And the winner is ...

The police in Moscow arrested last evening around 30 people who demonstrated for the rights of homosexuals in the country, a few hours before the finale of the Eurovision song contest. Some shouted « homophobia is a shame for Russia » and « egal rights for all » during the unauthorized demonstration, before being caught by the police. Some have been arrested some time after when they tried to talk with journalists, reports AFP (Agence France Presse).You have noticed of course that this demonstration took place at the same time than the Eurovision song contest (which has a big popularity among homosexuals and It was its first time in this country) but also a day before the world day against homophobia.

ABBA wins Eurovision Song Contest 1974

Tonight !

It's time for you al to invite friends at home this evening and share one of the most popular TV entertainment of all times : the Eurovision song contest. It's tonight at 21:00 Paris time. Bring at the couch table the beers and wine bottles, and anything you can eat without going to the fridge like sodas and crisps. Put some cushions on the floor, give paper and pencil for everyone so you can make your own contest. It's more fun of course if some of your friends are from different countries, so you can notice the cultural differences. The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la Chanson) is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition. Each country participates via one of their national EBU-member television stations, whose task it is to select a singer and a song to represent their country in the international competition. The Contest has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in 1956 and is one of the longest-running television programmes in the world. It is also one of the most-watched non-sporting events in the world, with audience figures having been quoted in recent years as anything between 100 million and 600 million internationally. Eurovision has also been broadcast outside Europe to such places as Australia, Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea and the USA, despite the fact that these countries do not compete. Eligible participants include Active Members (as opposed to Associate Members) of the European Broadcasting Union. Active members are those whose states fall within the European Broadcasting Area, or otherwise those who are members of the Council of Europe. The European Broadcasting Area is defined by the International Telecommunication Union: The "European Broadcasting Area" is bounded on the west by the western boundary of Region 1, on the east by the meridian 40° East of Greenwich and on the south by the parallel 30° North so as to include the western part of the USSR, the northern part of Saudi Arabia and that part of those countries bordering the Mediterranean within these limits. In addition, Iraq, Jordan and that part of the territory of Turkey lying outside the above limits are included in the European Broadcasting Area. The western boundary of Region 1 is a line drawn west of Iceland down the centre of the Atlantic Ocean. Active members include broadcasting organisations whose transmissions are made available to (virtually) all of the population of the country in which they are based. If an EBU Active Member wishes to participate, they must fulfil conditions as laid down by the rules of the Contest (of which a separate copy is drafted annually). As of 2009, this includes the necessity to have broadcast the previous year's programme within their country, and paid the EBU a participation fee in advance of the deadline specified in the rules of the Contest for the year in which they wish to participate. Eligibility to participate is not determined by geographic inclusion within the continent of Europe, despite the "Euro" in "Eurovision" — nor does it have a direct connection with the European Union. Several countries geographically outside the boundaries of Europe have competed: Israel, Cyprus and Armenia, in Western Asia, since 1973, 1981 and 2004 respectively; and Morocco, in North Africa, in the 1980 competition alone. In addition, several transcontinental countries with only part of their territory in Europe have competed: Turkey, since 1975; Russia, since 1994; Georgia, since 2007; and Azerbaijan, which made its first appearance in the 2008 edition. Two of the countries that have previously sought to enter the competition, Lebanon and Tunisia, in Western Asia and North Africa respectively, are also outside of Europe. In 2009 the Gulf nation of Qatar announced its interest in joining the Contest by 2011.

Purple

Instantanés

KaDeWe

Today in the paper I was surprised to learn that the owner of the department store KaDeWe, because of the crisis and debts, decided to sell it, as well as the ones in Hamburg and Munich. I know nothing about the last two cities but I heard that for the one in Berlin, Printemps and Galeries Lafayette (already has a store in the center of the city), both French department stores, are on the list as well as Harrods (UK) among others. KaDeWe in Berlin is a temple of luxury, It is also a touristic attraction that gives pride to the people of the city. More than 180.000 visitors a day come in this place and that is 44 times more than people visiting the Reichstag. Founded in 1907, this KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) does not take its name from the cold war but by its geographical position, near the rich area of the west of the capital. It was a window of the capitalism during the cold war and conquers the heart of the East Germans with the fall of the Wall.

