Absolutely Anything Else

We have a old friend in the US who is now a highly paid architect, He is Hungarian.
I met him when I was 19 and he in his early 20's , nice guy but darn, he was the biggest NERD we knew.
Smart but not exactly a "cool cat" so to speak.
Wore super thick coke bottom eye glasses and had a beard when no one was wearing beards in the 70's.
He always seemed to have have his lunch stuck in his beard for a later snack... Basically not a "chick magnet" at all.
Guess he is now laughing at all of us, big house on the east coast of the US with pool and second wife...
Just saying these people who chose these sorts of trades are sometimes "out there" in another world.

klsallee wrote:

......
But to be serious. I have not gotten any emails from Lassie et al. for years. The modern SPAM system on my email account is that good. Which is why Facebook saying they can not deal with similar fake content on their system is bogus. The company does not want to. Because of the bottom line. The various and vast number of email providers had it in their financial interest to create better and better anit-SPAM systems because enough of their users hated such junk mail and complained. And those who had better SPAM blocks could get more users. Facebook is a closed system -- one company, maybe a effective monopoly as there are few "other places to go" -- that values harvesting user data. Limiting user content, even to bogus content, limits interactions which cuts into the bottom line. Facebook has little to no fiscal interest in truly and correctly "de-SPAMMING" their system.

I hate Facebook.   And Google.

Mrs Fluffy and I were in the car discussing hamsters with the kids.  And I looked at a web site on my phone and there was an advert for hamster stuff.  That's a bit too much of a real coincidence.   So we've been experimenting by saying "dinosaur" every so often to see if they are spying on us via the microphone.  If we see ads for dinosaurs, then maybe that'll show just how insidious these corporations have become.   Facebook particularly I avoid like the plague.  Google is just as bad. I feel like I am in an arms race to avoid them gathering info.   You might have noticed the adverts around for the GDPR, the new data protection directive from the EU.  There was a push for the "right to be forgotten" but now that's been watered down.  But maybe it'll stop these people spying on us to some degree.  The big companies still have  a way to get to you.

On Spam, I still get it but I have multiple e-mail addresses - through work and privately. I usually give out the public one to people I don't know and it works on exception.  Everything is forbidden except those that are allowed and this drops all e-mail not allowed in the spam directory.

I have a private e-mail address which I only give out to people I really trust.  And I still get spammed there but the algorithm picks it up pretty well.  Very rarely does something get through. 

I still have to look in the spam directories in both cases the algorithm might have got the wrong answer. I also read some of the e-mails in Spam to see what kind of stupidity they are are pushing this week.  Usually it's West Africa,  someone died in a plane crash, compensation, soldier in Afghanistan etc.  All rubbish of course. 

Whenever I've been to West Africa for work (and I've been a lot), literally within days of being there and giving my business card out, my public e-mail spam is full up with all sorts of nonsense.  Then it tails off and it all starts again when I go  again.  Obviously someone I meet, passes on the cards and then the spamming starts. 

Quite surprising really as I'm usually meeting well respected people who are only too happy to disrespect their visitors.

A distant contact I know seems to be someone who is either a sucker for small scale honey traps or just enjoys the game of it.  But quite laughable really to try it on with that person as they have (apparently) no shame whatsoever and just couldn't give two hoots about being blackmailed!  I very occasionally get gleeful e-mails describing what has been going on  in the latest adventure.  Some people!

Yes, I do believe"they" are watching all of us.
With the new 5 G which is going up fast in the US, they will be able to track you even in the WC!
Some co. are now making employees where monitors where they can tell where you are in the building, if your sitting or standing and how long you interact with others. Things will be getting more and more creepy very soon.
I was looking on line at airfares from Budapest to London, now they are sending me all sorts of travel deals.
We don't have a smart phone and i think it working out fine for us.
I seriously hate sitting on the bus, tram next to someone who is using a device. Sat between 2 young men last week on the tube, one reading a online book, the other watching Japanese anime ... My son does that, drives me nuts.
It's putting brains in a alfa state and also giving a good dose of rads at the same time.
WiFi is bad enough, should turn ours off at night but I know it will still come through the walls in this flat from the neighbors, can't escape it.
He called this morning from Vegas and my husband took a break, son turned up the volume in his home and I heard Japanese games playing, role playing games at age 42! Help! Sorry we ever bought his a game boy when he was a kid. Got him hooked on games...
He calls it being NPC or something like that which means None Participating Character .. Most people with cell phone fit that title.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Mrs Fluffy and I were in the car discussing hamsters with the kids.  And I looked at a web site on my phone and there was an advert for hamster stuff.  That's a bit too much of a real coincidence.   So we've been experimenting by saying "dinosaur" every so often to see if they are spying on us via the microphone.  If we see ads for dinosaurs, then maybe that'll show just how insidious these corporations have become.

Let me know if that works, because I would really love to buy a pet dinosaur. Send me any ads you may get.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Facebook particularly I avoid like the plague.

My favorite quote:

"Social Media: Everybody’s unintelligent ideas flying in circles like mosquitoes around a digital campfire, creating a world of on-line commenting where it’s all stupidity, all the time.”

fluffy2560 wrote:

Whenever I've been to West Africa for work (and I've been a lot), literally within days of being there and giving my business card out, my public e-mail spam is full up with all sorts of nonsense.

Yes, I have had the same problem. But manual rejecting those, the SPAM filter algorithm quickly learns and it only lasts a short time. My email provider uses Roaring Penguin, and it is pretty good. (I just love cool, nonsensical creative names like that: "Roaring Penguin" ).

