.jpg.c34b7fcd9fb0e5d10cd8b5202da22d03.jpg)
Ken
-
Posts
994 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
18
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Ken
-
-
12 hours ago, anotherbanana said:
And my daughter woke me late in the night with a joyous cry of “ They got the barsteward, viva NY”.
I wonder why the press don't focus on Biden? His business dealings, let alone his families shady behaviour which gets hardly any attention. The U.S. is not so slowly turning into a cess pit, still, blame Trump I suppose!! I'm now torn between my support for Trump and my support for Biden. Trump would , possibly, end support for Ukraine if he becomes President whilst Biden continues with support. On balance I suppose then I have to continue with saying Biden is best, despite his shady dealings and senility. The Democrats are turning major cities into slums run by drug addicts and criminals . I will be in San Francisco in August, can't wait!!!
-
It's difficult to believe that there is nothing to talk about!
-
7 hours ago, anotherbanana said:
Ken, I have had a look at you email address, can find no anomaly. Do you have a hyper intelligent cat?
I have three actually and their intelligence is certainly higher than some of the posters here!! Perhaps what you are infurring is purfectly accurate!
-
3
-
-
On 03/05/2023 at 17:37, Ken said:
This forum is about as interesting as watching paint dry. I'm nearly elsewhere!!
Well, once again I have to 'defend' myself. There is a piece lowlife who manages to post something in my name. It obviously gives him, or her, some pleasure!! Maybe it's sexual, I don't know!!! Just for the record, it wasn't me who posted the 'paint dry' thing' I'm not particularly bothered by it and just wonder what drives someone to do it, they (he or she) doesn't have the courage to come out and declare. I must have got the better of them (he or she) in the past.
-
This forum is about as interesting as watching paint dry. I'm nearly elsewhere!!
-
1
-
-
A new declaration, to be completed by summer 2023, is required of everyone, including second homeowners, owning houses or flats in France. It is linked to the tax d'habitation and you risk a fine if you don't complete the form. So, following the instructions I logged on, and it didn't work! Off to the Public Finance offices and the longest bit was waiting to be seen. When I was seen it took about 60 seconds to sort it out. The man saying, yes, I know it isn't working well! My problem, apparently, was that my home was listed as a second home, not my principle home. As most homes are now exempt from the tax I'm hoping mine will also now be exempt now that it's properly registered. Given that I have lived here for 23 years I find it strange that it was listed as a second home anyway!
-
12 hours ago, DaveLister said:
I think its 35 years at the moment but it doesn't mean it won't change again. Like the rates themselves it's a movable feast.
Actually people qualify for a state pension having paid in for just ten years but it won't be the full pension. To get the full state pension it requires 35 years of payments. Should you retire before you have paid in the full 35 years I believe that you can pay a lump sum to qualify for the full 35 years.
-
32 minutes ago, NickP said:
It's very simple, if you have paid in for it you are entitled to it. It doesn't matter what your assets are. If you pay your dues why should you be penalised because maybe you didn't spend your money on foreign holidays, big screen TVs or expensive phones etc but saved your money to make your future more secure.
Entitlement! Therein lies the problem with today's society. People today believe it's their right to everything. How many times have I heard, "It's my right" or "I'm entitled to it" With regards pensions it's quite probable in many cases that the amount paid in contributions doesn't in anyway cover what the person will receive during their pension lifetime but do people consider that, Of course not, I'm entitled to it!!!!! It's why the retirement age is pushed further back! As for being penalised , no one is! Talking about spending on big T.V.s and holidays is nonsensical. Everyone does pay in and everyone its 'entitled' to a pension. We live in a world where socialism demands the 'rich' pay for the 'poor' the problem is no one, rich or poor;, want to give up anything 'I'm entitled to to' is the cry!
-
1
-
-
The difference between a state pension and a private pension is that the private investor can determine to what level he/she wants to invest thus acquiring a larger pension. It's simply not a question of 'shareholders'! A state pension obviously not, it is fixed. As for the rich being 'subsidised' why should anyone be subsidised? In any event the 'rich' will continue paying into the state scheme regardless as they do in Australia without drawing a state pension. As for government oversight, there already is. Perhaps what you meant was that private pensions should be in some way be guaranteed by the state if the company went bust. That would help convince people that private pensions are then 'gold plated' and encourage them to invest. Of course for any of this to happen the socialist mentality would have to change!!
-
18 hours ago, anotherbanana said:
The other side of the problem Ken is that France as too many cushy pensions, mainly fonctionnaires’ which are not financed and which she cannot afford but cannot get rid of but cannot afford to maintain. Macron’s solution may stick in people’s throats but it may be the only way, despite what the Union’s statistics say. Of course it would make sense to rationalise the hundreds of pension funds which exist and would certainly save money but politically that is impossible too.
