Had a pleasant enough walk despite a lot of wind. As said, it is pleasant but there was too much to be done on the actual roads. There are some spectacular views of the Pyrenees and a few beautiful houses, old and new) to be seen on the way.
I do not need to do it twice though
Further to the difficulties faced earlier this week for the planned acquisition of this piece of equipment, we have now ordered it directly from the manufacturer in Germany. Delivery is not expected before the end of May / beginning of June.
Now, space has to be found and made for it
▫️ DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .
▫️ The situation of the epidemic in the region, in the Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales this Friday according to the figures of Santé publique France.
In Aude, this Friday evening, 138 people are hospitalised (5 less than Thursday): 63 in conventional hospitalisation (-1), 21 in intensive care (-1), 53 in follow-up care or long-term care (-3 compared to Thursday) and 1 in other structures. 1 additional death was recorded on Friday. In total, 329 people have died from Covid in the department.
In the Pyrénées-Orientales, 167 patients are hospitalised this Friday (+2 in 24 h): 82 in conventional hospitalisation (-2), 27 in intensive care (the same total as Thursday), 56 in follow-up or long-term care (+4) and 2 in other structures. 3 additional deaths were recorded in the Pyrénées-Orientales on Friday. The department counts 282 victims of Covid.
In the Occitanie region, this Friday evening, 1890 people are hospitalized because of the Covid (+16 in 24 hours): 998 in conventional hospitalisation (+16), 399 in intensive care (-8), 483 in follow-up care or long term care (+8 compared to Thursday) and 10 in other sectors. In total, 4038 inhabitants of the Occitanie region have died from Covid-19, including 13 in the last 24 hours.
▫️ Covid-19: Johnson & Johnson injections start today in France
France has received a first shipment of 200,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
The vaccine can be stored at 2-8°C for easier distribution and storage. People over the age of 55 will be able to receive Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine “as of this Saturday,” Health Minister Olivier Véran announced on Thursday.
▫️ SPACE STATION
Multi tasking again as I am watching live the imminent docking of Dragon to the ISS this Saturday morning. The picture quality is absolutely stunning.
▫️ MUSIC OF 1967
I watched a very interesting program last night about the Kinks on ARTE TV. Very interesting and it brought back a lot of memories as well.
🎶 / 🎶 / 🎶
▫️ FOOD & DRINKS
The Burgundian winegrowers are beginning to make the first estimates of losses following the exceptional frost episode which took place at the beginning of April and which affected the entire vineyard.
Behind the magnificent spectacle of candlelit vines lies a sad reality… The work of a whole year, reduced to nothing. “I am stunned! In thirty years of farming, I have never experienced this! “Thiébault Huber, president of the Confédération des Appellations et des Vignerons de Bourgogne (CAVB), admits. In 2016, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais had been spared and the temperatures had not fallen as low as this year, with sometimes -7 or -8 degrees. This time, the whole of Burgundy was affected by the frost: from Chablis to the Grand Auxerrois to the Mâconnais.
“That there are frost episodes in April is not surprising. The concern is the summer temperatures of the last week of March, which caused the buds to open”, explains Thiébault Huber. The Chardonnay and Aligoté, which were further ahead, seem to have been much more affected than the Pinot Noir. “The destruction within the plots can range from 20% to 80% of the buds, and even 100% in some areas,” notes the Bureau interprofessionnel des vins de Bourgogne (BIVB). This observation is quite serious and some situations are likely to be complicated for individuals.
▫️ ANCILLARY NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND from our correspondent in Britain
I am afraid our correspondant is too busy practising his new hobby
✏️ ✏️ ✏️
▫️ SATIRE
▫️ NEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND 🇺🇸
▫️ THE FABULOUS FRIDAY (FUNNIES) GROANS from Paul
A decent bunch of funnies this week. Enjoy!
■ A starter pack……
・I wanted to post a joke about sodium but then I was like, Na, people wouldn’t understand!
・Q: What do you call someone who can’t stick to a diet?
A: A deserter.
・I saw Michael J Fox at a garden centre the other day. Recognised him straight away, he had his back to the fuchsias!
・I couldn’t work out how to fasten my seat-belt. Then it clicked.
・My girlfriend said if I don’t do page 7 of the Kama Sutra she will leave me. It put me in a very difficult position.
・I look after plant pots and hanging baskets for celebrities, which means I tend to shrub holders with the rich and famous.
■ We are nearing the end of the BBQ season here. Let me refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:
(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill – beer in hand.
(4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meters exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.
Here comes the important part:
(5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
(6) The woman goes inside to organise the plates and cutlery.
(7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat.
