While Paris burns, Sarkozy plays cards

Marc explains the news from France.

Nicolas Sarkozy took a big hit in yesterday's second round of regional elections. In continental France, he saved only Alsace for his party, the rest of the country giving a comfortable majority to the left.

And as is typical, normal, expected in France when the President loses an election, there will be a remaniement ministériel, a cabinet reshuffle. A few of the ministers that lost (and they all lost) will be sacked. Others will move from one ministry to another, in one of the regular games of musical chairs that so delight the French political press. Some government departments will be moved from one ministry to another. Ministries will change names. Millions will be spend changing the signage on government buildings, on business cards, on letterhead.

And nothing will really change. And that's how it's supposed to be in France.

The mistakes, they is gonna kill me

What's irking me today? Some writing on FB:

"inciteful" for "insightful"
"site" for "sight"

And there can never be enough hate for using "I" for "me". Grrr...

Dear Prudence, March 18, One-by-one: Grow up!

Letter writer 1 is a college student who was sexually abused as a child. Now the grandson of the abuser has enrolled at his university. Prudie says it's nothing to do with the grandson, and LW needs help.
My take: Well, this does sound tough. Prudie gave good advice, I think. I do wonder what the result of the legal action was if the family seem to know nothing about it. Grandpa deserves to spend the rest of his days in jail, and just how does Gram explain that one?

Video Letter is from a woman whose friend's baby likes to kiss on the lip.
My take: How about this for advice: Grow up! You don't want to kiss baby on the lips? Kiss baby on the cheek. You don't want baby to kiss you on the lips? Turn your cheek to him. Was that so hard? Baby's mother insists? Say no. A good way is "I'd really prefer not to." Think Bartleby.

LW2 is a woman who was having "private time" with her husband when her young son entered the bedroom. Is son traumatized? Prudie says no.
My take: How about this for advice: Grow up! If you have to write "private time" rather than "bonking" or how about... "sex", or even "making love", your delightful kid is going to have problems. As to your letter, what Prudie said.

LW3 has moved in with boyfriend whose mother is too present in his life, doing his laundry, making his dentist appointments, etc. Prudie says to dump him.
My take: How about this for advice: Grow up! If fiancé doesn't see an issue, and you persist in seeing one, then DTMLA (that would be "dump the mother-lover already). It sounds to me, however, that you've got some issues. Do you want him to be autonomous, or do you want to be doing the mothering? (I would not mind having someone make my dentist appointments and hold my hand in the waiting room. If someone was making my dentist appointments for me, I would see the dentist a lot more often. And volunteers for laundry duty are welcome to report. I might actually wear some ironed clothing once in a while.)

LW4 has been invited to the wedding of the doctor who works on the same floor as her. How should she respond?
My take: How about this for advice: Grow up! You don't want to go to this stranger's wedding? Decline the invitation when it comes.

It's the Césars!

Marc explains the news from France

Ugh. Tonight's the César awards, presented by the imaginary Académie des Césars" (French had to copy the Oscars, by inventing an institution just to award them). The Académie (not française, but des Césars), uses the term "nommé" for "nominee". You see, the French get their panties in a twist for the oddest things. While they see nothing wrong about saying "mail" instead of "courriel" for e-mail, and while they delight in doing their "footing" (jogging) wearing their "jogging" (track suit), their skin crawls when you say "nominé" for "nominee".

Why is this a problem? Well, because "nominé", despite its perfectly French looks, is an illegal alien. Search for "nominé" + "barbarisme" in Google and you get over 8000 hits. And almost all those riled up about this will tell you that the "right" term in French is "nommé".

Except, of course, that this is total BS. "Nommé" is the past participle of "nommer", a verb that means "to name". A civil servant is "nommé" to his position, for example. In the context of an award, it would mean the winner of the award, not a nominee. "Untel est nommé au César du meilleur acteur" would be far more likely to mean that Untel won the award, not that he was one of a number of candidates.<

And there you have the right "right" word. A far better choice would be "candidat".

What Polanski said and when he said it

For the apologists who keep claiming that Polanski did nothing criminal, never admitted it, was cheated regarding his sentence, blah blah blah, read the transcript of his plea hearing at The Smoking Gun.

Some key extracts.

