Mr Ceour de Lion II

[quote user="Russethouse"]I guess it depends who the other choices were.[/quote] President Blair!

I was always a Beano boy. Sad that it's come to this, there still not substitute for reading it as a comic. Tablets are all very well, but... 8000 copies a week sold is one hell of a drop. Guess nothing lasts forever.

The only two things I wanted on Black Friday or Cyber Monday were not on sale. Sales like this are a con.

I think it's a good idea, I have no problem with it. If you don't want to see the funeral on a web cam, then don't log on. As for me, when I go, I'd prefer to be disposed of the cheapest way possible, but at the end of the day, it'll be up to the living to decide what happens. So whatever makes it easier for my wife is exactly what I want. I had a neighbor back in Australia who attended his own wake and I thought this was a great idea. What happened was when he was 70, he invited everyone who meant something to him, had a bloody good party and knees up, and then when he died (some 7 years later), he was cremated the very next day with only his wife present. That's all he wanted.

Fantastic, glad you got it sorted.

Yeah, I wouldn't have thought it would be that hard to get movies on. It should be a simple case of connect to the pc, and then navigate on windows explorer and find the nexus and then copy to a folder on the device. Um... as it's android based, try going into settings and find connectivity mode, or words to that effect. Hopefully there's a drop down menu or an option to select mass storage mode. My phone's only on android 2.2, but I have the option for it to do one of four things when connected to the usb, namely windows media sync, modem mode, mass storage mode or recharge mode. This shouldn't be that difficult, it's not like it's an apple device which bitches at you if you don't have itunes. I can't think of anything else, but bringing files via bluetooth as you have been is not really a viable option.

MX player is the one I was thinking of. Strange that hardwiring hasn't done the job of transferring. Have a look at this article, it may help. http://www.brorsoft.com/nexus-7/transfer-movie-music-photo-files-to-nexus-7-from-pc.html

Since when has Joey Barton been a high profile footballer? He's an average midfielder whose been in trouble with the cops more times than Steven Gerrard and John Terry combined.

It sounds like you don't have the right codecs installed. I had this problem on my Toshiba Thrive tablet before I got rid of it. I think there's a movie player called mplayer (perhaps mobo player) or something similar on the playstore. Download it and its codecs and you should be fine to play most video files. If that's not the one, google best android video player and you should be able to find one with all relevant codecs supported. I've never seen the Nexus, but does it have an sd card slot? This would be the quickest and easiest way to get movies onto it. Doing it via bluetooth is not really a viable option.

I don't know, but I understand French far better when it is spoken by an English speaker compared to full on proper French. The guy's a mess anyway. He's the English version of Eric Cantona, except Cantona was a brilliant player to back his arrogance up.

I seem to remember reading or hearing about some research which found that non-native English speakers find it easier to understand English people if they put on a mock foreign accent. He's got nothing on Steve McLaren though, now he sounded totally retarded.

The show cracks me up. Latest one I saw was with a bunch of hippies. When the experts highlighted their weakness as being that they are unable to defend themselves, their response was that they were on a different plane so it won't affect them. Lol try telling that to an AK67 pointed to your head! I could never live like that, fearful of what one possible future might bring. If it happens, it happens and no amount of preparing will change anything for the long term. I'd rather focus on what actually is. But good luck to them.

I  have to get up if I can't sleep at night (bit like now). I could turn the tv on in bed, it wouldn't bother my other half (in fact she normally does it herself if she can't sleep). But I tend to get fidgety, especially if I'm trying my hardest not to disturb. So I'll start out with a couple of games of solitaire on my tablet, if that doesn't send me back off, I'll get up, have a pee and a drink and surf the net til tired again.

[quote user="powerdesal"]To try and create the dream of a stable Afganistan and so permit the USA to pump oil over it without the Taliban blowing up the piplines That seems a bit pointless given that I recently read that the USA expect to be self sufficient in oil supplies at some time in the near future.[/quote] The US already gets the majority of its oil supplies from Canada. I blame the EPA. Half these wars possibly wouldn't have happened in the middle east had the US been able to continue drilling in its own land. All for the sake of a few birds and bugs.

Well, becoming a French citizen will at least give you some say in France. I was still paying tax in Australia for 4 years after I left, while immediately being refused the right to vote. It is what it is, but frankly, voting was way down on my list of priorities when I moved country anyway. But as I say, I'd rather the right to vote in the land I am living in because my taxes will have a direct affect on my life.

[quote user="NormanH"]I pay taxes in both but can vote in neither (in national elections) [/quote] Then become a French citizen. Problem solved.

You knew the score when you left though. And really, the money that is spent won't affect you anyway. As I said in my previous post (which I added to), soon I'll be paying tax in the country I live in and will have no say in how that is spent. And that directly affects me. This is far more common than the other way round, it would be a minority who are paying tax in a country they lived in before compared to where they live now.

I don't pay taxes in the UK. I also have no intentions of ever going back to the UK. Why should I be allowed to vote? If I return to live, then of course I should have that right. But I have left the country, and have taken everything emotional and financial away with me. To my new country. I knew the score when I left, and still decided to go. Looking at the other side of the coin, within the next 5 months I will hopefully have a green card and find a job. I will then be a tax payer here in the country I live. However, I won't be allowed to vote. Taxation without representation is far more common this way round than paying tax in a country you no longer live in.

