Today is the International Women's day ... Not that I'm all for the concept. Like Men have all the other days let's give one to say it's bad discriminate against someone because of gender.

But Man!

I just spent 15 minutes reading a selection of the most misogynist remarks in French medias this year. And I'm utterly amazed/revolted by this.
God knows there were women in the light this year ... Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin on an international view and some Ségolène Royal, Martine Aubry powerfight in a French point of view. 
I don't agree with most of these women, some of them I hate the image they're trying to give of themselves.
But I will never accept someone saying "Go back to your oven and children and let's men do men's jobs!". To be frank I sometimes forget there is such a thing as misogyny nowadays. I'd like to be able to say to my children if I ever have some "Misogyny? Yeah that's an old concept. Nobody thinks like this anymore"

But ...

I won't translate the article who made my blood run cold: but using words such as sow, boudin (= blood sausage, but in this context ugly woman), talking about the way one woman was drag into mud while refering to a human being is not OK, it should never be ok. 
I don't remenber reading an article about a man against whom the only accusations would have been his looks.

Maybe this is a French thing (as scandaloussteph  suggested it last night), maybe not. But I'm just sick of it all, sick of having to fight twice as much when I want to propose my ideas than the average guy. Sick of seeing my ideas dismissed because I'm not as pretty as the girl next to me ... (who gave the same ideas, but happens to have long legs and cleavage to go with it).

To anyone who speaks French, I strongly advise you to go and read this thing. They classified the attacks by types, showing very clearly you can read articles without noticing the strong gender stereotypes they're using.

They gave the Oscar to Paris' Bishop...
Someone who dared say something like "The problem is to find educated women. The thing is not to wear a dress, it's to have a brain."
And yes there was a context to this sentence ... but even in context it's not justified ...


Oh and my favorite :
"Feminists are not only bossy women or frustrated bitch, they're also lesbians!"

So true to myself ... I'm going to ask this nice man, and what's the problem with that?

Anyway ... I apologize for this non-related to fandom post. But I just had to get this out of my system.
(and in a way, after my late conversation with lauriestein  last night, I think some people in House fandom are really women haters, which is weird considering fandom is made of 99% of Female writers/fangirls/artists)

Looking for a new country ...

I finally took some time to watch our beloved president speech. Needless to say I found it dumb. Journalists are getting on my nerve. Sarkozy is making me sad. The funniest thing is when some countries are questionning the all liberal economical system ... (see the US in some ways) Sarkozy is still basing his argument on this goal : reaching the totally free market. (oh he doesn't say it like that ... of course, I think it's the subtext though). --> see health system, work hours ...

What he says about school in the beginning of his interview made me jump off my chair. I agree with him when he says people choose maths without appreciating them. (I chose litterature and languages while loving maths but I'm a bad example).  But the other things he says ... just dumb.

And all these simplification it makes me sick. Because sometimes I noticed he is lying or knowingly forgetting some importants facts. Thing is I'm not aware of everything so I know I must be buying big lies ...

Oh and this is so great ... blaming the US for the financial crisis. Like "hey without them we would be fine". I'm soooo ashamed of that

And I'm so sick of all this "We're in a crisis." with journalists emphasizing it, politicians saying it's the "Century Crisis".

Genius this century is only 9 years old.



Anyway, and the opposition is making way even sadder.

We have Segolène Royal who's saying she can be in charge of the Overseas territories. A week ago she said she wanted to be European Deputy of my European Region (I'm not really sad she dumped us though).
She doesn't give us any proposition, she just says she is able to deal with it because she has lived there for a while ...
Big Deal I'm living in Belgium, that doesn't mean I'm able to solve their political crisis.


We also have François Bayrou, who is mainly fantasizing about becomming President who is now saying the Worst thing that could happen to France is becomming a ful member of the NATO again ...Such a bad thing ... That's surly the worst problem we're facing right now. I'm unfair with him ... I didn't watch everything he said but he's making me sad. I was part of his party for a while so I'm even more angry when I see this.


So here is my new request :
Does any country has some politicans who don't suck ? Where I could come to settle ?


