Absolutely Anything Else

I also suspect Dr David Kelly. Too far back to make an difference.
- @fluffy2560

Not really. The sealed autopsy is highly suspicious, and that suggests his death was government murder.

He exposed the lies about Iraq that made Blair a very rich man

Only the British and US governments had any reason to get rid of him.

The reason his likely murder is important is easy to work out. He showed us that governments lie to get what they want, even if killing by the thousands is involved.

The same is happening right now, but a lot of people are too stupid to question it, even though they know the last lot was all lies.

The differences between you and I are that I remember the lies and question the latest government 'truth', but you just accept propaganda like a good little sheep.

For your diary:

International Women's Day, 8th March 2025

Don't forget this important date in Hungary and the gifts associated with it!

I also suspect Dr David Kelly. Too far back to make an difference. - @fluffy2560 Not really. The sealed autopsy is highly suspicious, and that suggests his death was government murder.He exposed the lies about Iraq that made Blair a very rich manOnly the British and US governments had any reason to get rid of him.The reason his likely murder is important is easy to work out. He showed us that governments lie to get what they want, even if killing by the thousands is involved.The same is happening right now, but a lot of people are too stupid to question it, even though they know the last lot was all lies.The differences between you and I are that I remember the lies and question the latest government 'truth', but you just accept propaganda like a good little sheep. - @Fred

I don't know about Blair getting money for it. But gossiping further, even weirder was Kelly's wife throwing accusations around and then she shut up because - apparently - she would not receive his pension.  But I don't know the truth of it.  It didn't seem likely Kelly would top himself as he had everything going for him.

I do think critically about what we are told. I'm old enough to remember a lot of history.  I lived through quite a bit of it.  I usually triangulate different sources to ascertain an average truth.   Years of living here post-communism has probably made me even more sceptical and engage in more critical thinking.

So, I'm no sheep but you've been fleeced by Putin for sure.  The wool has been pulled over your eyes.

And still there's no-one Fred can think of to blame for the poisonings?  Who was it then? Who did that?  The Novichok fairy?

On another topic which is a postive one, my brother wrote to let me know he actually drove his car the other day! I told him any day he will be rolling out on his Harley.
As I mentioned his leg was amputated a year ago; Time goes by so fast, seems like it was yesterday.
He is still working out at rehab and almost ready to go home;
A handyman is putting in grip bars in his home and getting it ready for him.
Good things can happen in life actual miracles so we should perhaps take all the negative news with a grain of salt. The weather is beautiful and the sun is out.
Life is returning, I know did some spring cleaning today and found a family of spiders hiding in my window frame. Well, I destroyed their family....
I know some people put pests outside but I let them have a nice swim down the Loo. - @Marilyn Tassy

I cannot believe it's one year since his leg was amputated.  Amazing.    It's good he's out and about.  He's got the will to live.  You're right, he'll be on the Harley, perhaps with some adjustments on the missing leg side.  Hand controls etc.

Grip bars are really important.  We've had some put in here at Fluffy Towers in anticipation of our or any visitors need for them increasing.   We put some bars on the outside stairs and and handles in the showers.  I bought some of them for the MIL but she no longer needs them and we never put them up.  So we're using them here.

I was a bit knackered (tired) this arvo so I didn't get to the car wash. It's always the same. I went there via the petrol station (benzinkut) and it was lunch time and of course, it was completely full up and a queue.  This always happens.  It's always busy at lunch time.  Don't people have better things to do at lunch time?  So I'll try again tomorrow. 

Instead I spent my time laying on the sofa watching Glenn Ford shoot it out.  Angie Dickinson was in that movie.  I didn't watch Dean Martin, I chose the wrong movie and couldn't be bothered looking for the right one.  Never mind, tomorrow is another day.  By Thursday, it'll be pretty warm so perhaps that's the day for outside work.

Some birds were in our birdboxes checking them out.  Looks like we made it just in time for them to build nests.  We're doing our bit for the tit population hereabouts.

