ernie

Indeed Gluestick, that is correct, my allusion was to those of a heavy intellectual weight, certainly not a physical thing. As for your last sentence, I dare not comment (in itself a comment I guess). Bonne Nuit ernie

Thanks for that info idun, I must do a little research. And mint, I share your repugnance, for more than one reason As for Jnzjob – Awa’ wi’ ye’ the noo ! A Happy New Year to all ernie

Dust comes from the atmosphere, so I am told, or from internal fires. Hair defo comes from my head, where it grows (on top). Flaky bits, so I am reliably informed, used to be part of the epidermis, which we know is a stratified squamous epithelium, composed of proliferating basal and differentiated suprabasal keratinocytes. Now you know.

With some fairly heavy stuff being posted (by heavyweights) round here as usual, I’m hesitant to raise a topic which is of less than earth-shaking import, but here goes anyway, before I forget to remember. How in heck does all that dust, hair and flaky bits make its way through sheet(s) onto the blanket which sits on top of the mattress cover ? It’s been baffling for ages. BTW – the sheets are changed at frequent intervals, just in case any case anyone thinks it’s one of those “change the sheets every year, whether or not they need changing” houses.

“I know we're not supposed to be comparing countries, but I wonder if there will be strikes etc in the UK, now that the age for claiming a state pension is going to be raised to 66? It's going to be especially hard on women, whose retirement age will go up from 60 to 66 in 10 years.”   Can someone please explain to me why women (God bless them) currently start retirement earlier than men and then outlive men, actuarially speaking ?  What’s especially hard about that pray ?   (Uttered whilst leaving the room as quickly as poss J)

[quote user="woolybanana"]Ah, ernie, any post after 2130hrs should be ignored, I reckon. Our Normie lives in a big place, we in small places. I at least knew the prison where the maire was being held, and perhaps you did too, but Normie lives in a barrel and can't afford the bus fare to get to the prison, so let's be tolerant of an old man who begs for favours with a walking stick at the bus stop![/quote]   [quote user="woolybanana"]Ah, ernie, any post after 2130hrs should be ignored, I reckon. Our Normie lives in a big place, we in small places. I at least knew the prison where the maire was being held, and perhaps you did too, but Normie lives in a barrel and can't afford the bus fare to get to the prison, so let's be tolerant of an old man who begs for favours with a walking stick at the bus stop![/quote]   Well, wooly man, it IS after the appointed hour, so I take it my post must be included here too.   In fact, I don’t seem to be able to make head nor tail of some of the posts, I simply assume they were all written after the appointed hour.   Anasamarrerafack, some of my finest postings on other sites have been composed after that significant time.  Only problem is the site overseers didn’t always understand them.   This one’s getting too complex for me, or maybe I haven’t had enough petit rouge (s) yet.   Bonne nuit   ernie  

[quote user="NormanH"][quote user="Gengulphus"][quote user="VandA"]In fact she was as charming as she could be… [/quote] Exactly.  I am glad that it has been a good experience  -  but am unsurprised by some of the ill-natured and baffled comments which you have received. When I arrived some twenty years ago to assist a friend in the initial phases of the restoration of a largely derelict château, the very first matter on the agenda  -  at my own insistence, and immediately upon our arrival  -  was to make ourselves known to the maire.  He received our brief visit with evident pleasure and great civility. The immediate upshot of this contact was that he repeatedly sent his own farmer-sized remorque to remove an initial five or so tons of accumulated debris from the interior of the building.  He also sent one of his men to mow the parc.  These things were done as favours and entirely free of charge.  Rather more unexpectedly he subsequently facilitated the hiring of a harpsichord.  Various other kindnesses followed. Being interested in the matter myself, I took the trouble to ask him whether 'introducing onself to the maire' was customary and correct.  His answer was that the performance of this courtesy depended entirely on the class background and social sense of the person concerned  -  but that it was in his view a distinctly correct and gracious thing to do.   More recently, when moving into my present house in a small town, I likewise presented myself to the maire.  The matter was rapidly accomplished and consisted of little more than the presentation of a card and a brief exchange of civilities.  A few weeks later when it became necessary for me to request that a street light should be moved to a different position, this was facilitated by the maire himself and attended to extremely promptly and at no cost to myself. Since beginning to write this post the doorbell sounded and a lady from a neighbouring commune breezed in unexpectedly to take a cup of coffee and to present me with a copy of her latest book.  I asked her  -  being a young French person with a considerable degree of experience and social eptitude, and an active member of the conseil municipal  -  whether she considered that 'presenting oneself to the maire' was a correct procedure.  Her answer was a most resounding yes  -  both as a matter of common courtesy, and as a ready and practical means of making one's life easier.  That is an up-to-date view from a young, modern, and informed French person. She remarked, moreover, that her own maire (also a young person), had recently expressed her astonishment that recent arrivals including (I regret to say) Brits, did not appear to consider this courtesy necessary or worth their while. [quote user="VandA"]And there was me thinking this was 'the thing to do'! [/quote] Indeed it is 'the thing to do'  -  and you have done it.  Well done.  And even if this action is not rewarded with with a flow of tangible benefits  -  though I am sure that it will be  -  at the very least you can bask in the glowing satisfaction of having been civil.       [/quote] So it's simply a question of 'who you know', and oiling the wheels? Self-serving, self satisfied formulaic exchanges worthy of the Freemasons. This is not 'civility' its is akin to corruption and it disgusts me. Your post overflows with the snobbery and class conciousness which most of us have left behind, but then we can't hope to buy a "château' On the other hand there are some of us on good terms with our Maire or Deputé because we can do things for them. Do you really believe that the Maire of a town of 100, 000 is interested in meeting each immigrant is search of a favour?[:D] [/quote]   Hi Norm,   Looks like you’ve abandoned your usual high standards here methinks.  Now I am not looking for a fight, but the above is quite a serious over-reaction to Gengulphus’ post, I would say.  You might of course be correct and Gengulphus was actually trying, in best Masonic style, to curry favour.  But masons have no need of this and would not post about their “successes” on a site like this.   The mairies I have been to have each made me/us welcome, with no prospect of quid-pro-quo entering into matters.  But I am not going to argue from the particular to the general, as seems to be highly prevalent sometimes.   And let me add, I am a much greater cynic than you will ever be.  Your post doesn’t come over at all well for me.  Never mind eh ?   Cheers from Ernie  

