Absolutely Anything Else

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Home from the hospital, just a quick tune up on my shoulder, in and out within 12 hours.

That is good.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I feel allot better then I thought I would, they didn't do as much inside  as was expected. Not really good news, they found I need a whole new shoulder joint

Oh. Sorry to read this. Sounds like Osteoarthritis.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Have use of my hand and know I'll be back to normal very soon.

That is good news.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Still able to wash the dishes, that's my gauge for how well I am doing.

Even simple tasks like that may put stress on the shoulder and may need to be limited in the future to help your shoulder. Consider getting a dishwasher.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I wonder if not being breast feed as a baby had anything to do with not having great bones?

Probably not. Some possible causes:

http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthriti … causes.php

Best wishes toward your recovery.

Was thinking along the same line, people were old at 40 a few generations back.
Now we want to hit 100 without any signs of wear or tear.
I always believed I was living a healthy lifestyle for the most part. Never drank much at all until moving to Hungary and even so, only a bit of wine and no more then 2 beers once in awhile.
Gave up red meat for over 33 years and never ate much fast food or sweets,just ice cream.
My grandfather was nearly 95 when he died and he stood tall without a cane or use of a walker, he was super tall too, they say taller people have joint issues? Not sure about that but possible.
My husband says being part native American has given me weak bones, all those generations of people sitting on the ground. I doubt that is true.They did find allot of arthritis in remains of natives but probably so for all races.
Guess I have to give up my dream of being a prima ballerina!

Thanks for the well wishes,nothing keeps me down for long, just have to get on with it.

Thanks for the info on bones... I already take allot of vitamins for my bones, D calcium but will look into some vitamin K.
My teeth  are super strong, really strong, all the dentists freak out on me, had to have a back tooth pulled and after 90 mins a second dentist was called in to get the root out. Another 30 min. of him pulling and struggling. They broke it inside my jaw so later I had to have dental surgery to remove what they broke off.
Had 5 wisdom teeth taken out, suppose to only have 4 of those...
Have what they call "shovel teeth" a Asian/Native American shape of tooth,curved inside for ripping and tearing of meat.... My sister had braces n her teeth for 6 years! Yes, 6 long years and had 4 teeth pulled out to make room in her tiny face for her large teeth.
Strange strong teeth, weak bones. 63 years old ( recent BD) and still have 30 of my own teeth,  and one could of been saved if I had seen the right dentist at the time... 32 teeth plus the 5 wisdom teeth... wow sounds more like a shark then a women!

Didn't want to go "off track" on the motorbiking question.
I find it really disturbing that the gov. knows more about me then I feel they need to know. I am not interesting enough for a file, that's for sure.
Walked to the main post office today to pick up a package, silly us, they are closed today. I will never get used to these super long holidays.
Seems like a ghost town today in the city. Suppose "normal" people are indoors, eating drinking and relaxing today, not walking around the streets.
Blood types, strange I had all sorts of lab work done for my shoulder surgery but it doesn't state my blood type on my hospital papers...
All good, doubt I would take any if ever needed some, only know one person in Hungary that has my type and I am not too sure about all the xanax he takes, not sure I would want his blood after all.
My son and I have the same type, I gave when he had surgery, gave for a family friend who had leukemia but have read since that it really isn't all that great to do either, give or take blood.
I know you have to weigh at least 110 lbs. to give, I am not that light weight but not too far off from that either, always felt so ill after giving my pint.
Some cultures such as in Japan use blood typing to see if you will be a good fit for a job or for a spouse. I am suppose to have "leadership" skills with my type but so far I have never enjoyed telling anyone what to do or how to do it.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Blood types, strange I had all sorts of lab work done for my shoulder surgery but it doesn't state my blood type on my hospital papers...
All good, doubt I would take any if ever needed some, only know one person in Hungary that has my type and I am not too sure about all the xanax he takes, not sure I would want his blood after all.
My son and I have the same type, I gave when he had surgery, gave for a family friend who had leukemia but have read since that it really isn't all that great to do either, give or take blood.
I know you have to weigh at least 110 lbs. to give, I am not that light weight but not too far off from that either, always felt so ill after giving my pint.
Some cultures such as in Japan use blood typing to see if you will be a good fit for a job or for a spouse. I am suppose to have "leadership" skills with my type but so far I have never enjoyed telling anyone what to do or how to do it.