Oh dear, Trump is at it again, closing consulates around the world and just having the main Embassy. Also restricting Americans from voting in future elections.

Oh dear, Trump is at it again, closing consulates around the world and just having the main Embassy. Also restricting Americans from voting in future elections. - @SimCityAT

Not good for some but hardly matters for those in the EU or UK as we can get a online visa waiver easily enough.  I'd pay an extra $1 if the passport checkers were happy and smiling and polite.  Not that I want to go there.  I think my time of going there is now over permanently. 

I don't know about the voting restrictions.  Got a link on that?

Oh dear, Trump is at it again, closing consulates around the world and just having the main Embassy. Also restricting Americans from voting in future elections.  - @SimCityAT
Not good for some but hardly matters for those in the EU or UK as we can get a online visa waiver easily enough. I'd pay an extra $1 if the passport checkers were happy and smiling and polite. Not that I want to go there. I think my time of going there is now over permanently.
I don't know about the voting restrictions. Got a link on that? - @fluffy2560

The US Congress is considering legislation known as the SAVE Act, which could majorly impact the voting rights of Americans living in Europe. https://tinyurl.com/5n8xhrpu

@fluffy2560

It will affect Americans mainly as they still use consulates for Passport renewals etc....

The US Congress is considering legislation known as the SAVE Act, which could majorly impact the voting rights of Americans living in Europe. https://tinyurl.com/5n8xhrpu - @SimCityAT

Sounds a bit like a US version of the UK voter ID legislation.  We cannot get over that hurdle ourselves.   

The UK version backfired for the Tories as many of their traditional voters didn't have the necessary ID documents, even if they were in the UK.

It's disturbing. Just one thing after the other with Drumpf and Shady.

Currently on the news wires,  I don't like what I'm hearing  - yet more bullying of Zelensky. 

@fluffy2560
It will affect Americans mainly as they still use consulates for Passport renewals etc.... - @SimCityAT

Oh, of course, I didn't think of that.  We don't get ours that way now.  I wish we did have that option though. 

There are online stories of paper visas for some countries taking years and that's just to get to the interview.

@fluffy2560
It will affect Americans mainly as they still use consulates for Passport renewals etc.... - @SimCityAT
Oh, of course, I didn't think of that. We don't get ours that way now. I wish we did have that option though.
There are online stories of paper visas for some countries taking years and that's just to get to the interview. - @fluffy2560

We can only get ETD (Emergency Travel Document) from the consultant. At a price of £100vand get it in a day. Just looks like our passport so they have the capability of printing them, so I don't understand why everything has to come from Liverpool or Belfast.

We can only get ETD (Emergency Travel Document) from the consultant. At a price of £100vand get it in a day. Just looks like our passport so they have the capability of printing them, so I don't understand why everything has to come from Liverpool or Belfast. - @SimCityAT

Our kid's passport came from Derby. Presumably overseas passports issued from there.

Oh what a day.......

Oh what a day....... - @SimCityAT

Well. that's what uncertainty gets you!

I wonder how long it takes for President Musk to be ousted from Tesla. I'll give him 3 months. 

My random guess.

Hear some dim wit has suggested they put Trumps image on the US $100 bill!

I thought only deceased people or Kings/Queens could be living and have that done?

I have to be more careful about what shows I watch before bedtime.

Just like a child, I can get nightmares from seeing too much before bedtime.

Last night since I have lately been watching Mayday Air Disaster and in combo with watching last nights state of the union from Trump, well it was not good;

I found myself flying on a budget airlines next to Trump!

He had the window seat and I did get the aisle seat.

No, I did not drink spoiled milk before bedtime but defo my tea must of had a kick!

We can only get ETD (Emergency Travel Document) from the consultant. At a price of £100vand get it in a day. Just looks like our passport so they have the capability of printing them, so I don't understand why everything has to come from Liverpool or Belfast.  - @SimCityAT
Our kid's passport came from Derby. Presumably overseas passports issued from there. - @fluffy2560

They don't just come from Liverpool or Belfast. Our grandsons came from Durham. Depending on workload, passport applications are generally farmed out to one of the remaining 8 passport offices (link).