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Exactly what I was thinking, is this animal abuse or not?...

Pretty strange stuff.   

But actually it's from a news article and they are supposed to be panda researchers - if they say so who am I to contradict them.

Sure looks like a fetish though.

Hm. Now I am confused. Is this a wolf researcher, or fetish?   

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Exactly what I was thinking, is this animal abuse or not?...

Pretty strange stuff.   

But actually it's from a news article and they are supposed to be panda researchers - if they say so who am I to contradict them.

Sure looks like a fetish though.

Hm. Now I am confused. Is this a wolf researcher, or fetish? 

That's a pretty cool costume if a bit "Disney" and idealised.  Maybe it's research or maybe it's just fun. Maybe even both. It might be an example of Furries or Plushies or something?  It is or was it a thing a while back?  It's like role playing. I saw an episode of CSI about it a while back.  Here it is, complete with an "explanation":

CSI Plushies and Furries

I don't know it really exists or CSI writers made it up.  I would expect there to be more cats than say sloths or porcupines or skunks at such a convention.   

My current "fetish" would be to meet and employ competent Hungarian builders, construction and garden workers who can do proper landscaping.

klsallee wrote:

....
Yes, I have had the same problem. But manual rejecting those, the SPAM filter algorithm quickly learns and it only lasts a short time. My email provider uses Roaring Penguin, and it is pretty good. (I just love cool, nonsensical creative names like that: "Roaring Penguin" ).

Pretty cool.  Roaring Penguin is as good a name as anything else  but a tiny bit of alliteration goes a long way and gets extra points.  Purposeful or Protection Penguin is more in the right direction. I guess the Penguin is homage to the Linux penguin. 

I will concede Penguins are so much nicer than say than say a Ripping Rattesnake. But an Existential Elephant also works for me as it sounds more trippy.

Looks like a freaky fetish thing.
Maybe those on line gamers like to role play in person?
No idea, this is the future of humanity. If so, I'd like a ticket out!

My youngest bro and his wife do western role playing and civil war reinacttment weekends sometimes.
The western thing is for some friends who make "Hollywood" westerns a small family production , made a couple of feature films with them but so far I am still waiting for them to be released for viewing.
The Groat bros. films. Not goat, no silly animal customs involved!
The civil war thing, I am not sure of, his wife is a Ca. kindergarten teacher so maybe this is educational?
My bro plays a half native Indian tracker in one film, just a part-time thing , not even sure they get paid other then having a fun time with friends and meeting people.
Low budget family friendly western films. Of course they have to old western shoot-out in the movies.
We grew up in Simi Ca. and most of the old classic western films were filmed in and around our town. Bob Hope took over the old Hollywood ranch out there where many films had been made in the 30's on up.
Used to be called, Corrgainville. Some stunt man turned it into a public amusement park where you could walk the old western streets and duck and cover when a shoot out just suddenly happened for fun.
Stunt men would fall off of roofs while you bought yourself a hot-dog and a sasperilla sodie pop.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
I was looking on line at airfares from Budapest to London, now they are sending me all sorts of travel deals.
....

If you need to know the routes to get to London, I can tell you different ways. I must have taken 100s of flights there over the years.   London now has many airports but mainly only 4 are worth discussing about - Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and at a push Southend.   Nowhere is very far away from anywhere else but it all costs money - taxis, trains etc.

The best value is currently Wizzair to Luton.   The Luton route is survivable although the airport itself isn't the best but it's easy to get to London by train.  Bit of walking and no air bridges.

BA is not usually the best and usually the most expensive but Heathrow is the busiest place for flights - many flights per day either direct or connecting.  I will go there on BA at the end of March.

Gatwick is not bad but only serviced by Easyjet and not good flight timing (for me anyway).

I sometimes take Lufthansa or Swiss there as they have special offers and much more modern planes but short layovers. I've had to run to the next plane.  As the UK is not in Schengen, you need to factor in border control queues for the EU.  You can never tell if it will be busy or not. 

Brussels Airlines is not bad but I don't like the National airport - it's like a long tunnel.  Lot of messing around there if you have to go through passports.   Longest I've waited, 45+ minutes.

Avoid Air France via Paris - nightmare on a short layover to get around Charles de Gaulle airport as the terminals seem to be are very far apart.

If you feel really adventurous, you could fly direct to say, Southend but it's quite far out from London.  I looked into it but for me it would have meant an overnight and that made it too expensive.  Direct flight though!.

fluffy2560 wrote:

That's a pretty cool costume if a bit "Disney" and idealised.

I was trying to be child friendly earlier.

I guess it would be too non-PC to say I prefer the "non-Disney" version.

fluffy2560 wrote:

My current "fetish" would be to meet and employ competent Hungarian builders, construction and garden workers who can do proper landscaping.

I can dress up like any of the above. With a furry hat. Would that count?

Quite frankly, there are not enough real Artisans anymore:

https://vimeo.com/138791666

P.S. Now trying to remove tongue from cheek, and I think it is stuck....

