Ken

I have always understood a ball was round! Isn't that why it's called a ball?

What about the chocolate shops!

Yes I've heard of that. Isn't it the game where they play with a funny shaped ball?

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I saw the good people of Paris leaving en mass last night. Given that many establishments can remain open, chocolate shops amongst them you wonder why bother with a 'lockdown'! According to my local Pizza man Brittany is the favoured destination for most of them but I suppose a fair few will end up here in the Pays basque. I can't help but feel that it is all going to get worse over the coming weeks. The French government, with more than a little help from the E.U. has made a right pigs ear of things so far. I get my AZ jab today, I think I may well need it!!!!

Unquestionably the supply of the raw materials is of importance for obvious reasons. Though I don't think, in this particular case, it is why India has blocked exports. They are, it would seem, concerned that they need the vaccine for their own people; understandably. As for 'brewing it like beer' Yes, I would agree that some doesn't make the grade and is dispensed with. It does take time to 'brew' the vaccine and that is probably why the relatively slow roll out. I'm supposed to get my first jab Tomorrow but given the latest fiasco surrounding AZ I don't know if it will happen; we shall see! Cheers!!

Not quite sure of the difference between the Indian government blocking the export of vaccine and the temporary halting of exporting it! Depends which newspaper you want to quote I suppose but it amounts to the same thing i.e. they won't be sending any! As I said earlier, a little bit ungracious being that they are getting it at cost. (our cost!) I would have thought that a reduced supply rather than simply blocking it would have been much more diplomatically acceptable. Then again I suppose diplomacy is in short supply everywhere these days!

The vaccine war is warming up nicely! Now India has blocked exports of the vaccine to the U.K. Can't blame them I suppose as they are looking after their own people; perfectly reasonable and unlike the E.U. which is playing politics and doesn't seem to care too much if europeans die just as long as they can have a 'dig' at Britain. Mind you; given that the AZ vaccine is at cost price and in effect subsidised by the U.K. it does seem a bit ungracious they should block all exports! The E.U. I can fully understand but not India.

You sure it wasn't a gremlin you bought? Whatever you do don't give it water!!!

Have just read that the E.U. is considering (threatening!) to withhold vaccine from any country that has a higher vaccination rate. Top of the list, and of course the villain of the piece, is the U.K. Does that stupid woman not know that this cock-up is of the E.U.s own making? In any event just what is to become of the stockpiled vaccines that they are refusing to give their people? The E.U. has become dysfunctional over this vaccine fiasco and I sincerely hope the world is taking serious notice!! Clowns like her, Macron and Merkel have to go if sanity is to prevail. Anyone who thinks this isn't political and aimed at the U.K. because of Brexit must be simple!

I can fully understand that people want the cheapest, but safest vaccines and feel, as in the case of Pfizer, that profits appear to come before people's health. Unfortunately without the 'profit' incentive then companies can't fund very expensive research programmes. I think I'm right in saying the UK government (i.e. the tax payer) funded the research and development in partnership with AZ. Maybe there is some halfway house regarding how much profit should be made but certainly without the financial incentive companies wouldn't be able to fund research and that would mean no vaccines!!!

I often read the comment that people would prefer or would indeed wait for a couple of years so that the vaccine could be proven to be safe. These same people never come up with solving the conundrum that in the meantime millions may die. It does seem that most here would indeed have the AZ vaccine if it were to be offered, including me. I think, that unless there is an absolute disaster, the U.K. has shown the way gloriously and I do think, as some have said; that this AZ fiasco is simply political and the lives of europeans are simply pawns in the game that Macron and Merkel are orchestrating.

Perhaps, like some you would like to wait a couple of years to see if the vaccine is o.k., In the meantime millions would die!

I agree with you absolutely. Unfortunately it means criticising the E/U/ and not many will do that!!!

The UK column is owned and run by a conspiracy theorist called Grealish. He has appeared on several US chat theorist shows and if someone is into conspiracy nonsense then I suppose what his column displays is o.k. He uses strong and emotive half truths that suit some people and the fact that some have died after being vaccinated is right 'up his street'. However, if the real facts and statements from recognised scientists and organisations such as the WHO and the E.U. health panel are read then it puts into perspective the UK column!! Each to his own though I suppose. I just wonder where the countries that are suspending AZ are getting their advice from, it's not scientists and the E.U. or the WHO; so who?