Hear some dim wit has suggested they put Trumps image on the US $100 bill!
I thought only deceased people or Kings/Queens could be living and have that done? - @Marilyn Tassy

Maybe they're optimists

Hear some dim wit has suggested they put Trumps image on the US $100 bill!
I thought only deceased people or Kings/Queens could be living and have that done?
I have to be more careful about what shows I watch before bedtime.
Just like a child, I can get nightmares from seeing too much before bedtime.
Last night since I have lately been watching Mayday Air Disaster and in combo with watching last nights state of the union from Trump, well it was not good;
I found myself flying on a budget airlines next to Trump!
He had the window seat and I did get the aisle seat.
No, I did not drink spoiled milk before bedtime but defo my tea must of had a kick! - @Marilyn Tassy

US money is weird enough.  But I've got no problem with Trump on the US notes.  There's an upside.  It would indeed mean he's dead but then again, at the moment he seems to think he's a king to he and his sycophants could ram it through.  There are far more deserving people.  We've already had the Elvis discussion but now it's been brought up again, I'd be rather keen on Elvis on the notes - respect.  Elvis deserves it more than Agent Drumpf.

BTW, I've had to explain to some US people a few times why the Euro and other notes in Europe are different sizes. They were complaining about it. 

I've stopped taking my phone to bed. I leave it downstairs.  I do however take my radio.  If I took my phone upstairs, I'd be looking at it during my many waking spells. 

We can only get ETD (Emergency Travel Document) from the consultant. At a price of £100vand get it in a day. Just looks like our passport so they have the capability of printing them, so I don't understand why everything has to come from Liverpool or Belfast. - @SimCityAT
Our kid's passport came from Derby. Presumably overseas passports issued from there. - @fluffy2560
They don't just come from Liverpool or Belfast. Our grandsons came from Durham. Depending on workload, passport applications are generally farmed out to one of the remaining 8 passport offices (link). - @Cynic

I checked the address label for our 19 year old's passport. It was Corby, not Derby.  It has a Northampton post code.  But I was close - Derby., Corby, SmershBy - all the same really. 

It said INT-DAP which must mean International, the other bit, I dunno. 

I guess the ones listed are those with service counters but real processing is done offsite in 1940s Nissen huts at a disused airfield.

We can only get ETD (Emergency Travel Document) from the consultant. At a price of £100vand get it in a day. Just looks like our passport so they have the capability of printing them, so I don't understand why everything has to come from Liverpool or Belfast. - @SimCityAT
Our kid's passport came from Derby. Presumably overseas passports issued from there. - @fluffy2560
They don't just come from Liverpool or Belfast. Our grandsons came from Durham. Depending on workload, passport applications are generally farmed out to one of the remaining 8 passport offices (link). - @Cynic
I checked the address label for our 19 year old's passport. It was Corby, not Derby. It has a Northampton post code. But I was close - Derby., Corby, SmershBy - all the same really.
It said INT-DAP which must mean International, the other bit, I dunno.

I guess the ones listed are those with service counters but real processing is done offsite in 1940s Nissen huts at a disused airfield. - @fluffy2560

DAP - Digital Application Processing; you/he probably applied online.

I guess the ones listed are those with service counters but real processing is done offsite in 1940s Nissen huts at a disused airfield. - @fluffy2560 DAP - Digital Application Processing; you/he probably applied online. - @Cynic

Yes, we did.   I did it online for our HU daughter, then took the documents to the UK and posted them there.  Post is so unreliable since Brexit, it's faster for someone to take them physically to the UK and put them in the mail from there.  BTW, I looked on Google Maps and it's a warehouse.  Possibly operated by contractors. NN18 8UA. Maybe Iron Mountain.

It would be a lot better if we could drop applications at the Embassy, they check them and they forwarded it to the UK. They receive them back and text you to pick up  (all for nowt).

I still don't know what those people do in the Embassy. There's no obvious visible output from them.  I reckon they only need 3 people to work there - a receptionist/secretary, an Ambassador and a deputy ambassador cum driver.  Everyone can empty their own bins and hoover their own offices. 