Thanks for the info, decided to skip it this time, my niece is going for business and it will be too busy I think with her meetings etc.
Plus I hate to see her waste her money on me, it was going to be her treat and I think that's too much to ask of someone.
She is a single mom and widow and it kills me to see her waste funds.
Could pay my own way but not really all that interested in playing tourist right now.
Anyways if anyone is interested in the movies I mentioned my bro and SIL are in they can see the trailers on U tube, Groat bro productions.
"Copperhead Creek" is one with Jimmy Van Patten, George Mason and Taylor Naud in them.
Another one is, "Ride the Wanted Trail."
They are a cool group of bros. they train students of film on site, take volunteer students and let them have hands on experience with filming.
Most of these were filmed in Simi and around that area of Ca. and some seances were filmed in one of the Groat bros backyard near his swimming pool, didn't show the friends sitting by in their modern swimwear while a gun fight was going on a few feet away.
I find it interesting the way films are made.

klsallee wrote:

....P.S. Now trying to remove tongue from cheek, and I think it is stuck....

That suddenly reminded me of a former contact who had metaphorically his tongue firmly stuck somewhere on someone else's anatomy for personal enrichment to the detriment of others.  Very "et tu brute". Needless to say, we ain't friends no more and never will be again.  Unfortunately  I heard earlier this week our paths might cross again.   

I'm thinking I'll get a plushie costume so he doesn't recognise me and I can lay in wait. But what?  Maybe a viper? Lion?

Oh wow, whatever ever happened to just wearing leather chaps and using a bull whip?
Many moons ago I was told that I looked exactly like a women in Ca. who most all my friends had known over the years. They grew up around her in Hollywood. She had moved up to SF but had returned to LA.
She was slightly older then myself but was said to be my Doppelganger.
Not planned but one night at a LA night club my friend pulled me into the ladies room( a meeting in the ladies room!) because Miss Babs was in town.
I swear to God she looked exactly like me and her voice was like mine, she had better hair I think but I was slimmer...
Her job in SF was working in the trade with actuall bull whips, a M/S business...
That was way too much for me....
My older sister walked on the wild side as well, once I was grabbed in a elevator by a strange man who held me tight and kissed me hard on the lips. Asked, "Where have you been babe"? After I caught my breath he realized I was not my sister and was overly sorry.
Dang, can't even leave the house without some stranger thinking they saw me somewhere when actually I was in my PJ's and at home safe and sound.
I told my husband about the attack and he was speechless for once.
Later he said my sister was going to get me killed one day.
Not fun to look like a fetish freak.
I almost got fired from a new job because everyone at the  salon party thought my sister was me.
I didn't go to the party but she knew my boss and went. My senior co -workers thought I was being a snob because I didn't say hi to any of them... Next day at work I had to go around and tell everyone that it wasn't me at the party.
Scary really.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I'm thinking I'll get a plushie costume so he doesn't recognise me and I can lay in wait. But what?  Maybe a viper? Lion?

I think those are way too obvious that you are out for mayhem.

Subtle camouflage is better. You want something the other won't ever suspect. So you can walk right up to them without them thking for a minute what is going to happen!

The panda outfit is ideal!

And for close up work, I recommend using a pair of really sharp weapons. Stilettos for example.

Then causally walk up to the victim, and when you are close enough, let out your best evil laugh, whip out the stilettos, and then your matching hand bag, and stand there just looking fabulous! No one around will look sharper. And you will knock 'em dead.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Many moons ago I was told that I looked exactly like a women in Ca. who most all my friends had known over the years. They grew up around her in Hollywood.

Was thinking again recently you really need to write a book. But now I think you have so much material, you might stretch it into a series.

Pretty safe and routine here these days, thankfully.
All that crazy wold kill me now I think.
Of course not ready to go out to pasture just yet, so never know what could happen next in life.
Just saw a new add for air travel to the US from HU.
Direct flights to NY or IL.
Loft airlines, not crazy about JFK airport but better then getting stuck in Munich for 2 days waiting on a flight out.

klsallee wrote:

...The panda outfit is ideal!

And for close up work, I recommend using a pair of really sharp weapons. Stilettos for example.

Then causally walk up to the victim, and when you are close enough, let out your best evil laugh, whip out the stilettos, and then your matching hand bag, and stand there just looking fabulous! No one around will look sharper. And you will knock 'em dead.

I think you're thinking of Colonel Klebb in From Russian with Love.. 

In any case, I haven't got the legs for high heels and it'll do my back in more.  Too much cycling and flat feet.    I think I can manage the panda rubber boots but the rest of it might cause some surprise.

I suppose I could give my stand up act a brush up and then give them the good news at useful moments with my razor sharp wit.   

But, luckily in this round,  I believe I'm on the other side of the table this time, not the same side as the original perp.

More likely scenario is remaining irritatingly stony faced, emotionless,  non-committal and pretending to be helpful while contributing nothing of use whatsoever.  Hopefully I will annoy the hell out of the fella.

Maybe I'll get away with not being involved.

fluffy2560 wrote:

More likely scenario is remaining irritatingly stony faced, emotionless,  non-committal and pretending to be helpful while contributing nothing of use whatsoever.  Hopefully I will annoy the hell out of the fella.

Maybe I'll get away with not being involved.

Sounds like you have a lot of scars. I understand. Still pulling knives from my back, years later, from some "so called" business partners.

Fortunately, I had the agility and "luxury" to be able to say "f***it". And moved my business activities in other directions. And could dispense with most of these stupidities. But I know not everyone has such luxuries.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

More likely scenario is remaining irritatingly stony faced, emotionless,  non-committal and pretending to be helpful while contributing nothing of use whatsoever.  Hopefully I will annoy the hell out of the fella.

Maybe I'll get away with not being involved.

Sounds like you have a lot of scars. I understand. Still pulling knives from my back, years later, from some "so called" business partners.

