I have just cancelled my Zoom subscription which was going to renew automatically on May8th.
The features available with the prescription are very good but no longer necessary now that the hard confinement periods appear to be over. Not worth the 139€ per year. The basic free of charge subsciption will do for now.
The weather forecast predicted rain and wind, the swallows are flying very low, which is a sure sign of bad weather and yet I am sitting in the sun with my after lunch espresso and a glass of red wine. It actually feels hot.
I am enjoying my latest literature acquisition.
What a pleasant Sunday and last day of the current confinement period. As of tomorrow we can travel again, within France of course.
Excellent 1st race yesterday which I watched from start to finish. Quite a battle in all categories. I have already updated my dedicated web page with the results.
DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE
With the possibility of rediscovering, at last, the pleasure of going to the cinema, visiting a nice exhibition, sipping a drink on a terrace… and all this until 9pm, because the curfew will also be extended. The date of this first return to a sort of “life before” is to be remembered and noted on your tablets: Wednesday 19 May. It will do us good. It really will! For those sectors heavily impacted by the health crisis, the cinema professionals and the world of culture in general, the “non-essential” businesses, it is also a breath of fresh air. The restrictive measures will therefore be lightened little by little until 30 June when the end of the curfew is scheduled. Already, from this Monday, the noose will loosen again with the abandonment of the compulsory daytime certificate to travel within 10 km of home.
In May, no, we don’t do as we please but yes, in May, France will reopen
So, now we are all aware of the expected deconfinement calendar. I for one, am looking forward to the end of the 10km radius this coming monday. I guess the first thing I’ll do is go to the seaside and check out if beaches are getting ready for their re-opening 3 weeks later on the 19th.
▫️ VACCINATIONS
As of Saturday 1 May, all 18-55 year olds suffering from obesity, hypertension, diabetes, renal or cardiac insufficiency, cancer… have access to vaccination. This represents 4 million people. May 15 for those aged 50 and over, June 15 for all adults. The President of the Republic specified yesterday morning the next major steps of the vaccination. As previously mentioned, we have to be very careful still. All the planned deconfinement steps are subject to the “departement” not exceeding the dreaded Incidence Rate of 400 and look on the map above how many departements are over 400 (dark colour) as of April 28th.
▫️ STATUS INDIA
The situation in India is getting worse and many countries are sending help. For those who have visited India, it is not a surprise, the complete lack of infrastructure and hygiene for most of the population will ensure that it can only get worse in particular since the virus is mutating. I am also certain that the figures reported are only the tip of the iceberg, many people will not bother or not be in a position to seek medical help and surely there are even more cases and deaths than what is actually reported.
However when looking at the number of deaths reported, from a percentage of the population point of view, the UK is far worse than India (more than 12 times worse in fact). France is also above India although 15% better than the UK.
▫️ PLANES
You do not hear many, if at all, jet planes for the past few weeks. The daily RyanAir flights to Carcassonne have stopped weeks ago. The day before yesterday however was a bit different. I was sitting outside reading my latest book acquisition and it felt that many planes were passing overhead at very regular intervals. I checked on my phone and in fact it was a single military Airbus passing many times on a north – south – north trajectory. Very peculiar indeed.
▫️ TIP
Longevity…to be pondered… it makes you think !!!!
BUT
How did doctors come to the conclusion that exercise prolongs life?
The rabbit always hops up and down, but it only lives for 2 years and the turtle that doesn’t exercise at all lives for 400 years.
So rest, relax, stay cool, eat, drink and enjoy your life!
▫️ MUSIC OF 1969
Another Top Hit in France at that time
I prefer the version from Barry Ryan which is the one we were listening to at the time, however Mr Ryan did not have the “Claudettes” to accompany him which Clo Clo had.
🎶 / 🎶 / 🎶
▫️ FOOD & DRINKS
As usual at the beginning of the month, a list of the seasonal fruits and vegetables (in French but with pictures) to be expected. I saw quite a few melons at the market this morning but they are all imprted from Morocco and Spain (a disgrace). I’ll wait patiently from the real local stuff to be available next month.
