you’ve only to read the Wife of Bath from the Canterbury Tales to realise that women could and did exercise autonomy and freedom in a way that we would recognise

Odd you should choose a damsel in distress (and prostitute) that gets saved from rape twice as a glowing example of autonomy and freedom.

And it is fiction!

Without Christianity we wouldn’t have the secular (an invention of French medieval theologists) or democracy human rights, socialism, revolution, feminism, individualism, and science.

Well the Greeks weren’t Christian but had a democracy

L’Etat laïc in France had nothing to do with the clergy

The Inquistors weren’t too worried about human rights and nor are modern day chrisitan churches with several prosecutions for human rights violations

Socialism: many types of socialism, my prefered being socialist humanism

Revolution: eh?! the revolutionaires went around destrying anything too religious in their eyes

Feminism: You’re having a laugh now, have you ever read the Bible?

Science: Galileo was tried by the clerics and ended his life under house arrest. He was lucky, Bruno was burned alive

I think you’re forgetting that not pandering to the church was not really a possibility until quite recently whatever people really thouhgt.

pry bars have become springy,

– try this: made in France, indestructible (I’ve tried)

https://www.chausson.fr/quincaillerie/pince-decoffrer-avec-arrache-clous-obra-p-182221-1

Welding gear – Brico Dépôt, if not a specialist. They’ve always had what I’ve needed in stock whether gas or leccy. The tools you mention too

Paint, some of the thinners have been rightly banned, I worked for 9 months for Permoglase paint in Tyseley and quit when I got to grips with the risks associated with what the guys were washing their hands in. : Bricot dépôt or one of the multiple specialists locally for your shopping list. White spirit, acids, thinners, alcool à bruler etc from  medium-sized supermarkets such as U or Intermarché.

the simple fact is that actual believers in god are a falling minority

Thank God for that ! ;)

Everything and anything. If it’s properly dry and the flue draw is adequate it’ll burn. Some stoves with “double combustion” burn stuff like pine better, Jotul for example. The trick is to burn fast and hot so you don’t cack up the stove and flue and pollute more than necessary. Hard woods will burn in pretty much anything.

The radio announced recntly that the number of regular church goers (once a week) was down to 6%. Locally that would suggest around 10 000 people between all the churches, mosques etc. In other words they’d be full every service, they aren’t.

So what can’t you get that you could get 20 years ago? Name a few items, heyne. IME it’s quite the opposite, the stores follow the development of new products and there’s a better selection of tools than ever. So may be it’s harder to find hand-forged nails but in terms of screws, bolts, scellements etc. there are a host of new sollutions.

I started with a pick and shovel and haven’t paid anyone to do anything.

If the weather is bad in France the Spanish side is often better, especially if the bad weather is coming from the French side. There’s also an enormous difference between the wet west and the dry east. Pau gets more than double the rainfall of Pepignan and about 50% more than Ainsa. If you  really like rain the Basque mountains are your go to. ;)

I’ve fully understood, Kerley. I have a reading age over 10 and fully understand the words “failures” and “not so great”. If it’s not so great and full of failure why would you be better in than out?

It’s your kind of negative attitude that got Brexit. The constant negative reporting, the it’s not great but we neeed to be in all the same that got Brexit. Those nasty Europeans meddling etc. Well they were meddling in your interest, giving your safge drinking water, swimable beaches, healthy food, a safe working environment. The only people it wasn’t great for were the polluting, poisoning, tax dodging, exploiting, poisoning, ripping off; human rights denying… .

I agree with the far right favouring media bias noted by some here. I only watch two UK TV channels occasionally, Sky News and the Beeb. Both giving far too much air time to the far right whilst paying lip service to and often deriding the Greens whilst diluting their message. They almost always add “might”, “possibly”, “may be” when talking about climate change when every objective measure and indicator says “is”.

Stores are getting huge but choice is getting so limited…

Frankly, nonsense.  I’ve been building an extension for a couple of years and there’s been no trouble finding stuff. Chauson, Point P, Batiland, Leroy Merlin (still trading in Russia) Brico Dépôt, Casto’… then plenty of old-school hardware places too that specialize, there’s a plumbling place, roofing place, timber yard, leccy specialist… . France is a DIYer’s paridise. Haven’t been to Ikea for over 20 years.

The only time I use the Net is for second-hand stuff on leboncoin.fr. Pallets of bricks, roofing tiles, specialist tools for gluing bricks, insulation, steels, insulated garage door (150e for an 850e door). There’s nowhere I’d rather do DIY.

The EU is not so great

It’s ace, and even better now the UK has demonstrated just how good being a part of it is and how shit leaving is.