Love story

Instantanés

Sweets

Finally. Yes, finally one occasion pay a tribute, as sticky as regressive to a man who had for only capital to start a bag of sugar, a marble plate, an oven, a brass cauldron and a roller created in 1920 in the basement of his house a monster of enjoyment. Its name ? Hans Riegel. Mr Haribo, that’s him (it comes from Hans Riegel Bonn). Yes, the guy whom we thank for sweets made of gum, pink tongues, green or blue, our childhood at the dentist. The one thanks whom the summit of the enjoyment would never have seen the daylight : the tagada strawberry. A little jewel of gelatin, coated with pink sugar and flavored that gives you compulsive behavior. This sweet was created in 1969 in France. 1967 : the Rigel family tries to sell their sweets everywhere and buys in Marseille (south of France) a company to produce on site. The German already invented a strawberry sweet named Prima Vera but the French want another taste, also rounder and softer : that will be the tagada. Why this name ? simple, in French, we say as a “bla bla bla” : “tagada tsoin tsoin” but in the end stayed for the sweet only tagada. Now the company is strong of 900 people. Straight away, the sweet is a success. The process is of course a secret but It is the star of sweets and knows no crisis. 30 units are sold every second in the world and 1 billiard in France every year with a target of people between 7 and 45 years old, meaning It is already the second generation which eats the tagada. You even can find it on Facebook (11 000 friends) who exchange recipes or handmade accessories.

Instantanés

Eat and we sleep

Today in the paper, following a survey ordered by OECD, It is officially established that the French spend more time at the table and in bed than anyone else, meaning from the “rich” countries, counting about 18 countries (but please, not at the same time). So we are the champions ! says this survey, stating as well that the Norwegians have the benefit of the biggest quantity of free time. It is calculated that we spend 530 minutes per day (8:49 hours) in bed. South Koreans have the last seat with only 470 minutes of sleep per day (7:49 hours). French are the people who spend the biggest time at the table. The total average time of the meals last 130 minutes in the hexagon when a bit more than 80 minutes in the U.K. and only 62 minutes in Mexico. Norwegians are the lucky ones with leisure for which they give more than the fourth of their time, far away before the Mexicans, the red light for this subject. Generally in the studied countries, TV stays from far the prefered activity. It takes 55% of the leisure time in Japan against “only” 25% for New-Zealand. Turkey is sacred « best sociable country » : people spend there 35% of their free time with their friends, when the average time in the OECD is about 11%. The only common point with all those countries is the non-love for sport activities. In Spain, the most advanced in this domain, the physical activity occupied only 13% of the free time. At the same time, another study is in complete contradiction with this survey, from the National Institute of sleep and vigilance which states that the average time of sleep for French is 6:58 hours during the week and 7:50 hours during week-ends (1000 asked people from 18 to 55 years old). And don’t forget that if being at table means to eat, being in bed does not mean absolutely to sleep. If I recall correctly, France has the best rate in Europe regarding fertility.

