by Alex in Toulouse
Tue Oct 17th, 2006 at 01:16:42 PM EST
Week from October 11th to October 17th.
Previous installments:
Those of you who read last week's diary may raise an eyebrow at an indirect reference in this one. It's a test of my capacity to wink at something, or someone, without explicitly mentioning what or who.
Most uneventful event of the week
October 12th
The toll of the tall |
 | Nicolas Herpin, sociologist working at the Sociological Change Observatory, was interviewed in Le Monde on his new book "The Power of the tall" (Le Pouvoir des grands).
We learn through him that tall people more often have leadership qualities (than short people), and are more likely to be promoted in the private sector. Tall story? Hmmm. We also learn that men shorter than 1m70 are less likely to have a partner than men who are taller. Finally, every 5 additional centimeters reduces by 9% the risk of committing suicide.
For reference, Jacques Chirac stands at 1m89.
His interview in Le Monde
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NEW CATEGORY Most Kafkaian event of the week
October 17th
Personality disorder in the court |
| Auguste Fernand, mayor of Montsinéry-Tonnégrande, a small town of 1.037 inhabitatns in French Guyana, sat at the Cayenne tribunal today as both victim and defendant. On trial for misappropriation of public funds, illegal interest, and disregarding public market offer regulations, M. Fernand was also voted by the town's municipal council to be the town's representative as victim of these mishandlings. |  |
Most sordid event of the week
October 17th
Jumpy |
 | A 22 year old man was critically wounded after jumping off the 4th floor of a building in Dugny (in the Seine-Saint-Denis), dragging with him his girlfriend's 20 year old sister, who died on the spot. The man jumped, after threatening to do so during two hours of negotiations, as soon as police officers entered his appartment. Police officers had come following a suit filed against him over the weekend for beating up his girlfriend's father (the father was declared work-incapacited for 28 days). |
Quote of the week
October 16th
When words fail us |
| "He was victim of a tonsil abscess, which led to a voice extinction"
Words figuring on the medical certificate delivered by lawyer Olivier Schnerb at the first hearing of his client, Pierre Bédier, a member of former prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's government from 2002 to 2004 brought to justice on corruption charges, and hospitalised the day before (for said abscess).
Yahoo News |  |
Number of the week
October 11th
Park rangers |
 | 143.10 € - the minimum cost to taxpayers (retrieval the same day) for each Police vehicle impounded in Paris.
This number has come to light this week after Synergie, a Police union, issued a statement (PDF) condemning the "systematic impounding of (unmarked) police vehicles" for the past year. Vehicles which the statement says are clearly recognizable ('Police' sign in the front window) and which are parked illegally when their occupants are on a mission nearby. The statement alleges that these impoundings are targeted, voluntary, opening up a window on internal police wars.
Hah, I just wish I had a picture of an impounded police car!
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Picture of the week
October 15th
XXX |
| On this day the police stand at the 2006 Paris Motor Show closed, as did the show!
If you had gone there, you would have discovered that France's police will soon be supplied with a new (impoundable?) vehicle, all neat with look-alike Front National logos. |  |