Important again:
(8) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
(9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
(10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes. And most important of all:
(11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
(12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ‘ her night off’,and, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there’s just no pleasing some women
■ Some short jokes …………..
・What did the drummer name her twin daughters? Anna One, Anna Two.
・I never wanted to believe that my Dad was stealing from his job as a road worker. But when I got home, all the signs were there.
・A priest, a Pastor and a Rabbit entered a clinic to give blood. The nurse asked the Rabbit for his blood type. “I’m probably a type O” replied the rabbit
・I hate it when people act all intellectual and talk about Mozart while they’ve never even seen one of his paintings.
・Told my mum I was opening a theatre she said “you’re having me on” I said “well not necessarily, but we’ll give you an audition!”
■ One day while he was at the track playing the ponies and all but losing his shirt, Mitch noticed a priest who stepped out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race. Lo and behold, that horse – a very long shot – won the race. Before the next race, as the horses began lining up, Mitch watched with interest the old priest step onto the track. Sure enough, as the 5th race horses came to the starting gate the priest made a blessing on the forehead of one of the horses.
Mitch made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on the horse. Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse the priest had blessed won the race.
Mitch collected his winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the priest would bless for the 6th race. The priest again blessed a horse. Mitch bet big on it, and it won. Mitch was elated. As the races continued the priest kept blessing long shot horses, and each one ended up coming in first.
By and by, Mitch was pulling in some serious money. By the last race, he knew his wildest dreams were going to come true. He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all his savings, and awaited the priest’s blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on. True to his pattern, the priest stepped onto the track for the last race and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was the longest shot of the day. Mitch also observed the priest blessing the eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag. Mitch knew he had a winner and bet every cent he owned on the old nag.
He then watched dumbfounded as the old nag come in dead last. Mitch, in a state of shock, made his way down to the track area where the priest was. Confronting the old priest he demanded, ‘Father! What happened? All day long you blessed horses and they all won. Then in the last race, the horse you blessed lost by a Kentucky mile. Now, thanks to you I’ve lost every cent of my savings – all of it!’.
The priest nodded wisely and with sympathy. ‘Son,’ he said, ‘that’s the problem with you Protestants, you can’t tell the difference between a simple blessing and last rites.’
■ There were these 2 blondes standing outside in a parking lot next to their Mercedes. They were locked out so they were trying to get the door open with a closet hanger. The 1st blonde said to the second one, “You need to try harder. It’s starting to rain and the top is down!”
■ Many years ago on a long trans-continental flight, an elderly lady asked if she could visit the cockpit. When she got up there, she found four crew. She asked the first what he did, and he explained that he was the Navigator and his responsibilities were to keep the aircraft on its track across the earth. She turned to next one and asked what he did. He explained that he was the Flight Engineer and his job was to monitor and troubleshoot any aircraft or engine system problems to keep the aircraft operating smoothly. She turned to the next one and asked what he did. He explained that as the Captain he was responsible for everything in the aircraft and to fly and direct everyone in it. She turned to the First Officer and asked, “Well young man, what is your job? “He replied “Ma’am, I am the captain’s s*xual advisor.” Somewhat shocked, she said, “I beg your pardon young man, but what do you mean by that?” “Very simple ma’am. The captain has told me on a number of occasions that when he wants my effing advice, he’ll ask me.”
■ Once upon a time in their marriage, my Dad did something really stupid. My Mom chewed him out for it. He apologized, they made up. However, from time to time, my mom mentions what he had done. “Honey,” my Dad finally said one day, “why do you keep bringing that up? I thought your policy was ‘forgive and forget.'” “It is,” she said. “I just don’t want you to forget that I’ve forgiven and forgotten.”
・Q: What do you get when you bless an avocado?
A: Holy guacamole!
・Q: What did the snake say to his girlfriend?
A: C’mon, let’s hiss and make up.
・Q: Why did the projector blush?
A: It saw the filmstrip.
・Q: What does the word “benign” mean?
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.
Catch y’all later….
▫️ FUN
▫️ WEATHER
Very pleasant day out there today
▫️ DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .
📉 📊 📈
PRESS CONFERENCE SPECIAL
Here follows the main points from yesterday’s press conference
▪︎ Schools to reopen on 26 April
The government remains “faithful” to its commitments. As announced by Emmanuel Macron, the reopening of nursery and elementary schools will indeed take place on Monday 26 April. While the health situation is “relatively improved”, Jean Castex defended a “conscious” choice motivated by the “catastrophic damage” – both “educational” and “psychological” – caused by the prolonged closure of these schools.
