I came across this enjoyable graphic novel by a French author, David Blot, and illustrator, Jérémie Royer. It’s from 2011, and called Yesterday. Imagine a world where no one had heard of the Beatles. And one man decides to perform Beatles songs and takes credit for them, becoming a massive international star in the process. […]
Tag: France
Bypassing the media, Carlos Ghosn tells it as it is
I haven’t blogged much about Carlos Ghosn, though I’ve Tweeted aplenty since his arrest last November. Earlier this week, his lawyers released a video of Ghosn stating his position, and it echoes much of what I had Tweeted. He couldn’t make a personal appearance at a press conference himself, thanks to some conveniently timed (for […]
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Trading identities in the 2010s: when corporate branding and personal branding adopt each other’s methods
Above: Brand Kate Moss was probably seen by more people when the model collaborated with Topshop. In 1999, the late Wally Olins sent me his book, Trading Identities: Why Countries and Companies are Taking on Each Other’s Roles, a fine read published by the Foreign Policy Centre that argued that countries were trying to look […]
A look back at 2015: a year that was harder to laugh at
I’ve done this a few times now: looked through my year’s Tumblr posts to get an alternative feel for the Zeitgeist. Tumblr is where I put the less relevant junk that comes by my digital meanderings. But as I scrolled down to January 2015 in the archive, I’m not that certain the posts really reflected […]
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Modern terrorism and where we are in history
Thoughts today on social networks, chatting to friends about issues stemming from the Charlie Hebdo massacre and the hostage saga in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. In response to an Australian friend of Chinese heritage: [Muslims] have been [speaking out against violence] since 9-11 and probably before but no one cared or no one could be […]
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Je suis Charlie
I was watching France 24 about half an hour after the Charlie Hebdo attack and made the above graphic a few hours later, in support of press freedoms and the victims’ families, and showing solidarity with other members of the media. One friend has made it his Facebook profile photo and I followed suit about […]
The demise of Auto Katalog, and little to fill the void
It’s sad to read the news that Motor-Presse Stuttgart will not publish the Auto Katalog annual this year. That means last year’s, the 57th, could have been the ultimate edition. There are complaints on Amazon.de, and I was all ready to buy a copy myself—typically I would have an order put in through Magnetix […]
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The TV and film ideas that Ireland pioneered
My friend Lou, who I enjoy winding up, just arrived in Belfast on holiday with her fiancé. I wrote on her Facebook the following slice of forgotten Irish television and film history. If I was in Belfast, I would be rapping. I pulled up to the house about seven or eight, And I yelled to […]
The top-selling cars in France, 2013
Interesting what pops up on Weibo: 2013’s top-selling cars in France. 1. Renault Clio IV 2. Peugeot 208 3. Citroën C3 4. Renault Scénic III 5. Renault Mégane III 6. Dacia Sandero 7. Renault Captur 8. Volkswagen Polo V 9. Renault Twingo II 10. Peugeot 3008 The French are a patriotic bunch. In […]
The Saint goes on
I belatedly came across the YouTube preview of The Saint, a reimagining of the Leslie Charteris character, which was shopped at Cannes this month. It had been posted by Ian Dickerson, who at my last contact was the honorary secretary of the Saint Club. (A quick glance at the website reveals he still is.) […]