The Inquisitr » france

Video: Thierry Henry handball costs Ireland win

Kim LaCapria — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:35:16 +0000

Irish football fans are crying into their pints after a “blatant handball pass” by Thierry Henry in the 104th minute of play cost the Irish team the win.

Now France is headed to the 2010 World Cup and Ireland is headed to the pub to rant about it for time immemorial. Check out the controversial play, below:

Sacré bleu! French rankle at Louvre McDonald’s

Kim LaCapria — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:44:48 +0000

Crass American consumerism is coming to one of France’s most revered cultural institutions.

Louvre staff and other artsy French types bristled at the inclusion of America’s most famous gastronomic low-culture eatery at the museum. The new McDonald’s will be France’s 1,142nd, but don’t expect any welcome mats:

“This is the last straw,” said one art historian working at the Louvre, who declined to be named. “This is the pinnacle of exhausting consumerism, deficient gastronomy and very unpleasant odours in the context of a museum,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

Didier Rykner, head of The Art Tribune website found the idea “shocking”.

“I’m not against eating in a museum but McDonald’s is hardly the height of gastronomy,” he said, adding that it was a worrying mixture of art and consumerism. “Today McDonald’s, tomorrow low-cost clothes shops,” he said.

Low cost clothing shops? Oh, non alors! While officials promise that the outlet will be “in line with the museum’s image,” skeptics are- well, skeptical. The restaurant’s location, in an underground approach known as the Carrousel du Louvre, may soon be the first view visitors have of the Louvre when new ticket booths are constructed.

Despite the protestations, France is McDonald’s second largest market globally, and sales were up 11% over the previous year in 2008.

France set to introduce disclosure law on photoshopped pics

Duncan Riley — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:57:15 +0000

French politicians are pushing a new law that will force publishers who use photoshopped pictures to print a disclosure that the pictures are photoshopped.

The new photoshopped disclosure law, which would apply to any “retouched photograph aimed at changing a person’s physical appearance” is being pushed as a way to combat body image issues in the general population.

“We want to combat the stereotypical image that all women are young and slim” MP Valerie Boyer told the Telegraph.
“These photos can lead people to believe in a reality that does not actually exist, and have a detrimental effect on adolescents. Many young people, particularly girls, do not know the difference between the virtual and reality, and can develop complexes from a very young age.”

“In some cases this leads to anorexia or bulimia and very serious health problems…It’s not just a question of public health, but also a way of protecting the consumer.”

The law, which would apply to political material and billboards as well as magazines, will be backed by fines of up to $50,000, or up to 50% of the cost of the publicity campaign.

(via Mashable)

Bush told French President Iraq was a quest foretold in the Bible

Duncan Riley — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:30:28 +0000

If you thought that the WMD story behind the invasion of Iraq was bad, wait until you hear what former US President George W Bush told then French President Jacques Chirac: the invasion of Iraq what a bible prophecy.

French journalist Jean-Claude Maurice details the exchange in a new book due out in March. The following from Secular Humanism via Donklephant:

President George W. Bush told French President Jacques Chirac in early 2003 that Iraq must be invaded to thwart Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse.

Honest. This isn’t a joke. The president of the United States, in a top-secret phone call to a major European ally, asked for French troops to join American soldiers in attacking Iraq as a mission from God.

Now out of office, Chirac recounts that the American leader appealed to their “common faith” (Christianity) and told him: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East…. The biblical prophecies are being fulfilled…. This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins.”

This bizarre episode occurred while the White House was assembling its “coalition of the willing” to unleash the Iraq invasion. Chirac says he was boggled by Bush’s call and “wondered how someone could be so superficial and fanatical in their beliefs.”

Sadly there are many in the United States that would have supported Bush in making this call.

France surrenders future of endangered hamster

Duncan Riley — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:00:56 +0000

The French Government is in trouble with the European Union (EU) for surrendering the future of an endangered hamster.

The EU claims that the French have allowed the greater hamster of Alsace, the only wild hamster left in Western Europe to decline to the point of extension. The hamster ’s habitat has been decimated by suburban sprawl and its preferred food of wheat, barley, lucerne and cabbages replaced by Maize in French fields.