A hybrid start to the school year in the most affected departments. Departments in which 4th and 3rd graders will enter the school year in half-gauge from 3 May 2021 (Marked in blue)
▪︎ Saliva tests in schools and self-tests in high schools
The reopening of schools will be accompanied by a “very strict” health protocol as well as a “massive reinforcement of testing capacities”. From Monday, 400,000 saliva tests will be offered each week to elementary schools, with a target of 600,000 by mid-May. 64 million self-tests will also be made available to “all national education staff” from next week, and to high school students from 10 May.
▪︎ Daytime travel restrictions lifted from 3 May
As announced, the deadline of 3 May is also maintained. It will mark the end of the “daytime travel constraints”, i.e. the obligation to fill in a certificate with derogatory reasons to travel beyond 10 kilometres. However, this threshold remains conditional on “the evolution of the health situation”.
▪︎ Curfew maintained “until further notice
Jean Castex announced that “the curfew is maintained and will be until further notice”. “We will see in mid-May where the epidemic situation will be”, he explained, warning that there was “no automaticity to its lifting”. The Prime Minister stressed that he could not, for the moment, “make this announcement”, judging that “it would not be prudent”.
▪︎ Shops, terraces: reopening cautiously envisaged “around mid-May
The government is walking on eggshells for the de-confinement. The reopening of shops, restaurants and cultural activities will be “progressive”, territorialized and will depend on the evolution of the epidemic, the Prime Minister has cautiously advanced. It could begin “around mid-May”, if the decline in infections continues, but it will be done “cautiously” and in stages. The list of activities that will be resumed first has not yet been fixed and details will be given “in the next few days”, Jean Castex said.
▪︎ Johnson & Johnson vaccine available from Saturday, new groups eligible for vaccination
As of Saturday, people over 55 years of age, without conditions, will have access to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one injection. The first 200,000 doses will be delivered to pharmacists, doctors and private nurses. As of Monday, adults living “under the same roof” as an “immunocompromised” person will also be able to be vaccinated. Finally, people “suffering from obesity” under the age of 55 will “probably” be eligible from mid-May.
▪︎ Vaccination with AstraZeneca encouraged
Jean Castex once again defended the AstraZeneca vaccine. The product has aroused the mistrust of the French after several cases of thrombosis. The Prime Minister stressed that these were only “rare forms of undesirable effects”, recalling that “the medical authorities have drawn the consequences by recommending it only after the age of 55”. “I am 55 years old and I was vaccinated with AstraZeneca like 200 million people in the world”, he wanted to stress.
▪︎ A ten-day quarantine for travellers coming from territories affected by variants
As the so-called “Brazilian” and “Indian” variants develop, the executive wants to “do everything” to avoid their emergence in France. Jean Castex therefore announced that “from Saturday, a reinforced control system will be put in place for people coming from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and India”. The Prime Minister said that “each person” coming from one of these countries will be tested on arrival and “will be subject to a strict quarantine” of 10 days which will be subject to “controls by the police”. Exit for compelling reasons will be restricted to between 10am and 12pm. These restrictions will also concern travellers from Guyana, Gérald Darmanin said.
▪︎ From the “brevet” to higher education, examinations will be held in person
In order to maintain the ‘balance’ between continuous assessment and final assessment, and to ‘guarantee the value of diplomas’, face-to-face examinations will be maintained for the brevet des collèges and the baccalauréat, but also in preparatory classes and higher education. In the specific case of the BTS, students who were unable to attend the examination scheduled for May, or who failed it, will be given a make-up session in the form of an oral examination in July.
● SPACE DRAGON
Watching the launch instead of working on the blog.
● GOOD PLANET
Towards the artificialization of our world: when the mass of objects made by the human species exceeds the living biomass.
In a study published in the journal Nature in early December, scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science show that the mass of man-made objects made by humans exceeds the entire living biomass Thus, the cumulative mass of objects buildings and roads amounts to more than 1,100 billion tons.
While in 1900, the human species had manufactured a total of anthropogenic (man-made) objects equivalent to 3% of the living biomass, in 2020, for the first time in the history of the planet and civilization, the anthropogenic mass exceeds the biomass.
It doesn’t stop there, since if the trend continues at the current rate of 5% growth per year in production, scientists estimate that the anthropogenic mass will have tripled by 2040…
The drawing is from my friend Gerard and made for the fondation GoodPlanet on the occasion of Planet Day.
● WEATHER
Looks like a very pleasant day today.
● FUN
● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE
Second coat of varnish
Still not quite the right colour. I shall look for “darkening” wax in the coming days. That does not stop me putting things back together.
I have also ordered a poster which will fit on the wall behind the screen.
We have decided to purchase a treadmill for daily exercises at home
It is proving far more difficult that expected.
We know what technical features it must have and have selected on the internet 3 top possible models.
