TresSugar

Oh Snap! An American in Paris Sees Obama-mania Everywhere

TresSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

BellaSugar recently came back from Paris (grrrr!) and kept seeing pro-Obama stuff everywhere - teens wearing Obama t-shirts, Obama graffiti, and in this hilarious poster at a French pizza place, a little reverie on Obama ordering pizza for himself, Michelle, and the kids. (Oh, yeah, and for Joe Biden, too!) You see him on the phone asking, "Can you make me six pizzas?" The response from the other line, naturally: "Yes we can!"

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Front Page: US Unemployment Rate Jumps to 6.7%

CitizenSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:00:10 -0800

The US jobless rate spiked to 6.7 percent in November, marking the 11th straight month of job loss and the greatest since 1974.- New York Times
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper successfully suspended Parliament yesterday, avoiding his ousting by the opposition party. In an unprecedented move, Governor General Michaelle Jean, Queen Elizabeth's representative to Canada, agreed to shut down Parliament until Jan. 26. - Reuters

OJ Simpson faces six years to life in prison for his felony kidnapping, armed robbery, and conspiracy convictions. He will be sentenced today in Nevada, and prosecutors have recommended an 18-year sentence. - Reuters
Armed robbers dressed in drag stole $102 million worth of jewels in Paris yesterday from the Harry Winston store. - BBC News

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City of Love Issues Manual to Stop Forced Marriages

CitizenSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:00:50 -0800

Paris, the universal capital of love and romance, created a manual on forced marriages this week to help officials spot and prevent cases of young women being forced into matrimony.

An estimated 70,000 young women in France are victims (or potential victims) of forced marriages, according to a government study. City officials who conduct weddings often don't know how to deal with their suspicion - clearly they haven't spent time in Vegas! - so the city created some guidelines.

What are telltale signs? The 32-page book lists clues like when "middlemen fill in the required documents ahead of the wedding, when the woman does not appear at the city hall at any point before the wedding day, or when there is a big age difference between the man and the woman". It also notes signs like bridal distress or submission to relatives, brides that can't answer questions clearly and brides that don't know their fiancé's personal history.

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German Neo-Nazis Hold Hitler Youth Camp, French Sell T-shirts

LibertySugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:00:05 -0700

Hitler may have died 63 years ago, but his anti-Semitic propaganda did not go with him to the grave. Last week police in northern Germany raided a neo-Nazi camp attended by children. At the camp, which was modeled after Hitler Youth Summer camps, 39 teenage campers wore uniforms of white T-shirts and black shorts, and studied racist Nazi materials. Following the police raid, the head of the German equivalent to the FBI warned that the German neo-Nazi movement has become increasingly ambitious and violent, marking a change in strategy.

Next door to Germany, French prosecutors have begun investigating Parisian clothing shops accused of selling anti-Semitic T-shirts. Covered in Polish or German, the shirts display slogans used by the Nazis, such as "Jews forbidden from entering the park." Sales people at the stores say they did not understand the inscriptions, but also that the shirts have been very popular with some customers. Let's hope widespread anti-Semitism never goes back in style in Europe.

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$20 Billion Raised in One Day For Afghanistan

LibertySugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Global donors pledged $20 billion in aid to Afghanistan today. In Paris, 80 countries met to discuss the current crises facing the rebuilding nation. They demanded that Afghanistan do its part to end corruption and address rising levels of criminal violence and opium harvests. In addition to the fresh dose of $20 billion, Afghanistan has received $15 billion since 2001.

Hoping to stimulate otherwise stunted progress, the donors will attempt to coordinate their aid efforts, while putting pressure on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to raise living standards and make Afghanistan's government self-sufficient. Many Afghanis live without proper sanitation and 80 percent have no electricity. The $1.6 billion spent on technical assistance has not been successful in helping Afghanistan stand on its own.

In Paris today, Afghanistan, whose domestic revenues are about $1 billion, reminded wealthy countries how much it needs them. Are you happy to see that the world hasn't forgotten about Afghanistan? Will money solve the country's problems?

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Gay Pride Celebration Defies Official Ban in Moscow

LibertySugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:45:28 -0700

Russian gay rights activists demonstrated on Sunday, marking the date homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia, way back in 1993. Their pride celebrations were not decriminalized, however, since there is an official ban on gay-pride events in Moscow.

Unlike the openly gay mayors of Berlin and Paris, Moscow's mayor Yury Luzhkov has labeled gay events "Satan's work." Apparently many of Moscow's residents agree with him. While gay rights demonstrators ignored the ban, it was hard to ignore their opponents who threw eggs at them and physically assaulted at least one gay man by punching him to the ground. Meanwhile, Russian Orthodox elderly women held an antigay vigil, some loudly condemning gay activists to hell.

Are you surprised that officials and residents of Moscow go to such extremes to repress the expression of gay pride? Do conservative Russians have the right to squash alternative lifestyles?

