1. Where can I take an upper-level history course near the area? Which universities would be relatively easy for an American (who's pretty fluent en français) to still get into and take a course at this coming spring? I know l'Université Paris X Nanterre is there, but apparently their inscription date has already passed. I've already looked into the American University of Paris because I figure it'll be easy to take a course at that will count for credit if I can't find anything else, but I'd prefer to go to a French school if possible.
2. What is the western/northwestern suburbs region like? I've read fairly affluent and there seem to be a number of parks/forested areas on their western side. Is it still easy/inexpensive to get to the Paris city center on the RER if I want to visit and hang out in Paris a lot? Will I feel like Paris is accessible to me, or not, and that I definitely live outside of it? I want any info on Maisons-Laffitte, Sartrouville, Nanterre, Le Vésinet, Colombes, Houilles, Bezons, Saint Germain-en-Laye, Chatou, and the more northernly region (Saint-Leu-La-Forêt, Eaubonne, Épinay-sur-Seine) that you can give me! If there are fun things for young people to do, if there's a nightlife, etc. Or links to useful info...I can read all about them, but hearing information from people who've actually lived in or traveled there is so much more useful to me.
I've only spent a few days in Paris, so I know very little about the regions outside the densely packed center. I would really appreciate any help you guys can give me, and if you live near the region or go to a university in Paris, let me know if you'd be willing to add me as an lj-friend and provide some further advice!
...oh and here are a few videos, ( enjoy. )
I've just released my fifth album of original music, entitled A Change of Scenery. The entire album is available to download or stream online.
Is the Internet stifling new music?
This seems like a good opportunity to comment on an article over at BBC News, where they ask the question: is the Internet stifling new music? The arguments put forth by John Taylor (bassist with Duran Duran) are distilled below:
1. Those of us who before would have been looking towards the current culture for inspiration are now often to be found in various backwaters of older music.
2. The speed and growth of new technology, which has been so heralded and so much fuss has been made of, has actually served to disguise how little real growth is taking place at the artistic level.
3. When artists today are asked to Twitter their every thought, their every action, to record on video their every breath, their every performance, I believe they're diluting their creative powers, their creative potency and the durability of their work. And in the long run I believe they're also diluting the magical power and the magnetic attraction that they can or will ever have over their audience.
I'm not sure I agree with all of this. Let me explain why...
Old classics die hard.
I don't see the problem with looking to older music for inspiration. I do see a slight problem with statements like "there's no good music nowadays", or "nobody can beat (insert popular artist name from yesteryear)". These statements were not made in the above article, but they're in common usage. Will a band ever beat The Beatles? Has Elton John had his day? Can anyone really out-Elvis Elvis? Would they be able to do so without being viewed as an impersonator? Though to be fair, they might just be one.
Listening to music shouldn't only be something we do at the time it's released. Also, for musicians, older music can be influential. I have numerous influences, ranging from classical music to electronic music, 1960s to 1990s and beyond.
While even the tiniest idea from an existing musician can realistically become a totally unique track, as time goes on, more and more music is made, which makes it harder and harder to be truly original. It's not impossible, but even if you think you're producing original music, some listeners may recognise similarities in music that the composers didn't know about.
In my view, there's so much music behind us, it would be daft to completely ignore it and only look at the music of today and tomorrow.
Rise of the robots.
I don't fully understand how the speed and growth of technology is a bad thing. There are many of examples of how existing technology has been used in creative ways.
For instance, The Beatles assembled various bits and pieces together to create Revolution 9, which to be honest I didn't like one bit, but it was - shall we say - an "interesting" listen. Mike Oldfield, multi-instrumentalist who's done a lot more than just Tubular Bells (check out Music of the Spheres, it's well worth a listen), managed to record many different parts on the same tape by covering the erase head on his tape recorder. I'm sure there are numerous other examples. Jean Michel Jarre has used numerous instruments over his career, many of which were new technology at the time he first used them. Would we be better off without these, and other, technological advances?
