Urban myth...

What a great Idea...

Outside the England´s Bristol Zoo there is a parking area for 150 cars and 8 buses.
For 25 years, a very nice clerk was in charge of collecting the parking fees, corresponding to US$1.40 for cars and US$7.00 for buses.

One day, after 25 solid years of work every single day, he simply didn’t appear. Zoo Administration, then, called City Hall and asked for a new clerk. City Hall answered that the Zoo parking lot was Zoo responsibility.

Zoo Administration said the clerk was a City Hall employee.

City Hall said then that clerk was never in their payment roll.

Meanwhile, very well set on his beautiful house on Spain coast (or something like that), there is a guy who, apparently, installed the paying machine by himself and was there every day, collecting the parking fees, evaluated around US$560 a day… for 23 years!!

Considering he used to work 7 days a week, he got around US$7 million. And nobody knows even his name… Urban legend?

Urban legend? Maybe.

Oh-la-la! Je suis émue!

Coucou à ceux qui passent ici depuis des liens ajoutés dans un certain intranet....

Je suis sous pression!

Je me disais qu'il fallait que je reprenne la publication, genre, il faut se motiver, et je remettais au lendemain ce que je pouvais faire maintenant.

Bon, me voilà en train de relancer la machine!

Le Pont des Arts #nolovelocks

Je suis partisane du No Love Locks.

L'amour ne doit pas être enchaîné, il est libre. On est libre d'être avec quelqu'un, de le quitter si l'on souhaite. On est libre de nos mouvements, on est libre de montrer tout notre amour pour la personne
aimée. On est libre de l'aimer.

Les cadenas n'ont rien a avoir avec l'amour,

Et en plus c'est moche.

Certains pourraient dire que c'est mignon, tous ces cadenas dorés au soleil.

Oui et non. Trouvons un autre doré.

Je me souviens au siècle dernier il y a beep années nous faisions des pique-nique sur le Pont des Arts. On venait avec notre casse croute, notre boisson, on s'installait par terre, dos contre les grillage. On regardait les bâtiments en bord de Seine. On y passait presque ma nuit.

Aujourd'hui impossible. Essayez d'appuyer votre dos à une masse de cadenas.

Et le Pont. Il n'est plus le même!
Le Pont des Arts actuel date de 1984, mais une passerelle et un pont existent à cet endroit depuis 1801.  Il ne les fait pas, non?

Il a toujours vécu là, tranquille, mimille.

Et vlam! On lui met des tonnes sur les dos. 40 tonnes selon les estimations. En plus sur le "dos du pont. Et n'oublions pas les nombreuses clés jetées dans la Seine.
Il y a quelque temps je traversais le Pont et je me disais qu'un jour on pourrait tous tomber dans la Seine. Il paraît que le Pont peut supporter la charge. Mais ce n'est pas une raison pour l'enlaidir.

Arrêtez les cadenas!

(Et voilà que je vais attirer les foudres des défenseurs des cadenas, non?)

Laissez vivre les  ponts et autres monuments parisiens et dans le reste du monde!

Allez les villes, mettez a disposition un mur que l'on puisse tagger/dessiner notre amour. Quitte à le peindre en blanc une fois par an. Non pas que l'amour s'efface. Mais il se renouvelle, il est vivant, il se transforme, il mûri.

Pour savoir plus sur No Love Locks c'est ici.

Wikipedia (cliquer sur l'image pour l'agrandir)

Du #streetart

Que l'on aime bien!

OakOak, un street-artiste français, qui crée des images, sujets, evenements, installations, chacun trouve son appellation, a partir de ce qu'il,voit dans la rue.

Sublimissime.

J'a-d-o-r-e.

C'est par ici : http://positivr.fr/oakoak-artiste-de-rue-genial/

Carrot cake à ma façon #foodporn

Carrot cake 

3 carottes rapées (environ 200 gr) 

2 oeufs 

200 gr de sucre 

250 gr de Farine 

1 pot de yaourt type "velouté" de Danone (125 gr)

50 gr de beurre

1 sachet de levure 

canelle selon votre goût

noisettes concassées  "une bonne poignée" (j'achète mes noisettes entières et je les casse au marteau, dans un torchon)

Glaçage : 

1/2 tablette de chocolat "dessert" (52% cacao) 

75 gr de beurre doux (si vous voulez faire un chouilla moins gras utiliser 50gr)

15 cl crème frâiche 

Préparation

Mixer les carottes râpées, les œufs, l'yaourt et le sucre au blender pendant 5 minutes.