I do with that fella.  I'll tell you about it sometime but let's say I'm one for ethical behaviour and he ain't despite his supposed Western credentials. And there was several million at stake.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I'm one for ethical behaviour

So am I.

And I think we are becoming an endangered species. Oh, I could indeed tell things about what I know. **.

** Details only available offline. For obvious reasons.

From:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 34#4125188

fluffy2560 wrote:

It's scary how much power pets have. 

One could try to argue they are working dogs but less easy to argue working hamsters or fish.

I would love to comment, but my goldfish is begging me go for a swim with him. It is difficult. His bowl is pretty small.....

fluffy2560 wrote:

(p.s. update on Google listening in on my phone....strangely I was offered - by Google Ads - a stair lift then some pedigree puppies but no dinosaurs yet - I am sure I'll have the walking route to myself with t-rex or velociraptor on a lead in front of me).

Good man. Keep up the review. I already have the cage built. And a foolproof security system for it, run by my very underpaid, and overweight systems administrator.

Sometimes I really wonder how much help one should offer a neighbor .
2 days ago a lady in our house about age 61 was leaving her flat the same time we were.
We have spoken casually to her for many years although we are not close at all.
She and her daughter have had issues off and on in the house with their drinking and fighting each other, not really the sort of people we would have much in common with ( except for the wine drinking, maybe?)..
She is always nice with me, smiles and tries to speak a bit of English.
I don't want to judge or get too personal with my neighbors, made that mistake in the past.
We are friendly with a mother and daughter who live in the house but they keep to themselves and are more conservative then this mom and daughter team of fighters.
Anyways this women has had many issues , using a crutch because of her knees, broke her arm at work, uses a crutch sometimes, cried in our arms when we ran into her last year when she had just found out her sister had passed away.
I mean people do feel comfortable with us that way like we will not judge and of course we care not to hurt anyone's feelings if possible.
I've experienced all she had except knock on wood, the broken arm.
Long background of our relationship with this lady . Guess she has lived in the house longer then the 11 years we have although she is only renting, lives on the same floor as us.
Two days ago as we all walked out at the same time, she started crying and was holding onto the railing for dear life, her knee must of went out , I know how that feels.
My husband just walked past her, I had to tell him to come back and help her. He offered to carry down her shopping cart but I wanted him to take her back to her apt. and let her rest instead of trying to walk on that leg.
He said she is a grown women and her daughter should go shopping if she couldn't.
We  went to our car and warmed it up. Took her about 5 more mins to pass us on her walk by our car. She was still crying and using her shopping cart like a cane and holding onto the sides of buildings to not fall down.
I really wanted my husband to either ask if we could pick up items for her or drop her off
with our car.
He refused,not like him at all but maybe he had a point. Can't help everyone who is in need.
He said if she was that bad off then she shouldn't leave her apt.
That Tesco has home delivery etc.
Maybe I am too sensitive because I think she was crying out not from her knee pain but from her life issues.

I can't stand seeing anyone crying... So far with my 3 total knee dislocations I have never cried more like swore in anger and pain.
Think this poor women has serious arthritis , probably we should of offered to just take her to the hospital.
We drove away, I saw her in the mirror and it pretty much made me feel bad all day long.
Not sure what else we could of done if she didn't want to go home and if my husband didn't want to get involved.
We all need help sometimes and you never know when that day could come.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.. Can't help everyone who is in need.....We all need help sometimes and you never know when that day could come.

I know the feeling. Question I ask myself is what's the level of help that's required? 

Probably it just depends - picking up someone from the shop is one thing, sitting with them all day to make sure they have some company is another.  And then when does it become a continuing burden on you, yourself?   And of course, there's the other thing that sometimes  one simply cannot do anything meaningful - either no skills, no money, no time, not strong enough, other obligations.

Sometimes you just cannot help people or they refuse to accept it.  I tried to help a close relative who was terminally ill to put his socks on.  He had lost the ability to bend over and he insisted on struggling for 20 minutes to get them on.   Seemed trivial help to me but actually he took it the wrong way - I don't know exactly why - possibly confirming his illness or recognising too blatantly that he was effectively disabled after a full but cut short life. He was really quite snappy about me helping him which I was surprised at.  The right thing was not the right thing at that instant.

On the other hand, I really want to help my ancient parents but I'm here and they are there (in the UK).  But their health problems are beyond my knowledge. Just talking about it with them and my siblings doesn't help at all. Actually I've got this pet peeve currently over my parents health care.  I mention to people their complex issues and they then send me Google links on stuff related to it.  Like I don't know how to do that?!   Weirdly they think they are helping.  Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking. 

One of our neighbours was struggling with her shopping at the bus stop as we passed in the car.  Her husband is bonkers and either has an anxiety problem or some other mental issue.  He shouts at our children's antics in the garden (usually silly and normal kids stuff like very randomly and accidentally kicking balls over the fence).  And she backs him up in the shouting and joins in.  She's quite OK apart from that.  We're human too and she wasn't getting any brownie points in her behaviour.   We didn't pick her up.

Yes, it's hard with family.
On one hand it's wonderful to have elderly parents and on the other i have heard my friends who have struggled with parents in their 80's and 90's.
One friend had to put her mom in a home for years. Out of 3 living siblings she was only one to visit their mom in the home. Her mom didn't even know who she was which must of broken her heart.
Both my parents passed away on the young side, 66 and 67 years old.
Was willing to move my ill mom into my house but was not so willing to have her crazy PTSD husband live with us, he was too much.
I wish I could of helped her more but she was not the sirt to even let on she wasn't doing well.

