If an ad could be cute while being punny even when advertising ointment for hemorrhoids, this is it.

The last year or so in L.A. has proven that food trucks not only have evolved far past their “roach coach” days but also have inadvertently contributed to reducing people’s carbon footprints. These roaming restaurants that come to you, offer anything from gourmet Korean tacos, grass-fed beef hotdogs, cupcakes, Banh Mi, BBQ, sushi, crepes – you name it, you can probably find the meal on wheels you’ve been looking for. I like the idea of the Green Truck running on vegetable oil, using biodegradable containers and serving organic food. The only glitch is that the food is not local, which is understandable in L.A.

France has had food trucks for many years in the form of pizza trucks in the south and French fry trucks in the north, not to mention the awesome cheese trucks, butcher trucks, bakery trucks… oh! and roasted chicken trucks and more. Aside from the pizza and fries trucks, I haven’t seen much innovation in rolling fast food until recently, and this one is pretty cool.

Taking food trucks to a whole new level and incorporating today’s “green” needs, Christopher Mauduit and Fabrice Vanderschooten launched Hippo Facto last November near the city of Caen, which is located in north west France just about 10 miles inland from the English Channel. What’s not to love about it? Pulled by Percheron draft horses and dedicated to sustainable living and organic, local products, Hippo Facto couldn’t be more brilliant. Respecting the environment and serving fast organic and local fare that’s simple, healthful and creative, you can order fruit/vegetable juices, tartines, soups among other offerings. The containers are also compostable.

You’re right, I can’t imagine a food truck like this in a megalopolis such as Los Angeles. Picture the road rage of people behind the horse and buggy! Hippo Facto seems to work where they are. Of course, it takes them two hours to get to Place de la République in Caen. That’s all good considering there’s no fossil fuels involved, they don’t live in a speedy world and besides, some people commute longer than that in cars every single day. Now THAT’S crazy.

Hippo Facto
Every Wednesday & Friday
Place de la République – Caen France
On Weekends, they’re on the coast:
Bernières-sur-Mer, Lion-sur-Mer and Courseulles
Website: Hippo Facto

When we first moved to France in 2002, I was a big snacker, as many Americans are. It was part of life and when I began searching for French snacks in Nice, it was a huge disappointment. In fact, I remember blogging about how we were able to find potato chips but only “au parfum paprika,” and other so-called different parfums, which in fact all tasted exactly like BBQ potato chips. Not knocking those, but I wanted different things to munch on, some variety in textures and flavors, artificial flavors and ingredients notwithstanding.

In the U.S., we’re used to variety, so much of it, that’s it’s hard to decide what to snack on. Having choices is good. It’s great for someone who must have a full spectrum of junk food, whether it’s good for zee health or not. Wasn’t I relieved to find Roasted Chicken Flavored Chips in France? Anyway. Another thing I’m used to, as an American, is volume. Gimme some tortilla chips, not just individual lunch bag sizes, but JUMBO, heaps of mega amounts of genetically modified corn substances and oils pressed together in the shape of triangles. Throw some in the oven with cheese and add salsa, guac, black beans, jalapenos, sour cream, onions and more cheese and voila: yummy nachos. I can eat an entire pan in one go, whereas in France, this portion would be served to at least 10 people.

On the sweet side of junk, I also needed volume. An example: I was very much a M&Ms with peanuts kind of person. Gobs and gobs and gobs of them, I would munch all day if I could.

During the early years in France, the biggest bag of M&Ms with peanuts held approximately 15.3 M&Ms with peanuts. PFFFF! I was like, “don’t make me laugh, France. I could eat 100 bags of those itty bitty things. Gimme more!” Where was the humungous bag to fill my ginormous American belly???

Recently, we saw some XL bags of M&Ms in Auchan. My sweetie noticed them and squealed XL! So, yeah, it was pretty big for French standards considering these didn’t even exist a few years ago. I was mildly impressed, but this French EEKSelle was a mere 500 grams (about 1 pound). Frenchies would probably say, “Ouah. Enorme!”(wow. enormous!) while ogling the outrageousness of its packaging. I say, “PFFF! That’s a Barbie portion.”

Last month while shopping at Costco in L.A., we saw some bags of M&Ms. Each weighed 1587.6 grams (3 pounds and 8 ounces)! Now, THAT’S what I’m talkin’ ’bout! To be honest, even I was shocked at the magnitude of the bag. But! In the back of my mind, I was thinking, “I bet there’s one that’s EVEN bigger!” I’m so American. I’ve probably watched way too many episodes of The Simpsons. (You know what episode, I’m talking about.)

We bought several. Not for me because these days I don’t eat as much junk (remember junk food is BAD for you!), but rather, for a few of our French friends who we know are ravenous M&M addicts. They were all shocked and happy with their supersized gifts, exactly what we were hoping.

But just afterward, it all made me a little worried. I hoped those M&Ms last a while and aren’t eaten right away…

While I complained about the dinkiness in size of M&Ms bags and other snacks, and the lack of variety in France, I was, at the same time, relieved that I would not have the challenge of resisting eating these as well as other junk in grand quantities. Like many people, I can’t eat just 1, or 10 or even 15. The French were known to be bafflingly skinny for many reasons, but namely because of a lack of junk foods and specifically a lack of large quantities of junk foods, or food in general – with the exception of meat at BBQs.

Sadly, times are changing in France. We found these M&Ms in the store the other day. They were size “Maxi” (whose name would obviously NOT work in the U.S.). The maxi bag is 1000 grams, just over 2 pounds. France, you surprise me sometimes. So, it’s big but there’s still a difference of about 587.6 grams, about 1.2 pounds, to catch up with their American counterpart. But 2.2 pounds is fairly large for previous French standards.

I know! This is what I was hoping for, but not really.

M&Ms is just one example but there are thousands of products that can also apply here to the obvious conclusion: an increase in product sizes will lead to an increase in consumption, which leads to obesity. This happened in the U.S. which is partly why one third of Americans are obese.

Obesity is rising already in France but I’m afraid it will only increase exponentially with the supersizing of portions and with the imports of industrial foods. In 2002, when we first moved to France 9.4% of the French population was obese. Just four years later, that percentage increased to 12.4%. That’s nearly 8 million obese people in 2006. I don’t know more current stats on obesity in France but I’m fairly positive that it’s more than 12.4%.

tags: france, french, obesity, m&ms

From Associated Press:

“The store, Etam, pulled the product off its shelves, cut commercial ties with the supplier and forbade its other suppliers from using the sachets.

Contaminated seafood, toothpaste, candy and a pet food ingredient, also tainted with melamine, have all raised health concerns.”

tags: france, french, etam, made in china, shoes

Over several years now, a strange thing has happened in France: the coffee started to suck. Yes, there were cafes that served terrible coffee forever, but for the most part in the early 2000s, it was still flavorful, very drinkable sludge espresso. It was French coffee, the coffee that I expected to have each time I came to France. I liked it, and the quality was very consistent from cafe to cafe. So when we moved to France six years ago, I was happy to be able to live the cafe experience, meeting people, hanging out, watching passers-by and sipping tasty coffee as often as I pleased. I used to always be surprised that I wouldn’t get the shakes if I had a double shot. However, soon afterward, I began not really enjoying my cuppa because of a declining quality, and in some cases, I developed a strange rash from drinking some brands of coffee, not to mention, getting the shakes (which I get when I drink American coffee). Slowly and surely, I reduced my consumption of coffee, and today, I don’t drink any coffee, whatsoever.

I miss it but I can’t seem to find anything I like. Apparently, I am not alone.

More and more people have stopped going to cafes, which has forced many cafes to close. In fact, since the beginning of this year, 610 cafes in France have closed their doors to the public forever. They just couldn’t make it. Many of these cafes had been in business for many generations.

Why did this happen? Expert have found many reasons that have played a contributing role, but for me, ultimately two were responsible, and it’s specifically these reasons that acted as the final coups de grace:

1.) The Case of the Free Coffee Machines – In the early 2000s, thousands of cafes were offered “free machines” for their establishments. “Free” is not entirely accurate and this “free” had heavy strings attached. In exchange for the free machines, the cafes were obliged to use coffee supplied by the company that offered the free machines. Guess what? That coffee is CRAP, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out which company offered the free machines. (see appropriately numbered, number 2 below)

2.) Good coffee companies were bought by evil corporations – There is no doubt in my mind that corporate mergers brought quality down in coffee; it happened right before my very eyes and taste buds.

There are other factors why cafes have shut down.

3.) People stopped going to cafes. Why? The coffee sucked! Also #4 below.

4.) Weak Purchasing Power – Crazy inflation occurred when France turned to the euro. Prices went up but salaries did not. That said, even with less money to dedicate to little luxuries, I feel that people would still frequent cafes if the coffee was good.

5.) The popularity of home coffee makers using capsules – I hate these with a passion, and I hate that they have become so popular. I don’t care what they taste like because I find them to be very unfriendly to the environment. So wasteful. Why oh WHY did George Cluny agree to do those “What Else” spots? Doesn’t he CARE? Having said that, I think people in general were looking for alternatives to find more tasty coffees since they couldn’t find them at the cafes.

6.) The Smoking Ban – Since smoking is no longer allowed in cafes, that has hurt businesses in a big way.

Related: Dirty Secrets of a Paris Cafe Waiter, What happens when Europeans watch too much American TV, Bamboo Coffee Filters,

tags: france, french, coffee, cafes, end of a french tradition

From sinolinx:

“France has recalled sweets and biscuits made with Chinese dairy after finding high levels of an industrial chemical.

In China, four babies have died and 53,000 have fallen sick after consuming milk products contaminated with the chemical melamine.

The EU banned imports of Chinese baby food containing traces of milk in response to the scare last month.

The recall of White Rabbit sweets and Koala biscuits is the first such order to be made by a European country.

French consumers were warned to destroy or return the tainted products after tests showed high levels of melamine, which can cause kidney failure.

“The first results of tests conducted in France have shown a melamine level above the warning level set by the European Commission at 2.5mg per kilo,” the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

So far there have been no identified cases of health problems associated with the contamination in France.

The recall is the strongest measure yet taken by a European country amid a worldwide health scare over Chinese milk products that has led several countries to ban dairy imports from China.

It came as China issued new quality controls for its dairy industry and promised more severe punishment, including public naming, for anyone found to have violated safety standards.

Some Chinese dairy farmers are accused of fraudulently adding melamine to watered-down milk to make the product appear rich in protein and to fool quality control tests.”

From macworld:

“Network operator Orange will rate the environmental impact of the fixed-line and mobile phones it sells, it said Friday.

In France mobile phones—and most other electrical and electronic goods—are already subject to a special tax called “eco-participation,” intended to fund recycling of the products at the end of their lives. Although the current eco-tax on mobile phones differs from that for, say, photocopiers, it’s the same for all models of phone, and at just €0.01 (US$.01), is nowhere near enough to influence customers to choose more environmentally friendly products.”

tags: france, french, orange, iphone, environmental impact of cell phones

If you shop at Carrefour, you might have noticed a strange sign they’ve put up near the eggs that first says that eggs stay fresh 25 days after they’ve been packed, then says, “we remove eggs 7 days AFTER the expiration date.” This should be an indication that you should NOT buy eggs from them or at least check the date very carefully. They do this so you cannot return rotten eggs and get your money back.

tags: france, french, carrefour, rotten eggs

The PSAs in France rock, and I really like this one launched by l’Institut national du Cancer that began airing on September 14 (and runs through October 8 on TF1, France2, France 3, Canal+, M6, TMC, TV Breizh, RTL 9, Planète Thalassa, Arte, Vivolta, Paris Première, France 4, LCI, National Geographic, Voyage, and TF6).

In just 30 seconds, the spot called, “le voyage intérieur‘ takes a serious subject, colon cancer, and de-dramatizes it with this funny-faced “cancer cell.” The ultimate goal is to reduce the fear factor, and hopefully get people (ages 50+) to consider getting tested for colon cancer, which is the second cause of death by cancer in France. (Lung cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer in France.) If it is detected early, 9 out of 10 cases are cured.

Click on the image or here to watch the 30 second spot

tags: france, colon cancer, psa, early detection, early prevention, second leading cause of death

Embracing the philosophy that the dangers and risks of cell phones are REAL, our very awesome grocery store, Morvan Bio, is adopting the same policies that healthcare facilities have put in force for years, that is, banning mobile phone use in their establishments. Hospitals in France (and even in the U.S. and elsewhere) do not allow the use of cell phones for obvious reasons.

We only recently noticed this “no cell phones allowed” sign on their door, but I think it’s been enforced since their opening about a year or so ago.

Good for them! I hope other businesses will follow suit.

Morvan Bio
10 bis Avenue Charles de Gaulle
71400 Autun France
Telephone: 03.85.52.44.44

tags: france, cell phone dangers, morvan bio, harmful radiation

This time the uranium leak is in Pierrelatte, which actually shares the same nuclear power facilities as Tricastin, where the last two leaks were found, but the media has been suspiciously removing “Tricastin” from this news and are making people think that Pierrelatte is not in the same place. Well, it IS in the same place.

Tricastin and Pierrelatte are villages next to each other and they share the same nuclear power site, referred to as “Tricastin-Pierrelatte.” Pierrelatte happens to be in the Drome department and Tricastin is in the Vaucluse department but they are literally “across the street” from each other. Areva, the company responsible for the nuclear power plants, is the very same company responsible for all of the other uranium leaks in the area, and again is saying that it is a “small” leak and therefore of little consequence.” YEA RIGHT. article (in French)

Links: more uranium leaks, Greepeace suing Areva

tags: france, real estate, uranium, contamination, radioactive leaks, tricastin, pierrelatte, corporate lies

I wish they had these organic raw milk vending machines in my area, but these are in L’Arbresle situated in the Rhone region, not far from Lyon. The vending machines operate 24/7 and are found in 3 communities nearest a Champion supermarket.

