Absolutely Anything Else

Christmas is coming up and it's time to assemble a few presents.
Looking for something that really screams "Hungary!" A nice scarf maybe?

Anyone know where I might get one?
-@zif

Check out the Christmas Markets maybe?

Christmas is coming up and it's time to assemble a few presents.
Looking for something that really screams "Hungary!" A nice scarf maybe?

Anyone know where I might get one?
-@zif

Ah, I think I know what you're referring to here. Apparently it reached ambassador level. For those that don't know this story, look at the map of Hungary on the scarf.  Crass behaviour but one might see how the Hungarians are historically annoyed but as my sympathy wanes over so many OV policies, I'm leaning now to saying that's the price you pay for backing the wrong horse. That seems to be somewhat of a recurrent national problem.

Link to article, click here.

I told you I was going off Netflix, and Disney+ was much better, it has much more to offer and better quality. I still have Netflix as its included with my SKY package. From December we have Paramount+ included with our SKY. So I will be happy.
-@SimCityAT

How do you get Sky?  VPN to somewhere?

Disney+ is cheaper than Netflix.  That's from looking quickly and unscientifically. 

I use a shared Netflix account. Netflix has said they will start cracking down on such and when that time comes to Hungary, I can do without. I download most anything I want to watch on whatever channel/network. The quality of shows has declined and veered into creation content, i.e. quantity over quality. Many shows have started on Netflix only to be canceled for lack of viewership. But I wonder how many would have taken off if given a 2nd season. So there are a lot of shows that start well with no finish.

Remember how music was very fragmented? You needed to buy whole albums or listen to single curated channels, and then Steve Jobs and iTunes came along and smashed that economic model into single songs as inventory to choose from?  I believe the same will eventually happen with streaming services. Too many channels, all charges their own fees, is too much for households to subscribe to each one. It will need to consolidate behind an aggregating service, and then the shows will get better because producers will focus more on quality than quantity. This is my prediction.

My futball prediction is France!

The scarf controversy:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63724710

I use a shared Netflix account. Netflix has said they will start cracking down on such and when that time comes to Hungary, I can do without. I download most anything I want to watch on whatever channel/network. The quality of shows has declined and veered into creation content, i.e. quantity over quality. Many shows have started on Netflix only to be canceled for lack of viewership. But I wonder how many would have taken off if given a 2nd season. So there are a lot of shows that start well with no finish.
Remember how music was very fragmented? You needed to buy whole albums or listen to single curated channels, and then Steve Jobs and iTunes came along and smashed that economic model into single songs as inventory to choose from? I believe the same will eventually happen with streaming services. Too many channels, all charges their own fees, is too much for households to subscribe to each one. It will need to consolidate behind an aggregating service, and then the shows will get better because producers will focus more on quality than quantity. This is my prediction.
My futball prediction is France!
-@Vicces1

Netflix is still putting out some decent content. Their recent show 1899 was OK although I found the "How They Made 1899" more interesting than the show itself.  If they clamp down on sharing, it'll be dead to me. If they do that, they could lose maybe 25-30% of their subscribers (my random guess). Very risky.

Netflix has serious problems keeping solid shows going. However's in charge has a screw loose. They cancel them at a drop of a hat. It's not the right idea. Look at Star Trek, only ran for 3 seasons but is iconic and much loved and still in re-runs (and on Netflix).  Huge cashflow generated for decades. I think it's a question of investing money and wondering if it's going to be well supported by fans. Can take years to establish shows as cult classics. Look how long some of these shows have lasted - Walking Dead reached Season 11 and even Game of Thrones went to many seasons. A strong start can sustain highly watched and fan fave shows running for decades. That's decades of income for film/TV industry. 

I am not sure how the current models can be disrupted. Jobs did indeed shake it up but he's dead. But there will be a new Jobs or a new Musk. Musk seems to have bitten off more than he can chew with his Twitter takeover. As an aside, I see Facebook trailing it's Metaverse regularly. What surprises me is that Facebook or Twitter didn't move into streaming territory and start making shows.

You could be right it's France but I'll have to wait and see how Germany does to make a prediction. 

I am "freeloading" with Netflix with my sisters US account.

