Red blogule to propaganda - How much for a journalist ?

How to tell the difference of wealth between an American and an Iraqi ? The price of a Big Mac ? You'd better check the value of the journalist in the commodities section :
. in DC and in the heat of the Presidential campaign, the Bush administration paid columnist Armstrong Williams $240,000 to have him praise the successes of educational reforms on the TV
. in Baghdad and in the heat of the campaign, Allawi offered $100 to all journalists showing up at a campaign press conference (read FT's Allawi group slips cash to reporters)
A 2,400:1 ratio ??? Keep working on it if you want to catch up with your model democracy, King Dubya's banana republic of the divided states of america. Stephane MOT

Red blogule to Guggenheim - Ghost in a shell

Since the issue of "Guggenheim Economics" is raised (Newsweek 20041220), let me add that this franchise has the business model of a low cost carrier sponsored by minor league airports. But don't think economies of scale : the more outlets they open, the more dilluted the collections. The space and architecture makes for the cultural void and the original Guggenheim in New York now looks like a "ghost in a shell". Visiting Guggenheim Bilbao is quite an architectural experience but you're more marvelling at the craft of a software than the inspiration of an artist. And after the ride you realise you were lured into believing you actually met great works but hey, that's how the Planet Hollywood concept managed to sell for a little while. Stephane MOT

Red Blogule to Jeb Bush - The Disaster Brothers

So Mr Natural Catastrophe decided to pay a visit to the Asian shores devastated by last week's tsunamis. Unlike his brother George, a master in manmade disasters, Jeb seems more interested in the destructions caused by Mother Nature. Anyway, the Governor of Florida feels like getting some international exposure. Wonder why ?
Habemus papam folks ! Our Dear Compassionate Leader has found the next ruler for the Bush dynasty. Daddy Herb may call him "44" soon. Stephane MOT

Red blogule to France - Papy blues

France, Europe and the World - papy blues ?
France will hold a referendum on the EU constitution this year. A "no" sure would make the news, but is there any way the country could get an identity back ?
Jacques Chirac has a knack for finding ways of putting his country back on the map, and the resistance to the American domination seems an inspirational source - from nuclear explosions in the Pacific Ocean (the rationale : some coral crushing is the price to pay in order not to depend on the US for some sensitive data crunching) to more glamourous fights (in favor of the "cultural diversity", against the Bush mob about Iraq).
Now it's time to define France and Europe a more subtle way. Both shouldn't exist simply as a negative or counterbalancing force to such superpowers as the US or China.
Up to now, the French have somehow succeeded in being instrumental in the creation and development of the European Union. This influence is now over, even if former president Giscard d'Estaing led the EU Constitution project in 2004. Even the golden seat at the UN (veto power can deter as efficiently as nukes) may soon become history.
So France welcomes this referendum as the main event of the year to come. A proof of its very existence. Discovering with stupor what it means to become Europe's "Belle Province" - a proud, scenic and original spot without much influence on its environment nor its own destiny.

White blogule to cultural diversity - China is already on top

The US don't even realize it yet but they've already been overtaken by China. Forget the traditional measuring tools supposed to tell you what a superpower is (GDP, RBI... you name it). We're talking about the way a country's culture attracts people from all over the world. The US model is already dead and the Chinese one just finishing its warm up period.
This time, China won't try to overwhelm the region with its mandarin style rococco but peacefully let the world enjoy and spread the word about a second to none variety of cultures and ethnies... provided they get rid of their tradition of coating everything in a disneylike display of radical colors or in a tasteless MSG saturated sauce.
In the meanwhile, come enjoy beautiful Yunnan before mass tourism takes too much flavor out of it. Back from Kunming, Lijiang, Dali and Zhongdian.

White blogule to The Economist - Big bother is waiting for you

I fully agree with the last words of The Economist's article on France's strategy against Islamists : "Mr de Villepin's approach will be studied with interest - even, perhaps, in America" (December 18th 2004). "Big Dominique"'s rival, Nicolas Sarkozy, may well already receive some support from the US in his own "fight against Islamists"... as well as in his other fight for France's presidency in 2007.
Mr Sarkozy published his very controversial book (calling for a change in the French law which could mean the end of the separation of religion and the State) just a few days before the American elections. This could be interpreted as a signal to the Bush Administration which welcomed him as a friendly statesman a few monthes earlier. If I were an American Christian fundamentalist or a Saudi Muslim fundamentalist, I guess I wouldn't hesitate when it comes to picking a successor to Jacques Chirac. Stephane MOT

Red blogule to Ken Mehlman - Smartasseries

The guy will take the helm of the RNC and is the helluvan organization man. Too damn efficient. And unlike Rove you can't help but like this overconfident tornado of a "turn-outer". Each time he appeared on the TV during the elections you would wonder how the Dems kept sending McAuliffe to the front.
Now the Reps can start the 2008 campaign and increase their lead. Whoever the opponent, he/she might have an impossible gap to fill. And every day the situation's getting worse : the Red Army is already targeting the few counties left, not even seeing any ass to kick.

Democracy : the usual fee plus expenses

I find rather cynical the arithmetics of liberation according to the Bush Administration. Since they know they cannot guarantee secure elections on time in Iraq, they've decided to multiply the number of sites where they are to take place. Insurgents and terrorists threatened to kill the people who vote or organize the vote ? They don't care : even if 1,000 sites are destroyed, they can say "over 85% of the time, everything went fine - democracy is on its way". Stephane MOT

Back to the RSS

E-nuf is E-nuf. Shoulda done it two years ago. Back then, I hesitated starting my blog directly in the industrial RSS / XML feed format and launched my "blogules" ye olde way, building my page with pre-Blogtenberg tools (straight on PageBuilder). The output ? More delays between the production, edition and publishing phases.

So on december the 22nd, 2004, almost two years after their launch, "blogules" switched to the easy-feed mode - Merry XMLas !

2004, Year of the Monkeys (how the **** could we let Chavez and Bush get reelected ?), isn't over yet but the BLOGULES are now full speed blogs.

Stephane MOT