privacy thing.

Earlier, Maddie had agreed to let her face be shown on Paris Parfait, so I posted her photo. But sometimes she is shy and she asked me to take the first photo down. So I reluctantly agreed. Maddie is not only beautiful, she's witty, smart, talented and compassionate with a warm heart and wise and generous spirit.

I could go on for ages about this remarkable woman, whose friendship is a tremendous gift in my life. We communicated for nearly two years, by email and phone before we finally met in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Maddie and I wandered around the Granville Island Market, where we had lunch al fresco, took photographs until my camera's memory was exhausted and spent too much money buying beautiful journals. We had an elegant dinner at the former speakeasy Lucy Mae Brown's and on my last evening in Vancouver, a more lively meal at a Thai restaurant in Yaletown. We exchanged gifts - including lovely treats sent from our mutual friend Gillian - in my apartment in downtown Vancouver.

We walked and talked for hours about the usual suspects: children; art; poetry; travel; photography; friendship; men. We discussed ongoing creative projects and plotted ways to meet again in our travels. We shared secrets and fears; wishes and dreams. After I returned to Paris, Maddie's detective work helped reunite two long-lost friends...someone special, who plays a key role in my upcoming novel.

Yes, there's something magical about Maddie, the bright and shining Persisting Star!

Silencing the doubts

Pink blossom, Ballastone Inn, Savannah, Georgia.

The prompt for Write on Wednesday is about how we writers handle our inner editor - in other words, banish the unwanted doubts that come to call on a regular basis.

My Aug. 26, 2006 poem Monster of Mayhem explores my feelings about doubt. But since I wrote that poem, I am kinder to myself. I studiously ignore the naysayers around me who fret about whether or not I'm doing enough - simply because they are not allowed to read my work-in-progress. I concentrate much of my energies on writing, while expanding my horizons. New doors have opened and windows of opportunity have been created. My focus has shifted, but I remain focused, with deadlines and challenges that only I can meet. And I simply don't have time to entertain that inner critic or those worriers around me who don't understand the writing process.

I am my own worst critic and I know persistence is key - following an inner vision that burns like a steady flame, driving me onwards. I must keep writing every single day, even if only a few words or thoughts scribbled in a notebook. When not writing, often I'm thinking about writing - working out various scenarios in my head. So when the critics appear - real or internal - I dismiss them. I tell them to just go away, because I am too busy creating to listen. As the Tao Te Ching says, "Care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner." Of course it is impossible not to care about people's approval. But I can't let others dictate what and how I write, lest my work suffer.

As for the internal editor, that's another matter entirely. That editor tells me what to keep; what to toss that might distract from the storyline - or what might work better elsewhere. That editor helps hold my attention to the subject at hand, rather than splinter off on unnecessary tangents. Every writer needs two good editors - both the inner editor and an external one who can view one's work objectively. The old saying "two heads are better than one" particularly resonates when it comes to writing. Sometimes an editor sees something the writer has missed - or suggests a point that needs expanding or a situation requiring further explanation. Often the collaboration between a writer and editor is what makes the stories flow.

Ingrid Betancourt rescued!

And here's a real-life story that's hard to beat for pathos and drama: French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans held hostage by FARC rebels have been rescued! Colombian authorities say no one was injured in today's mission.

As FARC's highest-profile hostage for more than six years, Betancourt is said to have serious health problems. The French government has made securing her release a priority, with President Sarkozy stressing the urgency for Betancourt to receive medical treatment. Tonight Betancourt's son Lorenzo Delloye-Betancourt, told the Associated Press in Paris that his mother's release was "if true, the most beautiful news of my life."

El sol esta caliente!

Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss frame a decorative fountain, Savannah, Georgia.

The sun is hot! Yes, even in Paris. In addition to the canicule, today marks the beginning of France's presidency of the European Union. Little blue EU flags are flying from all the city buses and the Eiffel Tower has turned blue. The big news here is that the French army chief of staff has resigned. President Nicolas Sarkozy accepted the resignation, after 17 people were injured Sunday at a military show in Audes in the southwest. One soldier loaded real bullets - instead of blanks - during a demonstration of hostage-freeing techniques. An investigation is continuing.