My biggest thing is being a "foreigner" here and not speaking Hungarian.
In the states I just do things if needed like knock on a neighbors door and ask if they are better of bring them a small gift etc.
Here, I am not 100% myself and never will be.
PS, I wouldn't of given your neighbor a ride either, what jerks.

Made me think of my cousin in NM.
She took classes on home health care to be able to move her mom, my aunt into her house and care for her .She had breast cancer and my cousin did everything for her from bathing her to changing her for 2 years.
Got a custom bath tub put in her home like they have in hospitals, leased a hospital bed and only had a professional nurse come in once a week to take vidals etc.
Of course my cousin got some funds because she took classes which saved the state from having a full time nurse come in daily.  Still she did allot more then she could ever of been paid for plus it was her own mother, not easy to see her going down.
I hate to say it but my heart would love to of done that for my mom but knowing me, I don't think I am made of the stuff to help that much.
It's hard when these things make you look at yourself deeply.My "skill" is more like I'll help find help rather then being hands on.
I hate it when life gets too real.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
On one hand it's wonderful to have elderly parents and on the other i have heard my friends who have struggled with parents in their 80's and 90's......
My biggest thing is being a "foreigner" here and not speaking Hungarian.
In the states I just do things if needed like knock on a neighbors door and ask if they are better of bring them a small gift etc.
Here, I am not 100% myself and never will be.
PS, I wouldn't of given your neighbor a ride either, what jerks....

I'm in my late 50s and so are all my siblings and their significant others approximately/plus or minus a bit.    We've pretty much all got elderly parents or relatives in varying conditions.  Some more distant contacts even have partners with significant problems.

In all these cases, the hot issue around now seems to be those with dementia.  These are probably the most challenging people.  Even my parents who are more or less totally with it given sufficient time are showing signs of not being able to catch up in conversations. The latest one is that they are finding it difficult suddenly to operate slightly complex machinery like the TV (it's a fancy digital one, not a straight forward job).  That would never have defeated them before.   

My cousins do not even visit their father now as he's gone almost completely.  He's awake, smiling, listening etc but cannot interact and probably understands nothing.  Apparently he's forgotten how to walk.  Nothing wrong with his legs. Just forgotten.  Very strange,

One of my brother's wife's mother tries to phone her daughter up when they are actually in the same place.  It's almost like she's unable to distinguish between her thoughts and reality. 

Mrs Fluffy is very good at keeping up neighbourly relations.  She gets all the news and gossip and since we have older (than us) neighbours they are keen to let her know the latest.  I'm happier in the shed banging bits of wood together, being under my "vintage" car or playing about welding metal objects together. 

I am the same as you Marilyn, I reckon I'll always be on the periphery of this world.

fluffy2560 wrote:

If you need to know the routes to get to London, I can tell you different ways. I must have taken 100s of flights there over the years.   London now has many airports but mainly only 4 are worth discussing about - Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and at a push Southend.   Nowhere is very far away from anywhere else but it all costs money - taxis, trains etc.

The best value is currently Wizzair to Luton.   The Luton route is survivable although the airport itself isn't the best but it's easy to get to London by train.  Bit of walking and no air bridges.

BA is not usually the best and usually the most expensive but Heathrow is the busiest place for flights - many flights per day either direct or connecting.  I will go there on BA at the end of March.

Gatwick is not bad but only serviced by Easyjet and not good flight timing (for me anyway).

I sometimes take Lufthansa or Swiss there as they have special offers and much more modern planes but short layovers. I've had to run to the next plane.  As the UK is not in Schengen, you need to factor in border control queues for the EU.  You can never tell if it will be busy or not.

After the Brexit vote I heard that there had been a tightening of security, particularly with regard to flights to UK. It seemed that you needed to get to the airport at least 2 hours before your flight to stand any chance of getting through the security checks. Has that been your experience or is it just another case of the media magnifying molehills into mountains?

I have been watching programmes about customs and quarantine in Australia and it seems they operate a bit differently to their European counterparts. For example, if they frisk someone they must first get them to read and understand a 2 page document describing the procedure. I was frisked at Budapest last time I arrived from UK and was not even asked for my consent!  I gather they also have quite harsh penalties for people bring in drugs, typically 6 years imprisonment. There are also tight controls on bringing in food but they still get people from China and other Asian countries trying to smuggle in huge amounts of food.

fidobsa wrote:

.....
After the Brexit vote I heard that there had been a tightening of security, particularly with regard to flights to UK. It seemed that you needed to get to the airport at least 2 hours before your flight to stand any chance of getting through the security checks. Has that been your experience or is it just another case of the media magnifying molehills into mountains?

If you read that in the Daily Mail, you are probably being wound up.  I'm going next week on a trip. I'll check it out and see if anything is new.

I usually work on a minimum of 30-40 mins at gate before departure plus 1h for arrival, check in and security.  Once they've got your bags and they've loaded them, it's harder for them to mess you around.  BTW, if you fly Wizzair, you get a bag check in time,  Some airlines are particularly rubbish at check in - usually any airline in Star Alliance - e.g. Lufthansa and Austrian. I always try and fly in the middle of the day to avoid any busy periods.

