Category: General

I realise that it looks as if I’ve really got it in for France today, though it is a country I love and where I have many friends.  But I learned just today that from the spring motorists will be required to carry not only the yellow safety vests and warning triangles but also a breathalyser – well this seems a bit much. The gendarmerie want to breathalyse you and you have to provide the implement.  You then have to make sure you have a fresh one ready for the next time.  There could of course be a market here for producing breathalysers which always read zero!

Just in case the heavy snow has not disrupted transport enough in France, there is a strike by airline pilots from today until Thursday. It’s to protest against the government’s plans to impose a minimum service condition on strikes in the air transport sector.  Apparently there were 350 such strikes last year, some of them timed over the Christmas holiday to cause maximum disruption.  The French government feels that such actions give the country a bad reputation abroad – no kidding? – and damage the tourist industry.

Last week there was a teachers’ strike on Tuesday and a local train strike on Thursday.  A minimum service stipulation  has already been imposed on the train unions, but employees do have the right to withdraw their labour if one of their colleagues is attacked.  This is unfortunately a regular occurence on the line between Nice and Marseille.  And a one-in-four train service from Nice to Tende, in the mountains near the Italian border, which only has about four trains a day is not good.  This forces passengers who have to travel to take a train to Ventimiglia, one of those actually running, and wait for an Italian train from Genoa or Savona to take them to Tende or one of the other stations on the line.

We are scheduled to fly back to England on Thursday.  Nice airport has already had problems because it had no de-icing fluid available, so airlines simply cancelled flights rather than leave their planes in Nice overnight. Now the news is that this pilots’ strike, which was supposed only to hit Air France,  is causing delays and disruption to other airlines.

This may explain why a Scot has chosen such a title.

This is only a (very clever) spoof, but it is so near the truth, it hurts. There are many “Doreens” out there
Continue reading “Only a spoof”

Police work must be entertaining as well as dangerous. Continue reading “Police work”

Why do footprints in the snow fill up as fresh snow falls?

Say a footprint in the snow is an inch deep, measured from the surface. Now, say another inch of snow falls. The bottom of the footprint will now be an inch higher, that is, at the original level of the surface of the snow. But the snow surface is now also an inch higher…

It seems that people had difficulties with my theme – I thought it was fairly simple! But, then I would wouldn’t I! Continue reading “Photo Competition # 21 – Results”

AN ACTUAL CRAIG’S LIST PERSONALS AD

To the Guy Who Tried to Mug Me in Downtown Savannah night before last.

Date: 2010-09-27, 1:43 a.m. E.S.T.

I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I hand over, shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives. You also asked for my girlfriend’s purse and earrings. I can only hope that you somehow come across this rather important message.

First, I’d like to apologise for your embarrassment; I didn’t expect you to actually crap in your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket.. The evening was not that cold, and I was wearing the jacket for a reason.. my girlfriend was happy that I just returned safely from my 2nd tour as a Combat Marine in Afghanistan .. She had just bought me that Kimber Custom Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol for my birthday, and we had picked up a shoulder holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head … isn’t it?! Continue reading “Craig’s list ad–Read it closely folks… a good one.”