Note this article about PFAFs poisoning us from our food:


Some gut microbes can absorb and help expel ‘forever chemicals’ from the body, research shows
wrote:

Previously, the only way to reduce levels of Pfas was by bloodletting or a drug with unpleasant side effects

Certain kinds of gut microbes absorb toxic Pfas “forever chemicals” and help expel them from the body via feces...

... Pfas are a class of about 15,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. They have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems. They are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down [instead, they forever accumulate]...

... The US Environmental Protection Agency has found no level of exposure to Pfos or Pfoa, two of the most common Pfas compounds, in drinking water is safe. They have a half-life in human blood of anywhere from two to five years, by most estimates. That means the body expels half the amount of the chemical that is in blood during that period...

... Though the findings represent the first time gut microbes have been found to remove Pfas, they have been found to alleviate the impacts of other contaminants, such as microplastics.

The researchers didn’t set out to determine if the gut bacteria expelled Pfas specifically, but instead looked at a suite of 42 common food contaminants. No Pfas limits for food exist in the US...

... the probiotic would not solve the broader Pfas crisis: “This should not be used as an excuse to downplay other sustainable solutions or to not address the bigger Pfas problem.”

All very hopeful, but still...

Keep off the ultra-processed, junk, and 'fast' foods!


Live healthy folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
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Being slimed:


The science of advertising: how {food} brands hijack your senses | Barry C. Smith

The forbidden foods of addiction!



Enjoy?
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Who told this German court what we can do/put on our computers?
Mozilla warns Germany could soon declare ad blockers illegal

A recent ruling from Germany’s Federal Supreme Court (BGH) has revived a legal battle over whether browser-based ad blockers infringe copyright, raising fears about a potential ban of the tools in the country.

The case stems from online media company Axel Springer’s lawsuit against Eyeo - the maker of the popular Adblock Plus browser extension.

Axel Springer says that ad blockers threaten its revenue generation model and frames website execution inside web browsers as a copyright violation.

This is grounded in the assertion that a website’s HTML/CSS is a protected computer program that an ad blocker intervenes in the in-memory execution structures (DOM, CSSOM, rendering tree), this constituting unlawful reproduction and modification.

Link to the Court ruling in Germany

Who told this German court what we can do/put on our computers?

Didn't heard about this case. Potential consequences?? (the scope of this ruling: just Germany). So we are going to use mandatory, approved German browser versions here; police will be ordered to frequently inspect all computers? Hilarious.

timeline:

1. Hamburg State Court dismissed the case.
   
2. Hamburg Appeals Court dismissed the case too, but admitted specific details to send the case to the Federal Court.
   
3. Federal Court ruled: appeal was justified and referred the case back to the Hamburg Appeals Court.
   
4. ...ongoing case...
   

grounds for judgement:

• The plaintiff is of the opinion that the programming of its websites [...] constitutes computer programs within the meaning of Sect. 69a (1) Copyright Act, to which it holds exclusive rights of use. The DOM node tree and the CSS structures, with the instructions they contain, are expressions of this programming and are subject to copyright protection.
  
  
• The appeal court's assumption that the use of the ad blocker does not violate the exclusive right to modify a computer program pursuant to Sect. 69c (2) of the Copyright Act does not stand up to legal scrutiny. [...] An infringement of the scope of protection of a computer program pursuant to Sect. 69a (1,2) of the Copyright Act and thus a violation of the right to modify within the meaning of Section 69c (2) of the Copyright Act and to reproduce within the meaning of Sect. 69c (1) of the Copyright Act cannot be denied.
  

Judgment: a website's HTML (& CSS etc.) represents a "computer program" which is copyright protected against unauthorized modification or reproduction.

Slightly less slimy here in the UK:


'Buy one, get one free' deals for unhealthy food banned
wrote:

Price or multibuy promotions on unhealthy food and drink, such as "buy one, get one free" deals, are to be banned in England from Wednesday.

The restrictions will apply to supermarkets, larger high street shops and online retailers.

The measure has been under consideration for years but has been put off...