Mrs F was looking at a job description there as we knew one of the staff and we were given the heads up.  The pay was absolute rubbish and the hours too long.   Better to work in Ikea or Aldi.

p.s. Yesterday, Trump insulted Lesotho.  I'd expect the US ambassador will be called to the Foreign Ministry there for a light dressing down.  Possibly thousand island.

Liverpool and Belfast are the processing office's.

I guess the ones listed are those with service counters but real processing is done offsite in 1940s Nissen huts at a disused airfield. - @fluffy2560 DAP - Digital Application Processing; you/he probably applied online. - @Cynic
Yes, we did. I did it online for our HU daughter, then took the documents to the UK and posted them there. Post is so unreliable since Brexit, it's faster for someone to take them physically to the UK and put them in the mail from there. BTW, I looked on Google Maps and it's a warehouse. Possibly operated by contractors. NN18 8UA. Maybe the Iron Mountain.
It would be a lot better if we could drop applications at the Embassy, they check them and they forwarded it to the UK. They receive them back and text you to pick up (all for nowt).

I still don't know what those people do in the Embassy. There's no obvious visible output from them. I reckon they only need 3 people to work there - a receptionist/secretary, an Ambassador and a deputy ambassador cum driver. Everyone can empty their own bins and hoover their own offices.

Mrs F was looking at a job description there as we knew one of the staff and we were given the heads up. The pay was absolute rubbish and the hours too long. Better to work in Ikea or Aldi. - @fluffy2560

The UK Embassy's only issue emergency travel documents these days.  It's not only the Brits; here in the UK, the Dutch have closed all of their consulates; if you need to renew your passport you have 2 options, make an appointment at the Embassy in London, or use the roving passport service that seems to go around the Universities in the UK (our eldest went up to York to renew hers); it can be useful if they are in your area when you need to renew, but they are aimed mainly at Dutch students in the UK.  We had a choice of 2 near us (Leeds and Hull), now my wife renews hers in the Netherlands while we are there on holiday; she has maintained her DigiD, so it's easy to do.  She gets wound up by the fact that nobody in any of the consulates she's been to can speak a word of Dutch!!!

Who watched last nights performance of Trumps bullsh%t?

https://www.youtube.com/live/MRDRiMaqla … q5MVpALbl1

Who watched last nights performance of Trumps bullsh%t?https://www.youtube.com/live/MRDRiMaqla … q5MVpALbl1 - @SimCityAT

Yes, I stayed up past my bedtime to watch it;I had nightmares last night!

Dreamt I was flying and my seat mate was Trump. Sadly we did not crash...

I am not sure exactly what is means or if UK expats will be effected but I just saw a post about Hungarians and all other EU citizens are going to need a visa to enter the UK come April.

Who watched last nights performance of Trumps bullsh%t?https://www.youtube.com/live/MRDRiMaqla … q5MVpALbl1 - @SimCityAT Yes, I stayed up past my bedtime to watch it;I had nightmares last night!Dreamt I was flying and my seat mate was Trump. Sadly we did not crash...I am not sure exactly what is means or if UK expats will be effected but I just saw a post about Hungarians and all other EU citizens are going to need a visa to enter the UK come April. - @Marilyn Tassy

It isn't a visa to enter the UK for those visa exempt.  It's an ETA. Electronic Travel Authorisation.  US and Canada already have them. Waste of time really as the API - Advance Passenger Information - has much the same info.  It's just looking like a money making scheme to me.

I didn't waste my time watching Trump last night. Better to get a highlighted summary later.

I looked on Google Maps. USA has an embassy in Lesotho. Looks quite nice there, next to a golf course.    You'd think Trump would know where that is since his sycophants are operating there and there's that all important golf course. Another d***head statement from the D***head in Chief.

@Marilyn Tassy

Americans have needed it since January, and the rest of the Europe is from April. It costs £10 and is valid for for 2 years.

