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Logan

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Everything posted by Logan

  1. The question was "Are you excited"? The answer for me is.  NO. I am even disillusioned yet again by the antics of some riders in Le Tour. Sport worldwide has lost it's meaning.[:(]
  2. Logan

    Gas refrigerant

    Looks like I may have solved my problem. [:)] http://www.cyberpieces.com/climatisation_installation0.htm
  3. Logan

    Gas refrigerant

    Thanks for that reply JR. Having done more research I discover that Gaz R407C which is the standard gas installed in A/C systems is being phased out and will soon be banned altogether. This is because it's a dangerous greenhouse gas and very harmful to the ozone layer. Apparently you cannot install the replacement less harmful gas in a system designed for R407C gas! Hence the recent price discounting of A/C systems in the bricos.[:(] So far I have only found cylinders of R407C on e bay in UK at £95.
  4. Can anyone help with the location of a place to buy a gas refrigerant kit for a domestic air conditioner. My system needs topping up. I appreciate I could call an engineer but I prefer to do it myself. I have read only qualified engineers may buy Gas R407C in France but that sounds like protectionism and difficult to believe. Help would be appreciated.
  5. Who was it who said, " all publicity is good publicity"?
  6. I am suprised to read that so many of you open accounts with Credit Agricole in France. Personally I would not consider the bank. They are a virtual monopoly in many parts of the country. My experience with them is they also behave as you would expect from a monopoly. There are so many other banks in France which will give you better service. HSBC for example, CCSO, Barclays International, Banque Populaire to name but four. With modern internet connections it is not necessary to bank at your local CA down the road.
  7. Tricky Trichet's one trick pony to control inflation. Must be great news to countries such as Spain, Italy and Ireland that need low interest rates to stimulate their flagging growth. I believe we are starting to see the folly of a single currency and the 'one size fits all' philosophy of the federalists within the EU Commission and beyond. It will however continue until the pips begin to squeak and nation states currently within the Eurozone finally realise what a dogs breakfast they have all been party to.
  8. I totally agree with you Chris pp but you cannot really regulate forums unless there's a breach of the rules. Voting with your feet/mouse is my answer. I have noticed the quality of advice on here is much poorer these days. Other forums such as TF seem to do much better and have in my opinion more interesting posts and far less less silly billie.
  9. Try this one WJT:- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article4187792.ece
  10. There is I believe both in France, UK and elsewhere a culture of media and politicians operating in cahoots with each other. The one serves and feeds off the other. A few print journalists occasionally raise their heads over the parapet and break out from the convention but not often. When they do they get black listed and treated as an unsafe pair of hands. The cosy relationship they all enjoy is contributing to the public cynicism of both professions. It might be down to the Murdoch effect of money feeding money. Certainly real information and opinion today seems heavily filtered. The French press are even worse than the UK. Internet forums and bloggers are now the only thing worth reading in my opinion. Again you need to be selective and exercise your own common sense in accepting truth. Perhaps the only truth when it comes to politics is that there just isn't any, especially from government spokes people. There is just spin and counter spin. Reducing the political damage of real problems, not actually dealing with them.  I agree that the populations of Europe are slipping down a greasy slope. We need to take control of our politics and politicians not acquiesce our responsibility to a bunch of cretins just because they happen to get elected, usually by default. Unless we the people wake from our comfortable slumbers the agenda will be ripped from our grasp. Otherwise no more brave new morning. Here is the latest news and the intention of the EU Commission and in particular the Franco/German axis to bully the Irish people. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article4187792 Read it through the prism of the Murdoch inspired bias. Most British/French press these days should come with a health warning.  
  11. Gluestick is a great visionary. With those changes he suggests in place and other posters, particulary the economic measures what a difference we all would make. Yet nothing gets done by the dullards currently in place in most European states. Following on from the previous poster Inceni. Perhaps the truth is that the quality of leaders reflect the visions of the people. If the people could not give a stuff then why should they.  
  12. Wales and Scotland would have their independence in my ideal constitution and the monarchy removed with an elected President. An enlarged EU of sovereign democratic states trading without barriers but with no political or social integration. A slimmed down Commission with the abolition of the European Parliament. I mean what's it for anyway? As for me personally, being in government, it would be the very last thing I would consider. [+o(]
  13. I agree with Gluesticks pessimistic view. The causes at least but not so much the eventual effects. Most ordinary folk don't give a tinker cuss for politics or their practioners. What they do care about is their incomes and standard of living. Keep that in place and revolution is a long way off. The petty squabbles of The Lisbon Treaty do not really interest them unless perhaps they see minorities being abused or disinfranchised. Further more I think most people would agree and accept that politicans are self serving spinless creeps, in it for the self importance, cudos and back handers. People of real integrity usually do something more constructive with their lives. Unfortunately countries need government to process the system. Unless they do something that really gets up the public nose, most of us are happy to ignore them whilst they get on with it. Complacency abounds. I believe that The Lisbon Treaty is potentially one of those moments. If it is handled badly the backlash might be considerable. They will only have themselves to blame when we roast the soles of their feet.
