Donald Rumsfeld at the Nato-Summit in Nice 2005

Old Secretaries of Defense Never Die, They Just Write Bestselling Memoirs (Tom Engelhardt)

Now Donald Rumsfeld sealed the history with his book, his memories. Loyalists will applaud his book for its forceful defense of the Iraq war and the known unknowns... Rumfelds critical portrayals of Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice (sic?), and L. Paul Bremer III will be chatted on and on in the teaparty rooms.  But Rumsfeld's legion of detractors will again be frustrated and angered by the former defense secretary's continued refusal to acknowledge more personal responsibility for the war's mismanagement, the mistreatment of detainees in U.S. custody, and the infighting that plagued the Bush administration.

Michele Alliot-Marie, here as she still was secretary of defence, resigns over accepting gifts from North African regimes at a time of unrest in the region.

It is unusual for a French politician to resign because of a conflict of interests, but Michele Alliot-Marie, France's foreign minister, has quit over a series of gaffes, chiefly her ties to Tunisia's ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. That Alliot-Marie, a truly vetran French politician "chosed" to give her resignation to the president is looking more that she must have been pushed by Sarkozy, who has seen his own popularity plummet and is trying to "clean up" his government ahead of next year's presidential election.

That Paris likes marketed itself as a romantic city is nothing new, you sometimes get scam for your money because Paris has no depth and most is just about entertainment. Luckily there are exceptions which are worth to visit and to have a hang-out. The Jardin d'acclimation is one of these exceptions. Of course the entrance fee is less under 10 Euros, but what is most important for children under 3 years its free, and if they are older just a few older Euros. And then playing facilities are safe so that you parents have the time to chat to each-other with-out being under permanent surveillance and attacks of the countless beggars in the rest of the town.  

This little park, which has playgrounds, a spraying rainbow, animals from a typical Normandy farm, and pony rides, is located in the Bois de Bologne at the West End of Paris. The playing facilities of xylophones of all shapes and sizes in a "music garden,"tennis-court" sized trampolines, and two itchy brown bears — The commercial part offers funny thrills and chills attractions, including three rollercoasters and a bucking horsey ride.

From 1877 until 1912, the Jardin d'Acclimatation was converted to the Jardin Acclimatation - Anthropologique". At the higt of the colonialism of foreign lands, many Parisians were attracted in their natural curiosity to customs and lifestyles of indigenous people Nubian's, Bushmen, Zulus and many other African people. They were "exhibited" in a human zoo. The exhibitions were a huge success till this "human zoo was moved more to the outskirts on the other side of the city to the parc "Jardin tropical" which today is in total decline like the French want to forget their colonial past.

Or, if you are without kids, you can walk arround in this 20-hectare large garden which is full of many different Asian designs, walls, roof-tiles and statues. This is a walk of 30 minutes to prepare yourself to visit the teahouse of Miss Li: Its a authentic Beijing teahouse offers you a intimate setting, away from the stress of Paris. Here you can enjoy rare teas, obviously, but also read real books, not kindles, and comics for free. The Teahouse of miss Li is furnished with ancient Chinese, traditional lanterns, wooden panels or lacquers.And it has some most impressive "Chinese graffiti".

The tearoom is a timeless and precious place, housed in a former warehouse of 350 sqm of the Jardin d'acclimation in the "Bois de Boulogne". One 2wo afternoons per week, Hippolyte Romain, who is the artistic director of the Jardin d'acclimation welcomes visitors and is serving rare teas he selected himself in China. He will advise you to choose the tea that will fit best to your mood or the color of the day. € 4 for the teapot.  And you can take your time. All the time. Nobody is pushing you to make place for next guests.