Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[BDutch]

Both amusing on french people's love for demonstrations and strike, and aggravating on the substance of it !

If Macron had submitted his reform to a vote in parliament it was likely to pass even if two thirds of french people disagree with it. Instead he used article 49.3 like he has been doing for all important laws since he began his new mandate which allows him to skip a vote by engaging his government's responsibility. I don't call this brave, I call it stupid, and I think it will greatly help the extreme right in the next presidential election by dividing again the traditional conservative right.

Charles is probably happy that he finally may work at an age almost everyone else like to enjoy retirement.

I wonder what it is that brings those demonstrators to the streets? Do the young people realise that they protest against a reasonable income in the future? Is getting a pension at 62 with a live in poverty for many (less money to spend monthly ) what they really want?

Who is going to feed all the retired people if you leave the age of retirement at 62? My thoughts: Not adding a few years probably will create an impossible situation in the future with many more retired people who live (in general) several years longer than our grandparents. In general the people being 64 now are healthier than people at the age of 62 about 25-50 years ago.
So I think its wise to add a few years of labour for those who have no health problems / not have a job that is getting too hard at that age.

Our state pension has moved from 65 to 67 in recent years. I think that’s okay for the healthy people who have office jobs. But it sucks for many physical jobs.

 

[ManueB]

Charles is probably happy that he finally may work at an age almost everyone else like to enjoy retirement.

I wonder what it is that brings those demonstrators to the streets? Do the young people realise that they protest against a reasonable income in the future? Is getting a pension at 62 with a live in poverty for many (less money to spend monthly ) what they really want?

Who is going to feed all the retired people if you leave the age of retirement at 62? My thoughts: Not adding a few years probably will create an impossible situation in the future with many more retired people who live (in general) several years longer than our grandparents. In general the people being 64 now are healthier than people at the age of 62 about 25-50 years ago.
So I think its wise to add a few years of labour for those who have no health problems / not have a job that is getting too hard at that age.

Our state pension has moved from 65 to 67 in recent years. I think that’s okay for the healthy people who have office jobs. But it sucks for many physical jobs.

That is not taking in account the social and financial cost of the high rate of unemployment both for seniors and young people. The very large majority of french people, whatever their age, is against this reform. But I'm not going into that debate on a chicken forum or anywhere on that matter . Just for fun, my mum has been going to each of the demonstrations and she's 76, and she's far from being alone !

 

[BDutch]

You’re right, this subject is too politic. But I am surprised you have so many unemployed. Here we have shortages. People switch jobs because it’s so easy to find another job. The recruiters really have a hard time to fulfil al the jobs. And employers make an effort to hold on to their employers.

 

[ManueB]

You’re right, this subject is too politic.

As someone who chose to definitely resign at 42 from civil service and a lifelong, well paid, interesting, with lots of paid holidays 80% part time job (as an academic librarian), you can understand that I am pretty biased on the subject of work and not representative of global french opinion on the subject.

But I am surprised you have so many unemployed. Here we have shortages. People switch jobs because it’s so easy to find another job. The recruiters really have a hard time to fulfil al the jobs. And employers make an effort to hold on to their employers.

Yes, we also have shortages, but in specific sectors, I think like other european countries: personal care workers, nurses, restaurants, builders, welders (but that was the case long before COVID) and ...bus drivers.
It's difficult to know where the global unemployment rate stands as it's been up and down and probably still not stabilized from the lockdowns and the COVID crisis.

 

[Perris]

probably still not stabilized from the lockdowns and the COVID crisis

I think the introduction of AI is now destabilizing desk jobs too.

 

[Perris]

As someone who chose to definitely resign at 42 from civil service and a lifelong, well paid, interesting, with lots of paid holidays 80% part time job (as an academic librarian), you can understand that I am pretty biased on the subject of work

do you know of the UK TV series Ben Fogle 'New lives in the wild'? He spends a week with people who've thrown in the towel on ordinary modern life and typically live off grid, low input lives (not always 'in the wild' as such), to find out what matters to them, their unique life's calculus so to speak. I find it very informative - and life affirming.