  14. It's not HRH job to intervene in government business. She is a constitutional monarch, a figure head if you like. Nothing more. I think the Judge was simply asserting the courts precedence until judgement is delivered. Unfortunately I expect the case to fail.
  15. I believe the Irish voted NO to Lisbon because they realised that smaller states such as theirs would be shunted off to the sidelines of the EU decision making process. They would lose the right to appoint an Irish Commissioner and more qualified majority voting would prevent them blocking issues which would legally change matters they hold dear. I do not subscribe to the patronising view of the EU Commission that the Irish had not understood the issues of Lisbon. They understood them all too well that's why they said No.  The last time unification in Europe was attempted by force or at least pursuasion with kidology, it was done by a certain A. Hitler.  We live perhaps in more suttle and enlightened times. However the aim is still that of European unification and a super state controlled by unelected former politicans who have largely failed to make an impact in their own state. The current Trade Commissioner Peter Mandleson being just one example.  My opposition to EU federalisim has nothing to do with "being a little Englander" which was the opinion of a TF poster.  Actually I have lived in France for well over 26 years and am no 'Petit Anglais.'.. I believe that France and Britain should retain their individual sovereignty with the power of their own elected governments to decide the future direction of their own country.
  16. I am afraid that will not happen. It would create a constitutional crisis and the present HM is not interested in rocking any boats. The latest news this morning is that the EU summit meeting has broken up without any agreement on what to do about the Treaty. Recriminations abound particulary from Sarkozy who thinks further enlargement is now out of the question. The EU commission still refuse to accept that the Treaty is dead. They want to give the Irish another vote later in the year. Personally I believe that will be digging a bigger hole than they are already in. The fact that the Lisbon Treaty effectively transfers massive powers from elected governments to an unelected cabal of appointed politicians makes the Irish wince.  It should worry us all a great deal.
  17. We all seem of the same mind on this thread. That must be a first for TF! I believe that the politics of the EU are fundamentally based on undemocratic principals. The design and function of the EU Commission often reminds me of the Catholic Church. A head of state elected by a small cabal of self servers rejoicing in the title of Cardinal. Dictats are sent down from on high and the people have only one function. That of keeping the faith in the teeth of all evidence to the contrary. We are supposed to suspend our experience and life knowledge without complaint or descent. Safe in the knowledge that our Fathers know best and in the end the grand plan will raise human life to a higher form of existence. In fact I read somewhere that the EU was actually originally supposed to be just that. A catholic capitalists club.  I do hope Gluesticks is right and this debacle over an EU Constitution marks a turning point. I have grave doubts. I think the usual fudge and mudge will ensue from this coming summit. I expect they will force another vote in Ireland with a media blitz offering cherries to vote YES. I believe for the EU to survive Europe needs a permanent end to the creation process of a super state. Then a resurgence of sovereign nations without restrictive EU laws, trading in a tariff free zone. That was the original concept of the EU until the agenda was highjacked by the current generation of federalist politicians. They have never had the courage to ask the people their opinion. On the few occasions they did they received an answer they didn't want. A resounding NO. Their new tactic is to simply ignore the voters. I say they do so at their eventual peril.  
  18. Before the Irish vote Brown had intimated that he would invoke the Parliment Act if the Lords refused to ratify the treaty. Remember this is a Prime Minister who's party was elected at the last election on a promise of a referendum for the British people on this subject. Unfortunately the pro-treaty peers seem to have a majority in the Lords if the Lib Dems vote with Labour as expected. So it's likely the Treaty of Lisbon will be ratified in UK this week. Brown can then go to the EU summit all smiling to the cabal and say he's done his bit. The British people meanwhile have been robbed of their promised democratic rights. A recent poll revealed 53% of Brits would reject the treaty. In France 56% are against it. Yet still the so called leaders of nations press on regardless.
  19. The Czech Republic seem now unlikely to ratify the treaty despite Sarkozy's applying some pressures today. Once more the smaller European states have to take the lead. The UK seems to be sitting on their hands, afraid of upsetting the French. The treaty has to have a final ratification vote in the House of Lords this week. Their Lordships have the power to force the issue for the UK to take the lead for once. Unfortunately the Lib. Dem. peers are likely to support the government line and vote for ratification despite the Irish vote.
  20. Some interesting links there Gluey. I realise this subject does not interest or excite most folks. That is in my view part of the problem. We in Europe are sleepwalking towards being controlled politically and socially by a cabal of unelected elites. It's difficult to find any UK politician who will support in public the exclusion of Ireland, yet that's exactly what is now being proposed. People feel helpless in a process which seems remote and beyond their democratic means of influence. It's dangerous for democracies and dangerous for our freedom and liberty. The European public need to wake up and realise everything they hold dear is being slowly eroded. Then we need to do something positive about it.
