Archive for November, 2012

Yes, You Can Take Action to Stop the Towers!

Friday, November 30th, 2012
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Proposed Skyline of Paris

Proposed Skyline of Paris
©Jan Wyers

The response to my open letter to Mayor Delanoë has been heartening! Now, please join the international campaign and write your own letter to the mayor of Paris expressing your opposition to the proposed towers. Yes, a real letter, sent by mail. It can be in English and should be brief. Please follow this link to read the guidelines.

Make your opinion heard! Act NOW!

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Click here to learn how you can join the SOS Paris letter-writing campaign against skyscrapers in the City of Light. The time to act is NOW!

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An Open Letter to Mayor Delanoë

Thursday, November 29th, 2012
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November 29, 2012

Monsieur Bertrand Delanoë
Maire de Paris
Hôtel de Ville
Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, 75196 Paris cedex 04
France

Dear Mayor Delanoë,

I am writing to express my concern about the current projects to build three more skyscrapers in Paris. Having lived in the city for twenty years now, I have come to appreciate its magnificent architectural heritage and to fear the assaults that are being made upon it.

The beauty of the architecture that makes Paris a world-class city is fading, as modern buildings replace old ones without any regard to the visual impact that their design may have on the surrounding locality. Three new skyscrapers can only aggravate this situation; they will help turn Paris into a hodgepodge of architectural styles, with each new structure vying for attention at the expense of the old and venerable.

We have only to look at the Montparnasse tower for an example of the visual devastation that a skyscraper wreaks upon a neighborhood. It would seem that city planners should have learned a lesson from this disaster and would refrain from planning more of the same. But no! The same battles to prevent the destruction of the city’ priceless architectural heritage have to be fought again and again.

Please stop this madness.

Sincerely,
Tom Reeves

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Click here to learn how you can join the SOS Paris letter-writing campaign against skyscrapers in the City of Light. The time to act is NOW!

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Tasting Bellanger Bresil 66%

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012
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Bellanger Brasil 66%

Bellanger Brasil 66%
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A little more than a week ago, we had the privilege of attending a chocolate tasting at Mococha where we tasted three chocolates produced by Jacques Bellanger. Following the tasting, we purchased a 100g tablet of Bresil 66% and took it home to sample.

The chocolate tablet has a matte, reddish-brown color and a strong aroma of ash and burning wood. It gives a sharp snap when bitten and melts rapidly and smoothly in the mouth. The taste is mildly bittersweet with earthy notes. In short, it is a delectable chocolate!

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With Thanks – A Free Gift Offer with Black Paris Profiles

Monday, November 26th, 2012
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Thank You!

The Black Paris Profiles Kindle giveaway is history! We went immediately to Number 1 on the Top 100 Free list on Amazon.com and stayed there throughout the three-day giveaway. We couldn’t have done this without your support and I want to say

THANK YOU!

Because of the tremendous support that we’ve received, we have decided to continue to provide access to the bonus gift that we offered during the Thanksgiving Day weekend promotion. It’s an exclusive video that we created for Entrée to Black Paris clients. Called “Images of Contemporary Black Paris,” it is a $49.99 value and contains 100 images of sites and scenes of Black Paris that you won’t find anywhere else! It will be available through Christmas Day.

Access to the video is yours for free when you order your copy of Black Paris Profiles ($9.99) by clicking through to Amazon.com from the following Web address: www.blackparisprofiles.com.

P.S. Remember that you don’t need a Kindle device to read Black Paris Profiles. Get the free Kindle reader app that you need here: Free Kindle Reader Apps.

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Last Few Hours of Black Paris Profiles Giveaway!

Sunday, November 25th, 2012
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Last Hours for Giveaway!

The last few hours of the giveaway for Black Paris Profiles are upon us! You only have until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time today (Sunday) to get your FREE copy of the book.

We’re still Number 1 in Travel > Europe > France and we’re back up to Number 3 in Travel > Europe. Thanks to everyone who has supported the launch thus far!

Let’s finish the giveaway with a blast and get the book up to Number 1 in Travel > Europe! Please share the link to the Black Paris Profiles Web site:

http://www.blackparisprofiles.com

with everyone you think would be interested in the book and encourage them to download their copy right away!

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Awesome, honest telling of Black Paris life

Sunday, November 25th, 2012
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Customer Reviews - November 25, 2012

Customer Reviews – November 25, 2012

“Awesome, honest telling of Black Paris life.”

These are the closing words of the most recent review posted on Amazon.com for Black Paris Profiles. We are pleased to report that the book now has five reviews and we have 4.8 out of 5 stars. We are also still holding as the Number 1 book in the Kindle giveaway category Travel > Europe > France!

We’ve fallen off a bit in the Travel > Europe category though, dropping to Number 4 from the Number 2 spot that we held yesterday. We’d love to regain that position and to go to Number 1 in this category.

You can help! Go to http://www.blackparisprofiles.com and download your FREE copy of the book. Today is the last day of the giveaway so time is running out! After today, the price of the book will go up to $9.99.

Remember that you do not need a Kindle device to read Black Paris Profiles. Amazon.com provides free Kindle apps so that you can start reading Kindle books on all your devices. There is a Kindle app available for every major smartphone, tablet, and computer. Download your app by clicking HERE.

Get your FREE copy of Black Paris Profiles today and SHARE this post with your friends! I truly appreciate your support!

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Black Paris Profiles is Now Number 1 in its Amazon Category!

Saturday, November 24th, 2012
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Amazon Best Seller

Thanks to the response of our readers, Black Paris Profiles is now Number 1 in the Kindle giveaway category Travel > Europe > France!

If you haven’t already downloaded your free copy of Black Paris Profiles, click HERE to access the book and get a FREE BONUS GIFT — access to an exclusive video that we have created for Entrée to Black Paris clients. Then enjoy the book, the video, and the rest of the holiday weekend!

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Black Paris Profiles Free this Weekend

Friday, November 23rd, 2012
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Free this Weekend

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Kindle edition of Black Paris Profiles is now available! Even better, for the duration of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, you can get it for FREE!

Beginning at 12 midnight Pacific Standard Time on Friday, November 23rd, Black Paris Profiles will be available for download at no charge. Click HERE or on the image above to access this e-book through our Web site and get an additional free gift.

You do not need a Kindle device to read Black Paris Profiles. Amazon.com provides free Kindle apps so that you can start reading Kindle books on all your devices. There is a Kindle app available for every major smartphone, tablet, and computer. Download your app by clicking HERE.

There’s no cause for delay – download your copy today!

Offer expires at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, November 25th.

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Tasting Zaabär Poivre du Sishuan

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012
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Zaabär - Poivre du Sishuan

Zaabär – Poivre du Sishuan
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Stopping for lunch recently at a vegetarian restaurant called Café Ginger, I spotted a display of chocolate tablets on the counter. It was a selection of a wide variety of chocolates called Zaabär Duo, packed two to a box weighing 70 grams. I selected one called Poivre du Sishuan and took it home to taste.

Each 35-gram tablet of dark chocolate is vacuum packed in aluminum foil. Opening a package releases a wonderful, rich aroma of spice and wood. The chocolate has a dull reddish-brown color. It is firm and gives a resounding crack when bitten. As it melts in the mouth, it reveals a grainy texture, like sand. These grains are bits of crushed sichuan, a spice from China. Tasting faintly like zest of lime, they feel slightly peppery in the mouth, especially at the back of the tongue. Together, the smooth chocolate and grainy sichuan are a delightful taste experience.

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Getting Chic at Kenzo

Monday, November 19th, 2012
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Kenzo Psy-chic Cocktail

Kenzo Psy-chic Cocktail
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Last Monday we received an invitation to attend a chic cocktail party at the Kenzo boutique located in the posh “Golden Triangle” district just off the Champs-Elysées. Following Monique’s heady rise to instant celebrity status after her all too-brief appearance on 60 Minutes, we were ready for another shot at stardom.

Two Lovely Ladies Greeted Us at the Door

Two Lovely Ladies Greeted Us at the Door
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We arrived at the appointed time and place and were greeted by two lovely ladies who explained that we could get our photograph taken. Chic!

Where's Monique?

Where’s Monique?
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Monique stepped up to the Kenzo backdrop to get her photograph taken. The brilliance of the paparazzi flash cameras going off all at once was blinding, and she was momentary disoriented.

There She Is!

There She Is!
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

It only took her a minute to regain her composure. She has learned quickly how to adapt to fame!

Tom Poses for Kenzo

Tom Poses for Kenzo
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Then I stepped up, looking as cool as can be in my Club Room cotton shirt, Banana Republic corduroy trousers, Royal Mer Bretagne wool sweater, Gold Toe socks, and Rockport shoes. But where were the paparazzi?

After the photo shoot, I thought that I had really looked cool, until two guys dressed in Kenzo fashions stepped up…

Two Cool Guys

Two Cool Guys
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

…looking much cooler than I could ever hope to look. Coolness is so fleeting!

Pouring Mumm Champagne

Pouring Mumm Champagne
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Feeling chagrined, I went over and got a glass of champagne. It wasn’t just any champagne, it was Mumm. Chic!

Hors d'œuvres

Hors d’œuvres
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Then we nibbled on fancy hors d’œuvres. Chic!

Chic Shoes for a Leggy Mistress

Chic Shoes for a Leggy Mistress
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

In the women’s department I saw a pair of chic shoes that would look good on the feet of a leggy mistress. General Petraeus, are you listening?

Kenzo Men’s Fashion
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We looked at men’s fashion. I saw a jacket that I liked, as well as a shirt. The jacket cost 800€ and the shirt 165€. That’s way more than I can afford to pay! Maybe fortune will come with fame. Then I can buy it!

Kenzo Boutique

Kenzo Boutique
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

It was a fun evening, mingling with the chic and cool crowd. Thank you Kenzo for the invitation to your psy-chic cocktail!

Boutique Kenzo
51, avenue George V
75008 Paris

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