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Archive for 'Economy & Biz'

French Olympic Girls Doing Badly — Except One

Nobody knows why, but the Françaises haven't done a great job at the Beijing Olympics.
Out of the 39 medals only 7 ended up around female necks, including just one gold medal. It's a French phenomenon: among the top-10 medal winning countries, over 40% of victories went to girls. It's also new: in 2004, at […]

Posted: Sun 24-Aug-08 under People, Economy & Biz, Oops

It pays to win an Olympic medal

For reasons I don't fully understand (prestige?), it's not only the athletes that are desperate to win gold, silver or bronze at the Olympics, but also their governments. Many nations try to get the most out of their sports heroes by promising cash when they come home with a medal.

The most generous nation is […]

Posted: Fri 15-Aug-08 under Economy & Biz, Events

No housing crisis at the Cote d'Azurski

According to local paper Nice Matin, this lovely little villa just changed hands to a Russian oligarch for 500 million euros.

If the statistic can be believed it's now the most expensive house in the world. The previous owner was a Lebanese widow. A century ago it was the hideaway of Belgian King Leopold II, […]

Posted: Sat 09-Aug-08 under Economy & Biz

French take on petrol prices

Found on Flickr

Posted: Sun 20-Jul-08 under Economy & Biz

France by Numbers: 72.2 Billion

According to Forbes, France counts 16 billionaires who together were worth 72.2 billion euros in March 2008, up from 69.7 billion last year. Their net average value is 4.6 billion euros, twice as much as the net value of billionaires wordwide. Two of these 16 French super-rich feature in the world's top-20 list of richest […]

Posted: Wed 02-Jul-08 under Economy & Biz, Statistics

Expensive Diesel? My Arse!

French fishermen are not happy with high fuel prices and restrictive quotas, so they're blocking ports and oil terminals across the country. They also do some other things to show their discontent.
Latest: Fishermen clash with Paris police | Image source

Posted: Wed 21-May-08 under Economy & Biz, Events

The next French not-made-in-France car

Renault is getting serious about making its cars outside France. Starting next month, the new Sandero will hit the European markets. The car is currently made in Romania, and from next year production will be shifted to Russia.
The good news is that the Sandero will be extremely cheap - starting at just 7,800 euros. […]

Posted: Sun 18-May-08 under Economy & Biz

World's Longest Bridge

French company Vinci has signed the deal for building the world's longest bridge. The 40 km (25 mi) bridge will link the oil-rich countries Qatar and Bahrain, and should be ready in 2011.
Since the locals have so much money that they don't need to work, the bridge will be built by cheap labor from […]

Posted: Tue 13-May-08 under Economy & Biz

Dropping 700 Million Batteries

Click for full-size ad
This photo is used in a French ad (by agency Australie) for Uniross rechargeable batteries. The (broken) English text says:
Every year, we all drop nearly 700 millions batteries in nature. Do something for the planet. Use rechargeable batteries.
Via Ads of the World

Posted: Fri 02-May-08 under Economy & Biz, Created in France, Environment & Health

Investment Advice: Avoid CRAP

On WallStreet Fighter: 10 Most Vulgar Ticker Symbols
Number two in the list is CRAP, the ticker symbol for French regional bank CRCAM Alpes Provence. "A completely innocuous shortening of the company name into ticker symbol form, but with horrible consequences. The bank provides financial and insurance products for students, farmers, small businesses, and local communities. […]

Posted: Thu 01-May-08 under Economy & Biz, Oops

Louis Vuitton Sues Darfur Fundraiser for Copyright Infringement

The offending picture. Click for bigger.
The Paris based fashion house Louis Vuitton has filed charges against a 26 year old student artist, Nadia Plesner, for selling posters and t-shirts of a Darfur victim, holding a designer bag inspired by a Louis Vuitton design. All of the profits had been going to charity but Louis Vuitton […]

Posted: Sun 27-Apr-08 under Economy & Biz, Society, Oops

Guess what they're selling here?

Click for King Size
(Spoiler: Manix is not a shoe make.)

Posted: Thu 24-Apr-08 under Economy & Biz, Oops

Would you buy this man's body lotion?

Soon you can. Sébastien Chabal has been chosen to advertise "Pour Un Homme", by Caron.
French rugby player Chabal, aka the Caveman, aka Attila the Hun, aka the Jaw Breaker, aka Hannibal Lecter, will soon tell the world that a perfume with the smell of lavender and vanilla is exactly what men need to emphasize their […]

Posted: Tue 22-Apr-08 under People, Economy & Biz

A Crocodile of 75

The famous French Lacoste brand celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. From Wikipedia:
René Lacoste was a famous tennis player who achieved fame in two areas: tennis and fashion. While winning the 1927 U.S. Open championship, René Lacoste of France wore something that he himself had created: a white, short-sleeve shirt made exclusively of a light […]

Posted: Sat 19-Apr-08 under Economy & Biz, Created in France

Postman Pierre

The British Sun is angry:

THE French postal service yesterday launched the latest competitive threat to ROYAL MAIL. LA POSTE, owned by the French government, has bought a controlling stake, worth around £20million, in sorting firm BTB MAILFLIGHT. And it could lead to La Poste’s yellow vans, a familiar sight in France, hitting Britain’s streets.
Their […]

Posted: Sat 12-Apr-08 under Economy & Biz

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