  21. The Irish people have now soundly rejected The Lisbon Treaty which is a European constitution by another name. The French and Dutch also rejected the same idea and principal. I really do wonder why the European Commission do not understand the word NO. The EU in my view completely ignores the opinions of all of us the voters. After the result was announced Jose Manuel Barroso said in a press conference that The Lisbon Treaty should continue to be retified by all 27 member states regardless of the Irish vote. In my view the European Union is slowly undermining all our democratic freedoms with the conivance of some member state governments. France and Germany seem to have a private agenda to create an EU super state to rival the power of the USA and now China. Now Mr Sarkozy who will soon have the European Presidency has endorsed Barroso's view that this retched treaty must continue to be ratified by all member states forcing Ireland into the cold. This despite public opinion in almost all member states being against it. ttp://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/andreas-whittam-smith/andreas-whittam-smith-irish-voters-have-stated-the-truth-for-all-
  22. I ‘love’ France because basically I have a masochistic nature. Let me explain. I don’t feel I am quite alive unless I feel pain of some description on a daily basis. It keeps my nerve endings in tune and my brain on full alert mode. That’s quite something for a septuagenarian. You see living in France is painful. You only have to look into the eyes of your neighbours. They seem beaten and vanquished by the system. The faces of most French people appear so sad and downbeat. Smiles come very infrequent. People appear miserable, vanquished.  If you live or travel in other countries that look is not quite the same. In Italy for example Italians are happy and carefree. The reason I would suggest for that is in the daily battle with the state they ensure they win just a little for themselves. In Spain it’s the same. Everyone deals in cash just to avoid the dead hand of the tax man and retain the rewards they have worked for. In France that’s not possible. Well, usually very difficult. The state always wins. Always has the last drain of the glass. So if you live in France banging your head against the wall of officialdom and state control becomes a sort of perversion. Doing it for long enough, as I have, it starts to become worryingly enjoyable. That pang of sheer joy when you achieve a very small success against what seemed previously to be such insurmountable odds. The challenge of it all and the uncertain chance of success or failure becomes such a buzz. A bit like gambling. Do not tell me you have never felt it. If not believe me you will eventually. So in short I do love France. How could I live anywhere else? I have become inexplicably addicted to pain.
  23. If you were an amateur statistician Gluey and researched in depth how often a project goes wrong and how often a project goes right and delivers real benefit to mankind. I think you would be surprised. The history of man is littered with disasters and triumphs. That’s how we achieved a civilisation. Trial and error. War and peace et al. Society and I mean global human society is made up of those who want to achieve something, those who want to steal or hurt something and those who want us all to believe in something. As well as those who’s only desire is to live from the labour of others. Of course it’s possible to be pessimistic about any idea and quote historical disasters. However if you let that beat you none of us would move on and try to buck the trend. Nothing would get done. Society would move backwards. It’s called optimism, motivation and incentive. When things go pear shaped we learn, change and adapt, then move on. I do not doubt for a moment that the examples you quote turned out to be disastrous projects for whatever reason. However we humans learn from mistakes and experience. We actually try not to repeat the same errors again. Your pessimisms perhaps come from clearing up the mess others leave behind. I understand that. Unfortunately it is also a core root of cynicism.   Thankfully for us all however, new generations of entrepreneur will always have the enthusiasm for success and risk. Failure for them is unthinkable. They just need to be left alone to achieve it.  
  24. An enjoyable read once more Gluey even if I can't agree. However we do have some common ground on our opinion of politicans. Politics can in the hands of some be a force for good in the world. Problem is historically the list is very short especially in this modern era where legislation and regulation seem an epidemic.   The current food crisis can be overcome in my view with more efficient agriculture especially in Africa and parts of Asia. The huge demand side could be supplied if investment and expertise moved into agriculture in areas of the world where only subsistence farming currently exists. There are some documented cases where this has already successfully taken place. It's simple economics. When the demand increases it become viable for capital to move in and supply that demand for profit. Problems always create an opportunity. A similar example are the north sea oil fields. Now being extended and developed as a direct result of the high oil price. If too much regulation and restriction is forced upon venture capitalism it will simply move elsewhere. Unfettered capitalism supplies solutions to human needs. Politicians and regulators mostly get in the way and make those solutions more complicated and sometimes impossible.  
  25. [quote user="Gluestick"] Same with food commodities, such as grain and rice. So what does it matter that tracts of the poor in Asia will soon be out with the begging bowl? Serves them right, eh! They should have migrated to Wall Street and become capitalists. You can't, sadly, have it both ways! [/quote] The current rising food costs in the world are caused by a combination of high demand through increased prosperity in the Asian sub-continent and China. (Successful capitalism bringing wealth creation.) Plus the crazy policies of sustainable, traditional agriculture being replaced by bio-fuels funded through subsidy. 
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