Bring your own container to be filled or use one that is available at the vending machines. One liter costs 1.10, which I think is a great value. The milk has not been treated in any way and is simply stored at 3°C. 300 liters are stored per day, and the container is thoroughly cleaned and filled every morning. You can also get raw organic milk at the farm directly: Le lait de la ferme.

Le Lait de la ferme
Contact: Gerard Gayet
La Gondoliere
69930 Saint Laurent de Chamousset
Tél : 06 80 42 92 44
Mail : ggayet@terre-net.fr

tags: france, rhone, l’organic raw milk,vending machines, l’Arbresle, Gérard Gayet

[via]

While I’m doing my best to eliminate junk food from my diet, my sweetie, on the other hand, remains true to some “non-foods” that nobody should be consuming. He was eating this so-called ice cream sandwich thing at my parents-in-laws and we joked about the kooky name, “Nacho.” I dunno, but that alone would make me not want to eat it unless it was crunchy, salty, melting with cheesy goodness and bursting with jalapeño peppers. Well, I guess it’s sort of shaped like a taco, which is remotely related. I don’t think there was any actual cream in this “ice cream,” and I’m almost positive it isn’t from France. Was this a bi-lingual dictionary disaster?

tags: france, nacho ice cream, junk food, snacks, calling something it isn’t

Visitors from other countries who’ve come to France know that it’s expensive here. But guess what? It’s expensive even for the people living in France! Prices have skyrocketed nonstop since 2002 and even the prices for the items that were usually very affordable, like vegetables, have increased exponentially. Over the last six years, it’s been continually increasing, and over the period of this last year alone, the cost vegetables increased by 18%. The media reports that the industry is blaming the bad weather.

People stopped buying because of the these recent high prices, so now the prices are starting to drop. A little.

Still, for many of us, times are precarious financially, so the best course of action would be to be very careful about how we spend our money without resorting to the high caloric, trans-fatty, cheap, processed foods. Here are some ideas to help reduce your monthly grocery bills while trying to stick to healthful alternatives. Feel free to contribute anything I’ve missed.

General Tips

1. Shop locally. If possible, within a distance where you can walk to the store and back. This saves enormously on gas if you don’t have to drive. Bring a rolling cart if necessary. There are so many now that are actually cute.

2. Shop alone. Studies show that when you shop with someone, you spend more.

3. If you have to drive to the market, consolidate your trips and buy more so you don’t have to make as many trips.

4. Before going to the market make a grocery list even if it’s short. Bring it with you and make sure you stick to it. This will focus your shopping task and not allow for whim items. Not on the list? Don’t get it!

5. Don’t go to the market hungry. Eat beforehand. This will curb your impulse buying reducing any items you don’t need.

6. Get a basket. If you don’t have much to get, don’t get a cart because you’ll fill it up unnecessarily.

7. Shop in the periphery of the store. Usually, this is where your healthier options lie. You will find some cheaper items hiding but if not, this area will house the fresh produce.

8. Eat less and eat out less. This may be hard for some people. If that is against your beliefs and just HAVE to go out to eat, go out to lunch instead of dinner. You usually spend less.

9. Meat Eaters – reduce the frequency of meat. From eating meat every day, eat meat just once a week.

10. Pay special attention to price per unit. Some items are cheaper if you buy the smaller amount than a larger amount. This is a dirty trick by our beloved commercants.

11. Forget coupons. Some people swear to them but in France, the coupons are not that great of a deal (i.e., 10 cents off or so). Besides, many couponed items are for expensive and unhealthful processed foods.

12. Be wary about what is on “promotion” (on sale). Oftentimes it is not a deal at all. Other times, something on sale is not edible, meaning near rotten or expired. Remember: cheap doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Be particularly vigilant with meat.

13. Eat leftovers. Do not waste any edible food! Get creative with it and if you don’t know what to do with leftovers, try to find online recipes with items you have.

14. Grow your own, raise your own. Plant a garden of veggies, herbs, sprouts and fruit. This is late to start now and this is not a feasible option for some city dwellers. If you have the space, next year plant a potager/veggie garden, you will not regret it. Your veggies will be delish, you can skip toxic pesticides, and you will save so much money. And, if at all possible, have your own chickens for eggs.

15 Reduce and if possible eliminate junk food. Junk food is expensive, very unhealthful and puts on pounds. I know! This is hard.

16. Buy dry goods in bulk. Like dried beans, lentils, peas, rice and other grains. Know your beans, too. These are high in nutrients, usually a better value, and you can store them for quite a while. Plus, you don’t participate in wasteful packaging.

17. Eliminate eating at Fast Food places: MacDo’s, Quick, the American fast food joints, even Flunch. Ok, Flunch and other chain restaurants like it are cheap but….just leave them out, will you?

18. Check your receipts carefully. Sometimes money is wasted on mistakes.

19. If you grow your own fruit and vegetables, think about preserving them (mason jars) or dehydrating them – so they can last all year.

20. Eat produce that is in season. They are always cheaper in season.

Specific Tips

1. Wine – This comes from my dad-in-law, who is a wine connoisseur. Some of his favorite wines are half price at Aldi, so that could be a good resource for wine people. He’s seen the exact wines twice as expensive in Carrefour and Auchan. These aren’t just run-of-the-mill wines. Be flexible because they don’t often carry the same wines.

2. Negotiate for vegetables/fruits at Outdoor Markets – Merchants are really ok with you negotiating a better price. It’s no big deal. Besides, they know they’re overcharging you, so get them down in price as much as possible. Also, if you show up at the outdoor market before closing, you can get a really great deal. Many of them do not want to bother putting what’s left back into their trucks, so you can really bargain. In some cases, they just leave perfectly good veggies and fruit for the taking.

3. Make your own salad dressing – Most people I know do this already but if you buy the premixed version, try making your own at home. It’s less expensive, it’s better for you and you don’t have the same kind every time you eat a salad at home.

4. Frozen veggies vs. canned – If you can’t get fresh veggies, opt for frozen ones as opposed to canned. They tend to have more vitamins and nutrients.

5. Buy less expensive cuts of meat. If you’re used to getting, for example, filet mignon, faux filet or entrecôte, opt to get a bavette or ground beef. The bavette is a bit on the tough side so you might use it for stews and other long and slow cooked meals.

6. Don’t buy already skinned and de-boned pieces of chicken. Get their skinned versions as well as the pieces with the bone included. It’s much cheaper.

france, grocery shopping, Ways to Save Money on Food

By now, you’ve probably heard about a correlation between cell phone use and cancer. But geez, you can’t listen to those things because you absolutely love your cell phone. Who doesn’t? You were so freakin’ relieved to find out that those popcorn popping celphones were a hoax. Don’t lie. This love you have for your cute electronic companion has conveniently ousted from your head any negative publicity your mobile beloved has received. You really want to ignore them! Here’s you, “cell phones are dangerous??? NAH….. Don’t be silly! Cancer? Pfff. That is ridiculous. I use mine all the time and I’m fine!”

Do you say that because you don’t WANT it to be true? You can want all you like but just because you don’t want it to be true doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

No one WANTED cigarettes to be the leading cause of death, cancer, heart disease and lung disease (among other things), did they? Many cigarettes smokers said, “they smoked all the time and they were fine!”

No one wanted to believe that the building material called asbestos would kill them. No one wanted to think that anything was wrong with their PVC window frames? Check your hospitals, do they have any PVC? Answer: No. “But the PVC pipes and windows were so cheap,” people say…

Hospitals also don’t allow cell phone use, or wifi for that matter. Do people wonder WHY? I wish they did.

The warnings have been around for a long time but it has been in French news more and more this year. I mean, you can’t let your peeps keep doing harmful things to their bodies, can you France?

French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin also went on France 2 TV and rehashed the well-worn theory connecting cell phone use with cancer.

In the U.S. neurosurgeons can’t admit that cell phones are dangerous and cause brain cancer, but they WILL admit that they NEVER put a cell phone up to their heads. Ever! What do BRAIN SURGEONS know, anyway!??!

Hang on. Aside from being rant-errific, I do have some useful information that might prompt you to reduce the amount of risk to which you subject yourself.

Both Europe and the U.S. have defined safety limits for exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy produced by mobile devices. The SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) or DAS (débit d’absorption spécifique) in France is a measure or index of the rate at which RF energy is absorbed by the body when exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic field.

In the United States the FCC requires that phones sold have a SAR level at or below 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/kg) taken over a volume of 1 gram of tissue.

In the European Union, the SAR limit is 2 W/kg, averaged over ten grams of tissue. For whole body exposure there is a limit of 0.08 Watt/kg averaged over the whole body.

What you can do: Find out the index of your mobile phone then act accordingly. If it’s too high, get a different phone that is safer. Here’s a chart with a list of phones and their SARs.

As an example, the new 3G iPhone’s SAR (or indice DAS in French) is 1.388 W/kg. The first generation iPhone was 0.974 W/Kg. Other examples: Motorola Razr2 v9 is 0.52. The Samsung SLM is 0.48. As low as some of the phone’s indices are, neurosurgeons STILL won’t put them up to their heads!

What you can do: Like neurosurgeons, DON’T put the cellphone up to your head. Use speaker phone mode. Note: Bluetooth devices and unshielded wired-earphones amplify the signal. In other words, they radiate more, NOT less.

What you can do: Remember that the industries will ALWAYS deny the existence of any dangers. Not only that, they are responsible for those “counter” studies that come out after researchers warn about the dangers of a product. Scientific studies have been suppressed by the cell phone industry and the government to protect their profits. Do not buy that game.

What you can do: Reduce your cell phone use to a bare minimum. Keep conversations short.

What you can do: Don’t let kids use the phone at all if possible. If they must, not for more than a minute at a time. Ideally, they should never use them or use them only for emergency situations.

What you can do: Turn your cell phone off when it isn’t needed and especially when you are driving your car. When driving with your cell phone on, the waves ricochet inside the car because cars are metallic, creating a Faraday Cage.

What you can do: When possible, keep the cell phone as far away from your body as much as possible.

Links: SAR, Get Little Kids Away from the iPhone and iPod Touch, Cell Phone Dangers Revealed, Patents Prove Cell Phone Dangers from Wired, Hidden Dangers of Cell Phone Radiation, Chemical and Cell Phones, Harmful Effects of Cell Phones, Hazards of the Wireless Age, Reduce Risks, Mobile Phones more dangerous than smoking

france, How to Reduce Your Cell Phone Risks, cell phones and cancer, SAR, Indice DAS

The new iPhone 3Gs were sold out within hours of its availability here in France the other day. Oh well. You waited too long, and didn’t get one? Maybe you can get one of these new, plastic disposable Bic cel phones instead. They’re really ugly, they radiate a lot of un-heathy microwaves and they’re very hazardous to the environment because they end up piling up in the landfills eventually leaching BPAs, dioxins and other carcinogens into the land, air and water. I bet you really want one now.

Bic (yes, the same people who brought you all those hideous plastic florescent lighters and pens that leaked into your backpack and pockets) has teamed up with Orange – to launch the sale of these wonderful mobile phones on August 7. The phone will cost €49 (about $80).

tags: france iphone disposable celphones global warming horrible inventions bic

A so-called NEW uranium leak near Avignon was reported just a week ago, and now there’s yet another nuclear power plant that is leaking. This time it’s at a plant that is actually not very far from the other leaking plant – in Romans-sur-Isere, both managed by the unscrupulous, Areva. The suits are saying AS USUAL, that this leak is not dangerous to humans and can not harm the environment. I’d like to ask, will they drink the water?

Does this remind anyone of various past events assessed by other evil corporations? Remember how the tobacco industry said that there is absolutely no link between smoking and cancer? I saw the excellent French documentary (Tabac, le grand conspiration) on the tobacco industry just the other night on TV showing old cigarette commercials: “Cigarettes are good for you!” “Cigarettes make you feel better!” “More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette.” “Cigarettes have absolutely no effect on your health!” Please. How could companies get away with this type of criminal activity? How can they continue to do so even today? Easily.

Also remember, they claimed that ASBESTOS was perfectly SAFE! Tell that to all the millions of people who died from asbesto poisoning or mesothelioma, who are now dying of cancer from it.

There aren’t just two power plants in France that are leaking, and those aren’t new leaks. (France 2 interview with Roland Desbordes explains) Additionally, there are a lot more leaking hazardous materials into the environment and drinking water, and have been doing so for a while now.

With the nuclear power plant companies claiming that “all is well and there’s no need to be concerned about the uranium that has leaked into the environment. This is a MINOR event and humans are totally safe from this! There’s no impact!” – and on the other side with scientists declaring that these leaks are hazardous and certainly NOT safe for humans and the environment. Who would YOU believe?

My point: If you’re traveling in these areas or anything near a nuclear power plant, simply be aware of the risks. Check the CRIIRAD site, which is the Independent Commission For Radioactivity Research and Information. (In French)

Link: nuclear power in france, radiation leak in Normandy, 2nd Nuclear Power Plant Leak in July (in German), ridiculous old smoking ads, 10 bizarre cigarette commericials

tags: france uranium leak nuclear power plants radiation corporate lies areva nuclear waste

Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a guy. I am not sure why people think I am. My name? Do I have a masculine way of writing? Perhaps. No matter. I suppose.

Anyway…As a GIRL, I do girly things like going to the hair salon. I love getting a good coiff every month but I actually haven’t found a solid, consistent, normal salon, a salon I can say is MY preferred place. In the nearly six years I’ve lived in France, I’ve tried many places, way too many, I’m afraid – but I haven’t found a salon I can call my “own.” Maybe I’m a little picky; I didn’t think so but most places feel forced and tense; the people seem like they are trying too hard and insincerity screams through stretched smiles and unnatural niceties; Some offer too much pampering. I don’t need pampering. Most stylists cut my hair precisely in a way that does NOT at all resemble how I asked for it to be cut. I simply need a really good hair cut, a relaxed environment and a salon that uses products that are safe and without any harmful chemicals (like Paraben and Pheoxyethanol). There aren’t any in my part of France so I started going to Paris to try different places. I just went to Coiffure et Nature, which is located near Bastille. It’s a very chill salon with rustic/chic decor. It’s not a fancy schmancy salon, so no one is going to bring you a colorful cocktail on a pillow, but it is cozy and comfortable. Actually, they do offer drinks while you’re waiting but it’s not on a pillow!

