Paris Parfait

Fall preview

Bikes, boats and canal houses at twilight, Amsterdam.

You may not be ready to kiss summer goodbye, but the prospect of fall fills me with excitement. In September, it's not just a birthday that makes me happy; it's the sense of possibility; the first hint of a chill in the air; the colours; the clothes. To mark my birthday, I'm joining other September babies in donating to Charity Water, which helps provide clean drinking water around the world.

My fall diary looks promising. First, there's a week-long photography course in London, fall clothes-shopping and chatty dinners with old friends. Later in September, there'll be teas and dinners with friends visiting Paris. I'll meet my blogging buddy Marilyn for the first time.  My friend Joan, the fascinating proprietor of San Francisco's Timeless Treasures will be in town.  I'll also be escorting my partner-in-crime Di Overton to the brocante at Chatou, hunting for goodies for Ghost Furniture.

Photo shoots in both Paris and the Loire Valley are planned for an upcoming book about French antiquaires and their private spaces. Early in October, David and I will holiday in Scotland and various points in England. In Northumberland, we'll visit Di and Harvey. Can't wait to see their renovated cottage (and sneak a few photos)! In Oxford, we'll visit David's daughter Marie-Claire, as well as Barbara and Barry, the lovely couple whose wedding the gorgeous Gillian and I were privileged to witness last December in New York.

November kicks off with the usual brocante at Bastille. I'll be brushing up on my Arabic in preparation for  spending Thanksgiving and early December in Amman and Petra, Jordan, working on interviews and photo essays. I'll also make sure arrangements for our expedition March 1-8, 2010 are exactly as expected.

We still have two or three spots left; want to come along with Alex and me for an unforgettable adventure? Check out our Journey to Jordan website, then email me with any questions.

This fall I'll also be making a concerted effort to walk and bike more to build up my stamina (to carry heavy photo gear around for extended periods of time); to clear more clutter by selling some antiques and collectibles and to read more and worry less.

What's kick-starting your fall? Any plans for travel or launching new projects or creative ventures? Do tell!

P.S. If you like books and appreciate Brit humour and irony, you may enjoy Me and My Big Mouth. I especially like his criteria for getting rid of books. Note to self: Must do this!

Bidding farewell

19th-century stained glass windows in the 15th-century St. Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

Iron gates at St. Saulve Abbey.

Farewell, Sen. Ted Kennedy. Thank you for your courage and immeasurable achievements on our behalf.

P.S. Ballots, bullets and bombs: Extraordinary photos from Afghanistan in the Boston Globe.

More typefaces and fonts

I took this photo of a sign above an entranceway in Amsterdam, simply because I liked the typeface.

As many of you know, I am mad about fonts and typefaces. Must be my newspaper background. I own several books about typefaces and collect vintage printer's letters. I also have about 20 beautiful and unusual fonts that I rarely get to use. If you have the technical savvy to use CSS within Typepad to manipulate fonts in the sidebar, as well as a hassle-free way to combine various fonts within selected posts, please contact me.

Meanwhile Argentinian Alejandro "Ale" Paul is the latest innovative designer in the spotlight at MyFonts.com. Read the interview and follow the links to view Alejandro's extensive collection of unique fonts.

Hatred and lies at church in Tempe, Arizona

In Europe, Muslim leaders who incite hatred in mosques are arrested and sometimes deported. But this hate-filled "pastor" in a church in Tempe, Arizona seems proud of his racism, ignorance and stupidity. Steven Anderson is apparently suffering no legal consequences, despite publicly praying for the president's death!

I see nothing remotely Christian about Anderson's despicable behavior and pity those who listen to his delusional rantings.

In memoriam: Sen. Ted Kennedy 1932 - 2009

Candles, St. Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

Remembering Sen. Ted Kennedy, who rose above family tragedy to work tirelessly for the greater good. He was a bright spirit, whose important work made a real difference in American lives. A man of privilege, Sen. Kennedy championed those less fortunate. He worked hard for human rights and equality and encouraged social responsibility. For 40 years, he was a vigilant crusader for universal health care. It is up to us to fulfill that challenge. Sen. Kennedy will be missed.

Strange things

An abundance of red in this Amsterdam shop. Truth be told, after nearly ten years in Europe, I have amassed enough antiques and collectibles to open an antiques store - a very large antiques store (see below).

Strange things have been going on these last three days. Five packages intended for me have gone missing; each supposedly delivered on different days. I dreamt of a friend and the next day he emailed me. Someone else emailed me, after discovering my blog through a mutual friend. I haven't heard from this friend in many years; surprising (but nice) to learn he's been following Paris Parfait (JL, please contact me!)  And I found a shiny green shamrock on the kitchen floor. Is it something in the air or some odd planetary storm or astrological phenomena?

