diotima

[quote user="missyesbut"][quote user="Mandrau"] I have a question for the silly season.............why oh why are beefburgers (steak haché) always oval in shape when the buns are always round? [/quote] Because the butcher and the baker couldn't see what they were making on account that the candlestick maker didn't supply them for a while as they hadn't paid their candlebills!!  [:-))] [/quote] LOL!! Have you tried making your own? 1kg beef skirt (do they have that cut in France) or good braising steak; 2 chopped raw onions or several shallots, or onion marmalade to taste (sweeter taste); the flesh of one large baked aubergine and egg yolk to bind. Herbs/seasoning as liked. Chop it all finely and mix. Mould in a circular hamburger mould (I still have mine from an ancient Magimix) and grill/fry/barbecue thoroughly. Some people add breadcrumbs, I don't, just use force on the mould. You can't taste the aubergine, it just adds moisture. Bake the aubergine for about 30 minutes at around 160-170C, don't microwave, it will burst and spatter the inside of the microwave like something dead from a 1950s horror movie.[:D]

[quote user="chris pp"]http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/article/0,13005,901060828-1229072,00.html See if this works, Chris [/quote] Thanks! Why didn't it work for me - I copied it from my browser address bar? [8-)] That methods works in Mailsmith, First Class, other online forums. TIA. Pauline

Is anyone living near any of these chaps? http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/article/0,13005,901060828-1229072,00.html

[quote user="Le_Jars"]Hello Rebekah, I've got a question! Does the first page made in Dreamweaver have to be named 'index' for it to be the first page to be seen? What I mean is, when I've uploaded my site to my server, is there another name I can call the first page and it still be the first one on the site when live? I don't want it's address to be something like ...www.stuff.com/somepage.html... I still want it to be just the domain name (does that make sense?).  :) [/quote] Have a look at this page - http://www.pageplanetsoftware.com/mgiuserguide/Understanding/defaultpages.html. I always use index.html because it's the first the browser looks for, and anything that speeds up the process by even a microsecond is generally good [:)] When posting a link to my web site to someone I always include the slash at the end of the name, because what happens when the browser contacts the server is (roughly!) this: If the name is http://www.website.com (without the slash), the browser says to the server 'Hey server, I'm looking for the home page of this site, which is it?' Server says 'Er... just a mo'.. I've got index.html... is that the one you want?' Browser: 'Yep, that's the one'. Server: 'OK - here you are!'. Putting the trailing slash in the website name eliminates half that conversation, and maybe reduces the delay in displaying the page by another microsecond. This is as told to me by the head server manager of a major UK business website. [:-))]

I can't comment on French ISPs as I'm still in UK, but would recommend that you consider having your website hosted separately from your ISP. If your site earns good search engine rankings, moving it can seriously prejudice those rankings, impacting your business adversely. There are many good web hosts, and obviously a lot of bad ones, as there are ISPs. If you pick a good web host you will probably never have to worry about moving your site; and you're free to change your ISP if you need to, without affecting your website. I've read a lot about having a site hosted in the owner's time zone because of the ease of telephone support, and think it's a red herring. In practice, in eight years of having websites I've rarely had to ask my host for support, and in three years with my present host, I haven't had to ask for support once and there's not been a minute's downtime. I'm in UK and my web host is in Pennsylvania - my initial email enquiries were answered immediately, service 24/7. A good host will look after everything for you and you simply don't have to worry about it. The cost of reliable, quality hosting is little more than than the cost of basic service. Some small web hosts offer what look like great deals, but what can easily happen is that they get more customers than their infrastructure can cope with and service suffers. One thing to check when you look for a web host (or an ISP) is the size of the infrastructure they own - the size(s) of the pipe(s) connecting them to the internet backbone. Generally, the bigger the numbers, the better. Hosting your website and arranging your domain registration with your ISP can hold hidden costs if you do decide to switch, and the risk of downtime if your host/ISP delays dealing with your instructions. Before you decide check carefully whether charges are levied for moving your domain name to another registrar. By registering your domain name with a good registrar you have total control, will get free email forwarding before you upload your website, and the ability to point your domain name to whatever host you want without incurring any extra charges for it or delays in doing it. All my domain names (except my co.uk name) are registered with gandi.net (http://www.gandi.net), which is a French registrar, I have pauline-caldwell.com and pauline-caldwell.eu (among others) registered there and am totally happy with their service. Their control panel is clear and easy to use and their prices are among the best in the industry, even including French VAT. My web host is Pair Networks (http://www.pair.com) and I can't recommend them highly enough - I asked a web design list for recommendations and their name came up many times over. There are many other equally good hosts, though, lots of choice out there, it's a very competitive market. I have no connection with either company, I'm just a very satisfied customer. I'd register the .com and .eu versions of your preferred domain name if you can get them, although I think the entire supply of good .com names has been exhausted now [:(] My 2p-worth, others will have their own good recommendations [:)]