▫️ SATIRE
▫️ NEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND 🇺🇸
▫️ THE FABULOUS FRIDAY (FUNNIES) GROANS from Paul
Welcome to another end-of-week FFF
● Some more short jokes …………
∙ Do hairdressers get a cut of the profits?
∙ I’ve been listening to a cassette of protest songs; it’s a demo tape.
∙ My wife thinks I’m just a gullible old fool who will never amount to anything. Well, according to my daily horoscope, she’s wrong
∙ Using bleach in your washing is the only true path to enwhitenment.
∙ Me: I’m having a great day apart from Newpussycat
Friend: What’s Newpussycat?
Me: Whoaaah, Whoaaah, Whoaaah (Groan!)
● As a singer I sing at many funerals & I was recently asked by a funeral director to play & sing at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery out in the country. As I was not familiar with the area, I got lost. I finally arrived an hour late and saw that the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch I felt bad and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to sing. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I sang from my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. As I sang “Amazing Grace”, the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my keyboard and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I’ve never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.” Apparently, I’m still lost….
● A car hits a lady & the husband calls 911.
The operator asks, “Where are you at”?
The husband replies, “I’m on Eucalyptus Road.”
The operator asks, “Can you spell that for me?”
“Well… I’ll just drag her over to Oak so you can you pick her up there?”
● “According to a new study, cats may have more potential than dogs to sniff out bombs. They just won’t bother to tell you.” –Seth Meyers
● Mom and Dad were trying to console Susie, whose dog Skipper had recently died. “You know,” Mom said, “it’s not so bad. Skipper’s probably up in Heaven right now, having a grand old time with God.” Susie stopped crying and asked, “What would God want with a dead dog?”
● An elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired. Holding hands, they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they’d shared, where Jerry had carved, I love you, Sally. On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money – fifty thousand dollars!
Jerry said, “We’ve got to give it back.”
Sally said, “Finders keepers.” She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.
The next day, two police officers were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knocked on their door. “Pardon me, did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armo red car yesterday?”
Sally said “No.”
Jerry said, “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.”
Sally said, “Don’t believe him, he’s getting senile.”
The agents turned to Jerry and began to question him.
One said: “Tell us the story from the beginning.”
Jerry said, “Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday” …
The first police officer turned to his partner and said,” We’re outta here!”
● A woman answered her front door and found two little boys holding a list. “Lady,” one of them explained, “we’re on a scavenger hunt, and we still need three grains of wheat, a pork-chop bone and a piece of used carbon paper to earn a dollar.”
“Wow,” the woman replied. “Who sent you on such a challenging hunt?”
“Our baby-sitter’s boyfriend.”
● “How come when you mix water and flour together you get glue… and then you add eggs and sugar and you get cake? Where does the glue go?” — Rita Rudner
● Sign seen in an animal shelter: “All children left unattended will be given a free kitten.”
● Tower: “Virgin 702, cleared for takeoff, contact departure on 124.7.”
Virgin 702: “Tower, Virgin 702 switching to departure … by the way, after we lifted off, we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway.”
Tower: “Qantas 635, cleared for takeoff. Contact departure on 124.7; did you copy the report from Virgin?”
Qantas 635: “Qantas 635, cleared for takeoff roger; and yes, we copied Virgin. We’ve already notified our caterers.”
● A man was on a walking holiday in Ireland. He became thirsty so decided to stop at a little cottage and ask for something to drink. The lady of the house invited him in and served him a bowl of soup by the fire. There was a wee pig running around the kitchen, running up to the visitor and giving him a great deal of attention. The visitor commented that he had never seen a pig this friendly. The housewife replied: “Ah, he’s not that friendly. That’s his bowl you’re using.”
