We Have Some Nasty Symptoms

Professor J,

Wellbeing is a much more descriptive label. Plus it doesn't bring up memories of boorish coaches, so you know, that's great too. :)

The personal experience of the ACA here has been that in our packet about choosing our healthcare plan for the next year, we were able to stay with the same plan. The packet also included a letter explaining that money had been set aside by the government to be paid to corporations to help offset the cost ("if your company chooses to do so"). And apparently in our case that will happen, but there seem to be lots of glitches, so we'll see. 

Yesterday I had a chance to catch up with a British friend I hadn't seen for several months. We chatted about our recent travels and I commented on how friendly I found the Scots and Irish while abroad. Our discussion touched on travel to other countries and how upon returning to the States (home) we felt less safe, not more. She described her experience of being in a "car park" in England and feeling very wary and defensive as a man came walking briskly toward her. "I suddenly thought 'Oh, wait a moment, I'm not in America.' He turned out to be the most congenial Swede who was on holiday and simply needed directions"

She's interested in many of the same things I am so we talked a while about how this underlying fear wears on people and whether or not it's even a real thing or something created out of thin air by the media. The same way that people are terrified for their children when the statistics clearly show this is the safest time in history to be a child, in Western countries anyway. We wondered as well about the psychological impact of habits like watching the late news just before bed.

On the food front I read recently that French children aren't allowed to snack and that it wouldn't even occur to them to "eat at the wrong time." I wonder how many American kids would even grasp the concept of not being able to eat all the time. Oh, and French parents apparently spank right on the street if they think little Jaques needs it. No snacking at school either it seems, not bringing food from school, and vending machines are banned.

I am simply going to have to make a research trip to France to learn more about this. ;)

I can't help but wonder--is the corporate dominance of our American culture from food to media to healthcare the main problem we have? We seem so out of sorts compared to all the other grown up countries.