Even so, some shows are offered in Hungary that she can't see and she has shows in the US that are not available here in Hungary.

I finished 1899 in 2 nights.

Was interesting but I got bored with all of it by the last few episodes. Sci-fi isn't my fave thing.

I also kept waiting for the main charactor to change her clothing at least once.

Watched season 5 of ,"The Crown" in 2 nights.

That is an interesting show, I feel like a fly on the wall .

The charactors all sound and look so much like their real versions too.

I am "freeloading" with Netflix with my sisters US account.
Even so, some shows are offered in Hungary that she can't see and she has shows in the US that are not available here in Hungary.
I finished 1899 in 2 nights.
Was interesting but I got bored with all of it by the last few episodes. Sci-fi isn't my fave thing.
I also kept waiting for the main charactor to change her clothing at least once.
Watched season 5 of ,"The Crown" in 2 nights.
That is an interesting show, I feel like a fly on the wall .
The charactors all sound and look so much like their real versions too.
-@Marilyn Tassy

In 1899, the lack of clothing changes was deliberate. It was supposed to show it was a simulation, i.e. not real world.   I would have preferred them to speak a mixture of English and their native languages rather than flogging the lack of communication or understanding.   But I liked most of the cast choices apart from the Spanish groper guy who just behaved like a sexual predator scumbag.

I noticed it was a bit odd with the costume changes or lack thereof but it was explained in the "how they made it" episode. I was impressed with the technology they used.  It was quite good to see how it worked.  There should be a Season 2 which will, I suppose be where Maura woke up (trying not to post spoilers).   The same writer did "Dark", also on Netflix.  I saw one or two episodes and fizzled out on that.  Couldn't be bothered.

I was somewhat surprised to see it was made a Shepperton Studios in the UK.  This is a famous studio just outside London.  The key surprise was to see a large N on the building. It must be where Netflix make a lot of shows.  I didn't realise they potentially own it or lease one of the stages.

The Crown is a massive turn off for me.  I am not exactly a royalist. I prefer looking at the shenanigans of the real life versions when there are significant events.  I believe it's well acted but never seen a single episode.

I don't mind paying for Netflix, and I did. But then they blocked non-US viewers from the US site -- even with a VPN -- and left them with dregs on the local site. So adios Netflix.

I don't mind paying for Netflix, and I did. But then they blocked non-US viewers from the US site -- even with a VPN -- and left them with dregs on the local site. So adios Netflix.
-@zif

Might be the technology you were using for the VPN.

The BBC can tell if you are out of the country but with the right type of VPN, it's possible to fool them as they aren't looking that hard.

Some sites are more sophisticated and can detect you're not local, even with a VPN.

Tried it using Netflix and pretending I was in Australia.  The displayed programmes are differently ordered but much the same.

It seems they still don't care so much. 

No, there was a time when Netflix could be fooled with a good VPN but they upped their game. Trying to keep a connection became impossible. (Yes, some VPNs try to lure you in by saying Netflix? No Problem! but that's advertising drivel.) Anyway, once you've pulled the subscription you really don't miss it.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63732663

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63732663
-@Vicces1

That's a real shocker. 

I was certain Germany would squash everyone. 

Germany vs Spain will be interesting.

I cannot see Costa Rica going anywhere.

No, there was a time when Netflix could be fooled with a good VPN but they upped their game. Trying to keep a connection became impossible. (Yes, some VPNs try to lure you in by saying Netflix? No Problem! but that's advertising drivel.) Anyway, once you've pulled the subscription you really don't miss it.
-@zif

Some of the early VPNs were just proxies which are easily detectable and the IP addresses are known.  Netflix itself doesn't seem to care where you are right now but the way it's going, I suspect they will lose many subscribers if they stop sharing. 

My VPN to the UK is private - it's just between my machinery and my Dad's router and the IP address can change easily.  It's not a commercial service that could be tracked and blocked. I used to buy that kind of commercial service but the streaming services got wise to it.  It was cat and mouse on blocking IP addresses. 

In any case, I'm also finding it increasingly difficult to care what's on Netflix.  They aren't putting out enough output I'm interested in so I use other methods.  Kids still like it though.