Coiffure et Nature also focuses on aromatherapy, natural essential oils, natural methods and organic hair products. Their hair color is ammonia-free and 80% plant extracts. Unlike other salons, you aren’t bombarded with perfumes and chemical smells upon entering the establishment. It’s totally unexpected but a welcomed relief.

I had a great coiff from Virginie, who not only cut it exactly how I asked (yea, that can happen sometimes!), she also really concentrated on the cut instead of trying to “entertain” me, which happens oftentimes at other salons. Phew! We did chit chat part of the time, and that seemed fine and natural.

The prices are very reasonable for Paris. I had a shampooing /shampoo, coupe /cut and brushing / styling, which cost 58 euros. Worth a return trip.

Coiffure et Nature
1, rue de la Bastille
75004 Paris – France
Phone : + 33 1 42 72 90 37
E-mail : contact@coiffureetnature.fr
Website: Coiffure et Nature
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm, Thursday, Noon to 9pm *
M: Bastille : Lines 1 – 5 – 8
Exit rue St-Antoine / boulevard Beaumarchais

* NOTE: ALL hair salons in France are closed on Mondays.

tags: france travel organic hair salon coiffure et nature

This organic milk festival is today in Bretagne (Brittany). Sorry about the late notice.

Learn more about organic products and how their production respects the environment (non-GMO, no pesticides or chemicals) and animal well-being, via this festival that every department in Brittany is celebrating with concerts, theater plays, debates and more. This isn’t just the organic dairy industry. You’ll also find bakers, farmers and animals – and their products as well. Visit a number of participating farms to experience what “real food” raising and making (and eating!) are.

You can have an organic breakfast and meet the people who bring quality products to the public.

*Note: You must have a reservation.

La Fête du Lait Bio 2008 – Organic Milk Festival
June 1, 2008
Contacts by Department: Cotes D’Armor – Jean-Sebastien Piel 02.96.74.75.65; Finistere – Alex Lannuzel 02.98.25.80.33; Ille et Vilaine – Nadege Lucas 02.99.77.09.46; Morbihan – Celine Rolland 02.97.66.32.62
Admission: 5 €, 4€ Students and Unemployed, 3€ Under 12
Website: Fete du Lait Bio

Yea, what else is new. I know. Anyway, when Calimero left a comment on the GMO (genetically modified organisms) post, I wasn’t sure what he was referring to until I watched a short clip from the (week) daily 5 minutes segment of the day’s highlights called, “Zapping” on Canal Plus. Watch it here (Select “ZAPPING DU 15/05/08″).

I’m enormously disgusted by these French politicians on the subject of allowing genetically modified foods into the French food chain. With Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, who happens to be a Minister of Ecology, She’s pro-GMO! She is working on PASSING laws to allow GMO crops. However, when asked what she feeds her son, she says he only eats organic food!!! “It’s a personal choice,” she says. WTF.

With Francois Vannison, a member of the UMP, he says he is not against GMO but does realize it can pose a risk of contaminating non-GMO agriculture and organic agriculture. OH-KAY.

More stupid politicians BOUGHT and OWNED by the evil Monsanto.

The best part of this particular “zapping” is the animal with big eyes.

Celebrate tomorrow by showing how proud you are of your vegetarian or vegan self! – and fight against cruelty to animals.

In a nutshell, it is a festival of vegetarian and vegan pride and participants aim to do the following: 1) demonstrate against the inhumane treatment of animals; 2) show pride of vegetarianism and veganism; 3) denounce vegephobia; 4) defending their rights to express their opinions; 5) to act in behalf of animals – that do not have rights.

More information

La Veggie Pride 2008
May 17, 2008
2pm – Meet at Place Joachim du Bellay (Forum des Halles – Fontaine des Innocents) in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Métro Châtelet ou les Halles, R.E.R. Châtelet-les-Halles.
Telephone: 01 45 59 04 35 (Nathalie)

From the guardian:

“Authorities in southern France fear a possible mosquito invasion in tourist resorts this summer and blame EU regulations which prevent them from using the most efficient insecticide.

For the first time since the early 1960s they cannot use temephos – a pesticide now banned by the European Union. Instead the EID says it is obliged to turn to a bacterium considered to be more environment-friendly, but which experts argue leaves little margin for error….”

Read more

From the guardian:

“Britain’s assault on French cookery has been stepped up by a Yorkshire bakery which has started exporting lorry-loads of baguettes across the Channel.
Fosters of Barnsley has used a legal loophole to beat local boulangers to a contract supplying the narrow loaves to the whole of the French railway system.

The order follows a double whammy for North of England butchers who stole Grand Prix d’Excellence awards earlier this year at Europe’s biggest black pudding contest in France. The Real Lancashire Pudding company went on to take two gold medals in the usually French and Belgian-dominated tasting organised by the Compagnons de la Gastronomie Porcine.

The baguette triumph, which has earned Fosters managing director, John Foster, the French media title of “most hated man in France”, is down to the firm’s expertise in making long-life loaves.
French local law forbids the use of fat which is key to the long-life process, Foster said yesterday, but competitors from elsewhere in the European Union can sidestep the ban, under European legislation. Building on the “rolling stock” order, the Barnsley bakery is now challenging the brioche market in France, using the same method.

“Their own bakers could give them a good product, but it didn’t fit the railway’s needs,” said Foster. “In Yorkshire we’ve a tradition of giving customers what they want. They asked for baguettes which don’t go stale and we said yes, we can do you them. We’re shipping the stuff out by the wagon-load.”

Foster said he had been surprised by the “cheek” of the mismatch between French and EU law but recognised a good sales opportunity.”

We went out to lunch the other day to an excellent brasserie in Autun (Burgundy), which I’ll try to write about some time later this week, hopefully. The restaurant was pretty packed and for some reason, “the suits” were sitting on one side of the restaurant, everyone else scrunched over on the other side. Anyway, my adorable and funny sweetie suddenly bursts out, “That lady is TOTALLY American!!” (talking about a woman just exiting the restroom across the restaurant)

Me: “Why? How do you know?”

Him: “Because she has a kleenex over the doorknob because she doesn’t want to touch it directly……you know, like you.”

Me: “That doesn’t mean she’s American. That means she’s psychotically germophobic …like me. Hey, don’t generalize. Wait! They always do tests on doorknobs and they find POO on them! You don’t want to touch that in a restaurant, do you, then eat dinner?”

Him: “Ok, yeah, but you even wrote about American Germophobia, remember? Anyway, it’s an American thing. You can’t convince me otherwise.”

Me: “Oh yeah. I did write about that. Nevermind that, though.”

Me: “Omg. I just heard them talking and yes, that lady IS American.”

Him: “SEEE!?”

From AFP:

“Orly Airport, one of the two big airports serving Paris, is to extract geothermal energy from deep underground to slash its heating bills, the facility’s owners said.

Two shafts each 1,700 metres (one mile) deep will be drilled on the airport’s perimeter to access a water table warmed by heat emanating from the Earth’s hot core.

Drawn upwards by natural pressure, the water will emerge at the surface at 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit) and then be injected into the airport’s heating system. It will then be pumped back into the ground at a temperature of 45 C (113 F).

“We have the unprecedented luck of having hot water below our feet that can heat a large part of Orly without CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions. We are the first airport in Europe to do this,” Pierre Graff, who is chairman and managing director of Aeroports de Paris (ADP), said on Wednesday.

The project, launched after a technical and financial feasibility study, will cost 11 million euros (17.27 million dollars). The Orly-Ouest terminal, part of Orly-South, the airport’s Hilton Hotel, and two business districts will be hooked up to the system from 2011.

ADP hopes geothermal will meet a third of its heating needs and coincidentally save 7,000 tonnes of its 20,000 tonnes of its annual emissions of CO2, the principal greenhouse gas.

The neighbouring towns of Orly, located south of Paris, and l’Hay-les-Roses, already use geothermal.”

I HATE when they do that. Supermarket giants, Carrefour and Monoprix (110 stores in total) have announced a 2.5 ton recall of E-coli contaminated meat.

The thing is, they always wait until most of the meat has already been consumed (unless it was frozen by consumers). In any case, they really are evil.

If you bought packaged ground beef at Carrefour or Monoprix last week, please return the contaminated meat to the store (see store list below).

Information
Meat: steaks hachés / ground beef
Dates issued: between March 10 and March 18
Originating company: Socopa
List of stores selling the contaminated meat: Click here
Hotline: 0.800.773.800

An added important NOTE: Though the store, ED, is not listed, please be aware that it is owned by Carrefour, so the likelihood of contaminated meat at ED, is very high.

[source: france 2, le monde]

From AP:

“Nantes — About 3,000 barrels of fuel oil leaked in and along the Loire River after a pipe ruptured while a tanker was being loaded at a Total refinery, the company said Monday.

Rescue teams used floating dams and Total mobilized a 200-person cleanup team to cope with the 400-ton spill at the Donges refinery in western France that began late Sunday, the company said in a statement.

Local officials said chunks of solidified oil were spotted on Atlantic Ocean estuary beaches, and fuel was seen floating along 12 miles of river Monday evening.

Total spokesman Burkhard Reuss said the cause of the rupture was not immediately clear. The company was trying to determine how long it took for the leakage of oil to be stopped, he said.

The Donges refinery produces about 230,000 barrels per day, he said.”

Growing up in SoCal meant living a life where I rarely experienced gray weather days. Southern Californians don’t realize how LUCKY they are, in terms of getting lots of bright light. They take it for granted.

If you ever leave, like I did, you soon discover that living in a place with LOTS of gray days – does something weird to you. The lack of real sunshine over an extended period of time makes me feel BLAH. I don’t get depressed and certainly not a full on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) like many people get, but I do feel lethargic and feel like I’m lacking in some nutrition! (probably vitamin D)

You don’t have to worry about that crappy feeling, I’ve found, if you have full spectrum lightbulbs installed in your home, and luckily they exist here in France. They’re called, Les ampoules à spectre complet, and they closely mimick the sun’s natural light. They’re safe, and energy-efficient and some are also ampoules ionisantes, which are full spectrum bulbs that also purify the air and even eliminate odors from rooms. (I have some of these and they really work.)

They take just a little while to get used to, but you’ll realize that your eyes don’t tire as quickly and you can actually see better. It’s a strange, but pleasant sensation, and you’ll never go back to traditional bulbs or halogen lights ever again. Your electricity bills will go way down and your plants will love the bulb, too.

These bulbs are excellent for artists, too, because with them, they will see a truer color on whatever they are working on.

A Note: Full spectrum energy saving bulbs are not to be confused with regular energy-saving bulbs out there that are not necessarily full-spectrum. Some of these latter bulbs (the cheap ones, usually) are not very safe (because the glass is not protected), and contain mercury (which is hazardous in the home especially if they break, and later become an environmental nightmare).

Last Note: You might find cheaper full-spectrum bulbs elsewhere but please make sure the glass has the necessary protective coating against harmful rays. The bulbs from Espace Ampoules are coated and tested to be safe.

If you’re interested and live in France, here’s where I order my bulbs online:

Espace Ampoules
Vignerux
71550 Cussy en Morvan
France
Telephone : 08.77.13.70.38

Website: Espace Ampoules (in English and French)

The French documentary, “Le Monde Selon Monsanto / The world according to Monsanto,” directed by independent filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin, airs tonight on ARTE.

The film paints a grim picture of a no-holds-barred evil corporation with a decades-long track record of environmental crimes, health scandals and endangering the population of the entire world.

It will open your eyes to many things and you’ll never look at food the same way again.

Read about it at ARTE (in French) More about it here (in English)

See the movie trailer here

Maybe, just maybe once during your trips to France, you will venture out of “the comfort zone” of your little Paris. Yes! There’s a whole ‘nother world outside of Paris that might amaze you even more than looking at the teeny tiny, glass-enveloped, security guarded, popularity queen, The Mona Lisa, which could quite possibly be a replica (Ok, the latter is just my own conspiracy theory).

A little detour to Provence (south of France) will literally be a welcome breath of fresh air once you exit the cities. We’ve been in Provence, of course at our favorite Après La Sieste, the best place to stay in Provence, in our humble opinions. In addition to being the most beautiful and relaxing B&B ever, they have a heated salinated pool, (which is like being in a comfortable hotspring more so than like being in a chlorinated pond), and an in-house chef for a memorable gastronomic meal that goes perfectly with local wines from the famous Chateauneuf du pape.

After exploring the region’s lavender fields, the surrounding “most beautiful villages in France,” the seaside Camargue and Callanques, the wine cellars and vineyards for tasting award-winning wines and more, you may, after all the day’s activities, feel pretty beat albeit happy. Lucky you because if you stay with Jacques and Chloe at Apres la Sieste, you can get a heavenly massage, a perfect Provençale denouement.

Apres la Sieste’s newest addition is an in-house masseuse, who will erase your little aches and pains and simply make you feel wonderful. You might not ever want to leave.

Apres la Sieste opens officially for the season on March 21.

Après La Sieste
2 suites, 3 rooms; breakfast included
Contact: Jacques et Chloé (English and French spoken)
Email: info@apreslasieste.com
Website: Après La Sieste
(Visit their site for more room photos, massage and chef meals details and rates)
Telephone : +33 4 66 50 33 94
Mobile Phone: +33 6 61 84 58 40

From chiefengineer:

“Thousands of canisters of highly radioactive waste from the world’s most nuclear-energized nation lie, silent and deadly, beneath this jutting tip of Normandy. Above ground, cows graze and Atlantic waves crash into heather-covered hills.

