Oh, for frying I would use Ghee, Coconut oil or Lard – depending on what I was cooking. Maybe olive oil if not using too high a heat.

To agree with some of the points already made – I think the most important thing is to cook your own food from basic ingredients and avoid all processed crap.

Then – cut down sugar as much as possible.

And then, depending on what works for you, consider cutting down carbs. This does work for me and I’m lighter and more energetic when I keep my carb intake on the low side. Not necessarily for everyone though.

I’ve only used Inov8 shoes for a few years now – they just seem to suit my feet well.

How do we feel about compression socks? I’ve had an intermittent calf problem recently and compression seems to help. However I feel it’s a ‘challenging’ look!

@nico –
Ah yes, I see that prendre can be used like that – in the sense of “take your coat”. I just wasn’t certain of it. Thanks

I went with ‘aller chercher’ though to give the sense of “I’ll go and get” which was closer to the meaning I wanted.

Should be safe, that’s all ancient history! 😉

Thanks will look it out.

Movie can be seen for free here but I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it, except as a curio.

http://filmfra.com/baza/03.php

I’m quite fascinated by Boris Vian. I only came across him via reading up on Gainsbourg and then again in the Gainsbourg movie (vie heroïque – recommended). I’ve watched the movie of l’écume des jours and it was interesting though not great. I am intrigued in reading some of his work. Any standout title?

Haha, Dan Brown is indeed the single worst writer I’ve ever read. Absolutely shocking! Not that I imagine he cares.

Just because it became very popular and got turned into blockbuster films (eventually) doesn’t make it universally crap

No absolutely! I do have a slight reluctance to read books aimed at younger readers but having said that I loved the ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy. And Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books which I didn’t even notice were meant to be for younger readers so I’m probably full of crap. And when it comes to reading French all bets are off anyway, otherwise I wouldn’t be recommending ‘Le Petit Nicolas’ and ‘Astérix’ 🙂

That’s certainly some nice writing! I’m also a little reluctant to get drawn into J.K.Rowling’s web but my interest is piqued…

Infinitive

Have a read here for more on using the imperative in impersonal commands

Nice one DrJ. 🙂

I do recommend Duolingo. It’s by no means perfect but it can help. You need to look elsewhere for the proper hard grammar though.

Oh I see what you mean. Well yes maybe that would be understand, not sure myself. But without the ‘I said something silly so I’m leaving’ implications.

In the same way? Probably not, unless they’re familiar with The Fast Show. 🙂

prendre?

You might think so but although ‘chercher’ mean look for/seek, ‘aller chercher’ means go and get.

Examples: http://context.reverso.net/traduction/francais-anglais/je+vais+chercher+mon+manteau+et+mon

Prendre would probably be ok too though. Although it’s more frequently used for food, or transactions. In which case it’s more like “I’ll take it”

Yes molgrips is right, ralentissez is the imperative – ie the ‘vous’ form without the vous. In that respect that’s much the same as English.

You do sometimes see instructions given using the infinitive. It’s just one of those ‘because French’ things. But you can think of there being an implied “could you…” or a “be sure to” preceding it.

(voulez-vous) ralentir.

If you see what I mean?

That not really what it’s about. The books don’t really teach french at all. They explain – for example – what subject / object pronouns are and how to use them. This is the sort of thing that people often struggle with when learning any language as they know their own grammar intuitively but often haven’t examined it.

Still if you have them available to you you’ll know what they’re about and if it works for you or not. I found it helpful.

(not sure what HP means)

I haven’t studied grammar directly for a while now – I just immerse myself in French TV, music and books. Occasionally looking something up if I can’t work it out.

🙂

/edit – you’re talking about Harry Potter aren’t you… Je vais chercher mon manteau.

Best grammar book I’ve read:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Grammar-Students-French-Learning/dp/0934034370

Can be found cheaper with a bit of googling.

It explains clearly how English functions on a particular point and then goes on to explain how French is similar/differs.

It really helps get over that obstacle that most of us don’t really understand the grammar of our own language.

Yeah – I’ve been studying for ages and spent quite a lot of time in Duolingo. So much so that I ended up as a mod and course contributor. This meant I really needed to brush up my grammar so as not to make a fool of myself when trying to answer queries.

My favourite thing I’ve read in French so far is probably the ‘le petit Nicolas’ series. Superficially kids books but with a lot of knowing humour and utterly charming. Plus they’re dead easy! 🙂

the most well-known version is “If I were a rich man, a yabba-dabba-dabba-dabba-dabba-dee” etc etc

But then Midge Ure came along and let the side down. Falling standards… 😉

Absolutely – the French subjunctive is very common whereas the English is rarer and dying out. It sounds fine most of the time if you don’t bother with it but the French would definitely correct you.

