the name game

"what's in a name ?" asked that guy who wrote that movie starring LEO!. I believe there was some stuff after that too (something about a rose), but alas my Cliff Notes memory can't seem to unearth what that might be. Our name is our official label, something to be used by parents, teachers and customs officials alike. Not the most personalized feature for most of us, unless you have the unfortunate fortune of being named ESPN or some other idea that even a strung-out Bobby Brown would find ludicrious.

This is were nicknames come in. Whoever invented the concept was a true genius, a real mensch. Think about it, it probably goes back to some caveman, hanging out with his crew around a campfire, having a hard time pronouncing his buddy Harghjrusnf's name and proclaming "dude eff that, from now on I'm calling you Har". Thanks to that guy, we now have to deal with even more things to stuff in our incredibly-packed braincells. And that's not even counting the various "internet names" (rockchick84, pizzaisgood72...) that are now a part of our various identities, physical or virtual.

Nicknames are mostly a good thing. Even if it might sound a bit mean, like say, booger, it's something used by people out of love and affection. Sure, dictators have them too, but even for them it makes them sound better than their regular name. I mean, the Butcher of Baghdad isn't too cuddly, but it does sound pretty badass. So nicknames, generally a good thing.

Personally I never had too many of them. I've got a pretty organic one (matt, short for the longer version of matt) that has taken hold since living in the US, and a more recent one (lematt, you know, like Le Royal Cheese). But one thing that I've realized is that who uses that nickname is something I pay attention to. For some reason it sort of makes me feel weird when someone I don't consider a friend (or part of family) uses it. Sure, I don't mention it when it happens, but I've noticed that it kind of cools the familiarization process, as if it were too soon (?), as if they didn't have the right to do so. Which is completely and utterly stupid, I know, but apparently that's how my mind works. What makes it even more odd is that matt is pretty much my handle online, in one form or another. So I don't care if some stranger writing from Des Moines, Iowa calls me Matt, but if it's simply a real-world acquaintance, someone I don't have too much in common with and do not consider myself friends with I'll make a mental note of it. Granted this doesn't happen very often, since I tend to hang out with friends mostly, and become friends with theirs, but there's been a small number of occasions that have made me wonder about this phenomenon.

In a way I would sort of like to not care at all when it happens, because I'm generally very laid-back about most things in life. Actually i've been accused of being too laid-back at times, and definitely never of being too tense/stressed. But overall I don't really care about being that way. Each person's brain works in peculiar ways, and if this is the worst mine can come up with, I'll take it. Plus being called lematt by some random acquaintance sure beats being called the butcher of baghdad by pretty much the entire world.

shoe-in

apparently shoe sizes are now as random as celebrity baby names (fun fact of the year: Jason Lee's kid is named Pilot Inspektor. Yes, Pilot Inspektor. The fact that it is based in part on a Granddaddy song does not even begin to redeem this horrible decision, even in bizzaro hipster world). Usually a size 44 person, this weekend I went to the Alter Mundi store (Google maps), which sells environment-friendly and fair-trade products, to find a gift for some newly-wed friends, and ended up buying myself some Veja trainers, size 42. Never before had I bought shoes in a size below 43 1/2, but whatever works I guess. The funny thing is I recently bought another pair of trainers which are size 45 and both pairs are pretty much the same size, give or take half an inch.

If you haven't heard of them, Veja is a young French brand which makes its shoes in Brazil using local producers according to fair-trade principles. Their sneakers are beginning to be more and more popular on the streets of Paris, which is a good thing because it might mean that other brands will follow suit and design fashionable ethical apparel or shoes.

Their first models were textile-based, kind of like low-cut Converse, and they've just released a leather shoe, which felt so comfy and light that I decided to purchase a pair on the spot. Since my Onitsuka Tigers are about to give their last breath, I felt these would be a worthy successor.