MR. GUNSON: Mr. Polanski, to Count III of indictment number A-334139, which charges you with the commission of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse on March 10th, 1977, a felony, how do you plead?
DEFENDANT: Guilty
MR. GUNSON: Your Honor does the Court make a finding that
Mr. Polanski knew and understood his constitutional rights?
THE COURT: Yes, the Court's made such a finding.
MR. GUNSON: And that he knowingly and intelligently waived those rights?
THE COURT: I have made such a finding.
MR. GUNSON: And does the Court also make a finding that
Mr. Polanski knows of the consequences of his plea?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes.
THE COURT: Yes.

---

MR. GUNSON: Mr. Polanski, before you can plead quilty, you must understand the possible direct consequences of your plea. Do you understand you are pleading to a felony?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes.
MR. GUNSON: What is the maximum sentence for unlawful sexual intercourse?
THE DEFENDANT: It's one to fifteen -- twenty years in
State Prison.

---

MR. GUNSON: Who do you think will decide whether or not you will get probation?
DEFENDANT: The Judge.
MR GUNSON: Who do you think will determine whether the sentence will be a felony or a misdemeanor?
THE DEFENDANT: The Judge.
MR. GUNSON: Do you understand that at this time the Court has not made any decision as to what sentence you will receive?
THE DEFENDANT: (No response.)
MR. GUNSON: Do you understand that the Judge has not made any decision?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes.

Total, a French national champion

Marc explains the news from France

The story HERE.

A strike at refineries and depots of French oil company Total has created a strong likelihood for gas shortages in France. Total supplies about half of France's gas supply. The firm is the result of a takeover by privately owned Total Fina of state-owned Elf Aquitaine under the approving eye of "Socialist" prime minister Lionel Jospin. This is part of a philosophy of the French elite that France needs international "champions", powerhouses in each economic sector. This usually means that French firms need to merge. More recently, we've seen this in the takeover of state-owned Gaz de France by privately owned Suez in the field of energy and public services.  When a company is looking to be sold, the French government will impose as many impediments as possible to a foreign partner in favor of a French one.

One consequence is that there are inevitably more job losses in France, where all the duplication of central services is concentrated.  So why would the elite in the press and politics push these "solutions"? The answer, I think, is that it keeps the top jobs and the levers of patronage in the hands of the French elite, which moves so easily from government to the "private" sector and back.

Another negative outcome is what we're seeing with Total. By concentrating the country's refining and storage capacity in the hands of one firm, the country is more vulnerable to social unrest.

A history of the merger of Total, Petrofina, and Elf HERE.

DP Feb 18: One-by-one

LW1 has recovered from an abusive mother and cut off contact with her and her siblings and half-siblings. Now a younger half-sister, who has an ongoing relationship with mom, wants LW to join that big happy family. LW doesn't want to get back into that, but doesn't want to hurt the well-meaning younger half-sister. Prudie advises to tell the sister that she can't be involved in the family, period. Thanks, but no thanks.
My take: Prudie's right. It might be different if sister wasn't close to your mother, but she is, and that's bad for you.

LW2 is a trophy wife who is unhappy that the wives of her husband's friends don't seem to like her. This is made worse by husband's comments that these men all think she's just so hot. LW takes refuge in child care when they all get together. Prudie advises to join the party, but to also make her own friends among young mothers her age.
My take: Prudie's right. I want to know whether this is LW's husband's second or third marriage.

LW3 is worried about their toddlers seeing her husband's large tattoo of a joint-smoking tiger on his back, a relic of his rebellious youth. Both LW and hubbie were wild youths, but she wants her own kids to be obedient bots. Tattoo is too large to have removed. Prudie advises not to worry about this, and if anything must be done to the tattoo, add something to turn the joint into something else (dildo?).
My take: Prudie's right. This is not a big deal, and if you think you must do something about it, Prudie's solution seems very common-sensical. But LW does need to get used to the idea that her children will rebel, whether she likes it or not. Maybe it's better to explain why the tattoo is there than to pretend it never existed?

LW4 is a woman who discreetly pointed out to another woman at the supermarket that the woman's fly was open. Husband thinks this is wrong, and that it's better not to tell, thus allowing the person to think that maybe noone's noticed. Prudie advises that husband is nuts. Please tell.
My take: Prudie's right. Who would ever think no-one noticed? (Had this happen to me this week...)