Clark Kent II

I bought an air fryer (Tefal Actifry) from Argos about a couple of years ago. It was on offer - at half price. I had just moved house and in the process of downsizing had thrown away my deep fryer. I cannot say that I use it all the time, but visitors do appear to like the chips it produces. I tend to use oven chips and don't add any oil to the pan. I also use it to make croutons on a semi-industrial scale! It came with a number of recipes - some of which I have tried and quite enjoyed. My real problem with it is that it is rather heavy on electricity - using around 1200 watts for 25 - 30 minutes to fry chips. Also, ironically since I bought it in the process of downsizing, it takes up rather more space in my cupboard than did the deep fat fryer that it replaced.

There are so many thoughts going around in my head ....   It seems to me that one of the major problems is that there is no centralised authority in Islam. Any imam is his own authority, so a "radical" is as free to propagate his own interpretations of Islamic scripture as any "moderate". Over the centuries, a kind of consensus about the scriptures seems to have developed - but it is only a consensus. I remember the cartoons. I did not see them as insulting Islam but commenting on attitudes and behaviour of some muslims. Even the portrayal of the prophet is not traditionally considered forbidden - in times past, the artistic portrayal of the prophet was common. The right of anyone to believe whatever he wishes should be respected. That respect, however, should not be extended to his beliefs. The concepts of blasphemy and heresy have no place in a civilised society.

[quote user="You can call me Betty"] ... He used the word "ostentatious" which was, as I pointed out, a bizarre description, at best, given that I doubt anyone could define what constitutes ostentatious breastfeeding. ....[/quote] Perhaps it is practised by immigrants in cars on motorways. [Www]

Idun, you have been got at. You have been conditioned by prevailing culture to believe that "beauty" is all smoothness and even features. Hence women are beautiful, men are not. Young people are beautiful, old people are not. Warthogs are ugly, gazelles are beautiful. Babies are beautiful if they are judged for what they are and not for what they might be like in six months time. If we cannot accept this then we are showing that we have been conditioned by sets of artificial and vapid values which are governed by a sense of what might be possible in an idea world, not what is. My latest granddaughter was born a few weeks ago. She conforms to the physical appearance that you describe, but she is beautiful beyond measure to me because she is who she is and what she is. As for the breastfeeding issue, people should get real. There is nothing shameful, disgusting or degrading about breastfeeding. Claridges should take a full page advertisement in every national newspaper and apologise for their behaviour. (Do you remember, a few years ago, a woman was thrown off a Virgin train for breastfeeding and Richard Branson apologised profusely. Unworthy thought: since virgins cannot give birth and hence breastfeed, could it be that a Virgin employee thought he was upholding the company's honour?) There has been one positive thing to come from the Claridges incident: Nigel Farage has exposed his inadequacy to be a real political force yet again.

[quote user="AnOther"] In no way denying what happened or that it should be forgotten but at the same time just when does a current generation get to break free from the sins of it's antecedents ? [/quote]   I agree with these sentiments. It is almost seventy years since the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, that is more than two generations ago. I wonder if the states concerned have statutes of limitations for criminal activities? Incidentally, on the wall of the railway station in Penne d'Agenais is a plaque stating that many French citizens were transported to the camps on trains from that place. I shall see if I can find a photograph. EDIT It seems that this site's lily-livered software is trying to rewrite history by eliminating references to the standard abbreviation of the German ruling wartime political organisation.

[quote user="NickP"][quote user="Clark Kent II"] [quote user="NickP"]It would seem that the abuse was F******* plebs, but then it appears that Tory MP's past and present are pretty good at being abusive to mere mortals, [/quote] And "F*******" isn't abusive but "pleb" is.  Will the policeman now sue the judge for inferring he was ... err ... from plebeian roots? [/quote] I don't understand your first sentence, where did I say F******* wasn't abusive? [/quote] You didn't. I was commenting on what appeared to be the mindset of the appellant police officer. He appeared to object to the "p" word rather than the "f" word.

This is something which I received from an acquaintance with a home in France. I think it was something he had received from another acquaintance. I hope it helps French-Property.com         Smoke Detectors Obligatory from 2015 Tuesday 01 February 2011 The installation of smoke detectors is to be obligatory in all homes from 2015. The new regulations recently issued by the government make it clear that this requirement will apply equally to existing homes as well as new properties.   At the present time only around 2% of the 33 million properties in France are equipped with a smoke detector, so the fire equipment industry is lining itself up for a bonanza in sales. This is a measure that has had a long gestation period, as enabling legislation was first passed in the French Parliament in 2005. However, behind the scenes there has been a lively debate about who should have responsibility for the installation of the alarms in rental properties. In the end the government have decided that the obligation applies to the occupant of the property, excepting those in seasonal and furnished lettings. The new decree is as yet short on other detail, so there will be more detailed regulations to be issued in the future. At the moment it seems only one smoke detector will be required in each property, but that could change. There is no stipulation that it should be either powered by battery or from the mains supply, except that if it is the latter, the alarm must be able to operate in the absence of electrical power. Once the installation has been carried out, then owners and tenants must notify their insurer. Somewhat oddly, however, the regulations do not permit an insurer to refuse a policy on the grounds that no smoke detector is installed. They merely have the right to apply a much larger ‘excess’ on the policy. There are around 800 deaths each year in France from house fires, 70% of which happen at night when the victim is asleep. Contrary to perceived opinion, the odour of smoke does not wake a person; the carbon monoxide actually plunges a person into a deeper sleep, and can be mortal within 15 minutes with only 1% of carbon monoxide in the air.    