● One gossip to another: “It’s my policy never to say anything about anyone unless it’s something good. And boy is this ever good!”
∙ Q: Did you hear about the two silk worms that had a race?
A: It was a tie
∙ Q: Why do bees have sticky hair?
A: Because they always use honeycombs.
∙ Q: Did you hear about the robbery in the laundry room?
A: Two clothespins held up a pair of pants.
∙ Q: Where would you look when purchasing felines via mail order?
A: In a Cat-a-log.
∙ Q: What kind of school does a carpenter go to?
A: Boarding school.
● And a few ‘ex’ jokes for the road.
∙ My ex-wife still misses me… But her aim is getting better.
∙ I tried to re-marry my ex-wife. But she figured out I was only after my money.
∙ My ex-husband kept the only copy of our wedding video. I can’t see myself getting married again.
∙ Was in court with the ex-wife over who’d get the kids in the divorce, she told the judge about the time I flew into a rage a threw an entire trifle at her. So of course, she got custardy.
∙ My ex-wife used to hit me with stringed instruments.If only I had known she had a history of violins.
∙ What did the janitor’s ex-husband accuse her of? Sweeping around.
See ya later!
▫️ FUN
▫️ WEATHER
There is nothing good to say about the weather today. I have been reliably informed though that summer is arriving on Monday .
▫️ WEEEND READS
🔸 How Pixar Uses Hyper-Colors to Hack Your Brain (Wired)
🔸 A Chinese company has started charging for fully driverless rides(ArsTechnica)
🔸 With Ransomware Attacks, Criminals Have The Upper Hand (NPR)
Some events during the month
A couple of favorites of mine on May 15th & May 23rd
🔸 1st May 2021 – May Day
May Day is an ancient spring festival, traditionally celebrated with maypole dancing.
🔸 3rd May 2021 – May Day Bank Holiday
A Bank Holiday in the UK and Ireland.
🔸 3rd May to 9th May 2021 – National Sun Awareness Week
Raising awareness of the dangers of excessive sun exposure and how to avoid sunburn and skin cancers.
🔸 3rd May to 9th May 2021 – Screen-Free Week
Annual event to encourage us to unplug from digital entertainment and spend all that free time playing, reading, daydreaming, creating, exploring, and connecting with family and friends.
🔸 3rd May 2021 – International Gilbert & Sullivan Day
Celebrating the comic operas of Gilbert & Sullivan, on the birthday of the man who brought them together, Richard D’Oyly Carte.
🔸 3rd May 2021 – World Laughter Day
The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation for World Peace and it builds up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter.
🔸 4th May 2021 – Star Wars Day
May The Fourth Be With You!
🔸 5th May 2021 – Cinco De Mayo
Celebration of Mexican culture to commemorate the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. It has now become a more general celebration of Mexican culture.
🔸 5th May 2021 – National Bike to School Day
Strap on your helmets, raise your kickstands, and join the thousands of students, families, community partners, and elected officials all around the country who will be participating in this year’s Bike to School Day.
🔸 8th May 2021 – World Fair Trade Day
A worldwide festival of events celebrating Fair Trade’s contribution to sustainable development, and the economic empowerment of small producers, gender equality and responsible production.
🔸 9th May 2021 – Mother’s Day (US)
Let your Mom know how much you love her on her special day
🔸 12th May 2021 – International Nurses Day
Held on the birthday of Florence Nightingale to mark the contributions that nurses make to society.
🔸 15th May 2021 – World Whisky Day 🥃
🔸 16th May 2021 – National Children’s Day UK
National Children’s Day UK is all about the importance of a healthy childhood and protecting the rights and freedoms of children so that they can grow into happy, healthy adults.
🔸 17th May to 21st May 2021 – Walk To School Week
Annual event to encourage children and their parents to walk to school, organised by Living Streets.
🔸 19th May 2021 – National Numeracy Day
An annual celebration of the importance of numbers in everyday life and will bring together individuals, employers, educators and influencers to improve numeracy.
