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urko

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Everything posted by urko

  1. The DfE in the UK asks schools to collect data on Primary School pupils each year. This year (in a pre-referendum decision) they decided to ask schools to ask parents the Country where each child was born. This made me wonder - does the French system ask this?
  2. [quote user="Fleur"]I missed this thread too. I can't really help with your query but greetings to the IOM which looked pretty as a picture last week when we went 'home' for a few days. Anyone got any tales to tell of their experiences going over the bridge?  http://artofdesign.wordpress.com/2006/11/01/the-millau/  We're going that way next month. Should I be nervous? http://artofdesign.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/millau_fosterweb2.jpg [/quote] It is a fabulous bridge - we did see this guy on the approach on our first visit - to this day I don't know what he thought he was doing or why his car was facing the wrong way!
  3. I've only ever been on the end of direct anti-British (or English) comments in Cornwall, Wales, and California. I'd rather spend time in rural France than any of these places, altough I live in a lovely part of England (I won't sat where or everyone will find it - but it's not in the South :-)
  4. Sorry - we wondered a bit off topic to TV (and for that matter radio) journalists who make up the news by interviewing each other and asking the same inane and (this is where it relates to the thread topic) unimaginative phrases.
  5. Do program makers not have any imagination???!!!  No. Neither do journalists "how do you feel?" "what's the mood tonight?"
  6. urko

    Exile

    [quote user="sweet 17"]For the first time in the 5 months since I have lived in France, I feel a sense of exile.  What has brought this about?  Is it missing family, friends, Tesco, ............. [/quote] I live in England and never go near Tesco.  I don't miss it.
  7. Last time I moved I telephoned the solicitors on the day of completion to check the money had been transferred.  They confirmed it had - I asked how much the figure was and they told me.  I said that seemed much higher than I had expected but they assured me it was correct. I was moving as a result of divorce and so we were splitting the proceeds according to a formula that had been supplied to the Solicitors, in writing, twice. Next news ex-wife on the phone in high dugeon (sp?) asking where her share is and what I'm playing at. The Solicitors had done this simple thing wrong. My experience of both divorce and conveyancing is that they promise to keep one updated but never do. If any of them ever read the terms of engagement they send out, they'd realise they don't do anything they promise. I agreed with my divorce lawyer that she'd bill me monthly, which she did at first, but this then became random and erratic for no apparent reason. Finally, the whole of the law (in England and Wales certainly) is run by lawyers, for lawyers, not you. For example, if you get divorced, your spouse can “shop around” to find the area where the divorce settlements commonly handed down suit them best – then force you to get divorced there. This means if you have already engaged a lawyer close to home they won't be familiar with that court (they all make up the rules as they go along and judges are feted as though gods) and you'll have to consider firing your lawyer and getting one local to the court or paying your lawyer to travel (I don't know any other occupation that manages to charge customers for travelling time). If you then find your spouse's choice of Court was so popular that they have a massive case backlog there is no-one to complain to and no-one who is interested in hurrying things along. The lawyer who was named as an executor by my late Father in his will, in his (my Father's) attempt to help the process, slowed it down and hindered it, and cost us extra time and expense. When I complained I was treated with contempt until I was able to prove conclusively what a poor job had been done, at which point I received a grudging apology. I don't get involved with lawyers unless I absolutely have to.
  8. Hi Dick - I've been "researching" this  (sounds  a bit pompous even for me).  It seems that the software developers. telligent have been made aware of some Safari issues by various users of their forum software, but there is no sign of them taking any action from what I can see on their site. http://communityserver.org/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=safari&o=Relevance I suspect that the workaround is to use BB code for most things that the rich text editor offers, although I unfortunately only have Linux and Windows, not a Mac to try (actually not strictly true - I have a Mac running OS9, but not Safari).  Another suggestion mooted over at telligent is to use Firefox.
