Open thread and a little Paris blogging

Just got back from a really nice dinner, or what the Italians might call a spaghettata. Get a bunch of friends together, whip up a simple meal, put way too many people around way too small a coffee table, and eat. It was the birthday of Chris' wife Joelle, and her brother called to invite them to his bday dinner. They'd already left for the south, so he invited me, which was incredibly nice since I've only met him once. Anyway, just a really nice evening with a lot of people I didn't know. And interestingly enough, everyone at the party hated Bush.

Anyway, by popular demand, here is Nasdaq in all her Weight Watchers glory (I can't really tell that she's fat, but apparently she is).



And here are a few other photos from the past 24 hours. First, the series of cafes down the block:



Next a rather popular late-night crepe stand, also down the block (on Blvd. Montparnasse, for those in the know):



Guy on the metro, waiting for the train:



Guy on the train (without eye candy, there is no life):



The new Metro train. It has no driver. And all the cars are connected, you'll note that you're looking at the inside of two cars. It's pretty cool. I have no idea how, in a country as union-strong as France, they got away with a train that has no driver.