Clichés are the most common thing in America when it comes to France. Some French complain about it, others suffer with a smile … But very few French people actually ask for more! One’s hat down Madame Lagarde!

Here we go. This blog is officially entering the depression. No posts for weeks. Not that we lack some important news, but two or three letters are generally enough to report them: AIG, GM, G20, 3M and no need for additional comment. It’s depressing enough. So today, I jump on the rare occasion of some fun stuff that I received in my mailbox to hook up a nine-letter IV to this blog: Southwest.
This short sequence will delight those who like me are desperate to see video screens gradually replace the live choreography of the flight attendants before takeoff. As long as there is humor, there is hope!

C-SPAN is to the U.S. Congress what LCP-AN is to the French National Assembly: a boring TV channel with few viewers. But as LCP-AN remains constantly boring, C-SPAN can become somewhat exciting when the Congress investigates some of the most shocking scandals (which never happens in France. Well, not the scandals of course, but the investigation). Then, you get the excitment of the good and innocent kid watching the teacher (the congressman) lecturing the dunce (the federal agency that has not done its job) caught in the act of indiscipline.
When the scandal is about Bernard Madoff and his $ 50 billion financial fraud, and the teacher who conducts the investigation has the eloquence of Gary Ackermann, and when the dunce is nothing less that the formerly-very-honorable SEC, it gives us some good expiatory moments like this one.
Probably not enough to make the golden boys who are watching C-SPAN from a Caribbean beach feel guilty, but quite enjoyable for the average-joe-who-is-tired-to-be-considered-a-dummy.
In context,  Gary Ackermann is here referring to the SEC representatives who ignored (knowingly?) a detailed report on Madoff’s fraudulent activities that landed on their desk 8 years ago!

My Super Bowl, in short and in live:
——————————————
16:30 - Ben the Snowman

18:00 - NBC HD. Waow. Good picture!
18:30 - National anthem and chicken wings. Did I really become American?
19:00 - The kids are yelling “Boo Cardinals, Go Steelers!”. Should I worry?

20:00  - Harrison. Eighteen seconds, 100 yards!!!  The longest play in Super Bowl history.  The Steelers are leading 17 to 7.
Half - One second: “Miller” plays the shortest commercial in Super Bowl history.
Show- Bruce Springsteen. Doesn’t make us any yonger.
21:17 - The Coke commercial with Polamalu. Much ado about nothing.
21:26 - Fitzgerald. We knew it. Here he comes and … touchdown. The Cardinals are catching up. 20-14. Some excitment. Finally!
21:41 - Not sure exactly what happened, but it looks tense.
Saftey!  The Cardinals get 2 points. 20-16
21:48 - F**. Fitzgerald again. Pittsbugh’s behind 20-23. Only 2mn left ! It’s horrible. I feel like I’ll have an awful Monday.
21:58 - 49 seconds to win. Holmes misses. Damn it.
21:59 - 35 SECONDS - Holmes at the limit ! STEELERS SCORE! 27-23
I need a glas.
22:08 - YEEAAAHHHH!
Steelers are the first team in history to win 6 Super Bowls!
… and I really cannot believe I got so excited!

This blog’s officially turning black and gold. I did not write a lot about the Steelers over the past two years, but I can’t find anything else to write about for two weeks. It’s like a lancinating song that you can’t get off your mind. Everywhere I go: Steelers. Whatever I buy for lunch: Steelers. Chatting with neighbors: Steelers. Friday dress-down at the office tomorrow: Steelers. Watching the news: Steelers. Obama’s first week in office: Steelers!!!
Steelers, Steelers, Steelers! May the gods of football take pity on my sick mind and let us have some other thoughts after next Sunday.  Steelers’ fans are crazy. And it’s contagious.
In the meantime … here we go!

Another evidence that the Steelers Nation reaches far beyond planet Earth!
However, I’m surprised we did not see any “terrible towel” at Obama’s inauguration …

We are celebrating our third Christmas in Pittsburgh this year. With the experience of the past years, we did a much better job decorating the house from the inside out and I can’t think of one thing that we could have done better. Even the kids find it great and are not as embarrassed by our “minimalist design” as they were last year (Dad, why don’t we have as much fairy lights as the neighbors?). Sure, we are still one step behind our neighbors’ impressive light display, but the patio string lights are looking “ok” now. At least it’s enough to bring some Christmas spirit to our house, while complying with our neighborhood’s lightening standards.
However, looking at some of the Christmas extravaganza around, I realize how lucky I am to live in a neighborhood that is quite below standards regarding outdoor lightening. The Post-Gazette today reports the story of Robert Cox from Baldwin - a borough near Pittsburgh - who put 75,000 flashing lights in his yard along with 68 giant candy canes and 13 inflatables to get a “wow whee” from his daughter. And of course, there’s also a sound system to bring the show live each evening!
Watch the result and you’ll understand why I love MY neighbors so much (and you may love yours even more

The 4 seasons in Pittsburgh are winter, winter, still winter, and roadwork. We had a pretty good and long roadwork season this year, but winter has been short and it looks like we are already entering winter now. Snow early December is not as usual. For the past two years, it started in January (it’s not that December is not cold, but it’s usually limited to ice rain). So here we go: it’s snowing again … and we shall not see the end of it before next spring winter.
I like winter. Having a white Christmas is beautiful and as the potholes of the awful Pennsylvanian roads are filled with snow, it’s actually much more pleasant to drive. But one winter would be enough! Now that I know that one more is coming, I feel depressed already. Another evidence that experience and consciousness do not make people happy

Nice reflex!

I admire the unique ability of the American people to always move on, whatever the circumstances. And I admire John McCain’s concession speech. After a year of often-negative campaigning, I was amazed hearing the defeated candidate - in an heartfelt speech - urge all Americans to support the once-called “un-American, terrorist-tied socialist” new president of the United States. Alakazam! Forget the bad words. It’s not a game anymore, let’s move on! Seriously my friends: we have a country to put b

Kids love making the show. Usually it’s about singing and dancing. But yesterday night, the kitchen stage became the place for politics… I took care of the media coverage, but the little politicians built their own soapbox and did not hire a writer for their speech. However, after one year of heavy campaigning, it looks like they don’t need one: they got the picture!

Kids have spoken! Let the grown-up vote now… so we may go back to some singing and dancing

The presidential candidates should definitely dismiss their sterile, sad and scary communication advisors and hire Apple’s advertizing agency to make their case to the American people. Not only would I understand their program much better, but more importantly, I would also have a much better time watching their ads!
Example? Just replace the words “Advertizing” by “Wall Street” and “Fix Vista” by “Fix the economy” in the Mac commercial below, and you’ll get a fantastic Obama commercial.

birthday party!

Tax, tax, taxes

Mac Spoof. John McCain joins the Mac guy and they talk.

More political comedy at http://barelypolitical.com

It’s been announced as the ad war of the year, if not of the decade. The Microsoft empire, tired of being cast as a stodgy oldster by Apple’s rebel advertising, would strike back with one of the largest advertising campaign in the company’s history and spend $300 million in a killer-ad featuring the popular Jerry Seinfeld. Wow! Gates vs. Job. The great old tycoon war revival. Can’t wait.
Well, here is Microsoft’s new weapon of massive destruction, launched September 4.

Okay! Is there something I

Watch it in HD!

Franklin over at Submedia crafted this remix as a Letter to the President on the subject of Energy Policy.

Totally hot. Thank you Mr. McCain for opening our eyes: yes she can... be president!

Pathetic.