But without a doubt, the real highlight of my weekend was watching the amazing Half Nelson. Featuring extraordinary performances by Ryan Gosling (best young actor working today) and Shareeka Epps, as well as the always-perfect music of Broken Social Scene, this movie definitely warrants itself a whole post. The director, Ryan Fleck, manages to look at a tough yet cliche-burdened subject like drug addiction in a refreshing and engaging manager, and the whole thing left me quite moved. Still not better than Children of Men, but I've definitely found my 2nd favorite movie this year. Two movies which I will probably own on DVD when they come out, something I hadn't done for recent flicks since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I guess that's why you should always wait until the very end of the year to make up your annual top 10 lists.

a real tragedy

when it comes to comedy, I'm a pretty basic guy. Being a child of the 80s, weaned on American pop culture, it was all about Eddie Murphy (remember when he used to be funny, nay hilarious ?), Bill Murray or Steve Martin. Some slapstick humore, a touch of witticism with funny faces and TA-DA, you've got comedy gold. Of course it's all about personal taste when it comes to humor, taste which is generally molded during one's childhood (it's probably why I don't find Les Bronzés that funny, although I did love Le Pere Noel Est Une Ordure), but those types of movies, like Caddyshack or The Jerk, are at the apex of the genre to me.

However recently I've noticed a noticeable dearth of good comedies. Hollywood still cranks them out faster than a cheetah on steroids, but mostly they're hit-and-miss : some chuckles here and there, but a lot of blanks in between. In the past few years I really enjoyed two comedies: Old School (which is genius) and Elf. The fact that both star comedy savant Will Ferrell is certainly no stranger to that. Good comedies aren't merely about good writing and wacky situations, though those certainly help, but principally great characters. The other so-called comedy blockbusters I've seen (40 Year Old Virgin, Wedding Crashers, The Break Up, have all failed to wow me, often because I'm tired of comedies trying to be romantic comedies at the same time. Last I checked girls enjoy laughing (a fact that represents 95% of my flirting "technique"), and do not need to have those cheesy romance elements to enjoy a comedy.

But this grim outlook on the state of comedies could very well change this week, all due to one heroic undertaking: the release of Borat, the movie (subtitle: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazhakstan). It tells the tale of the eponymous character, a Khazak journalist intent on traveling through the US of A to find out more about the country and teach them about his. Needless to say, hi-jinks WILL ensue. It's filmed as a documentary, and is based on the character created by Sacha Baron Cohen for his TV show. I'm just saying this in case my 5 daily readers are the ones that might've never heard of the guy, so incessant has been the hype. Which it should, based on stunts like this. I've enjoyed his TV skits for a while now, and I'm overjoyed to know that very soon (tonight, actually) I'll be enjoying 86 glorious minutes of the man who brought "sexy time explosion" into the common lexicon.

that's hot (c) Paris

because we can't always talk about politics, I give you....(LOUD MOVIE TRAILER GUY VOICE) a website about dogs dressed as bumblebees.
The internet just keeps getting awesomer every day. Matter of fact, if I have a son, I may have to name him that. And if it's a girl, Internette.

little thoughts

the Internet, it sure does move fast doesn't it ? One minute it's all about Brad and Jen, the next global warming. If you sleep too much, i.e. do not open your RSS newsreader often enough, you're bound to feel a little behind the times.

Music is one of the areas that's been at the forefront of Internet evolution, from the early-days FTP servers to the first incarnation of Napster (R.I.P.), then on to Wifi MP3 players and online personalized radio streams. One such development has been the leak of albums before their official release date. Nowadays it is very rare for an album to not appear online at least a few weeks before it's scheduled to hit stores (both virtual and physical). It's got to be maddening for artists and their labels, but it's not a trend I see slowing down anytime soon. Not to sound too USA Today-ish here, but this has some good sides and some bad ones. The bad thing is all the effort the bands/artists go through to record the best possible product, from the quality of the sound mix, to the selection of proper tracks, are sort of in vain when a copy that often isn't the final version pops up on the peer-to-peer networks. The good thing is this advance availability can increase awareness for this release and actually lead to more people buying the album when it comes out. The reason for that being that once prominent music blogs start talking about an upcoming record that people have heard and can comment on, it creates a publicity buzz that no ad campaign can truly generate.