The EU is asking for fines of up to €17 million, or €68,000 for each of the 250 animals still thought to be living in wild.

According to the NZ Herald, the French Government has previously done what all French Governments do, and offered farmers a subsidy for growing food the hamsters would eat. Like all subsidies though, it’s worked so well that Hamster numbers have declined by 50% in seven years the subsidies have been offered.

French Islanders using live dogs as shark bait

Duncan Riley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:57:46 +0000

Islanders on the French controlled Reunion Island have been using live dogs as shark bait.

The Sun claims that “a six-month-old labrador pup was recently found alive with a huge double hook through its snout – like the dog above – and another through a leg.”

It is also claimed that local fisherman have also been using kittens!

Reunion Island is an overseas départements of France and an official region of France, giving it the same status as a province or state in other countries.

(img: The Sun)

French three strikes law struck down

Duncan Riley — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:02:54 +0000

France’s highest constitutional authority has struck down legislation that would have seen internet users banned from the internet if caught pirating content.

The French “Hadopi legislation” passed in May with the support of the music industry. The legislation, like similar laws proposed in other countries, introduced a three strikes and you’re out rule for internet users who download pirated content. The law meant French users would receive a warning letter for a first offense, a temporary suspension of internet access for a second offense, and then a ban on the third offense.

According to Torrent Freak, the Constitutional Council deemed the provision banning users was unconstitutional on the basis that internet access is a fundamental human right, the same position held by the European Union. The Council found that the role of the High Authority (Hadopi) is to warn the downloader that he has been spotted, but not to punish him.

Although the decision applies only to France, the support of the European Union’s position could help derail attempts to implement three strikes laws in other European countries.

Dog-O-Matic Dog Washing Machine – What will PETA say about this?

Paul Short — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:03:20 +0000

A french inventor, Romain Jarry, has invented a dog washing machine called the Dog-o-Matic, which can best be deacribed as hybrid laundry machine/car wash for dogs.

There’s one Dog-O-Matic machine in operation right now in France and it’s been so well received by dog owners that the inventor is planning on expanding into the UK. Basically, the Dog-O-Matic works like a washing machine at your local laundromat. You choose the wash, rinse and dry cycles according to your dog’s size and type of fur, pay the fee which varies between $20 and $45 USD, put your dog inside and close the door. It takes about 20 minutes to fully complete the wash and dry cycles and bingo, squeaky clean dog.

In the photos, the dog inside the machine looks terrified but the inventor says dogs love it and there’s never been an injury to any dogs yet as a result of being in the machine.

Wait til PETA gets wind of the Dog-O-Matic and sees photos of the traumatized dogs.

[Photo: Gamma via DailyMail]

The new French 3-strikes law hides a bigger threat

Steven Hodson — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:58:50 +0000

Not to long ago there was a lot of talk about France’s move to implement a 3-strike law against Internet downloaders of illegal files. Then like most hot topic items it sort of blended with the general noise of the web.

Well it turns out that the French National Assembly has indeed passed the law, even if it was with an almost empty assembly. For those that don’t know about this law – that many other countries are looking at copying – it means that you get three warnings if you or your IP is connected with downloading illegal movie files, music files or other types of files that someone might deem as being copyrighted. On the third warning you lose your access to the Internet – bing bang you’re done.

Now as much as this may suck rotten lemons I noticed something else in the post by John Ozimek of The Register that while it doesn’t affect me it still chilled me to the bone with it’s implications to the French people. John noted that the new law had a future – broader – implication (emphasis is mine)

The law is also referred to as the loi Hadopi, because it creates a "High Authority" (Haute autorité pour la diffusion des œuvres et la protection des droits sur Internet), which will in future be charged with monitoring and regulating the use of the internet in France.

So under the guise of protecting copyrighted works the French government has just created a law that will allow them to completely monitor all Internet activity within France, and I would imagine any traffic coming into the country. Talk about a backdoor trampling of privacy rights.

