Mr. Stettner, who considered the two cities his “spiritual mothers,” chronicled the poetry of daily life, with his subjects unaware of his presence.
Source: Louis Stettner, Who Photographed the Everyday New York and Paris, Dies at 93 – The New York Times
The photographs that occupy the header of my Pas De Merde blog are each the work of Pierre Jamet. Jamet (1910-2000) was a singer (the tenor voice in Les Quatre Barbus), active outdoorsman, and above all – the gifted photographer who so brilliantly captured young French people enjoying their country’s hillsides, lakes, and seashore during the 1930s.
I especially love the above photo, “Four Pair of Legs.” It beautifully captures the feeling of being on vacation – the clashing sensations of both relaxation and exhilaration that nourish our summer souls. Are the children’s legs dangling from the bridge as they take a rest after their hike? Or are they preparing to jump into the cool, refreshing waters of a stream below? I like to imagine that the children drop from the bridge into the railroad car of a passing train, carrying goose feathers – destination unknown [ . . . ]
An “orgy of bacterial bestiality?” As my friend Max might say, “let the wild rumpus start!” I could not resist this headline from New Scientist. Raw cheese may save my gut and the planet. Read on!
The bacteria that create our cheeses are exchanging genes like mad as they compete to survive in this new environment
Source: Cheese-making led to gene-swapping orgy of bacterial bestiality | New Scientist
The Chanson Du Jour for 10/13/2016: Birelli Legrene’s “Viper’s Dream”
This is one of the great “reefer” songs of the many written in the ’30s and ’40s (Minnie the Moocher, If You’re a Viper, Hong Kong Blues) Viper’s Dream was composed by Fletcher Allen and made popular in 1935 by Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France. In the clip below, Birelli Legrene performs the song live at a 2002 jazz festival. Legrene is one of the leading current practitioners of the jazz manouche gypsy guitar style that Django Reinhardt invented.
Speaking of reefer – travel guru Rick Steves is touring Massachusetts this week in support of the state’s referendum, Question 4, to legalize recreational marijuana. Check it out
Long Way North, or Tout en Haut du Monde, is a 2015 French/Danish animated feature film directed by Remi Chaye who was also the assistant director of
Source: [REVIEW] ‘Long Way North’
Media India Group takes you on a musical journey with French musician Emmanuel Simon. This multi-faceted artist is based in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, where he studied Bengali percussions…
Source: Interview with French musician, Emmanuel Simon, in Kolkata | Media India Group
Pas De Merde 