Blood types for jobs?  That's insane!  But my distant and vague knowledge of Japan is pointing me to thinking about their societal need for conformity.   I saw a TV programme once where they had "organised" punk rockers.  Even their rebellious streak was conformed.  Who knows what they make of Northern European blonde haired independent liberal thinkers.  I was once told (in Asia) that I was very "alien" to them.  At the time I thought, "Thank God for that", laughed and told them I took it as a wonderful compliment!

I'm afraid I'm completely normal blood type wise.  I'm A+ like many people. I know from the military.  Mrs Fluffy on the other hand is O- which is somewhat unusual.  My Dad is O (not sure which O).  I believe Mrs Fluffy can give blood to anyone who is "-" but I can only receive A+ or O+.   O group is considered to be the universal donor.  But she can only have O-.   I could look up the kids as it's on their paperwork but I suspect they are A+ like me.

Blood transfusions are a real marvel.  Mrs Fluffy was bleeding quite badly after the birth of our first Fluffyette and when I saw her she was as white as a sheet.  They shoved some more blood in  her via transfusion and she looked so rosy cheeked.  I was absolutely astounded at the change in her colour - it was amazing. 

I remember watching some US TV shows/movies in the 1970s where people had to have blood tests to get married.  I have absolutely no idea what that was all about.  I am sure it's not a requirement now.  Kind of weird to check blood groups for marriage - might as well do horoscopes or throw a dice.  These days there's surely no incompatibility - medical science must have beaten all that.

This will interest you then....... https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=654938 all about Blood types.

SimCityAT wrote:

This will interest you then....... https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=654938 all about Blood types.

Yes, thanks, that was interesting!

Still not sure on incompatibilities in the USA re: getting married.  Did it ever stop anyone?

To answer my own question:

I just Google'd this blood test/marriage thing and it's still required in 4 US states. Apparently it was to check for STDs and Rubella (German Measles). 

The latter would be almost impossible to get in Europe as vaccinations are usually compulsory for girls around 12.  They are also now considering it for boys as well.

STDs are another matter.

I'm the same as Mrs. Fluffy.
They say we are "aliens" ha, ha! I know one reason for the blood testing for marriage was because of O- people. The mother of a non O- baby could possibly abort their baby if for any reason their blood mixes while the child is still in the womb. Only blood type to kill off their own off spring because the mom's body see it as a foreign object.
Low blood pressure, sensitive to sunlight sometimes a extra vertebra a 6th sense, and other "odd" facts about O- people. They also tend to be loners and seem "other worldly".They also say they have higher then average IQ's but in my case, not so sure about that one!
One of your parents must have that type for you to be a O-. I believe my dad was O-, not all siblings are the same blood type, found that interesting to find out. I do think my deceased sister was also a O- because of the way we knew things between ourselves.
Mostly N. Europeans. It is found mostly in the people of Basque Spain.
In the US population about 7% have it while in Asia it is less then 2%.
Also mostly found in red headed light eyed people.
Interesting to see the tests for marriage were for German measles and STD, that would be a legit reason. These days O- mom's get shots after the birth of each baby to prevent them aborting their next child if their blood types don't mix.They give RhoGam shots.
My husband is "normal" as well A+. One sister has another sort of odd type AB think +.
That would be scary to see a loved one needing blood and not have any for them.
I am just a message away if a "emergency" comes up, hopefully one scare a lifetime is enough though.
I would never have known my son's blood type if he didn't have surgery at UCLA. I think it is good to know your type just in case.
He was only 12 when he had his first arm surgery and they usually do not take from children but because of his "rare" type they took a half pint from him for his own use if needed after surgery. I gave him a pint as well. No need for it thankfully so I suppose it helped a stranger instead.
Once you give and have a rare type, they will not leave you alone, calls every 2'3 months making you feel bad about not giving again. I am 5 pints down and done unless I know the person or if a huge natural disaster happens and blood is needed.
I noticed they had lines for days in Las Vegas for donors of blood after that shooting. Way too much blood taken in I think, sort of creepy to think why they needed all that blood at once.