Another thing :
I'm in a Abba phasis so don't be surprised if the titles of my entries are kinda weird.

Being back to university tends to drive me to insanity.

I had one class on European Studies which was rather interesting. Teacher is kinda cool.
We spent the whole hour on the State theory (maybe the 20th time someone presented it to me but ... the class was interesting so ...)

Then I had one class named "Etat et gouvernementalité en Afrique". And the teacher is just crazy ...

It began with her nice remark when we enter the room 10 minutes late. "Next time I closed the door and nobody come inside after I said it". I had a class at the other side of university. And it ended at 4, while this one began at 4 ... But this is not important. I'll figure something out.

Then she began her show ...

Things like "Ooooh pleaase be there for the last course, I just looooove that course" or "Mugabe is a great example, I love Mugabe, I took him as an example last year, I thought it would be other now, but he is unfortunately still around. Though, who knows, maybe God will take care of it.". 
Or "Today's class is boring to death. Now you're warned"
And another "No books in the bibliography is mandatory, except mine because I just loooooooove that book".

Then she began giving definitions : State, Democracy, Power (why do all teacher think they're the first one to teach us Weber's theory ?)
And when she was giving us Weber's classification of legitimity. She just said something like "For example Sarkozy was elected legally, unfortunately !"
And "I'm not afraid to say it I've got no respect whatsoever for Mr Sarkozy"
And she went on and on comparing him to Mugabe or Putin ... And saying he was the worst president ever. (and contradicting herself but I won't go in the details ^^')

I was just astonished. I don't know whether she's Belgian or not. I don't care.
I dislike Sarkozy a lot. But I'm just angry someone can say something like that in a classroom. I've always thought you can't be neutral in Social Sciences and you better give your point of view so readers or students can see where you stand ... But you don't have to publicly declare your disrespect toward a someone who has been elected.
And this goes for Bush and Berlusconi.
If you give me a detailed argumentation ... I'm ok. If you give hate feelings I just can't agree with it.

And I wasn't offended in my vote or anything. I didn't vote for him in 2007. It's just I don't know ... I found it iritating and inappropriate. 


On a lighter note :

Ségolène Royal wants to be the list's leader in my Euroregion for the European Elections ... Somehow the whole idea of giving my vote to the socialists just disappeared.

There were many other things in today's news which made me laugh sooo hard or cry with anger (Pick the one you love the most). But ... anyway I guess French politicians are not that brilliant.

Oh and I don't know why, Le Monde seemed to have developped some kind of really hard addiction to Russia ... They're talking about it in at least two articles a day on their online version ...

What do I care La Marseillaise is less glamourous than the Star-Spangled Banner by Aretha Franklin ? scandaloussteph ’s post made me wonder why I felt the need to watch the inauguration. Despite the fact that I’ve an obsession with Northern America, I think I’m also quite eager to draw a comparison between the French tradition and the American one.
And I must say, the part of God in this ceremony amazed me ... Our secularism is one of the thing I like the most about being French. I know it’s considered as really strong and sometimes violent. But IMO this is one of the most important part of the Country.

To continue with the whole  politic-actuality thing ... I wanted to repeat something, I hope nobody was offended by my post about Gaza. (Thinking back I realise I have really no skills to analyse the conflict.) But what’s done is done...


Now as Obama is delivering his speech, I’ll talk about the Entropa installation. I went to European Council yesterday, in order to have a better look at it. Seeing it was really important to give me an opinion about it ...
Though, I have to say first, entering these buildings is a challenge for the hallway, but when you’re in the hallway you can go wherever you want without badge if you can be discrete which isn’t reassuring for the sake of our Politicians. But another time I’ve to say ... Why do I care ?

So I watch this art installation, and more than the fact that, I found this really really ugly, I had a feeling of separation while watching it.
Let me explain, it’s too gliterry for my tastes, too “kitch”. Moreover, I think it’s difficult to watch it as a whole, you tend to want to analyse all the details, separating the country. And for me, that’s a shame ... If we’re not able to fell united inside the buildings of the EU, where can we ?
(I mean I feel really linked to my friends in Erasmus when we’re drinking together. But I don’t think EU has anything to do with it).


