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Oh I'm so jealous, I may just have to join you.  I have been to pic du midi in the winter and summer, stunning absolutely stunning. Its such a shame about the snow.

[quote user="catalpa"] For Dotty... <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->...with apologies to those who really don’t care what I think Dotty thinks I said…[:D] <!--[endif]--> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->Dotty – it went like this (and my apologies if it wasn’t obvious to you or others what I was doing): <!--[endif]--> Patmobile wrote: Actually, I meant that perhaps the pupils themselves, and their parents, regard the qualifications as having little worth. That's why they all want to be "celebrities" rather than pass any exams at school, or go into higher education.  This is how you get the underclass - ultimately, they are not convinced the schools can offer them anything useful, - and the responsibility for that rests with.....? With what had been said before, I think - and I may be wrong - that Patmobile was suggesting that  the responsibility ... rests with..... teachers. I don’t think so. So I answered his responsibility question by saying that – paraphrasing now – I thought they (this underclass) had a belief that fame and money should be handed over without having to do anything difficult. Perhaps (for this underclass) it wasn’t so much a lack of belief in the value of qualifications, simply a reluctance to work hard to achieve them. That hard work with intent to achieve wasn’t respected whereas appearing on a reality tv show or going out with a footballer was. So I didn’t understand where the comments about inherited money were coming from. “It” Girls may have their own unique challenges [:P] but they don’t fall into my definition of an underclass. [/quote] Its all getting very confusing [blink] I think, having reread your post I hadn't fully understood what you where saying and how.  You have made it much clearer now its all together.  

[quote user="KathyC"] [quote user="hastobe"] I hear what you are saying about parental influences Katie - but why oh why have people made a celebrity of her???  She is hardly someone to aspire to.  Its almost an inverted sense of pride some people seem to have in being an ignorant ***. [/quote] I hate the whole concept as much as you do but I think the reason for Jade's celebrity status is that she shows that it's possible for someone who's stupid,ignorant, ill mannered and a foul mouthed bully to be rich and famous without any effort or skill. In other words you don't need to work hard or be good at anything you just need to be lucky and in the right place. It's a very similar philosophy to the feeling that you're going to win the lottery and I believe that research shows that a similar proportion of young people(similar to the percentage mentioned in the Independent article above)  think that this is going to happen to them. [/quote] Hate is a bit of strong word isn't it? How do we know if there is no effort involved in counting all that dosh, perhaps she has a gruelling schedule. And does the Independant reveil where they get their statistics from?  Oh of course everything you read in the papers must be true.[;-)]

But you did take a peek though [;-)]

Yes perhaps 'us' would have been more appropriate.

with the...  presently popular belief that fame and money should be handed to you without you having to do anything difficult - This is how you brought it up

[quote user="hastobe"][quote user="Dotty "] Come on if folk really believe the masses in UK are just like Jade, then what is the world coming to. [/quote] Sadly Dotty (well certainly where I live) an awful lot are... Kathie [/quote] Perhaps they are the ignorant, uneducated ones. to believe that anyway

[quote user="hastobe"][quote user="Dick Smith"] And just how weak are the men in the house? I hadn't watched any of it this time (I watched the last one and promised that this time I wouldn't) until the Big Row, so I may have missed something - but what are they like? Complete wimps. [/quote] Exactly - no one (with the exception of, perhaps, Jermaine Jackson) seems to have said anything.  Too many people nowadays seem to be happy to be bystanders..... Kathie [/quote] Apart from calling Jade and her Mum white trash, oh but tht seems to have been overlooked.  