 

[ManueB]

I think the introduction of AI is now destabilizing desk jobs too.

Brave new world... I feel more and more like I live in a science fiction novel!

My family had a cute anecdote : when my dad explained for the first time to my grandma on my mum's side what he did with a computer (he had access to those quite early), she listened politely and ended up asking "and how much is this M. Computer paid ?"

do you know of the UK TV series Ben Fogle 'New lives in the wild'? He spends a week with people who've thrown in the towel on ordinary modern life and typically live off grid, low input lives (not always 'in the wild' as such), to find out what matters to them, their unique life's calculus so to speak. I find it very informative - and life affirming.

No, I will look it up !
We were very lucky as we had an easy opportunity. I felt like it wasn't really a choice for me, I would have gone crazy staying in the city, however nice my life in Nice was. I think it's much more difficult for many people.
************
Today the chickens turned me crazy at roost time but before that the day went quite well. Gaston's team followed my partner most of the morning as he tilled a part of the garden and planted four rays of potatoes, then they did some weeding with me. Nougat and Cannelle both laid, and I found a tiny egg from Chipie hidden behind the perch thing in the run!

It was a strange day with a lot of wind in the morning, then some sunshine, then a tiny bit of rain and wind again. The chickens sheltered at the worse but they spent most afternoon foraging. Piou-piou and Merle both laid inside the coop in spite of Gaston's protests.

At roost time chaos ensued. Nougat and Blanche were chasing Chipie jumping from roost to roost. At one point Chipie went very near Merle and when the two ex-batts came to catch her Merle got scared and flew to the floor, where Théo attacked her. Then Gaston flew off his roost to defend her and immediately began fighting with Gaston. I got out of the coop to go get a stick. When I came back, all the ex-batts had gone out of the coop, Merle had run out and up to the front of our house, and Léa disappeared. Gaston had jumped on a small table I had put inside the coop as an alternative way to climb to the roost that nobody had ever used, he was whining while Théo was jumping at him.
It took quite some time to get everyone back to calm and find out Léa was hidden in the highest nest, of which she did not come out.

I must have unwillingly put some strange filter on my camera because most of my pictures have turned fluorescent green. Please rest assured the grass is still mostly yellow .

Merle, Nougat and Chipie's egg

 

[Perris]

Brave new world... I feel more and more like I live in a science fiction novel!

My family had a cute anecdote : when my dad explained for the first time to my grandma on my mum's side what he did with a computer (he had access to those quite early), she listened politely and ended up asking "and how much is this M. Computer paid ?"

as it happens, the same paper I cited this morning added a column on this this afternoon, https://www.theguardian.com/technol...hatbot-write-my-restaurant-reviews-jay-rayner
And how much this technology cost to develop is still a mystery!

I don't think I could go back to city living either.

 

[BDutch]

I think the introduction of AI is now destabilizing desk jobs too.

It makes new jobs too. Especially in research and product development.

Btw, we have a shortage of all kind of professions. The ones named above, But also teachers, recruiters, people in marketing and communication, all kind of technicians, plumbers , luggage workers at the airports, people who harvest vegetables and flowers, etc.

But my chickens don’t care, as long as they can free range a few hours every day and get enough scratch /treats. Their worries have more to do with being the first when the lady with the feed comes. Getting out of the rain. Or hail (yesterday we had hail!). Avoiding cats and of course being cautious for predators.

Tax for being too much pf topic :

Ini mini (almost 9 yo) and her youngest daughter Janice 4 yo, still laying very well.

 

[MaryJanet]

I think the introduction of AI is now destabilizing desk jobs too.

Yes, particularly the GPT-based AIs.

However. One of my acquaintances is a data scientist in government, working within education, and is regularly obliged to teach his boss's boss about the quantitative analyses he conducts and presents. A month ago, he prompted ChatGPT to write the briefing for him and found it was accurate but unreadably dry. So, on that anecdote at least, there's still room for humans in data science. Although it's no coincidence so many programmers are being laid off from the tech giants.

Taxes!