Video Star L’escargot

Duncan Riley — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:18:21 +0000

Just so you know that we’re not biased towards the Japanese when it comes to weird stuff, we’ve found a rather bizarre example of French Art.

Video Star L’escargot comes from well known French prankster Rémi Galliard.

I just don’t know how to describe this, except it probably works better with drugs.

Here’s Video Star L’escargot. I’ve not done the English translation on the title because it partially spoils it.

No related posts.

French airforce surrenders to German virus

Duncan Riley — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:13:22 +0000

French fighter planes were grounded in January due to a computer virus.

According to an unnamed Intelligence Magazine quoted by the Telegraph, the aircraft were unable to download their flight plans after databases were infected by a Windows virus. Apparently it was worse for Naval staff, who were instructed to surrender using their computers in case the virus spread.

The Conficker worm started to spread world wide last year, and Microsoft warned of the risks, but apparently mounting an adequate defense against the virus with a patch followed standard French military procedure, and either didn’t happen, or just wasn’t done properly.

Worst hit were the Villacoublay air base and in the 8th Transmissions Regiment, along with the French Navy’s entire fleet of Rafale aircraft.

Bonus points: the virus is German, and the name translates to “program that manipulates the configuration.” No word yet if the British offered assistance.

French Solution to Newspaper Downturn: Subsidies and Free Newspapers for Kiddies

Duncan Riley — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:01:46 +0000

The French Government will subsidize newspaper deliveries, and a scheme to offer a free annual newspaper subscription to 18 year olds as part of a plan to save the ailing newspaper industry.

The newspaper delivery subsidy is the center piece of a 9 fold increase in Government support of newspapers, to $90 million annually.

The free newspapers for 18 year olds offers a free, yearlong subscription to any news daily. The publisher will give the newspapers away, while the state pays for the deliveries. The idea is to get young people hooked on newspapers, so they become longterm readers. “The habit of reading the press is learned very young,” French President Sarkozy said.

According to AP, Sarkozy said it was legitimate for the state to consider the print media’s economic situation.
“It is indeed its responsibility … to make sure an independent, free and pluralistic press exists.” Apparently that can only exist in printed form. Oh la la..échouer.

Excuse me but you have a text message from your car’s parking meter

Steven Hodson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:27:56 +0000

Isn’t technology wonderful?

We do so many incredible and world changing things with it. Lives can be forever changed as newer and newer technology comes along. Then like a full face smash into a brick wall we get this.

Ring .. ring .. (your mobile phone) “You have just received a parking ticket. Thank You.”

Yes folks a company by the name of Technolia has developed a system that can detect the presence of vehicles and will alert the police if the said vehicle overstays it’s allotted time in the parking spot.

“We are revolutionising parking with the individual monitoring of spaces,” said Claude Zandona, the company’s managing director.

The meters create magnetic fields capable of registering the metal mass of vehicles. They have a direct computer link to a police station.

Source: Times Online

Already 60 French councils have installed the system around their towns. Under a mechanism adopted by towns such as Issy-les-Moulineaux on the outskirts of Paris, cars are allowed 20 minutes of free parking. Should they commit the heinous crime of overstaying the smart meter sends a message to the police control room. The police can then alert officers via mobile phones that they need to get issuing some tickets.

The company envisions a point with the system where the motorists would get a five minute warning text message and allow the person to pay for additional time with their phone. then if they still don’t pay they would get their fine sent to their homes.

Ain’t technology grand?

Aquarium Phone Booth

Samantha DeWitt — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:52:51 +0000

How cool is this phone booth that’s been turned into an aquarium. The aquarium was designed by Benoit Deseille and Benedetto Bufalino and was a street installation forming part of the Lyon Light Festival in France.

The designers said about the piece “With the advent of the mobile telephone, telephone booths lie unused. We rediscover this glass cage transformed into an aquarium, full of exotically coloured fish; an invitation to escape and travel.“

There is something about fish, even swimming in a phone booth that is very peaceful. The artists are right though, telephone boxes are so redundant these days you really only see them in films where the lead character is being chased by someone runs into a phone box that isn’t working and shouts for help while frantically jangling the receiver.