I suspect Netflix will be taken over by someone at some point or it'll merge with another provider but with whom?  Disney seems the obvious one.  They would overtake Amazon easily.  I suppose they won't be allowed to merge on competition grounds.

Way to go Japan!!!

I was routing for Japan  and thought the first score by Germany was just ,"luck" not skill.

It looks like the Japanese team is all local Japanese guy and no recruits from outside of Japan.

My son lives in Japan and they like to keep things ,"in house" if possible. That's one thing he likes about Japan.

Sometimes it's not in his favor as a 6'2" red headed western guy but he knew what he was getting into before he moved there.

I can go for days or weeks not watching netfilx. Most of the shows are boring and the movies lately all seem to have subtitles. I'm not always in the mood to read and not be able to watch the action at the same time.

Miss allot with subtitles.

Last night I watched 2 old flims on U tube. One from 1953 and one from 1958.

I think those older films had more of an interesting story line or at least better actors.

Gene Kelly, Natalie Wood,Ed Wynn,Rcihard Widmark. Great actors  can make a lousy script bearable.

There's also Tubi. It's free with ads. Not that many films compared to Netflix but you can usually find something. Since it's now owned by Fox you also get some streamed TV.

You do need a US vpn server for access, but Tubi doesn't seem to fuss when you use one. I just use one of the free vpns on my phone.

Way to go Japan!!!
I was routing for Japan and thought the first score by Germany was just ,"luck" not skill.
It looks like the Japanese team is all local Japanese guy and no recruits from outside of Japan.
My son lives in Japan and they like to keep things ,"in house" if possible. That's one thing he likes about Japan.
Sometimes it's not in his favor as a 6'2" red headed western guy but he knew what he was getting into before he moved there.
I can go for days or weeks not watching netfilx. Most of the shows are boring and the movies lately all seem to have subtitles. I'm not always in the mood to read and not be able to watch the action at the same time.
Miss allot with subtitles.
Last night I watched 2 old flims on U tube. One from 1953 and one from 1958.
I think those older films had more of an interesting story line or at least better actors.
Gene Kelly, Natalie Wood,Ed Wynn,Rcihard Widmark. Great actors can make a lousy script bearable.
-@Marilyn Tassy

Being big and red haired will make your son stand out. I was in a shopping mall once in Asia and there was a sea of not very tall people with black hair and the occasional much taller foreigner with blonde or other coloured hair poking out of the morass of local faces. Quite odd is when you see someone different - Western or just different out there, you kind of subtlety acknowledge them. I don't know if it would be the same amongst say, African origin people amongst Caucasians. I guess it would be. 

I have a problem with Japanese people and their protectionist markets. I sometimes deal with them workwise and everything there is set up to stop foreigners engaging.  Like if you wanted to buy something like $10M of services for say construction, you might say, I want 50% of the personnel working on the job to be locally engaged. They will fight not to agree to that. They want to bring in everything from their homeland. Nearly everyone else will agree. Personally I find that very off-putting. Koreans do the same. Chinese bring everything with them. Even stones and rock. Very unnecessary when stones and rock are freely available locally.

On Netflix you can turn off the subtitles. I personally like them. Apart from helping my dodgy hearing, I want to hear dialogue in the original language whatever it may be. Might be a European thing. Besides Netflix's dubbing is somewhat akin to comedy. Talk about stilted and wooden. Hardly funny at first but then just tiresome. My kids sometimes tell me the subtitles are wrong and don't match the dialogue. They've been edited to tone down bad language. Don't like that. I want to hear it verbatim.

I do agree, some actors save the day. I love movies of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Richard Widmark always seem to play surly people but he was apparently one of the nicest guys in Hollywood and extremely charitable with everyone. He played bad guys a lot and yet really hated guns. But he put up with it because it paid plenty and allowed him to engage in his charity work. 

If work is slow, I often put on an afternoon movie starring the greats of those years. It goes back to my childhood, always Saturday afternoon movies on the TV as the alternative to sport on the main channel. Here, I go in binges. So I might watch over a period of days all John Wayne movies, then James Garner, then anything with Marlon Brando. That kind of thing.  Hollywood of those days was so sexist. The leading ladies always second fiddle to the lead actor.  Hardly ever becoming stars in their own right.  OK, some Bette Davis, Joan Crawford etc did make it of course, but plenty were always lower billed and faded into obscurity.