The spent fuel, vitrified into blocks of black glass that will remain dangerous for thousands of years, is in “interim storage.” Like nearly all the world’s nuclear waste, it is still waiting for the long-term disposal solution that has eluded scientists and governments in the six decades since the atomic era began.

…Greenpeace questions state-run Areva’s safety figures, and accuses the government of playing down accidents and soil and water contamination. A group called Meres en Colere, or Angry Mothers, was formed in the region (Normandy) after a 1997 study showed higher than usual local rates of child leukemia, a malady linked to radiation exposure.

Now the “pros” are on a new mission to dispel a generation of scares and suspicion, saying nuclear power is less dangerous to humans and the Earth than burning oil or coal. The “antis” say nuclear energy can never offer 100 percent protection from its radioactive ingredients.

The splitting of uranium atoms in a nuclear reactor creates the exceptional heat that drives turbines to provide electricity. The processes also create radioactive isotopes such as cesium-137 and strontium-90 that take about 30 years to lose half their radioactivity. Higher-level leftovers include plutonium-239, with a half-life of 24,000 years.

Direct exposure to such highly radioactive material, even for a short period, can be fatal. Indirect exposure, through seepage into groundwater, can lead to life-threatening illness for those living nearby and environmental damage.

For now, the best scientific solution for getting rid of the most lethal waste is to shove it deep underground.

Yet no country has built a deep geological repository. Governments meet protests each time one is proposed. The Yucca Mountain waste site in Nevada was commissioned in 1982 and is still awaiting a license.

Another option is recycling. Countries such as France, Russia and Japan reprocess much nuclear waste into new fuel. That dramatically reduces the volume: Forty years’ worth of France’s highly radioactive waste is stored under just three floor surfaces, each about the size of a basketball court, at Beaumont-Hague.

Recycling, though, produces plutonium that could be used in nuclear weapons – so the United States bans it, fearing proliferation.

And not all waste can be reprocessed. The deadliest bits – such as fuel rod casings and other reactor parts as well as concentrated fuel residue containing plutonium and highly enriched uranium – must be sealed and stored away.

That’s what lurks 10 feet underground at this Normandy plant: More than 7,000 cylindrical steel canisters, each about the height of a parking meter, stacked and sealed upright in holes beneath the slick floor. Some contain compacted radioactive metal, the others hold spent fuel that has been vitrified into glass.

Among other ideas once floated for disposing of nuclear waste have been shooting it into space (deemed too risky because of the volatile rocket fuel) or injecting it in the ocean floor (stalled because testing its feasibility is too costly), or shipping all the world’s waste to a collective nuclear dump….”

Read the article

Me: Sweetie, why do French doctors make you take off your clothes even if you’re there for something like a foot problem? Or say, you have a sore throat or something like that.

Him: I dunno.

Me: Like, if I break my finger, why on earth would I need to take off my clothes?

Him. Must just be routine. They need to listen to your heart or something so you have to take off your clothes.

Me: AND they don’t even give you a paper gown or anything! It gets cold, you know.

Him: Well maybe they don’t want to get their stethoscope dirty on clothes.

Me: Pfff. They don’t need to make you take EVERYTHING off. They can loosen your shirt and reach the steth in there. WHY DON’T THEY?

Me: Plus some people’s skin is dirtier than their clothes.

Him: Calm down. What’s the big deal? Maybe it’s a French thing, haha.

Me: It’s weird! It’s pervy and it’s unnecessary nakedness!!

Him: I guess French docs are pervs.

Me: I’m never getting sick again.

More Franco-American Conversations

[For Chris C]

Cheap cheap fish! Here’s an ad (from one of the hypermarches in France) for the fish called Pangas (also known as Pangasius, Vietnamese River Cobbler, Basa Fish and White Catfish). I took it as a reminder to alert you to the dangers of this weird fish. I learned about Pangas not long ago. It’s online here: Documentary all about Pangas.(in French)

Poisson ou poison?

Pangas, which are industrially farmed in Vietnam along the Mekong River, has only been recently introduced to the French market, but in a very short time, it’s gotten very popular in France. The French are slurping up Pangas like it’s their last meal of ramen. It’s dirt cheap, is sold de-boned and it has a mild flavor and texture; people compare it to cod and sole. But as tasty as some may find it, there lurks something immensely unsavory about it. I’m not saying there aren’t problems with other food like pork and other meats, I’m just making a point about this particular fish and hope it will serve as very important information for you and your future choices.

Here’s why I think it should be avoided like the plague:

1. Pangas are infested with high levels of poisons and bacteria. (arsenic, industrial effluents and toxic and hazardous by-products of the growing industrial sector, metal contaminants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane-related compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)). The Mekong River is one of the most polluted rivers on the planet and this is where pangas are farmed.A sidenote: our friend lab tests pangas and tells us to avoid eating them due to high amounts of contamination. They are still accepted by large markets and they still sell them to the general public knowing they are contaminated.

2. Pangas are packed frozen in contaminated river water. Ew.

3. Pangas are environmentally devastating, a most unsustainable food you could possibly eat – You know how you should “buy local” in order to create the least amount of environmental harm as possible? This is the very opposite end of that spectrum of sustainable consumerism. Pangas are raised in Vietnam. The food fed to Pangas comes from Peru (more on that below), their hormones (which are injected into the female Pangas) come from China. (More about that below) THEN, they are transported from Vietnam to France. That’s not just a giant carbon foot print, that’s a carbon continent of a foot print.

4. There’s nothing natural about Pangas – They’re fed dead fish remnants and bones, dried and ground into a flour, from South America, manioc (cassava) and residue from soy and grains. Obviously, this type of nourishment doesn’t even remotely resemble what they eat in a natural environment. But what it does resemble is the method of feeding mad cows (cows were fed cows, remember?) What they feed pangas is completely unregulated so there are most likely other harmful substances and hormones thrown into the mix. The pangas grow 4 times faster than in nature…so what is exactly in their food? You guess is as good as mine.

5. Pangas are Injected with PEE – Honestly, I don’t know how they figured this one out but they’ve discovered that if they inject female Pangas with hormones derived from the dehydrated urine of pregnant women, the female Pangas grow faster and produce their eggs faster (one Panga can lay approximately 500,000 eggs at one time). Essentially, they’re injecting fish with hormones (they come all of the way from a pharmaceutical company in China) to speed up the process of growth and reproduction. That just can’t be good. Ok, now some of you crazy ass people out there might not mind eating fish injected with dehydrated pee and if you don’t good for you, but just consider the rest of the reasons to NOT eat it.

6. You get what you pay for – and then some. Don’t be lured in by insanely cheap price of Pangas. Is it worth risking your health?

7. Buying Pangas supports unscrupulous, giant, greedy evil corporations that don’t care about the health and well-being of humans. They only are concerned about selling as many pangas as possible to unsuspecting consumers. These corporations only care about bottom line.

8. Pangas will make you sick – If (for reasons in #1 above) you don’t get immediately ill with vomiting, diarrhea and effects from severe food poisoning, congratulations, you have an iron stomach! But you’re still ingesting POISON not poisson.

Another note: due to the prodigious amount of availability of Pangas, be warned that it will surely end up in other foods: surimi (those pressed fish things), fish terrines, and probably in some pet foods. (Warn your dogs and cats!)

Watch this Report on Pangas

(Video excerpt from Capitale on M6, which aired about 3 months ago)

Links: Buying fish in France, Le Panga, nouvelle abération de la mondialisation ?, carnival of the green

From ENN:

It’s widely known that lead poisoning poses a threat to public health. The metal’s negative effect on the nervous system as well as its propensity to cause renal and cardiovascular diseases has promoted the FDA to continually lower the legal limit of lead content in paint, children’s toys, and playground substrate since the late 70’s.

In October ’07, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released an alarming report, “A Poison Kiss,” on the lead content of lipstick. They found that more than half of the name brand lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead. France’s Largest Cosmetic company’s L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” topped the list at .65 ppm lead. Even Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer Merlot contains lead (less than .1 ppm.) However, with a little bit of research and awareness, you can find safer (and environmentally friendly) lipsticks.

From Reuters:

“Americans may eat it if they want, but the agriculture minister of France said on Thursday that if offered a dish of cloned meat, he’d have to say “non.”

Asked if he would eat cloned foods, Michel Barnier told a radio interviewer: “No. You ask me a direct question, I reply no. There is no question of it for now.”

“I think there are ethical problems and problems of social acceptability and we are not going to start copying the American model,” he said in the interview with RMC radio.

The agriculture chief of Europe’s biggest agricultural foods producer, and arguably the world’s most food-conscious country, was speaking after Europe’s food safety agency and the main U.S. health agency declared cloned food products safe to eat.

Confirmation this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that food from cloned animals and their offspring is as safe as other food means meat and milk from cloned offspring will enter the food supply before long.

Europe’s top food safety agency also declared this month that cloned food products are safe to eat but has yet to give the green light to marketing cloned food products to consumers.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has opened a consultation process with member states and industry until February 25 before giving its final opinion in May.

Barnier said France would push for a reformed agricultural policy across the bloc which would favor traditional methods of farming and would reject cloning.“

From ENN:

French farmer Jose Bove, who became a worldwide celebrity for his fight against junk food, said on Monday he would go on a hunger strike to win a one-year ban on genetically modified (GMO) crops.

Speaking at the Millau Court of Justice in southern France, where his four-month jail sentence for trashing a GMO field in 2004 was commuted to a fine, Bove said he would start his unlimited hunger strike on January 3, along with 10 to 15 other activists.

The walrus-mustachioed, pipe-smoking Bove, sometimes dubbed France’s Robin Hood, spent six weeks in jail in 2003 for smashing up a McDonald’s restaurant in protest at tariffs imposed by the United States in retaliation for a European Union ban on imports of North American hormone-treated beef.
While GMO crops are common in the United States, France — Europe’s biggest grain producer — along with other European nations remain highly suspicious of them.

Supporters say it could lead to hardy strains to help…

Continue reading

You might have noticed that someone has painted the town pink. At least the Velib seats, anyway.

“Operation Act Up” has hit Velibs across Paris with a simple message: “et vous, vous faites quoi pour vous protéger?” – What are YOU doing to protect yourself?

Prevent the spread of AIDS by using condoms. Here’s a video at dailymotion.

[via]

This clip was left out of the original movie (Sicko) because it was said to be unbelievable and people wouldn’t believe it because it was too good to be true.

Watch the clip

Related: The Cost of Re-attaching 2 Fingertips in France, Sicko, Health Care Alternatives, A Good Reason to Travel to France

Phew! Now I no longer have to lose sleep wondering about why magnesium is a universal remedy for everything in France.

Over an 18-year period, French researchers determined that men with the highest blood levels of magnesium are 40 percent less likely to die of any cause than those with the lowest levels. Magnesium can make multivitamins too bulky, so add a 250 milligram (mg) pill to your daily regimen.

40 % less likely to die of any cause! That is amazing. ‘Cept. What about women?

[Thanks for the tip, Jon!]

Related: Vitamins in France , Guide to Better Vitamin Shopping

Him: LOL. Did you hear about the ride, “It’s a Small World” at Disneyland?

Me: No, what happened?

Him: Disneyland has to replace the boats to accommodate fat Americans. hahaha!

Me: Glad you’re having a good laugh about that – but that’s going to happen to Disneyland Paris, eventually. The rise in obesity isn’t just an American thing. It’s happening in France, too.

Him: I know – but it’s still funny about fat Americans.

Me: The French are getting a kick out of that, aren’t they?

Him: Probably. Lots of our friends think it’s funny. * giggle*

British retirees, the gravy train is over.

From The Telegraph

“Thousands of Britons who have taken early retirement and moved to France are to lose free health care under radical reforms introduced by France’s new president.

In his drive to kick-start the French economy by creating a culture of hard work, Nicolas Sarkozy believes those who chose to retire early – under 65 – should not benefit from free health care.

During his election campaign earlier this year Mr Sarkozy said: “If you think 53 makes you old enough to retire, then fine, go ahead and retire. But don’t expect the state to pay for it.”

As a result, thousands of Britons living across France were sent “brutal” letters last week from the department of social security informing them that they would no longer be welcomed as non-paying customers of France’s hugely efficient – and traditionally extremely generous – national health service.

The letter stated that, under a change of rules which is due to…”

Read the article

france retirement in france british living in france retirement

Nuit Blanche / White Night
October 6 – 7, 2007
The night Paris does not go to sleep is coming up in a few days! Grab a zillion cups of coffee or get some great guarana so you can stay up all night for Paris’ humungous block party. (Read about Nuit Blanche here)

Website: Paris Nuit Blanche (For more information and a schedule)

Fête des Vendages de Montmartre / Montmartre Harvest Festival
Oct 12, 13, 14, 2007
Website: Fête des Vendages de Montmartre
Surprisingly, there’s some wine growing and making in Paris in the Montmartre area and every year there’s a 3-day harvest festival celebrating with live entertainment (Carla Bruni, Olivia Ruiz, etc.) focusing on a special homage to Brassens; There’ll be lots of stands, food and of course, wine.

Salon Zen
Oct 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2007
Paris Expo Espace Champerret
6, rue Jean-Oestreicher 75017 Paris
Website: Salon Rentrez Zen
Discover ways to stay Zen in this increasingly hectic world. Find the best spas, relaxation equipment, reflexology or yoga classes to keep yourself well and stress-free.

Fête de la Bande Dessinée / Comic Book Festival
Oct 13-14, 2007
Hôtel de Ville
25405 Audincourt
Website: Fête de la Bande Dessinée
The 25th Comic Book Festival! No one loves comics better than the French and every year thousands gather to meet their favorite illustrators and artists and attend workshops, films and generally have a great time at this favorite yearly event.