... Ministers argue the restrictions are an important step to tackle obesity – and in particular childhood obesity...

... A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the restrictions were a "crucial step" in giving children a healthy, happy start in life. "Obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems and costs the NHS billions."...

... based on the products thought to have most influence on child obesity. So, in terms of drinks it includes fizzy drinks such as lemonade and cola that contain sugar. And for food it covers everything from crisps, sweets and chocolates to ice creams, pastries, cakes, fishfingers and some pizzas...

... long overdue, arguing it should not have been delayed from 2022 in the first place.

"Multi-buy promotions do not save people money – in fact, they encourage them to spend more. "They are designed to encourage impulsive purchases and to normalise buying more and more frequently."

He said he hoped retailers would now turn towards promoting healthy products more, to make healthier choices easier and more accessible...

... There has been industry lobbying of government against the restrictions over the years...

Soon enough or wide ranging enough?

Meanwhile... Oh the profits of misery for the externalized costs for the junk food and ultra-processed foods industry...


Instead:

Eat healthy folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

At long long last:


Red Tractor ad banned for misleading environmental claims
wrote:

A TV advert by Red Tractor, the UK's biggest certifier of farm products on supermarket shelves, has been banned for exaggerating the scheme's environmental benefits and misleading the public.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the organisation had provided "insufficient evidence" that its farms complied with basic environmental laws to substantiate the claims in its ad.

Environmental group River Action, which brought the complaint in 2023, said the ruling showed the scheme was "greenwashing" and urged supermarkets to stop using it...

Personally, I've always viewed that logo franchise as merely Marketing flim-flam.

Yet another game of profits over reality and good health?


Eat well folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the organisation had provided "insufficient evidence" that its farms complied with basic environmental laws to substantiate the claims in its ad.

Does the ASA also evaluates claims made by political parties in their election campaigns?

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the organisation had provided "insufficient evidence" that its farms complied with basic environmental laws to substantiate the claims in its ad.

Does the ASA also evaluates claims made by political parties in their election campaigns?

... Unfortunately not.


Worse still, Parliamentarians (at least in Parliament) have totally unfettered free speech and so are protected from all consequences should they utter "falsehoods" (even blatant lies).


Whatever next?

Stay safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Worse still, Parliamentarians (at least in Parliament) have totally unfettered free speech and so are protected from all consequences should they utter "falsehoods" (even blatant lies).

Ooh, I think it's important to have free speech in parliament, which includes the wildest conspiracy theories, superstition, or crazy lies. There's discourse, contradiction and counterargument to fight that out.

Not so in public election campaigns. The ordinary voter often lacks the knowledge or the time to dismantle politician's "falsehoods" and ideologic dogmas. We have journalists for this job, haven't we?

... We have journalists for this job, haven't we?

Vitally so...

Unless they are muted into propaganda by the power of Murdoch, advertising, and the threat of Trump...


Stay safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The plastic we eat and breath:


The plastic inside us: how microplastics may be reshaping our bodies and minds
wrote:

The particles are in our blood, brains and guts – and scientists are only beginning to learn what they do...

... One study estimated our cerebral organs alone may contain 5g of the stuff, or roughly a teaspoon. If true, plastic isn’t just wrapped around our food or woven into our clothes: it is lodged deep inside us...

... Some of these changes mirrored patterns linked to depression and colorectal cancer...

... human studies have added to the unease. Microplastics have been detected in the brains of dementia patients, and in arterial plaques from people with heart disease. Those with plastic-laden plaques were almost five times more likely to suffer a stroke, heart attack or die within three years...

... How to reduce your exposure

Although it is impossible to avoid microplastics entirely, scientists say there are practical ways to reduce your personal exposure.

Start in the kitchen. “The thing you definitely want to avoid is heat with plastic,” says Ross. “So not cooking your food with plastic utensils, not putting hot beverages or food into plastic.”...

Stay safe and healthy folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The sliming gets even more slimy:


Penguin and Club bars can no longer be called chocolate
wrote:

McVitie's Penguin and Club bars are no longer classed as chocolate...