Instantanés

Body Worlds

Body Worlds (German title: Koerperwelt) is a traveling exhibition of preserved human bodies and body parts that are prepared using a technique called plastination to reveal inner anatomical structures. The exhibition's developer and promoter is a German anatomist named Gunther von Hagens, who invented the plastination technique in the late 1970s at the University of Heidelberg. Body Worlds was first presented in Tokyo in 1995. Body Worlds exhibitions have since been hosted by more than 50 museums and venues in North America, Europe, and Asia and It comes back to Berlin this week until August. The exhibitions have received more than 26 million visitors, making them the world's most popular touring attraction. The exhibit states that its purpose and mission is the education of laymen about the human body, leading to better health awareness. All the human plastinates are from people who donated their bodies for plastination via a body donation program. Each Body Worlds exhibition contains approximately 25 full-body plastinates with expanded or selective organs shown in positions that enhance the role of certain systems. More than 200 specimens of real human organs and organ systems are displayed in glass cases, some showing various medical conditions. Some of the specimens, such as the Tai Chi Man demonstrate interventions, and include prosthetics such as artificial hip joints or heart valves. Also featured is a liver with cirrhosis and the lungs of a smoker and non-smoker are placed side by side. A prenatal display features fetuses and embryos, some with congenital disorders. To produce specimens for Body Worlds, von Hagens employs 340 people at five laboratories in three countries, China, Germany and Kyrgyzstan. Each laboratory is categorized by specialty, with the China laboratory focusing on animal specimens. One of the most difficult specimens to create was the giraffe that appears in Body Worlds & The Mirror of Time. The specimen took three years to complete – ten times longer than it takes to prepare a human body. Ten people are required to move the giraffe, because its final weight (like all specimens after plastination) is equal to the original animal. Body Worlds exhibitions have controversy and debate focused on various issues. Religious groups, including representatives of the Catholic Church and some Jewish Rabbishave objected to the display of human remains, stating that it is inconsistent with reverence towards the human body. In 2003, while promoting a display in the Hamburg Museum of Erotica von Hagens announced his intention to create a sex plastinate. In May 2009 he unveiled a plastinate of a couple having sex, intended for a Berlin exhibition. In 2007 The Bishop of Manchester launched a campaign to coincide with the opening of Body Worlds in that city, accusing the exhibitors of being "body snatchers" and "robbing the NHS", arguing that donation of bodies for plastination would deprive the National Health Service of organs for transplant. The site included a government petition calling for "a review of the law regarding the policies and practices of touring shows involving corpses". Consent is a primary focus of discussion. Paul Harris, director of North Carolina's State Board of Funeral Services, has stated, "Somebody at some level of government ought to be able to look at a death certificate, a statement from an embalmer, donation documents... That's a reasonable standard to apply. Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (San Francisco) said, "These displays do have important educational benefits, but using bodies against a person's will is unacceptable". All whole body plastinates exhibited in Body Worlds come from donors who gave informed consent via a unique body donation program. Only adults over eighteen years of age can sign up to the programme. The pre-natal and infant specimens in the exhibitions are obtained from morphological collections previously held by universities and medical institutions. Bodies from deceased persons who did not give consent – such as deceased hospital patients from Kyrgyzstan and executed prisoners from China– have never been used in a Body Worlds exhibition. In January 2004, the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that von Hagens had acquired corpses of executed prisoners in China; he countered that he did not know the origin of the bodies, and returned seven disputed cadavers to China . In 2004, von Hagens obtained an injunction against Der Spiegel for making the claims. A commission set up by the California Science Center in Los Angeles in 2004 confirmed von Hagens' commitment to ethical practices, and published its Summary of Ethical Review. The commission matched death certificates and body donation forms, and verified informed legal consent of the bodies in the exhibitions. However, to ensure the privacy and anonymity promised to body donors, von Hagens' Institute for Plastination maintains a firewall between body donors' documentation and finished plastinated bodies. To date, more than 9,000 individuals have pledged to donate their bodies to the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany. Body Worlds has been accused of perpetuating 'conservative' gender representations. This article notes that male plastinates were presented in 'heroic' 'manly' roles, including the The Rearing Horse and Rider , The Muscleman and his Skeleton, The Fencer, The Runner, and The Chess Player, while female plastinates were shown in terms of beauty, passivity or reproduction, such as the Reclining Pregnant Woman, a plastinate whose womb is exposed to show her unborn child in "a pose taken straight from pornographic cliche"; and The Swimmer, "suspended, midair, in the graceful position of a swimmer. This figure also had significant quantities of hair on its head". International trade experts have objected to the way in which bodies for commercial display are imported, because the way their categorization codes (as "art collections") do not require Centers for Disease Control stamps or death certificates, both of which are required for medical cadavers. In an ethical analysis, Thomas Hibbs, professor of ethics and culture at Baylor University, compared cadaver displays to pornography, in that they reduce the subject to "the manipulation of body parts stripped of any larger human significance. As part of that review, bioethicist Hans Martin Sass was sent to Heidelberg to match donor consents with death certificates. Concerns have been expressed about the educational aspects, especially the inclusion of these displays for school field trips. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures, and press photographers are required to sign agreements permitting only a single publication in a defined context, followed by a return of the copyright to von Hagens. Because of a similar agreement applied to sound bites (O-Töne, in German) a German press organization suggested that the press refrain from reporting about the exhibition in Munich in 2003 . The success of Body Worlds has given rise to several copycat shows featuring plastinated cadavers but unlike Body Worlds, none of the copycat exhibitions or their suppliers has a body donation programme.