Whatever, France is between a rock and a hard place leaving Macron to bite the bullet and suck up the consequences, so to speak.
I have spoken to several people who retired early in France and understanding the different formulas for retirement is bewildering. I can fully understand why the French don't want to change the arrangements they have, who would? The fact is though that the state, any state, having to support the population with a pension, regardless of the age of retirement is an absurdity. The answer, in my view is compulsory private pensions starting with payments into a fund the very first day a person starts work.
The state pension, as in the U.K. can only be assessed at retirement age. Should someone want to retire on their private pension then all power to their elbow but access to the state pension is only possible at whatever age retirement is, currently 66. Any state pension should be only sufficient to enable a basic lifestyle.
There are countries that don't pay a state pension if your personal income and wealth is beyond a certain level. That leaves finance available for those that really need it. Macron , I feel, is right to change the retirement age but that only pushes the problem further down the road. The answer, as I said, is to make people more self reliant and private pension plans the answer. The state pension, if paid out for everyone, should only be a minimal amount. Socialism is fine, in principle!!!!
-
Perhaps the French Unions have got it right after all!!!!! Eurostat shows a declining life expectancy rate across the whole of Europe!
So if the retirement age continues to go up and life expectancy continues to go down I wonder what will happen when the cross over point is reached? Perhaps the retirement age will have to go back down to 62 again!! Mind you the average age is still nearly 78 or so so it won't happen any time soon!
As for the bins, here in the pays Basque we don't appear to have any of the problems that I read about regarding cards, payments, eco bins etc. The big bins at the end of the road into which we empty everything are emptied regularly without a problem. There are 'eco bins' around somewhere, I think! The rubbish tip is aways open and accepts everything into separate large containers, wood, metal etc. It all runs very smoothly.
-
On 07/04/2023 at 09:13, Lehaut said:
One would hope that, if Ukraine had been in NATO, Russia would have not attacked it for fear of reprisals by the rest of the alliance. Hence my comment that the aim of NATO is to prevent conflict by publicity of Law 5:
What is the 5 law of NATO?Article 5 provides that if a NATO Ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked.In a previous life I was the aid to the Deputy Chief of the Allied Staff of NATO down the hole in the bunker at Northwood. They let me keep the badge but, sadly, not the aiguillettes. Things will have moved on since then, but I never saw anything that advocated a first strike rather than a response to aggression.But yes, we both want the same thing.Purely academic I know but--! I didn't know the exact wording of article 5 and simply assumed that if a N.A.T.O member is attacked the other members would take up arms and fight also. It is clear though from your posting of article 5 that it isn't, necessarily the case!! Quite alarming really. "will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the ally attacked'! Given what is happening in Ukraine and the responses of some countries, notably Germany and France who have prevaricated somewhat with regards helping Ukraine I wonder how they would respond if say Poland, or now Finland were attacked by Russia? I'm not sure I feel as quite happy with N.A.T.O as I was before reading your post!!! A backsliding country could claim to be 'doing what it deems necessary' by supplying helmets; as did Germany!!! Academic perhaps, but given the way these countries have acted , a real possibility of 'appeasement' being the 'deems necessary' !!!!!!
-
I would disagree, on a point of specifics, that N.A.T.O is to avoid conflict. Perhaps you disagree. For me it is to prevent what is happening in Ukraine at the moment! Perhaps the same thing!!!!
-
On 16/05/2022 at 07:23, Ken said:
My wife, a Finn, is quite happy that her country has applied to join N.A.T.O. Many years ago, when we first used to discuss the issue she was against it, as were the majority of Finns. My arguments then were as they are now, never let a bully ,bully! She would argue that from the perspective of being British that was an easy thing for me to say. She would often say that "A whisper in Moscow could be heard in Helsinki". The meaning being that Moscow was always threatening Finland. Anyway she, and her countrymen have now 'seen the light'!!!!
Putin does appear to have made a right 'pig's ear' of his invasion and hopefully with the help the U.K. and the USA have given (and continues to give) Ukraine will come out the winner. A slight aside is that Germany has said it will be there for the 'long fight' !!! I wasn't aware that it was there even for a 'short' fight! Just what have they done in real terms to help Ukraine, we know what they are doing helping Russia! As for Jupiter, just about everyone is ridiculing him; and rightly so. Even the Russians are making sarcastic comments about him and his telephone calls. Someone with his ego must be really suffering, what a shame!!!!!
My wife is happy Finland has now joined. My post, nearly a year ago about Finland applying to join N.A.T.O has come to fruition. Well done Finland.
