Pixie Toadstool

I have worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry for more than 20 years and I would like to clarify a few points. The newer statins will cost more than the older statins because companies are encouraged to research and develop new and better drugs by our government in the UK (and most developed countries).  So when a new drug is launched and gains a licence (which is a very complex process) the Government agrees a price it will pay the pharmaceutical company in question for the extent of its patent life and when the patent expires it is possible for generic manufacturers to make it (usually about 10 years plus or minus a few years from product launch- it is a bit complicated to explain why it is not an exact time as it depends on when the company files for it).  Generic manufacturers can usually (but not always) make the drug for much less money and many day to day medicines like amoxicillin for example cost the Government pennies to buy.  Simvastatin is generic in the UK and costs the government very little. GPs in the UK are always encouraged to prescribe the cheapest appropriate medication which is why you may find you have side effects with the first pill you are given - it is probably not as well tolerated as newer and more expensive drugs, so you must go back to your GP and complain about the side effects in which case he/she will probably prescribe a different and better tolerated drug.  There is also an idiosyncratic response in that some people get side effects on one drug for a condition whereas they will tolerate an alternative - no-one knows why this is but there is some research now which indicates it is just to do with individual genetic differences. I can't think of any drug that doesn't have side effects.  Even placebos have side effects (amazingly) so that any new drug in research will usually be compared to placebo in terms of efficacy and tolerability - you would be amazed at the huge list of side effects caused by placebo and you are probably already aware of the placebo effect which is also unexplained! I would agree with Dick in that you need to be a responsible patient - don't just believe what the GP says but go and do your own research.  I use the NHS website for any detailed information of trials and the like - you can see it here: http://www.druginfozone.nhs.uk/home/default.aspx You can look at the data sheets for products here (shows you what a product is licensed for, who it should not be given to and any side effects and other important information): http://emc.medicines.org.uk/ NICE also has information and advice for patients on its websites which you will find here: http://www.nice.org.uk/ As for the politics of the whole thing well you could argue for ever about that but I think you will find that there are a lot of honest, intelligent and diligent doctors out there who are not likely to have the wool pulled over their eyes.  There are some who live in the pockets of the pharmaceutical industry, it is true - I have met them but the vast majority of doctors are not like that and this conspiracy theory idea needs to be taken with a large bucket of salt.  A basic grounding in economics would explain why we need the pharmaceutical industry and also why we need the extensive controls against the industry making huge gains at the expense of patient health. Here endeth another sermon! Pix

Could they have actually been otters? Pix

It looks like a red longhorn beetle whose larvae feed on dead pine wood - so it might just have hatched out.  I don't believe they are known to be a pest though! Pix

Never, ever seen a rabbit in 50 but plenty of hares! Pix

"Well nobody who was here before the 27 November is now stuck in a muddle now, so that is news to many, those  not directly affected and some who were, who only read UK papers." (Sorry - I don't know how to do the quote thing for just a bit of a post) Ron I hope you don't think I am poo-pooing the difference it will make for people already in France - of course I am extremely pleased for them as I know that some have been facing some very serious problems in this respect.  However, I was led to believe by my husband (who doesn't read France Forum) that when we move to France in 2 years time we would be included in this retroactive decision and of course we won't be - so we must ensure we have adequate provision for our retirement (I will be only 52 and my husband will be 60).  It would have been better for us if Sarko had decided to go back on his original decision, to include us in the system as things were a year or so ago (which is what my husband had wrongly inferred from the article). And yes - I agree about The Torygraph - you certainly can't believe everything you read there.  With respect to an area I DO know something about they often report for shock value and interestingly leave out some very significant details - it gets on my nerves but can anyone suggest a more trustworthy paper?  I think they are all very much the same - news for shock value not for information. Pix