Who watched last nights performance of Trumps bullsh%t?https://www.youtube.com/live/MRDRiMaqla … q5MVpALbl1 - @SimCityAT Yes, I stayed up past my bedtime to watch it;I had nightmares last night!Dreamt I was flying and my seat mate was Trump. Sadly we did not crash...I am not sure exactly what is means or if UK expats will be effected but I just saw a post about Hungarians and all other EU citizens are going to need a visa to enter the UK come April. - @Marilyn Tassy
It isn't a visa to enter the UK for those visa exempt. It's an ETA. Electronic Travel Authority. US and Canada already have them. Waste of time really as the API - Advance Passenger Information - has much the same info. It's just looking like a money making scheme to me.
I didn't waste my time watching Trump last night. Better to get a highlighted summary later.

I looked on Google Maps. USA has an embassy in Lesotho. Looks quite nice there, next to a golf course.  You'd think Trump would know where that is since his sycophants are operating there and there's that all important golf course. Another d***head statement from the D***head in Chief. - @fluffy2560

Waste of a time, maybe but it is a money maker, I honestly don't care because it doesn't affect me.

@SimCityAT

Key element is the facial recognition and fingerprints. I'm fundamentally against taking fingerprints. In my mind, they are casting us all as crooks just because we travel somewhere. It'll be DNA next.

The EU one is coming in by year end. Looks like a phased approach.

Won't affect me but it will effect my wider family.

@SimCityAT
Key element is the facial recognition and fingerprints. I'm fundamentally against taking fingerprints. In my mind, they are casting us all as crooks just because we travel somewhere. It'll be DNA next. - @fluffy2560

If youre not a criminal or wanted by the police then you have nothing to worry about.

She gets wound up by the fact that nobody in any of the consulates she's been to can speak a word of Dutch!!! - @Cynic

That's madness!  I suppose it's all contracted out and civilian Dutch workers cannot get work permits thanks to Brexit.

The EU's much-delayed EES system of biometric passport checks could begin in October this year, after an agreement was reached on Wednesday between member states.

@SimCityAT
Key element is the facial recognition and fingerprints. I'm fundamentally against taking fingerprints. In my mind, they are casting us all as crooks just because we travel somewhere. It'll be DNA next. - @fluffy2560
If youre not a criminal or wanted by the police then you have nothing to worry about. - @SimCityAT

Ah that's an old one!

We should have government cameras in our houses. If we're not guilty of something it's nothing to worry about.

People have a right to privacy.   The authorities work for us, not the other way around.   

They've put up speed cameras near my house here in HU.  People are very annoyed with them.  Will they be recording all cars and keeping the data or just for those going over the speed limit and who long will they keep the information? a day? a week? forever?  Who are they sharing it with?

BTW, I've got a personalised plate on my British car (which I keep in the UK) and nearly all ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras get it wrong.  I know they don't work as I often have hassle in car parks at the barriers even though I paid.   By extension,  I wonder how many speeding tickets I've avoided because of that!  Not that I want to speed, I may have done it inadvertently.

The EU's much-delayed EES system of biometric passport checks could begin in October this year, after an agreement was reached on Wednesday between member states. - @SimCityAT

At least they agreed that.  Getting the members to agree on things must be like herding cats.

There's a bigger issue for fully qualified voting looming and that's the seizure of the Russian funds of about $200B+.   It's held under sanctions and the investment return is funnelled to Ukraine.  The sanctions expire soon and so does the withholding of the money. 

Hungary is likely to try and veto the sanctions. Possibly Slovakia too.  I am wondering just how much leverage the EU has over Orban to make him cave to renew.  Same for Slovakia.  How are they going to buy them off?

Maybe there's a carrot. There's EU talk of a €800B fund for re-armament.  This could be spread around with Hungary and Slovakia getting some for some inconsequential weapons industry.  And would the UK be part of that fund? I would think it would be.

