Miss Kolka

Jeff Koons exposition draws protesters at Versailles

I told you there were protest in the air this autumn in Paris... didn't think it would be for silly things as well but there you have it. 
I think its beautiful!

I will admit its a bit late to be wondering what happened to Britain's once omnipresent Prime Minister. Still its always interesting to learn something new. And clearly I didnt know much about his early and unplanned retirement. Paul Mitchell´s "The Blair Decade" opened my eyes to the cowardly and sleezy way his own finance minister and number two forced Tony Blair to give up the top seat. There can be said alot about Blair and his way of ruling Britain, and the world but its wasn't really his involvement in the Iraq war, his close relationship with W Bush, his unpopular Universities reform or a loss in national elections that pushed him out. The fall was maneuvered by his own party and his closest collaborators. Brown was so eager to take his place that he got his own supporters to sign a letter informing Blair that they wanted him out, sooner than later. And at the labour convention a few weeks later he announced he was stepping down. And the gloating of Gordon Brown that same day was sickening: The Chancellor praised Mr Blair's achievements as "unique, unprecedented and enduring", not being able to wipe the smile of his face, so eager to take over. Was Blair really ready to leave downing street in 2007? In retrospect, was it the right choice?

I remember being at work that day - we knew he was stepping down, the date had been announced in advance - but boy what did we know really? Not half of the story and how he was betrayed by Brown and company. Alot can be said about Blair´s skills with PR and Spin (which seems to have become a necessary tool in today´s politics) , but Mr. Brown.. maybe you should have paid a little more attention? Or you wouldn´t be in the mess you are today

"Barely one voter in seven now believes [Brown] is fit for the job of prime minister...
However none of his likely replacements - including David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary - would save the party from an election humiliation at the hands of the Conservatives, the poll finds.
The poll's findings throw into sharp relief the dilemma facing the Labour Party as they consider whether to force Mr Brown to stand down. It shows that none of the Cabinet ministers who might seriously challenge him would improve Labour's standing with the electorate."

And Tony has only been gone for less than a year. Maybe Labour should have thought it through a little bit before launching the attack...

More on this election because its all I hear about at the moment, and perhaps because Mr. Sarkozy hasn't done anything too scandalous recently (What's going on?) although that might change at any time. I have the feeling I will get some bad news, the French government adding new taxes here and there but mainly here and with my luck, Im sure its going to fall on my back. Perhaps a tax for people having a good salary, but on sick leave, that don't own anything and owe alot in student loans abroad and that will have a child in 2009. why not call it the "lets-ripoff-kolka -law" - that would be easier. 

Back to business, The republican convention's over.. it got alot of attention but I dont know whether its good or bad press. Listening to the "Maverick's" speech you can seriously question his crowd that shouted "USA, USA" again and again.. whatever he was saying, whether he was talking about his VP , his experience as a  prisoner of war (that he milked for at least 20 minutes) or that he was the change Washington needed. So now McCain that has been a senator for over 20 years represents change? I also found the buttons curious that were waved all over during Sarah Palin's speech saying "the hottest VP in America from the coolest state". Typical that people make a statement about her looks.. and they say its the press that is sexist! (questioning her qualifications and dubious use of power in Alaska). Palin compared herself to a pitbull with lipstick.. ok...  She also thinks the war in Iraq has been commanded by god.

I dont think there is any doubt what party I would vote for if I was American. Lets hope for the rest of the world that they can make the right choice.

Since I've had a little more time at home these last few days I have become a major internet buyer - buying books, DVDs, vacuum cleaners and what have you without even getting outside of my bed. Its so easy - even a little bit too easy.

In my search of the perfect item I rambled into a very familiar image.

An image that looks a little bit too much like the generic France 24 ad which can be seen everywhere - an Iceberg that is hiding "the truth" - what is BEYOND the news.. (like our coverage of Darfur ...ok I never really got that either or any of my collegues for that matter )

If you look a bit closer at the original- you might see the text "Hidden Depths"
Aha, ok, Im guessing those who came up with the slogan and the look for my channel found that all intriguing but one might ask oneself if a television station that wants to portray itself as giving the facts and a little more "beyond the news ", whatever that entails, really wants to be associated with an image that suggests Hidden meanings or even hidden agendas? Do you want people to question what you are telling them?

Stealing the overall idea and the colour from such a generic poster sold at $1.99 on the internet is a little problematic but we can still live with it. Perhaps it would have been worth thinking a little bit harder about the meaning though...

Another poster featuring the following text widely available on the net. "The depth of a soul is not measured by what appears on the surface but what lies in the heart" 

Since when does surface and appearance not matter in television? It is all about WHAT YOU APPEAR to be saying and how you say it - and rarely about what lies underneath...or the reasons why we are telling you these particular details.

just a little more hypocrisy from the Tv world

My blog vacation is over. I felt I needed some time on my own - without reflecting my private feelings openly on the web. 1 and a half month later Im ready to share my views with you once again (and to update my flickr pictures: mom's wedding, south of France, friends in Paris exc exc.) I was looking for the right subjectmatter however to re-enter the "internets" , and it took a while.

Last week I saw that the infamous french 35 hour work week will be lost forever, and I seemed to be one of the few outraged in my circle. Perhaps it is the way it was done, in the middle of summer,in july at the same time as other laws were forcefully past just before parliament went on vacation and therefore it went a little bit unnoticed. This law applied in 2000 by the left is also quite deceptive - since very few people work 35 hours per week and extra hours up until now have not been paid especially = overtime does not really exist in France.


It is a little complicated to enlist all the details for non-French readers (Dont forget the French devise: "why make things simple when they can be complicated") but I can try to make some sense out of it. The social group "cadres" for example can be translated in a number of ways and none of these words fully incorporates the true meaning : Executives, sale executives, merchand bankers or even thirty somethings - these terms do not even come close to the French meaning. Cadres can work in public office or in the administration-part of large companies, most often working "normal" office hours. Except that these office hours are different all over France and people often work 9, 10 or even 11 hours per day (in spite of the 35 hour work week - they even go well over the more common 40 hour work week in the rest of Europe) With of course 1 and half hour lunch break and only getting home to their families after 8 p.m. at night. So to compensate , up until now, cadres have been able to take off so called "RTT" days. 10 or up to 20 days off during the year - normally on the day of your choosing, depending on agreements made between the board and employee representatives.  These days can now be cancelled by the employer. Furthermore bank holidays do not have to be paid anymore if the company doesn't feel like it (bank holidays count around 11 days per year such as christmas day, 1st of january, 1st of may, National day 14 of july exc).

So you see - its all very technical - and unfortunately I dont see how these new measures by the Sarkozy-government will make workers in France more effective. I dont understand how you can ask people to spend more time at the office, which is already long - for the same pay. (they say the pay will rise around 10% but apparently what people want is more free time and time to spend with their families). The actual system is not that great either mind you - people arrive to the office between 9 and 10 a.m. and leave at 7 or 8 p.m. Do they use all that time as effective work time? I doubt it.

We might be heading towards an autumn with the wonderful smell of protest in the air...

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