But I haven't noticed anything particularly different at Budapest airport except for one thing.   There can be larger than normal queues at passports now.  It's not security per se.  It's because the EU has introduced compulsory passport checks (last year they did it) with scanning and this has caused real problems in some places as the authorities have done nothing to increase throughput - same numbers of people and desks.  Instead of just waving us through, they now take 15 seconds to scan the passport.  You can imagine. And of course, it's not like in Aldi where they open a new checkout if the queue increases.    They don't open another slot for you to get processed. In Brussels for example, you can wait an hour to get through the EU border (if for example, you're going to Africa).  In the UK of course, they try and push you down the electronic gate route but their system is so naff, I always end up in the "bypass".  Works fine in other countries but not in the UK.

fidobsa wrote:

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I have been watching programmes about customs and quarantine in Australia and it seems they operate a bit differently to their European counterparts. For example, if they frisk someone they must first get them to read and understand a 2 page document describing the procedure. I was frisked at Budapest last time I arrived from UK and was not even asked for my consent!  I gather they also have quite harsh penalties for people bring in drugs, typically 6 years imprisonment. There are also tight controls on bringing in food but they still get people from China and other Asian countries trying to smuggle in huge amounts of food.

The smuggling of foodstuffs is fairly common the world over.  People coming from Africa sometimes bring bushmeat with them.  Beef from South Africa to the Middle East is fairly common.  Imagine the issues if there's a delay in a very hot place.  But generally anywhere there is a large enough price differential, there's going to be smuggling.   Regarding the drugs,  some drugs that a perfectly permissible in Europe are considered opiods in the Middle East.  People have been given prison terms for carrying normal doctor prescription medicines.  Codeine is one I believe.

As for the Australia, despite some family connections, I'm increasingly unhappy with the human rights/refugee agenda down there.  Some of the things going on like the relocation to Cambodia is just ludicrous.

As for Brexit, we British will be frisked more and we'll have limits on what we can carry into the EU.  It'll be a silly situation and cause all sorts of nonsense.  I hope in the interim period post March 2019, we'll continue to be allowed to use the blue Customs lane.  But we should be prepared to be more harassed by ignorant border and Customs guards trying to make a name for themselves.

I'm expecting to get major hassle when I apply for visas.  There's sometimes an EU citizen visa option for some countries.  As all our passports have European Union on them, some border or visa jobsworth is going to say it's invalid or a forgery or other nonsense.  I go to a lot of funny places and I am sure it's going to happen. I only hope they manage to get their act together in these places.

As a US citizen I never really look forward to flights home, they treat their own citizens like the Ayatolla Khomeini ( yes, Had to spell check that one!)
As a US citizen and ex Girl Scout, I always take offence  with  grilling we all get trying to just go home.
Like little ol' me would be a danger to anyone... please!
Who knows what people with visas go through trying to enter the US.

My BFF's mom had dementia for years and my buddy put her in a hospital /home,I honestly do not know what is worst to have your beloved parents leave early or suffer with old age.It's no joke for sure.

My grandfather was the luckiest man ever I think, lived to be nearly 95 and died in his sleep in a warm safe bed in the VA hospital, he lived there for over 50 years. I visited him the last time when he was about 92 years old, still had all of his "marbles" and was walking without any aids or canes, clean shaved and wearing nice starched  white dress shirt and slacks, polished shoes, a total ex Army man, all in order.Every hair in place and smart as a tack still, hope I have half the brains when I get to be even 70!

My mom said he had stomach cancer but at his age the doctors didn't even tell him, why upset a old person with such news?
I think that was a good move on their part.

Back to flying the skies...
I am wanting to travel now, have the funds and the time but not  feeling like going through the hassles they put us through now.
Noticed United Airlines is not taking pets right now since they "killed" a few in route lately.
Not sure if it is all that dangerous to fly but do think "they" are trying hard to put fear into travelers for some reason.
One thing that was really rude and messed up here at the BUD airport was with me asking for help to board several years back.
My knee was still not good at standing in one spot for long, had just had knee surgery in HU that didn't go as well as we hoped it would.
I asked for a wheelchair to get through security and to the plane, believe me, I am not lazy just didn't want my knee blown up before a very long flight.
The women at the check in desk at the BUD airport didn't have the requested help for me and when I asked she looked at me and said, do you really need it? WHAT??? I just forget it and limped along with my cane.
Ok so on the way home after 6 months and PT in the US my knee was allot stronger but I never changed my request for help off the plane. When we arrived in BUD airport they went overboard on me, had 2 men pick me up and put me in a special van and tie me down with seat belts etc. , used a huge lift to move me etc. It was so out of this world my husband and I didn't say a word because we wanted to see how weird it could get.
It was weird  and over kill.

Confused, not sure what to say to anyone who is seriously injured and really can not walk at all by themselves.
I will never ask for help again in the airport unless my only other option is to crawl.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

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Who knows what people with visas go through trying to enter the US.

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The answer is "don't bother".   

It's so much hassle and the immigration people are so unfriendly, I've just stopped going there.  It started with Bush Junior and we decided we didn't like him and voted with our feet by going in other directions.  Then we realised actually there are really a lot of very interesting places elsewhere, particularly in Asia and Africa.  Shame really as there's a lot to see and do and so many positives. We liked to go but it's just so difficult and so much hassle and the government makes people feel unwelcome. So we just won't go any more.

Sorry to be so "down" on the USA.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

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My BFF's mom had dementia for years and my buddy put her in a hospital /home,I honestly do not know what is worst to have your beloved parents leave early or suffer with old age.It's no joke for sure.