One thing I did find a bit "strange" about Japanese culture was how distant people stay from each other emotionally.
My boy bought a used car in Vegas from a Japanese lady, a friend of his then Japanese GF.
He had met her at a few house parties and had bought the car off of her.
No issues, he got a great deal since she sold it super cheap because she had enough of the US and was moving back to Tokyo.
Fast forward about 6 months.
He went over to Japan on his own.
Had a break up of sorts with his old GF and was on the "prowl", it was sort f messed up I admit on his part.We liked his GF allot but she was a bit too bossy for him so he out right told her he was off to hunt out another lady who was not as material and bossy as she was.
My rude boy...
He went off by himself to Japan and left his GF with us for 2 months.
I was never so mad at anyone in my life as I was then with my son, seeing her upset and wanting him back and leaving her in our care. Things parents have to go through at times for their kids...
Anyways he was walking on a busy st. in Tokyo and he linked eyes with the women he bought his car from. He knew it was her and it would of been impossible for her not to notice my son. Red hair, over 6' tall in Japan... stood out like a sore thumb.
Maybe she didn't want to say hi because of the way he was treating his ex or she was just following the privacy rules of her culture, in any case it was a bit off to travel that far and see someone you knew that close and not say hello at least.
Met his current wife on that trip. Sad day when his ex moved out to her own apt...
He followed the Japanese way and did a research on her year of birth, month of birth and blood type. So far they are like 2 peas in a pod.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Low blood pressure, sensitive to sunlight sometimes a extra vertebra a 6th sense, and other "odd" facts about O- people. They also tend to be loners and seem "other worldly".They also say they have higher then average IQ's but in my case, not so sure about that one!.....I do think my deceased sister was also a O- because of the way we knew things between ourselves.
Mostly N. Europeans. It is found mostly in the people of Basque Spain.
In the US population about 7% have it while in Asia it is less then 2%.
Also mostly found in red headed light eyed people.
Interesting to see the tests for marriage were for German measles and STD, that would be a legit reason. These days O- mom's get shots after the birth of each baby to prevent them aborting their next child if their blood types don't mix.They give RhoGam shots.
My husband is "normal" as well A+. One sister has another sort of odd type AB think +.
That would be scary to see a loved one needing blood and not have any for them.
....

Sounds all a bit like star signs/horoscopes and that kind of thing.  I am sure it doesn't do anything at all.  If it did, we'd all be like scanning/sniffing others to see if we could detect another A+ or O- or whatever.  Maybe a secret  society.

I suppose stranger things have happened.  Dogs can sniff out cancer and I read about a woman in Scotland who can sniff our Parkinson's disease. 

Maybe to test your alien O- theory we could investigate death row inmates or serial killers to find out their blood groups.  I suspect the incidence of blood groups would just match the general population.

I suppose the RhoGam thing has pretty much stopped the blood testing Stateside.  Over here in HU, they automatically check the baby's blood group as soon as it's born.  Then they write in the baby book for the kid - all the info is in there.  Quite a good system as it's all there in the book if there's an emergency.

Just asked Mrs Fluffy what the Fluffyettes are -  No. 1 is A+ and No. 2 is O+ (presumably + because I am).

I know it seems odd but many people have reported these strange things who have O- blood type. The biggest oddity to me is more people with this blood group have claimed to be abducted by aliens then any other blood grouping.
Just a fun fact.No I don't believe in aliens... They are not interested in experiments on me, I find it very off to say aliens have taken me.

Went this early morning to get my stitches removed from my shoulder.
Always a long wait, doc always walks out after hospital rounds sees who is waiting for him and then goes to a long meeting then returns, not sure why he asks 12 or more people to all show up at once and wait for hours but that's the system.
I actually felt sorry a bit for him today, he told me after he saw me he was about to do emergency surgery on someones shoulder, then he said over the holidays 18 people had hurt/broken their shoulder but all had waited until today to get help.
Why would anyone wait on purpose  to see a doctor, why wait just because it is Christmas time? My guess is either they had family in town and didn't think they were hurt badly enough or that the staff at the hospital was just a skeleton crew and they were told to come back after Xmas. poor doc facing a 24 hour work shift.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...I find it very off to say aliens have taken me.

Really?  As I said before I thought of being very "alien" as quite an attractive thing. 

One of the national obsessions back at the mothership (UK) is that we really revel in eccentric people - the more the merrier.   I don't mean nutty and dangerous people, I mean nice harmless individuality and self-expression.  Makes it interesting. 

I guess it's the same as we said before - perceptions of non-conformity are very different in different countries.  Eccentricity in some places might involve guns and/or mental illness.   Don't want that.

Talking of which, why is it that people who hear voices always say they nag them to kill people?  Why don't these voices tell them to start a stuffed fluffy bunny factory?   Or develop an electronic tickling stick?  Or wear funny hats? 