That's not to say that everyone is being creative or artistic with everything they do. But I see no harm in a bit of experimentation, and to be honest, exploiting technology to see what we can get out of it. The key is in knowing how to identify what works and what doesn't. The usage of new technology is not automatically a bad thing.
Technology aside, could we ever say that musicians always produce excellent material? Of course, it's all subjective - your favourite albums might not hit all the same notes with me. In the technical sense, of course they hit the same notes... just not necessarily the ones I like best!
The Twitter debate.
As for the use, or rather the over-use, of social media sites such as Twitter... it's for you to choose if you use or abuse. I believe that you can use Twitter to connect with your audience, and that not everyone overuses it.
WIth so much music out there, it's more important than ever before that musicians connect with their fanbase. New technology allows us to do that very well indeed. Perhaps some musicians would prefer to be something of an enigma, but equally, fans may prefer not to be shut out.
It's up to you to choose how much you want to put out there about yourself, and I don't agree with violating someone's privacy... but if you try to shut yourself away, you may just find that people pass you by.
Anyway, that's my view - what do you think? Is the Internet stifling new music? And have you heard my new album?
Using the Tube (or the London Underground, if you're not from around here) requires a certain level of understanding to avoid receiving evil glares or a "tut" from one of the many other passengers. Here are 10 tips that you might find beneficial.
1. Don't ignore the ticket barrier that says "Seek assistance". If you try and use a ticket or an Oyster card that flashes up a message, "Seek assistance", best to do so. From time to time you may have better luck on one of the other ticket barriers, but it's worth hunting down the nearest member of staff as soon as you can, so any problems with your ticket or card can be quickly addressed. Don't just keep trying it over and over again.
2. Be careful when it's wet. When it's been raining, the Tube is slippery. Shiny floors and shoes that don't grip are a bad combination, particularly in wet weather. Escalators are potentially lethal. Watch your step!
3. Don't stand on the left. When there's a long line of people standing on the right of an escalator, it's nice to have a clear path so you can walk on the left. I usually walk on the left to get a bit of exercise, and to get around the Tube that little bit faster. It is infuriating to walk partway up or down an escalator only to find you can't get any further because someone or something is blocking the way. That brings me nicely to the next point...
4. One pushchair can create an enormous queue. I certainly wouldn't want to try and use a wheelchair on the Tube, as a lot of the stations just aren't equipped for it. But you'd think that people with a pushchair would understand this too. Nope, instead they just plough on regardless. Some of the escalators are long, and taking a pushchair with you can create a massive queue. It can't be easy for you to get around the Tube with a pushchair - wouldn't it be easier to take the bus? (Thoughts welcome; I'm not sure of the best option here, but I'm not sure the Tube is the best way.)
5. Let people off before you get on. Really, it's just common courtesy, although sometimes there are so many people getting off it's hard to know when you'll be able to get on. But it's going to be a lot slower if everyone gets on before everyone else gets off.
6. Don't try and pull the doors open. If the doors are closing or they have just closed, don't try and get on or off the train. I've actually seen someone trying to pull the doors open from outside. They succeeded, but didn't get on because one of the Tube staff was quite patiently asking them to stop. It's for your own safety really.
7. If loads of people get on but there's another train in 1 minute, it's ok to wait for the next one. I've seen this a lot - a huge crowd of people swarm onto an already-busy train. The result: a very crowded train. Check when the next train is coming - if it'll be there in 1 or 2 minutes, it may be quieter. You do have to get on at some point, and they might all be pretty busy, but this tip has worked for me on a number of occasions - it's worth a shot.
8. Move right down inside the car. With so many people getting on, it's important to make use of the available space. Don't just get on and stand by the door if there's room in front of the seats and other people are getting on behind you. I've seen people who block the empty walkways and force everyone to stand in a big crowd just to get on. A bit silly if you ask me.
9. The driver won't wait for you to sit down. If you get a seat, sit down right away - don't mess around with your coat, bag or hair. I've seen plenty of people who end up sitting on the person next to them because the train set off just as they were sitting down.
