November 12, 2015

Dark Secrets of the Dordogne

Cover1Satire in SW France

When Pamela and William Sinclair moved to France, their expectations were high. What could be more idyllic than living in a Renaissance château, feasting on local produce and elegant French wines?

They didn’t expect to be stalked by a serial killer, who prowled the countryside on the full moon. Nor did they anticipate a power struggle with Shirley Johnson-Smith, the self-styled ‘Queen of the Dordogne’.

Their challenges, ordeals and triumphs unfold in this satirical comédie noire, set in a picturesque village in South-West France.

Available at Waterstones

Publisher: Lumiere Publishing

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June 24, 2011

Do you want to be a social entrepreneur?

Social impact venture capital firms have seen an increase in support since the economic downturn, and more and more entrepreneurs are wanting to build self-sustaining social ventures than ever before.  Exciting times are ahead…read this guide to creating a new social venture and join the growing band of successful social entrepreneurs…Read More

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June 22, 2011

The Web: exposing our lives to the world

Many of us will say that it doesn’t matter, “I have nothing to hide!”  But one day, it may matter. Read More

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June 21, 2011

An authentically green way of life

MANY urban Americans idealize “green living” and “slow food.” But few realize that one of the most promising models for sustainable living is not to be found on organic farms in the United States, but in Afghanistan. A majority of its 30 million citizens still grow and process most of the food they consume. They are the ultimate locavores. Read More

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June 14, 2011

When It Comes to Scandal, Girls Won’t Be Boys

WASHINGTON — There was a collective rolling of the eyes and a distinct sense of “Here we go again” among the women of the House of Representatives last week when yet another male politician, Representative Anthony D. Weiner, confessed his “terrible mistakes” and declared himself “deeply sorry for the pain” he had caused in sexual escapades so adolescent as to almost seem laughable.    Read More

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June 7, 2011

Why have regulators in France cracked down on references to ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’?

Still an Asterix Village

Updated June 6, 2011, 10:12 PM

Pierre Haski, a former deputy editor of the daily Libération, is the co-founder and chief executive of the French independent news Web site Rue89.com.

France’s broadcasting authority is applying the law by calling on the country’s TV and radio broadcasters to stop using the words “Facebook” and “Twitter” on the air unless the news story justifies it. French law bans hidden advertising, and Facebook and Twitter are not (yet) generic names.

But this narrow legalistic approach gives France an Asterix village outlook, as in the popular cartoon when the whole of Gaul was under Roman occupation except for a tiny Breton village still resisting the globalization of the time.   Read More

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June 1, 2011

International cost of living ranking 2011

Rising grocery and oil prices are impacting the low income earners most severely, but are also likely to impact expatriate purchasing power.

Lower income earners spend a larger percentage of their income on groceries and transport. The world’s poorest consumers spend a large proportion of their income, around 50 to 70 percent, on food and have limited capacity to adjust quickly to rapid price increases. In places like Egypt, Tunisia and Libya this has contributed to political unrest. At the expatriate level the impact will also be felt as up to 16% of their income is spent on groceries and 18% on transport.

http://www.xpatulator.com/outside.cfm?aid=267

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May 28, 2011

You were born with wings. Why crawl through life?

We often don’t realize our potential.  We were all born with symbolic ‘wings’ that can help us fly if we just focus our minds.  We should never underestimate the power of our mind, and its ability to shift our circumstances should we so desire. So the next time you are feeling low – just think about your wings and soar…..!

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