You may have noticed that since a little while ago, certain articles were published in English/French and German. This took up a lot of space, and could annoy regular readers who had to scroll down to find their own language! To avoid this, I have started to put the French and German versions (without photos or illustrations) onto "links". If you wish to read MY translation (not all articles are translated, I doubt if the French or German would understand the adventures of Ron & Eff, for example) then all you have to do is click on the TITLE (next to the little orange arrow) and wait. A page will open with the translation.(You can try it above). Vous avez remarque, peut être, que certaines articles sont lisible en Français et Allemande. Cela a pris trop de place sur le site originale, donc des maintenant, si vous voulez ces traductions, vous n'avez qu'a cliquet sur le titre (a cote du flèche orange) pour voir (sans photos) le texte désirée.Vous pouvez essayer ici....

(Cliquez sur le titre pour article en Francaise) ******************************************************************* I recall, vividly, the day the experts decided I was Diabetic Type 2, not so long ago! I was surprised, to say the least, because no family history had ever showed this disease as present, but then again, I wasn't exactly like the majority of my family in diat or living style! However, it disturbed me, simply because of the notions and mental images I had of other Diabetics I had known, forced to prick their fingers a dozen times a day, take medecines, regular controls, and an upheaval of normal life, for the rest of their lives! Certainly, one should not pleasant with the malady, and I confess having had felt the presence of various symptoms (once they had been explained to me) in the past! I presumed that the specialists had done their work correctly, and that was that. At the time I was participating in my re-education course at Hospital, after my 3 bypass coronar...

(Click Title for French + German) ******************************************** With Christmas coming up, I looked at my situation, and came up with the following! In German there exists a word "Genussmittel", which has no translation into French or English. It's not the only German word that doesn't have a translation (like "Heimat" for example) but this is one that has implications in today's debates. The Germans even have a law called the "Genussmittelsgesetz" applied for many things, but particularly for Tobacco, Alcohol, as well as medecines, or drugs, and of all things, COFFEE, TEA and other beverages, innocent, but harmful! The nearest one can get to a translation is "semi-luxury" (given in some serious dictionnaries) and this can be applied not only to my current position, but is quite a good way to appreciate things and save money at the same time! If someone has a cigarette in their mouths, or a glass in their hands,...

Christmas had started early this year. Eff had rushed in towards the end of November, flourishing a piece of paper in her hand, and waving it energetically in the direction of the garden, where Ron was fighting a losing battle with his large hedge, had cried out "Ron, come quickly and have a look, I've solved our problems for at least this year! No unexpected visitors, no Marquis, no Dutch, no French, no family - just Donald, Mickey and Minnie and Pluto, and a few others!" "What the hell is she going on about" wondered Ron, who had had many experiences of Effs "arranging" things in his life, and had learnt to become a little bit sceptical. Pushing aside the hedge where he had hoped to stay undiscovered for about a month (until just after the Noel festivities, at least) he stuck his head out, narrowly avoiding the pet family fox, who had come out of his lair, to chase the pet miniature pig, belonging to the neighbour, which spent all it's existence ...

No, this isn't to complain AGAIN about November, although there is a lot to complain about, and it's still not finished. No - I found out something which could brighten up this horrible month, but which disappointed me at the same time, at least a little bit! You see - I had always beleived that "Tinkerbelles" were created, not born, like all other fairies. Now I understand that MY Tinkerbelle has her birthday in November! I wasn't aware of it, and assuming that the magic powder was sprinkled liberally on a permanent basis, even when we were no longer there to receive the benefits, and now I have to accept the fact that Tinkerbelles are just as mortal as everyhing else! This is a great dash to my beliefs, but I suppose I'll just have to get over it. In any case, late or not late, I hope Tinkerbelle was taken good care of, on that day of her fairy-like existence, and I'll say simply: Happy Birthday to ya - baby! (don't forget - this is just a fairy tale...

Vous pouvez trouver l'originale a cette adresse: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dchktwkh_65cdtk6x S'il vous manque des photos qu'on a pu trouver sur mes sites, je vous informes que, grace aux commentaires faites par 2 personnes (1 qui ne savait même pas qu'est que c'était "un souris", et l'autre simplement aimant de se faire importante) j'ai pris la décision d'enlever du compte "flickr" (accessible par simple clique sur la plus part des photos sur les pages du site) toutes les photos concernant un certain secteur. C'est a dire que PERSONNE PEUT TELECHARGER CES PHOTOS! Ces photos resterons dans ma possession en tant de copyright. 90% de ces photos étaient visitées 1 seule fois (je suppose, donc, par "l'experte dans la Sécurité "). Vue le fait qu'aucune de ces photos ferait référence (aux autres) des zones géographique, des noms de famille, des comptes Bancaire, des adresses, et vue également le fait que les s...