Oh so just the normal media reporting "news" which isn't news at all!?  I see it all the time in the area I know - pharmaceuticals/medical research yet I am taken in by it all again!  I didn't read the full article at first as my husband said it was all very exciting - I see now it's not news and not so very exciting except for those already there and stuck in a muddle! Pix

I can't find any mention or discussion re: this article in the Sunday Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/02/21/cmfrance21.xml What do all you peeps think? Pix

I often wonder how the Michel Thomas courses would be for people who didn't study French at school.  I have used the MT courses very successfully but then I did O' Level French 35 years ago.  It seems to me, when I'm listening to his "students" that they do actually have some basic French, perhaps from their school days - they often have basic vocabulary like chaise, table etc.  What do other people think? I am now studying the advanced course and am so pleased they got rid of that ghastly woman from the beginners' course who sounded like she was having an orgasm whenever she "got" something MT said - she completely put me off! The only problem really is having to put up with the continual MT teeth sucking noises (my husband does a very good impersonation of MT!). I'm currently trying to get the hang of the subjunctive and conditional tenses and find his method a bit strange for this. Pix

[quote user="Gardian"][quote user="Patf"]I remember learning in a course on animal behaviour that the oestral cycle of some animals coincides with a certain phase of the moon and is due to the effect of light on a part of the brain. [/quote] [8-)] Errr ........... still unsure as to how this might affect my spuds. [/quote] I have just done a search on BBC Gardeners World and they say that the moisture content in soil and plants (sap) fluctuates with the moon's cycle but it also says somewhere else that science hasn't explained it yet.  Apparently Prince Charles and HRH the Q garden by the moon. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/lunar.shtml Pix the waxing moon, which is the growing moon from new to full. That's when the moisture level in the soil is at it's highest and when you should do your planting. the waning moon which is from full to last quarter. That's when the moisture content is at its lowest and there's less sap rising in your trees and shrubs so it's when you should do your pruning. the waxing moon, which is the growing moon from new to full. That's when the moisture level in the soil is at it's highest and when you should do your planting. the waning moon which is from full to last quarter. That's when the moisture content is at its lowest and there's less sap rising in your trees and shrubs so it's when you should do your pruning. the waxing moon, which is the growing moon from new to full. That's when the moisture level in the soil is at it's highest and when you should do your planting. the waning moon which is from full to last quarter. That's when the moisture content is at its lowest and there's less sap rising in your trees and shrubs so it's when you should do your pruning.

[quote user="mooky"]www.simondale.net/house/links.htm It is everything I have ever wanted. [/quote] OH I LOVE IT I LOVE IT.  It brought tears to my eyes!  It reminds me of the Fern Hollow stories I used to read to my son at bedtime. I really want one - it is so honest and simple and no room for extravagance and lots of room and excuses for a bit of dust and the odd insect - so unsterile and DOMESTOS KILLS ALL GERMS DEAD NOT.  I am so sick of this political correctness gone mad,  money/cleanliness/materialistic infatuated world we live in.  Would you ask people to take their shoes off before they come in?  I think not!! An ideal home for Pixetoadstool! Pix

[quote user="Will"][quote user="Catalpa"] I would normally say I shouldn't be getting this out of proportion but a fair bit of verbal Britain-bashing goes on, I have to speak out and contradict the usual sort of rubbish that is spouted about the way the UK is going etc. Therefore I am reluctantly beginning to think that we'll have to avoid one or two of the commune bashes because I will eventually say something that leads to a serious argument especially as my bêtes noirs are usually the worse for wear for drink and I'm not. [/quote] Oh, Catalpa, a woman after my own heart. That's the main reason I dread any invitations to British 'dos' in France. Most are fine of course and I have no problem at all with them, either as residents or tourists. It's just a few that I wouldn't like in England so don't see why I am supposed to like them just because we happen to be in France. And they are usually the same people who complain about the stereotypical British yobs etc... [/quote] Well Will and Catalpa I will bear that in mind - must watch my Ps and Qs in future when I see you - and don't forget one of Henry's (my OH) favourite pastimes is rubbishing the state of the UK at the moment (he does have a lot to complain about though re: his dealings with the NHS).  [;-)] Pix

