Journal Entries
SF's NaJoPoMo 20th November 2013
Posted Nov 20, 2013
continued from the-day-before-yesterday's journal : F8387085?thread=8305989
and yesterday's journal : F8387085?thread=8306024
Previously in SF's NaJoPoMo...
21st April 2002.
The far-right candidate beats the Socialist candidate.
The second round of the presidential election will be between Chirac and Le Pen, who is, shall we say, rather hostile to quite a lot of people.
Le Pen is famous, among other things, for his comment on the gas chambers being "a historical detail",
and when a man confronted him saying someone in his family had been sent to a concentration camp, he answered with a smile "oh, he came back, did he? Well, it can't have been that bad, then!".
So there are demonstrations.
And people start circulating a little book.
The reason should become obvious when I've presented it. 
It was first published in 1998.
It is called "Matin Brun" (and published in English in 2003 under the title "Brown Morning", which is the litteral translation, but "mâtin" is also a word for a big dog).
The author is French, his name is Franck Pavloff.
... And yes, it does mention dogs. 
The story is only 10 pages long, but it carries so much meaning.
The hero is an average man, who likes to have a coffee and play cards with his best friend.
The new regime, the Brown State, has passed a law that makes it illegal to own a cat that isn't brown. 
White cats, black cats, multicoloured cats: forbidden.
That's because there are too many cats, you see, and the scientific studies have proven that the brown ones are better : healthier, cuddlier, you name it.
... So why not obey? It is the law after all.
Then, the law is extended to dogs. 
The same scientists back it up.
... So why not obey? It is the law, after all.
Where does it end, though?
How long do you let the regime take away your rights, just because "hey, it's not that big a deal if you can't choose, and they know best, anyway".
This tiny little book is a real gem, full of symbolism and *beautifully* written.
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Latest reply: Nov 20, 2013
SF's NaJoPoMo 19th November 2013
Posted Nov 19, 2013
continued from yesterday's journal : F8387085?thread=8305989
So, in 2002, the first round of the election took place on 21st April.
And that night when the results were announced, it was like a shockwave over the whole country.
We wouldn't have a duel between the leaders of the two major parties.
The Socialist candidate had been beaten.
On the second round of the 2002 French presidential election, Chirac (the then President, moderate right-wing) would be facing Le Pen (the leader of the far-right Front National party).
I remember the Socialist officials crying on TV.
I remember Jospin announcing his political retirement, after such a fiasco.
I remember crying on the phone with a friend, partly disappointed, partly angry, and partly anxious.
I remember being scared of the future, for the first time in my life.
Then in the following fortnight, I remember demonstrating, for the first time in my life.
Taking part in sit-ins, and handing out pamphlets about human rights and about fascism.
I remember a friend's sister (of Italian origin) being told by one of her co-workers "you'll be one of the first to be kicked out when we win".
And after those two weeks, I remember voting for a right-wing candidate, for the first time in my life.
Chirac won the election.
It wasn't what I had hoped for, but it was better than the alternative.
I also remember discovering a book at that time.
A tiny little book that was pretty widely (wildly?) circulated during those two weeks.
But that's what tomorrow's posting will be about...
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Latest reply: Nov 19, 2013
SF's NaJoPoMo 18th November 2013
Posted Nov 18, 2013
This is an introduction for tomorrow's journal posting, which will be an introduction for the day after tomorrow's posting.
The French presidential election (under the present constitution) happens in two rounds.
Whoever wants to be a candidate must collect 500 signatures from elected officials for their candidature to be validated.
(So I probably wouldn't manage it, as those elected officials will generally support either the head of the party they are affiliated to, or the head of *a* party).
Then, the first round can take place : voters choose among all the people who have those 500 signatures.
If one of them receives over 50% of the valid votes, they are elected.
That has never happened so far.
So, there is a second round two weeks later, with only the candidates with the two highest scores.
Obviously, one of them is bound to get over 50% of the valid votes, thus becoming the next President.
The second round is always between the leaders of the two major parties: moderate right-wing against moderate left-wing.
On voting nights, the main tv channels have special election programmes, with officials of all the parties invited, so that they can react directly.
Jacques Chirac was elected President in 1995, for seven years.
In 2000, there was a referendum that changed the presidential term from seven to five years.
So 2002 was the first election where that was applied.
To be continued.
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Latest reply: Nov 18, 2013
SF's NaJoPoMo 17th November 2013
Posted Nov 17, 2013
Cold Case.
Last night, I watched the very first 2 episodes.
I remember following the few last seasons quite regularly (having missed several seasons before that), but I didn't remember it being that good.
So now I'll have to re-watch them all, just to make sure. 
I like the lady who plays Lilly Rush (the lead detective), the other people in her team are pretty good characters as well, and the stories are nice and thrilling, so it *shouldn't* be too much of a drudge. 
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Latest reply: Nov 17, 2013
SF's NaJoPoMo 16th November 2013
Posted Nov 16, 2013
The caterpillar factory.
That's my living room.
And I blame... no, not 2legs; I blame Sho.
As some of you may have noticed already, Sho is a fan of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
As some of you may know already, I enjoy knitting.
So when Sho said she might come to the Reims Meet, I looked for a caterpillar knitting pattern to make.
I found one.
I made one.
Then, real life happened and Sho couldn't come after all.
So the caterpillar flew to her.
But my colleagues had seen me knitting it (although some still don't know if it was a worm or a snake). Those colleagues include a young lady who had a 6-month-old daughter. She didn't directly ask for one, but she complimented me on it, so I made one for little D. (although her mum says it's more like a tapeworm).
And my colleague sent me pictures of the little one chewing on the caterpillar's nose.
Which is what the nose is all about, by the way. (I hope you're taking notes, Sho!).
Then there was the time I apologised to my book club mates for not having read a lot, due to some intensive knitting.
To which the librarian said: Oh, we have that book here! I sometimes read it to the kids on Wednesdays! (*)
Again, she didn't ask directly, but rather said something along the lines of "ooh, wouldn't it be nice to have something like that while reading the story, it would make things so much more lively!" 
Right.
And then there was my sister's daughter.
Her mother did ask directly.
For an extra-long, multicoloured one.
Because.
So I am now working on my fourth caterpillar.
And I might have a fifth one to make after that.
(*) Wednesday is the day off school. The library organises afternoon activities.
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Latest reply: Nov 16, 2013
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