“Two drinks makes elderly unsteady on feet “   Two small drinks a night are enough to make elderly people unsteady on their feet putting them at risk of falls, a study shows. Published: 7:30AM BST 23 Sep 2010 There are no legal limits for walking even though there are numerous accounts of people stumbling and falling after consuming too much alcohol   The moderate amount of alcohol - below the current legal limit for driving - has a dramatic effect on their dexterity.   Scientists gave 13 healthy men and women in their early sixties just two single vodka and orange drinks and found they struggled at an obstacle avoidance test while walking.   Researcher Judith Hegeman, of Saint Maartens Hospital, Nijmegen in The Netherlands, said: "The results clearly show even with low blood alcohol concentrations, reactions to sudden gait perturbations are seriously affected. "After ingestion of two alcoholic drinks, obstacles were hit twice as often, response times were delayed and response amplitudes were reduced.   "These changes were most obvious in situations with little available response time."   In the study published in BMC Research Notes the volunteers, whose average age was about 62, first started to walk on a treadmill at a steady walking pace   A thin wooden block was placed at the far end of the belt and allowed to move towards the volunteer as Ms Hegeman and her colleagues measured the effects of alcohol on how capable the subjects were of stepping over the obstacle. She said: "We found alcohol levels - considered to be safe for driving - seriously hamper the ability to successfully avoid sudden obstacles in the travel path.   "A possible limitation of this study is the relatively small sample size. However even with the small number it yielded an unequivocal outcome."   Ms Hegeman said drinking is a well-established risk factor for traffic accidents so legal limits are set for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and driving.   But in contrast there are no legal limits for walking even though there are numerous accounts of people stumbling and falling after consuming too much alcohol   She said: "Alcohol, even at these low concentrations, affects brain function and increases fall risk. "An increased fall risk has been associated with impaired obstacle avoidance skills. "Low level BACs are likely to affect obstacle avoidance reactions during gait, since the brain areas that are presumably involved in these reactions have been shown to be influenced by alcohol."   Ms Hegeman said this is the first study of its kind as previous research on the elderly has concentrated on the effects of alcohol on posture.   Earlier research has also shown many falls are primarily due to stumbling and tripping.   In order to avoid falls due to hitting an obstacle, one needs to be able to respond adequately to both unseen obstacles causing a stumble and to obstacles suddenly appearing in the travel path.   In general the use of alcohol is primarily seen as a risk factor for driving but one study estimated about 20% of unintentional falls at home in adults may be attributable to the consumption of two or more standard alcoholic drinks in the preceding six hours.   Ms Hegeman said: "Moreover, accidents can also occur while walking, particularly under challenging conditions such as when negotiating suddenly appearing obstacles.   "The present data show that the required skills for obstacle avoidance frequently fail even after consumption of a low dose of alcohol."   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8018092/Two-drinks-makes-elderly-unsteady-on-feet.html Even though I am not elderly, this article might explain the odd cuts and bruises on the legs below the knee - with the astounding reveltion that "sudden gait perturbations impaired obstacle avoidance skills"  J This is equally astonishing as the fact that "Earlier research has also shown many falls are primarily due to stumbling and tripping." Trying to think what else they coiuld be due to. ernie 

Hi Araucaria,   May I ask which company you use in South Aftica ?  Woolworths ?  Pick and Pay ?   Thanks from Ernie

Lurked for six hourse yesterday at the CA machine in Chizè, Nada.  Waste of time. :)   ernie

Well, yes, I did guess that.  In fact I should have been more forthcoming in my original post and saved you a lot of bother, but I appreciate your help. The team plays in green and gold and has been quite successful of late. E

