World of Work -- not enough to go round, what will we do?

Here is a sympathetic article on the life of workers, and work in the US. Just read it in the usually snarky Atlantic magazine... but this is worth reading. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/world-without-work/395294/

Clever illustrations courtesy of TheAtlantic.com!

So much for the rewards of best practices in human resource management!

Look at this!

Office stationery of yesterday

Of course this is the shirt & tie man, middle manager? 

What Larry's Reading: Men's books (except for Drabble's)

Larry says the Drabble novel is good. It's about disability and way more

This is The Invention of Capitalism by Perelman

Irish writer William Trevor's book The Children of Dynemouth

Finally The Heretic's Guide to Global Finance...

Books: Read them!

If you've heard about the rape chant at Saint Mary's, or the co-ed at Columbia University who dragged her mattress on stage when she graduated (at the same convocation as her rapist) -- since Columbia refused to take action against him, or football teams and rape, you need to read this book. Brilliant. It's especially important for university administrators to read it.

About a mother and a grown son, read it.

He worked in a bookstore and was a serious leftist in the 70s. She was a factory worker in a bad marriage...

This is a huge multi-generational novel about the Irish in Montreal and Quebecois. Nicely written, a page turner and from former Calgarian, Nancy Huston, who now lives in France! 

Catherine Bush - this is a bit of a political thriller set in Ethiopia, by a good Can. novelist! 

Food...

Trust the Brits to denigrate the French for their rules about proper food and best food preparation. The slam comes from a country in which chips are the national food. And Cornish pasties are their tartelettes...http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9961764/Measure-your-baguettes-the-crazy-rules-costing-France-billions.html

Today's breakfast from Paul's Patisserie next door...tartelette au citron

In Paris... the heat is astonishing (after a Nova Scotia winter)

 Half selfie, on the bus with the Tour Eiffel in the background...

What would a trip to Paris be without a new 60s looking Swatch watch?

As if jumping out of the trees but really wonderful sculptures atop lovely buildings! 

What would Larry and I do without a demonstration? Here shop clerks at the British owned Marks and Spencer store on the very expensive Champs Elysee in Paris protest the low wages (the same rates as welfare in France) and unfair labour practices. We joined in... till our French verbal skills evaporated! 

It was so hot and sunny (about 32C) outside Americans made hats out of their tour maps, on the upper level of the double decker bus...

Gare du Nord, train station in Paris. Beautiful

Cat dish, porcelain manufactured and painted in a factory near Bugeat, in Limousin

In Limousin...

More photos but first you need to know that baguettes must be made to French government specifications, and sold by the gram and the price is set. Baguettes everywhere. At our local supermarket there  is a sign saying bread comes in fresh in "matin" then "midi" then "sour"! Baguett

es cost from Euro 0.75 up depending only on weight...  Near Treignac, our British friends have friends who have a small holding. They have two black pigs, three goats, a flock of geese, ducks, rabbits and more.  They live close to the land, and buy very little. Here is Isaac age 6, reading to a new kitten ...

Me at the lookout -- you see the Auvergne in the distance

 In Meymac in the Limousin region -- Rachel, Mike and me... Mike and I were students at Warwick together. Rachel and I worked together for a major British trade union...

where we are in France!