calvisson-leblon

I wish it were true This is what many conservative French female journalists want us to believe after the #balancetonporc onslaught.   This French hashtag can be freely translated as “rat out your pig” or “denounce your creep”.   The # went viral in France and many women went public, revealing their sexual harassment experiences.   A recent poll indicates that 53% of French women claim to have been harassed at work.   For rightwing editorial writers and politicians, this outpouring is a leftish rage.   A conservative female politician argued that grivoiseries or male sauciness (lewd remarks) was part of the French DNA!   Journalists like Natasha Polony, from the rightwing daily le Figaro claims that Harvey Weinstein is not French (true) because French men don’t behave this way (is Dominic Strauss Kahn already forgotten??).    In an editorial titled Vive la virilit é (no need to translate!), Polony argues that French people are not prudi...

Since coming back from a week-long visit to Armenia in September, I have been pondering whether to write a blog on this trip.   I was attracted by the country’s volcanic geology and its medieval monasteries, which may not be exciting blog material.   I have always found it challenging to share my love of old stones with my friends.   The former Soviet Republic of Armenia is a tiny country, the size of Belgium, and the majority of Armenians live outside the country.   With the likes of Kardashian, Kevorkian, Kerkorian, Agassi (Agassian), Aznavour, Ara Malikian, Sarkisian (aka Cher), and Ohanian (Serena Williams’ future husband) to name a few, the Armenian diaspora is more attention-grabbing than the country itself.   Moreover, Armenia is no longer an exotic and backwater Caucasian destination, as over one million visitors flock to its landmarks and this number keeps growing.   Last week, I discovered Cosmo Jarvis, real name Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Ja...