10. Hold on! The Tube can be a jerky ride, particularly when it starts and stops, but there can be plenty of bumps along the way. If you can, hold on. There are people who seem to be able to stand without holding on, but if you're not sure you can do it, don't take the risk.
Image credit: Knivesout.
Do you have any tips for the Tube? Is there anything that you find particularly annoying?
"Smart Casual" is a flexible dress code that is open to interpretation, but might cause confusion for some. Is it the best dress code to adopt?
I used to work for an insurance company where all staff had to be smart. Men had no option but to wear a shirt and tie, with smart shoes. This seemed a bit unfair - women had to be smart too, but they had more options than the men did.
Dressing up for an important meeting or an interview is understandable. If you work directly with your customers, then perhaps you have to wear a uniform, or dress smart to give a good impression. That's one thing. But in a company where most staff rarely met with external suppliers let alone our customers, I never really saw the point in everyone being quite so smart.
Perhaps the company believed that a smartly-dressed workforce would behave in a more professional way than if we dressed down. I think this approach can backfire. Having to dress up every day makes me wonder if the company didn't trust its employees to work well unless they're extremely formal. This is absurd. Surely we'd all work better if we can dress comfortably?
The funny thing was that you could dress down on a Friday. Were they accepting the fact that Fridays aren't very productive? Or was it a "reward" for working in smart clothes for 80% of the week? I never quite figured that one out.
I already know that smart casual is a good idea for some companies. I now work for a web agency where the dress code is smart casual. Some people are more casual than smart, but nobody pushes the rule too far. So how does this affect the productivity and engagement of the workforce? Well, to be fair, I don't think things would take a nose-dive if we had to be smart. But I don't know anyone who would prefer to be smart.
Smart casual doesn't have to mean "scruffy", and you can still look semi-smart if you like. For instance, I'd rather wear a smart shirt than a t-shirt. But I find that trainers are a good option because I walk a lot. So I adopt something of a mix-and-match approach.
Smart casual is also easier to change with the weather. I used to find that a suit didn't keep me warm in the winter, but I was too hot in the summer. You do have options, but a smart casual dress code gives you a lot more flexibility.
And flexibility is important. I like to have a say in what I wear to work. When you spend at least 40 hours a week at work (not including the time spent commuting), it's not much fun if you feel uncomfortable for the entire period.
What do you wear to work? Is smart casual a good idea? Why/why not?
(Thanks to my wife, Lauren, for taking this photo. L to R: me, my sister, and my brother. This photo is the first time I've worn a tie since September 2006.)
hi, i'm looking for a store online or in paris that sells black lace big enough to make a mantilla or a shawl... any ideas? thanks!
This is a bit of a double whammy, actually. Maybe triple? Who knows. Let me explain...
I've just added a new page to the Injader website that lists all of the changes completed for the next version. You can see it on the new Upcoming Versions page.
This page is not something I need to update manually. I have just started using Mantis to organise bug reports, enhancements and other change requests. Whenever I resolve an issue in Mantis, it will appear on the Upcoming Versions page automatically.
There is also a "Released Versions" page that is currently empty, but will become relevant once the next version of Injader comes out.
This also signals a move towards plugins for functionality that shouldn't be included in the default Injader install. While Injader has plenty of handy features that don't require plugins, some things are better left as addon functionality. For instance, I'd like to develop a Newsletter Manager to take on the likes of Aweber, by providing a feature-rich, easy to use interface that you don't have to pay for. But if it was part of the Injader core, I'd have to keep releasing new versions of Injader even if the Newsletter Manager was the only thing that changed.
Some features do make sense in the core, but not all. This Mantis plugin is an excellent example of something that might be of benefit to some people, but that works better as a plugin.
I'll be writing more about plugins in Injader soon.
Recently, Twitter introduced the concept of lists - a simple way to put groups of your followers in one place. Third-party tools such as TweetDeck have provided similar functionality for months, but these tend to do so as a private feature, in that you can only see your own groups/lists. However, the built-in lists on the Twitter website can be either public or private.