Case in point: the second Bloc Party album. BP is part of the recent post-punk movement, that has seen tremendous success for bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Maximo Park and Arctic Monkeys. Bloc Party's released their first album, Silent Alarm, in 2005 and quickly established themselves at the forefront of this new subgenre. The urgent guitars and piercing drums that made you want to dance were there, but they also seemed to be interested in matters of the modern world. Sure, most of their songs could be contrived to be about that universal subject that is love, but from reading interviews and trying to decipher lyrics, it also sounded as if this band thought about weightier things (for instance one of the songs on FA is called Price of Gas) . Thus their second one, due for release in February 2007, was eagerly awaited by a lot of people, myself included.

Cue this past Sunday, when word got out on music message boards and other mp3 blogs (like Stereogum) that the new BP album had leaked. Of course I hopped on my favorite download train rightaway and added the album to my iTunes library. My principle when it comes to downloading albums is: if I like, I buy. Downloading an album, to me, is just a more elaborate way to sample it than hearing it in a record store or on the radio. When I don't like I trash it, and if I do, I'll buy it (more or less promptly, but I generally get around to it). Well, it looks like I'll have to set aside 10 pounds from my February budget, because this album is really good. Like, gets better after each listen good. By yesterday I had already raved about it to pretty much every friend I talked to. Out of 11 songs there's maybe 2 I don't enjoy too much, and even these I don't skip over. Bloc Party aren't one of my favorite bands, but they might join that ellusive status with this album.

Do I think it's normal that I can listen to an album that's only due to be commercialized in 2 months ? No, not really, but that's the way things have been for a while now, and as long as it stays out of the mainstream, I don't think it will change. For now it's still just something for music geeks like myself to get excited over on Internet message boards and blogs. It might affect sales in a small way, but I suspect most people that download instead of buying weren't necessarily going to buy the CD anyway. Of course in a world where there's such a dichotomy between laws (in some countries it's illegal to even rip your own CDs to your computer) and the common practices such as the one described in this post, there's bound to be a lot of gray areas. And I'm not a black and white person.

president ! president !

with all the burgeoning talk of the upcoming 2007 presidential election in France, I thought I'd ease myself into a political frame of mind by watching the recent France 2 documentary about Jacques Chirac. It was the talk of the town when it was shown in late October (seriously, I participated in multiple talks about it. in bars. on a Friday night), and I felt it would give me some insight into a very complex public figure. To people my age it might seem like the guy's been there forever, and this doc does nothing to dispel the notion. Presented in two parts, one focusing on the pre-1975 years (title: "the young wolf"), the other on the period since then ("the old lion"), the object of this program was to present a complete view on Chirac's accomplishments, bungles, and overall evolution. Chirac's been a part of French political life for so long (basically since the early 50s), it's quite fascinating to see how much his staying power has owed not only to his personal ambition but also to back-room wheeling and dealing on his part by different party elders.

The major impression I got after watching the whole thing was that although the current president of France has become somewhat of a caricature today, he has been one of the more impressive figures of the last 50 years in French politics. Apart from Francois Mitterand, who had his share of shady dealings, I don't know of anyone who has managed to adapt to ever-changing conditions yet remain true to his basic commitment to serving his country. I do not mean this particularly as a compliment, but simply because that's the feeling I get from everything I've read/hear/seen about him. You definitely get the impression that corruption was never far from the surface, especially during his years as mayor of Paris in the 80s and 90s, but looking at his entire work gives a more nuanced view. After all, he did do some good things like create the national unemployment agency ANPE (now the epitome of bureaucratic slowness, but a really good idea all the same), and apart from a single incident has always made it clear that he was completely against the extreme-right Front National party, something a few of his right-wing peers have not always been willing to do in tight election situations.