Our old dog (who may have been a GSD cross) used to howl when other people looked after him.  He was kept downstairs at their house whereas he was used to sleeping upstairs on the landing with us and he seemed to be howling to be back with the pack.  As soon as they let him sleep upstairs he was as happy as Larry! So it may just be separation anxiety from you - just a thought! Pix

[quote user="J.R."]By using deodorants we are masking our natural musk/pheromones which whilst they may be repulsive to the majority, someone somewhere will either like it or critically not notice it. It is natures way of strengthening the gene pool as the offsprings of these whiffy partnerships will have a stronger natural resistance to certain diseases than either of their parents. Mind you if I am right then our obsession with smelling like a perfume shop and interfering with natures bio-diversity of pongs is probably also natures way of tackling our overpopulation! [/quote] Er ... do you have any evidence for that strange claim about stronger natural resistance?  It certainly doesn't fit with anything I've ever encountered in my studies of survival of the fittest!  ...and another thing - you are much less likely to stink if you wash twice a day.  So you don't HAVE to wear antiperspirant/deodorant to stop smelling. Talcum powder used to be the done thing in the 60s when I was growing up. Most antiperspirants contain aluminium which some people think is linked with breast cancer - anti-perspirants (not surprisingly) stop you perspiring which isn't really a good thing whereas deodorants (which don't usually contain aluminium) just make you smell better! Here endeth the sermon ... Pix

I have been blessed (or perhaps cursed) with a very good sense of smell. [blink].  I can only speak from my experience but I haven't ever had to avoid someone in a supermarket in the UK due to disgustingly smelly armpits but I find this a common occurrence when I am in France, particularly amongst French women in the summer.  I wondered whether they just didn't use antiperspirant/deodorant but it seems there's a full range available for sale.  Last summer at the local annual beanfeast my entire meal was ruined by the extremely gamey smell of a woman (complete with masses of facial hair and grease) - she was sitting several places away from me but the scent was absolutely overwhelming and I felt quite sick.  In my opinion it is extremely rude to go out stinking - not very considerate to one's fellow human beings!  I would just like to point out that all this happens in rural Normandie - so things might be different in the more developed areas of la belle France! Stereotypes?  It seems to me that there is often a grain of truth in these things - that's how they develop.  Please let's not be too PC - about this.  Vive la difference I say!  (and don't forget to spray under your armpits - after all we have a reputation to keep up!). Pix

I think what they want you to do is to translate it into what you would say yourself.  So it would be: Je veux maigrir (I want to lose weight) Je n'ai plus d'argent (I don't have any more money or I don't have any money left) Je suis professeur (I am a teacher) Hope this helps? Pix

We clean ours in the dishwasher (shells I mean)!  We get the tinned snails and put them in the shells with garlic and parsley butter. Henry (OH)  loves 'em - I think they're OK but just a good excuse to consume masses of garlic butter and baguette (I need an excuse). Anyhow it's Valentine's Day today - another good excuse to get some champagne down my neck.  We have a bottle of rose Cava to celebrate tonight - what is everyone else drinking/eating on this most romantic of soirees?  (we don't drink the rest of the year as you might know [blink] [+o(]). Pix

Hello - I think UK policies usually allow people (with certain restrictions - particularly age) to drive on your insurance but this is usually only as third party fire and theft cover, even if your normal cover is fully comprehensive. That's my understanding anyhow.  Also I don't think your sister's no claims discount would be protected if you had an accident whilst insured on her policy (even if you paid extra to go fully comprehensive).  You might get this protected if you paid a further fee though. Hope this helps? Pix

The great white does have the Mediterranean as its range (put me off swimming in the deep sea when I went to Gozo!). ... and wasn't a great white shark spotted off the coast of Cornwall and Devon last summer? Mice, rats, snakes, spiders - bring 'em on but SHARKS!!!!! OMG - I'm outta here! Pix