[quote user="NickP"]It would seem that the abuse was F******* plebs, but then it appears that Tory MP's past and present are pretty good at being abusive to mere mortals, [/quote] And "F*******" isn't abusive but "pleb" is.  Will the policeman now sue the judge for inferring he was ... err ... from plebeian roots?

Having taken stuff back to Brico- Depot in the past they have been less than helpful, saying that problems are their responsibility only for 30 days and after this time I have to contact the manufacturer if there are any problems. Is this true in France ? ( unlike in U.K where guarantee problems are the concern of the retailer during the guarantee period ). There is a little muddled thinking here. You are confusing two things. One is your rights under Sale of Goods legislation and the other is a manufacturer's guarantee or warranty. They are not the same thing. SoG requires that (1) the goods are as described - so that you know that when you open the packaging you know what is there and what it does; (2) that the goods are of satisfactory condition - the former term was "merchantable" - so they are properly constructed and in the condition you would expect for the price that you paid; (3) that the goods should be fit for purpose - that they can be used effectively including for any specific purpose that you informed the seller about. SoG protection springs from the contract you have made with the seller and your redress is from the seller. My understanding is that the British concept has been adopted by the EU and has been mandated on all members. A guarantee is something different. It is provided by the manufacturer or distributor of the goods and is in addition to SoG protection. The provider can set whatever conditions he may choose but cannot override the statutory protection provided by SoG. Where goods are relative new the purchaser is always advised to approach the seller first. SoG has been around in Britain for a long time. You would think that retailers would understand its provisions by now, but that is not always the case. If, as is my understanding, its principles have been adopted in France (but I may be wrong) then it is quite likely that, either, staff training may not have been adequate or that retailers are hoping that customers are not clued up on their rights so that they can be fobbed off as you have been.

[quote user="idun"] Making love is one of life's great pleasures,we never say it on here, but it is. To have sex in the warm embrace of someone one deeply cares for, is wonderful. As is, just plain old intimacy of the simple kind, those little affectionate things like a hand hold, a cuddle, a snuggle, a hug, a little kiss........  I do wonder if in these male dominated societies where jealousy must be like a festering infection, that they ever know such joys? [/quote] ... And in some of these cultures a man may have more than one wife. I wonder if that signifies that intimacy is not an important part of the relationship between men and women? It's possible that jealousy may not be a festering infection, but that attitude is determined by property rights.

From Wikipedia However, there are many different interpretations of what "modesty" requires. The Quran admonishes Muslim women to dress modestly and cover their breasts and genitals.[5] The Quran explicitly states that "O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women" (Quran 33: 32) and as such has separate rules specifically for the wives of the Prophet.[6] However, many people often mistake it for rules for all Muslim women.[6] The Quran has no requirement that women cover their faces with a veil, or cover their bodies with the full-body burqua or chador.[7] The Qur'an does not mandate or mention Hijab.[6][8]

[quote user="mint"] A serious point though is that it is absolutely GREAT not to worry about getting old or fat or bald or whatever.  It's enough to grow old (I mean not die before you have had a good crack at living) and in more or less good health (though I know you have some health problems). [/quote] Hooray for some sound common sense. I was at a talk yesterday at which it was stated that the average age of death for women at the end of the 18th century was about 37. There is something wrong with a culture that is obsessed with youth and attempts to make youth permanent. We should be proud of our wrinkles - they are evidence of a life which has been lived. They are signs of achievement not decline. I feel very sorry for women and the fashion trap that ensnares them. Fashion has only one purpose - to make women feel bad about themselves so that they can garment manufacturers rich. (The garment manufacturers already benefit from manufacturing conditions that we would consider close to slavery.) To get back to the burkha. This is a garment which reflects tribal attitudes of the ownership of women. Its prescription as "Islamic dress" is totally false and reflects the use of religion to control behaviour. (I could go further and suggest that the primary purpose of Abrahamic religion is to control the behaviour of women.) I respect the right of any woman to wear whatever she wants - but not when it is something that a man says she must wear.   Rant over.

To the best of my knowledge, the only ferry operator at the moment between France and Jersey is Condor from St Malo. Their website is www.condorferries.co.uk. The fast craft takes less than an hour and the port in Jersey is only a ten minute walk from the centre of St Helier. There is a service from Granville but I think it only operates in the summer. I'm not really sure whether it is worth taking a car to Jersey - it has good bus services which cover the whole of the island. Condor often have day trip deals. Another source of information is www.thisisjersey.com.