Versez la pâte dans un bol, y ajouter la farine (tamisée), ensuite la levure, remuez à la cuillère, doucement, ne pas mixer (ou si votre batteur a une position "pas agressive allez-y, je fais à la main).

Ajouter la cannelle et les noisettes.

Verser dans un moule beurré, fariné, en silicone - j'utilise souvent les moules en alu: pas de vaisselle, facilement transportable.

Amener au four (chaleur tournante) préchauffé à 180°. Faire cuire pendant 40 minutes. Tester avec un couteau, s'il sort propre c'est bon. Sinon continuer le cuisson le temps nécessaire (je conseille par paliers de 5 min).

Glaçage

Faire fondre 1/2 plaquette de chocolat au microondes - couper en morceaux et mettre dans un bol, ajuster le microondes sue la position décongélation. Faire tourner 1-2 minutes, plus deux.

Ajouter le beurre et fondre les deux ensemble, toujours en décongélation.

Ajouter la crème fraîche, bien remuer.

Étaler le glaçage sur le gâteau tiède voire froid.

Amener au frigo pendant au moins 1h.

Bonne dégustation!

Lucky chance #chronicles #2

Commutting time.

Crowded wagons.

A weirdo gets in.

He talks alone.

About life in general, the government, the crisis, his rent which is quite expensive, people or kind of people that he doesn't like.

He doesn't like white people.

He doesn't like black people.

He doesn't like french.

He doesn't like americans.

He doesn't like germans.

He doesn't like arabic people.

He is arabic.

He likes red haired people.

There was a red haired person there just a few meters from him.

A guy in his twenties.

The man went on talking.

He likes red haired people. 

They're special. Really special.

They bring you joy. They bring you happiness. They're smart. They're clever. They're beautiful. They have beautiful souls. They are angels. 

Eventhough the man says that he doesn't believe in angels.

By this time we are all smiling around them.

He approaches the young man.

He says he had to get closer because red haired brings you luck.

He was lacking of luck: his woman had left him. She had said he was weird.

No doubt.

He had lost his job. Boss said he missed too many days.

'You know man! I can't go there everyday! I have other stuff to do!'

So do we!!

M Weirdo started then to sort of declaring his flamme for red headed people. How he was already feeling better just for being seated by the young man.

He was sure he was going to have luck from now on.

We were all showing broad smiles on our faces. 

And certainly saying deep inside of us "Thank god I'm not a red head".

This went on for 3-4 stops of suburban commutting train. This is a great lot of time around Paris.

M Weirdo had to get off. 

oh dear

He wondered if his lucky charm would get off with him.

The young redhaired man said he'd go further away.

Damn it.

Weirdo said goodbye. They shook hands, he got red-luck in his arms.

He got off. He went to the left.

A few seconds passed by. 

Then young red jumped from his seat just when the alarm of closing doors started. He got off at the same station as Weirdo. Turned right.

Ok. He wanted to get his quietness back.

We all in the wagon smiled more.

Then we heard a scream: hey! My lucky star!! You're coming with me!!!

The urbain train started, noise faded away...

Foot battle sabotage #1 #chronicles

At night. Sometime during the year. 

As usual I was in the métro going from one point to another. Crossing Paris through it's belly.

I had my headphones tucked in my ears. Maybe listening to GusGus or Pink Martini or Arthur H.

I was sitting there daydreaming on music.

A guy sat by me.

His right foot, the closest to my left foot, got close to mine. Then he got closer.

I put my legs away.

He got even more closer.

He twisted his body a little bit but didn't get too close so not to annoy me a lot. I thought.

At least it's what I think. Still today.

Tiwisting his body as if he was showing something to me.

I then noticed the paper or sort of paper jacket/note he was holding on his lap.

Being curious by nature I wanted to know what was written.

I tried to read without showing it. 

Easy, just let my hair (I have a lot) fall over my eyes.

He wanted me to read. He was expecting.

Something like "battle of converse" was written  there. In capital letters, red.