-
1
-
1
-
-
On 02/04/2023 at 09:03, Lehaut said:
Also the "successful tactic" used by the Russians against Finland during WW2 of human waves of soldiers is being repeated in Ukraine, with the same level of success. Vlad seems to have laughed that off too.
The 'winter war when Finland gave the Russians a severe beating is testament to the value Finland brings to N.A.T.O
They are proven winners.
-
1
-
-
On 29/03/2023 at 20:48, anotherbanana said:
Lovely boat.
A 'boat'!!!! Not a navy person then?
-
On 23/03/2023 at 09:00, Lehaut said:
Is there not also a fear amongst the Unions that they must put on a show of force against the government? I understand that France has one of the lowest unions rates in the EU. I doubt they will win, but they must be seen to try to maintain their strength.
What I do find abhorrent is the fact that school children can also form a "blockhaus". It happened to our kids Lycée where the students blocked the school gate with chairs. The teachers were not allowed to pass this barricade, so no school. Its happening at the moment too. Madness.
It's a cultural 'solidarity' aspect of France, this 'stick together' thing! It will be interesting should the Constitutional Court say it is 'unlawful' to press ahead with the reforms. I think Macron would throw himself off the Eiffel Tower!! It is a way out of the impasse though and perhaps Macron would prefer that as he could then blame the court for not getting the reforms into law. Politicians are self serving and devious, it wouldn't surprise me if that happened.
It also makes a change that the 'hard left' is being blamed for the troubles. In just about any situation it is the 'hard right' which usually gets the blame.
-
As we are talking 'absurdities' I'm sure everyone is surprised , but now' informed' that the pension reforms are unpopular! who would have known that? Several weeks have now passed with it being the No.1 topic on the news channels and newspapers. Still, don't get me wrong; I'm sure there is someone who was living in a mine somewhere who has just surfaced and needed to be' brought up to date'!!!
-
15 hours ago, alittlebitfrench said:
I’m more Parklife…than Pond life.
You know wot I mean ?
Hey Ken, did you used ta drive a Ford Granada back in the days. ?
Around Camden and all that.
I imagine you in a Ford Granada. Parming it around.
Are you kidding! I couldn't afford a bleeding pedal bike let alone a Granada! Well I did , eventually, get a Lambretta on the 'knock' of course and then I was 'jack the lad'!
-
50 minutes ago, alittlebitfrench said:
Will the real slim shady…please stand up…please stand up
How do you know I'm slim and shady? I could be fat and illuminated!!! Am I on the track of the 'pond life' perhaps!!!!! (only joking, you are too 'up front' to be 'pond life'!)
-
3 hours ago, betise said:
Ken, I doubt that you account has been hacked, otherwise you would have to log back into your account after each fake post. Probably more to do with the quote function, and the ability to edit quotes and their coding.
You may be right. Who ever is doing it must have some idea with regards 'playing with computers' I wouldn't know where to start. Someone who perhaps takes offence easily when given short shrift, there are one or two here!!!
-
1 hour ago, DaveLister said:
Frankly I wasn't thinking of your sensibilities. I would have thought, as a matter of courtesy to other forum members, you would have done everything in your power to stop this 'pond life'. As you appear happy to allow this troll to post in your name I, for my part, will continue to abide by my new years resolution.
I would have been surprised if you were 'thinking of my sensibilities. Not in character at all.
-
21 minutes ago, DaveLister said:
that's a serious claim Ken.
I assume that you have changed your password
Well there is serious and serious I suppose, I don't take things too seriously in life and certainly not a public forum! I haven't changed my password, is there any point? The piece of dirt posting in my name has been doing it for a long time and no doubt could once again 'hack' a new password. He or she is obviously fixated in some way and is almost certainly someone with a childish mentality, or even perhaps a mental problem!!! This form of pond life probably gets some sort of 'kick' out of it. I spoke to a moderator some time ago who also suggested I change my password but said it may make no difference!!! I can only, as I said, answer any question put to me. It doesn't stop the person posting in my name of course but when ever I see it I will bring it to people's attention.
-
Just to be clear: I did write "could equal apply to some posters here" The subsequent 'absolutely'. and 'of course' was posted in my name by some scumbag who has somehow managed to use my name, not for the first time either. This piece of low life won't come out of the shadows and there appears nothing I can do. However I will always answer a question! Yes, I do speak French though I consider it to be pretentious to do so on an English speaking website.
-
1
-
No wonder the South of France is short of water
in The Complete France Post Bag
Posted
Yep, the rich verses the. poor. The age old nonsense of class. The 'poor' are not the poor', just bloody ignorant!