Oh well.

Some years ago I was chatting to a Middle Eastern guy who was about 40-45 years old.  He was concerned about what his parents thought about his lifestyle.  He wasn't doing anything unusual or weird by Western standards but he thought his father would disapprove.  It was something amazingly trivial like wearing a stripey T-shirt.  I couldn't believe he gave a damn or that his father cared one jot.  I kept saying you're X years old and you don't live at home and haven't done for years,  surely you can just do your own thing.  He seemed to think it was a big deal.  Very odd but not uncommon apparently.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...
Went this early morning to get my stitches removed from my shoulder.
Always a long wait, doc always walks out after hospital rounds sees who is waiting for him and then goes to a long meeting then returns, not sure why he asks 12 or more people to all show up at once and wait for hours but that's the system....Why would anyone wait on purpose  to see a doctor, why wait just because it is Christmas time? My guess is either they had family in town and didn't think they were hurt badly enough or that the staff at the hospital was just a skeleton crew and they were told to come back after Xmas. poor doc facing a 24 hour work shift.

I'd have thought if the injured masses  had very serious injuries they'd have acted immediately.  Most Docs here are pretty well trained and would know the situation.  But glad to hear you are on the mend anyways.

Not keen on today's rain.  Garden is a quagmire again. Outside work suspended - yet again

I also general love eccentric people but sometimes I have found there is more to be wary of then them just wearing funny hats.
One very eccentric man I met when I was about 22 years old.
My older sister knew some WW11 vet who was working in the Hollywood film trade. Nice little old guy but I remember he had been shot in the knee and had no joint left. Good thing he was short because he had to sit sideways in the back seat of a car because of having no knee joint to bend.
I was staying with my mom with my son and my sis thought of me when this older guy said he had a script writer who had broken his leg and the studio was demanding he finish up with the writing ASAP.
This man needed someone to come stay with him for 4 or 5 days to cook for him, clean up and make sure he was busy at his desk writing.
The no knee man was his backer or something and was in a panic for anyone to help out.
The pay was going to be good ,like $100, cash per day to stay in his apt. and make sure he ate and was writing.This was around 1978 and $100. was more then a normal working wage per day for most jobs. Had to stay 24 hours per day but it was super easy.
I was all for it, my mom baby sat so I was free to work those days.
The guy turned out to be super eccentric, about 6' 3 or taller with his broken leg and having to just get around in a wheelchair. His cast went all the way up to his hip joint.
He was looney as heck but super nice, was a gay man and loved to just talk to me about female liberation issues instead of sitting down to write.
I remember he insisted buying me a ton of books at the UCLA college book store, the campus was not to far away from his flat so I pushed him on the sidewalk, what strange looks we got, He had long flowing blonde hair and was super loud.
I was happy when the time was up, he did make a small dent in the writing and was almost done when I had to go, the extra cash was nice and it was a experience for sure.
Oh, that connection was through my "normal" straight sister...That's Ca. for you, just about everyone is eccentric to one degree or the other.
When we bought our home in the mid 80's my neighbor was in her late 70's and her husband was still living but had a stroke and couldn't talk.
Super nice neighbor all the years we lived in that house.
She I thought was a bit eccentric but in a kind way. She told me she had always handled the money in the family and as she was a manager in a candy factory for many years she made more then double what her husband ever made. Her secret to a happy marriage was to never tell her husband how much she made and how little he made compared to her. I thought that was beyond sweet and very loving of her to not hurt his pride.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....The guy turned out to be super eccentric, about 6' 3 or taller with his broken leg and having to just get around in a wheelchair. His cast went all the way up to his hip joint.
He was looney as heck but super nice, was a gay man and loved to just talk to me about female liberation issues instead of sitting down to write....That's Ca. for you, just about everyone is eccentric to one degree or the other....When we bought our home in the mid 80's my neighbor was in her late 70's and her husband was still living but had a stroke and couldn't talk.
Super nice neighbor all the years we lived in that house.
She I thought was a bit eccentric but in a kind way. She told me she had always handled the money in the family and as she was a manager in a candy factory for many years she made more then double what her husband ever made. Her secret to a happy marriage was to never tell her husband how much she made and how little he made compared to her. I thought that was beyond sweet and very loving of her to not hurt his pride.

That's yet another story or incident for your forthcoming book or movie Marilyn.  You just need to tie it altogether to make it  seamless and make sure its a happy ending.   Working title:  Crackpot California, Escape to  Budapest? 