I must really stop binging on old films. Last night I watched one with Tyrone Powers and get this, Orsen Wells in tights!!! God help me!

It was in his slimmer days but still...

Yes, my boy says some people like that he is different and some people sort of give him a nasty glare in Japan.

He has always loved that culture and when he was young he wanted us to send him there to an orphange so he could be adopted and raised there! OK, not sure why he thought that way, I think we were rather good parents and nice to him...

Children are never happy. Too much fantasy in their lives.

I must really stop binging on old films. Last night I watched one with Tyrone Powers and get this, Orsen Wells in tights!!! God help me!
It was in his slimmer days but still...
Yes, my boy says some people like that he is different and some people sort of give him a nasty glare in Japan.
He has always loved that culture and when he was young he wanted us to send him there to an orphange so he could be adopted and raised there! OK, not sure why he thought that way, I think we were rather good parents and nice to him...
Children are never happy. Too much fantasy in their lives.
-@Marilyn Tassy

Something your lad saw or engaged with probably switched him on to Japan. Some of these things are inexplicable. Our daughter is dead keen on all things Korean. Seems to have started when she got into Korean boy bands. She's even been studying Korean online and watching Korean soaps. She's very enthusiastic telling us all about the language characteristics. But she's also keen on Spanish and very good at it but doesn't really engage with their music or TV. Who knows why this kind of thing captures people's imagination?! I have more of an interest in Spanish simply because I find it easier to read than some others. But No. 1 HU daughter is light years more advanced than me.

I'm in favour of fantasy. I want to live in a fantasy most of the time.  I'd see fantasy as a kind of holiday as life is quite tough in reality.

You've to to share the titles of these old movies! Prince of Foxes or Black Rose? I cannot believe Orson Welles appeared in tights. But I suppose that's Hollywood for you. I never believed Robert de Niro would appear in comedy films. Their on screen personas are nothing like their real ones. Artistes of course.

It was Prince of Foxes...Sort of overly corney but the scenery was great, except for the long shot of Orsen in tights!!

My boy had a Korean GF for a couple of years.

In fact we all lived together for nealry a year in Vegas.

I liked her, she was a bit older then my son but looked young.

I like Korean food, although not sure I'd go for their snack treats of bugs on sticks.

I used to watch those Korean soaps on tv with her once in awhile, so over the top and dramatic.

IDK, maybe I'll check out Black Rose tonight, maybe Orsen will be wearing more tights...New fedish, seeing chubby dudes running around in tights...

No actually the custom designers in the past were great.

I watched an old documentary on Liberace from 1972.

He makes Orsen look like a real macho man with his many get-up's.

I have a photo somewhere taken in Vegas with a life sized mannequin of Liberace and myself doing the Can'Can.

He totally outshined me!

World Cup 2022

England 0  USA 0

A very unexciting game but on aggressiveness I would give USA the points, tactics I'd give England a few points.

The real shocker was Wales vs Iran.  A very surprising result.

It was Prince of Foxes...Sort of overly corney but the scenery was great, except for the long shot of Orsen in tights!!
My boy had a Korean GF for a couple of years.
In fact we all lived together for nealry a year in Vegas.
I liked her, she was a bit older then my son but looked young.
I like Korean food, although not sure I'd go for their snack treats of bugs on sticks.
I used to watch those Korean soaps on tv with her once in awhile, so over the top and dramatic.
IDK, maybe I'll check out Black Rose tonight, maybe Orsen will be wearing more tights...New fedish, seeing chubby dudes running around in tights...
No actually the custom designers in the past were great.
I watched an old documentary on Liberace from 1972.
He makes Orsen look like a real macho man with his many get-up's.
I have a photo somewhere taken in Vegas with a life sized mannequin of Liberace and myself doing the Can'Can.
He totally outshined me!
-@Marilyn Tassy

If you want to see men in tights, you need to see Errol Flynn camping it up as Robin Hood. That cartoon'ish film processing was something else.    And of course, there's the Mel Brooks comedy Robin Hood called....yes, you've guessed it,  Men in Tights. which gets straight to the point/codpiece.  Errol Flynn was a notorious womaniser and I believe a heavy drinker.  I wondered if they had to have extra tight underpants for him?