... Club bars had previously been marketed under the slogan: "If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our club".

But both treats are now described as "chocolate flavour" because the amount of cocoa they contain has been reduced after ... cheaper alternatives [are being used instead of] ... the main ingredient in chocolate...

What next?

Brown painted strips of chewy stuff?...


Instead:

Eat healthy folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Brown painted strips of chewy stuff?...

When I was a kid the only readily available chocolate bar you could buy in markets was this one:

They didn't dare to call it 'chocolate' but "Schlagersüßtafel" roughly... 'a hit, this sweet bar'.

The ingredients were ordered by government's 'chocolate regulation':

• 7 % or less cocoa powder
  
• high hydrogenated fat
  
• lots of sugar
  
• dried whey
  
• no almonds, a few peanuts (explicitly mentioned on the packaging), some hazelnuts and lots of ground peas.
  

The taste of these bars changed with seasons (as did the taste of milk... cows fed with grass silage...); supposedly they reduced cocoa even further if supplies were very short (receipts, production details... state secrets).
Cocoa was a precious, expensive import good like coffee, which had to be payed in 'valuta', that is Dollars. Political guideline was: maximum savings of 'precious' raw materials.

Humans can easily survive with one cup of coffee each weekend and just one or two true 'chocolate bars' a year, saved for a special moment, e.g. Christmas.
My banana consumption as a child? One or two a year. A tremendous treat. Whole? No, prepared as a milkshake.

Don't fear slimy surrogates. Ignore them. Just enjoy a true chocolate bar once a year, whatever the price. You will remember the joy for months to come... ;-)

Scientists discover breakthrough method to remove microplastics

A new approach to microplastic pollution
A research team has developed a pioneering approach to retrieving microplastics from hard-to-reach depths. Instead of relying on traditional methods that struggle to capture particles once they sink, the scientists have designed a material that brings them back to the surface.

Their findings, published in Nature Communications, center on a buoyancy-driven hydrogel described as a “self-regulating shuttle for autonomous seek and destroy of microplastics.” In practice, this innovative material can capture plastic fragments underwater and carry them upward, where they can be collected and treated. What makes it particularly remarkable is its autonomy—the hydrogel cycles naturally between deep and surface waters, powered by its own chemical reactions and gas release.

The study notes that the outcome is nothing less than a “self-regulating purification system.” While the initial focus was on removing microplastics, the researchers highlighted its wider potential. The same principles, they suggest, could be applied to neutralize other environmental hazards. As they put it, “This shuttle represents a broadly adaptable system for sustainable pollutant removal and environmental remediation,” adding that it “opens new pathways.”

Very costly all round:


Britain sliding 'into economic crisis' over £85bn sickness bill...
wrote:

The number of sick and disabled people out of work is putting the UK at risk of an "economic inactivity crisis" that threatens the country's prosperity...

... There were 800,000 more people out of work now than in 2019 due to health conditions, costing employers £85bn a year...

... One in five working age people were out of work, and not seeking work...

... Without intervention, another 600,000 people could leave work due to health reasons by the end of the decade.

... sickness cost employers £85bn a year through issues including lost productivity and sick pay, but it also cost the broader economy.

"Work is generally good for health and health is good for work," ... He added that the rise in sickness was being driven by a "surge" in mental health issues among young people and muscular skeletal issues, aches and joint pain in older people...

... "For the country, it means weaker growth, higher welfare spending and greater pressure on the NHS."

The state spends £212bn per year on illness-related inactivity, or nearly 70% of income tax, through lost output, increased welfare payments and additional burdens on the NHS...

I wonder how much of that is caused by:

• Unhealthy UPFs and 'junk' foods and sugar drinks;
  
• Unhealthy overly high-pressure work practices;
  
• Overly competitive "gamed" hiring practices (work until deliberate 'burnout');
  
• Unhealthy sedentary excessive time with TV and social media;
  
• Very unhealthy media/news selected to keep people engaged and enraged through a false anger...
  

