Learning French

Bonjour,

I am very keen to learn French - I do have the tapes but I do not have the discipline to sit for an hour or two every day (neither do I have the time...)

Anyone know of classes that I could attend (bearing in mind I'm in little old PE) - or courses on the Internet that I could do?

Merci beaucoup!
Regards,
M.

Quote for Today

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them."

- Louisa May Alcott

Children's Science Exam Answers

Q: Name the four seasons. A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink. A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed? A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour? A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans? A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids? A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age? A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty? A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes. A: Premature death.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g. abdomen) A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.

Q: What is the fibula? A: A small lie.

Q: What does "varicose" mean? (I do love this one...) A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section" A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome.

Q: What does the word "benign" mean?' A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

ZERO TOLERANCE

Hi, there

I recently made a post on Anne’s blog - when did it get like this. My point of view is that the only way to combat crime is by Zero Tolerance.

Recently on Sky News, they broadcast a story of a 58 yr old man who was kicked to death by four 15-yr old youths, because he came out of his house and told them to stop making such a noise. He leaves his wife and child. This happened, not in SA, but in London. While some parts are definitely worse than others, the growing disregard for life and disrespect for authority is happening everywhere.

I think the only answer is for EVERYONE to take Rudi Guilianni’s approach of ZERO TOLERANCE. From our government and police (over which we can exercise very little control) to ourselves (over which we can control). To actively not allow this kind of thing to happen. What am I talking about? Well, let me give you an example. The other day hubby was going for a cycle with a friend when he noticed two young guys beating up an old guy - they were even scratching around in his underwear to find where he was hiding his money. Hubby & friend got off their bicycles to stop the situation, BUT this happened in peak hour traffic (yes, PE does have a traffic situation:-) and EVERYONE IN THEIR CARS SIMPLY LOOKED THE OTHER WAY. Now, if we want to combat crime, we can’t afford to look the other way - we need to take the situation head on. Now, let me clarify - if I had been in that traffic it would have been STUPID of me to get out of my car and get physically involved. BUT, what I could have done is put my hand on the hooter, shout out the window, called the police and made such a raucus as to attract attention to what was happening. I am NOT promoting vigilantiasm. I am saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

I want to walk on the beach and not be scared. Or stay at home when hubby goes away and not worry. I don’t want to be bothered with alarm systems, security gates and electric fencing. I want to live free and if what I need to do in order to live free is take the attitude of ZERO TOLERANCE. Then, I suppose, I would need to do that.

Good men, such as ourselves, can no longer afford to do nothing. And as I have no interest in leaving SA, then I suppose something has to be done about the situation!

I’m not sure - what are your thoughts…
Regards,
M.

Did I marry the wrong person?

I don't know who the author is, but I found this pretty pertinent:

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?" I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer. EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love… Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there, doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU. Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always
welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or
even angry subsequent stage. At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown.

People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this): THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage. Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable … you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision" ... Not just a feeling.

Remember this always:

"God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."

Joke for Today

A married couple is driving along a highway doing a steady 60 miles per hour. The wife is behind the wheel. Her husband suddenly looks across at her and speaks in a clear voice. "I know we've been married for twenty years, but I want a divorce."

The wife says nothing, keeps looking at the road ahead but slowly increases her speed to 65 mph. The husband speaks again. "I don't want you to try and talk me out of it," he says, "because I've been having an affair with your best friend, and she's a far better lover than you are."

Again the wife stays quiet, but grips the steering wheel more tightly and slowly increases the speed to 75. He pushes his luck. "I want the house," he says insistently. Up to 80. "I want the car, too," he continues. 85 mph. "And," he says, "I'll have the bank accounts, all the credit cards and the boat!" The car slowly starts veering towards a massive concrete bridge. This makes him nervous, so he asks her, "Isn't there anything you want?"

The wife at last replies in a quiet and controlled voice. "No, I've got everything I need," she says. "Oh, really," he inquires, "so what have you got?"

Just before they slam into the wall at 85 mph, the wife turns to him and smiles.

"The airbag."

Quote for Today

"We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn."
- Henry David Thoreau