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To the amazement of this blogger, Ripley's Believe It or Not reports that Y is a real French placename.

Ripley is right:
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At last count (1999), Y had 89 inhabitants, who are called Ypsiloniennes (the girls) and Ypsilons (the boys). Although Y is the commune with the shortest name in France, it's not alone […]

The French national statistics body Insee has just published the official demographic data for 2006. That year ended with a population of 63.392 million, up an unprecedented 300,000 from the previous year, the result of more births and less deaths. The French are the second most populated nation in Europe (after Germany). Nearly one in […]

Before PlayStation, kids were happy with games like this:

Find the farmer, his wife, the farm boy, two cows, a sheep and a pig.
(Click for bigger, via Agence Eureka)

One century after Nils Holgerson started flying geese, he has finally entered a new era:

Click for bigger

Click to reveal this French ad. (But even then it may still be confusing.)

Links for Thursday 21 August 2008:
"Cry of alarm" France bans broadcast of TV shows for babies
"Lift your heads, to be professional" Bodies of French soldiers return from Afghanistan
"We have to look into it" NATO examines friendly fire report in French deaths
Final tribute: Sarkozy hails fallen troops' 'struggle against barbarism'
François Ozon: An enfant terrible takes French […]

On Environmental Gaffiti: 25 Most Colorful Lakes on Earth

This red lake is near Albertville in the French Alps.

On Wikipedia:

The Canard Digérateur, or Digesting Duck, was an automaton in the form of duck, created by Jacques de Vaucanson in 1739. The mechanical duck appeared to have the ability to eat kernels of grain, and to metabolise and defecate them. While the duck did not actually have the ability to do this - the […]

My Little Pony
Click for source. (What is this about?)

The little French town of Condom must be the first place in the world that has its own ringtone for mobile phones. The mp3 (a beautiful a capella homage to Condom) has been made available by the BBC World Service Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Download the ringtone here.
From Wikipedia:
Given the more […]

Singer Anaïs Croze was born in Grenoble on August 20, 1976. Her first album, called The Cheap Show, was recorded live in January 2004 and released in 2005. She is without any doubt (at least in my mind) one of France's most talented artists. Watch her in this video, but don't get fooled by the […]

Found on PIXFTW: Students who get good grades choose BIC

This may work for maths, bot not for history: the BIC pen didn't see the light until 1950.

Links for Wednesday 20 August 2008:
Unshaken resolve: 'Shocked' Nicolas Sarkozy vows to keep French forces in Afghanistan
But: French press question Afghan role
No illusions: French foreign minister sees limits of Western power
French study: Birds can't keep up with climate change
Dr Death: French plastic surgeon Michel Maure arrested in Spain
Wishful thinking? France Readies Plan To Keep Recession […]

John Nouanesing is one of those creative minds who never ceases to amaze me — and always makes me smile:

More in his catalogue

Emperor of… Finland?
Click for source. (What is this about?)