I can never stop thinking of the Smiths when I hear that

Haha! yes there a theory that they made up their names from:

J’en ai marre – Johnny Marr
Moi aussi – Morrissey

but it’s probably ‘bidon’ 😉

This subjunctive lark is as confusing as noun cases in German.

Oui, il faut qu’on sache employer le subjontif! 😉

We do use it in English too – it’s just that most people have forgotten about it.
‘it is important that he *be* on time’ (not is)

Molly what’s gets me is cake is a deliberate mistranslation to make what she said sound a bit worse, brioche is a type of bread what she realy meant is if there is no pain/baguette etc why don’t they eat brioche. Obviously out of touch but not as bad ?

Well yes at least – it’s highly likely she never said any such thing. The French never really took to her due to her being Austrian. The expression came from an older tale and was attributed to her but there’s no evidence she really said it.

I’m fed up is “j’en ai ras le bol/cul”

Indeed! Or we could go with the old favourite “J’en ai marre” 🙂

Yes very true – he’s rather like Hemingway. Very dry and compact prose but with as you say much hidden depth. I rather like that. I know what you mean about the past historic (pretorite) it is much simpler to an English way of thinking. I’m currently reading through ‘le premier homme’ which is good but a bit harder going.

Funny you should mention Camus. I found it relatively easy to read, BUT I got totally the wrong end of this stick when he goes to his mother’s funeral and the director shows him a ‘bière’ and offers to open it for him and is then chagrined when he doesn’t want him too.

Made more sense once I found out it can also mean ‘coffin’ 😉

(L’étranger)

Oh it’s still quite correct in contemporary French, just rather formal. In Astérix et Cleopatre she speaks like this all the time. It’s a rather formal thing to say in English too when you think about it.

You could say

Je m’en fous, ils peuvent manger de la gateau – ça m’est égal !

– I don’t give a toss, they can eat cake – makes no odds to me!

.. or any number of other similar phrases 🙂

Me too! I is grammar nerd 😉

Yes, I can…

Using ‘que’ like that to start a phrase is a rather formal way of constructing the imperative. The ‘que’ forces the next part of the phrase into the subjunctive

Literally “That they eat brioche” – You could interpret it as ‘(let it be)that they eat brioche” but the typical translation is, as you say “let them eat brioche”

…although…

If I was set on it then that Carbon Cycles monocoque fork with a tapered steerer might well do it. Not for me though – too attached to the colour coordination. I’ve got other bikes for being light.

You might be better – I like the bike as it is, complete with its limitations. But as a base for upgrading – well, there are probably better options available.

Results are mixed…

Loads of room for the tyre:
https://goo.gl/photos/PKiSoby4Zhx6sM3K9

BUT, the lockring for the disk fouls the dropout and the spoke clearance for the caliper is very tight.
https://goo.gl/photos/9ijpwiM5cz41tyTK7
https://goo.gl/photos/TETA2wngAKgzL2428

Now, I have a 160 rotor on my Unit so that second point may not be an issue with a 180mm but the first point is annoying. It’s only just touching but still…

(yes, I know the wheel is in the wrong way – different rotor size you see?)

exotic fork 790grams btw

I’ve got one of those ‘Exotic’ 29er forks on another bike. I’ll have a look later and see if the tyre clears them or not. That would be a cheap way of doing it with the right headset/converter.

It does seem that most carbon forks with a tapered steerer also have a thru axle.

Might be easier to fit a reducing headset. They exist don’t they? Or did I dream it…

Nice – that must ride great. I love mine as it is but it’s a weighty beast.

These upgrades must have cost as much as the bike though?

🙂

I’ve got my forks. All good – they’re slightly heavier than the ones they replaced, they obviously fixed the problem by throwing more metal at it. 2kg now! Guess adding suspension probably saved you some weight!

The rigid fork? It’s a standard 100mm hub isn’t it?

http://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/description/2016-pine-mountain-1

The suspension ones have 110/15 maxle jobbies I think.

/edit – seems to change for the 2017 models. Best check what you have.
http://www.marinbikes.com/us/bikes/description/2017-pine-mountain

I wouldn’t let my children (or anyone else) touch my CD shelves.

or in other words, not Zionist

Yes, that was rather my point – apologies if it wasn’t clear enough.

He was a Zionist in the same way that a murderer is an ‘advocate of euthanasia’

ie not.