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I will never ask for help again in the airport unless my only other option is to crawl.

Yes, the dementia thing is a strange one.  Sometimes it can lead to sad but funny situations.

The decline is gradual and it's hard to distinguish senior moments with the brain fading.  I've heard the cut off is about 75 years old.  After that, generally there will be some cognitive issues.  Not so good to know.

Some diseases also do the same - another relative has Parkinson's.  All sorts of issues in addition to brain lesions - bowel problems, jerking, speaking softly and just intellectual decline.  The worst thing is that in that relative's case, it's genetic with siblings, father etc all suffering from it.  Not sure about their kids - they could be tested but probably don't want to know.  They should know so they can be informed in case there's a cure.

Another contact is only mid-50s and has early onset dementia.   That couple cannot even go on holiday because the husband gets confused in places other than his own area or even his own house. 

I was at my parent's place (they live in a secure apartment with "monitoring" - like a kind of independent living old people's place with a warden etc) and one resident got "lost" in the fire escape stairwell after mistaking it presumably for the exit or their own place.  Subsequently they reached the fire door at the end and couldn't work out how to get out or return back.  They were there some hours while a search was conducted in the building (all the apartments had to be checked) and the police were looking around the area.   

Or my Uncle who had breakfast, forgot, and had a further 3 breakfasts after forgetting each time he'd had it before.  As he's in a care home, they are used to it and just gave him what he thought he wanted.  It's a technique called "contented dementia".  Rather than confusing people more or making them angry by saying you've been here already X times for breakfast, they just play along.   

Some people at my parent's place, go to the wrong apartments and seem surprised that someone has moved the furniture.  One can laugh a bit.

Re: Airport - they are obliged to help you for free otherwise they'll be in bother with the equalities people (i.e. discrimination against the disabled).  I've heard there are fake disabled people as well who use these services so they can jump queues and get help with their bags.  Unbelievable. Probably the same types of people who park in the Parent/Child and Disabled car parking spaces without a second thought!

fluffy2560 wrote:

The decline is gradual and it's hard to distinguish senior moments with the brain fading.  I've heard the cut off is about 75 years old.  After that, generally there will be some cognitive issues.  Not so good to know.

Delay or avoid it by eating your spinach. Seriously:

https://www.rush.edu/news/press-release … ve-decline

And maybe this says something: Guess what I can not find in the any local stores in winter? Yep. Fresh spinach (well, okay, would settle for semi-fresh). Despite being able to get thing like bananas that had to travel further. Where is globalization when you need it? 

klsallee wrote:

... Yep. Fresh spinach (well, okay, would settle for semi-fresh). Despite being able to get thing like bananas that had to travel further. Where is globalization when you need it? 

Bananas are the top seller in supermarkets.  I am sure there 100s of ships transporting bananas at anyone time.  We eat large amounts of bananas here. It's really a fantastic thing.

As for Spinach, who wants to be Popeye?

You could always try frozen spinach.

I've missed my fresh raw spinach salads...
Soon, very soon. Saw some for sale at the large market hall but 800F a kilo,600F is about our cut off for that item.
Bananas are high now too,  the price as jumped from 350 F a kilo to 479F or 525F.
I lived in Hawaii and got them for free and they were oh so much sweeter and better. Our landlord used to just drop off a literal bunch still on the vine, branch, not sure what they call the stems... They are trees so suppose it would be a branch.

It is too bad the US makes it so hard to enter, the people are friendly and love Europeans for the most part.
I know in Vegas if you were from Europe the casinos loved to hire you because the accent added a bit of "class" to the joint!
They always say they can teach you to deal cards but they can't teach you to have style.
A few "red neck" bosses would say odd things at times about some of the Europeans and Asians working there, just small comments that really couldn't get them into trouble with ER. More like eye rolling and repeating what they said back but in a rude way. Darn"immigrants" taking our jobs... That's the tone of it but mostly they were treated very good and wanted. Even I got a few red neck remarks but I always smiled and gave it back to them.. Whenever you would "dump" lose allot of the casinos money then they comments would start. You knew you were on the "out's" if they sent you over to a "party table game" such as Let it Ride. One hour was telling you to wake up and deal properly, a full day was you better really watch it and more then a day sent over there all day long was you had better look over your resume because you might be shown the door.
We used to call it "Let it RIP" instead of Ride...


It was very weird when I asked for help after my surgery at the BUD airport, when I needed the help the women was so rude and the help wasn't there.
When we returned it was just a quick walk out of the BUD airport and luggage pick up. They called my name on the tarmac, had 2 men collect me, put me in a chair and strap me in, used a lift on a huge van and locked the chair to the wall of the van, had a power lift to bring the chair inside the van. It was so crazy, I was about to say no way but my husband was curious about how far they would go.
I forgot to cancel my request for help on our return flight because they weren't there when I needed them on leaving Hungary.
Really it doesn't make your trip faster or that much easier, it just moves you around faster but you still have to wait on the rest of the clients to arrive.
Never again will I ask for help if I'm that bad off, I'm not going anywhere.Also you should tip for the help.
Talk about feeling like a fool.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Bananas are the top seller in supermarkets.  I am sure there 100s of ships transporting bananas at anyone time.

I know. I know. Global markets. Winning over good health and common sense.

fluffy2560 wrote:

We eat large amounts of bananas here. It's really a fantastic thing.

Not so great if you eat a low carb diet (they are 1/4 carbohydrates). And spinach actually has more potassium.