Go on Kerley, list all those failures in your head and ask yourself why the UK manages to fail at so many levels without being in the EU. Sure there are constraints on members, necessary constraints and everybody has to play by the rules,  but before you list the failures consider how many you attribute to the EU were really provoked by the nations themselves who then blamed the EU.

I’ve lived in Pau for 32 years. If the weather is bad the plain is a nicer place to be than the mountains. I suggest a number of stops rather than one.

You don’t say where you are staying, many campsites will be shut. Anyhow I’ll add two stops and see what others add: Laruns, road bike rental from Locaski (make sure everything works and the tyres are correctly inflated before you leave the shop, I had to tinker with one a mate hired). Ride the Aubisque and col de Marie Blanque. Luz st Sauveur, plenty of bike hire places, ride the Tourmalet and Col des Tentes above Gavarnie.

If the EU is so great why are it’s people voting for nazis everywhere,

Ignorance, stupidity, hate and fear. Well you did ask

Not every aspect of Franco-British relations is covered in the withdrawal agreement. I hope they discussed Ukraine, Europe’s eastern border, cooperation on security, cyber security and anything else that can make a material diference.

You can look at the Bible from two points of view; archeological and theological, and divide the “stories” into events that correspond to history/archeology and those that don’t. To dismiss it is to ignore its value as the best written record of iron age history that we have.

Seeing where education is on that list doen’t give much hope for the future. When you look at the profile of leavers and remainers it was a lack of education that got us to Brexit in the first place.

what is the point?

You have people here claiming they’re victims of a cult but are against entering into a conversation that might convince them of that.

I worked for the Mormans for a few weeks, the only one in the temp agency who would set foot in the place. It made me wonder what people were afraid of, themselves or the Mormans. Working on their computer systems I got quite an insight into how the business worked. As with any religion it was clear that there were many reasons for being a Morman and a belief in God wasn’t a big part of it. I think there’s a free mason on here, it struck me that it was a similar sort of exclusive mutual back scratching club but a bit more expensive – their turnover was impressive.

People love these sort of ritualistic institutions, religious based or otherwise.

you kind of slightly believe a bit still, don’t you?

No. I can’t prove it though. I can demonstrate that the earth is quite old, I can explain and show how marine fossils are formed and end up in rocks up mountains, but I can’t prove there isn’t a God. I’m agnostic. As for when I’m on my death bed, it’s more likely to be death bike or death skis and I’m more likely exclaim “oh putain” as my last words than get all religious all of a sudden. :)

The EU renewed its offer of a Norway deal last year, wbo. I’ve linked it here a couple of times but I’m getting weary of finding it amonst all the other Brexit crap on the Net.

but the pain it’s causing real people through shame, control and manipulation in the here and now is horrible.

You do realise that your head of state is also the head of the COE and that however secular you’d like to think your state is the system of law and morality you live to is based on the same book the Jehovahs use. See all the tittle tattle in the press, that’s Leviticus for you. Even the Jehovas distance themselves from some of Moses stuff. Have a chat with them. ;)

Left hand drill bits, I didn’t know they existed. Thanks for that Marko. If ever I get into messing with cars again a cobalt set will be on my shopping list.

Atheism is faith in all those “theories” that you use to debase religion, TJ. I’m a geologist and scientist so the philosophy of doubt stops me making statements I can’t prove. If people ask I say I’m agnostic. I’m not at all fond of organised religion but very tolerant of people’s individual faith.

I used to work with some, they never raised religion at work but didn’t hide their faith. Objectively they were model citizens: hard working, affable, no trouble to anyone, happy family lives… . Anyhow the hawkers, con men, charities, polls etc.  get much shorter shrift.

Have a nice chat. The better you know the bible the less time it’ll take for you to tie them in knots. Of all the witnesses who’ve knocked on the door only two came back for more. One I came to consider as a friend/worthy adversary so I invited him in for coffee when he called. He knocked on the door for a non religious chat when he left the region. Only one pair degenerated into a slanging match, they’d lost.

Easyout is never, ever, the right tool IME.

Like any tool it has its uses. Used with caution it’s a compliment to all the strategies mentioned by myself and others on the thread. If you have to resort to drilling it out, at some point as you increase drill size you’ll see threads appear. If the drill hasn’t gone straight down the middle increasing the drill size further will damage the threads and then you’re looking at the added complication of a helicoil. If it’s broken flush or down the hole you’ve got nothing to get any purchase on. At that point more heat, lube and an easy out used gently should get the remains out.

I’m confused. Did they break an easy out tool in it or not? If they did they probably didn’t drill it out to a suitable size before trying. Did they take the caliper of the car and do it on a pillar drill suitably clamped or did they try in situ? Bleed screws break off, with the right approach you can always get the remains out however corroded and seized.