Lire en Fête / Reading Festival
Oct 19, 20, 21, 2007
Website: Lire en Fête
This year’s theme, “One City, One Masterpiece,” expresses itself all over France with a variety of events as they relate to the appreciation of literature and reading, in general. Search for events in your area here.

Le Salon du Chocolat / Paris Chocolate Expo
Oct 19, 20, 21, 2007
Porte de Versailles, Hall 5, Paris
Website: Le Salon du Chocolat
If you’re a true chocolate lover, you already know about this event. This is a good time to grab lots and lots of chocolate, and to gorge yourself on the best chocolate around. There’ll be 130 chocolate makers so you’ll have a myriad of choices.

Cuisinez! Expo / Cooking Expo
Oct 26, 27, 28, 2007
Carrousel du Louvre, Paris
Website: Cuisinez! Expo
Dedicated to all the people passionate about cooking, this will be heaven for you! Take cooking workshops, meet famous chefs and stock up on kitchen supplies and appliances.

Old Man: I bought bread in the supermarket bakery and gave it to my rabbits. But they wouldn’t touch it!

Baker: I don’t blame them.

Old Man: I wonder why they didn’t eat it.

Baker: That stuff is filled with chemical sh*t and other unnatural ingredients. I wouldn’t even call it bread.

Old Man: Many people eat that chemical sh*t. It’s a shame.

Baker: Well, they shouldn’t. They should come to my bakery. (wink!)

Toxic Corp is recruiting replacement smokers. Apply now!

This spot has been running on TV recently and is well worth a mention for its tongue-in-cheekiness juxtaposed with a soberingly unhumorous message. Produced by the INPES (Institut national de prévention et d’éducation pour la santé / Nat’l Health Inst. of Education and Prevention) and the Alliance contre le tabac (Alliance against tobacco), the two organizations have been working to inculcate the dangerous consequences of smoking in young people – who are the prime targets for tobacco companies. (Yes! Tobacco companies really ARE looking for Replacement Smokers!)

The Ugly Statistics in France

* Tobacco is the prime cause of avoidable death in France, and the prime cause of cancer. (66,000 deaths per year)
* 42% of 15 to 24 year olds are smokers versus 29% of 25 to 75 year olds.
* There’s a strong increase in the number of smokers with age: from 34% of smokers between 15 and 19 years old, to 51% between 20 and 24 years old.
* On the other hand, only 54% of smokers from ages 15 to 24 want to quit versus 62% of smokers ages 25 to 75.

Here’s what they’re saying on this PSA and a translation. (Click on the photo above to see the video.)

Vous êtes jeune, en bonne sante.
Rejoignez Toxic Corp et devenez “Replacement smokers” !
Votre naiveté et votre inexpérience sont pour nous un vrai plus .
Chaque année , 270,000 jeunes courageux et motivés
sont prêts à absorber plus de 50 substances cancérigènes
pour nous aider à soutenir nos bénéfices .
Comme eux , saisissez cette chance
et remplacez dès aujourd’hui
l’un de nos fidèles fumeurs décédés !
Votre avenir est en marche , n’hésitez plus .

Le tabac tue un fumeur sur deux.
L’industrie du tabac doit les remplacer.

Translation
You’re young and in good health.
Join Toxic Corp and become a Replacement Smoker!
Your naivete and inexperience is a real plus for us.
Every year, 270,000 courageous and motivated youths
are prepared to breathe in more than 50 carcinogenic substances
to help us support the bottom line.
Like them, seize this opportunity
and from today on, replace one of our dead loyal smokers!
Your future is ahead of you. Join now.

Tagline:
Tabacco kills one out of 2 smokers.
The tobacco industry must replace them.

Source Links: Toxic Corp, INPES

Yuck. Well, eating a worm from China in these fake chocolate “Rochers”, PROBABLY won’t kill you, and they’d be a good form of protein, but I’d most likely scream so loudly after seeing it, that I’d be heard in Switzerland.

Following the U.S., France is finding dangerous, contaminated food products coming from China. I can’t seem to find a complete list of items but here is one list that was cited on this newscast. It lists products for France, as well as for other European countries. Most recently, they’ve found toothpaste containing antifreeze (because antifreeze is cheaper than gliserine!) for the following brands (that I never heard of): Terpan, Fresdent, and Gilchrist & Soamez.

[via France2]

France has been the only place I’ve noticed where doctors will prescribe vitamins to sick patients, instead of medication. Wait. I think I was prescribed vitamins in Germany once. So maybe it’s a European thing. It’s sort of the opposite of les etats-unis! Anyway, this is what some vitamins look like here: liquid in small glass vials, about 4 inches long. You break off the ends of the vials to pour it into a cup with juice or water, then drink it. These B complex vitamins were prescribed by a doctor to my sweetie for a number of ailments including fatigue, but I don’t think they changed his fatigue level at all. The doctor also prescribed magnesium, which seems to be a cure-all in France, I swear. It’s everywhere. (Have you seen how magnesium is all over water products and cereals and gobs of other products?) Anyway, the magnesium gave him leg cramps. So for a while we had a bunch of vitamins sitting around.

If you have vitamins that you no longer use, and they haven’t expired, you can give them back to the pharmacy, so they can dispose of them properly (they most likely reuse the unexpired returns, though I’m not sure).

A note: I recently found out that some B vitamins are crap vitamins. They actually call them JUNK vitamins and apparently, these will drain your body of energy. To tell the junk vitamins from the quality (premethylated) vitamins, look at the label.

“Cheap vitamins (non-methylated) will use standardized “USP” vitamins such as “Thiamin USP (thiamin HCL) vitamin B1.” That’s the chemical form of vitamin B1, and it actually requires a donation of cellular energy from your body before you can use it. The form of B12 in cheap vitamins is cyanocobalamin.

Quality vitamins, on the other hand, will use the “coenzyme” forms of the B vitamins. These will often be listed with the word “coenzyme,” and the form of vitamin B12 will appear as either methylcobalamin or hydroxycobalamin. That’s a sure sign of a high-end, quality multivitamin…” [from Newstarget]

The French Paradox is a so-called “phenomenon” concerning the fact that people in France consume lots of food rich in saturated fats (butter, cheese, eggs, whole milk, foie gras and other animal livers, animal fats and all kinds of meats including bacon, etc.) and cholesterol, yet in general, have a much lower incidence of heart disease. This is only paradoxical if you naively believe that natural saturated fats causes heart disease.

Believe what you will, but the reason why Americans suffer a high rate of coronary heart disease is related to too much industrially processed foods, an insufficient amount of Omega 3 fatty acids, too much polyunsaturated vegetable oils, trans fats (hydrogenated fats found in junk food and in margarine), refined sugar, family history of heart disease, lack of fresh veggies, consumption of unbalanced meals and a sedentary lifestyle (to name only some factors; there are more). Of course, the relationship between diet and heart disease is much more complicated that the above factors. But basically, scientists have been too quick to announce what is good and bad for people. Afterall, what kind of condition are Americans in now? They are freakin’ obese. Clearly, they are doing something wrong.

In addition to their saturated fatty diet of cheese, creams meats and the like, the French also eat all kinds of vegetables and fruit – and exercise in one form or another plays an important part in the whole picture. It has to. However, probably the main thing I can say about most French cooking is that it is relatively simple, using basic ingredients cooking with traditional fats: butter, lard, chicken and beef fats, along with vegetables and non-industrial ingredients. These kinds of traditional fats are stable at high temperatures so they are the best to cook with and don’t lose any nutrients, whereas when cooking with some other oils like sunflower, shortening, soybean, canola or corn oil, they oxidize and create carcinogens or simply strip nutrients from the oil at high temperatures. These oils also raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and reduce good cholesterol ((HDL). Just a quick note here: During  the 1900s in the U.S. when cooking involved using saturated fats like butter and lard, heart disease was rare. It was later on when traditional fats were replaced by margarine, shortening and other polyunsaturated oils, that things changed dramatically. By the 1950s, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the U.S.

It makes me sad that people have been fooled into thinking that things like margarine, skim milk and egg white omelets are good for them. They aren’t. First, margarine is a trans fat and causes heart disease. Second, anything SKIM tastes like crap, and your body actually needs fat to help digest protein – also you need the fat otherwise your body will not be able to absorb the calcium. This is probably why there are so many dieting girls in their 20s who have osteoporosis and their brittle bones resemble those of very old people. They completely cut fat out of their diets and are suffering the consequences. While we’re on the subject a milk, avoid not just industrial milk (which contains growth hormones and other icky things), but also try to stay away from powdered milk of any kind. The process that makes milk powdered creates oxidized, damaged cholesterol. Some foods containing powdered milk: yogurt, lowfat cheese, cake mixes, cocoa mixes, candy bars, baked goods, etc.

Regarding the egg white diet. If you are a egg white only kind of person, cut it out! That said, eat pastured eggs (not industrial eggs), they are actually good for your heart. The whole cholesterol phobia was based on fear and immature science. Today, we know that when we talk about cholesterol, it’s more important to see what the body actually does with the LDL and HDL cholesterols, rather than simply looking at foods that contain cholesterol in them. You just have to look at the whole picture.

Pastured eggs contain vitamins A and E, more monosaturated fats, beta carotene, and lutein. They also have more omega 3 fats, which prevent diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. The ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats in pastured eggs is perfect, being 1:1. You see, the egg white and yolk were meant to stay together, the way nature created them; without the other, you’ll get an unbalanced food. Don’t ignore the yolk! Yolks have the highest concentrations of biotin, a B vitamin necessary for healthy skin, hair and nerves. Biotin is also essential for digestion of fat and protein. A last word about eggs: Don’t eat industrial eggs, liquid eggs, powdered eggs, egg substitutes or pasteurized eggs. Stick with free-range eggs laid by happy, pastured hens.

Basically what I’m trying to say is stay away from industrial and processed foods. Stick with simple traditional balanced foods, don’t overeat and get some exercise. Also remember that grass-fed beef is better for your health than factory beef. This is what the French do. It’s as simple as that.

Some silly wine trivia: In 1991 when the TV show 60 Minutes aired a program about the French paradox, red wine consumption in the U.S. increased by 44%! Did that help them? Don’t think so.

Sources: The Book – Real Food: What to Eat and Why, Wikipedia

Let me introduce you to the nemesis in France that should never ever come in close proximity to your mouth: any fish from warm waters. Some advice. Stay away from it!

I’ll explain.

A friend of ours I’ll call Nemo (not his real name), who works as a quality assurance agent for a very large chain of hypermarkets* in France told us something that compelled me to share with everyone, specifically to expats shopping for fish in any hypermarché in France. This warning applies to everyone as well of course, but honestly, I don’t worry as much about the French, only because I feel that they have much more resistance to food poisoning. Really. It must have something to do with growing up eating camembert.

Anyway, we never buy fish in these large markets but I know many people do. So, here’s the warning: Don’t buy fish coming from bodies of water that are warm, those fish being primarily from Asia. Stores usually indicate where the fish is from originally so you can get an idea about the quality of fish and its edibility (or poison-ability).

Nemo tells us that when he tests fish, he applies a substance on the fish and if there’s evidence of bacteria or other contamination, a black dot will appear. A fish is deemed OK for eating if there are no more than about 6 dots. He finds that fish from warm waters are so laden with bacteria that they are completely covered in black after testing. Clearly, these fish are not fit for consumption, but the hypermarket, being the greedy, exploiting, unethical, evil SOBs that they are, ignored our friend’s recommendation to dispose of this inedible fish. They chose to sell all of the contaminated fish to unsuspecting consumers.

Needless to say, there’s a LOT of contaminated fish out there! Nemo is disgusted and is in search of a new job.

The positive part of this whole thing is that Nemo tells us the fish from the North Atlantic or any cold body of water, generally produces relatively fresh fish, much safer to eat.

* Take your guess at which hypermarché, however, chances are that they all share similar philosophies about “quality assurance” and the bottom line.

Is France on to something? I noticed these cans of “sans OGM” (non genetically modified or non-GMO) corn on the shelves of a nearby supermarket. The other cans did not specify that they were non-GMO, but weeks later when I went back to the market, ALL of the other brands, including the generic discount brand followed suit and were marked NON GMO. I am grateful they’re labeling this information in France, which unfortunately for Americans, isn’t the case for GMO products in the U.S. Whether you care about GMO or not, it’s always good to be informed about what you’re eating.

It made me wonder about the dangers of GMO. Here’s what I found:

“The environmental protection organization Greenpeace has long said genetically modified maize could be a health hazard. Now, in a new study, a group of French scientists have also expressed their doubts about the corn.” from French Scientists Express Doubt About Genetically Modified Corn

“We are confronted with what is undoubtedly the single most potent technology the world has ever known – more powerful even than atomic energy. Yet it is being released throughout our environment and deployed with superficial or no risk assessments – as if no one needs to worry an iota about its unparalleled powers to harm life as we know it – and for all future generations.” from 50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods

“Despite an increasing number of scientists warning that current gene-splicing techniques are crude, inexact, and unpredictable — and therefore inherently dangerous — pro-biotech governments and regulatory agencies, led by the US, maintain that GE foods and crops are “substantially equivalent” to conventional foods, and therefore require neither mandatory labeling nor pre-market safety-testing. This Brave New World of Frankenfoods is frightening.” from Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods & Crops

“There’s a war on in Europe, and most Americans have hardly heard about it. It concerns the safety of something very basic to human life: our food. Why are we so uninformed while European consumers are up in arms and their governments are taking swift action against the uncontrolled introduction of genetically modified foods?” from Toxicity From Genetically-Engineered Foods

“The corn in question, MON863, is made by the Monsanto Company and approved for use in Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States. It has had a gene inserted from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which causes the plant’s cells to produce a pesticide.” from Monsanto’s GM corn MON863 shows kidney, liver toxicity in animal studies

Some Related Links:

Find out about what you can do against GMO in France with their OGM, J’en veux pas (I don’t want GMO) campaign. http://www.greenpeace.fr (in French)

Monsanto’s Dubious Research

Say no to GMO Foods

How to shop to avoid GMO Foods

Propaganda Strategy of Biotech-Multinationals leaked out

Not long ago I’d suggested (in my post about Michael Moore’s movie, Sicko) that if the guy in the movie who’d lost two fingertips came to France for health care, it would probably have cost him a third of what he’d spend in the U.S. I was so very wrong. IT’S SO MUCH LESS THAN THAT.