You were outshone by a dummy (Liberace)?!  Are you sure you wanted to mention that?  My parents hated Liberace but I never found out why.  If I remember I'll ask my Dad.  He's not exactly LGBTQI+ positive so it might be that.

40+ years ago, as a poor student, I used to wear tights under my motor biking gear in the winter.  As I became better paid, I then moved on to long johns. Never got to electric gloves etc.  Jeez, it was cold, really cold.  Like blast freezer cold.   So not against wearing tights under the right circumstances.

I don't really care for the Korean dramas.  Too sugary for me. I did like the movie called Parasite, which won an Oscar for best picture.  My nephew had a Korean GF but she finished it with him and went back to her old BF or something. Might have even been her boss.  I can see why she might have done that.  She wasn't going to social climb with a foreign BF.  It devastated my nephew that she left.  But as one might expect, he got over it.

World Cup 2022
England 0 USA 0

A very unexciting game but on aggressiveness I would give USA the points, tactics I'd give England a few points.

The real shocker was Wales vs Iran. A very surprising result.
-@fluffy2560

I am still in a state of shock

I think even the ,"Queen" of England was upstaged by Liberace. He gave her a Royal Performance back in the 1970's.

He was more,"Sparkely" then she was with all her jewels.

Made one wonder who the real,"Queen" actually was...

Men in tights, forgot all about that one!

I decided to check out the old film, "Black Rose" last night.

My goodness, it would never make it today, so un PC!

When the captured half English women was trying so desperatly to wash off her ,"stain" of brown coloring  I could just hear the protests that would happen these days.

Oh well, we sometimes have a romantic view of the past, many times we find it really wasn't very nice after all.

World Cup 2022
England 0 USA 0

A very unexciting game but on aggressiveness I would give USA the points, tactics I'd give England a few points.

The real shocker was Wales vs Iran. A very surprising result.
-@fluffy2560

I am still in a state of shock
-@SimCityAT

I keep missing these shock matches like Japan vs Germany and Wales vs Iran.  England vs USA was a snooze-a-thon.  England will get through anyway.

I guess we can say the Iran team isn't supporting the regime and if that's so, allied teams can cheerfully lose with magnanimity to Iran's team in their apparent fight for democracy.

Iran vs USA next Tuesday will be something  worth watching (I hope).  A proxy match for the Great Satan. Even Good vs Evil. Could be like Eurovision.   Anyway USA is favourite to win.

Unfortunately England will be playing Wales at the same time.  Talk about bad timing.  I will probably watch Iran vs USA because Wales would have to score 4 goals to move to the knock out stage.  Very unlikely event.  England very likely to win in any event.

"England very likely to win in any event."

Weren't people -- English people to be precise -- saying that before the US game?

"England very likely to win in any event."
Weren't people -- English people to be precise -- saying that before the US game?
-@zif

I'm half English and I wanted America to win. I just could not stand the way they were treating Wales.

"England very likely to win in any event."
Weren't people -- English people to be precise -- saying that before the US game?
-@zif

People say all sorts of things. 

The question is if Wales can pull a rabbit out of the hat against England.

I don't think there's a rabbit.

And no hat.

it's just counting.

And it's a game of two halves.

Not a matter of life or death.  It's more important than that.

"England very likely to win in any event."
Weren't people -- English people to be precise -- saying that before the US game?
-@zif

I'm half English and I wanted America to win. I just could not stand the way they were treating Wales.
-@SimCityAT

Who was treating Wales how?  England?