Initially, the feedback sounded quite good. I found lists useful and a lot of the people I follow posted mostly positive comments about the feature. To give you some idea of the timeline, I noticed lists on my Twitter account on October 15th, when Mashable posted that "Twitter lists are live!".
A couple of weeks later, Chris Brogan criticised Twitter lists, calling them "exclusionary". This was mentioned in a further post by The Inquistr, who called Twitter lists an "A-list popularity contest". However, Scobleizer defended the idea, saying that we can't all be in every list. (For the record, I'm with Scobleizer on this one: I find lists useful.)
There are some great comments on both sides of the fence (although not on The Inquisitr, who seem to have little more than an "echo" section, listing tweets from people who shared the very post you're reading at the time - not much use really). However, I think what really stood out for me was this comment from Chris Brogan:
Funny how people are all panty-bunched about how @scobleizer or I view lists. Who cares? Advance the game. Make meaning.
Chris, if you don't care what people think about your views, why post them on a blog where comments are enabled? I fully accept that not everyone agrees on everything, and that not everyone will have an opinion on everything. However, this is a discussion you started!
Look at it this way: Imagine I walk up to someone and declare that my first impressions of Google Wave have not been overwhelmingly positive. They tell me that actually, Google Wave is a great tool, but it's probably better as a business tool. I tell them I don't care what they think, I was just telling them what I think. And I don't really care what they think of what I think!
Granted, some might view Google Wave as far more interesting than a single feature of Twitter. But what interests me may not interest the next person, and vice versa. I am curious to find out how people use Twitter lists. And I am quite happy to discuss the pros and cons. If this doesn't interest you - that's fine - but then why blog about it?
Am I missing something really obvious here?
Just so you know: comments are very welcome, and I do care what you have to say.
Don't just list names for Follow Friday - tell us why we should follow them!
Previously, I've explained that 8 out of 10 people dislike Follow Friday. The concept is simple: every Friday, recommend other Twitter users who others should follow. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes a mess of names with no explanation as to why we should follow them, or what would help us decide whether to make friends with those people.
As a result, I'd be surprised if many of the people who are recommended actually get any new followers. I've had a few, but almost all of them are spammers. In fact, virtually all of my recent followers are blatant spammers.
Anyway, I digress - back to Follow Friday.
Today, I noticed several people mentioning my name in their Follow Friday lists. But I was merely a name included with several other names, which makes it unlikely that I'll get many new followers as a result. As I said on Twitter:
thanks for the #followfriday mentions - but I think you should pick 1-2 names and give a reason to follow them :)
So, what's the best way to do this? Here are some examples that I posted:
names for #followfriday - @verwon makes me laugh, @rjleaman tells it like it is, @lepoque is fiercely loyal!
And then:
a few more #followfriday mentions: @_Bryony_ likes Dr Who, @Jordan_JAH RTs the best tweets, @Twitter_Tips is a godsend!
That's my list for this week. I can't promise to recommend people every week, but it does make me think that there's some mileage in the Follow Friday concept yet.
What do you think? Is this a better way to recommend people? Who would you like to recommend this week?
A few questions for today:
- Do you use the "Subscribe to comments by email" option on blogs?
- If you comment on a blog and someone replies, do you go back to the post to see what else was said?
- Is commenting on a blog something you do no more than once per post, or do you sometimes get into discussions?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Page Summary
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france :: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
a_xolotl : Where can I take a history course in Paris? What are the Western suburbs like? [+2] ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif)
bbarden_com : My new album - and is the Internet stifling new music? [+0] - bbarden_com : Top 10 Tips for the Tube [+0]
- bbarden_com : Smart Casual: the perfect dress code? [+0]
- parisians :: theallnewbatman : dentelle noire/black lace à paris? [+0]
- france :: fabunobo : Bonjour Tous! [+3]
- bbarden_com : Injader plugins [+0]
- bbarden_com : Twitter lists: to discuss or not to discuss? [+0]
- bbarden_com : How to make the most of Follow Friday [+0]
- bbarden_com : Do you subscribe to comments on blogs? [+0]