At least the broken leg guy was harmless. I doubt I'd have worked for some loon for $100 a day without knowing a lot more about him/her.  At least he couldn't run after you.

fluffy2560 wrote:

One of the national obsessions back at the mothership (UK) is that we really revel in eccentric people - the more the merrier.   I don't mean nutty and dangerous people, I mean nice harmless individuality and self-expression.  Makes it interesting.

No offense intended. But... is that maybe in part rationalization to deal with an inbred aristocracy? 

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

That's Ca. for you, just about everyone is eccentric to one degree or the other.

I thought the eccentric were mostly just wasted....

Not a critique. Born and raised in CA. Been there, done that. I have a past. Yeah, sure "I went to college", ifyouknowwhatImean.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

One of the national obsessions back at the mothership (UK) is that we really revel in eccentric people - the more the merrier.   I don't mean nutty and dangerous people, I mean nice harmless individuality and self-expression.  Makes it interesting.

No offense intended. But... is that maybe in part rationalization to deal with an inbred aristocracy? 

Not really a rationalisation.

It's true we had some real loons in the big chair over the years and the inbreeding has led to a dumbing down of that family line - you can see it in their exaggerated facial features.  And their work is hardly intellectual.  There's no quantum astrophysicists in that lot.  I don't think they are interesting enough to be labelled as eccentric which would - in the UK - be something of a badge of pride.

While I'm on the subject, I'm not being nasty to Royals. I like them more than I used to when I was younger - I was an abolitionist.  Now I think they should stay in business. New blood like Kate MIddleton and Meghan Markle is surely to be welcomed and it's a bit like show business.  And everyone (well, mostly the older generation) loves a royal wedding.   Some bunting and union flag waving - got to be good for national cohesion.

I know many people from republics cannot fathom the idea of the Royal Family but there's been a resurgence in people being thankful we wouldn't ever have someone like The Donald as a figurehead of the country.   

Being amusingly eccentric is perfectly OK but that's a long way from being bonkers, generally nasty and in power.  Not a good combination.  I was thinking Caligula. 

Probably reveling in our national (royal) eccentrics is a lot less dangerous than reveling in other people who appear to be on or past the edge of mental dysfunction. 

I do miss Cali at times.
Some "interesting" people and events have happened there over the years.
I loved the old Hippie days in Hollywood. I was only 11 or 12 years old but even so, staying long weekends with my older sister who lived there  was a blast.
seeing the billboards and signs on the Whiskey A-Go-Go with bands like Buffalo Springfield and the Doors playing.
I was too young to go but the stories from my sister were a blast. Went to a few of those Love-Ins in the park, never witnessed anything that a 12 year old shouldn't see or hear, everyone was so nice and "groovy" to me.
My baby bro still lives in S. Ca. and my niece lives in N. Ca. near SF.
Her father just moved from living on his yacht in Honolulu to Morro bay, Ca, and seems he has bought himself yet another nice "boat" another yacht.
Must be nice to come from $$.
One needs a ton of it to live in Ca. these days.
Sad how that state has gone. My mom's house was bought in 1967 for the whopping price of $17,500. Last time I checked online it was up for sale for nearly $700,000!!  Believe me, it was just a cheap little track house with a big back yard. Carbon copy houses in a row.
I do wonder who can afford to move there these days and buy a home.
Much less  do the upkeep on one.
I do hope everyone has a nice New Year though, what can you do, money isn't everything...
One thing I did find strange yesterday was after my doc visit I decided to look around in a thrift shop to unwind a bit.
I had to leave really quickly and didn't look at much, the ladies running the shop were either very nice or very confused as what to do with a homeless guy inside.
I have had the "pleasure" of smelling him a mile away in the past on the street. They allowed him to come inside the shop and out of the rain.
Customers were leaving the shop in droves, me included, just couldn't take it.
I know they have shelters here and many are almost empty because they will not allow drinking on site. Why on earth though can that guy stand himself smelling so badly for so long? He could at least go over and shower and anyone would hand him some fresh clothing just to get away from that smell.
Maybe the workers were not in the mood for customers yesterday?
Oh well, I suppose he has mental issues .
I ran into my hospital rommie yesterday, we shared a afternoon of day surgery together, she had work done on her right shoulder too.
Poor thing, she still seemed to be in allot of pain and her arm was still glued pretty much to her side. We were not trying to listen to her conversation after surgery but the nurse was asking her and her mom to make their payment of 100,000 by credit card or cash.
I know she had national health coverage and was a young Hungarian women. Some sort of implant was not covered for her.
It's a bit confusing with that national health because you still must pay out of pocket for many things, not everything is covered by the gov.
If anyone wants a good laugh and has Netflix, there is a show called The Windsors running right now.
Only 13 episodes so far but so "spot on". Total comedy, nice to see Furgie again even if being played by what appears to be a trannie actor. Makes one wonder what info the script writers have that the general public is not "privy" to.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I know many people from republics cannot fathom the idea of the Royal Family but there's been a resurgence in people being thankful we wouldn't ever have someone like The Donald as a figurehead of the country.

