Monthly Archives: November 2009

Thanksgiving Explained to the French – Hysterical!

Art Buchwald’s classic explanation of Thanksgiving is priceless! It’s still a riot after  50 years. In 2005, a copy of it was reprinted in the Washington Post and it still packs its punch! I thought it was written to explain … Continue reading

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History of French Cuisine

For a history of French restaurants and what remains there after 200 years, check out: this New York Times article Thank you, Pamela, for sending it to us! Did you know that the history of French cuisine is an academic … Continue reading

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Antisemitism in France — hoax email still making the rounds

Récemment, j’ai reçu mon enième exemplaire d’une alarme d’anti-sémitisme en France. Pourquoi s’alarmer sans savoir les faits ? Pourquoi blâmer la France ? Comment croire un mail sans auteur? Il y a assez de racisme dans le monde pour ne … Continue reading

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Etienne’s View on French and BHL’s Politics

Etienne sent our blog a post of Bernard-Henri Lévy, interviewed in L’Express about his views on French politics today – the future of its Socialist Party (PS). That appears on a separate post. This post was written by Etienne Roop, … Continue reading

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Is the French Socialist Party Dead?

In this Express article, Bernard-Henri Lévy talks about the future of the Parti Socialiste in France – its position today and where he thinks it is going. BHL is a “new philosopher,” a political analyst and commentator, and a journalist. … Continue reading

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“Libéralisme” and BHL in French politics today

Pamela Sacks and Etienne Roop are two of my more erudite students. Pam is learning French by supplementing grammar with translating from French to English. Etienne is progressing by reading and writing French. Below is Pam’s translation of Roop’s recent … Continue reading

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French complain they are working harder and earning less

French workers react to the financial crisis in France: Getting less money for doing more work

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French anthropologist Levi-Strauss dead at 100

To read about the passing of a major French cultural icon, click on: Story on France24

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Update on Paris’ Bike Experiment

A surprising civic failure…. “The cautionary tale of Paris, which has had more than 80 percent of its 20,000 bikes damaged or stolen in two years, shouldn’t stop other cities from pushing forward with similar bike-sharing programs, as Boston hopes … Continue reading

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