It said "A girl wearing Converse takes her foot away from the guy wearing Converse. He gets closer. She goes away. They go on on this battle until.... a café... together...."

The text continued. I didn't read. 

I looked at my feet. I checked I was wearing one of my Converse.

I noticed that he was also wearing a pair of Converse.

He wanted to play. I see. I saw then.

I discretely looked at him. 

Not at all a top model type.

Jeans, white t-shirt, a light jacket in his hands, a back pack (like students do).

Pffff

No interest in responding to his gag.

Well no interest even if he was Mister Universe, Magic Mike or Steve MacGarret.

Aaah. Maybe if it was one of the last two of the trio.

He was counting on his neighbor curiosity to start the 'battle'.

It didn't work.

I didn't react to his paper. He was twisting himself to allow me read it better.

I didn't react. I continued in my thoughts. 

I waited for his reaction.

Switching expectations.

He got up and off on the next station. And hopped in another wagon of the métro.

He wasn't interested in no reaction.

Rha! Gotchya.

He wanted to play.

I wanted to listen to my music and go home.

He looked for another Converse opponent for that night.

I'll never know what happens when the battle takes place.

I don't want to know.

I don't care in fact.

Tidbits and balance / URL + IRL #SMCSFblog - Day30 (last day!)

Last evening we had another meeting from URL to IRL. Another initiative from the #SlashGen group but this time the theme was #TeaAddictParis.

The slash Gen is a group of people from the slash generation: any age, we aren't X or Y generation, but slash. We have many lives, many passions and occupations, we aren't mono work expertise or whatever. We are from Paris and other parts of France or Europe too.

We picked the tea lovers and met for a tea party at the Kusmi tea flagship on Champs Elysées. Great address great tea great meeting and talking.

We had good tea, good conversation, we met people whom we knew from Facebook Twitter or who we have met in other slash Gen meeting and didn't have the time to talk with.

I'm sure this format will happen again, like first part of the evening, those who had meetings for diner could go to both events.

The theme this time was tea so a person from Kusmi team gave us a brief tea lesson. Green tea, black tea, red tea. Combinations, spicies, flowers. Smelling - we could smell the flavour or some teas. Great to get decided and buy some new tea I hadn't bought before.

The conversation were about every kind of subject. Most of the time linked to digital.

It was again the opportunity for me to discuss with someone how to use some social media, for your personal branding. Publish information about articles you read, make public your expertise. Use these media to build your online image, set up your own editorial line (for your blog, twitter TL, your scoopit interface.

All these social media tools can help you show your expertise and even operate a change in your professional life.

I told some friends' stories linked with RH and blogs social media. It had happened before, before Twitter and others, during the "golden era" of blogging (2005-2006) we used to have meetings of bloggers (Paris Carnet, blog apéro...) for bloggers in general but also with a HR baseline, bloggers who were blogging about their expertise and looking for a job with recruiter bloggers, for networking and even to really find a job.

Once during one of these HR evening I got a meeting for a friend, who wasn't there but I met a recruiter who got interested for her profile. 

For myself the interest then was to increase my network and help me change carreers. It did happened.

Meeting in real life and online with people who have the same interest as you (network, digital) is really interesting to confront your ideas, feelings, exchange about your actual job, what is working good, bad, what you could change to improve it.

IRL meetings have the same importance for me as the URL meetings with these nice people from SMC South Florida. Reading their posts, comments and commenting myself gives me insights for my professional way of viewing things. It is even more important for me to get to know what is going on in another place. The way we do digital in France probably isn't the same as they do in the States , in this case in Florida. I learn about other tools I discover other professional and other way of thinking. I discover new ideas, tools, and most important of all, people.

My meetings with my #SlashGen friends in real life and with my #SMCSF friends are very rich experiences and rewards me with lots, tons of ideas and new perspectives regarding the digital world in which I work.

These words can be a kind of summary for these 30 days we've been blogging. Ideas, interesting people, events, rich writing/reading.

It isn't in my culture but as I'm sharing these 30 day blog challenge with a group of mostly Norh Americans and that this week end is Thanksgiving (the exact date was on Thursday 28th) on this last day of blogging I thank all the URL friends for sharing their views , photos, videos, texts with all of us. And I hope one day we will get to IRL - I tell you one day I'll go to one of your local meetings.

