Very good, Rex.
You get a

Dis her, learnin opportunitty; is rael swill.

We don't need no education.

RE exchange rates and the cost of things: I am constantly surprised on this board at what (American) posters are willing to pay for European hotels and maybe meals:

"Can find a clean pension for E 150 in Villefranche sur Saone?"

We don't stint but we do not pay the prices (though we easily could) that some posters consider normal, even unavoidable. We like nice things -- tha's why we go to Europe, where the "rapport qualite-prix" is usually so good!!

Maybe some of those -- I say only "some" -- who loudly regret the low US dollar need to shop in a more savvy way.

tedgale - and believe me there are plenty of sharks out there happy to oblige them. Check the Asia forum, where you'll find people happily paying $150 a night or more in China - the equivalent of a schoolteacher's monthly pay in that country. It's been reliably reported that the hotel would be breaking even at $25. Needless to say, little of that fine margin finds its way into the pockets of the people who work there.

degas, can I take it that Lucky Strikes don't work either?

Elle: I, too, am often amazed that people use that old saw without the punctuation that makes it sensible.

"Eats shoots and leaves." 'Tis true!

"Votes for the wrong candidate, and then complains about the results" is even more true!

Hi platzman
>We don't need no education.

Ah thank thet ther's spelt "idjicashun".