Good point. A very, very good point.

A Germanic narcissists. What could possible go wrong?

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

One needs a ton of it to live in Ca. these days.

Depends on where one lives. What one does. What one expects.

LA. SF. Good grief. Yes. Expensive.

But it is a big state. Plenty of areas in the nook and crannies of the state where poorer folks might get by on a fixed income. I lived in a trailer in N. Cal. It is doable.

My 10 year residency permit is due to expire in February. So my wife called the "local" (an hour away) office that deals with re-issuing this permit. Of course, funny things then happened:

- She was told "Wow, actually someone wanting to come in before the permit expires"

. The link for the forms she sent to my wife was for "next year", so when we brought the filled out forms to the office they were useless, so we had to fill out the "old forms" instead as the system will change only on January 1.

- So then I also had to buy then the old "stamps" because only on January 1 will they accept payment by credit card. So we had to exit the line and find a post office to buy the stamps.

- All total, in and out in just under 3 hours (including wait time but not including lunch break and post office visit).

- I checked the box on the form to mail me the new card, but this was rejected as I will actually have to go back to get my new 10 year card, because since I did this before it expired, I can not have two valid cards at the same time.... Makes me wish I broke the law and only requested the extension after it expired. So the old saying is true: No good deed goes unpunished.

Happy new year everyone.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I know many people from republics cannot fathom the idea of the Royal Family but there's been a resurgence in people being thankful we wouldn't ever have someone like The Donald as a figurehead of the country.

Good point. A very, very good point.

A Germanic narcissists. What could possible go wrong?

I like it.

I should point out for those who might not know, the Royal Family are essentially Germans.

So perhaps "recently German or German heritage and also narcissist" might help qualify it. 

But I didn't see a Windsor sporting a tooth brush moustache (yet). 

Possibly The D would fit in here rather well if he felt like retiring to a Hungarian somewhere - maybe  Csobanka.

The self-declared Righteous get closer to God(win).

fluffy2560 wrote:

So perhaps "recently German or German heritage and also narcissist" might help qualify it.

The only thing that can successfully counter a German narcissist is the British stiff upper lip. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/th … 78cb9d01ee

You 2 guys are too funny!
ATM the radio is on and the Go-Go's are on! Gotta get up and dance!!

In my element, a 80's review on the station...
Afraid I'll throw a hip out if they don't stop soon.
My niece's grandfather passed on about 18 months back, my ex BIL is the one with the $$ and the yacht.
Always wondered what was up with that fam because he was just a officer in the US Military , they had a really nice home back in the 60's up in Porter Ranch inS. Ca but no one not even my deceased sister told me the real facts....
found out when the old dude died that he had been one of the original members of the pop group, "The Lettermen" never used his real surname, smart move...
He also wrote several of the hits for the Go-Go's... fact because they all showed up for his funeral in Ca.
So close once again to fame and fortune but so far away...
OK, gotta run another hit by ABBA on the radio...
Some peeps never grow up...

Ok, back to reality.
Speaking of bureaucracy in HU., We walked over to the main office in the 5th district today for Bkk.
My husband had to tell them off once again saying that of course every time one goes in to ask a question there is always a different answer. Last year when asking about receiving a discount transportation pass for being a senior they told me to wait one year and come back,
So today they have yet another story. Have to be a EU citizen to get a discount, doesn't matter at all if you are a resident and long time 40 years to a citizen  married,tgot your resident papers because you are a legal dependent on that person.
Anything to make a buck it seems.
Then they said if my husband updates some old SS in HU papers I can get a discounted pas but only until I reach age 65, after that I can't get any discount of pas.What??
Sems odd they give you a break until you are older then no way get outta town.
They said only EU or HU citizens can get a free transportation pass after age 65.
Not fair, I call BS!! I suppose they don't get many 3rd country people asking for a pass that are in my situation. I call discrimination !!!!
No matter it's not about the dam pass it is the principle of it .
My husband lashed out and told the "big boss" at Bkk that it is like nothing has changed since old commie times, too much BS and requirements for anyone to understand.
Whatever, I like walking anyways.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....Have to be a EU citizen to get a discount, doesn't matter at all if you are a resident and long time 40 years to a citizen  married,tgot your resident papers because you are a legal dependent on that person.
Anything to make a buck it seems.
...
Seems odd they give you a break until you are older then no way get outta town.
They said only EU or HU citizens can get a free transportation pass after age 65....