🔸 20th May 2021 – World Bee Day 🐝
The purpose of World Bee Day is to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development.
🔸 22nd May 2021 – International Day for Biological Diversity
United Nations sponsored international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues.
🔸 23rd May 2021 – World Turtle Day 🐢
World Turtle Day’s aim is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.
🔸 25th May 2021 – Towel Day
In memory of Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy author Douglas Adams.
🔸 25th May 2021 – Africa Day
The annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963.
🔸 29th May 2021 – Oakapple Day
Also known as Restoration Day, it is a traditional English celebration of the restoration of the monachy in 1660, following the death of Oliver Cromwell.
🔸 29th May 2021 – Elmer Day
A celebration of reading, of elephants and of accepting yourself and others, just like Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, star of the Elmer books by David McKee.
🔸 31st May 2021 – Spring Bank Holiday Monday
A Bank Holiday in the UK and Ireland.
DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS 📉 📊 📈 HERE .
● President Macron chose Le Parisien newspaper and the regional daily press to unveil his plan to reopen the country. The stages, the assessment of the vaccination, the strategic choices for France and the ambitions for the months to come, Emmanuel Macron puts everything on the table.
Emmanuel Macron has announced the “four stages” of the lifting of restrictions and closures imposed to combat the Covid-19 epidemic, as well as a gradual shift in the curfew, in an interview with several regional dailies.
An “emergency brake” is however foreseen, the President of the Republic specified. If in a department or a metropolis the incidence rate exceeds 400 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, that its increase is “very brutal” and that the resuscitation services risk “saturation”, the reopenings will be stopped there.
Here is what must change on each of the four dates selected:
⇢ May 3rd
The first step was already known: the end of daytime travel restrictions and the ban on travelling to another region, from 3 May, which will also see the return to class of secondary school pupils.
⇢ May 19th
After much speculation, 19 of May was finally chosen as the date for the second phase: the reopening of shops that are currently closed, the terraces of bars, cafés and restaurants (with a maximum of six people per table), and museums, cinemas, theatres and open-air sports facilities. In these cultural and sports venues, a visitor capacity must be respected: 800 people indoors, 1,000 outdoors.
The Head of State also confirmed that the starting time of the curfew will be changed from 7pm to 9pm on 19 May.
⇢ June 9th
On 9 June, bars, cafés and restaurants will also be able to reopen indoors, as will sports halls. The curfew will then start at 11pm.
On the same day, Emmanuel Macron announced that the instructions concerning the use of teleworking would be “relaxed”, “in conjunction with the social partners at company level”. Today, the instruction is to apply it at least four days a week for the posts where it is possible.
⇢ June 30th
Finally, on the 30th of June, the curfew will end. Cultural and sporting events will once again be authorised above the 1 000-person limit. But their access may be conditional on the presentation of a health pass, which Emmanuel Macron envisages for “stadiums, festivals, fairs or exhibitions”, but excludes restaurants or cinemas.
● VAT
From 1 July 2021, all parcels from outside the EU will be subject to VAT, which means a 20% price increase for all products sent especially from the Far East, which are sold en masse on many successful platforms. This new tax introduced by the European Commission will therefore make online consumption less cheap than it was.
Shipping costs or prices charged by platforms such as Amazon, Wish, Cdiscount, Darty or AliExpress, which offer many products sold outside the EU (especially from the Far East, particularly China), are therefore likely to increase. Indeed, these platforms host products put up for sale by third-party sellers (this is the case for 58% of the products sold on Amazon), and a large proportion of these sellers are based abroad (a third of the sellers on CDiscount).
● ELECTIONS
Would you like to make sure that you are registered to vote in the departmental, regional elections on Sunday 20 June 2021?
Check your electoral situation using the online service available on Service-Public.fr.
● Le Mans 24h
Our very nice young post lady has just been and delivered my latest acquisition to add to my budding collection. I am concentrating (but not only) at the moment on French cars which took part in the Le Mans 24h over the years.