Meanwhile, I gave away four huge bags of clothing and still am culling my wardrobe. I am being ruthless about tossing clothes I don't wear, even brand new ones. This is part of a general clear-out of the apartment: I'm going through practically every single thing I own and discarding things that either no long suit me or I don't need or want.

I have two beautiful early 19th-century pieces of furniture that are such high-maintenance, I'm selling them. Their beauty simply isn't worth the effort. I want things to be simple, streamlined and elegant, not so fussy that constant vigilance is required. I have better things to do than examine furniture for woodworm, buckling wood veneer and cracked leather. Don't get me wrong, I like imperfect furniture that bears the rich patina of time. But caring for these two pieces has become too much like hard work, not to mention expensive.

Some other valuable antiques will be sold; some treasures given away; other things donated to a local charity. With every item that leaves the apartment, I feel a little lighter; a bit more free. It really is true that one can become weighed down by possessions, so I'm on a mission to lighten the load.

I've also taken a step back from friends who delight in criticising and undermining, rather than supporting and encouraging. I've learned that some so-called friends have nothing at all to say when one accomplishes something good, but can be quite critical and discouraging on a regular basis. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but finally have understood that their behaviour has less to do with me and more to do with their own jealousy and issues of self-esteem.

What about you? Are you now or have you recently gone through a similar "cull" of your surroundings and/or friends and acquaintances?

Good intentions

White roses: a  lovely surprise gift. What unexpected delight is making you smile today?

"Breathing in, breathing out; feeling resentful; feeling happy; being able to drop it, not being able to drop it; eating our food; brushing our teeth; walking; sitting - whatever we're doing could be done with one intention. That intention is that we want to wake up, we want to ripen our compassion and we want to ripen our ability to let go; we want to realise our connection with all beings. Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up or put us to sleep. Allowing it to awaken us is up to us." - Pema Chodron, Comfortable with Uncertainty

Himalayan Odyssey

Statue, Westerstraat Market, Amsterdam.

"In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess." - The Dalai Lama.

I've been watching documentaries about Tibet, hoping to travel to the region (Nepal and Dharamsala, India). If you haven't seen Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion, I highly recommend it. Until I saw this film, I had only a vague general knowledge of the Tibet-China conflict. I knew about the thousands of Tibetans who had been killed and the temples, religious shrines and buildings that had been destroyed, but hadn't seen actual footage of the aftermath.

The film features heart-wrenching interviews with monks and nuns who were imprisoned and tortured by the Chinese. It talks about Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger abandoning US funding, support and training of the Tibetan resistance for commerce with China. Basically these men traded human rights and justice for money.

Of the litany of injustices, what struck me most was that the Chinese government - after kidnapping the child the Dalai Lama had identified as his successor - had the audacity to name a surrogate child for the role - this from a Chinese leadership that doesn't even respect Tibetan traditions, religion and freedom. The Dalai Lama responded by calling for a referendum to name his successor, breaking 600 years of religious tradition.

Werner Herzog's film Wheel of Time is another must-see. And BBC's The Lost World of Tibet contains rare archival footage before China's invasion and subsequent attempts to destroy the heart and soul of Tibet, turning it into a psuedo-Chinese state.

I'd really like to go on a Himalayan Odyssey with Seattle-based photographer David Samuel Robbins. Just look at the stunning images in his gallery! Robbins and his camera lens capture so much beauty and spirit, even amidst poverty and suffering.

Watch Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion on Google video here.

Reich is right: 'Gang of Six' doesn't speak for us

Painted letter slot in doorway, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France. Time to write, email, fax and phone our senators and representatives about the need for affordable and quality health care for all. Accessibility to proper medical care is what matters; not politics or insurance industry profits. We won't be intimidated by ill-informed right-wing thugs toting guns who show up at town halls and rallies, spoiling for attention and fights.

An excerpt of former secretary of labor Robert Reich's piece at Talking Points Memo:

"...who, exactly, anointed these six to decide the fate of the nation's health care?

"I don't get it. Of the three Republicans in the gang, the senior senator is Charles Grassley. In recent weeks Grassley has refused to debunk the rumor that the House's health-care bill will spawn "death panels," empowered to decide whether the sick and old get to live or die. At an Iowa town meeting last Tuesday Grassley called the President and Speaker Nancy Pelosi "intellectually dishonest" for claiming the opposite. On Thursday Grassley told the Washington Post that Congress should scale back its efforts to overhaul health care in the wake of intense anger at town hall meetings. But -- wait -- the anger is largely about distortions such as the "death panels" that Grassley refuses to debunk.

