Frogsmoke

The Brits know what the French don't know (or are afraid to write about): Carla Bruni told Nicolas Sarkozy to use Julie Imperiali as his personal trainer: The 26-year-old trainer reportedly ordered Mr. Sarkozy, a dedicated jogger and cyclist, to shed two pant sizes and forbade him chocolate, cheese and pudding. The trainer gave Mr. [...]

The French press mourns the imminent death of photo agency Gamma, which has just filed for bankruptcy. The agency is yet another victim of the digital age. L'Express publishes an 18-pic slide show of some of the highlights from Gamma's history, which has produced many international prize winners. I chose these three: A burn patient [...]

La Tribune is a French business magazine that has taken the bold step of producing its online content in four foreign languages (English, German, Spanish and Italian). All translations are computer-generated, using Systran technology. In most cases the non-French versions are not too bad (actually better than Google Translate), but sometimes the outcome is complete [...]

You may or may not like foie gras, but geese have more to offer: electricity There's a new energy revolution in the making in the Dordogne. An experimental farm which breeds and feeds 6,000 geese is working on a prototype installation to produce energy from what comes out of the rear end of the birds. [...]

Bruno Levy's photo blog Bobines is always worth a visit. Here's a recent picture that I like a lot:

Today's headlines: French rapper in censorship row Only 367 Muslim Women In France Wear Full Veil Oyster-lovers rage at ban after Arcachon shellfish fail mouse test Air France pilots claim 'foolproof' speed sensors introduced after Brazil plane crash are faulty President Sarkozy ordered to rest and eat more after heart alert Google Maps accused of [...]

Around eight months ago, (American? British?) Mark Webber began work on his latest project, which he is very nearly ready to print. It's a typographic map of Paris. It's in French (naturally) and, being a linocut, Webber has had to carve out every single street and area name he's included, in reverse. Oh and it's [...]

Found on Flickr: An alarm on the platform of a rural French railway station. Photo by Clive Andrews. Says one of the commenters: What if you see a guy wearing socks with Birkenstock sandals and cargo shorts? Does that qualify?

Today's headlines: Why Sarkozy is not fond of being a Frenchman Avignon hecklers turn festival show into a French farce France's 'cookery bible' gets English edition France has gone jog crazy – but without the funny turns French govt panel recommends steep carbon tax for 2010 France's Gamma photo agency on brink of collapse French [...]

Found this on the Figaro site: I'm not quite sure how these bicycles work, but they're apparently available in the bay of Saint Tropez. (Foto credit: Niko/Sipa. Click for bigger.)

Today, on his Facebook page, Nick Sarkozy says he's feeling a lot better after "Sunday's little incident" and thanks his friends for for their support. Curiously, his page also carries an advert for an Internet dating site. The text says Adieu playboys. Find at last the woman that matches you on be2.fr, the #1 site [...]

Asnières, a Paris suburb, hosts a wonderful cemetery, entirely dedicated to deceased animals. The official name is Cimetière des Chiens, but the 1,000 graves are the final resting places of any pet you can imagine. From a slide show in l'Express I chose these images: I like the bottom picture best, because I happen to [...]

Better late than never: This is a timelapse sequence of the 14th of July fireworks in Paris. It's the anniversary of the French Revolution and also the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower. Around 700 000 people gathered in front of the monument to see the pyrotechnics following a free concert by Johnny Hallyday. The [...]

Young French women seem to be more prudish than their parents: In the run-up to World Breastfeeding Week in August, polling institute IFOP asked French women if they considered breastfeeding in public disturbing. The majority (84%) have no problem with it, but the figures vary with age. Among women older than 35 years, only 12% [...]

French imitator Michael Gregorio [website] does not only impersonate singers, from Jacques Brel to Maria Callas, but he is also a stunning guitar player — with his voice. Here he imitates Gary Moore, in a guitar duel with Jean-Felix Lalanne and his band.