  9. Many thanks for the answers folks.
  10. This week I've noticed two different sets of Sapeurs in each case driving large Renualt Master vans, all blue lights flashing, but travelling very slowly - when I saw the first lot I assumed it was a particular set of circmustances, but having seen two lots doing the same, I'm wondering if it's a policy of some kind?
  11. I have seen quite a few cars with number plates where the background is red - the numbers are 92 which is the Department Hauts de Seine - does anyone know why these are red?
  12. I am 44, have lived in the Uk all my life and never considered leaving until recently.  I don't know if I have become more sensitive to it, but the casual abuse and rowdyness (mainly drink related) is starting to get me down.  Last night after an enjoyable meal with friends I was walking home.  A kid hanging out of a passing car called me a ****.  A bloke stopped to ask me where the pizza hut was, but he was so drunk he couldn't seem to understand the answer or even stand up properly. When I rounded the corner to my (usually quiet) street, I heard shouting.  A gang of lads, some wearing traffic cones on their heads were shouting and chanting.  One had gone off into the courtyard of one the houses to throw up, but hadn't finished the job and was just continuing to do so as he staggered along. I know all countries have their problems, but I also know from people who have left, that quite a lot of other countries don't have this type of behaviour.  In spite of being 6' 5" I feel intimidated by this stuff.
  13. I used to work in Insurance (I wish the court to take several other offences into consideration).  I suspect the answer would depend upon the type of accident.  Insurers (at least under UK law) are entitled to know about anything that (broadly speaking) that might affect their attitude to the risk they are taking on - the 90% in France would probably fall into this category.  That said, if the accident invloved death or injury to others, the insurer would probably pay that part of any claim to avoid adverse publicity and possible pressure from government(s).  I think there would be very little chance of getting any of his/her own damage paid for. Would I ride in the car? Depends.  Being a passenger in car driven by someone else doesn't miraculously entitle one to automatic compensation from an insurance company if the car crashes in most cases so I wouldn't really be losing anything unless I knew the driver was especially prone to recklessness or negligence (in which case.....I feel a catch 22 moment coming on) .  The question of whether I'd travel with someone I knew was cutting these kinds of corners is different - depends how badly I needed a lift I suppose.
  14. I think you need to try each car out.  I'm 6'5" and have no (touch wood) major back problems.  My worst ever car for back comfort was a VW Passat - the seats were soft in all the wrong places and hard in all the other wrong places as well as lacking thigh support for me.  The best was a Saab.  I currently drive a Subaru Impreza which is OK but not a patch on the Saab.  My wife had a GTV and I found that the seats, whilst as beautiful as the rest of the car, lacked lower back support, however, height alone isn't the only factor of course.  I know people (slightly) shorter than me who struggle to get comfortable because proportionally more of their height is in their legs or body. The only car that really gave me bother getting in and out of was a Lotus Elise, although once in it it was comfortable. I'm currently toying with a Berlingo or maybe a C8 (need more space) - I have sat in the Berlingo and ridden numerous times in them in front and back and find them comfortable - they are a bit van like, but my first car was a van and I don't mind vans - they certainly ride fine.
  15. The British Scheme requires everyone to attend an interview and give the Government our fingerprints, and iris scans.  Just for a "licence to exist". We will then have a continuing duty to inform the government of changes of address etc. The database will record any time a check is made on our identity - which would make it extremely useful to hackers and other criminals and ID thieves. The constitution of Germany forbids such a centralised database - ask yourself why. "I take the view that it is part of being a good citizen, proving who you are, day in day out," Andy Burnam, Minister in Charge of ID Cards. The Today Programme, BBC Radio 4, 28-03-06.. "The scheme will not track your life's activities. ID cards will be used when it is important to verify identity. That is not an everyday occurrence for the majority …" Andy Burnam, Minister in Charge of ID Cards. The Observer, Letters, March 26, 2006
  16. Hmm - interesting link, Dick, thanks for that.  I'd be interested in knowing how many people travel to each destination - for example, in the last five years I have travelled to the USA, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, The Maldives and France (several times - perhaps no surprise given my presence on here).  I suspect that I'd still need a full passport for the more far-flung destinations.  At a simple practical level they stamped my passport, which they couldn't have done for an ID card.  I have no idea how usual/unusual my pattern of travel is for the "average" passport holder. As it happens, I now choose not to visit the USA because I don't trust them to safeguard the fingerprint data they would collect if I visited (apparently Jeremy Clarkson said much the same on telly recently - Thatcher and Clarkson as allies - this is worrying - can't stand either of 'em) , but that is at least a choice I can make. Presumably, if the card allowed EU visits and that's what most people do, and it only cost £30 or so, I can see it might be popular.
