lundi 24 mars 2008

Carquefou

In Nantes, Carquefou essentially an amateur team from the fifth tier pulled off one of the greatest shocks in a shock-filled tournament by beating out-of-sorts Marseille 1-0.
The visitors came prepared with a mixture of youth and experience, including Cissé and Nasri, but couldn't respond to N'Doye's early strike after Le Paih's through ball.
Marseille and Cissé in particular certainly had their chances, but in the end they were too sluggish, and found themselves eliminated by the giant-killers who had already sunk Nancy.

vendredi 22 février 2008

OL - Manchester United



Karim Benzema's superb individual effort in the 54th minute had looked like giving the Ligue 1 side victory, but Tevez displayed the Premier League champions' absolute refusal to accept defeat by netting late on.

The Argentinian, on as a 65th minute replacement, fired into the roof of the net after Brazilian Fred failed to clear Nani's cross into the Lyon danger area, making United firm favourites to progress into the quarter-finals when the two sides meet again at Old Trafford in a fortnight's time.

But it far from plain sailing for the visitors, who were close to falling to their first ever defeat to the French side after Benzema, reportedly a United target, put the hosts ahead after the break.
United boss Alex Ferguson has admitted his admiration for the 20 year and his performance at the Stade Gerland will have done nothing to dampen any interest that may exist.
After a quiet first half, Benzema exploded into life after the break, finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box with a crisp low drive, despite being surrounded by a posse of red shirts.

The goal was harsh on United who up until that point had accomplished their mission, containing Lyon during the first half and coming out for the second in determined mood to find an opener.

With Lyon playing a 4-3-3 formation, Ferguson opted to start with just Wayne Rooney up front on his own, leaving Tevez on the bench and going with a three-man midfield of Owen Hargreaves, Paul Scholes and Anderson. Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs, who was making his 100th European appearance, supported Rooney up front.
The best chance of the first half fell to Rooney on 25 minutes when he latched onto Giggs's through ball only for Gregory Coupet to race off his line and deny the England international as he tried to dink the ball over the keeper's body.
Scholes had earlier been denied a shot on target by a great saving tackle from Jean-Alain Boumsong before Ronaldo headed over the bar from a corner as the opening period neared a conclusion.
For the hosts, Benzema had been kept relatively quiet by the defensive pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic for the first 45 minutes. He gave United just a glimpse of what he is capable of early on, when he blazed over the bar with a first time effort from the edge of the box, but the visitors would see more of his talent later on.

But other than that, the hosts were limited to pop shots from distance and occasional free-kicks from the man they call Monsieur 50-50, for his apparent strike rate from dead balls, but a more apt moniker for Juninho on the night would have included less evenly matched digits.
United roared out of the blocks after the break, only for Benzema's stunning strike to deliver a real body blow.
They wavered slightly but, true to their never say die character, Ferguson's side slowly came back into the game, Rooney had a goal disallowed for offside and Ronaldo brought a decent save out of Coupet from a dead ball, before Tevez pounced to put them firmly in the driving seat.


jeudi 14 février 2008

Carlos

Carlos, born Yvan-Chrysostome Dolto (February 20, 1943 – January 17, 2008) was a leading French singer, entertainer and actor. He was the son of the psychanalyst Françoise Dolto and the physiotherapist Boris Dolto. He also obtained a diploma in 1961 at l’École française d'orthopédie et de masso-kinésithérapie, headed by his father.
In January 2008, Carlos died in Clichy. Cancer is generally considered as the most plausible cause of his death. Carlos was buried in Bourg-la-Reine cemetery beside his mother, Françoise Dolto, and his father, Boris Dolto.

Discography

  • Tout nu, tout bronzé (1973)
  • La cantine (1973)
  • Big bisou (1977)
  • Papayou (1983)

vendredi 18 janvier 2008

Pastis


Toward the end of the Twenties, a young 23-year-old salesman, son of a wine-merchant, gets ahold of the idea and, inspired, he commercializes an anis-based aperitif under his own name. Flying in the face of the authorities,Paul Ricard widely distributes this forbidden drink. He is constantly fined by police and customs-agents. After a lot of intense lobbying, he succeeds in obtaining in 1932, the right to make and sell the drink. The fines are transformed into taxes. Paul RICARD will be obliged to find a name for his drink and to define its composition. His recipe enters the public domain and will be called «PASTIS» from the Provencal «pastisson» and the Italian «pasticcio», synonym of blend or mixture. PASTIS is officially born. Paul RICARD will have a 3-year-start on his competitor and a tremendous success.

In 1936, the first French paid holidays definitively popularize PASTIS, and it becomes the most popular aperitif in France. And, finally, in 1938, RICARD obtains the right to sell it at 45° instead of merely 40°. Duringsecond World War, alcoholic drinks of over 16° are again forbidden. Only in 1951 will PASTIS and all other strong alcoholic drinks be re-allowed. PERNOD counter-attack and brings out his 51, which he calls «PASTIS DE MARSEILLE». War has begun betweenthe two producers, and continues until 1974 when the directors of the two companies agree to combine. The Pernod Ricard group will go on to its well-known success and growth. In spite of the birth of a multitude of little PASTIS drinks, Pernod-Ricard will have a lock on the market in terms of volume. All the surviving ABSINTHE distilleries will bring out their anis-based drinks, with at the top of the list the famous «PONT» of PONTARLIER in the French Jura, a distilled green anis.