"This week on Fox News Grassley termed the House bill "the Pelosi Bill," and called it "a government takeover of heath care, exploding the deficit because it's not paid for and it's got high taxes in it."

"I really don't get it. We have a Democratic president in the White House. Democrats control sixty votes in the Senate, enough to overcome a filibuster. It is possible to pass health care legislation through the Senate with 51 votes (that's what George W. Bush did with his tax cut plan). Democrats control the House. The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is a tough lady. She has said there will be no health care reform bill without a public option.

"So why does the fate of health care rest in Grassley's hands?

I"t's not even as if the gang represents America. The three Dems on the gang are from Montana, New Mexico, and North Dakota -- states that together account for just over 1 percent of Americans. The three Republicans are from Maine, Wyoming, and Iowa, which together account for 1.6 percent of the American population.

"So, I repeat: Why has it come down to these six? Who anointed them? Apparently, the White House. At least that's what I'm repeatedly being told by sources both on the Hill and in the Administration. "The Finance Committee is where the action is. They'll tee-up the final bill," says someone who should know."

Dan Froomkin writes that the public option is about accountability.

And Sen. John Rockefeller asks insurers to provide their costs vs. patient care statistics.

On a lighter note, Worried Dad is (un)intentionally hilarious.

Meanwhile Sarah Palin and the Wall Street Journal are chatised by the National Review for getting their facts wrong about the US Export-Import Bank.

Living in the moment

A modern hotel adjacent to an ancient chapel, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.


An excerpt of "Isabella returns from Nepal," from Paula Coelho's book Like the Flowing River:

"...One afternoon, she was walking near the monastery with one of the monks, when he opened the bag he was carrying and stood for a long time studying its contents. Then he said to Isabella, "Did you know that bananas can teach you the meaning of life?"

"He took out a rotten banana from the bag and threw it away. "That is the life that has been and gone and which was not used to the full and for which it is now too late."

"Then he drew out another banana, which was green. He showed it to her and put it back in the bag. "This is the life that has yet to happen and for whom we need to wait until the moment is right."

"Finally, he took out a ripe banana, peeled it and shared it with Isabella. "This is the present moment. Learn how to gobble it up without fear or guilt."

May you enjoy every moment of your weekend!

P.S. In the spirit of our common humanity, please read this touching story.

Buyers beware: Dixons UK fails to honour warranty

This is a story of fraud and forgery; of deception and theft.  I've waited a long time to write this piece, hoping that Dixons would do the right thing and honour their legal and contractual obligation and client commitment. Instead, the company has chosen to drop the matter, apparently hoping I'll tire of fighting for my rights.

In a nutshell, I bought a Toshiba laptop computer from Dixons on Kensington High Street, London (the store has since folded). I felt like a mug when purchasing their three-year extended warranty, but was glad I had when the computer crashed with a hardware problem. I reported the problem via phone; had an IT specialist in Paris verify the technical issue was beyond repair and as per Cover Plan Customer Care instructions, filed a claim. I was told the claim was approved and a cheque in the amount of  £920.98 (about $1,509.68) had been issued to replace the defective computer.

Six weeks went by; still no check. In a flurry of increasingly hostile email exchanges, I was told the check had been sent to the wrong address in London; even worse, it had been cashed!

I reminded Customer Care they knew very well I wasn't living in London - all our conversations and my correspondence had come from France, plus they'd verified my address in France. I informed them if they had in fact issued a check, it had been stolen and forged. I urged Dixons to file a theft report with the bank, as well as a police report in Blackheath, London, where they supposedly had mailed the check.

Dixons refuses to accept responsibility

Over the next five months, various Customer Care representatives assured me the matter was under investigation by their finance department. Yet they refused numerous requests to provide any paperwork confirming their actions or a photocopy of the check - and the forged signature - to provide to my UK bank and the police.

I advised the manager of their "World Wide Product Support" that their company was participating in fraud and encouraging theft, by refusing to pursue the matter. But Dixons' customer care representatives were rude and uncooperative. They informed me they weren't going to do anything else; they'd issued a check and it wasn't their problem if it was sent to the wrong address, stolen and fradulently cashed.

A so-called customer care representative provided a mailing address for Dixons litigation department, where I sent a copy of the file. Yet my correspondence has remained unanswered, despite repeated queries. I wonder if the company's CEO has any idea about his Cover Plan's reckless disregard for customer care?