IF he’d had both fingers reattached in the U.S. it would have cost him $72,000. He could only afford one finger which was the lesser amount of $12.000. What would he have spent if he had that procedure in France, for not just one but BOTH fingers? I just found out how much exactly this costs in France, and honestly, it made me feel…sick.

We’d contacted the Société Française de Chirurgie de la Main, (a national Association of Surgeons specializing in Hand Surgery in France), and asked them about the costs of this particular kind of surgery. They kindly sent me this chart.

As you can see above, to reattach two fingers in a French hospital, it would have cost him €1,836.70 (€1,321.59 for the surgery plus €515.11 for anesthesia). In dollars, the total is $2,528.70, plus the costs for a 5 to 7 day hospital stay, which ends up being about €16 ($22) per day. [Note: Private French hospitals are more expensive and cost roughly €1000 ($1,377) per day.]

So instead of $72,000 in the U.S. to fix his fingers in France he would have paid approximately $4,000. (I included a roundtrip airfare of $1,300 AND a hospital stay of 7 days) Even if he opted for a private clinic, while it would nearly triple that cost, it would still have been less than what he paid to have his one finger operated on.

I have to say that I did see the very excellent Sicko while I was in New York and it made me realize one thing: I’m very happy to be living in France, no matter how often I complain about it.

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday at the Greenmarket at Union Square, regional farmers and other food producers gather to sell their products. You’ll find things like organic baked bread and other oven-fresh goods, fish, flours, honey, all kinds of produce including unsual finds like black radishes, Berry Hot Garlic Jelly and more. It is a very cool market. But what caught my eye was a huge sign (sorry I was a lazy photog and didn’t grab a shot).

Me: “Sweetie, that sign says ‘Grass-fed CHEESE.’

Him: “Pffff! Americans now think that little camemberts have legs.”

We figured that the cheese producers didn’t want to say “organic” cheese because “organic” can mean different things (and perhaps not be organic at all) and the organic cheese in the U.S. can be made with milk from cows that were fed corn, something most eat but by nature, aren’t supposed to eat. Cows are supposed to eat grass! As a result of a corn-based diet, cows get sick. That means that ALL industrially raised cows are, in fact, sick. It’s inevitable and thus, these poor cows are heavily pumped with antibiotics to “keep them afloat” along with growth hormones that makes them grow at unnatural speeds. It’s all very unnatural and unhealthy. All of that sick stuff and drugs pass down into their milk, which is then made into lovely cheese! So “organic” cheese might not be very healthful for you. (Let’s not even talk about the beef.)

That’s why these cheese makers have to clarify where their cheese comes from. Grass-fed cows stay healthy as they’re eating what ruminants (grazers) should be eating: grass. Their milk is antibiotic-free and generally hormone-free (but check first). Slight Sidebar: Horizon Milk is not as healthy as you might think. In fact, Horizon Organic is not organic.

Back to cheese. If you have a choice and are searching for more healthy alternatives, try to buy “grass-fed cheese” as weird as that may sound.

Green Market
Union Square, New York
Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday

June 29 marks the U.S. premiere of Michael Moore’s much anticipated film, Sicko. (It’s also the official ship date of iPhone, fyi. Anyway.) The film is a “comedy” about how 45 million Americans do not have health insurance. There’s nothing funny about that but Michael Moore is one of a few people who can make you laugh all the while being incredibly disgusted (at the system).

If there’s one thing that the U.S. has ass &*%^$@# backwards, it’s their health care system. (I know, there’s a LOT more than one thing but I had to choose for the sake of this post.) It should be a right, not a privilege to have health care coverage. When someone has to pay $5,000 to stay in a hospital per day, which doesn’t even include surgery, doctor visits or medicine, that just seems entirely ridiculous if not tragic – not to mention that many people just don’t have that kind of money at their fingertips.

Speaking of fingertips, in the movie trailer for Sicko, a guy has an accident where the tips of two of his fingers are sawed off. Firstly: ouch. But more importantly, the costs are excessive and preposterous. One finger would cost $60,000 for surgery and the other would cost $12,000, and the guy has no health insurance. Ironically, the more expensive one is the middle finger. So, he opted to fix the other finger, though I sadly have to say that many people wouldn’t even have the means to do anything at all, and would just be without fingertips.

How does all this relate to France? The U.S. is ranked number 37 in the world for health care systems, next to Slovenia. Should that be embarrassing for one of the richest and most powerful countries on earth? Answser: YES. So, who is ranked number 1? The oftentimes much maligned France. Just remember that, France bashers.

Oui mes amis, ranked number 1 and having the best health care system in the world is, none other than our beloved France. Not only is everyone entitled to and covered with health care in France, the costs (if any) are negligible. Of course, France has a huge debt partly because of this but nevermind. Compared to the U.S., health care fees in France seem ridiculous only because they are so low. For example, while it costs thousands of dollars for a hospital stay in the U.S., in France, I believe it costs 14 euros (just under 20 bucks) per day. AND! You get reimbursed for most of that (if not all of it).

I’m simplifying this a bit but in general, you never pay more than you can afford in France. This means that poor people do not usually pay anything at all. For extremely grave interventions and diseases, everyone is 100% covered.

Unfortunately, the American guy with chopped off fingertips could only have one of his fingers fixed but I wondered what the cost would have been if he just flew to France, and had everything taken care of here, in the land of extremely low health care prices. Including his flight, hospital stays, transportation, food and surgeries, I can say with relative confidence that in France he’d probably pay a third of what he’d have to pay chez L’Amérique – Quite possibly, considerably less. Bargain basement prices! Even though he isn’t covered by French health insurance, at least he’d have only spent a fraction of what he would have had to pay in the U.S. AND! – have both fingertips back!

So if you’ve read this far, you’ll see what this all comes down to: Why Travel to France? Perhaps some American citizens should consider coming to France for health care. Don’t worry about language issues. You will surely find English speakers. Forget the hotels and just stay in the hospital. At 20 bucks per night, it’s a steal. Surgeries are cheaper and the meals are probably better than airline food.

Links: Michael Moore on Letterman, Sicko, Michael Moore

Over the years I’ve been (rightly) accused of being a bathroom freak. Maybe it’s just “freak.” Anyway. I don’t disagree with any of my accusers as I’ve learned to embrace this characteristic rather than overcome it. Hey, I’m not ashamed of wanting clean public bathrooms, which is too often and sadly a rare phenomenon in France.

What am I talking about? I hate public toilets. Especially in France. So much so that it’s made me avoid most of them, which is quite possibly bad for my health. I don’t care. Most public toilets are even gorier than my worst nightmares. So, when I saw this website that rates toilets worldwide, I nearly peed in my pants. Ok, maybe I DID – a little.

The Bathroom Diaries scours the globe to rate the world’s toilets. You can now find out which bathrooms to avoid like the plague (quite possibly BECAUSE of the plague) and which ones are useable. Yay! Their database is pretty extensive and they claim to be the world’s largest database of restroom locations. I believe them. Call it blind faith.

To see restroom locations in France and in Paris by arrondissements (districts) and elsewhere, visit The Bathroom Diaries.

On a related note, this gadget is an extra “finger” to do your dirty work.

From the UK Times:

“For the French, it ranks as a national emergency. Their top chef is warning of a culinary apocalypse in which restaurants run out of decent ingredients.

It might not make it on to the agenda of the G8 summit, but a mixture of environmental degradation, economic success and spreading gourmandise has produced so much competition for the best products that they may soon run out, warns Pierre Gagnaire, one of the pioneers of modern, experimental cooking.

‘Today everyone wants roughly the same thing,’ said Gagnaire, who has restaurants in Paris, Hong Kong and London. ‘Supplies are getting scarce. I am deeply worried.’

Within a few years, warned the chef, it may no longer be possible to buy fish that is not ‘farmed’. Demand for wild fish will rise, driving up prices to the extent that it becomes unaffordable. Some restaurants may be forced to close down.

It is the same for certain vegetables and fruits whose habitats are being destroyed…”

Read full article

^{[photo courtesy of chaojikazu]}

The news about the man infected with a rare form of extremely contagious Tuberculosis (TB!) has been abuzz for a couple of days now – and it got weirder and weirder. I’d wanted to post about it because although he was advised to stay home and not travel, he traveled anyway and was on a flight from Atlanta to Paris and has most possibly infected passengers on that plane (May 12, Air France, Flight 385). The story weirdly continues as he’s later reported to have flown from Paris to Athens (to get married), then Athens to Rome (for his honeymoon), then he and his new wife escaped avoided the Italian health authories who were on their way to his Rome hotel by flying from Rome to Prague. Then, they flew from Prague to Montreal , Canada (because his passport had been redflagged in the U.S. – May 24 Czech Air Flight 104), then they drove from Montreal to New York in a rental car – but then flew from New York back to Atlanta (in a CDC Jet). The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is concerned that he’s infected quite a number of people on those flights, not to mention his WIFE! and the people who were in close proximity to him at any of those locations and everything in between! The CDC recommends that passengers near the infected man receive TB tests as a precaution. (Airlines will be contacting those passengers.)

As an alarmist and paranoid person, I can’t help but realize that he was in Rome the same time as we were!!! Why didn’t he just stay put?! Geez.

UPDATE: It turns out that this guy’s father is a microbiologist specializing in rare TB cases at the CDC! Let’s guess where he contracted the disease … Oh and the guy has apologized. Pff.

Links: TB Patient Passengers Sought in Tuberculosis Probe, US Seeks Fliers Possibly Exposed to Rare TB, AJ

It all started chez Mr. Pott, the Potter. (Yes, that is his real name.) We were being led to the kiln where all his creations cook down to their glorious art forms. As we wandered along the winding path, a putrid cloud of fumes wafted toward me and overwhelmingly assaulted my nose. I was certain I was going to puke. It was nauseating. If you can imagine an effluvious melding rotten cat vomit with sewage after a 5-week long, city-wide bout of extreme irritable bowel syndrome, (aka The Runs) then that is what it smelled like.

Ahead of us, Mr. Pott turned around abruptly to warn us of the smell. “Thanks for the warning,” I said, as I repressed projectile vomiting a gag. He apologized and told us it was his purin d’orties. (nettles “manure” or fertilizer. It’s nettles soaked in rainwater.). I’d never heard about it. He mentioned that it not only was a natural insecticide that works but it was also a nutritious fertilizer “tea” for garden vegetables.

Upon further research, I found out that nettles is somewhat of universal super miracle ingredient being beneficial (even curative) to allergies and health problems, as well as serving as sort of a magical elixer in the garden. You can also cook it like spinach for a vitamin rich delish potage or other dish. There are undoubtedly endless uses for this undeservedly maligned weed.

I decided to try to make some purin d’orties too. Here’s my batch. It doesn’t stink yet as it needs to brew for a few more weeks. I’ll probably cover it when we start to smell something funky.

The shocking information that I stumbled on, however, was that selling purin d’orties is strictly prohibited in France. Um. You can’t sell water soaked in nettles? That is weird. In addition to that, it is now illegal to publish information on purin d’orties in France. But! It is ok to use purin d’orties that you make at home. (This proves that it is safe to use, but how the heck can you get info if it’s illegal to publish details about it??!) Strange Strange Strange. Not to mention RIDICULOUS. While we’re on the subject of ridiculousness, I also found out that it is illegal in France to publish that hot water kills weeds in alleys. I’m not kidding. It’s a good thing my blog lives on a U.S. server.

In any case, as we all know, evil takes on many forms. Evil can be ridiculous and quite often is, as we’re witness to today. Evil can look at you straight in the eye, lie with a smile and you wouldn’t even know it was lying. Evil can be a weed killer company, a pesticides/fertilizer company, a seed company. Maybe they’re all the same company?

As we might be able to surmise by now, there are only a few usual suspects responsible for this kind of heinous legislation: government (Le ministère de l’Agriculture) and the fertilizer industry (which includes the pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, pesticides, seeds and GMO industries). And for good measure we might as well throw in the other evil industries: the oil industry, which is the same as the plastics industry and the food industry. They are all bad, bad, bad to the core. This is no exception. It looks as though the industry has lobbied the government (in other words: paid dubious amounts of cash to the agriculture minister and other officials) to pass this most subversive of laws for the benefit of the company whilst being detrimental to the earth and consumers. Anyway. As one of the most destructive industries, they are endangering the health of this planet, and its inhabitants. How much more unscrupulous and unethical can they get? I’m sure they’ll never fail to have something else up their sleeves.

