Oscar? Smoshcar …

The spoilt and rich of the film industry just got more pampered and even richer. This mutual m********n is nothing more than a gang-bang in expensive clothes.

Who’s Zoomin’ Who …?

At the beginning of his/her career with SNCF (the French railways), a TGV train driver earns a monthly wage of between €2 200 and €3 200 ($3200 – $4600), ending his/her working life on a monthly wage of around €4 880 ($7000).

In addition, they each receive;

- an end of year bonus
- a working bonus (whatever that is)
- a TGV bonus
- a coal bonus (yes, you read that correctly)
- a holiday bonus
- compensation for additional hours worked
- benefits for working away from home (difficult for a bloody train driver, no?)

They work, on average, 25 hours a week (not the 35hrs advertised). For a 40-yr old train driver, his annual salary, with all bonuses included, comes to a staggering €75 000* ($109,800)

He then has to work a further 10 years at 25hrs a week with a nice fat month off during the summer season, and can take retirement on a FULL government-funded pension at €75 000* ($109,800) per annum – their last recorded salary.

Did you know that the word “customers” does not exist in SNCF language? People who take trains are called “les usagers” (the users). Hmmm. Yet they are holding the country to ransom because they feel that they are being treated unfairly. I wouldn’t normally use foul language on this blog, but **** me!

* source: Life On The Rails magazine

They Did It Their Way …

According to numerous parent associations, the British government and the Police, children should be shielded (at any expense) from those who use drugs – actors and popstars etc.

However, Britain seems to be leading the ‘popstars in the drug-limelight’ championships. Take Pete Doherty, who has appeared in court on countless occasions on drug-related charges, yet has always walked away without a suitable prison sentence. The there’s Amy Winehouse, who’s drug-infested life is over-blown and, like Doherty, constantly being branded about the news and music media.

Don’t forget, kids can read too … and they look up to these icons of their generation.

If parents seriously want to ’shield their kids’ from such bad influences, then shouldn’t the media take the first step and dumb-down their coverage?

I’m In Total Control … Really …

This little President doesn’t seem to know when to stop. Well, I guess that now that he’s a single man again, he doesn’t have much to do with his Sunday’s.

Last Sunday, for example, he flew down Central Africa-way to negotiate the release of 3 French journalists and 4 Spanish air hostesses from jail in Chad. 10 French charity workers still remain as guests of the Chadian government on charges of ‘kidnapping’.

Basically, French charity Zoe’s Ark, claim that 10 of their workers (and 3 invited journos) flew down to Chad in the Spanish-owned charter aircraft, in order to airlift 103 Darfuri orphans back to France. Other Aid Agencies, along with the Chadian government, say that most of the children actually have families and come from Chad, not from neighbouring warring Darfur. So, a charge of kidnapping was levied on the lot of them … and straight to jail.

It has come to light that some of the film footage of Zoe’s Ark’s operation shows charity workers trying to establish whether the children handed over were, indeed, orphans. The film also implies that the charity intentionally mislead local people and the authorities that its intention was to fly them out of the country. In one sequence, apparently, fake bandages are applied to some of the children to simulate a medical evacuation.

Enter SuperSarko …

Taking a French government jet (paid for by the tax-payer), Sarko flew to the former French colony, had a few words with someone in an ill-fitting suit, and flew back out with the 3 journalists and the stewardesses. The plane first touched down in Madrid where the stewardesses and Sarko were met by Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Then it was off again to Paris, where Sarko delivered the 3 French journos back into the arms of their families. Finally, back home to the Elysée Palace for a hot chocolate and a bedtime story …

Socialist François Hollande asked “this is all well and good, by why does he have to go himself?”

True. As President he’s appointed a Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, but what is this with the Sarkosy personal touch?

You may remember that the International community got into a tizzy last July over the case of the Bulgarian nurses (vis à vis: medical scapegoats) embroiled in the HIV/Lybian children case. Newly-elected President Sarko had only been in the big chair for a few months when he suddenly dispatched his then wife, Cecilia, to Tripoli in a Presidential jet (again, paid for by the tax-payer). On July 24th, the 6 nurses were released from custody and flown to Sofia.

The press were forever present and wired numerous images of happy, smiling nurses on the tarmac … a self-satisfied Cecilia in the background of every image was guaranteed.

Maybe he’s thinking “If a job’s worth doing well, it’s worth doing it yourself”. Either that, or he’s trying to get the record for producing the biggest carbon footprint in 365 days.

So, if you’re held by a rag-tag government, who are you going to call …?

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick …

French rocker, Bertrand Cantat, was released from jail last week. He’s just spent 4 years of an 8 year sentence in Muret jail, near Toulouse, for beating his actress girlfriend, Marie Trintignant, to death in a Lithuanian hotel in July 2003. He claimed it was an accident. Some accident, m’lord …

Toulouse prosecutor Paul Michel denied that 43yr old Cantat, of the band Noir Desir, had not received any special treatment.

Of course not. I’d say that being repatriated from Lithuania and having your sentence sliced in half for ‘beating your girlfriend to death’ was special enough as it is …