[quote user="Rabbie"][quote user="NormanH"]So you have nothing to say about the denial of voting rights to British people who have been  living abroad for more then 15 years? [/quote]When I was working and living abroad in the very late 70s and 80s I did not have the right to vote in the UK. This was brought in by the Thatcher government a bit later and did not apply to those who had already moved abroad. Allegedly this was done because they believed that those ex-pats who would vote would be Conservative supporters. I think it is reasonable that this right to vote if you live abroad lapses after 15 years since then you have shown that you have committed to life in another country. The rules have been clearly defined and should not come as a surprise to anyone. [/quote] Exactly. It's one of the costs (if you want to class it as this) of moving away from your native country. Why should you have a say in what will affect other people far more (if at all) than it would affect you? I'm far more interested in what's happening where I live now, than somewhere I lived 15 years ago.

I have no issue with not being able to vote back in the UK. I wouldn't have a clue who to vote for for a start, I don't know any politicians there apart from Cameron, and that's only because he's the pm. Secondly, I have no financial interest there (I can understand those people who still have financial interest there, but then they don't have to keep it in the UK, do they?). I'm also an Australian citizen, and as soon as I left that country, I immediately lost my right to vote. I'm 41 years of age and have only had the opportunity to vote once in my life. Hopefully, I'll be able to vote in the next US election though.

And Obama still maintains that France is the closest ally of the US. Really don't understand where he comes from on this. Real kick in the teeth of Britain again who continually stands with the US on many issues.

[quote user="Quillan"]What you say Richard is fairly correct up to a point and that point is when your have kids and grandchildren. None of us ask to come in to this world but we are here. What you do with your life is up to you as it has been in the case of this chap (and his wife) however once you bring children in to the world then things take a very different turn. When it is just you then you can be a silly and irresponsible as you want with your own life but once you have children your responsibility is then to look after them because they can't look after themselves, they can't even feed themselves initially. Your the one to teach them the difference between right and wrong and it is you that has to make decisions for them. You try to create a good stable environment and give them the best start in life (even if, in your opinion it involves sending then to private school) I guess when you have kids and hopefully grandchildren you may see this part of life quite differently. This couple clearly love their grandchildren very deeply and it seems to me after reading the email that it is them they are really worried about and that basically they feel their children's lack of responsibility is having an effect on their grandchildren.[/quote] Absolutely, you do the very best for your children that you can, I fully agree. I have step children (and had step children from my previous marriage, so am relatively experienced in bringing children up), and in both cases have tried and am trying to do what's best for them. However, what they do as adults in their lives is their choice. Naturally parents should be there to advise, support and so on, but it is ultimately their offspring's decisions and choices in life. As parents, we have to find that balance between helping and getting too involved, and saying this is as far as I can help you, now you must make the decision. I feel that in this case, the mother perhaps has been feeding the helping habit, and as a consequence their kids have not broken free, even though they are approaching middle age. I could also potentially see that their kids have perhaps had a strict and regimented upbringing, which they may have rebelled against. This is complete conjecture of course, but I can see that it could be very difficult for kids to follow those high standards. I think Arnold Rimmer in Red Dwarf is a great example of someone who has spent their life of trying to follow in their father's footsteps and failed. Perhaps these kids tried for so long before realising that they may never be good enough in their father's eyes. Even if you try the best you can, it is still not good enough in some people's eyes. If that's the case, then where else do you go?

[quote user="woolybanana"]Of course he has the right to expect his kids to do something decent with their lives, given the life he had. They seem to have been downwardly mobile bums which no parent wants. 'Ugger this wishy washy, liberal concept of happiness, kids should be able to achieve up to their abilities, not slide down into the morass or mediocrity. But they have been treated too nicely by the parents; had the mother told them to stop being whiney little wimps, they would have been better off.[/quote] That I certainly agree with.

[quote user="Hoddy"]I agree with you, Richard. From what you say though you didn't keep ringing up your parents to share your problems. Hoddy[/quote] It would be hard to. They've both been dead the past 15 years. I've learnt there are many different ways to solving problems though. I believe by solving your own problems (as much as you can, of course it doesn't mean you can't confide in others), and going through those hard times are what makes you grow and develop. To me, that's success; not whether you have a good job or not. I think if I was the father, that might be the main thing I'd be most disappointed with his kids, that they appear (based on what it says in that article) too needy.

[quote user="Hoddy"]Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought he'd written this in response to moaning phone calls from his kids which had upset his wife. That doesn't seem too reprehensible to me. It's not as though they hadn't aired their problems to him. Hoddy[/quote] Perhaps, it does sound that the kids need to lose the apron strings, in which case the parents need to say, we've done everything we can for you, we have given advice, support etc, it's up to you to follow it or not. In defence of him, it does sound that they are needy. I know I have done many things (particularly in the past 8 years) which would have disappointed my father. He'd be turning in his grave to know that I lived in both France and the US for example lol. But at the end of the day, what I have chosen in my life is for me to bear or receive the rewards, and really has nothing to do with my parents. I think where I am now though, both my parents would be proud, because I am finally at a place where I am truly happy. Similarly, his kids have chosen things, some are no doubt great, others not so, but that's life, no one knows what's going to happen, and no one really can judge either. Perhaps I went off at the deep end with my original appraisal, as my father was quite controlling with me and it struck a few nerves with me. But at the end of the day, we are all accountable to ourselves first and cannot control others.