So the moral of the story is don't buy a computer from Dixons and by all means, don't fall for the false  assurances of their Cover Plan Extended Warranty. Dixons is quick to take your money to pay for an extended warranty, but extremely slow to bother with fulfilling their obligations under that warranty. Dixons still owes me £920.98 - plus interest.

Photo of potted tree root and marble sculpted head, Amsterdam.

A day of remembrance

Bouquet of roses, Paris, shot with my little Konica-Minolta Dimage.

Remembering my late grandmother Lucille on her birthday. And won't you join my lovely friend Leonie in celebrating her special day here?

Privacy or the lack thereof

Reflections, Amsterdam.


Thanks to the internet, privacy as we once knew it, is virtually unrecognisable. Yes, we choose whether or not to make certain information available to the public, as evidenced in our websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Sometimes such transparency produces undesirable results, i.e. unwelcome contacts from disgruntled strangers or political extremists.

At what point does public knowledge go too far? There's the obvious example of the National Security Agency illegally eavesdropping on our telephone conversations and email, thanks to the Bush administration. Their so-called "war on terror" apparently took precedence over civil liberties and human rights. And government and FISA actions are the subject of ongoing civil lawsuits.

Locational privacy

Then there's locational privacy, which the Electronic Frontier Foundation defines as "the ability of an individual to move in public space with the expectation that under normal circumstances their location will not be systematically and secretly recorded for later use."

It's Catch 22 when every time we use a monthly transit pass, a bank card, a credit card, a mobile phone or even Wi Fi, our location is recorded and retained - not always by those with the best intentions.

Of course there's also data retention privacy and the trail we leave behind as we traverse the digital highway. Read the EFF's report on locational privacy and innovations that may affect us.

Burning Man stakes a claim

If you're planning to attend the Burning Man festival Sept. 27 - Oct. 5 in Black Rock City, Nevada, photographers beware: Burning Man organisers claim rights to your photos and creative works. Read their excessive Terms and Conditions for details.

And check out Snatching Rights on the Playa for information about Burning Man's policies and your legal rights.

 

The president makes his case

Stacks of chairs in the historic St. Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

"We are bound to disagree, but let's disagree over issues that are real." - US President Barack Obama.

Read the president's New York Times article "Why we need health care reform" here.

Update: Eugene Robinson has a few questions for the president. With saboteurs like Max Baucus and Chuck Grassley supposedly working on health care consensus, frankly, who needs enemies? Best for the president to seize the reins and take charge to get health care reform through Congress. 

As Robinson rightly points out:

"Consider the political landscape. Democrats control the White House and both houses of Congress. No matter how disciplined Republicans are in opposing any reforms -- even if Republican objections are accommodated -- they don't have the votes to kill a final bill.

"If conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats are successful in nixing a public health insurance option and watering down other reforms, progressive voters have a right to ask why they went to such trouble to elect Democratic majorities and a Democratic president. But the Senate can still resort to a parliamentary maneuver that would require only 51 votes, rendering most objections irrelevant. Historical trends indicate that it's unlikely the Democrats will expand their majorities in 2010. Politically, therefore, there's not likely to be a better moment for health reform than right now."

Hear, hear!

Dutch market

Scenes from the Westerstraat Market, the Jordaan, Amsterdam.

A market trader selects oranges to make juice.

Porcelain bowls from Japan and modern desk lamps from France.

A vintage bike and plump cushions.

Brass bells and vintage tools.

A table covered with silver, pewter and flatware.

Embroidered linens galore.

A vendor takes a tea break.

Bronze ballerina.

Portrait of a Dutch woman preparing a meal.

Religious icons.

Sparkling chandeliers.

Wedding dresses for 20 euros each.

Art deco mannequins.

Floral blouses in bright colours.

Summer dresses in floral prints.

Gypsy print and ruffled skirts.

Yarn and felt ties.

Center of attention.

A vintage Coca-Cola sign.

Pia's Paris

My clever friend Pia Jane Bijkerk created this Eiffel Tower from sturdy pieces of cardboard. Read her behind-the-scenes account of the tower's construction here. I'm amazed the tower survived the train journey from Amsterdam to Paris without a hitch. The display - currently gracing WH Smith's rue Cambon vitrine - showcases Pia's stylish new book Paris: Made by Hand.

If you're in Paris,act fast! Paris: Made by Hand is practically flying out the door. Who can resist Pia's gorgeous photographs and insider tips about Paris ateliers and shops featuring unique creations?

Another passer-by admires the decorated window at WH Smith.

Good news for France and Germany

La France, Jardin des Tuileries, Paris.

Cautious optimism, as France and Germany exit recession, earlier than expected.

Scroll down the page for two additional posts today.

