Thoughts on France

Every so often I look at another blog, one that always takes me away, albeit briefly, from the stygian depths of my frustrations. That blog is chezlouloufrance, a delightful place to visit and catch up with all that is right in France. It is maintained by Jennifer Greco, a charming American lady who with her husband and dog and cat moved to France several years ago. She has documented life in the south, in the northwest, and very recently she finally moved to Paris, where she always really wanted to be. She is also now a French citizen. And she celebrates the good things she finds in France, now mostly in Paris where there are so many good things to find. Congratulations Jennifer!  http://chezlouloufrance.blogspot.com/

Some Americans don't like France. Absurdly provincial and narrow minded, extraordinarily puerile, over the top right wing extremists tend to fall into this class of France haters. Because France did not want to join one of the American bombing parties, let's show those French, we will change the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries! Yeah, freedom fries. What little brains they have must be fried. Spare me from pompous imbeciles please!

Yes, I know such people live in France too. The USA does not have a  monopoly on idiots in government. They are everywhere. Money and power corrupt. It is a universal problem. And certainly France has political problems. The Front National is such an example. A reactionary response to the perceived pollution of French society with dark skinned foreigners. And sadly this perception is gleefully reinforced by some psychopathic idiots with guns who think they can silence the free speech of France by shooting a few people. Yes, psychopaths, you got the attention of France. Can you count on the nation now remaining silent? Of course not. You simply murdered people who represent what you don't understand. Look to your own house before you even think of going anywhere else.

Meanwhile the French show an inclination to throw the bums out, those bums in government. They look at where they were, where they are now, and say "Mon Dieu! Impôts sont trop élevés! Mes retraite / salaires sont trop bas! Les services sont moche! Les étrangers sont partout! Notre président est un imbécile malhonnête! Temps de croire les promesses du challenger!" So Sarkozy was elected. Then they did not like him. So Hollande was elected. Now they do not like him. Next they should elect Segolene Royal. Soon enough they won't like her either. But hey, Italy kept electing Berlusconi, a lecherous crook. Hollande's libidinous tendencies on the other hand did not play so well in France. But what happened in the USA? Impeach! Impeach! Impeach! Europeans are not so sanctimonious about sex. The USA is still haunted by the puritanical ghosts who burned witches.

I called this "Thoughts on France" but I keep going off topic. I think my problem with talking about France is I have never been there. I have been to England, Scotland, Austria and Italy. But so far never to France. I've been  to Montreal and Quebec City several times, but in spite of being French places, they are not France. I must get there. I have cousins there! Family name is Drancourt, one if the many Huguenot families. One of my French ancestors was a candle maker. I think he may have been from the Lorriaux side of the family. My French great grandmother came to the USA as a young girl and later married an American Civil War veteran, who later became my mother's grandparents. My French connection.

Speaking of big and positive changes...

Not very long after moving in to this wonderful urban townhouse, I was compelled to resign my job due to an imperious bully running the department I was mistakenly thrown into. An incompetent manager did not help things. I tried, I really did try to find a better position in that company, but to no avail. In spite of resigning, they paid me severance and covered all my benefits for the remainder of the year. Go figure.

Unfortunately the job market is awful. It took me seven months to find a contract job. For a while it was really good. Work at home, get very well paid! Then they cancelled the project after one and a half months. Now my income is zero and expenses continue apace. In two months the bank account will also be zero.

Now I have to look at jobs paying about half of what I need to keep the boat afloat. 

The problem is this big and positive change has a big price tag. A two income household should cover it fine, but now we have one part time and the other no time. Not a good time.

The background picture for this blog

The background picture for this blog is one of the collection of  images offered by Google. I would have used one of my own pictures, but this picture got to me right away. I wanted something to illustrate the idea of the urban landscape, and what did I find but a picture of Grand Central Station in midtown Manhattan. I grew up near NYC and I always was fascinated by this space and the grandeur of it, the grandeur coming from having been built in a previous age when grand structures evoked so brilliantly the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome (from "To Helen" as reconstructed by Edgar Allen Poe).

To me, Grand Central Station epitomizes the urban scene, particularly the urban scene as personified by NYC, even more particularly by Manhattan. I don't live near there now, but I am in another urban scene, namely Boston. More specifically Chelsea, but so close to and so integrated with Boston that there isn't any material difference even though Chelsea is a separate city. Interestingly Chelsea is also the name given to a neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan. But there many other places named Chelsea in the world. That is OK, Chelsea is nice name.