Back to the case of nettles. Nettles fertilizer is so effective that it’s probably better than anything you can buy at the garden store. But it has so many more uses. How do people love nettles? Let them count the ways: 1) Dilute your nettles fertilizer “tea” and spray it on your plants for a safe insecticide that knows how to get rid of the bad bugs and keep the good ones (especially good for veggies like tomatoes); 2) If sprayed, it will also be a foliar fertilizer rich in iron, vitamin C, nitrogen, beta-carotene, B complex vitamins, phosphorous potassium, oligoelements, enzymes, chlorophyll, magnesium, calcium, silica, iodine, and amino acids. You can also enrich the soil by directly watering the ground around your plants; 3) The diluted fertilizer is known to stimulate your plants immune system, building their resilience to diseases and insects; 4) Undiluted nettles tea is a very impressive natural weed killer that will not harm your health, the soil or the environment; 4) Nettles leaves are also a great addition to the compost heap being rich in nitrogen they provide the fuel for the bacteria to accelerate the break down of the more “brown” compost; 5) Dry the nettles leaves to make an infusion tea that will give you an iron boost if you’re feeling run down. This tea is also a safe, gentle diuretic—considered restorative for the kidneys and bladder, and used for cystitis and nephritis. 6) As an expectorant, it’s recommended for asthma, mucus conditions of the lungs, and chronic coughs. Nettle tincture is also used for flu, colds, bronchitis and pneumonia; 7) Nettles are a traditional food for people with allergies as they are filled with formic acid, histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), plus unknown compounds; 8.) Nettle tea compress or finely powdered dried nettles are also good for wounds, cuts, stings, and burns; 9) Other uses include treating gout, glandular diseases, poor circulation, enlarged spleen, diarrhea, and dysentery, worms, intestinal and colon disorders, and hemorrhoids. 10) Eating nettles or drinking the tea makes your hair brighter, thicker and shinier, and makes your skin clearer and healthier—good for eczema and other skin conditions.

Last Note: Strangely, there is no mention of the garden uses of Nettles in Wikipedia. Hmmm.

Sources and Related Links:

Round-up is a descendent of Agent Orange
Ex Monsanto Executives now in the Bush Administration
Interdiction d’informer sur les phytosanitaires naturels non-homologués
Nettles
How to Make Nettles Fertilizer Tea/Insecticide

In 1991, Guy Négre, a French ex-Formula One engineer, founded a company (Moteur Developpment International or MDI) that would continue the development of his invention, the Air Car. He would ultimately aim to put it on the global market and manufacture it. To date, it is not available to purchase. Why isn’t it – 16 YEARS LATER? Will the same fate kill the Air Car as it did the Electric Car?

What is the Air car?
The Air Car is a car that uses compressed air technology and is powered by an air engine. It does not use any gasoline whatsover. Compressed air is stored in carbon or glass fiber tanks at a pressure of 4,351 pounds per square inch (psi). This air is fed through an air injector to the engine and flows into a small chamber, which expands the air. The air pushing down on the pistons moves the crankshaft, which gives the vehicle power. It is inexpensive to manufacture, and most importantly, does not pollute.¹

Advantages Over the Hybrid
I may be one of the few to say this in public but I honestly don’t know why hybrids are getting all the buzz. Admittedly, they pollute the air less than standard cars, but they still do pollute AND they create a different pollution problem that is horrible. That itty-bitty detail seems to be getting overlooked. People should know that they have mongo sized batteries and no one can tell me exactly how long they last and where they will end up like other dead batteries. But we know where they’ll end up, don’t we? Yup, in a landfill. Batteries are one of the most hazardous elements to leach into soil from landfills, so while the beloved hybrid won’t pollute the air as much, they will cause harmful pollution in other ways. I personally find that biodiesels and Air Cars (with their zero pollution) are the true wave of the future but I can’t fight multinational lobbyists – so I think hybrids may be here to stay for a while.

In any case, I’m rooting for the Air Car even if isn’t the most attractive car (either is the hybrid!), and even if it will suffer a slow, torturous, unfair death. Or will it? One very big company in India, actually THE biggest automobile company in India (Tata Motors) has agreed to help further develop the air engine technology. Plus, the Air Car has been in news more and more lately so at least I know it is still alive and kicking. Go Air Car go!

The Air Car
Watch a video of The Air Car on YouTube
Zero Pollution and Low Cost
Tata Motors

¹ From How Stuff Works

Continuation of Part 1 and Part 2

7. Cook Meat Thoroughly – There were constant reminders in the U.S. about the dangers of eating meat that isn’t cooked very much. If you’ve been to France or if you live in France, you know that that is the exact opposite rule in the land of steak tartare. In fact, when I order meat in restaurants in France, and ask for it bien cuit (well done) they roll zee eyes at me. And even then, it’s not well done but that is how I like it. The French are notorious for liking their meat bloody, dripping rare. Lastly, some restaurants in the U.S. don’t even ask you anymore, how you’d like your steak or burger cooked. Should we wonder about the differences in meat quality?

8. Warning Labels on Wine – When packing for our trip to the U.S., I’d completely forgotten the Burgundy wine I was going to give my sister-in-law. So, I bought some French wine in California for her. Hee. It had a big label on the bottle warning of the health risks of drinking wine. Just like with cigarettes. I think there are some wines in France that have a itty bitty warning, but most don’t have anything at all.

9. Ultra-pasteurized milk advertised as good for you – Ultra-pasteurized milk doesn’t need to be refrigerated because it’s been heated to a higher temperature higher than normal pasteurization (280°F vs. 145°F). That’s why it has such a long shelf-life – but many Europeans believe that ultra-pasteurized milk not only has no nutritional value, but also may be harder to digest because of changes in the protein structures of the milk itself. That isn’t to say ultra-pasteurized milk isn’t present in France – It is, but it’s not advertised as being good for you. [an interesting related article on raw milk: The Udder Truth]

10. Wash your hands! – Signs reminding employees and the general public to wash their hands after using the toilet were everywhere. Yes, I want people to wash their hands after they do their thing, but I guess so many people don’t, they have to put signs all over the place. Well, in France, I don’t think many people wash their hands (I’m not sure about actual statistics but whenever I’ve been in a public restroom in France, I always notice people leaving without washing their hands. I notice less of this in the U.S.) I’m very OC about it so it grosses me out. My other half thinks people in France have a better tolerance to germs and illnesses and can withstand a lot of bacteria without getting sick because of non-hygienic ways…

11. Vegetables – In the U.S. my sweetie kept saying he was just buying something that resembled a vegetable, but it didn’t taste anything like that vegetable. Carrots, for example, looked like carrots, felt like carrots but didn’t taste like carrots at all. “We are paying for the shapes of vegetables!!” he’d say. What were we eating then?

Dear Sick Woman on an Air France flight from Paris to L.A.:

I hate you. You freaking whore. You’re an inconsiderate biatch. A thousands curses to you over and over again for the rest of your life.

Because you were ill yet decided to go out into the world to spread your vile germs to take the same flight as me, you, as a result, spread your illness and got me and my sweetie extremely sick. I’m sure a majority of the people on that flight got ill. Because of YOU! Don’t deny it. I know it was you. I heard you sneezing and coughing on the shuttle from the terminal to the plane, then later on the flight. A day after we landed in the U.S., we started to feel terrible and it was downhill from there for a few days after that. You see, because of you, my short trip to the U.S. has been ruined.

Did anyone ever teach you to COVER YOUR MOUTH when you sneeze and cough? Apparently, no. Perhaps that would’ve been futile in an airplane with recirculating air. Who knows – but you shouldn’t have been there in the first place! Really, did you HAVE to get on that plane? Maybe you could have worn a mask or something. You know, like in Asia.

Even though I don’t know you at all, I can say with honesty the very opposite phrase once sung long, long ago by David Cassidy from the Partridge Family – and that is: I think I hate you. Being ill has meant that I could not spend as much time visiting my family as I wanted. Why? Because unlike you, I didn’t want to spread my germs, so I stayed in bed until I got better. If you had done the same and stayed at home in bed until you got well, no one in that plane would’ve gotten sick. And neither would the people that got in contact with those on the plane, etc. I wonder just how many people you infected? Hundreds? Thousands?

That was so evil and inconsiderate of you. You made make me sick.

May you burn in hell forever and ever and ever and ever,

Sincerely,
PT Ford

A recent post on the Gristmill blog that recounted a conversation with a butcher reminded me that way too many people simply…have no idea. I might have to shamefully admit here that if I didn’t live in Burgundy, I would have no idea as well. Let me explain. The U.S. based blogger (Julia Olmstead) asked a butcher for grass-fed beef and he replied, ” I don’t think you could feed grass to cows…because they need vitamins and minerals and stuff.”

Um.

This brought me back to a conversation I had with my brother just a few months ago in California. He’s an avid foodie and loves to cook. We were talking about beef and I’d mentioned that Burgundy is very well-known for their Charolais beef. When you’re in our area, you can’t miss the white cows grazing on the verdant hills all around.

He said he’d come across some beef from northern California that was exceptional. “Why is it so good?” I asked. He said, “they feed it….GRASS.” And he said “grass,” I swear, like it was some sort of contraband, revolutionary forbidden feed.

“You mean weed?!” I stupidly asked. (but he said it as if it was illegal.)

“What?! No, silly. Grass, grass.” he said.

“Well. You know cows are SUPPOSED to eat grass and hay, right?” I said matter-of-factly.

“Oh. Yeah. I guess.”

The only reasons why industrial cows eat corn and “feed” is because it’s cheap and the cows get fatter quicker, so they reach slaughter months before a grass-fed cow will. Also, cows are crammed in warehouses or areas where there is no grass. Bottomline: the bottomline.

When cows are fed corn, soy and certain grains and feed (chicken manure, pig and fish proteins, bovine blood meal, pesticides), it usually results in a myriad of health problems for the cows. This is the reason why this kind of beef is pumped with anti-biotics: to keep the cow relatively healthy until slaughter time. Also, when cows are fed corn, e. coli outbreaks are more common.

Tags: france, french, cows, eat+grass, charolais, beef, mad+cow, e+coli+outbreaks

A documentary on the subject of genetically modified corn and soy in France (and Europe in general) was produced in 2003 by Canal+. It is pretty alarming. It’s online at Google Video France (in French). Please watch it! It’s important. Also, please pass the link to the video to others. Click on the picture below to watch it:

It’s completely in French but the main take aways are:- Studies done on animals that consumed GMO corn developed lesions on their livers, kidneys, pancreas, testicles and problems with their blood.- The studies’ findings were never released to the public, and when journalists asked politicians and ministers of agriculture about the effects of GMO food consumption on animals, they refused to disclose the findings – saying it was “confidential.”

- Political individuals with the power to stop GMO corn from being grown in France, never agreed to meet with journalists, and never opposed the project.

- Scientists have not done any tests on the effects of GMO corn on humans. This means that no one knows if it can have similar negative effects on humans as it does on test animals.

- The corporation supplying the GMO corn: Monsanto.

- Products with GMO corn in France: corn (hee!), breakfast cereals, corn oil (this is also in salad dressings), soy oil, sauces, corn chips/snacks…

UPDATE: This video has been suspiciously YANKED from YouTube. Trying to hide the truth from people????

Tags: france, europe, ogm, gmo, corn, mais, scandals, detrimental+to+health, canal+, documentary

This is not good. France hasn’t really been known for convenient pre-prepped food but there has been a gradual change and now I see un-French-like foods popping up all over the place. For example, I saw a bag with a spout containing crepe batter. All ready and everything to pour into a hot griddle. I thought, “Geez, you gotta be mega lazy to buy that bag of already made crepe batter. Crepe batter is one the simplest things to make and with so few ingredients. This is the kind of thing I’d not even comment on in the U.S. because there are so many things that are convenience-oriented. It’s been like that forever, practically. Are French people getting lazy or something? This crepe batter probably uses powdered eggs, preservatives, de-clumping ingredients and more. It also brought me back to this thing I saw a little while back (already whipped egg whites), though at the time, I didn’t realize things would begin a slow downhill journey to food places I’d never imagined France would go. Then, I noticed today that things got even more “convenient” with these already made crepes, stacked and packaged in the refrigerated section. C’mon.

Again, this is something that shouldn’t merit a second glance in America, but for France, it seems relatively new. You know, cake mix that you just pour into a pan and bake. WAY more frozen foods (Picard, the most famous of the french markets that sell only frozen pre-made foods, had 1 shop in 1974 and by 2004 they had over 600 shops in France).

Then I wondered if these kinds of food were for the foreigners in France….like me! I mean, do French people buy those already made crepes? That is something I’m positive my mummy-in-law would NEVER buy. And now, they sell cookie dough that you just break apart and bake. Chocolate chip cookies. Those aren’t very French, but they are convenient I suppose.

With the multinational food conglomerates, like Kraft and Unilever, it was surely inevitable that these kinds of over-processed, pre-made “convenient food” would creep into France, but it sort of makes me sad. I liked that food here was simple, back to the basics kind of fresh food and incredibly good. Part of the reason Americans are overweight is because of these processed, pre-made, trans-fatty foods. No doubt about it. The increasing availability of these kinds of foods in France is contributing to the declining health of French people, and there is already a growing percentage of obesity in France; nearly 40 percent of the French population is overweight compared to 50% and up in the U.S. (This rate in France has been increasing 5 percent yearly since 1997.) Which means by now, it has increased even more (since the article was from 2005). Unfortunately, obesity is still rising in both France and the U.S.

Where am I going with the post? I’m not sure except perhaps to encourage people to try to avoid processed food if possible or at least limit it. You know how everyone wondered how French people could be so skinny (previously) with all of the buttery croissants, fois gras, fries and fatty foods in general? Well, eating these foods in moderation helps but a croissant probably has an advantage over the cake mix because it is just made from a couple of basic ingredients, and not from a long, laundry list of chemicals, trans-fats and ingredients that you’ve never heard of.

My neighbor and I were having a conversation not long ago and she’d mentioned that she and her family have been looking to replace their doors and windows, frames included. They were considering PVC. By the way, PVC in French is PVC (pey’ vey sey).

Me: “WHY??! Why on earth would you get PVC doors and windows and frames? Or anything PVC for that matter?!”

Her: “Euh, calm down. What is so wrong PVC? It’s convenient because we don’t need to paint it, you know.”

