Elliot Spitzer resignation

Was idly wondering what the French would be saying about all of this brouhaha.

But wait, I already know.

First, they will be saying that all Americans are hypocrites, and that will be followed by laughing at our prudish Puritanical reaction and compare that with their (much better) promiscuous politicians and how it is just accepted.

Puritan vs. promiscuous, seems like there must be another way.

Strike Watch

Students were striking in several cities today to protest the suppression of I forget how many jobs.

Can you tell I am getting bored writing about strikes all of the time?

The Restaurant Rule of Good Bread equaling Bad Food

Tried out the new incarnation of Café des Lettres the other night with a friend. Used to be a great place, casual, steady, light but substantial Swedish fare, and sometimes nothing else seemed so right as that menu.

New owners have sadly remodeled into a faux clubby library feeling without the slightest patina, removing all trace of casual warm atmosphere. Servers are pleasant, but the food 'immangeable', not worth eating, better to go hungry. But my friend Eric had a feeling before the meal came, when we both commented on how delicious the bread was. Eric's maxim, confirmed unfortunately by Café des Lettres is, 'the better the bread, the worse the meal' . Remember it!

Strike Watch

Today (and promised for the entire week), it is the air controllers turn to wreak havoc. One of two flights will leave from Orly , and flights from Roissy will be late, as is so often the case, but even later. I understood that it was because 40 controllers were being moved to Roissy from Orly, but since this doesn't seem to be enough of a reason, either I don't have the whole story or they are just getting more unreasonable.

I am so glad I am not traveling this week.

Strike Watch-Strasbourg Hairdressers!

Hairdressers in Strasbourg striking against regulations that state one has to have proper training before starting their own hair salon. Protesters believe that five years of working in any salon should be enough experience to start one's own business.
So on the one hand, we have taxi drivers protesting against deregulation of their profession and now hairdressers protesting regulation. Pity the politician...

Strike Watch -Second Opération Escargot

Yes, the taxis were striking again today, making idea of taking the car out of the garage. A forty minute jaunt could turn into hours trapped amongst a cacophony of raging hysterical drivers if caught behind the mob of taxis blocking axes; hours - I have neither the patience nor the temperament.

In the end, it turned out to be rather delightful-there were no unpleasant surprises. And I must admit to feeling a tinge of evil glee - I saw operation escargot in action twice, but always going in the opposite direction. I feel like one lucky traveller today!

As it turns out, they won in the end, no additional taxis to be bestowed on the streets of Paris, so it will be just as impossible as ever to get a taxi in Paris.

And why would anyone vote for a politician promising change? How can any politician make any changes when the natives will prevent any changes from actually being put into practice?

Strike Watch - Opération Escargot

Operation Escargot-the first time I heard that expression, I thought it was utterly hilarious and clever. But that was when it was truckers on the French superhighways, nothing that affected my day. Today’s strike is national and urban and bound to be entirely vexing. Taxi drivers are gathering in Paris, around the Place de la Republique, to protest deregulation and an addition of some 50,000 taxis to the 16,000 already present, if I heard the numbers right, in the Paris region alone.
While taxis are far from numerous, I can’t imagine what this will do Parisian congestion. It would be nice to think it will be just as easy to hail a taxi as in New York or London, but will it? Let’s see how this plays out.

I haven’t heard whether they will be on the move once they gather, but can’t imagine otherwise, since wreaking havoc must be high on their agendas. So I fear a lot of obnoxious honking, disregard of traffic lights, and general chaos around my home in the sixth, as the day wears on.