Let's keep on the move!

Content and engagement #SMCSFblog - Day29

The first Adobe social breakfast about social media took place today. The purpose is to talk about SM use, how brands should and are using it, etc etc etc.

There were three presentations scheduled this morning. 

After a welcome from Adobe France as we were in their offices, Jeremy Waite (Adobe's social media strategist) talked about the main subejct and the social media trends for 2014. He identifies 14 but presented the 5 most important in his opinion.

From his speech I highlight that a community is not only people with accounts on social media network but people with a common interest for a subject. They can get together on one of the huge tools that we know or on small dedicated tools. The important is that they share the passion for the same topic.

It is important to collect data and really use it. Data will enable brands to predict the future and they'll probably stop doing test and learn as data will give the trend. 

Secondly the Marketing Director of MasterCard and the Director of social media strategy agency in charge of the brand's campaign presented their view of how and what a brand should do online and their use case of the campaign #PricelessParis (exceptional experiences in Paris).

The main idea I retained is that content is important to create and engage your community.

Then came Twitter's Director for France who talked about the immediacy of Twitter and the possibility to reach many people in a precise period of time - to benefit from a certain type of audience and engage with them.

A brand should plan campaigns and presence online when it is needed to be there. 

Organize campaigns for your target on Twitter during a game - on an important game/event a tweet can reach people all over the world (like a game to guarantee a place in the next coming World Cup or Euro Cup).

Be there and be prepared to seize the opportunity like Oreo did when power shortage happened during last Superbowl.

He was seemingly selling a new twitter service about Tv ads but the subject is very much interesting. A brand has to plan ad during the broadcast of a film series combining the Tv ad which you planned to broadcast at à certain time with the tweeting of this same ad (or simular that you planed) on twitter.

The key message was plan your presence on Twitter when the audience you want to reach is there (like those who can't sleep and tweet with #WhyICantSleepAtNight

Main point: engage live.

We have more than 5 senses #SMCSFblog - Day28

I read an article in portuguese today published by one school of DeRose Method about 10 unknown senses.
I looked for the same article in english and didn't find exactly the same but a similar one.

Scientists say that we have 9-10 senses and even some studies say that we have 21!

Reading the article we find that some senses that we thought were one are in fact 2 (like pain isn't the sens of touch eventhough we may feel pain through the touching).

I just found it interesting to think about this we don't know our bodies completely, we don't know all about our selves. Until the last day of our lives we can discover interesting about us. This is not personality that we don't know a 100% neither.

We should all have a sensé of giving and thankfulness and gratitude. It is thought it can Côme with our culture and the way we are raised. It would´however be great if it was also a sense.
(But it would be awkward if people loose it for any reason. Like sometimes people don't feel pain on heat etc).

Special thoughts to SMCSF readers on this Thanksgiving!

We are little dusts in the universe.

Working identity #SMCSFblog - Day27

On last night theorical classes my method's master (I do more than yôga!) said that if we work with what we love we don't count hours and we will ne able to work all the time, even  7 days a week because we love it.

Certainly possible.

This assumption is kind of joining the book I'm reading at the moment about Working identity. 

I'm still in chapter one but I already know from the couple of examples given so far one can achieve different kinds if carreer shift.

From a total change (a psy who became a buddhist monk) to changes of angle (from management a software company to consulting on organizational issues).

In the book it's very much about people who arrives at a certain stage of their professional life and feel that they want something else.

But don't know what.

It should give some keys to realize the change, which can be simple or complex. The point is to discover what you want to do.

I'm curious to read the next examples of carreer change.

Then on Facebook I read some personal changes:

- someone annonced he is in a relationship and changed his status (I'd never thought this person would do this on Facebook, like, he is not a teenager... He is dad of a teen)

- someone is on holidays and having fun in NY (with all my respect.... Bit...h. But I love you. I wanna be there)

- someone asked her friends to test her marketing campaign for her company because it is the result of her big project

- my virtual friends from Social Media Club South Florida are as usual active online and with many useful insight for me - and I also discover new tools, you know Old Continent view versus new Wolrd try out and creation of many intersmesting stuff (there are interesting stuff over here, but I can have easily access to it)

This last part make me think: it should ne interesting to take part at SMC Paris. But to enter one must be co-opted.