Instantanés

The art of survival

And here it is. Worse than a Monday Morning syndrome. Your eye looks like a non-fresh ham slice, your face is a “work in progress”, and you only have one urge rather than being at work : stay as deep as you can in your bed, waiting that nothing happens. The little aperitif with friends changed itself in 22 Mojitos, the drink with colleagues in a Homeric hangover, the friends who must be at school with you at 8:20 still had a bottle in their hand at 2:00 a.m., and the list is non-exhaustive. But let’s face it. The day after during the week is to be paid a high price, especially when you are a bit more than 35 and when you must go, you must go, sleep or not, the big capital just does not care, the employee must be at work. You will have to face the other colleagues, the appointments, the business lunch, the morning meeting. Survive at the afternoon is not even thinkable when in real life, you would go to bed at the afternoon break time. And what to say ? Confess our night’s orgy or plead sickness ? which survival strategies can you adopt to look like human when you arrive at work ? some testimonies of colleagues, all between 30 and 50 years old. 1 – A : I boast of the hangover, at the risk of having the reputation of being alcoholic. But at the time, I try not to drink during the week, meaning that I over-compensate during week-ends, then I feel very guilty and the Monday Morning is quite miserable. As a general rule, I eat for 4, just to recover. B – I’m just experimenting, at this very moment, the day after getting drunk. In general, It’s very funny in the morning, when you still have the rest of the night (but be careful with your communicative drives at this moment). It’s getting bad after lunch and frankly said, It happened to be, I looked for a quiet place to close my eyes half an hour. C – It depends. If I see that the mood is good, I can play with it but if I have The meeting with big chief, I take a very bad temper and I can charge a disease of my little boy and I had to call ER at 3:00 a.m. Then I drink cold green tea all day long and to gym at lunch time before eating Chinese, very greasy and salty. D – I talk about it and tell everything, the why of the how, I talk about my alcoholic father, of the bad consciousness to drink too much, I find excuses for me and my behavior, I take an aspirin most of the time and I drink a lot of water. E – I know no tricks. I just try to pass the day by taking an aspirin in the morning. But I don’t hide my state of having a hangover. It makes my mistakes being accepted and my colleagues find this funny. Certainly due to the fact that last time, they knew I was arriving only by following the smell of vodka spread in the air. Though I had taken a shower, brush my teeth and all those things, but I admit when you ooze alcohol, there is not much left to do. F – I always say : I have a hangover or at least that I went to bed very late (or very early this morning). It takes me a bit of my role at work which is very conservative. People say themselves then I have a life. My thing is the micro sleep in the toilets after lunch. To eat a lot because when you drink, you drink more than you eat. I wash my hair in the morning, I try to look smart with the clothes to hide my bad face, I eat oranges and I go for a walk outside in the fresh air. G – I never say at the office that I do excesses. I work with a very interesting stock of very conservative people and if I need to justify that I have less energy, I talk about a new muted virus, something trendy. Then I drink a cocktail of vitamins, aspirin and coffee and at lunch time the Chinese ultra strong soup. H – The big advantage I have is that I can hide myself behind my computer, all day long if I want, without seeing anyone. Years before when I was a young and stupid guy, I used to talk about it the day after getting drunk. Now I’m not that clever anymore and I try to be as invisible as I can. The days of hangover, I want to jump on all my ladies colleagues. It usually goes away after lunch. I – At work, no need to talk about it, you just need to see my ugly face, my skin oozing the wine, the dead look. Then, to survive the day, I have a good ritual. I start with a aspirin with vitamins, a few glasses of coca cola, a coffee, I brush my teeth twice, I eat mint gums during the metro or bus fare. At lunch time, I eat vegetables and fresh fruits, salads and It goes quietly. J – Oh, yes, you can definitely talk about it at work. It puts on nerves the well thinking and It’s fun for the funny ones. Following the reactions of the ones and the others, you can build better your nets in the company. We can’t be friends with everyone neither. But my technique, if I forgot to have my aspirin the night before is to stay home. Like yesterday.