  17. Hi Dick I don't fully understand the bank account/mobile phone scenario (I'm not being deliberately obtuse).  At present one has to produce quite a bit of ID for a bank account - so I'm not sure what we'd gain from the ID card.  I accept what you say at a level of sophisticated forgery - although I would imagine organised criminals would certainly try their best to forge such a card.  However, producing a convincing forgery with a photo that would pass any visual inspection, would surely be quite easy.  For example, I'm not sure of the circumstances you alluded to before regarding a car crash - but had you asked to see the guy's ID card you would have presumably checked the name etc and that the photo looked liked him? I think you may well be right about the whole thing being sunk by incompetance - but I'd prefer it not to get to that stage.  According to Accountancy Age, the government has already spent £18m on this.  Sadly, I think you have seen a common feature of databases (I have worked on a lot) which is not very well understood by the politicians. As an anti, I'm very clear about the roots of my objection - I don't see the need for me to give my fingerprints and eye scans to the government in order for them to issue me with a licence to exist.  They are supposed to work for me.  The cost is a secondary issue (although there are so many better ways we could spend £5.8 billion). If I could see a logical justification, for the good of society, I might consider it, but I don't feel that case has been made.
  18. [quote]Of course in this case ID cards would not have affected the people perpitrating the act. Doubtfully it might have helped identify anyone who might have come to the UK to guide and lead them. But ...[/quote] Only if; They were compulsory Everyone always remembered to carry theirs at all times No-one ever carried anyone else's no forgeries were ever made they were indestructible I wouldn't mind betting people had credit cards, driving licences and so - but DNA and dental evidence has still been necessary.  In short, they would have been of little or no value.
  19. Now we know a little more, it seems that the bombers were not worried about being identified - it seems they were even carrying ID.  There would therefore appear to be no argument for ID cards based on terrorism.
  20. Dick May I add my thanks for posting Ken's words.  He articulated something that no doubt many of us have been feeling.
  21. I'd prefer not to speculate about whether ID cards could have prevented today's events.  Although I am implacably opposed and will never willingly carry one, it's just too early to say until we know the circumstances under which the bombs were planted.  However, we do know that ID cards didn't prevent 9/11 or the Madrid bombings so it's hard to see how they could have prevented today's.
  22. By the way - I don't view this as a sinister plot.  I think it is an ill-considered populist policy that hasn't been properly thought through.  I don't think it would solve any of the problems that the government claims (and they seem to be changing their mind about what it is for each week), and I think it would be a huge waste of money.
  23. Andy I'm not too worried about this government tracking my movements - except in so far as it has nothing to do with them.  I do worry about the creation of that data for every citizen and the use it could be put to by criminals (either by hacking or duress on the humans who do have access), or by a future government.  By starting this off, we're not just trusting the current lot, we're trusting all future governments with our data. Urko
  24. Will You are quite right about the Tesco/Credit card analogy. However these aren't compulsory and not all the data is held in one place - so if one set of data is compromised, it doesn't have implications beyond that data.  Of course if all your spending is at Tesco or on one card, the effect would be similar - except Tesco haven't asked for anyone's fingerprint and iris scan data.  I also have a choice not to have a Tesco card (and I don't) - but I won't have a choice not to have a government card. Cheers Urko 
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