Fall looks at Chanel

Fall vitrines at Chanel's legendary rue Cambon salon. Love these looks - ah, the hats! Wish I could afford these clothes. Such great style and elegance!

Looney tunes and fabricators

Lies, lies and more lies - all in the same day!

From John Cole: "...There is simply nothing these guys will not lie about and they have no problem reversing course hours after publicly stating something completely different. The facts are just optional with these guys. They just don’t care if they tell the truth, they are not ashamed to lie at will and no one in the media will hold them accountable."

On Wednesday, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley repeated the lie that health care reform would set up euthanasia death panels in order to kill senior citizens. Grassley supposedly has been working with Democrat Max Baucus to prepare a compromise health care reform bill.

Grassley has been to the White House several times to meet with President Obama about health care issues, most recently last Thursday. Yet the senator is now openly lying to his constituents! And add Sen. Tom Coburn to the list: he's making the same false claims.

Elected US senators deliberately misrepresenting a position they know to be false??!! Why is this acceptable??!! What sort of lessons are we teaching our children by tolerating such a deliberate, cynical ploy??!!

At least one Republican senator urges Sarah Palin and others to stop lying about health care reform. But Republican Party Chairman Michael Steel has backed Palin's falsehoods, telling Fox "News" it's "perfectly appropriate" to talk about "death panels." The blind leading the blind...

Jonathan Cohn writes about The Swiftboating of Health Reform.

Why does this man still have a job?

Speaking of that faux news channel, on Tuesday Glenn Beck went too far, prompting many advertisers to abandon sponsorship of his program. He stupidly claimed, "This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people...this guy is, I believe a racist." Uh, Glenn, it appears YOU are the racist!

And after those outrageous statements, why does Beck still have a job??!!

Meanwhile, the angry, inflammatory and often threatening mobs continue disrupting town halls throughout the country, When did this kind of loutish over-the-top and even dangerous behavior become acceptable in America? I don't know which is worse - their behavior or the fact that they don't even know what they're talking about... They're repeating right-wing talking points which have no basis in fact.

Even the Chamber of Commerce is getting in on the act! Since when did the US Chamber of Commerce become a political organisation trying to dictate health care reform??!!

I think Murray Fromson is spot on when he writes about Our Sick Society.

Intimidated by thugs? Read M.J. Rosenberg's Talking Points Memo piece about the country's deep divisions.

Ever wonder why so many people seem incapable of thinking for themselves, much less discerning between fact and fiction?

Get the FACTS - not the myths and falsehoods high-ranking Republicans are spouting - here.

Photo of Mickey Mouse statuette in window of Amsterdam home.

Always a brocante...

Brocante, Amsterdam. Wherever I travel, if there's a brocante in the vicinity, chances are I'll find it!

If you're lucky enough to be in Paris in late September, the famous brocante and ham fair at Chatou begins Friday, Sept. 25th and continues daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday,Oct. 5th. My friends Blandine Bavoux, Geraldine Michelis and Gunnar Petterssen will be there with more unique finds.

The location near Paris is easily accessible via R.E.R. train A1 direction Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Exit the train at Rueil-Malmaison or Chatou-Croissy and walk the short distance to the Ile de Chatou. You can get a taxi from Paris, but don't expect to find one to take you home. Brocante tickets are available at the entrance gate at Ile de la Chatou.

Watch this site for further information about the Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons.

I've got ideas

Nymphs, Westerstraat Market, Amsterdam.

Today I am indoors with the shades drawn against the blazing heat, listening to Amy Seeley's "I've Got Ideas," from her Eight Belles CD. I'm working on making my creative ideas real. I'm slowly - gently - nudging open a couple of intriguing new doors (not kicking them down, as my restless nature once may have preferred).

The important thing to remember is that stretching one's limits; pushing past boundaries - real or imagined - is a process; effort, patience and time must meld for fruition. That means persistence; not letting others' negative thinking discourage plans-in-motion. What about you? What ideas are propelling you forward through these heat-filled summer days and nights?

Summer giveaway winner

Stacy Hurt is my latest summer giveaway winner. Congrats to Stacy, who wins a Paris flea market surprise. And thanks to all who left such inspiring comments! I'll host another giveaway in September.

Summer shenanigans

Newspapers in five languages, Amsterdam.

Astronomical photography.

"There is no refuge..." A soldier writes from Afghanistan, in The Independent.

Paul Krugman writes in The New York Times about freedom of the press and the Town Hall Mob. Shouldn't these troublemakers be on holiday somewhere, rather than trying to disrupt the Democratic process??!!