Les triste nouvelles sont arrivées, tard, dans la soirée . L'acteur et être-humaine exceptionnel, Philippe Noiret, est decedee. J'aimerais savoir pourquoi c'est toujours les bons et les gentilles d'abord, et les méchants au dernier? >Pour les remplacer, il y a rien. Toutes ces acteurs, actrices, qui ont enrichi le monde entier ne sont plus dans la production des être-humaines, et cela est triste. Que des "rappers" des "punks" et je ne sais plus quoi d'autre, mais des acteurs capable - RIEN! Adieu Mr Noiret, et Merci! (iwmpop)

Hey - have I got good news for you, and it's still November! It's certain now, Ron and Eff will be spending Christmas this year at Disneyland, near Paris! Ron thought it was in Florida, and had packed his golf clubs, but Eff (who had WON this trip on a local Sainsbury Supermarket competition) rapidly sorted it out, and told Ron that she had chosen the Paris one because a) It had no golf course  b) It was close enough to home to get the hell out quickly, if necessary. (that's always a question) c)  Ron's excellent masterly way of speaking French (learnt from last year for the most part) meant that even if everybody only spoke American style English, Ron and Eff could stand out a little "far from the madding crowd"  but even then............Who might they meet over there, near to Paris, apart from Donald, Goofy, and all the rest? Well - find out shortly on: Mr le Marquis! (this is Ron, all dressed up, and ready to go!)  This posting was made with the help of Wr...

With the famous ashes starting today. and with the "Barmy Army" in place, I thought a few words about what I always appreciated in Cricket wouldn't come amiss! S o here they are! When I was an active player (which I was, for many years, at many levels, in many countries) the Barmy Army didn't exist. The charm of Cricket was made up of things which won't be present, or hearable in Australia . Already we tended to play at weekends, or on Bank Holidays, apart from the Army, where we got ourselves the time off, free of liabilities, like upset bosses! These matches, as in most Village cricket, even in the London area, were played mainly on Village greens, or at private c lubs, complete with the pavillion and the bar! The nicest sounds, after the chinking of ice cubes into the gin and tonic glasses, I recall, was the solid "plunk" of what has been described as leather hitting willow. The "chink" of a bail (or both) coming off the stumps was also ...

(I think it may replace the above) Somewhere along the line I found this Australian site, with this word processor, free of charge, to publish directly to my Blogs and things! At the moment I discovered it, it didn't work for Beta Blogs, just like Google writely + Broadsheets didn't either, which was frustrating! The staff (a guy called Mark) down-under, was exceptionally quick and friendly, (which reassured me, bearing in mind the Aussies reputation!) and he has just let me know that they can now support Beta Blogs. This is my first attempt - so we'll see! If it works, and Googles system still doesn't, this concerns me a little, because the danger will exist that Google will buy this smaller competitor out, and voila - it's all Googly again. I'm going to try even posting a picture, maybe that'll work better than Googles version as well! Well- not quite, I'm going to have to ask Mark (unless any of you know) how to get the URL pf a photo because there i...

I was watching a programme on a German TV station last night, and they came up with some astonishing facts on life! Here are a few of them: J'ai regarde la TV Allemande hier soir, et j'ai appris quelques détails sur notre vie quotidienne : Gestern Habe Ich etwas Ferngesehen und Habe die folgenden information erhalten zur Theme "Lebensstyle": The average German drinks in his lifetime 98,000 cups of coffee! (I don't dare think how many cups of tea the British drink!) En moyenne, l'allemand boit 98,000 tasses du cafe dans sa vie! Durschnittlich jeder Deutsche trinkt 98,000 tassen Kaffee im sein leben! ********** He eats, on average 260 pigs in his life! Il mange 260 cochons dans sa vie! Er frisst 260 schweine! He drinks the equivalent of 60 baths full of beer! Il boit l'équivalent de 60 ...

Do You know who these two beauties are? Actively sought! Reward offered for the whereabouts of both! (iwmpop) Mr. le Marquis.

Vauvert, Fr ance 14 November 2006 Coming up - on your screens shortly will be the following articles: (At least I'm working on them, but I haven't received all the necessary details! Ron and Eff on Christmas Holidays (Don't know where yet, they haven't told me) More Travel Adventures - An account of West Berlin in the 60's and 70's both as a Soldier and as a Civilian - A little note on Terrorist targets (now you're all back home safely). A couple of French things, and a couple of German things, just to buggar up my mate Chippie! Other things, just as they fall into my empty head - be surprised, and warned! (iwmpop) Mr. le Marquis,

Vauvert, France. 14 November 2006 Sitting here, toothless, up to the hilt in debts, nothing to eat, nothing to drink, unable to pay my heating bills, nothing to wear, I think I'm going to become a real criminal. After all, if I get away with my crime, then I'll be rich, and won't have the problems anyway! If not, then - INSIDE! You see, in prison, you get 3 meals a day, the cells are heated, you don't pay bills (apart from that to society). Health treatment is automatic, I suppose free of charge........ Does that mean that INSIDE I can get a Dentist to make me my necessaries free, whilst OUTSIDE I have to pay a fortune? I'll make sure, of course, that I am considered a drug-addic (does that apply to Alcohol and cats and tobacco as well?) before committing my crime, I'll try and make sure they "cold turkey" me whilst inside, and when I get out, I'll sue, and have...

14th November 2006. Vauvert,France. Watching the lunchtime news today, I was not ever so surprised to hear the news that some eminent Scientifics, somewhere, had finally decided that the good old healthy country air - isn't so healthy after all! After having crawled around on my belly on exercises on Salisbury Plain, around Catterick, and on the Luneberger Heide in Germany, it didn't surprise me to hear the news! After years in the mountain areas of Allgau, Bavaria, I know what it means to be blocked by a tractor and trailer, on a narrow, mountainous road, snow covered, on it's way to "fertilise" snow covered fields. I've even had "nuts" in the car or Landrover, with me, who have insisted on opening the windows wide, at -20C, to inhale what they called the "local ozone". It smelt revolting, not surprising, since the"fertilizer was made up of some 20% cow pee, 30% cow dung, and 50% unspecified ind...