I would advise you NOT to leave windows open/ajar (even behind shutters) if your house is somewhere that often gets foggy.  Our house is high up in the Collines de Normandie where it is often foggy and we have found leaving a window even slightly ajar gives the fog an easy entrance - the walls were absolutely running when we did this just the once! The main vents in our house are the chimneys so we leave the wood burner doors open to allow free flow of air.  Sadly a barn owl got into the house by this route once, couldn't get out and was only discovered when she had died of hunger/thirst (very, very sad). I agree about the toilet pans - surely if the water froze then it would just expand up and outwards.  You only really need to be concerned about more enclosed water like pipes and cisterns, as far as I am aware and I am not sure how healthy salt would be for la fosse septique bacterial flora either. Pix

I am sorry I think I missed something - are these people receiving 3000+ euros per month after paying tax or before? If that is after tax it is not a particularly pathetic sum of money IMHO, as house prices are pretty cheap in that area.  What would that be in £ given the current exchange rate - about £2300?  We don't live on a huge amount more than that with a second home in France and a rather large mortgage in the UK. Please explain! Pix

Nice to see you back (if indeed you are CD!!).  I am looking forward to some heated debates from our ex-LF ethics champion!! I would have thought you might have visited Rennes when you were in Normandy!  Henry and I went there for the day as it's only about an hour from our place in Saint Michel de Montjoie.  We liked it mainly because it was a buzzing University town and there were loads of exciting looking joints in which to eat and drink.  I expect you'll love it ('cept you will have to get used to the Northern weather again!).  I took loads of photographs of pretty bits of architecture when we were there. (P.S. it  would be great to see you again if you are ever at a loose end - which I know is probably unlikely bearing in mind all those very bendy and/or lightweight women you are likely to encounter in Rennes!!!)[:-))] Pix AKA Valerie

Funny I should see your post today as I have just been surfing Google Earth round the coast of France looking for nice rocky bits where there will be lots of sea life - part of my search for the perfect place for our next home in France!  I did my PADI open water diver just over a year ago and would love to dive again.  Is there a lot to see near Banyuls?  I did a tour by car round that bit of the French/Spanish coast and thought it was absolutely beautiful and also pretty remote once you get close to the Spanish border - so hopefully lots of unspoilt countryside/bountiful wildlife? Let me know what you think - sorry but I won't be joining you on that dive for a while though!! [:(] Pix

Re: the site Ernie suggested I have noticed an error as it has Malta's safe limit down twice - once at 0.0 and once at 0.8 - which makes me less confident of the rest of the information. I was surprised to see that one could still drive in another country if one had been banned in another - apparently one's licence is sent back to DVLA who then pass it straight back to the driver.  Very odd I thought! Pix

Thanks Pierre and Ecossais for your help.  It seems like it is mostly a case of "watch this space" as things are sure to change in the next 12-18 months in Europe in terms of coverage and then (hopefully) some competition. Will post if I hear of anything else which is relevant. Pix

I wonder if anyone has more information on this.  I have been told by 3 in the UK that if I buy a dongle modem from them for £100 I can have 1GB of broadband download for a month for £10 (more money for higher downloads)  plus a £3 roaming charge whilst away from the UK.  Although the initial outlay is high this might be worthwhile in the end since we have managed to spend about £100 on broadband alone just in the month of August when we are there for the school holidays (we only have dial up and I am still not convinced of the value and practicalities of going for broadband in France until we are resident - which probably won't be for at least another couple of years). Does anyone know of an internet tool that can assess accurately my usual broadband download so that I can work out what I need/what I can afford?Does anyone know of a better offer from anyone else?Does anyone have any information about how reliable this type of broadband would be.  3 reassured me that it is actually at a very high throughput and that the service is good.Thanks in anticipation![8-)] Pix