Yes, that's pretty much the story.   It's because if they limited to HU citizens and excluded EU citizens, that would break the EU agreement to equal treatment.  I investigated this when my sister and her hubby (both over 65) came to visit.    I dunno what's going to happen to all the British people here who use public transport - presumably not included after Brexit.  Perhaps if one is resident it won't matter as it would be reciprocal.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

So perhaps "recently German or German heritage and also narcissist" might help qualify it.

The only thing that can successfully counter a German narcissist is the British stiff upper lip. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/th … 78cb9d01ee

Yes, indeed, we'll fight him on the beaches....etc.   When one has nothing but sticks and stones to throw, there's always British integrity.   

The Mayor is actually rather popular with the majority so not surprised people would stick up for him - even Teresa Come-What-May.   

Mr D messed up there targeting the Mayor and spouting numbers. He couldn't have foreseen the Las Vegas music festival tragedy which in sheer numbers beats UK incidents.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
OK, gotta run another hit by ABBA on the radio...
Some peeps never grow up...
...

There's a new movie - Mamma Mia 2 - about to come out.  No doubt it'll be an Abba-fest (again).  Never saw the original but supposed to be good and heavily Abba'd soundtrack.

We just came back from Star Wars: The Last Jedi at Allee Cinema City - the older generation hands over to the new. Wasn't bad but wasn't great.  Better than the last one for sure.

Not sure why they named a cinema after one of the posters in this forum.

Well on talking it over more in detail with my husband I know I do qualify as his spouse since I am in Hungary on a resident permit as his dependent.
They told him a bunch of BS then when he asked for it written down and signed by the boss at BKK.they backtracked and told him to get a new paper from the HU SS dept. Bring in our marriage certificate( why do they always need to see that paper when I wouldn't have a permit in the first place if they had not already seen everything at immigration?)
What makes me mad is not the cost it is the principle  of it all. Hate to be told one thing then another depending on the whim of some office worker.
Last year the same women said everything was good but I had to wait one year, did that now another story.
Husband said . he would go a step further with it if the SS gives him grief. He is a fighter like I am over little things.
I dislike it so much when one person tells you one story and another has something different to say
They say you can't fight city hall but we can try. When my husband asked for it in writing and with it signed they changed their tune,Next year he'll run over to SS and see what line they give him...
When he turned 62 he also had a big hassle with the then BKV, he wrote to their dept. head and after months they sent him a paper to get his senior discount . They make one fight for everything here.

I think it i very upsetting to have to hassle again with a 10 year permit since one has lived here for a long time, how about getting HU citizenship, might be good in the long run?
I am not sure I wish to live forever here,sort of get mad when I run into stupid small hassles , gosh in the US we give medical, money, and even voting rights to illegals, all I wish for is a fair shake like anyone else.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Allee Cinema City
.....
Not sure why they named a cinema after one of the posters in this forum.

Probably has more to do with the ever declining number of theater visitors. Known as the Allee Effect in biology.

We have pretty much given up on going to the movies.
Used to see films at the Urania theather  but seems not many showing with English subtitles any longer. Several HU made films I would like to see but so far haven't noticed them playing.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Allee Cinema City
.....
Not sure why they named a cinema after one of the posters in this forum.

Probably has more to do with the ever declining number of theater visitors. Known as the Allee Effect in biology.

That's really interesting.  I never knew that.  Thanks for sharing.

I'm scrabbling to apply that effect to what I saw at cinema.   I'm not an economist but I dabble a lot in that area.  I immediately thought about classical supply and demand.  Seems it's not that simple.

The place was mobbed and its showing at more than one screen.

Might be about a scarce shared resource in that model causes more people to go there. 