Well, colour me confused. This is the report I got from my Internic Whois search:    Server Name: 192.168.0.1.VIC.BIGPOND.NET.AU    Registrar: TUCOWS INC.    Whois Server: whois.opensrs.net    Referral URL: http://domainhelp.tucows.com I'll just go back to the day job and decide which variant of Trinité is the best face for the book of poetry I'm setting  [8-)]

[quote user="ChezShells"][quote user="diotima"]192.168.0.1 is a web server belonging to Bigpond.net, an Australian division of the Telstra Group, they're a big and reputable internet company. [/quote] Where did you get that from?, 192.168.0.1 is usually assigned to home networks, so this will be the router. [/quote] Whois search at Internic. The Internic database can't lie [;-)]

192.168.0.1 is a web server belonging to Bigpond.net, an Australian division of the Telstra Group, they're a big and reputable internet company. This server hosts third party web sites and Port 53 is the port on that server that gives access to those sites from the outside. It gets very murky from here, maybe your firewall/AV software has spotted activity from one or more sites on that server that it's tagged as damaging, and is blocking access to the entire server. DNS just means 'domain name server', all websites have a unique DNS number that maps to the name of the website itself. If you know a website's IP (internet protocol) address (the DNS number) you can reach it by typing either that or the site name into your browser. I can't comment on the software you're using as I'm on a Mac and not connected to a Windows network so I use a double-layer firewall but no AV software. AV software does need to be updated regularly, often once a month, as new viruses or later versions of current versions are identified. You could email bigpond.net and let them know the problem. Web hosts and ISPs generally aren't held responsible for the activities of customers, but reputable ones usually investigate if you report a problem.

[quote user="Bob"]erm..daryl Well said sir. but can you tell me if there is a version of OO that will run on my Mac? I don't realy need another WP but I'm intrigued by all the letters regarding and praising OO. My wife has a laptop windows machine so she may be interested in OO. Bob Preston. Vendee[/quote] I'm on a Mac (G5/Power PC) and use NeoOffice - http://www.neooffice.org/. It's Open Office ported to run natively on OS X, whereas Open Office itself for Mac needs X11 installed, which slows it down. The Open Office site is up now - http://www.openoffice.org.