Reminds me of the Leonard Cohen song, "Everybody knows:"

"...Everybody knows the fight was fixed.
The poor stay poor and the rich get rich.
That’s how it goes;
And everybody knows..."

The Anti-Defamation League slams Rush Limbaugh's slurs. But no apologies from the highly-paid blowhard or his GOP enablers.

Why is Obama embracing this terrible Bush administration tactic??!! Unacceptable then and even more so now!

Howard Dean on Sarah Palin: "She made that up!"

And these people seem to be competing to see who's crazier - and more violent - than the next.

Rituals and traditions

A vintage book, antique Arabic coffee pot and coin necklace.

Among the joys of the Middle East are the rituals: the serving of strong Arabic coffee; the stories and news exchanged among family and friends. Classical Arabic is a flowery, poetic language, perfect for story-telling around a Bedouin campfire or a relaxed three-hour evening meal under the stars, starting with a delicious mezza and ending with freshly-brewed Arabic coffee.

If you have a penchant for adventure and want to experience - and photograph - some of these wonderful traditions, join Alex de Souza and me for our Journey to Jordan March 1 - 8, 2010. A few places are still available and we'd love to have you along, as we visit many of Jordan's magnificent attractions.

Don't forget your camera for excellent landscape photography pointers from Zohrab, the late King Hussein's personal photographer. What an honour to learn from Zohrab, whose breathtakingly-beautiful work is in great demand!

Go here for information about how you can accompany us on our Journey to Jordan.

An artists' retreat, a giveaway and gypsy fun

Belly dancer by Jennifer Esperanza, Santa Fe, N.M. Jennifer will lead a photography session at the Creative Geography workshop in Santa Fe,

Won't you check your calendars to see if you can join Madelyn Mulvaney and me for a Creative Geography art and photography retreat April 25 - 28, 2010 in Santa Fe, N.M.? The details are here. Please email Maddie or me with any questions.

Meanwhile, don't forget to enter the summer giveaway here.

My friend Di Mackey in Antwerp has posted an amusing account of her day, "There be dragons." She's recently put up a new website, so stop by and check out her beautiful photos from her latest wanderings, at home and abroad.

And look at Vanessa Valencia's fanciful gypsy wagon. How fantastic a gift is that??!!

Hope your weekend is filled with your own gypsy musings and adventures...perhaps a little belly-dancing to shake the blues away??!!

Finally, someone at CNN shows some backbone

Lately CNN has damaged its reputation by keeping Lou Dobbs and his inane birther talk and anti-immigration rhetoric on air; refusing to air Media Matters ads critising Dobbs, as well as CNN and even refusing to air ads critical of the insurance industry. Rick Sanchez's smackdown today of an arrogant insurance industry shill shows what America is up against in trying to reform health care: hubris and greed.

Business Week reports the health insurers have already won.

Meanwhile President Obama's attempts to involve the Party of No in any sort of compromise suggests the "Gang of Six" are seriously watering down the proposed health care reform bill. As usual, middle class and poor Americans are the pawns - and the losers - in these cynical chess games between government and big business.

Smokescreens and attacks

Update: Steven Pearlstein at the Washington Post: "...The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they've given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They've become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems." Hear, hear!

Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh has stooped to a new low in his hate-filled rhetoric, comparing Democrats to Nazis.

And the group calling itself "Freedom Works" has released an "August Recess Action Kit," which features more erroneous information about health care reform - apparently no fact-checkers there - and urges people to continue disrupting public forums and town halls. Mob violence already is in evidence in Florida and other venues.

Voices of reason

At Salon, Joan Walsh questions Republican and insurance company tactics, while Glenn Greenwald wonders about Limbaugh's Nazi references and GOP and media reaction today, compared to 2004, when MoveOn.org was pilloried after a statement about George Bush.

Media takes Clinton story and twists it every which way

An excerpt of Joe Conason's excellent Salon article about reaction to Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea:

"On display in the wake of his successful effort to secure the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee is the purest and most virulent form of a disorder all too familiar to anyone who lived through the Clinton presidency.

"Here was an effort that exemplified the best of America -- a society that values the lives of its citizens enough to send a former head of state, with all the power of government behind him, to the aid of two women in distress. Here was a happy reunion, bringing wives home to their husbands and a mother back to her little girl, that surely uplifted the spirit of anyone who actually believes in family values. Here was a moment of pride and joy.