Like a kind of Last Jedi feeding frenzy or hysteria. Or possibly a herd mentality on film reviews.

Surprisingly, there were heaving masses in the rest of the shopping mall which is relatively unusual.  Other malls look in decline to me.    The car park was busy as well.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

We have pretty much given up on going to the movies.
Used to see films at the Urania theather  but seems not many showing with English subtitles any longer. Several HU made films I would like to see but so far haven't noticed them playing.

It's all changed and it seems to have improved and worth a look again.   

It used to be the MoM Park was the only one showing the OV (original version, not Orban Viki!?) movie but the Cinema City company fell out with the owners of that mall over rent (I believe).  Now they've closed that and moved everything to Allee.   It's a nice cinema there and worth a look.  If you go during the week early afternoon, it can be almost empty.

For HU movies, I think it's very difficult to find anything with English subtitles. We try and search for DVDs these days as we've more chance at that point.  However, even that's becoming useless these days with the rise of streaming.  Here, we have cable TV so we can choose different sound tracks but most channels don't subtitle in either language - wish they did.  Be a good learning tool.

And while I'm waffling on.......I was watching "Hungary Reports" on MTV1 the other day.  The English newsreader needs to take elocution lessons (and why do reports in Russian?).  They were on about the cops spending time doing spot checks on the firework sellers and how incredibly dangerous it was if the firework instructions were not in Hungarian.    I thought what a waste of police resources - surely they just need to give out a leaflet with each packet of fireworks.  I suppose they go around supermarkets too - to make sure they've stuck those Hungarian labels on goods. I have to peel them off to see what it says - they should stick them somewhere else (ouch!).

Do you get Netflix in Hungary?

I saw online that they do offer Netflix here in HU but I have no idea how many shows are offered in English etc.
I still have my old connection from the US in a family plan with my son.
Seems I am the only one who really uses Netflix though.
I was getting hooked on Turkish tv shows on Netflix but although they may have 4 long seasons of a show in the can, Netflix only airs half the seasons and stops just when you are pulled into the show hard. Makes me mad trying to find out what happened to main characters.
Not exactly easy to figure it out when U tube only has the shows in Turkish.
For awhile there I was actually learning many words in Turkish, perhaps even more then I was learning with watching my limited amount of HU tv shows.
If the tv shows here in Hungary had English subtitles I know my Hungarian would be up to speed.
I like allot of repeating with words, not very fast or easy for me to pick up a new language, slow and easy is the best way to learn for me.
They offer allot of shows from Turkey on Netflix USA but I am afraid to be left hanging by watching more of them. They really can do dramas well over there, very simple stories that are overly emotional and with a twist to the plots to keep you watching episode 110 season 2.
If only the US weekly shows were even half that long it would be nice.
I enjoy binge watching a series.
Watching a series now about the Roosevelt's. Interesting to find out that Eleanore and FDR were distant cousins... Both were related to old Teddy.Money and Power they do love to keep it in the family.

SimCityAT wrote:

Do you get Netflix in Hungary?

Yes, but the choice of programming is limited.  Far better to get it somewhere else.  Personally rejected the idea of Netflix purely on the lack of choice available.   They sell TVs now here in Tesco with Netflix buttons.  My MIL has one (but hasn't got Netflix).

Until they sort out the nonsense of viewing rights globally, it's not worth the money.  There are other ways to watch - e.g. VPN etc or Amazon etc.

We are lucky with Netflix here, so many films and programs are available in English. We have Turkish, Hungarian, French, Spanish films with Englsih subtitles.

The platform is slowly getting better.

Should try it out Fluffy, first month is FREE. Just register, then cancel payment.

SimCityAT wrote:

Netflix

If one is wasting one's time watching Netflix, then one is not wasting one's time here.

Decisions..... decisions....

SimCityAT wrote:

We are lucky with Netflix here, so many films and programs are available in English. We have Turkish, Hungarian, French, Spanish films with Englsih subtitles.

The platform is slowly getting better.

Should try it out Fluffy, first month is FREE. Just register, then cancel payment.

Actually, I think it'd be a waste of time. 

I've still not even watched the 1st season of Grand Tour and the 2nd season is already launched.

It's one of those rules - activities expand to fill the time available.

Never heard of Grand Tour, I am waiting for another season of Orange is the new Black, Sad when SOA was over with.
I love watching down and dirty ,wild shows like those because I am such a goody-two-shoes, have to live vicariously through the internet.