We’re both speculating, Kelvin and I’ve no wish to rewrite history. My alternative view is that Labour would have won with a Norway deal as policy, the opinion polls tell us that there’s plenty of Bregret and a Norway deal wouldn’t have been an election loser.

Labour had no choice but to turn it down

If there are more than one option you always have a choice. labour have disappointed me (a firm remainer in case you hadn’t noticed ;) ) throughout the Brexit process. When in opposition to Cameron who was firmly remain they gave me the impression that they were so intent on being in opposition their support for Cameron was half hearted. Then it was invoke Article 50 right away then it was respect the vote. Starmer is just a continuation of Labour’s lack of enthusiasm for Europe.

There’s a sort of if you’re not with us you’re against us attitude in the UK, in Labour and even on this forum sometimes (though manyof thsoe have **** off into the Internet ether). I’ve smiled as some STWers have assumed that because I’m a dual national living in France I take a malin plaisir when things go badly for Britian. I don’t but if people want think that…

In fact I’d like to see Britain booming with a strong pound, benefitting from and contributing to Europe, a leader in green growth. I’d like my sister to be able to live her dream of retiring to an EU country, my nieces and nephews able to work in Europe again, my in-laws able enjoy longer trips, and less faff when I visit them.

Labour is pandering to people whose logic and arguments were so xenophobic little Englander and fragile that they didn’t hold up on STW. Remarkably they hold up in parliament.

Try this one Rone. Objective, not at all “business is booming” and accurate in its prediction with hindsight.

Winter recession to be confirmed for UK economy – but experts are upbeat about 2024

I’m happier with their glass half full reporting than Starmer’s glass empty speeches. One sure way a leader can get people to tighten their belts is telling them he’s going to tighten his belt and it’s going to be tough.

+1 tj

Saw Alex Harvey in 73 supporting this mob:

But If I’m being honest it’s this, the Irish dancing is ace:

Thank you for the non-Twitter source, Somafunk. Banks will make money where they can even if it means paying a bit of tax. They’re just talking their book. Banks in gloom and doom statements shocker when their pet Tories aren’t in charge.

Tesla open to public are usually under 50p

I read Rone’s posts and appreciate his input, it’s linking some random on Twitter and then moaning about Ernie linking City AM that’s irritate me. Filthy Twitter pot versus white electric kettle.

And it’s Barnier. Having got the UK to sign away its soul in the withdrawal agreement Michel Barnier now has the far trickier task of herding 65 million frogs. He’ll have to swap his brexit ‘no can do’ to ‘yes we can’ if he’s to survive longer than Edith Cresson.

Good news about trains, Kelvin. Both Germany and France are treading water economically at present, Ernie, the comparison is flattering but the US UK and EU are all up against the same headwind: Asia, especially China.

The German car thing is mostly self inflicted. The regierung decided to cut subsidies on EVs just as the post Covid boom was ending.

City A.Ms articles make my teeth bleed.

Yet you link Twitter, Rone,  without any quote or comment on why you are posting about it. I ain’t clicking links to that s(h)ite and I don’t think many on here are. You’re wasting your time and STW server space.

I don’t think you need to worry about contributions to Ukraine, Timba.

Macron knows he can’t please all the people all the time but know he needs to please enough to get a functioning gouvernement. I think he’s going through the potential candidates until more by luck than judgement he finds one that is acceptable to enough and won’t overturn all of his reforms. He’ll fail and end up appointing one who won’t overturn all of his reforms but many.

As for not liking the results of the election, he called it and it’s exactly what the polls and common sense predicted. He knew what was coming, read my posts back through this thread – Front Populair then a Front Républicain then a coalition of some sorts. It’s working out who is prepared to agree what with whom that’s taking time.

Meanwhile the country is trundling along just fine for most people which is better than before the elections so going to the polls has been proved a good idea. Everyone has been given a voice, we know where we stand  and we’ll see what happens before throwing any more cobbles.

Even if it’s an iron asteroid it’s not going to do much damage by the time it’s got through the atmosphere but there might be a stone to pick up. Anything less dense and it’ll come down as dust. Spectacular in the sky but not much risk on the ground unless you are very very unlucky.

I ran my business with up to 9 employees for 10 years and never had a meeting. I worked for a year in a language school in Barcelona that never had a meeting either. At the other extreme a boss hardly ever sent out memos or wrote anything down so did it all in meetings and expected instant feedback – that worked well too. If the meetings are useful I don’t see the problem, if they achieve nothing buy a paper copy of the Beano/Morning Star/Guardian and read that, standing up until your turn..

Suggest having the meeting standing up. If they don’t agree stand up anyhow.