This story reminds me of a rather bizarre discovery I made a few years ago. In the garden of a house, not far from Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, was a huge cage. Inside the cage were three or four lions. They could be clearly seen from the road. This was one of several detached houses, in a row, along a minor - but through - road. The next door neighbours had a clear view of the animals. Heaven only knows what they thought about the situation. I was told later that they were from a circus and the house was owned by the circus proprietor. I haven't seen them since.    

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.   PS Spyder: He probably would have done if he had actually written those words. It is doubtful that Peter Barnes ever used that spelling.[6]

During a recent stay in France I upgraded my France Telecom internet service from dial up to ADSL and acquired a Zen Livebox. I was reasonably satisfied with the increase in speed from snail to tortoise and the addition of services like VOIP and the opportunity to hear recorded messages via my laptop. However, since returning to Britain I have been plagued by a new problem: Orange has hijacked my internet homepage. I have tried to reset my preferred homepage using Internet Options in Control Panel (Windows 7) It does not matter what I do, whether I use Firefox or IE, whenever I connect to the internet I get www.orange.fr/portail. I have had to tab my preferred homepage in order to ensure that it is at least accessible. I am quite happy to have Orange as an alternative homepage but I do not want it to be the default. Has anyone else suffered this problem? Apart from removing all the Orange software, is there a solution to this problem?  

The point I was trying to make earlier - though not very successfully - is that UKIP and Farage have identified insecurities in a sizeable proportion of the electorate and are milking those insecurities for all they are worth. They have identified scapegoats for the insecurities and are using megaphone communication techniques to ensure their messages are received by  their target audience. For the record - Nigel Farage reminds me of Arthur Daley. However, somehow, he seems to lack Arthur Daley's transparent integrity.

I'm sure I will be perceived by some people as being on a slippery slope here, but am I right in seeing parallels between Britain today and Germany in the early 1930s? (Stand by for some nut to invoke "Godwin's Law".)[:(] In both instances there is a sizeable proportion of the population who believe that their "condition" should be more comfortable than it is. Along comes a slick talker with a reason for their dissatisfaction. In Germany it was "the Jews", in Britain it is the EU and "immigrants." The EU is crippling Britain with bureaucracy and almost unbearable costs. The immigrants are - simultaneously - taking all our jobs and living off benefits. (I am not comparing the situation in pre-war Germany with present day Britain, merely suggesting that there is a similarity in the messages.) I recall, after the local elections in Britain, a UKIP spokeswoman suggesting that the reason her party was less successful in London than other areas was that the London population was younger and better educated than in places where they had more support.  

For clarification: The person in Specsavers who examines your eyes is an optometrist. Optometrists will be trained in a subject such as Vision Science and are concerned with the optical properties of the eye. Their training will include being able to identify pathologies that can not be corrected by optical means and they will refer such conditions to ophthalmologists. An ophthalmologist is a doctor who specialises in diseases of the visual system and will typically work in a hospital. The reviled President Assad of Syria was, I believe, an ophthalmology registrar in a London hospital. If he is deposed, I don't think that he will get his old job back.

[quote user="idun"]So french is only set in stone sometimes. What do we call a female notaire then? I refused to call the male notaire in our village by his proper title, always Monsieur, he probably thought I was ignorant of the french way, I wasn't, but there was no way I was going to call him anything but Monsieur. [/quote] Female notaires are called Maitre. Gender is a characteristic of the noun, not the object it refers to. A sentry is une sentinelle - even if he is a man. In English "gender" appears to have become an alternative to "sex". "Male" and "female"  are statements about physiology and should thus be called "sex" but I suspect that political correctness has raised its ugly head and confused the matter.

I see that the British government has given way and is going to introduce screening at Heathrow, Gatwick and (god knows why) St Pancras. A virologist from Nottingham University thinks that this will not achieve very much, but the redtops and bluetops are crowing triumphantly about this change in policy. When it comes to matters medical, I consider that the British press is the enemy of good sense. It caused great damage with its uncritical reporting of Andrew Wakefield's anti-MMR campaign and also with its insistence that British hospitals were filthy MRSA-ridden hazards. Journalists ignored Wakefield's prejudicial interests, and in the MRSA scandal were sending surreptitiously obtained samples to an untrained and unqualified "analyst" who had set up a laboratory in his garden shed. I do not dispute the awfulness of the ebola outbreak, nor would I minimise its potential threat, and I salute those people who are volunteering to go to west Africa to help fight it. So far, the number of people who have died is fewer than the number of people in the Albert Hall at the Last Night of the Proms. The battle with the disease will be won in Liberia, Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries, not in the arrivals hall at Gatwick.  

It looks rather Black Country to me. Kicking a ball against a wall until it bursts?

[quote user="gardengirl "]... I look forward to removing mine when we get back to England. [/quote] Why wait?

I agree with your general conclusions (I do not formally or actually support either party) but I fear that Cameron is actually severely rattled by UKIP. In consequence he, basically a centrist proEuropean, is moving his policies to the right in order to counter UKIP. In the UK, general elections are won in the centre ground (qv Kinnock). Cameron runs the risk of making Labour appear more centrist than it really is. I agree entirely about the constant slagging off, especially when it appears to be personal.

Indeed. I took great pleasure in removing may current tax disc from my windscreen yesterday.