NewsletterApril 2009

Got Milk?

The above photo was taken in Annecy-le-Vieux; a machine dispenses fresh unpasteurized milk direct from a local dairy farm. I had heard about machines like this before, but never saw one in action. The idea is that the dairy farmer can go directly to the consumer and the consumer can buy fresh milk that is only filtered, thus “drinking directly from the cow.” The cost is 1€ for a liter of milk that is advertised to last up to three days. You can see more photos.

Real Estate

I now work part time in real estate. I’m an agent with Gp-Immo International covering the department of Haute-Savoie in the region between Geneva and Annecy. I’ve created a new site Property French Alps to promote this new venture. As I’ve just started I don’t have many properties to sell, but if you are looking to buy in my region please contact me. You can also contact me if you are thinking of buying in another part of France. Gp-Immo International has agents throughout France.
Gp-Immo International is also looking for new agents. If interested contact .

Class warfare

In what can only be described as class warfare there has been a rash of CEO hostage taking. On March 12th the CEO of Sony France was held overnight by workers who were not happy with their severance pay packages. This was then followed by a similar event at a 3M plant.
Adding flames to the fire was the announcement by car parts manufacture, Valeo, who is receiving state aid and scheduled to layoff workers that the outgoing CEO was to receive 3.2 million as part of his severance pay.
Mixed in around this was the national strike that took place on March 19th. Depending on whom you asked between 1.2 and 3 million people took to the streets. This was more than the number that demonstrated in the last national strike on January 29th. It’s unclear what the next development will be, the government announced it won’t be changing its economic policies. Economic policies viewed by many as favoring the banks over workers. The unions have set the next show of force on May 1st, Labor Day in France, a traditional day to demonstrate and a day when most of France closes down.

It’ Annecy!

Annecy was selected to represent France as candidate for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Annecy goes in as an outsider to host the games of 2018, mostly because the 2014 Winter Olympics will be in Sochi, Russia. Normally Olympic Games are not held back to back on the same continent.

Do my Homework

It was short-lived but it did sure make the news. Fais mes Devoirs (Do my Homework) was a planned site that would, well do students homework for them - for a price. The day it was planned to launch, it didn’t, and a message was posted on the home page explaining that second thoughts were had and that the site wouldn’t start. That “new technologies should serve to make us better and not just help us”, was part of the message announcing the closure. Here is an article in English about Fais mes Devoirs. It was written before the closure.

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