I am (was!) due my first this coming Saturday. It would have been a AZ vaccine which I have no problems with at all. Now that France has joined in the hysteria surrounding blood clots I wonder if it will happen. Who s advising European governments because they are not listening to the experts are they? The E.U. health agency say it is safe, the WHO say it is safe and scientists everywhere say it's safe so who are the various countries listening too, the local butcher!!!! The Finnish press are saying that it is the media coverage and almost certainly political; that gets my vote!!!

It may seem a little strange but I do clearly recall that prices hiked across a number of things one of which was the price of a haircut!! I suppose it is just too good an opportunity to be missed, by some anyway. I seem to recall that when Britain went 'metric' there was the same outcry.

Yes, we too calculated in roughly the same way. It wasn't a great surprise when the euro arrived to find prices on many thing had skyrocketed! I collect money ( as a souvenir) when I travel and still have several FF notes. Ah, memories!

Each to his own of course but for me the rise (or fall!) of the stock markets is far more important than the exchange rate. When I moved to France the exchange rate was around 1.54 to the pound. In the intervening years that is quite a drop but more than compensated for by a good rise in the stock market, notably the FTSE. Now the rate is at, or around 1.16 I don't think is too bad. We tried the French bourse when we first came but it is quite lamentable and gave up on it. Things are beginning too pick up across the board after a fairly hard year. Can only hope the improvement continues.

I also believe that voting is essential. It is the only say the 'ordinary person' has. To paraphrase badly: It's not the best there is but it is the best we have! Unfortunately there is corruption and fraud. Who knows if there was mass fraud in the USA? How about the E.U. having re-runs of voting in referendums until it got the 'results' it wanted. Scotland's 'once in a generation' voting nonsense. The vote is fine, unless of course you don't agree with the result!!! Many voting 'democracies' are set up , in my view, very badly. The French system that allows the final two protagonists to fight it out is , I think, a bad example. Perhaps I'm biased but the British first past the post system is, in my view, the best. I might add that only having one vote and sticking to the result is a must. i.e. the Brexit vote being an excellent example!

Of course it's a load of 'poo'! Patently there is a higher rate of all crime in urban and city areas. Only an immature person with little knowledge would think otherwise!

Violence, by and large in France is confined to certain areas in the cities. Here in the Pays basque there appears to be very little. No doubt there is but I never hear of it. Perhaps the odd burglary every couple of years!! It appears to me that whenever I see the outbreaks on the T.V. It always seems to be immigrants or descendants of immigrants which, as racist as it sounds, are easily identified by the colour of their skin. Their were the yellow vest riots a couple of years ago and the violence was mainly carried out by youngsters so disguised you couldn't tell what they were! Yes, I would agree that France is violent but not necessarily in the context that a person is unsafe on the streets. I think generally a person is safe to walk the streets, at least as safe as anywhere in Europe anyway! The violence is mainly geared to burning cars and breaking windows, Marseille and several other cities have the huge drug problem but again the killings and gun crime are confined to the criminals. The policing , I think is wrong. I have never thought that the way policing is carried out could ever be a success. Whatever, I'm happy I don't live in a city!!

All we have to do is convince people now!!! Good luck with that! Even here people think getting fat is a cause other than eating too much!!!!!

[quote user="Lehaut"]"My view is, and I quite happily accept I'm in the minority, that just why should I be allowed to vote on U.K. issues when I no longer live there." Some of us have no option but to pay taxes in the UK, so would like to have a say how they are spent too.[/quote] As I do but still think that if you don't live there then having a say isn't right. In any event I consider that whatever taxes I still pay goes towards the debt I no doubt owe from before I came to France.

My view is, and I quite happily accept I'm in the minority, that just why should I be allowed to vote on U.K. issues when I no longer live there. Strangely, I also feel that as a foreigner I shouldn't be allowed to vote here either (which I'm not!!) Before Brexit I did vote in the local elections but then again I paid my local taxes so felt I could 'have a say'.

Just why people get into this state is the mystery. Yes ignorance does play a part in that someone might not be aware that being overweight can create diabetes. I'm more inclined to think that most people , regardless of their lifestyle, believe that 'I'm alright today, therefore I shall be alright tomorrow'!! Medical science also plays it's part. Lots of illnesses and diseases are now survivable and so people depend on 'the doctor' instead of taking responsibility for themselves. It is going to take a huge change in the attitude of society before there will be any change but at the moment being fat is acceptable. Just look at the people around you with a critical eye. Even so called 'normal' people have a 'gut' !! It's not going to change anytime soon.