Instead, eat and live healthy!!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Very costly all round:


Britain sliding 'into economic crisis' over £85bn sickness bill...
wrote:

The number of sick and disabled people out of work is putting the UK at risk of an "economic inactivity crisis" that threatens the country's prosperity...

... illness-related inactivity, or nearly 70% of income tax, through lost output, increased welfare payments and additional burdens on the NHS...

I wonder how much of that is caused by:

• Unhealthy UPFs and 'junk' foods and sugar drinks...
  

For just one example, see, hear, understand:

The REAL Reason Dementia Is Skyrocketing


There are some very profitably unhealthy Consequences...


Instead, eat and live healthy!!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Is this suitably stark and 'obvious' enough?...


Ultra-processed food {UPF} linked to harm in every major human organ, study finds
wrote:

World’s largest scientific review warns consumption of UPFs poses seismic threat to global health and wellbeing

Ultra-processed food (UPF) is linked to harm in every major organ system of the human body...

... global corporations, not individual choices, are driving the rise of UPF. UPF is a leading cause of the “chronic disease pandemic” linked to diet, with food companies putting profit above all else...

... The main barrier to protecting health is “corporate political activities, coordinated transnationally through a global network of front groups, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and research partners, to counter opposition and block regulation”...

... proposed stronger marketing restrictions, especially for adverts aimed at children, as well as banning UPF in public places such as schools and hospitals and putting limits on UPF sales and shelf space in supermarkets...

We are being badly slimed by the UPF industry and by their highly profitable, high power lobbying to make everyone else badly ill at everyone else's expense...


Instead...

Eat well and healthy... If you can?


Enjoy healthy 'natural' foods!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Note the blatant obfuscation, and the seeds being sown of uncertainty and doubt, in this more "politically correct" story version of the unhealthy UPFs:


Ultra-processed food is global health threat...
wrote:

Action is needed now to reduce ultra-processed food (UPF) in diets worldwide because of their threat to health...

... the way we eat is changing - with a move away from fresh, whole foods to cheap, highly-processed meals - which is increasing our risk of a range of chronic diseases, including obesity and depression...

... However some ... [Industrialists...] say this review can not prove that UPFs directly cause health harms and more research and trials are needed...

... Ultra-processed foods are defined as containing more than five ingredients you would not find at home in your kitchen cupboard, such as emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, dyes and sweeteners. Examples of UPFs include sausages, crisps, pastries, biscuits, instant soups, fizzy drinks, ice cream and supermarket bread...

... suggests [UPF] foods are linked to a greater risk of 12 health conditions. These include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, depression and dying prematurely from any cause...

... "This change in what people eat is fuelled by powerful global corporations who generate huge profits by prioritising ultra-processed products, supported by extensive marketing and political lobbying to stop effective public health policies to support healthy eating,"...

... The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents the industry, says UPFs can form part of a balanced diet ... "Companies have been making a series of changes over many years to make the food and drink we all buy healthier, in line with government guidelines,"...

... The UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, external said earlier this year that the association between higher consumpton of ultra-processed foods and adverse health outcomes was "concerning".

But it added it was "unclear" whether these foods are unhealthy...

My personal interpretation of that article for a 'casual reader' is that you get an impression of confusion, uncertainty, and a "so what?"... And supermarket food is all that there is in any case!

There is the last line (not quoted) that halfheartedly suggests shopping healthily at a greengrocer...



Eat well and live well!!

Enjoy!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Aptly, this little fortune dist appear upon the crystals as I logged in this morning:

Advertising Rule:
	In writing a patent-medicine advertisement, first convince the
	reader that he has the disease he is reading about; secondly,
	that it is curable.

... And the rest is Neoliberal history!


Stay aware and healthy!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

All about greedy deadly profits?


EPA Approves New 'Forever Chemical' Pesticides For Use On Food


... And that is beyond and further to this announcement:

Understanding the EPA’s Proposed PFAS Reporting Revisions
wrote:

EPA proposed revisions aim to reduce the burden of PFAS reporting requirements for manufacturers and importers.

Eat healthy folks?

Best not touch anything from the USA!!!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)