And Solidays - the annual three-day musical festival featuring Yael Naim and numerous artists in 80 concerts to raise money for SIDA - kicks off Friday. The festivities are just across the street (yes, sleepless nights ahead) at Hippodrome du Longchamp in the Bois du Boulogne. Since last Saturday, event organisers have been busy constructing concert stages, big top tents and shelters and installing food stands, etc.

Pity the nation

Update 7 p.m. Paris time: Botswana's vice president Mompati Merfahe has called for Zimbabwe to be excluded from the African Union and regional talks.

At the African Union meeting underway in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, UN Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migirohas urged leaders to try to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe. And the British supermarket chain Tesco said it will stop sourcing products from Zimbabwe while "the political crisis persists." The company buys about £1m ($1.9m) worth of goods a year, including vegetables, from Zimbabwe.

Human Rights Watch has calculated the tally of misery and abuse in Zimbabwe since its March 29 elections: at least 36 dead; hundreds tortured; thousands beaten and tens of thousands deprived of food or displaced. Read Jon Eliot's article here.

Scary statistics

On Monday, the Dow industrials and the Standard & Poor's 500 plummeted to their lowest record since the Great Depression in 1929.

And June was the deadliest month for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taleban in 2001.

Path sheltered by the shade of oak trees. leading away from the fountain. Click photos to enlarge.

London exhibit showcases political cartoons

Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat's work will be on display July 2-18 at The Guardian, 60 Farringdon Road, London. In 1996, I had the great pleasure of meeting Ali Ferzat in San Francisco. The cartoon he drew and inscribed to me is one of my prize possessions.

Ferzat's work is part of an exibit Lighting lamps: Cartoons from the Middle East sponsored by the British Council's Media in Society project and the Guardian Foundation. The work of cartoonists from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Syria will be featured. Admission to the exhibit is free, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 to 4 Saturday. For more information telephone 020 7886 9898 or visit the Guardian website or email newsroom@guardian.co.uk.

Ali Ferzat began publishing Ad-Domari (The Lamplighter) in 2001, a satirical newspaper heralded as the first independent publication in Syria since 1963. His award-winning work has appeared for 35 years in major Arab newspapers, as well as Le Monde and other international publications. Since 1980, Ferzat has served as the head of the Society of Arab Cartoonists.

From The Guardian June 30:

"It could be an airport security check or a border crossing and the subject could be anyone — a heavily-moustachioed everyman patiently opening his suitcase for inspection while an armed, elaborately-uniformed guard peers instead deep into the traveller's brain, which is hinged open absurdly across his bowed head.

"The image is a universal one but it has a special resonance across the Arab world. Its creator, Syrian Ali Ferzat, is the doyen of Arab cartoonists, justly famed for highlighting the absurdities, miseries and injustices of daily life. And the drawing's the thing: no words or captions are necessary to make his point.

"Ferzat, one of the stars of Lighting Lamps, a new exhibition at the Guardian's Newsroom, has produced thousands of silent cartoons that speak volumes by lampooning corrupt leaders, torture, venality and oppression — yet (with some gaps) has still managed to carry on working in a political environment where creativity, wit and strongly-held views do not always sit happily together.

"Other cartoonists from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia may be blunter. But all tiptoe to some degree around the sensitivities of regimes which will tolerate mild criticism of social and economic issues — and hostility to Israel and America — but do not hesitate to censor and punish when domestic taboos are tackled.

"Lighting Lamps grew out of the British Council's four-year Media in Society project, designed to improve "the effectiveness of the media in raising awareness of key social issues" in six Arab countries. Iraq was unable to take part because of the security situation. The exhibition will go on tour in North Africa and Middle East later in the year."

Ferzat's cartoon depicting airport security looking inside a man's head reflects an Arabic expression meaning that someone who doesn't think for himself has "an empty head."

Ferzat's cartoon featuring animals watching in horror as humans kill each other is an enhanced version of one published here.