On the subject, the 1st race of the WEC (World Endurance Championship) season is tomorrow Saturday with the 6 hours of Spa Francorchamp. I have renewed my WEC membership so that I can watch all the races on line.
● WEATHER
It actually looks much better outside than what the weather forecast predicts. The sun is actually shining.
● MUSIC
● VINTAGE
● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE
DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .
📉 📊 📈
● The outline of the deconfinement timetable, already mapped out by the government, will become clearer. At the end of the council of ministers, Jean Castex announced that Emmanuel Macron will present on Friday “the perspectives” of exit from the restrictions imposed against Covid-19. They will be in an interview published Friday morning by the regional daily press, several regional media reported Wednesday evening. The head of state chose to speak in these daily newspapers and not in a televised address as he has done on several occasions since the beginning of the crisis.
● The epidemic situation is clearly improving in the Occitanie region
The epidemic situation is improving in the Occitanie region. After a mostly red or even scarlet map three weeks ago, the incidence rates are rapidly decreasing and now show green territories.
Carcassonne area is still around the 250 level
● EVENTS
And for the second year in a row, I shall miss that. Last year because it was cancelled and this year because Leucate is slightly further than the allowed 10km radius from home.
● HIGH SPEED TRAIN
Toulouse residents could soon reach Bordeaux in one hour instead of two, and Paris in three hours instead of four and a half.
Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) at three hours from Paris, a plan that is accelerating! The construction of this new TGV line is scheduled for 2024 instead of 2029.
● MUSIC
● SATIRE
I know which side I am on
● WEATHER
Even cooler than yesterday. It has not been a very good April.
● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE
I have been trying to reconnect with some friends from the army days in the Alpine Troops (Chasseurs Alpins) in Annecy.
I have come across a few photos on the internet which brought back memories and a few names.
Cameras were bulky in those days and we had enough to carry, so photos are fairly rare.
DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .
📉 📊 📈
● Thanks to the figures communicated this Tuesday by Santé publique France, here is the balance sheet of the epidemic in the region, in the Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales.
As of 27 April, the region had 1,859 patients hospitalised for Covid, 14 fewer than the previous day. Some 396 of them are being treated in critical care units (intensive care unit, intensive care unit or continuous care unit), 3 more in 24 hours. Of these 1,859, some 964 were cared for in conventional hospitals (-22), 482 in follow-up care or long-term care units (+2) and 17 in other institutions (+3).
In addition, 4,118 deaths due to Covid were recorded in health establishments in the region, i.e. 18 more than the previous day. And 18,749 people have been able to return home since the beginning of the epidemic, including 141 since the previous day. More than 1,000 people returned home in the Aude.
In Aude, the number of people hospitalised for Covid reached 152 on Tuesday (5 less in 24 hours). Of these 152 patients, 20 are in critical care (resuscitation, intensive care or continuous monitoring) (stable), 77 in conventional hospitalization (-5), 54 in follow-up or long-term care (stable) and 1 in another type of establishment (stable). In the department, 333 deaths due to Covid are to be deplored, including one in 24 hours. On Tuesday, the Aude region passed the threshold of 1,000 people returning home, with 1,005 people having left hospital since March, 7 more than the day before.
In the Pyrénées-Orientales on 27 April, 164 patients are being treated in hospitals in the department, 5 less than on Monday. Among these 164, some 22 patients are being treated in critical care (resuscitation, intensive care or continuous monitoring), i.e. 4 less in 24 hours. In addition, 76 patients were admitted to conventional hospitals (-8), 64 to follow-up or long-term care (s+7) and 2 to other structures (stable). One additional death has occurred since Monday. In total, 286 people have died in hospital in the department since March 2020. Finally, 1,187 patients were able to return home, i.e. +18 in 24 hours.