Come to think of it phone boxes never worked, at least as aquariums they serve a purpose. Is it art though?

Via

In France, Attacking People While Dressed as a Shark is High Culture

Duncan Riley — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:00:49 +0000

Likely a comedy program of some sort, but bizarre none the less. A man dressed in a shark costume attacks fisherman with what looks like shaving cream. Bonus points go to the victims, who don’t enjoy the cultural aspects of the exercise. Watch to find out.

Remi Gaillard Shark Attack – Watch more Free Videos

Those poor silly deluded French RIAA wannabes

Steven Hodson — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:57:25 +0000

It never ceases to amaze the lengths these pseudo protectors of musician rights will go to in order to push their broken agenda down the throats of everyone. The delusions they suffer under about how they have the rights based on bad copyright laws. Not to mention the backing of entertainment corporations that don’t even realize that they are playing a game of Russian roulette with half the bullets still in the chambers.

This dreamworld that they are living in was made quite apparent today; with the help of an equally screwed up French court decision, as the Société civile des Producteurs de Phonogrammes en France (SPPF) has decided that the time has come to start suing non-French file sharing applications. Now that would be laughable enough but they have also decided to go after the open source source code and file repository Sourceforge. It should be mentioned that this is the premier repository of the vast major of open source software projects around the world.

This apparently doesn’t bother the SPPF or the French courts that both Sourceforge and the developers behind the file sharing software being sued are well beyond the French legal jurisdiction. As Ernesto over at TorrentFreak writes

Interestingly, SPFF is also going after Sourceforge, the open source development website, because it hosts the P2P application Shareaza. Putting aside the discussion on the responsibilities of application developers for their users activities, the decision to go after SourceForge for hosting a application that can potentially infringe, is stretching credibility beyond all bounds”

Michael Masnick also points out another incredibly obvious point

Now that it’s been allowed, SPPF is suing three companies who offer software: Vuze, Limewire and Morpheus. What’s troubling is that even beyond an “inducement” standard, SPPF seems to be basing the lawsuits on the idea that if your software allows any unauthorized copying, then the software itself is illegal. Say goodbye to FTP and, well, the entire internet next.

All I can say is what a bunch of dumb shits the SPPF is for even going down this road and the decision by the French court in this case show exactly how deeply out of touch they are with how the Internet and software works. Not to mention that they aren’t smart enough to see through the total stupidity of the argument in the first place.

Angelina Jolie Gives Birth– Confirmed!

Meieli Sawyer — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:02:13 +0000

Angelina Jolie has given birth via cesarean to a baby boy, named Knox Leon, and a baby girl named Vivienne Marcheline at the Fondation Lenval hospital in Nice, France. And YES, it’s actually confirmed, so we can rest easy– Dr. Michael Sussmann told the press:

“The babies are doing well. The operation went just perfectly. Angelina is in very good spirits. Brad Pitt was at her side. He was there and all was well. The mother and father are very, very happy.”

Although the babies were actually born a little earlier than expected, it certainly doesn’t seem like it to me. From last month onward, the kids were born plenty of times over!

Image: Getty

Mischa Barton Has Left the Building!

Meieli Sawyer — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:06 +0000

Are any of us really going to complain that Mischa Barton has now left the U.S. and has settled down in Paris? I think that she just can’t handle the pressure, considering that she cited “time off” as one of the reasons for her move.

“I’m living in Paris right now so I thought I would come down for a few days,” the British-born actress told PEOPLE at the Chopard and Alberta Ferretti Opening Gala on Wednesday night. (She has two movies at the festival, including You and I.)

I know that she has done four pictures in 2008– two that recently were at Cannes Film Festival– but to me, she doesn’t seem incredibly busy. It might be the fact that she filled in last minute as a replacement model recently (if her schedule allows that, then she can’t be booked full-up) or perhaps that I just don’t like her that much.

I wonder if the paparazzi will hound her like they do the Jolie-Pitts. Doubtful, but that could change if she reverts back to her old ways– she did admit that the French Riviera was “pretty manic.”