Who wants to co-opt me?

Concepts #SMCSFblog - Day26

Tonight is DeRose theorical lesson.

Conclusion: if you love what you do you don't count the hours or comercial day or week-end. 

You will find the time you need to do what you want, like, love.

Few words on Curation for communication and marketing #SMCSFblog - Day25

This morning I went to a meeting conference-breakfast about curation in companies.

The sponsors were a variety of companies/webagencies. The main speaker was the founder of Scoop.it.

It is a very interesting subject and it meets my views of communication online. There are plenty of tools that can help companies in this issue.

A company which curates content if there is a strategy and editorial line to follow, if there's consistency and regularity this activity can increase online visibility and contribute to notoriety.

This kind of tool can be used for a kind of topic watch and the company which publishes bécotes part of somebody's watch. 

I decided then to reactivate my scoopit account. Well, it's not working anymore, I had to create a new one.

Lot to think. Must add this also to my palette of tools.

Like Rebel Mouse, can be a good tool to gather your/one's information in one place (account).

Socializing IRL or it's all about coffee #SMCSFblog - Day24

A few days ago I wrote about my routine sunday coffee.

Today is sunday and I had coffee at chez Thierry.

Before getting there we've been to the market get some fresh vegetables and fruits.

Then we went to the butcher's as usual.

The butcher's shop is a small one, local shop. On sundays his wife and one of his daughters work with him.

Today none of the daughters were there, they were busy somewhere else. In general one of the daughters help keeping the cashier (I often remember when I was a little 7-8 yo girl and used to play shop-keeper with a cousin, the cashier would be someone else, not me or my cousin but an imaginary colleague called Helen, yes, not as in portuguese, Helena, but in english, Helen. We'd shout to her Heeeeeeelen 2 loafs of bread and 3 oranges bla-bla-bla).

But today none of them were there.

The butcher, 'our' George (you know, je reminds us of G Clooney) served us and without any daughter keeping the cashier he got the cash too.

When he was saving goodbye he said 'see you later at Thierry's. You for the coffee and I go for the appetizer before lunch'. 

It is true, he noticed that we go after lunch.

We went as usual to Thierry's. We sat by the bar. Got our coffees. A few minutes alter 'our George' got in.

He then told Thierry that he'd pay for our coffees. We said no, no need.

We were so touched by this. He insisted for it.

We got some unexpected attention and care in this crazy world.

Amazing.

We told each other that next time we'll go there we'll pre-pay some beer for him.

We told Thierry that it was really nice and very kind. He nodded and said that he is a very kind person.

Neat.

Now we also share our drinks in the neighborhood. Cool area this one we are living. It goes totally against the reputation of the big city Paris.

Saturday #streetart #SMCSFblog - Day23

The other night, in Paris, a little street behind Odéon. La most of human size - I was walking down the street and from a bit far I thought there was some funny person starting at me.....

Show me who follow you and I'll show who you are? @SMCSFblog - Day22

I haven't yet stopped to really analyze my followers.
I haven't done a list about it.
I may do one day.

Or not.

When it happens it amazes me to read the notifications emails annoucing my new followers.

I'm looking for the relationship between all my tweets and my new followers sports specialists.
Or those financial specialists (liek ecconomy magasins, of even forex traders!!!).

I never - I think - post about this stuff.
Or maybe I do and don't notice.
How wouldn't I notice???
Hacked account?

I publish in three languages, a variety of subjets, some a bit pro (mostly from LinkedIn, sometimes RT in Twitter), some articles I read linked to my pro activity. I tweet or RT stuff about food, travellers, book, yoga, from time to time some silly stuff. I follow astronauts and some spacec engines flying/rolling on Mars.

I do follow some sports accounts though. I follow the brazilian team's volleyball account (female and male teams, and the official account for the next Olympic Games in Rio).
So ok for the sports part.

It may have happen ages ago that I RT a tweet about some kind of ecconomical informaiton. but I don't do this a lot. So why people continue coming?
I haven't figured out.

So, for those who want to know who I am by analyzing my followers you will see that... it's really me!

Eccletic, interestied by dozens of different subjects, passionate about the world, arts, photo, trips, people.