[quote user="daryl-et-elaine"][quote user="diotima"]+1 for Open Office. There are things it does much better than MS Office, like page layout, for newsletters and stuff like that. Its handling of frames (for complex layouts) is far better than Publisher and infintely better than Word; ditto with styles which are sensible and consistent in OO Writer, not so in Word. OO also handles the high-res images needed for professional publishing whereas Word and Publisher mangle them down to 72dpi which is only fit for the Web. And it saves files in PDF format too. [/quote] Totally disagree. I'm a Beta tester for Microsoft and I'm afraid everything you criticise them for in your above statement just isn't true. Please explain how Word and Publisher "mangle" images down to 72dpi? I manage to juggle high resolution images between Adobe Photoshop and MS products without any difficulty! I suggest you  get hold of the Office 2007 Beta and try it against Open Office before commenting further. I'd love to know where in OO you can find in addition to the main Office functions; SharePoint Designer, Visio Professional, Project Professional, OneNote, Groove, 6 x SharePoint Server Programmes, 3 x Groove Server Components, 1 x Project Server. There is a lot more to MS Office than word processing , email, and presentation programmes, etc. [/quote] All that long list of stuff in your last paragraph is outside my technical expertise so I can't comment, and my comments refer to specific aspects of Open Office in comparison with MS Office, not the scope of each. On the page layout stuff I referred to, I can comment as I'm a professional typographer and typesetter, have 45 years experience in typographic design, pre-press and on-press work, from hot metal typesetting to the latest digital technology, and have used just about every application there is and has been in that field [:)] Open Office does do that stuff better than the Office applications. OO supports the ISO standards my industry relies on which Microsoft doesn't - Office's broken XML support is just one example, and there's no support either for hardware, paper and colour profiles, or the CMYK colour space.  Microsoft don't produce professional design applications and that's not a criticism, it's just not their market. If you know page layout methodology and you've used Open Office Writer you'll know that the techniques used in Writer are exactly the same as those used in high end page layout applications such as InDesign (the technological leader in this market). Publisher does the same in a limited way, but if you read the Publisher help you'll see it says that if Publisher output is required for high-end printing, it should be exported as an image for placing in an appropriate page layout application. I've sent OO Writer PDF output for offset printing many times and never had a file cause problems at the printer. Writer's styles implementation is pretty much the same as high-end layout tools - InDesign is my bread and butter application - but Word's styles implementation can best be described as idiosyncratic. Why Microsoft chose to go down that route when there was well-established methodology in use for years, will always be a mystery for me. I've placed 300dpi TIFFs in Publisher and Word repeatedly and examined the output, and the images are always 72dpi. This is in the 2003 versions of those applications. I'd appreciate some input as to what I'm doing wrong if I am, but having worked through this issue with experts at Ipex recently, I don't believe I am. Manipulating files between applications is one thing, but it's what happens on RIP that matters. What happened with your files on RIP? Did you get a pre-flight report on your files, and if so, what did it say? Yes, there's a lot of products that MS have where OO won't compete, but that's not the purpose of the Open Office project. Most users don't use more than about 20% of any application's features anyway, some experts say that figure's as low as 10%. One huge advantage of OO is in simply being open source, the data owner retains ownership of their intellectual property. I run an archiving project for a non-profit, and we have 25 years worth of data in god-only-knows how many electronic formats, and because those formats are proprietary and some are no longer used, in many cases we now don't have access to our own intellectual property. This is a very big issue for us, and as time goes on, it will become a big issue for a lot of companies and individuals. We have Word 2 files that Word 2003 won't open. I believe the Oasis Open Document format used by Open Office is about to be formally approved as an ISO standard, but MS haven't yet said they'll support it. Open Office files will be usable in any application that supports OpenDoc, which Corel (Word Perfect) have already said they'll support fully. I don't mean to be combative here, it's horses for courses. Microsoft has its market and customers who need what they offer, but one part of that market can be equally well, or better, served by Open Office. OO is a very well designed tool, and very powerful, it shouldn't be underestimated. That it's been chosen by the state of Massachusetts as the productivity suite for use in all state offices is indicative of how good it is.

[quote user="Chris Head"]Exlax it is then. Chris [/quote] Better not, human drugs have different effects on animals. All cats have two anal glands that look like the other things and can fool the unwary into thinking a female is a male - it's what fooled me with my two [+o(] Your new owner needs to see a vet anyway, to treat it for parasites and get its vaccinations - vet will tell you what sex it is. Whatever, s/he's gorgeous (cooing like mad and feeling broody here)!

[quote user="Chris Head"]Not a good first night, it sqeaked alot despite being fed several times, it gets worse. Everyone's out this afternoon & yep I've got to kitten sit, he/she is coming with me on site! Sheesh, that's my image done for. Chris  [/quote] At that age s/he needs his/her siblings and mother to cuddle up to for security. Without them, you're it! Hi there, Mama Cat [:D]

[quote user="Dick Smith"] I think Chris' cat is a tom. How do other people vote? (I wish we could do polls on this forum). [/quote] Er... we'd need a photo of the other end! I'm no expert, I still remember the call from the vet 'Mrs C... I've spayed your two tom cats'! [:$]

It could be he or she. One sex of ginger cats are sterile, but I can't remember whether it's M or F! Either way, he/she needs to be snipped before or around six months. I want one, but Big Soots wouldn't like it [:(]

Thanks for that [:)] The three of us will be flying from southern England to (probably) Nimes, so the flight won't be as long as for Maggie, and it will be direct. It just occurred to me that I hadn't actually clarified that particular point, I'll go back to the company on Tuesday. The move's still at least 12 months away, but I like to get as much info as possible as early as I can. I'm glad Maggie had a good flight, I guess she was on your mind the whole way!