@SimCityAT
Key element is the facial recognition and fingerprints. I'm fundamentally against taking fingerprints. In my mind, they are casting us all as crooks just because we travel somewhere. It'll be DNA next. - @fluffy2560
If youre not a criminal or wanted by the police then you have nothing to worry about.  - @SimCityAT
Ah that's an old one!
We should have government cameras in our houses. If we're not guilty of something it's nothing to worry about.

People have a right to privacy. The authorities work for us, not the other way around. 

They've put up speed cameras near my house here in HU. People are very annoyed with them. Will they be recording all cars and keeping the data or just for those going over the speed limit and who long will they keep the information? a day? a week? forever? Who are they sharing it with?

BTW, I've got a personalised plate on my British car (which I keep in the UK) and nearly all ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras get it wrong. I know they don't work as I often have hassle in car parks at the barriers even though I paid. By extension, I wonder how many speeding tickets I've avoided because of that! Not that I want to speed, I may have done it inadvertently. - @fluffy2560

The government already knows so much about you anyway, they have your photo stored..... Driving licence, passport, i.d card anyway. Majority of the UK have CCTV anyway so they know who majority of the public are at a given time.

The EU's much-delayed EES system of biometric passport checks could begin in October this year, after an agreement was reached on Wednesday between member states. - @SimCityAT
At least they agreed that. Getting the members to agree on things must be like herding cats.
There's a bigger issue for fully qualified voting looming and that's the seizure of the Russian funds of about $200B+. It's held under sanctions and the investment return is funnelled to Ukraine. The sanctions expire soon and so does the withholding of the money.

Hungary is likely to try and veto the sanctions. Possibly Slovakia too. I am wondering just how much leverage the EU has over Orban to make him cave to renew. Same for Slovakia. How are they going to buy them off?

Maybe there's a carrot. There's EU talk of a €800B fund for re-armament. This could be spread around with Hungary and Slovakia getting some for some inconsequential weapons industry. And would the UK be part of that fund? I would think it would be. - @fluffy2560

Trump has already axed the sanctions the US had against Russia.

The government already knows so much about you anyway, they have your photo stored..... Driving licence, passport, i.d card anyway. Majority of the UK have CCTV anyway so they know who majority of the public are at a given time. - @SimCityAT

Yes they do but they also have to work within a framework of privacy.  It's not blanket authority to willy nilly use people's data for any means.

Trump has already axed the sanctions the US had against Russia. - @SimCityAT

The US sanctions have nothing to do with it. That's FSB Agent Drumpf's stuff.

I'm talking about the EU sanctions which somewhat mirror those of the US.  The vast majority of the $200B+ Bank of Russia money is held in a European bank (actually Euroclear Bank). The EU will probably wants to extend the sanctions and keep the money available for reparations and to fund Ukraine.   This is what they were doing before. The money is like an advance payment for reparations.

The £2B Starmer gave to Ukraine when Zelensky was in the UK during the recent summit is the investment income on those Russian funds held by Euroclear Bank.  Some of the funds are being used to procure 5000 missiles for Ukraine to improve their air defences etc.  That's my understanding.

If the EU cannot keep the EU sanctions going, they'll have to return the money held back to Russia.  I think that's not going to happen regardless but it'll be interesting to see Hungary/Slovakia's tactics. I think the EU members will pile on the pressure.   

I already have a Real ID with my passport and driving license.

Need to renew it in 2026.

I have not driven in over 5 years, just started up the engine.

Like riding a bike though.

I think even without recent practice I can do better then many drivers we have seen lately.

Just the other day someone pulled in front of an oncoming bus, stopped then made a right turn. I was surprised the bus driver did not honk, it was a close one.

They put a gold star on the US driving papers if it is a real ID.

I am sure my  passport as a chip inside.

Probably being watched right now on the internet, forgot to put tape over the camera.

They can see through walls if they wished to.

Not much exciting stuff going on here.

When a person is hired in a casino in the US they are given a full background check;

No criminal records allowed, they take urine and hair samples, fingerprints and run a credit report. photos are taken.They FBI and the local police do the reporting.

I guess they have everything on me if they want to clone me or set me up. I am not a danger or interesting enough for them to bother with.