Hi Quillan,    Thanks for that steer.  So yours was the breath I could feel over my shoulder ?  I guess you must work at Cheltenham …  How many times did you catch me ?   In fact I did know of the Rugby Café/bar, it was a bit obvious, but this one : Cluricaume Café, 24, Place Charles de Gaulle seems to be more what I wanted.  Just wanted to get some up to date gen, as there are precious few minutes before arrival and the start of the match, I don’t want to lose any precious time.  Thanks for your trouble.     Ernie

Could a knowledgeable person point me to a bar in Poitiers where I can watch international rugby, Sky TV sports I suppose ?   Many thanks from Ernie

Spot on advice Sue. Ernie

Pickles, Many thanks indeed for the info.  Very interesting and useful. ernie

Hi Pickles,   Not aimed exactly, directed, let’s say.   Your info is very interesting and helpful, at the moment I am examining ways of lowering bank charges (we all know about income diminishing and expenses rising).  You have give me some good ideas.   May I ask the name of the French bank perhaps ?  I am with the biggest.   I also use accounts in other countries to avoid transfer charges, but here they like to charge a “reception fee”.  This might well be illegal under the new EU/EC arules, just lately in.   Thank you for your response.   Cheers from Ernie  

Down to 12 € !!!  May I ask how you did that please ? Thnaks from ernie  

Was !  Someone taking my name in vain ? Mir wouen auch op Letzeburg, at war schein.  No Belgian cops in those days ... ernie [quote user="Chancer"] Were there ever Ernies in France? [/quote]

Hi Frenchie, All the best with the move ! ernie   [quote user="Frenchie"] Thanks very much for your answer Ernie. I know l'Auberge des voyageurs at Beauvoir sur Niort. Recently stopped there twice for a drink! I ve never been to Aulnay, from what you say, I ve missed something! I'm sending you a PM . Regards.   Régine.  [/quote]

Haven’t heard a hum yet, but I notice that radio stations near Niort are often drowned out by a low frequency hum (it’s a cheap car radio).  Very annoying.  Maybe there’s a jamming station nearby ?   Ernie   PS  I am picking up plenty problems on this site tonight, eg, I click to the next page, but I go immediately off line.   At one point, I was required to log in again and I was not able to do so, but - I am cleverer than any computer, so, here I am again, even though it's time to go to bed.   E

If you live in the country, why not ask your local farmer, not if she has any wood to sell, but rather ask her if he knows anyone who does have wood to sell.  It seems to be a point of etiquette.  Ask about bûches.   Round here (northern Charitime) it goes for around €44-46 per stère.  That is delivered, 1m long logs.  Stack it yourself.   More if you want it cut (I cut mine to 33 cms as the 50 cm ones made the place far too hot).   If you have a trailer, it will be cheaper to collect.   Stacking is excellent exercise.   Cheers Ernie

I live fairly close, but know of no "English associations" there.  Bu maybe that's because I tend to avoid them :). I've had a glass at Resto  Auberge des Voyageurs at B sur N, run by a very pleasant couple, don't know what the grub is like. You seem to be fond of Romanesque chcurches (I looked at your blog), we've got plenty round here.  The most famous is St Pierre at Aulnay, it's a Unesco site and worth going out of your way to see.  Our local tourist ladies do excellent tours.  I can find out more for you if you are interested ? Cheers from Ernie

[quote user="tegwini"]Is there anyone out there who can recommend an easy to use/download attachment 'thingy' for French accents ? Someone kindly provided one a while back, but as I have changed my lap top I seem to have 'lost ' it. I have downloaded Avisoft, which is similar, but it puts a euro symbol instead of the acute 'e' accent - as did the previous one. And for some reason my lap top's insert symbol is giving only mathetical symbols and I can't seem to change that- and it was a right pain when it did give French symbols. Please Help !!! Many thanks Tegwini [/quote] Hi Will,   Thanks for the Lexibar link, very useful and better it seems than Avisoft.  I used to know how to cure the inadvertent € symbol, but forgot now.   Hi Teggs !   Try this on your Insert - Symbol box :   Click the down arrow in the font box and select  (normal text).  It has most of the usual requirements.   Cheers from Ernie  

Hi everyone, I managed to find a site which seems to be what I was looking for : http://www.anglaisfacile.com/free/exercices/exercices-anglais-1.php Lots of good stuff there.   Cheers and thanks again from Ernie

Thanks to all of you for your kind suggestions.  They are all valid points   The thing is, I cannot eat rotten fruit, whether jammed or disguised.   What I did was to cut out as many of the nasties as I could and eat the rest, juicy and delicious, even if rather small pieces.  The trouble was that after about 90 minutes, I only had produced about the equivalent of three or four modest sized peaches .  It didn’t seem worthwhile, although I felt my honour was reasonable intact.  Don't ask what happened to the rest ...   By the way, I also have the offer of a huge amount of beautiful peaches to pick, sort of coloured my judgement a little.   Thanks again to all of you for the responses.   ernie