March 5

MC Solaar

MC Solaar (born March 5, 1969) – Senegalese rapper

First verse of La Vie Est Belle

Seul dans ma chambre, un jour normal
J’apprends dans les journaux que j’suis dans l’Axe du Mal
Je lis entre les lignes et j’comprends qu’on veut me “kill”
Donc j’ferme la serrure pour être un peu plus tranquille

Dehors c’est la guerre et j’crois qu’elle vient vers moi
Malgré les manifs qui vivra la verra
Je mets des sacs de sable dans mon salon
Des salauds veulent me shooter comme au foot le stoppeur peut shooter l’ballon

A la télé j’entends qu’j’suis l’pire des mecs
Non violent, violent la propagande est impec
J’flippe des troupes spéciales, des B52’s
Regrette ce que j’ai fait j’crois que j’aurais pu faire mieux

Mais l’erreur est humaine, j’avoue j’ai fait des erreurs
Prendre position c’est prendre une pluie de terreur
Au nom du père, du fils, et du Saint Esprit
D’l’Imam et du Rabbin, plus jamais ceci.

Comme un oiseau sans ailes
J’vole vers le ciel mais j’sais qu’la vie est belle

Alone in my room on a normal day
I see in the papers that I'm in the Axis of Evil
I read between the lines and understand that they want to kill me
So I lock the door for a little more quiet

Outside it’s war and I know it’s coming towards me
Despite the demons who will live to see it
I put sandbags in my living room
The bastards want to shoot me like a stopper shoots a soccer ball

On TV I’m the worst of the bad guys
Nonviolent, violent propaganda is perfect
I'm freaked out by the special forces, the B52’s
Regretting what I did and believing I could have done better

But to err is human, and I confess I made errors
To take sides is to stand in the rain of terror
In the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit
Of the Imam and the Rabbi, forever and ever.

Like a bird without wings
I fly towards heaven but I know that life is beautiful

See this music video of MC Solaar performing
 La Vie Est Bell


Elisabeth Badinter

Elisabeth Badinter (born March 5,. 1944) – French philosopher, feminist, essayist – Amour en plus: histoire de l’amour maternel (XVIIe -XXe siècle / Mother Love: Myth and Reality (1980)

Read a biography of Elisabeth Badinter here

Read Elisabeth Badinter's opinions on men and modern feminism here

"The whole problem of political and professional inequality stems precisely from this inequity in the home. ...There has however been noticeable change since the fifties, when men wouldn’t have lifted a finger to help. A true egalitarian model would be a form of joint responsibility. The situation is improving, even if it is still far from adequate: there will always be swines or selfish types … You know, it takes time to make a man. And, by the way, it’s taking them longer and longer, 35 - 40 years."

Watch an interview (in French) of Elisabeth Badinter  here