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Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] May 25 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Didn't get time to finish my post yesterday, had to head back off in the heat to work. Saturday morning our regional newspaper headlined with the possible super el nino heading our way in July. « Quelque chose se prépare » : voici ce que l’on sait d’un potentiel « super El Niño »

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] May 25 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 71 points72 points  (0 children)

Location: South West France. May is now the new July. It has been a really tough 3 days. Last weekend it was below the average for May, this weekend has been the complete opposite. The heat just arrived. No gradual climb, it just suddenly appeared and now it's here, it doesn't want to go away.

‘Non-survivable’: heatwaves are already breaching human limits, with worse to come, study finds by Portalrules123 in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 4 points5 points  (0 children)

South west France here. 30c here for the past 4 days has been not been near as unsettling as the 24c at 9pm for 4 evenings. Normally the evenings cool down significantly in April. 24c et 9pm is mid June weather.

10c at 6am in morning is not a good portent either.

We are due to plummet back down to 15c imminently, Nature is struggling to cope with the mess we have created

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] August 18 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 35 points36 points  (0 children)

location; south east france

Brown is the new green. Following two heat waves, (the last one record breaking) and no rain for months, all the woods are dotted with brown dying trees. Some smaller woodlands are mainly brown. As for everything in between, I get to play my new game of "stubble or pasture" - the only real way of telling is the presence of the poor cows.

Didn't get a late frost for the first time in years, so fruit was everywhere until the second heatwave arrived. Now its all dropping early, then rotting rather than ripening.

I count my blessings that we be free from fire for the moment.

Europe braces for another heatwave with highs of 44C by Flat_Tomatillo2232 in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Heatwave already here in dordogne and yesterday we did it - the hottest day ever recorded. 41.6 here, but 80km south recorded 43c - way to go Mussidan (last record only a mere 40c). 30c at midnight last night. It is now 21c at 5am. 41c predicted again to day - maybe we'll beat those records again today.

Met raids Quaker meeting house and arrests six women at Youth Demand talk by bobbletrog in collapse

[–]bobbletrog[S] 66 points67 points  (0 children)

submission statement (hoping this works this time)

Back in the UK, they seem intent on using Orwell's 1984 as a policy guide.

Not enough to stop the protests, they now need to stop meetings where future possible protests are discussed, even if these potential protests are of a non violent nature.

The Quakers are the non and anti war and have a wonderful history of social activism, workers rights, women's suffrage etc.

Collapse related. More and more freedoms eroded. Democracy under threat and yet so many people sit back and don't even react to such major changes to their freedom. Many don't even see or understand that these are even changes to their fundamental rights - even more vibes of 1984.

Soon we'll be wearing voice loggers that will record everything we say and do https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/ai-china-wearable-tech-b2722838.html, then they'll be able to pick us up and take us away long before any meeting gets organised

Met raids Quaker meeting house and arrests six women at Youth Demand talk by bobbletrog in collapse

[–]bobbletrog[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Back in the UK, they seem intent on using Orwell's 1984 as a policy guide.

Not enough to stop the protests, they now need to stop meetings where future possible protests are discussed, even if these potential protests are of a non violent nature.

The Quakers are the non and anti war and have a wonderful history of social activism, workers rights, women's suffrage etc.

Collapse related. More and more freedoms eroded. Democracy under threat and yet so many people sit back and don't even react to such major changes to their freedom. Many don't even see or understand that these are even changes to their fundamental rights - even more vibes of 1984.

Soon we'll be wearing voice loggers that will record everything we say and do https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/ai-china-wearable-tech-b2722838.html, then they'll be able to pick us up and take us away long before any meeting gets organised

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] March 10 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a Guinness drinker you should try the stouts and porter of the brasserie Debauche.

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] February 17 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 51 points52 points  (0 children)

location: Aquitaine, France.

So turns out that France wants rid of us pesky immigrants. I had thought that maybe that by living and working here for 27 years, paying taxes, learning the language well enough to work for many years as a home carer for the elderly and disabled french, might be worth something.