Considering my trip to Russia ...

-  Did my laundry today. (Have a chat with a lady while I was waiting for the wash machines to finish). She made quite a few racist reflections and that’s disturbed me a lot ...
- Bought : Gloves, Hat, Scarf, Tights ... (I cannot believe I mannage to be girl for 15 minutes)
- Bought Trash Magasines to feed my friend’s addiction to this junk press ;)
- Bought one book for the airplane time. Didn’t know what to pick. I chose to indulge my feminist side : A room of one’s own and Three Guineas
- My boots might be fixed before I leave ...

Still to do :

- Download the TV-shows my friend wants me to bring (I just have to DL the new Ugly Betty)
- Buy moisture, ibuprophen (there was nothing lefts in shops)
- Beginning Painless subtitles.


Have a good day everyone.



EDIT : Almost forgot : If you haven't seen Flourish I strongly advise you to do it ...
This is one the best movies I've seen in a long long time.

I was just trapped in the rain 15 minutes ago, the biggest I've ever been under ... But I was not pissed off or anything I was just feeling good. I was listenning to Susan Enan "Bring on the Wonder" which is normally a sad/nostalgic song but I discovered a brand new prespective to this song ... like I was feeling so well I can't even figure out why. And I was singing out loud. People were looking at me weirdly (though believe my voice is not that bad ... 

Anyway I completely wet but I'm also feeling fulfilled which is cool. Tonight I'll see House. I have only one more exam before Russia ... 

Oh and I went to see the Czech Art thing. I'll post my pics later on (and my feelings). Let's just say I was not fascinated by this stuff. 

Oh and something random. I think I'll try to get a Fullbright for a summer institute in the US. It's an all-expanse covered thing. It's a really long shot. There're only 8 spots available for the whole country. And I'm not a outstanding student (that's what they're looking for). But you've got to take oppurtinities. If I'm not taken : big deal, it won't be tragic ...

Anyway, I had many ideas when I came back from my walk but everything seems to be gone in the Rain ... 
Too bad ...

Guys I've got to tell you,studying political sciences might not be the funniest thing on Earth, especially when it comes to exams and you're stuck studying these endless lists of classifications ... (Some countries are like that some others are like that but you've got to remember State doesn't always mean the same thing in both category and so on.)

But sometimes it can also be hilarious. I really love studying the European Union theories. Why ? Because they are so far from the reality. Sometimes you can only wonder if the specialist was looking at the actual thing we're in to create his wonderful thesis. So in a way studying Europe is fun. 

When it become so much more interesting, it's when politicians become totally out of control ...

I mean when France was at the head of the EU (last 6 months) there was this big picture with a French and European flags on the walls of the Commision (I know it because I go there at least twice a week) I dont know who convince Sarkozy it was a good idea to put this on the walls, What I know is that it seemed imperialist.

But the Czech presidency seems to go further ... 
They ordered a work of art to decorate the hallway in the Ministers Council building ... 
This work of art is a puzzle representing clichés about all countries in Europe.

( Some of these under the cut )


And the best part is : The Artist is conman. He said it was a collective work of art made by 27 artists from the 27 countries in the EU, but he did this all alone and made up the bio, and the identities of the artists. He is from Czech Republic ... (if someone want to know where the cliché attached to his country comes from).

Apparently this is becomming really big. I understand it somehow, I wouldn't like being represented by a restroom. 
It's exposed in Brussels : I really have to go there, just to laugh a little : I like the way this is becoming a controversy

And to mention it : the French thing doesn't offend me at all. That's true we're always on Strike, and when we're not, we're preparing another one. (BUT We HAVE GOOD REASONS xD)

Oh and If you want to see the actual thing at least the drafts, I have a PDF document, just ask me I'll send it to you.

Not Huddy related.
Not House related.
Not even TV related.
and Not really related to my life ...

( There's an old French metaphor which states that cicatas die when winter comes while ants grow stronger and survive thanks to their previous hard work. )

On a lighter note ...
( This is one of the reasons I'm happy to have French as my mother language ... )