[quote user="Just Katie "] [quote user="Cassis"]So the grandson carries on a family tradition? [/quote] Exactly Cassis. My dad was from the East End.  Big Bruvvers kool. Anyway, the discussion is whether the abuse was racist.  Personally I do not think it was (shall I duck now)?  I think the three girls involved have an obvious jealousy for the beautiful, successful actress.  Their bullying is very purile.  This sort of behaviour is very common amongst adolescent girls when another seemingly more 'superior' girl is on the scene.  Shipla unfortunately inadvertently stirred their insecurities and off they go. OK, they mimicked her accent, again I think this was juvenile bitchiness and in their ignorance did not have the sense to foresee this could come across as being racist.  I blame big brother as this should have been nipped in the bud before it came to this.  But then again these events have boosted  viewings so why should they protect these unintelligent young girls? [/quote] Thank you Katie, are you after a mod job? I don't think she was being racist either.  I don't know if any of you know, but her Dad is black, she said on the programme that she is a half cast. If someone Irish or Scotish or even Welsh had been on BB and someone had mimicked their accent, would that be racist?  Of course it wouldn't.  When Jade told Shilpa to go home, didn't she just mean home?  There seems to be any excuse to create some kind of racial tension in Britain.  I watched the show and whilst watching it I thought God Jade shut up.  I hoped one of the other two girls would have intervened or walked away.  If you had watched the whole argument and the days leading up to it then maybe you would understand why Jade was so annoyed with Shilpa.  But for most, you probably haven't.  As I was saying whilst watching the argument unfold I did not feel there was any racial tension going on, it was only when I read the news the next day it came to light.  Goodness me I thought, aren't there more important things to be made up in the world.    

[quote user="catalpa"][quote user="Dotty "] [quote user="catalpa"][quote user="Patmobile"]This is how you get the underclass - ultimately, they are not convinced the schools can offer them anything useful, - and the responsibility for that rests with.....? [/quote] with the...  presently popular belief that fame and money should be handed to you without you having to do anything difficult - [/quote] What about the folk that inherit huge somes of money for not having ever done anything to earn it and then turn into playboys/girls.  [/quote] <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->I'm not sure that's relevant here. [8-)] They’re not the disadvantaged that (perhaps unfairly though I don’t think so) we appear to be saying Jade represents. True, the "rich kids" may not have done anything to earn their money but they have benefitted from their birth to rich and / or successful parents. The area of popular culture under the spotlight here is represented by Jade, not Paris Hilton. (Or her internet movies. [:-))]) Paris Hilton is unlikely to be down to her last dollar when she’s 50. I don’t have the same expectation for Jade. [/quote] I don't think it necessary either, but you are the one that brought it up. But to add to it, I know quite a few 'rich kids' that behave far worse than Miss Goody.  Believe me far worse. And who exactly is putting Jade under the spotlight and using her to represent the popular culture of today?  The likes of you.  Do you also believe all French people eat frogs legs?  Come on if folk really believe the masses in UK are just like Jade, then what is the world coming to.

[quote user="beryl"] [quote user="Patmobile"] I give you the young Jade Goody and a multitude like her.  You are a teacher - this is your challenge, to turn this material into something better. Patrick [/quote] But teachers are fighting against everything else! Sure one teacher may  for a variety of reasons be able to reach a particular child and inspire them but for every teacher that the child meets to do this is unrealistic and it is not anyones fault. Moreover, very often teachers standards and moral codes are very high, the background that the child comes from may not be, this teachers have to tread very carefully. [/quote] Why is it a teachers job to bring up todays society, surely its the parents job.  Perhaps if kids were taught right from wrong it would make learning and teaching a whole lot easier.  I think potential parents should be vetted before any idea of having kids. [:D]

[quote user="catalpa"][quote user="Patmobile"]Actually, I meant that perhaps the pupils themselves, and their parents, regard the qualifications as having little worth. That's why they all want to be "celebrities" rather than pass any exams at school, or go into higher education.  This is how you get the underclass - ultimately, they are not convinced the schools can offer them anything useful, - and the responsibility for that rests with.....? [/quote] with the...  presently popular belief that fame and money should be handed to you without you having to do anything difficult - such as study for (and worry about) exams, exist on a shoestring while you get your degree, work your way up in a company or trade by starting in a junior post, working long hours and studying. Working hard to achieve an ambition - as opposed to appearing on a reality tv show or going out with a footballer - is not respected by a sizeable slice of the British population. And I do not believe that is anything to do with the teaching profession. It probably does have something to do with parental role models and attitudes. [/quote] What about the folk that inherit huge somes of money for not having ever done anything to earn it and then turn into playboys/girls.  Perhaps we should look at Jade a bit more closely.  She has had an awful upbringing, yes become famous for being loud and brash, but she has stayed in the public eye as she has a marketable quality.  Whether you like it or not she is now very successful.  How many footballers, pop stars, flim actors, talented people etc have become famous and then just disappeared into thin air, along with their fortunes.