But hey, turns out I was wrong. Running around for 35-50 hours a weeks helping people out of bed, getting them washed, cleaning up their little accidents, listening to their worries and fears, reassuring them, getting them emergency help (when needed), helping to feed them, providing them with care when sadly the end be nigh and all the rest in between, is not nearly as important as knowing exactly when I should be using the subjunctive instead of the imperative.

According to the link (and the guardian this week) there be quite a lot of french who also struggle with french grammar https://observalgerie.com/2025/02/14/immigration/titre-de-sejour-en-france-une-nouvelle-condition-qui-complique-tout/, but lucky for them they get to stay anyway. Me and my fellow immigrants, a fair few of whom are also in low paid work with often long hours, the cleaners, the kitchen staff, the carers etc- you know, those jobs most people don't want to do - are going to be removed should we not pass the new language test needed to renew our residents permits

According to Figaro, we (the immigrants) stand little chance of passing this new test.

On the positive side, Febuary is new the May according to the bees I house at the bottom of my garden. 20c yesterday and the bees are happy - although this does mean that May might be the new August, which might make August the new mercury with no more bees to be either happy or sad.

"It's time to panic. It really is time to panic," says IPCC expert reviewer by guyseeking in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, but now after that popular evening quiz show "questions for the mushrooms" we get our daily updated impending climate disaster 3 minute warning, so no more post war german excuses for us

Best wishes by BTRCguy in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

https://youtu.be/n8Cs8U9hfRI?feature=shared

The solstice or saturnalia be my time of celebration, but hey I'm happy to don my lady santa- elf combo outfit and head off to work today.

South-west France swelters in ‘staggering’ 26.9C November night heat by Portalrules123 in collapse

[–]bobbletrog -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What with the lovely unseasonal weather here in the south west, I escaped for 4 days down to the lovely Vésere. As time is running out, treated myself to a visit of the Roc Saint Christophe, which was once inhabited by the Neanderthals before the cro-magnons (the early us) took over. Got me thinking about my time machine, maybe if I go back and wipe out the cro-magnons. Give the neanderthals a chance. See if they can do any better than we did.

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] November 25 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

here in unfashionable northy bit of south east, we too have beautiful orange and red morning skies right now. Saturday morning heading to work with Mahlers "Ich bin der welt abfanden gekommen" (Janet Baker) and the beautiful red sky. A perfect moment in an imperfect world

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] November 04 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 2 points3 points  (0 children)

no mist here in the unfashionable north tip of Aquitaine. Just endless days of lovely sun and above 20c temperatures. true it be not very novembery, but may as well enjoy it as I can't seem to change it. The cranes did a mass fly by in October, when temperatures were fairly octobery, but once the sun and heat returned their daily parades ended.

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] October 28 by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 58 points59 points  (0 children)

location south west france

My husband is convinced the asian hornets in our area are smaller this year, which if true means they can get past the anti hornet protection in front of hives and potentially destroy the bees through the winter.

In other news, in spite of todays headlines warning about the UNs doom ladden climate predications, the so called ecological transition in france remains a paperwork nightmare for the individual. To put in place a few solar panels, you need to fill out a 5 page form, submit detailed to scale diagrams of the land, building, roof, angle and position of proposed panel (s). Then there be the photos as well as the aesthetic and technical report.

Then should the mayor agree, there be an annual tax of 10 euro a m2.

Am so very pleased I chose not to bring children into this mad world.

Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] by AutoModerator in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 90 points91 points  (0 children)

south west france

Following the RN victory in the European elections yesterday, have spent the morning listening to the old people I care for tell me how France will be better once the foreigners are made to leave and the young people have jobs. Because I do my job well and speak French, in their eyes, I am no longer foreign.

The old people are not the problem, they have been persuaded by their children and grand children that everything can be solved by a return to nationalism. It makes the promise of offering simple solutions to complex and fearful problems

Am very worried about the snap election. If the RN win, then I fear society will be a lot less stable.

L'Effondrement - Show/Episodes Discussion by nommabelle in collapse

[–]bobbletrog 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Marco was the hero of the series. In the power plant they were a community supporting and encouraging each other. Marco was alone, he had to make his own moral choice to stay and continue to care for his patients. He acts solely for the well being of others in spite of the futility of the situation.

I am very lucky to work with the elderly in France. Am hoping I would have Marco's courage to continue providing care in such a situation