Author: FlypigSophie

After of weeks of cloudy days and sporadic rain showers, we are in a heat wave. While we have air conditioning, it’s a bit of a to do. There is an independent, rollaway device with a large hose that you pop out the window; it cools and takes the warm air out.  Good for one room. We air out the apartment in the early morning, but not too long. We watch for mosquitoes, and have set up mosquito traps.  We also have room fans. So I cannot really complain too much.  I had thought that the thick stone walls would help keep things cool, but on the 4^th floor, its not working as well as on lower floors.  The best place to hang out and cool down is a church.

I was wondering whether I could use the room fan and apply evaporative cooling concept to help lower the temperature in the room. The basic idea is when water evaporates, it absorbs heat from its surroundings. This is because converting liquid water into vapor requires energy — that energy is drawn from the environment in the form of heat, which lowers the temperature of the surrounding air.  Similar to sweating, the moisture on your skin evaporates and cools you down.

I had read about how ancient Egyptians had used this idea. Using wet reeds and cloths in a doorway or window, the hot dry air would pass through it and water would evaporate and cool the air. They also had leaking pots, that would slowly leak water on the wall, as well as had servants fanning water vessels to increase the airflow over the wet surface, enhancing evaporation. 

Modern evaporative coolers or ‘swamp coolers’ work on the same principle. They are less energy demanding, cost effective.  I remember trying to understand this when years ago, the swamp cooler at work years ago failed, and the tech was trying to explain to me why.  

Evaporative cooling works best in dry, heat.  Unfortunately, I think it’s too humid here. 

In humid climates , circulating the air and removing the heat works better. Raised floors with circulation underneath, shade, cross-ventilation seem to work better – and of course, air conditioning. There is something called desiccant cooling; essentially a silica gel-like thing pulls the moisture out of the air, then evaporative cooling is used.  

Hope this heat wave doesn’t last too long, or I’ll be in church a lot. 

You cannot walk down a street in France without seeing someone putting a vape pen or box into his/her/their mouth. Vaping is legal and regulated in France, enjoying significant popularity, especially among young people, but you’ll see folks of any age vaping.

I’m not a smoker but was curious to learn more about how it works and why so many seem so called to it.

So some basics: Vaping involves the use of a battery-operated device that heats a liquid to create an aerosol. This process allows users to inhale the aerosol into their lungs. The liquids generally contain: nicotine, flavoring, and the components that make the aerosol, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine.

There are thousands of flavors ranging from the traditional tobacco to dessert flavors, exotic fruits and more. Its easy to see how the combination of the addictive nicotine and sweet flavors would be draw and keep people wanting more. The vape instruments – typically a pen – has also evolved to resemble lipstick cases, USB sticks, and other ornate holders, usually the size of an earbuds case. Its estimated that nearly 5 million French are engaged in vaping, resulting in a $2.3 billion industry.

While vaping is often perceived as a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, it still poses health risks. The aerosol contains various chemicals that can affect lung health and overall well-being. The French government has started to recognize that there need to be some parameters. Disposable E-cigarettes are now banned and the sale of vaping products is now age restrictued to 18+ years old. Advertising e-cigarettes and vaping products to youth is banned.

I suppose like most addictive behaviors, there is an element of both a calming feeling and an insatiable hunger. The act of just breathing deeply and slowly, like a drag, can be soothing. And in a world of staircasing stressors and distractions, its easy to understand why folks would want to have these moments to decompress, to get a pick-me-up. And there is a social aspect to it, gaining you access to other people who smoke and are generally calm or calming down. Its a wonder that I didn’t get caught up in this but given that I was often on a tight budget in my youth and did not want to smell like a smoker, it probably was a nonstarter. I did love the smell of cigars on my grandfather and, for a short period, when my dad smoked. The smell was comforting.

Do you ever see art that just pulls you in? You can’t walk away. You will risk being left behind to spend a few more moments with it. You will apologize for being late but not really feel sorry. It’s compelling, its seductive. When I was in the Palais Garnier in Paris last month, in addition to the amazing architecture and paintings, I came across this sculpture in the corner. These photos do not do justice to the work. Even now, I can’t stop looking at how well the body is sculpted to capture that inflight motion. Even the shadows it casts are impressive.

How many times did the model have to jump for the artist? When would you make your body move like this? I pondered this a bit, and it made me think of futbol and volleyball. Basketball. Its a slice of time that might last a few seconds. What do you think?

Bronze sculptures are often created with a base model, which then is committed to a mold, which can be made with wax and/or clay. The mold creates an identical reverse impression. Bronze is then poured. Depending on how the mold is created, the process can be duplicated, or it is a one-time pour. Today, you can create a silicon mold and crank out several copies.

I wish I had taken notes on the artist and technique used, but at least I know where to find it again! I don’t think sculpture of this type is in my future, but it is fascinating.

Around the corner from our home is a CBD shop, which got me thinking about what are the laws about marijuana in France. So here is the scoop according to https://marijuana.net/cannabis-laws-france/.

Cannabis laws in France remain among the strictest in Western Europe. Recreational cannabis is illegal, and penalties still apply for possession and use.Cannabis laws in France remain among the strictest in Western Europe. Recreational cannabis is illegal, and penalties still apply for possession and use. This includes possession, use, cultivation, and sale. The law classifies cannabis as a narcotic under French public health codes.

Individuals caught with cannabis may face fines or criminal charges. In recent years, France introduced a fixed fine system for simple possession. This allows police to issue on-the-spot fines instead of pursuing court cases. The standard fine is €200. The fixed fine system applies only to small amounts. Larger quantities may result in criminal prosecution. Penalities can include prison time and much heftier fines.

France’s legal THC limit for CBD products is 0.3%. This applies to finished products sold to consumers. Products must also be derived from approved hemp varieties listed under EU regulations. This applies to finished products sold to consumers. Products must also be derived from approved hemp varieties listed under EU regulations. Medical marijuana is permitted for patients in a program.

Overall French attitudes towards marijuana are considered to be rather conservative, with a majority of the population opposing legalization. However, there is growing support for medical cannabis and recent surveys indicate that around 61% of French psychiatrists support legalizing. President Macaron has been worked toward reforms on penalties for possession (small amounts have the flat rate of €200 fine) and declared he would not legalize marijuana under his administration.