But since the last 20 years of his career have been marred by so many scandals and alleged corruption stories, the global view of his career has been marred, perhaps definitely. I don't particularly like him, but after watching this documentary I definitely kind of respect and understand what he's experienced a lot more than before. Yes he is stiff, yes he is a bit too loyal, but those character traits have mostly gotten worse as the years have gone on. I still would like him to face a real inquiry into what exactly his role was in those property scandals that happened while he was mayor of Paris, but I don't believe he was corrupted in the sense of increasing his personal wealth point of view, at least not more than anyone in that position would. While that doesn't make it excusable, that view is a bit more subdued than the ultra-shady and super-controlling figure that he has been portrayed as. Also, he gets criticized a lot for not doing much since becoming president, but if people agreed with the work of his prime ministers they wouldn't care about that. In France a president is mostly there for show, and the shaking of hands (of foreign dignitaries, old people and children), an activity at which Chirac seems to be especially good at, and fond of. So if you had to criticize him as president it would be mostly for picking his government heads too much based on his personal appreciation of them and not necessarily on their merits.

Of course it is quite probable that the real truth will never emerge, since that is the way things go when it comes to French politics. In that sense it was a pleasant surprise to see that this documentary was shown on a public channel, in prime-time. Programs like this are part of a healthy discourse on the role and work of our politicians, and though I wouldn't want to watch them too often (The Life and Times of Jack Lang, anyone ?), I'm glad they're made and not relegated to the late-night time slots.

oh my darling

as much as winter gets a bad rap for the -admittedly not that- cold climate it brings, one of the awesomely great things about it is being able to buy good clementines in pretty much any halfway decent grocery store. That fruit is like a gift from the gods, plus it only contains 30 calories per: everybody wins !
It's gotten to the point where I almost understand those people that gave some out at Halloween. Almost, I said.

recap

some of the highlights of the past week :
- put my current job tasks on hold for 5 days while I led a training session for new hires at my company. It was fun, tiring at first, but by the end of the week I'd got the hang of it, and I was almost sad to see it end
- saw Sufjan Stevens in concert at the Bataclan. Had my puny little mind blown away, and didn't even regret not bringing my camera, since I'm sure the memories will stay with me for a long long time. The first song of the encore, Concerning the UFO blabla, touched me to the very core. Those first few piano notes....aaaaahhhh
- went running and confirmed that yes, running in the cold ain't fun. But coming home after having run in the cold is one of the most satisfying feelings you can have
- had a great family dinner for my grandma. It was a surprise for her and it was awesome
- got back into communicating via Messenger. Boy it's been a while since I've heard that chime, it sure brings back memories. I know you can do video messenging nowadays, but for some reason it doesn't feel necessary
- spent a good 3 hours walking from Republique to the general vicinity of the Marais (rue des Francs Bourgeois et al). It's simply one of the only neighborhoods of Paris that's fun to walk around in on Sundays, especially if you're not set on going someplace in particular. It's also a great place to stop for a spot of tea, as you are wont to do on such days. Went past a Thai restaurant (Thai Spices ?) that looks great, I'm going to have to find an excuse to go there soon

Overall a pretty good week

never gone

wow, one week without posting, haven't had one of those in a while. Don't have anything worthwhile to write about for now, I'll have to try to get back into a more regular rhythm this coming week.
Although I will say this : Sufjan Stevens is a golden god

running on cloud nine

one of the biggest news in 2006 in the running consumer market has been the collaboration between Nike and Apple, two of the more effective companies in marketing new products, to release the Nike+ line of products. Representing a first in the marriage between sports and technology, this partnership is symbolized by the introduction of a series of Nike athletic wares (shoes, apparel...), as well as a special kit that can be linked to an iPod nano to enable runners to track their performance. With the nano thus set up, you can follow your progress in real time through your headphones, as you are running, and have it compared to certain objectives you've set up beforehand. For instance if your objective was to run 10Km and you run 11, a voice will come on over the music to let you know so. The really snazzy part of this apparatus is that you simply hook up the ipod to your computer to update your stats (through itunes) and view the results over time on the nike+ website.