And banana plantations are bit more of an social/ecological/pollution disaster where grown than more "so-called" local(ish) crops (i.e. sourced from within the EU). And the current Cavendish shipped commercial variety is tasteless compared to its predecessor, Gros Michel cultivar, which was devastated globally by Panama disease. And because Cavendish is also propagated vegetatively (i.e. clones) world wide, they are subject to a new version of the disease, and is now also under significant threat. And that may be even a worse economic problem for banana growing areas than the local problems caused by growing them.

fluffy2560 wrote:

As for Spinach, who wants to be Popeye?

Stereotypes. Harrumph. 

But if "being Popeye" adds 11 cognitive active years to my life, then gladly Popeye be I.

fluffy2560 wrote:

You could always try frozen spinach.

It is an option of course. But (1) I prefer salads, (2) water-soluble vitamins are degraded and (3) the frozen spinach here is pureed (which I hate) and tastes funny.

Prefer fresh over frozen and never eat canned.
I have just re discovered the wonderful flavor of Buckwheat.
Found some corn seeds to make popcorn with olive oil instead of buy those chemical filled chips and snacks items which are highly overpriced anyways.
Flaxseeds, millet no more rice, brown rice once in awhile but no white rice,bought that gluten free flour... Not really all that great for making a white sauce with so for now not going to buy it again.
Cutting back on breads and eating more oatmeal with flax seeds and grated fresh fruits.
My sister has turned us on to moringa , using the powdered form. I really dislike it but my husband enjoys it, beyond me who he can swallow it down with dry seeds, yuck.
With all the pollution in the air and now inside our homes with wifi we have to take more care about what we are stuffing in our faces.
I hope not to live forever but it's no fun feeling ill or tired so fresh food is the way to go.
We read yesterday that starting in April the Penny Market stores will be supplying produce from local HU farmers at discount. Discount because they are "imperfect" items. Maybe not a standard size,or shape but perfectly good produce.
I am curious to see how low the prices will be and how good the products are.

I was also wondering if anyone knew the English word for the veggie, soska?
Does anyone even like eating it?
Took me a long while but I do like it now.
My MIL used to grow it in her garden, a big job to clean it etc. but so tasty and healthy. I do buy it frozen here most times because of all the messy work in prepping it.
I am not sure if it is in the turnip family of vegetables ? I do not think it is a root vegetable like a turnip does or carrot.
In Las Vegas, I knew people with all sorts of different jobs and hobbies.
One women from my health club was a gourmet chief, studied in France or some such place.
She was in her 50's and only took "juicy" paying part-time jobs, sometimes did big Vegas parties other times flew to locations around the world to cook for the elite set.
She took a job, flew to the middle east and then was on a yacht and in charge of a week long  food fest for a couple of wealthy Arab men.
She had free reign and ordered everything her heart desired to cook.
She came back and told us that only the crew lapped up her meals, the very rich had only touched what she prepared and mostly the ate nothing but dried fruits and nuts with a bit of bubbly.
Maybe that's the secret, eating only a tiny bit of natural simple foods.
And of course loads of bubbly!!

klsallee wrote:

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Not so great if you eat a low carb diet (they are 1/4 carbohydrates). And spinach actually has more potassium.

And banana plantations are bit more of an .... And that may be even a worse economic problem for banana growing areas than the local problems caused by growing them.

Potassium is quite a problem for some people - too much, on some BP pills and it's heart arrhythmia.  But too much is about 300 bananas. Carbs are indeed an issue.  But on balance, you can never have enough bananas.  Really versatile, ready packed to go and tastes pretty good.  Almost a wonder fruit.

klsallee wrote:

Stereotypes. Harrumph. 

But if "being Popeye" adds 11 cognitive active years to my life, then gladly Popeye be I.

There are easier ways. But I suppose one could live the dream and adopt the lifestyle, dress appropriately, have all your teeth removed, smoke a pipe, get a lanky GF called Olive and say   "I yam what I yam an' tha's all I yam"  regularly.

I've been to Popeye's village (in Malta) and it's not a permanent lifestyle to be coveted believe me.  Maybe just weekends.

klsallee wrote:

It is an option of course. But (1) I prefer salads, (2) water-soluble vitamins are degraded and (3) the frozen spinach here is pureed (which I hate) and tastes funny.

Yes, not the best Spinach when it's frozen.  That seems to be a European thing. 

When I lived in The Netherlands, they used to serve in the building canteen pureed spinach mixed up in some weird sauce with mashed potatoes and frikadeller (fasírt hereabouts). 

It was revolting. Almost pre-digested.

Anyone else forget to set your clocks last night to day time savings?
I woke up really early today because our son called us up, thought, great I can get stuff done today. Took my time dilly-dallying around then realized I had lost an extra hour!
Smart to change it on a Sat. though, no excuse to be late from work on Monday morning.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Anyone else forget to set your clocks last night to day time savings?
I woke up really early today because our son called us up, thought, great I can get stuff done today. Took my time dilly-dallying around then realized I had lost an extra hour!
Smart to change it on a Sat. though, no excuse to be late from work on Monday morning.

We didn't forget but my "devices" did.   I have to go around checking the computers and smartphones as some of them are too stupid to update themselves.   I've got some radio controlled clocks who get their signals from Germany.  They update automatically as well.

BTW, I just heard on the UK radio that majorly cold weather is likely to arrive in Europe again with snow and below zero once more.  With the extra hour, we can have another hour sledging!

Messing up my daffodils and tulips though.