I have watched most of the BB and CBB shows, though half the time the celebrities on these shows are hardly that.  I find them addictive viewing.  The process of locking up 10 or 12 people, confining them to a limited area for a period of time, then watching them form friendships and enemies is very interesting to me. It amuses me, when folk say, 'BB I have never watched that load of c rap.'  How can you form a real opinion of something and make a statement like that if you have never seen it? I don't understand why folk blame the likes of Miss Goody for being a bad roll model, why do parents allow their kids to watch these programmes if they are so bad? Why do we get into such a tizz over some brainless, rude, ignorant, multi million heiress, because that's what she is.  I kind of get the feeling there are quite a few green eyes out there.  We, the public make these so called celebrities who they are, so why are we giving them a hard time for something we have done. Of course this is just my opinion, I'm waiting for the sticky stuff to hit the fan now.

Many thanks Cooperlola and Cassis, it works. If you're in my neck of France I'll buy you a beer, in the mean time Cheers [B] Dotty

Cooperlola I have done what you suggested and it isn't shown separately. Tenniswatch Its a samsung scx4100 I bought it in the UK.  There is a downloadable manual, but it doesn't say anything about the software.  I have checked my pc but it doesn't seem to have downloaded the software for the scanner. Many thanks

Hello I have a Samsung printer/scanner and I want to use it with my XP machine.  I plugged it in and followed the info, its loaded the data and I'm able to use it as a printer.  I have had the printer for a few years and never used the scanning function on my old pc.  Now when I need the scanner I can't seem to find how to work it.  It doesn't help that I can't find the disc supplied with it. I have tried to look through the Samsung website and have sent them an email. Can anybody help?  The software, I think is called Smart thru. Many thanks Dotty

I am with Wanadoo, now Orange and have been for 18 odd months.  I don't have a live box, just a modem and 512 speed, I pay 19.90 euros pers month.  When my Dad's village got broadband last year, I said I would help him order his broad band service.  However he could only sign up if he had a live box and 1 meg of speed, he pays 24.95 euros per month.

Not a sausage?  

[quote user="Quillan"]Did you hit the wrong button by accident? I have checked the deleted post section and there is nothing there so nobody has deleted it.[/quote] Thanks Quillan, I may well of hit the wrong key.  At the time I was on Skype to my sister, anything is possible, just very unlike me.  Oh well, it wasn't important, I only asked cassis if he was definately a sausage.

I posted here earlier and it hasn't appeared  

Can you be sure no one has tampered with it?

I guess you have to live in the UK to open this account?

Lori, we have had plenty of rain.

I think you will find teachers like this in all countries, not just France and UK.  The school, comp, my daughter went to was terrible. Some of the teachers didn't even know her name.  It seems if you are one of the naughty kids you are remembered.  We had a parents evening with her subject teachers and it was such an ordeal.  Most of the teachers came out with the same old line, you could hear the same garbage coming out for the child in front of us and probably the child behind.  I think there are many teachers in the UK which have very little interest in their jobs as well.

I bank with Barclays and can only move £1000.00 in one day.  They don't charge me anything for making online payments.  I use www.xe.com they charge me approx £8.00, but its the same for £10.00-£10000.00.  They are a Canadian bank I think, I make the payment to their UK branch and they do the rest.  All my correspondance with them is in Canada, so there is a bit of a time difference.  I have been using them for 3 years and have never had a problem with them.   I too get a very good rate.  For example, todays rate is 1.5096, I will get 1.489.