"But not for Gordon Liddy, the demented felon and radio bigot who cackled about "Ling Ling and Wee Wee being locked up for nine hours in an airplane with Bill Clinton." Not for Rush Limbaugh, the obsessive guttersnipe who wondered aloud whether Clinton "hit on those two female journalists on the long flight home." Not for Andrea Peyser, the curdled tabloid columnist who insisted that "the whole shebang was nakedly scripted and staged as a device to help rehabilitate the image of former President Bill Clinton" (and who neglected to mention that Clinton did not speak to the eagerly waiting press corps and has given not a single interview on the North Korea mission). Not for Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who predictably seized on Clinton's mission as an opportunity for gratuitous and ugly insults to his wife, weirdly imagining that the prisoner release was "some clever North Korean revenge plot, giving the limelight to Daddy to punish Mommy." And not for the editors of the Huffington Post, who posted a very strange headline -- "Bill Upstages Hillary ... Once Again" -- on an Associated Press story that didn’t mention her at all."

"...Finally there are the "serious" commentators, most notably former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, the former diplomat best known for disdaining diplomacy and rattling the atomic saber until he was mercifully relieved of public responsibilities. In him the syndrome’s most noticeable effect is a severe case of amnesia. On the pages of the Washington Post, he complained that despite "decades of bipartisan U.S. rhetoric about not negotiating with terrorists for the release of hostages, it seems that the Obama administration not only chose to negotiate, but to send a former president to do so." Leaving aside the question of whether this situation in any way fits that description, Bolton has clearly forgotten the Iran-Contra affair, when his colleagues in the Reagan administration, all the way up to and including the president, negotiated with Iran’s leaders to release hostages in exchange for deadly missiles -- violating statute and policy. He also seems to have forgotten how he tried to help cover up that outrage as an assistant attorney general."

Sarah Palin: Still lying; more dangerous. And now she's embraced Michelle Bachman! Talk about a dastardly duo!

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Really, such political, media and business shenanigans are enough to make one want to move to a deserted island...

Living out loud

Daisybones poster via Blisschick.

What are you doing to stretch your limits or break free of self-imposed boundaries? Leave a comment for a chance to win a summer giveaway. The winner's name will be drawn from le chapeau on Monday, Aug. 10th. Bon chance!

Creative geography in Santa Fe

Heart-shaped puffy clouds photo by Jennifer Esperanza.

I was five years old on a family road trip when I first saw Santa Fe. Years later in San Francisco, I was given the opportunity to telecommute for my job. My daughter and I chose Santa Fe.

We lived in a little adobe house with aqua blue shutters and a heavy wooden door. It was like being in the midst of nature's art gallery: powerful beauty and bright sunshine, with endless blue skies filled with giant puffy clouds. At Christmas, flickering farolitos lined snow-covered paths and flat adobe rooftops.

We began collecting art, hand-hammered Spanish crosses and whimsical painted furniture. And we developed an appreciation for the Spanish and Native American history that formed the oldest city in America.

David and I flew from Paris to get married at Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy's private chapel in Santa Fe.

And now I'd like to share the city's myriad charms with you! Won't you join my friend Madelyn Mulvaney and me for "Creative Geography," an art and photography retreat April 25-28, 2010 at the beautiful La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe?

Madelyn, photographer Jennifer Esperanza and artist Leau Phillips will lead intriguing workshops exploring the maps of our lives: the roads we've taken and the journeys still ahead. Read all about it on our website Creative geography. We'll be thrilled to see you in Santa Fe!

Floating flowers by Jennifer Esperanza.

P.S. Merci bien to the inspiring photographer Me Ra Koh for the kudos about my photograph of bubbles in Amsterdam. I'm honoured to be in such good company!

Special treats from Amsterdam

On Monday I had a long lunch on Ile Saint-Louis with the fabulous Pia Jane Bijkerk, whom I met in June in Amsterdam . Pia is in town on a whirlwind visit for her beautiful new book Paris: Made by Hand. You can pick up a copy at WH Smith on rue de Rivoli. Be sure to look at the imaginative window display Pia created in the store's rue Cambon vitrine.

And Pia hand-carried her friend Riley Salyards' gorgeous pottery, all the way from Amsterdam. Talk about special delivery! Visit Riley's new blog Roe. Her work is for sale at a lovely antiques shop at 827 Prinsengracht, Amsterdam. More details here.

Raku featuring my favourite aqua and an interior imprinted with vintage lace.

This bowl is imprinted with natural materials Riley found during walks with her young son.

The very bad behavior of the extreme right

Graffiti and political portraits on a doorway, Amsterdam.

Just when you think right-wing Republicans can't get any more uncooperative, vindictive, or obstructive, this happens. I've said it before: these politicians only support democracy if they get their own way. And believing the rules apply only to ONE party isn't democracy; that's fascism.