When I started running seriously, around 4 months ago, this deal had just been announced, and I thought I'd be buying the kit as soon as it was released. I'd just bought a new nano, and back then could not envision running without my music (though I mostly used my old iPod mini to do so). But one day I tried running without music, to see how it felt, and I haven't looked back since. So when the kit was finally released in France in October, my interest had waned considerably.
Although I'd been running for 4 months, I hadn't invested in proper running shoes yet, so when I started feeling sore in one of my knees after the past few runs, I thought now was the time to do so. I scoured a few sports stores on Saturday but did not find a whole lot of models made specifically for running. Mostly they had the Nike Shox ones, in a whole slew of colors, which is great for fashion, but I've heard they're horrendous for running, so I finished my shopping trip empty-handed. Faced with the prospect of yet another run ending in discomfort today, I motivated after lunch and hit the Champs Elysees Nike store to try to find something there. Some "serious" runners have alleged that Nike is just a marketing company and that their shoes are not to par, but I've had a few in the past and haven't felt any different with the other brands I've had the opportunity to try, like Adidas or New Balance. Well except for the Shox, that is.
The first thing I saw when entering the store was a stand with all the Nike+ products. Since I'm not looking to run with my iPod, at least for the time being, I quickly headed to the basement floor where the men's section is. The Nike store on the Champs isn't as extensive as the other Niketown stores I've been to (in NYC and London), but it's got a decent selection. As I was looking at the different models I got to talking with a salesperson about how I was looking for a shoe that would feature maximum cushioning with a lightweight frame. To my surprise he recommended the zoom Moire, which are part of the afore-mentioned Nike+ line. I say surprise because they seemed so light and constraint-free that they would seem rather more suited to shorter runs. Of course it is possible that the guy was just trying to push one of his newer models, but considering that they had much more expensive shoes for sale, I'm guessing his advice was at least partly genuine. I tried them on and, lo and behold, they did feel mighty comfortable. Thus I quickly laid out the dough to buy them, almost giddy at the prospect of a pain-free run.
Later that afternoon, I took the shoes out for their first spin, and my initial feeling was completely confirmed. Not only are they light and very-well cushioned, they're very responsive. I throw in a few sets of stairs in my usual route, and every time I did one, I felt as if someone had added some mini-trampolines in my shoes. Quite a good surprise, I have to say.
Of course they weren't perfect, as I feel my feet weren't quite used to the shoes yet (or is it the other way round). But overall I'd say my initial run with these shoes was the equivalent of a good first date with no awkward silences. You don't find perfection on your first try, but getting some sort of familiarity so soon is a sign of great things to come. Now if you'll excuse me I've got to plan the second date, um run. I just have to figure out if I'm going to follow the two day rule or not or if I'm going to boldly wait for three.

home alone

rethorical question: is there a more underrated pleasure than working from home, wearing jeans and a comfy tee, while listening to some Johnny Cash ? I actually work much better when I'm at la casa, too bad it's still not too well accepted in the French corporate world.
The crazy thing is I did all my tasks for the day, and I actually feel relaxed ! I could definitely get used to this...

no respite

first thought of the day : wow, it is coooold. I haven't put on any heating in my room, since 2 days ago it was still Indian summer-like. But apparently now that's done for and the pseudo-Parisian winter is here. I say pseudo because the seasons aren't too well defined here, it really depends on the years (like the 14°C days we had in August). This brings me to a strange fact I've noticed: guys who dress with no regard for the weather. No matter what the conditions are like, frosty or balmy, you will see guys in Paris dressed as if these were totally irrelevant. For instance, this morning I saw at least two dudes wearing just a suit, when it was probably 2 or 3°C. That happens a lot in the winter : apparently some men have superhero suits that enable them from feeling the cold. And these guys do not wear a scarf, wool hat or anything that might shield them from the cold. Likewise, on the warmest days of the year, I always see some fellas still wearing a jacket. Never fails to amuse me, considering the temperature's generally above 30°C. Makes me wonder what the thought process for these dudes is in the morning. "Hey, it's August 4, I should really wear an extra layer, just in case there's a cold spell coming in from Russia". For some reason I see less women doing this, probably because women are more logical when it comes to clothes here (I said for clothes :) ).