Me: “PVC is terribly toxic for you, your family and the environment. And it’s cheap plastic, and plastic is ugly. If you care about your family, you won’t allow anything made from PVC in your home. Do you know that all hospitals in France had to replace all the PVC because it was endangering lives? It is a health and safety requirement because it is extremely detrimental, but the home improvement industry and the plastics (oil) industry have hidden its danger from the general public. Just like with asbestos, a while a go. No one thought asbestos was hazardous, but look now. mesothelioma, the cancer specifically related to asbestos in homes skyrocketed. The number of people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma has increased significantly in the past 30 years. Although many advances in treatment have been made, there is no cure for this type of cancer. Industries eventually had to fess up and stop producing it and selling it. And now, you can’t use asbestos anymore. Well, it’s the same with PVC, except that they haven’t gotten to the ‘fess up’ part.” It makes too much money for them so they will continue to sell the cheapest and most toxic kind of plastic known to man until the law says they can’t anymore.

Me: “I’m sure in the 70s, people were saying stuff like, “Oh! We’re getting our home insulated with asbestos! We’re getting asbesto ceilings and floors. Isn’t that great!!!?”

Me: “Today, you’re saying, ‘Oh! we’re getting new PVC windows, doors, gutters, pipes, hoses – isn’t that great!?’ NO. that is not great. PVC is the new asbestos. By the way, you know those vertical window blinds? They’re made of PVC.” (My sweetie calls it Pour Votre Cancer.)

Her: “So why is PVC so horrible?”

What is PVC?
There’s a good reason why manufacturers call it, “PVC.” Calling by its real name lends some hard and horrible reality to what PVC actually is. You may be saddened to hear that PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride. Sounds bad, doesn’t it? It’s actually much worse than that.

It has become apparent that this seemingly harmless plastic, PVC, is one of the most environmentally hazardous consumer materials ever produced. Although it appears to be the ideal building material, PVC has high environmental and human health costs that its manufacturers fail to tell consumers. If you’ve learned that PVC is totally safe, you’ve been lied to. PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl) is the worst plastic from an environmental health perspective, threatening major, singular hazards from its inception to its disposal. In other words, PVC becomes harmful the second it’s created until it is disposed of – and even at that point, it still poses toxic exposure inside a landfill or incinerator. That means it emits toxic compounds when it’s being made, while you have it and when it gets disposed of.

The Making of PVC and Beyond
During the manufacture of the building block ingredients of PVC (such as vinyl chloride monomer) dioxin (the most potent carcinogen known) and other persistent pollutants are emitted into the air, water and land, which present both acute and chronic health hazards. During use, PVC products can leach toxic additives, for example flooring can release softeners called phthalates. When PVC reaches the end of its useful life, it can be either landfilled, where it leaches toxic additives or incinerated, again emitting dioxin and heavy metals. When PVC burns in accidental fires, hydrogen chloride gas and dioxin are formed.¹

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is unique in its high chlorine and additives content, which makes it an environmental poison throughout its life cycle. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen, which can lead to a number of cancers, endocrine disruption, endometriosis, neurological damange, birth defects, impaired child development and reproductive and immune system damage. PVC releases dioxin and other persistent organic pollutants during its manufacture and disposal and cannot be readily recycled due to it chlorine and additive content. Furthermore, additives are not bound to the plastic and leach out. ^{1, 2}

Dioxins from PVC – The Impact
Dioxin’s impact doesn’t stop there. As a persistent bioaccumulative toxin (PBT), it does not break down rapidly and travels around the globe, accumulating in fatty tissue and concentrating as it goes up the food chain. Dioxins from Louisiana manufacturing plants migrate on the winds and concentrate in Great Lakes fish. Dioxins are even found in hazardous concentrations in the tissues of whales and polar bears and in Inuit mother’s breast milk. The dioxin exposure of the average American already poses a calculated risk of cancer of greater than 1 in 1,000 – thousands of times greater than the usual standard for acceptable risk. Most poignantly, dioxins concentrate in breast milk to the point that human infants now receive high doses, orders of magnitude greater than those of the average adult.²

Lethal Additives
PVC is useless without the addition of a plethora of toxic chemical stabilizers – such as lead, cadmium and organotins – and phthalate plasticizers. These leach, flake or outgas from the PVC over time raising risks fthat include asthma, lead poisoning and cancer.²

Construction and PVC
The construction industry has been unaware of its true cost and long considered it a cheap convenient material. Piping, vinyl siding, and vinyl flooring are the largest and most familiar uses of PVC. Roof membranes have been a growing area. It is also used in electrical wire insulation, conduit, junction boxes, wall coverings, carpet backing, window and door frames, shades and blinds, shower curtains, furniture, flues, gutters, down spouts, waterstops, weatherstrip, flashing, moldings and elsewhere. Fortunately, for each of these uses, there exist a wide range of cost effective alternative materials that pose less of a health hazard to workers and the public at large.

Alternatives
Replacing PVC in your projects is easier than you may think. A number of resource guides are available to help you find green construction materials. But beware: some construction materials labeled “green” actually contain recycled PVC/vinyl and frequently require virgin PVC mixed with the recycled.

* Piping
Cast iron, steel, concrete vitrified clay, and plastics such as HDPE (high density polyethylene).

* Windows & Doors
Recycled, reclaimed or FSC certified sustainably harvested wood, fiberglass, and aluminum.

* Siding
Fiber-cement board, stucco, recycled or reclaimed or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sustainably harvested wood, OSB (oriented strand board), brick, and polypropylene.

* Roofing Membranes
TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin), EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), FPO (flexible polyolefin alloy), MBM (modified bitumen), NBP (nitrile butadiene polymer) and low-slope metal roofing.

* Flooring & Carpet
Linoleum, bamboo, ceramic tile, carpeting with natural fiber backing or polyolefins, reclaimed or FSC certified sustainably harvested wood, cork, recycled rubber, concrete, and nonchlorinated plastic polymers.

* Wall Coverings & Furniture
Natural fibers such as wood and wool, polyethylene, polyester, paint.

* Electrical Insulation and Sheathing
Halogen free, LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene), and XLPE (thermoset crosslinked polyethylene)

Guides
NorCal ADPSR Architectural Resource Guide
Greenpeace PVC Alternatives Database
Environmental Building News
Sources: ¹ Greenpeace, ² Heathly Building Network

One of my biggest fears is getting some sort of life-threatening illness that will force me to go to a hospital in France during the month of AUGUST. It’s not the getting terribly sick part that is so horrifying, it’s the going to the hospital in August part. Let me get ill any other time, but god, please: not in August.

Most people know this but just to reiterate: France is basically closed for business during the month of August. It is the time practically everyone takes a vacation and many businesses are simply closed or work with a skeletal staff, or interns. (This is why, I feel, I haven’t received my Mac from Apple France! The people who know what to do are on vacation! To date: it has been 3 weeks plus 2 days since we ordered, the wrong Mac is still sitting boxed waiting to be picked up and I STILL haven’t received the correct one!!! but I digress.)

Yesterday, it was reported that an 18-year old man in Reims was admitted into the hospital to have a varicose vein removed, which normally, is a simple and uncomplicated procedure that involves rudimentary surgery and the patient can usually leave the hospital the same day. This man, in otherwise perfect health, never woke up from his surgery; he died on the table due to a grave surgical error, a major artery was accidentally cut and he bled to death. [via france2, rtl]

I find this story so incredibly tragic, and think it might have been avoided if he had gone when the hospital was better staffed. I dunno. Maybe he would’ve gone in March or May, had the procedure and be alive today. But maybe the same mistake would have taken place in those months. Who can know what would have happened?

Mistakes do happen, I realize. All the time, not just in August. And everywhere, not just in France. So when I say “don’t go to the hospital in France in August” please realize this is more relatively tongue-in-cheeky and an exaggeration – I’m SURE you can find quality hospital healthcare in France, even in August!

My choice, however, would be to try to avoid getting admitted into a hospital in France, in August, if at all possible. But that’s just me because stories like these contribute to my paranoia and deeply mess with my conspiracy theories and dreaded fears.

COLDS. I’m not kidding. This is good stuff.

[Click on the photo to zoom out.]

My mummy-in-law brought me a tiny dead plant in a pot last year and asked me where I’d like it planted.

Me: “Are you giving me a dead plant?”

Her: “I know it looks dead but it will recover. Believe me.”

Me: “It looks really, really dead.”

Her: (ignoring me) “Where do you want me to plant it?”

She planted it along a border where I have other herbs growing. She was right, though. It did recover and grow and grow and then it decided to spread like wild fire. I’m glad because it is the BEST for curing colds. Plus, it’s delicious in roasts and other dishes. I can’t have enough of thyme.

If you’re experiencing the onset of a nasty cold, i.e., runny nose, watery eyes, fatigue, plugged ears, congestion, misery – this is what will cure you. (I hope, anyway. It cures me, in any case.) This was recommended to me by my s.o. so I figure it’s a French home remedy passed down from many generations.

Ingredients:

• lots of fresh thyme
• medium size pot of boiling water
• a towel

Directions:

Boil water and pour it into a pot filled with as much fresh thyme as possible. Put a towel around your head and position it above the pot to capture the vapor and breath deeply. You’ll need to inhale the steam from the thyme steeped in the boiling water for as long as you can. Remove the water and add new boiling water and thyme if you can handle another session of steam. And remember to drink lots of fluids and rest.

When I’ve done this, I’ve felt fine the next day. When I haven’t done this, I’ve felt miserable for the duration of at least a week.

Tags: france, french, potager, herbs, thyme, thym, health, home+remedies

From the BBC:

“An elegant new footbridge over the Seine in Paris has suffered trembles similar to those that famously dogged London’s Millennium Bridge. But the mayor of Paris, who opened the bridge on 13 July, said the tremble was only faint and it would remain open. Bertrand Delanoe said the Simone de Beauvoir bridge – named after the leading feminist and writer – needed only “adjustment and tuning”… [read full article]

Anyway. This is just an FYI heads up (aka WARNING!) to Parisians and visitors to either: 1) not walk on this bridge; or 2) be prepared for dire consequences if you do decide to walk on this bridge.

Just remember what happened to the poorly constructed wing at the Charles De Gaule airport. Remember?

It collapsed.

Tags: travel, france, french, bridge, paris, europe, wobble, wobbly, precarious, unsafe

Le Tour de France has been going on for several weeks now and it’s something that I have a hard time following because…it’s boring! Someone reminded me, though, that the Tour will have their Stage 19 today in Le Creusot, which is located in Burgundy. This is the nearest the Tour has come to where I live, but it is still not very close. A timed, abbreviated event of 57 kilometers, today’s route begins in one of my least favorite towns in France: Le Creusot. I absolutely hate it, and frankly wondered why they would take the Tour there in the first place.

I consider Le Creusot an environmental nightmare and have seen and heard too many sad things about it. We went there (remember the creepy fair?) and realized that it is, indeed, an “industrial town” as it’s been described to be, but that’s too nice to describe it as such. The Tour’s site says this about Le Creusot:

“Whether coming in from the forests of Morvan, the grazing pastures of Charolais or the Chalonnais hills, the town makes for a surprising discovery.”

The “surprising discovery” you’ll make is that upon entering the area, your eyes will burn and you’ll inhale noxious gases while feeling the onset of a raging headache. You’re not alone, the 90,000 inhabitants (population of the Le Creusot-Montceau urban spread) get to live with these full time because of: a nuclear power plant, waste incinerator burning 130,000 tons of non-recyclables each year, rubber (tires) recycling plant, plastics manufacturers, landfills, steelworks, and more.

The incinerator was dangerously close to hundreds of housing projects, by the way, and the rate of thyroid cancer (pollution-related cancer) is alarmingly high.

I tried to grab a screen capture of this area on Google Earth but the details aren’t available. And forget about France’s Geoportail. I can’t get it to work on my computer. In any case, I should spare you the ugly details.

From Treehugger:

Greenpeace recently reported that the Champagne region in France is under threat of radioactive contamination. According to the rainbow warriors, a leak in a storage cell was reported at a nuclear waste dumpsite in Soulaine. Tests also revealed low levels of radioactivity in the groundwater less than 6 miles from the region’s famous Champagne vineyards. This is true despite promises made in the 1980’s by ANDRA, the national nuclear waste agency operating the site, that it would not release any radioactive waste into the environment. Regardless of these problems, the facility continues to receive nuclear waste from both domestic and foreign sources. Once it reaches its capacity of 1 million cubic meters of plutonium and other radionuclides, it will be the world’s largest nuclear waste disposal site. Meanwhile, a new dumpsite is being proposed for the region that would store France’s most radioactive material.

[related: Radioactive Champagne in our Future, Champagne Region Threatened by Nuclear Waste, Radioactive waste leaking into Champagne Water Supply]

Your best friends can easily suffer heat exhaustion and become dehydrated especially during the dog days of summer, so please make sure you keep them cool.

Here are a few suggestions: 1) always provide fresh, cool water for you dog; 2) if you’re out with your dog, make sure your dog can find shade; 3) watch for signs of heat exhaustion: lethargy, excessive thirst, lack of appetite, heavy panting, dizziness and lack of coordination, vomiting, glazed eyes, fever, rapid pulse, dark tongue. If your dog is showing signs of overheating, try to lower his body temperature by doing the following: get him to shade or a cool area, provide drinking water and apply an ice pack or cold towel to the neck, chest and belly area.

Some obvious points but always necessary to mention:

1) NEVER leave your dog in a hot car!
2) If you aren’t able to lower the temperature of your dog and he is still showing signs of heat exhaustion, get him to a vet as soon as you can.
3) Keep in mind that some sidewalks and roads can scald to your dog’s pads.
4) Leave your dog at home if it is too hot outside.
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Lulu Lundi* features our Boston Terrier, Lulu in France every Monday.

Tags: france, lulu, boston+terriers, mist+showers, dogs, heat+exhaustion, tips

Currently in France, you can purchase condoms at the supermarkets, condom machines on the street (yes, really), pharmacies and schools (condom machines in the restrooms).

However, you may be happy to know that very soon these préservatifs will be available for purchase in tabacs. (They’ll be wrapped and packaged of course unlike in the photo.) You never know when this kind of information can come in handy, so I thought you’d appreciate the FYI.