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Energy and Power Politics: The French vs. The German Model Posted by Hichem on May 25, 2012
Don’t bury Nicolas Sarkozy just yet! Now that François Hollande is French President, he will have to answer, sur le terrain (on the ground), to some of the tougher questions raised by his ex-rival Sarkozy during their Presidential debate. Let’s pick up from the portion of the debate where we left it last time. Hollande and…
French Tribute Song to Sarkozy’s Memorable “Casse-toi, Pauv’Con” Posted by Hichem on May 5, 2012
French singer Tum Sally insisted upon paying a vibrant tribute to Nicolas Sarkozy by immortalizing his now (in-)famous slur aimed at an old farmer who had the impudence of refusing to shake his hand: “Casse-toi, Pauv’Con” (“Get Lost, You Jerk”)! Tum Sally’s “Casse-toi, Pov’Con” (“Get Lost, You Jerk”) A bit of a strange name, “Tum…
Hollande Vs. Sarkozy: Comics, Economics, and Freakonomics! (Part II) Posted by Hichem on May 4, 2012
Nicolas Sarkozy is a man of contradictions: When a handful of delinquents welcomed him with rotten eggs at one of the Parisian banlieues, he didn’t hesitate to call them racailles (scum.) Yet he never shied away from using un langage de voyou (thuggish language) himself: To an old man who refused to shake his hand, he said “Casse-toi, pauv’ con” (“F***…
Hollande Vs. Sarkozy: Comics, Economics, and Freakonomics! (Part I) Posted by Hichem on May 3, 2012
As you saw in yesterday’s “Hollande Vs. Sarkozy: Get in the Ring!“, the first round of the French Presidential Debate can be best described by the French motto of “pas de quartier” (“no pity”), especially after media reports quoted Sarkozy saying: “Je vais l’exploser” (“I’m gonna blow him up”)! Things heated up even more when it…
Hollande Vs. Sarkozy: Get in the Ring! Posted by Hichem on May 2, 2012
Only three more days to go before we know the name of the leader of France for the next five years. The close interest paid to this year’s French Presidential Elections, pitting François Hollande vs. Nicolas Sarkozy, seems to go beyond the borders of l’Hexagone (as France is nicknamed, after its hexagonal shape.) Nearly 18 millions of French people were…
Joyeuse Fête du Premier Mai! Posted by Hichem on May 1, 2012
Joyeuse fête du premier mai à vous tous ! Of course, you all know that today is la fête du travail (the International Workers’ Day), a celebration which takes place nearly everywhere in the world… But did you know that the First of May is also the special date of another celebration in France? Réfléchissez un petit peu (think for a little bit)… No?…
How to Make a French Baguette Posted by Hichem on Apr 12, 2012
Ok, granted, not everyone can easily learn how to “make-and-bake” a French baguette, but with just a little patience and a fair amount of practice, you hopefully won’t need a “baguette magique” (magic stick) to do that! * * * Combine the steps of the video above with the detailed tricks listed below, and you may…