She wasn't just dumped on the belt (in her box) and left to her own devices, I hope? I'll be flying two cats to France next year, I hadn't actually thought to ask that question of the firm I plan to use.

Thank you!

Is 'en viager' mortgaging a house to provide an annuity income? I'm working hard on my minimal French. That would be another option, I hadn't thought of that - thanks for the info, I appreciate it. The move is a year away; I'm going to need a good financial adviser when I have a better idea of how much cash I'll have. Right now I only know where I want to live and the lifestyle I want :-)

Hi again This is the article I was referring to - http://www.home.co.uk/guides/news/tmc.htm?9542. It's the Prêt Viager Hypothécaire I'm interested in. Perhaps developments are in progress and we'll know more when the schemes are firmed up. Or not (fingers crossed here).

According to my current mortgage lender (who don't do this kind of mortgage), a reversionary equity release mortgage is one where the borrower doesn't make any repayments in the normal way, but the mortgage lender takes a stake in the equity of the property and has to be repaid either on the death of the borrower, or the borrower going into fulltime care, by the sale of the property unless the borrower can raise the money some other way. There are usually no restrictions on what the loan can be used for. Effectively, the lender is allowing the borrower to live in the property rent-free. The maximum amount that can be borrowed has to take into account the interest that will accumulate so the maximum will be something less than the market value of the property. The amount the lender receives on repayment is the percentage of the gross sale proceeds equivalent to the percentage the borrower mortgaged at the start, not an amount calculated on interest rate and length remaining on the mortgage. The lender may get a handsome profit if house prices rise, but equally is taking a risk that if house prices stagnate or fall over a significant period, the return may be uneconomic. This kind of mortgage interests me because of the potential for maximising my income, and especially because, (with the exception of my mother who was a lifelong smoker and died of lung cancer at 68) all my female blood relatives in the last two generations have lived past 100, and I intend to do the same! Unless I get mown down by white van man of which France seems to have a disproportionate number... With having no kids to leave it to and not being able to take it with me when I go, I'm going to make every effort to enjoy it while I'm here :-)

Does anyone know anything more about the equity release schemes that were announced some time ago? In my particular circumstances - single, no kids, retiring to France next year - a reversionary mortgage for the allowable maximum could suit me. I have a detached 3-bedroomed bungalow to sell here, and obviously want to have as much income as possible. I haven't seen a mention of these since the original announcement, I'm hoping the schemes haven't been abandoned. TIA for any information. This forum is fantastic, BTW, I've never seen so much useful information in one place, and really appreciate the help.

Having to revert to your maiden name seems a good idea, but I assume children still take their father's name? Thank you for the responses, hopefully I won't have any problems when the time comes [:)]

Hi Thanks for that! I'll keep my fingers crossed, then, when the move eventually happens, hopefully that will be in the second half of next year. Until then, more research, and trying to improve on my school French [:(]

I agree with you, but try telling the Inland Revenue that, they (and my pension fund) insisted on a piece of paper for their records :-) I didn't pay a lawyer to do it, it only needs a couple of lines saying that from such and such a date I [old name] intend to be known as [preferred name], sign it in both names and date it. [:)] Most solicitors' firms will photocopy the original and certify the copies for free, usually the office junior does it. I know this from experience - I'm a former paralegal/secretary.

I've done exactly this and am planning to retire to France next year. I'm divorced and have reverted to my maiden name, with a properly signed deed that's been accepted without any question by tax, NI, etc, authorities here. Will I have to use my married name, or could I legally ignore the fact that I've been married and simply use the name on my birth certificate? I have no children to consider.