INCIDENCE RATE IN THE AUDE HAS GONE OVER THE 250 CRITICAL LEVEL
● What is known about the expected progressive re-opening
From May onwards, terraces, cultural venues, restaurants and sports halls, which have been closed for months because of Covid-19, should gradually reopen. Here are the elements already leaked by the executive, before a speech by Emmanuel Macron expected in the coming days.
On the sidelines of a trip to Melun on Monday to mark the start of the new school year, the president himself outlined several avenues for the weeks to come, insisting that the lifting of restrictions would be done “very slowly”.
Reopening in stages, towards gauges by region
The reopening will take place in several stages to “give visibility until July”, declared the Head of State. Firstly, on 3 May: at national level, the end of travel limited to 10 or 30 km around the home and the return of secondary school pupils to school.
Second stage, just before or just after the Ascension weekend (15/16 May): opening of terraces, places of culture and some shops. These reopenings should also be national. But the gauges will vary according to the regions, depending on the circulation of the virus.
The next two stages, which will concern indoor restaurants in particular, should take place at the beginning of June, and then “in mid or late June”. They could be territorialised. “I don’t think we can reopen restaurants, say at the end of May or in June, in departments where it is still circulating a lot” but “in other (departments) where it has dropped a lot, I think we will have to open them”, he told residents of Melun. “For the theatre, cinema and others, we can see that if we limit the number, we will be able to reopen them in the first phases,” he added.
Each stage will depend on the evolution of the health situation (incidence and vaccination rates or presence of variants). According to the executive, the objective is not to “stop and go”, in other words to reopen and then close again.
Discussions on shops, sports halls and festivals
Discussions are still underway with Bercy, sector by sector, to determine the size of the shops that can reopen as well as the size of the stores, which could vary according to the territory. As for sports halls, the president mentioned an opening at the beginning of June but “not before”. The decision on festivals remains unknown. The only clue is that the Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot, said she was confident that the Printemps de Bourges festival would be held at the end of June. If the capacity chosen is very low, for example in seats and with only one seat out of three, some organisers could give up.
The Minister of Public Transformation and the Civil Service, Amélie de Montchalin, also spoke of the possibility of a reduction in the number of people working from home on Tuesday, speaking on Europe 1. “Today we encourage the French to telework as much as possible, but there will come a day when we will stop saying that it is necessarily a minimum of four days a week,” she said, referring to a timetable that will be specified in order to “organise things”.
A lighter curfew?
The curfew, currently set at 7pm, is the main adjustment variable in the decontainment process and is considered to be very effective in containing the virus. It should remain at this time on 3 May. But Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the government would “try to shift it a little, because 7pm is very early”. Without giving a date. The subject is discussed within the government between the economic line and the health line.
As at each major turning point in the crisis, the President will announce this schedule to the French, probably before 5 May. The government spokesman, Gabriel Attal, indicated on Monday that the president would speak “shortly” to “give the stages of the reopening calendar”. Rather than an address, Emmanuel Macron could opt for a television interview or a press conference.
● SETTING ALL THE WRONG RECORDS
🇮🇳 🇮🇳 🇮🇳
● VACCINATIONS
I had a quick check on the EU vaccination efforts compared to the other major blocks.
● MODEL CARS
Almost evrytime I go to the Le Mans 24h race I purchase a model car as a souvenir. I have tried a few of the scales available 1:12 – 1:18 – 1:24 – 1:43 – 1:87 and have now decided that 1:43 suits me best.
I have not yet found a shop in Carcassonne which specialises in such models. I am looking for 3 specific models right now:
● TALKING ABOUT CARS
● MUSIC
I clearly remember the film and buying the LP. Souvenirs, souvenirs. Great stuff.
● MADNESS
● STORK NEWS
It looks like all eggs have now hatched and we have 5 healthy chicks
https://www.sarralbe.fr/webcam.html
● WEATHER
Not good at all today, in fact very chilly. Unfortunately it will remain the same for the next couple of days.
● FUN
● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE
I do it my way 