So far so good
The issue is, most companies and shops we have looked at are out of stock. Obviously we are not the only ones with this idea. I want to avoid buying from Amazon, everybody by now knows my aversion for this company.
Ideally I want to buy local
Easier said than done. I called yesterday the sport equipment retail shop Intersport which showed a model we liked on their web page. Yes the department is open says the receptionist but we are completely out of stock and have no idea when we shall get supplies.
Not too worry, on our way to the DIY shop we stopped at the other large sports goods retailer Decathlon, which happens to be across the road from Intersport. We were greeted at the door by a guard asking what product we were after to be told that that particular department is actually closed as it is not an essential purchase?
Le Bon Coin advertises a couple of nearly new second hand machines. One of which is located in Bordeaux. The only problem is that it is well beyond the 10km allowed radius.
I guess we shall keep searching or spend the money on something else
First coat of varnish
Not too easy to match the color. I think we shall have to go for Golden Oak (Chêne Doré). We shall see after a second coat tomorrow morning.
They are now working on side number 3 on the square.
I had to go to the chemist earlier and it is quite an obstacle course to get to it. No chance of going to the bank though.
On the other side of the square, they have put up the new sun shades which will be the same for all the restaurants and bars.
Everything appears to be happening on time
▫️ DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .
● With less than 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, Finistère (89), Gers (107), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (108) and Landes (129) are the four least affected departments in France.
And if we think in terms of regions, the ones that have been spared by the pandemic and which should therefore be able to decontaminate first are Brittany, with an incidence rate of 199, New Aquitaine, 211, and Corsica, the least affected region in France with 173 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
● TOUSANTICOVID
The TousAnticCovid application, which compiles information from the French authorities on the coronavirus epidemic and carries out a “tracing” of the contaminated, evolves. It will now include a “booklet” certifying the results of a screening and the vaccination status, the government announced on Sunday.
The 14.7 million people who have downloaded the TousAntiCovid application since 2 June 2020 will discover a new feature in the coming days. The application for tracking people infected with Covid-19 will include a logbook to prove the positive or negative result of a test for the virus, and then certify the vaccination status, the government announced on Sunday 18 April in an invitation to the press.
● FRAUD
The SMS, sent from a French number, hides a new fraud
Beware of the “your parcel has been sent” SMS, which hides malware. For several days now, some French people have been receiving this SMS. Although it may look ordinary, it can give scammers access to very personal information.
At a time when so many French people are shopping online and waiting at home for deliveries, it can be easy to get caught. For the past few days, a new scam has been circulating by SMS: some French people have been receiving a message saying “Your package has been sent. Please check and receive it”, with a link. But don’t click on it, warns Numerama.
● BEES 🐝
I wonder which type of bees are taking residence on the roof of my garage. Also wondering how to move them… Any beekeeper friend of mine interested to have a look? Saying that, there is no sign of bees this morning? Have they packed their stuff overnight?
● NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation now has had a week of reporting no additional COVID-19 related deaths on the vast reservation where safety precautions like a mask mandate and daily curfews remain. The tribe on Saturday night reported no new deaths for the seventh consecutive day and just two new confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The latest numbers brought the pandemic case total to 30,357 with the death toll remaining at 1,262. Tribal officials said 16,477 people have recovered from COVID-19 thus far. The tribe had been easing into reopening but that slowed somewhat after coronavirus variants were confirmed on the reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. Tribal officials urged residents to stay vigilant. Navajo President Jonathan Nez said the tribe recently had a cluster of COVID-19 cases as a result of a family gathering where people were not wearing masks.
Tribal public health orders mandate that masks be worn on the reservation and a daily curfew is in effect. Restaurants cannot have dine-in services.
Navajo Nation roads also are closed to visitors and tourists, which doesn’t affect travel on state highways that run through the reservation.
● SPACE X CREW-2
Launch is scheduled for tomorrow – Thursday
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission will launch four astronauts aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station. It will be the first mission to fly two international partner crew members as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet 🇫🇷 will join as mission specialists.
NASA TV Launch Coverage NASA TV live coverage will begin at 2 a.m. (8 am Paris time)For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:
● RIO
What on earth is going in that country. It certainly will be a long time before I return to Brazil
Rio de Janeiro reopened its beaches on Monday, despite high death tolls and a contagious “Brazilian” variant, after having done the same in early April with its bars and restaurants.
● OUTDOOR
I quite fancy one of those for my weekends away (Le Mans 24h for instance).
Looks like fun and fairly comfortable.
● WEATHER
Not very nice out there today.
● FUN
● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE
Came across old photo albums whilst clearing up my office.
27eme Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins
I do it my way 