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Paris Says "Non"! to Les Rats!

LibertySugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Eight million rats live in Paris, France. That's about four times the amount of people! Maybe it's the cheese!

Every year, the city launches a campaign to reduce the number of rats. The anti-rat team, known as "Service Municipal d'Actions de Salubrité et d'hygiène" or "Le Smash" exterminates rodents found on public property.

Meanwhile, Parisians must expel the rodents from their homes and businesses, clean up their trash, and block cellar entries, lest they face heavy fines handed down from the rat inspectors. Residents are also encouraged to report neighbors who act as rat sanctuaries.

Rat campaign season happens between May and June, when rat reproduction is at its highest, and summer tourism has not yet surged. The health and image conscious Parisians have had enough!

Do you think Paris officials are smart to enlist the public's help in eradicating rats? Or, should they focus more on big picture solutions like sewage and garbage management? Would you turn down a trip to the city of rats, I mean lights, for fear of seeing a furry creature dash across a charming street?

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Sarko Le Junior Wins in France!

LibertySugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:00:28 -0700

Well at least one Sarkozy didn't get beat up in France's municipal elections this past weekend. Jean Sarkozy, the 21-year-old hottie/son of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, won a seat on a local council, and will represent the Parisian suburb of Neuilly. Jean may have had a name recognition advantage, as his Papa served as the posh suburb's mayor for almost 20 years.

Meanwhile, President Sarkozy's party got pummeled at the polls. The Socialist opposition party won 47.5 percent of the overall vote for the country's municipal councils, while Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement won only 40 percent. The French President's popularity has been dwindling recently.

Félicitations, Jean! Check out these actions shots of the soon-to-be-elected Jean going to the polls. Oh la la.

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Sarkozy's Son Decides Not to Run For Mayor Le Hottie

CitizenSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:00:57 -0800

French President (and newlywed) Nicolas Sarkozy's 21-year-old son will not be seeking office. He had been toying with the idea of running for mayor of the wealthy Paris suburb where his father once led. Patrick Devedjian, secretary-general of the UMP party, told Europe-1 radio that Jean Sarkozy "has a lot of talent, he's a smart and sensitive boy who loves politics," but "his time has not come." If you're sad Jean isn't running, you can always send him a Facebook friend request in lieu of your vote. Liberty just made him her friend - apparently he's very friendly! To check out the proof, read more.

Well? Are you going to make Jean your friend? It looks like he's online now . . .

DEARSUGAR'S GUIDE TO PARIS: PART THREE - SHOPPING

DearSugar — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:49:28 -0700

I've saved the best for last; shopping. It's part of the culture here. Many of the world's finest designers are French and Paris is the mecca of Fashion Houses. People talk about the fabulous shopping in Paris, and now I know why. It's amazing - I've never seen anything like it!

Nowhere else in the world can you find solid blocks of couture like in Paris. They've got all the big flagships like: Dior, Chanel, Louis, Yves Saint Laurent ... and the most darling little boutiques. Even those who claim to hate shopping, can't resist at least a little bit of browsing.

SHOPPING:
Galleries Lafayette - 100,000 people walk through these doors every day (closed Sundays). One author wrote about how when she dreams of shopping, she’s often in Galleries Lafayette. This is a shopoholics haven with over 100 of boutiques under the same roof. 40 Blvd Haussmann

Rue de St. Honore du Fauborg - Think died and gone to heaven. This is what you imagine when you think of the shopping in Paris. I'm talking sick, sick fashion houses all along one gorgeously manicured windy street. And did I mention that July was sale season?

Avenue Montaigne - Most of Galleries Lafayette have it's own stores along this street. It's in a great location; by the Champs Elysees and near the chic hotels. It's definitely worth walking around. Dior is basically an entire avenue.

Champs Elysees - For this to be the most renown street in Paris, I wasn't impressed. It was very crowded and filled with all kinds of chain stores. Ever been to 34th street in NYC? It kind of reminded me of that. It does however house Europe's largest boutique, Louis Vuitton.

Colette - Again, this renown boutique did not live up to it’s standards for me. Perhaps it was the collection that it was carrying at the time, but the selection was sparse and the staff was rude. 2, rue Cambon

Bon Marche - Basically the Bloomingdales of Paris only a little bit edgier (think more like Barneys). I went and it was closed, but it was OK. The weather was too nice to be inside a department store. Wait, did I really just say that? 24 rue de Sevres

Diptyque - This upscale candle company is located in a great area. The prices at this store are also about 1/3rd less than in the US which makes these candles, great gifts. 34 Blvd Saint Germaine

So that was Paris. I went 8 years ago and did not have the same appreciation for it at all. I once thought the people to be snooty and rude, and the city to be old and hard to navigate. It’s strange how time can change your perspective. This trip was out of this world and I can’t wait to return. Vive la France