Instantanés

Dangerous living

I understand that this film is played at Gay and Lesbian film festivals, but until the advent of channels like Logo, it has not been widely available. Of course, being on Logo is not widely available either, but it is better because this film needs to be seen by anyone who questions why Gay Pride parades are held.Bush is over in the Middle East, which was the focus of the majority of this film, preaching democracy. Of course, if he hasn't seen this film, he really doesn't under the wall he is up against. The fundamentalists in the Middle East are worse than the ones here in America. They imprison and torture GLBT individuals and encourage others to physically punish and, even kill, those who are different. Egypt imprisoned and tortured 52 men, even though there are no laws in the country against homosexuality. It was only through brave men like Barney Frank and international outcries that this ended, and it was many months. Most of those involved have fled to the US or Canada or other locations where they will not be imprisoned, tortured or killed with the government's blessing. You may be killed in the US, but at least it is officially discouraged.It has been said that the poor in the US live like kings compared to the developing world, and LGBT individuals certainly have much more freedom, but democracy and freedom do not exist in this country either. For we are not free until all of us are free. If one group can be singled out for oppression, then it could be our turn next. Dangerous living will help you understand, and it should be watched by all.

Instantanés

Love messages

The Fernsehturm (TV tower) in Berlin is one of its best known symbol. You can see it at Alexanderplatz and since April 14th, you can read on it one of the longest love message ever. They take place on 150 meters high. The telecommunications group announced that the messages collected on Its web site will furnish the base of the tower on all Its height, until the top, following an advertising campaign called “roses’ rain”. This happening can be seen with those Love messages and should be ended at the end of this month. Messages will be kept on it until end of May.

Instantanés

If love equals nothing

I'm sitting in the dark now

No energy to turn the light on

Don't wanna see nothing

Since you're gone

‘Cos where are all the soldiers

I'm tired of fighting on my own

I'm fed up with users

Where did I go wrong

Tell me why does my heart let me down

Always thinking we'll be different next time around

If love equals nothing

But sadness and pain

Why do I need it time and time again

When it builds me up high And then drops me to the floor

Beating me, cheating me

Still I come back for more

I put a lot of love in

It always seems to go to waste

Am I looking for the right thing

In the wrong place, yeah

And tell me why does my heart rule my head

Think he loves to be a fool that likes to be mislead

I need to understand that

If love equals nothing

But sadness and pain

Why do I need it time and time again

When it builds me up high And drops me to the floor

Beating me, cheating me

Still I come back for more

People come, people come, people come and go

And every time it's just the same

I end up here alone

Picking up the pieces of a heart that's always broke, and oh

If love equals nothing

But sadness and pain

Why do I need it time and time again

When it builds me up high And then drops me to the floor

Bleeding me, cheating me

Still

If love equals nothing

But sadness and pain

Why do I need it time and time again

When it builds me up high And then drops me to the floor

Bleeding me, cheating me

Still I come back for more

Instantanés

Schneeweiss

May is a big month for us. I mean, for holidays and free time. May 1st, May 8th are bank holidays in France and because It is also the start of good weather, people want to go out and come to see you, as Berlin’s a trendy city now. Meaning since one month, I never stop welcoming friends at home. I am very happy about it but I would be a liar if I said I am not tired. I still have my work day to achieve and the evenings (and nights !) to spend with friends. Clearly said, I drink too much, I smoke too much, I’m losing appetite, I can’t concentrate that much anymore … and I want even more. Anyway, what I would really need now is a week off anywhere in the world where you can find Sea, sex and sun but in the meantime, I welcomed last week-end my good friend C. for 3 days at home. It was her first time in my adopted city and I liked to play the tourist guide. In the evening, thanks to the warmth, we had the possibility to have our first dinner outside, at the Schneeweiss' restaurant. Everybody will tell you the same about this place. It looks wonderful and It is. It’s big and yes, you can have dinner there either for two or many. It’s white and It is definitely very white. It’s full and It is always. What is also surprising is that, this trendy place welcomes you also for late dinner, which is not that common here, when you think you have to eat your dinner quickly (and early) and then you can start to chat, once you left the table. I didn’t book any table but some were still free outside, which is much better because of the noise and warmth inside (and the non-smoking sign!). I was surprised by the quality of the service, good and warm, I found the food OK : my friend had some asparagus with wiener schnitzel and I had beef with vegetables. You have to know, this is Alps cuisine (mostly from Austria) so don’t expect the degustation of your life but still, worth advisable. There is only one wine at the glass but was OK too. I find the prices a bit high but you pay for the place and people there are nice looking, some king of mid 20’s-30’s meeting there to talk advertising campaigns. But be careful : It can also happens that you will spend there the worst evening of your life because the service can be sooooo bad, you can’t imagine. It was very risky to bring my friend there because her temper can be very aggressive (and she speaks very good German) but It can last hours before you will get anything on the table. You are warned.