I think even the ,"Queen" of England was upstaged by Liberace. He gave her a Royal Performance back in the 1970's.
He was more,"Sparkely" then she was with all her jewels.
Made one wonder who the real,"Queen" actually was...
Men in tights, forgot all about that one!
I decided to check out the old film, "Black Rose" last night.
My goodness, it would never make it today, so un PC!
When the captured half English women was trying so desperatly to wash off her ,"stain" of brown coloring I could just hear the protests that would happen these days.
Oh well, we sometimes have a romantic view of the past, many times we find it really wasn't very nice after all.
-@Marilyn Tassy

That reminds me of the UK's Queen's Speech to the Commonwealth on the TV/radio which always occurs at 3pm on Xmas Day.  Sometime ago, one of the TV channels decided to broadcast their own Queen's Speech and enlisted the services of a well known gay British guy called Quintin Crisp. It was a stroke of genius.  The speeches were on serious social subjects. 

Unfortunately Quintin is no longer with us but he was fabulously flamboyant (biography movie of Crisp, he was played by John Hurt). Liberace could have done a guest slot one year too and he might have been quite good at it.   I suppose Elton John could have done it too.  But with the passing of Liz, I wonder if it could be resurrected as the King's Speech.  Doesn't have the same feel as Queen bit.   Calling someone a Queen might be un-PC but then again, plenty of people would revel in the label.

All that cartoon'ish filming back in the 50s was like pantomime.  It was a special process for developing movies.  A kind of fairly tale and fantasy colour scheme.  Quite something really.   But who makes movies using film these days.

BTW, even modern movies are un-PC.  I watched a great Western with Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall and Annette Bening.  It was called Open Range.   In that movie, Bening's character is told by Costner's "to do what I say" in their romantic relationship.   And that movie came out in 2003, only 20 years ago.  She gives in.  Maybe it's what she really wanted and  was just a reflection of the period the story was set in. But these days, they wouldn't even have talked about who was going to wear the trousers!

@SimCityAT

Attractive!!

World Cup

Shocker with Morocco

And Japan lost too.

I saw parts of Croatia vs Canada. I felt sorry for Canada.

Very unusual matches - not going the way it usually does

World Cup Shockers....

Germany - out, incredible despite the win but 2nd elimination in 2 World Cups.

Spain - surprising result but still in. One Japanese goal was superb, the other one, given via VAR is controversial. I think that should have been disallowed as it was obviously over the line.

Very unusual situation

Sunday 4th @ 20h CET, England vs Senegal. Should be an easy win BUT......nothing is predictable in this tournament.

I would have thought France v Tunisia would have been an easy win for France and the pollsters gave France a greater than 50% chance of it, but even they fell. This is really turning out to be an exciting competition!

Germany out is definitely a shocker.

That Japan goal was ...as you say, "controversial".

Looking forward to watching more!

I would have thought France v Tunisia would have been an easy win for France and the pollsters gave France a greater than 50% chance of it, but even they fell. This is really turning out to be an exciting competition!
Germany out is definitely a shocker.
That Japan goal was ...as you say, "controversial".
Looking forward to watching more!
-@Vicces1

Yes, indeed, that was another shocker. Tunisia is not known for beating high powered countries like France.

I am sure that Japanese goal is going to be discussed as much as Maradona's legendary "Hand of God" goal in the 1998 World Cup.

But whatever! These top teams being eliminated could mean England may have a chance to win this one.

Some interesting games today in the knockout stage:

Netherlands vs USA

Argentina vs Australia

Speculating here Netherlands and Argentina will go through but nothing is certain it seems in this World Cup.

a bit unexpected....

Hungary: Power outages prompt disruptions on the Ukrainian border

As of the morning of 3 December 2022 power outages in Ukraine have prompted disruptions on the Ukrainian border.

Officials have stated that border crossings near Lonya and Barabas towns, both located in Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg county, are currently suspended due to the outages.

The statement noted that operations at border crossings near Zahony and Beregsurany towns, both located in Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg county, have not been impacted.

This is interesting... Percentage of players not born in the country they are representing in the World Cup.

https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/com … rn_in_the/

This is interesting... Percentage of players not born in the country they are representing in the World Cup.
https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/com … rn_in_the/
-@Vicces1

Good stuff.

I remember World Cups of old where the US team was heavily populated with foreign born players, even though US citizens.

Particularly the Bundesliga player Tom Dooley - couldn't get a more "Irish" name than that.

So good they wrote a song about him (not really).

That was all a long time ago and now the US can muster pretty good players grown on home turf.