It's too bad these people continue to resort to childish shouting matches and intimidation in attempts to silence reason and dissent. Guess these particular American citizens don't believe in free speech, nor do they care about the good of the country; otherwise, they'd be trying to help solve our problems, not create more. Pathetic.

Wreaking havoc.

Still bitter and belligerent.

Completely clueless.

From the Associated Press:

"He's become a publicity nightmare for CNN, embarrassed his boss and hosted a show that seemed to contradict the network's "no bias" brand. And on top of all that, his ratings are slipping.How does Lou Dobbs keep his job?!"

Even as the cable network's reputation continues to deteriorate, CNN management still supports Dobbs - and won't air a Media Matters ad criticising Dobbs' erroneous and misleading statements. Where I grew up in the South, we have an expression, "If enough people tell you you're drunk, you'd better sit down."

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!

In memoriam: Shafiq al-Hout 1932 - 2009

Shafiq al-Hout died Sunday in Beirut. I had the privilege of knowing the Palestinian activist when I was a United Nations correspondent in New York. Shafiq didn't mind my 1,000 questions about the Middle East, answering them with patience, grace and humor. He was a co-founder of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and top aide to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. But Shafiq - along with the late poet Mahmoud Darwish - fell out with the mercurial leader over the Oslo Peace Accords. Still, he remained an influential voice in Palestinian politics.

From 1974 - 1993, Shafiq served as the PLO's delegate to the United Nations. He was a member of the Palestine National Council and the Palestinian Parliament-in-Exile. Shafiq traveled the globe in his tireless efforts for the Palestinian cause. He will be missed.

Health care for every American

I am fortunate to live in a country where preventive health care is plentiful and reasonably-priced. (Uh, that would be France; it's not quite so accessible in the US). I am lucky that my husband's employer provides us with excellent insurance and medical care, no matter where we are in the world.

But what if I didn't have that support? What if I returned to the US and continued working as a freelance writer and photographer? Would I be able to afford a decent healthcare package, without stretching my financial resources to the limit? Unlikely.

Here's the thing: health care is not political. It's personal. And it matters just as much to me as it does to you and the person sitting next to you on the bus. In the richest country in the world, being able to receive proper medical care should be the right of every single citizen - not just the wealthy or those employed by corporations large enough to afford to share in costs of their employees' coverage. In the United States of America, THIS should not be happening.

For those of you with the comfy cushion of employer coverage, thank your lucky stars! But what if you lost that safety net? God forbid you are stricken with some terrible illness and the life-saving treatment you need is denied, as in Megan's case.

What if you lose your job and suddenly have no coverage whatsoever? Would you then be more sympathetic to the plight of the uninsured or under-insured? Would you stop worrying about the ridiculous slings-and-arrows of politics and the self-serving rhetoric and distorted arguments of insurance lobbyists? Would you simply focus on the essential issue: proper health care for every American?

In the United States, we believe in equal rights for ALL - not just for the wealthy or those earning comfortable incomes. So why, why, WHY do we have health care comparable to some Third World Country, where only the most fortunate receive the treatment they need??!! This is unconscionable, no matter your political persuasion. A country that makes health care -and good education - available only to some of its citizens is failing to uphold democratic ideals, "with liberty and justice for all."

Read more and decide for yourself:

Paul Krugman writes about health care realities in The New York Times. Every American should read this piece!

In Newsweek, Jonathan Alter wonders "What's not to like?"

Healthcare tyranny: David Sirota writes in Salon how politicans with ties to the insurance industry are keeping the US from real healthcare.

US Rep. Anthony  Weiner calls on Republicans to "put up or shut up." Video at Crooks & Liars.

Standing up for Obama's health plan: A doctor who treats the disabled and injured explains why the reform bill helps America.

This may hurt a bit: Mike Madden writes about the advertising blitz  - pro and con - for health care reform.

Weekend fitness buffs crossing the bridge to St. Cloud.

In a dawn raid eerily reminiscent of Nazi storm troopers, this act of unprovoked Israeli aggression is not only cruel, but morally wrong. It also violates international law.

Dutch master

 

A Dutch Master reproduction painting and an oval gilt frame at Westerstraat Market, Jordaan, Amsterdam.

“Dreams are like the paints of a great artist. Your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas. Believing is the brush that converts your dreams into a masterpiece of reality.” - Author unknown

Speaking of dreams coming true, many thanks to the fabulous Gillian of Indigo Blue for her enchanting post about our upcoming Journey to Jordan! And a big merci to Christine Mason Miller, for including the trip in her weekly Five Things list.

You, too, can come to Jordan; there's still time to sign up! Visit our website for more information about this exciting expedition.