And beefore I forget, this is a good occasion to do so : WELCOME all of you new ald "old" twittos of my followers!

User club for editor's tools #SMCSFblog - Day21

Today I spend the day inside a tower with a huge clock.

I'd never imagine that there were offices there.
I mean yes I was aware that there would be offices there but as it is in the building of a train station I always thought that it was for state's offices (as the train company in France is a national one).

A surprise was to enter the building just underneath the station's clock! (Look at the pic). The elevator is in the tower and the offices are on the building to the left hand side of the picture.
I took the picture after leaving, with my iPhone, so it isnt' the best with this light.

Cool place to work. Smart. I work in a train station.
Oh, you're in the train business? Oh no, not me. I work in new technology.
Ho-ho.

I was there to spend the day at an user club on behalf of my work.
The meeting was organized by the editor of the tool so that users can start getting together, exchange about the way they use, are using or will use the product.
The editor will then get feedback from their customers and not only from their technical partners. It is a good thing as we are the ones who are buyng the solution. Their technical partners sometimes buy also but it is to help the end user (us, the companies) get their version.

This kind of meeting is a great idea so we can share our best practices and learn from each other as users. It was our first meeting and we all want to go further, customers and the editor. We think we can share a lot, provide feedback between us, prevent errors as we are sharing our experience) and help the editor improve the product for us. This is the interest of the editor too. And to know if the customers are happy or not. If not what he should do to make them happy again (and continue buying more licences).

Editors should think of it, not only to drive the meetings like organizing huge mass meeting for every one but also encourage this kind of group.
I have been to other user clubs in which I think the wrong name was used, it was more general presentations than exchange beteween users.
Editors should start doing this be this editor a big company or not.
In this case today it was a quite big company (not an european one on top of that) with customers worldwide.
We are their guinea pigs and if the club works and our and their feeling/feedback is positif they'll organize other user groups in other countries and spread the word.
the first feedback, the end of the day wrap up the result is positif. For both sides.
The group, we planned to continue sharing online and meet physically twice a year.
Let's see how far we will get! I'm sure we will go far away. We're the best!

Girls have a lot on their heads - hair but brains too! @SMCSFblog - Day20

Christmas is around the corner.Think about it.

Personal brainstorm on business in social media #SMCSFblog - Day19

A few ideas about social media in business.

It's good inside your company. People get to talk more to each other. A pro social media can help reducing the email volume - that costs a lot to IT team (money and tech, problem solving).

Good use also externally, to engage with your costumers and prospects. But not only.

In every occasion, and use, think of analytics. Good to know and follow your ROI. Also in internal use, to know if you should keep the social media tool or not.

Market your company image - engage with customers and prospects but also with your employees.

Give information - for both, inside et outside.

Be there.

You may even be able to well online.

To be developped. Soon.

10 historical tweets #SMCSFblog - Day18

Just a few minutes ago I was following #MAVEN2Mars on Twitter and at the same time lloking for some news regarding the crazy man who fired at people at a french newspaper and had been tracked by the police earlier today.

(And the police haven't gotten this gunman, the guy is still running free outside somewhre. they followed him inside Paris, like shooting and so on, through the area called La Défense and through the Champs Elysées. I felt really safe to go home, as I pass by these two places on my commutting path...).

At the same time I was chatting with a friend through Facebook messenger - I was in my parisian bus going home and she is at a gorgous place in place, she exchanged grey Paris to this paradise of Canoa Quebrada. While chatting with her I missed my stop.

So when I finally got home I continued going through my TL and read a tweet about the most famous tweets. So I decided to write this entry.
Even if the blog post is in french, the 10 top tweets are in english so you guys may find your way through.

The 10 most important / famous / historical tweets are these ones on this link.

According to this french post the historical 10 tweets are:

1 and 2 - The LT of Bin Laden track
3 - The first tweet of Pope Francis
4 - Obama's tweet and pic "4 more years" - almost 800k re-tweets!
5 - Obama's stop shutdown tweet
6 - First tweet from Mars by Curiosity
7 - The Us Airways plane crash in the Hudson
8 - The first tweet from space - from an ISS astronaut (by my preferred were Chris Hadfield tweets and his video, which he tweeted the link)
9 - The royal baby birth
10 - the first tweet ever: