JSKS

Just on a point of order: Fiona Bruce read French and Italian at Hertford College, Oxford. I suspect her level of fluency in at least 3 languages would put many who claim bilingual competence to shame.

I'm sure that anyone who had staked their reputation and goodwill on achieving a certain political outcome (Scottish Independence in this case) would, having signally failed in that endeavour, quietly retire. Yet Salmond now pops up with his desire to represent a constituency of the parliament he was dead set on his country leaving. Is there no limit of egoistical, messianic, self-righteous, power-seeking chicanery beyond which politicians in general, and extreme ones in particular, will not venture?

In many areas it would be more apt to have S and G's ''Sound of Silence''.

OK. I get 22 meg download and 7 meg upload on my Nexus phone on 3's 4g network (and the ability to tether in UK and full use in 16 foreign countries, one of which is France, at no cost except the deduction of minutes from the monthly allowance) for £15 pm u/l internet, 200 mins, u/l texts, no charge 0845 and 0870 numbers. On the landline broadband (or ''narrowband'' seems more apt) we get 2.5 down, 0.4 up and, basically, a 20th century service for twice the price of the mobile SIM only contract. Now that's what I call sh1t. In fact, if I could get u/l tethering (limited to 4gb pm) I'd happily pay £30pm and ditch the so-called broadband which we need for the multiple devices and Smart TV services. So unless your house/office/factory is built on a hub I wouldn't get too excited. Or you have cable.

To get back on topic: Crossed northbound yesterday with vehicle registered to my Dart Charge account. Balance has dropped from £18 something to £17 something and the trip shows when I checked my account just now. At the toll booth the barrier still falls but a camera placed just beyond the barrier reads the reg plate. Although I stopped it would have been possible to keep moving slowly but I'm not brave enough, nor have enough faith in the barrier's rising, to do that. Certainly seems to have speeded up the flow of traffic.

Anyone stupid enough to go to a bad restaurant, and there are plenty in both countries, deserves what they get. I am surprised that with such depth of culinary magic at their fingertips any of the contributors even have experience outside their unsurpassable kitchen. As for trying to use one example to prove the food quality of a nation? It does kind of prove why the Internet has become the refuge of the rationally challenged.

Wooly said: However, there are plenty of other reasons for Hollande to go. The memory of this forum's server wouldn't be able to cope with that list.

I notice, too, that where originally an indicator signalled that a driver was intending to change direction when it was safe to do so it now seems to mean ''I am coming so get out of my way''. And that hazard lights switched on seems to negate the meaning of double yellows.

More importantly, today is my birthday.

Today I received an unexpected rebate from HMRC. So glad I moved to Preston.

Are we to suppose that a journalist making a living in a country is going to be wholly disinterested? One person's judgement based on their need to justify their position? Doesn't strike me a as a basis for a seminal view of Anglo-French comparisons.

Frederick, As a retired military medic I can assure you that all aspects of security will have been carefully planned and soundly implemented. Assuming the politicians can resist meddling the teams should be well capable of looking after themselves.

And now all we need to do is work out who you are on ''the other place''.

Hey. Dont look at me!

To be fair, the US and UK have mobilised Forces to the area - a couple of month later than ideal, perhaps. Clearly, once the threat is deemed to include the West then action gets taken.

Yes indeed. Well done!

Mmm. My CSP would normally arrive on 12th but where the 12th falls on a weekend it is paid on the Friday. So it should have arrived yesterday but hasn't. If it's not in Monday I suppose I shall be joining the queue of callers trying to find out why not.

As far as developing the disease in quarantine is concerned there would be no need to trace pre-quarantine contacts - the disease only becomes infectious once symptoms appear. Certainly, if a passenger was symptomatic on deplaning then that is a whole different story.

Now here's a thing about dialect and accent. There always seems to be an assumption that one's accent or dialect confirms one's nationality in the UK. But I speak with a slight Yorkshire accent but am a son of the Shankill. People often say ''oh, but you're not really Irish, you don't have the accent''. Well I'm sorry, but I was born there, grew up there 'til my teens and my parents, grandparents and great grandparents are all Irish. Yet even when I go ''back home'' I get accused of being English! How unfair is that?

Quillen, I can cheat a little as I have access to sources such as medline and pubmed - that is to specialist medical research and publications. The best guess mortality is around 50% but whether this would apply in a sophisticated Western outbreak is speculative.

Idun, Apologies if you thought I was accusing you of complacency. By complacent I meant those who have the power to control this thing, which, of course, means the developed nations' sending expertise to the affected areas to contain the outbreak.

richard51: Maybe the Urology consultant was just taking the pi55?

Idun, In strict terms we currently have an HIV pandemic (it's easy to forget how many die of this in Africa, Asia and South america now that HIV is essentially controllable in the West). The last pandemic that seriously affected the developed countries was probably the Spanish flu of 1918-1919. Taking the definition of a pandemic as an epidemic that crosses national boudaries then we need to accept 20th century pandemics of malaria, cholera, smallpox, measles etc. What is worrying about ebola and the other viral haemorrhagic fevers is the inability to effectively treat the infected. Also we now live in a world where people travel further and faster than in the past. So while I doubt whether it's time to worry about ebola in Europe it would be unwise to be too complacent.

Nomoss. I get your point about making people aware and agree that anyone whohas passed through a risk area should be thus informed. As for pedantry about the origin of the term ''quarantine'' - I'm not sure that advances the discussion any as the modern, medical, accepted definition is to place a sterile cordon around a potential or proven locus of infection until such time as the risk is no longer present. And if I were you I wouldn't gve up trying to justify. All discussion raises the level of knowledge. I repeat that I am not an expert in communicable diseases; in fact, I have no professional experience of managing epidemics other than some knowledge of the basic principles of infection control. However, I am always cautious of action induced through hysteria, press sensationalism and political opportunism. I would be hopeful that those who are experts in such matters get the political, financial and manpower support they need to deal with this threat in the most medically effective manner.

Nomoss, That, however, would mean quaranteening for up to 28 days for anyone who had been in an infected area at any time in the previous 28 days. I've no idea how many people that would be but where would you put them? Surely, limiting the disease at source is more effective along with screening within the infected areas?