Absolutely Anything Else

Anti-social is his new creed.
No really he dislikes it when our neighbors wive would laugh at 2 am like a silly cow. Think he really is going to side with the home owners just likes to keep my guessing.
The neighbor's wife is long gone now, he got a new lady, also short an chubby, guess that's his "style", I can hardly tell the difference between the old one and the new one.

Hussars, I think they look great but then again it could just be the uniform.
Honestly at times my man gets sick of all this nationalist talk, think he may be ready for a condo in FL. minus the sandals with white socks.

Yesterday we walked past a small shopping center that had various political parties set up with their fliers and booklets.
One party was giving out free milk and potatoes.
My husband said he would not sell his soul for a liter  of milk and some spuds.
A man with a creed after all.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....Yesterday we walked past a small shopping center that had various political parties set up with their fliers and booklets.
One party was giving out free milk and potatoes.
My husband said he would not sell his soul for a liter  of milk and some spuds.
A man with a creed after all.

They say that everyone has a price.   I'm not sure what mine is. 

Might depend on what it was for - proportionality would be the name of the game.

Lying to cover up a murder is obviously a no-no but lying to cover up that you borrowed someone's toothpaste without asking is not much of a crime.

I guy I bought something off Ebay from told me he'd give me money back if I removed my negative review. I turned him down.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Hussars, I think they look great but then again it could just be the uniform.

Well the uniform is pretty cool. Photo of my wife with two Hussars. I will let you guess which one is my wife.

fluffy2560 wrote:

They say that everyone has a price.   I'm not sure what mine is. 

Might depend on what it was for - proportionality would be the name of the game.

Lying to cover up a murder is obviously a no-no

My wife once had an in class argument with her economics professor at her University. My wife said on a specific topic under discussion, she would never sell out. The professor accused her of being dishonest, and that everyone had a price about everything. The concept of an absolute ethical limit and morality was completely beyond this instructor, who thought money ruled everything.

Go figure that one..... Look around a crowd the next time you are in one. Some of them apparently would sell out anyone and anything, if the price was right. Makes you wonder about what kinds of people we share the planet with.

I was wrong about the gemstone, looks more like an emerald but here is the advert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49UrRWqLC7U

klsallee wrote:

...... The concept of an absolute ethical limit and morality was completely beyond this instructor, who thought money ruled everything.

Go figure that one..... Look around a crowd the next time you are in one. Some of them apparently would sell out anyone and anything, if the price was right. Makes you wonder about what kinds of people we share the planet with.

This is something I wonder when I see news reports of famine in Africa and other places. Whilst I don't suppose anyone is getting much to eat, it is mainly the children who die of starvation. Looking at it in a cold, logical way, this makes sense. If the parents die before the kids there is then nobody to care for them and they will be neglected as well as hungry. Faced with the same situation myself though, I would rather be dead than watch my kids starve to death.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

One party was giving out free milk and potatoes.
My husband said he would not sell his soul for a liter  of milk and some spuds.

Nothing makes it more obvious who has been through hardship and who wasnt than such stupid statements. Its not even about ethics and morals, its about circumstances. Maybe you 2 should live from 40000 HUF a month. Lets see how long his ethics would last. Try explaing to a 4 year old she doesnt get food today either, because the father's soul is more precious.

https://www.penzcentrum.hu/otthon/nyomo … 50827.html

1. Bodrogközi államigazgatási járás
      Egy lakosra eső összes nettó jövedelem: 462 383 Ft/év/fő  (38 531 HUF/m)

https://www.penzcentrum.hu/otthon/ezt-e … 50777.html

A létminimumhoz szükséges jövedelem háztartásonként Magyarországon, 2015 (forintban)
1 felnőtt    88 016

fidobsa wrote:

klsallee wrote:

...... The concept of an absolute ethical limit and morality was completely beyond this instructor, who thought money ruled everything.

Go figure that one..... Look around a crowd the next time you are in one. Some of them apparently would sell out anyone and anything, if the price was right. Makes you wonder about what kinds of people we share the planet with.

This is something I wonder when I see news reports of famine in Africa and other places. Whilst I don't suppose anyone is getting much to eat, it is mainly the children who die of starvation. Looking at it in a cold, logical way, this makes sense. If the parents die before the kids there is then nobody to care for them and they will be neglected as well as hungry. Faced with the same situation myself though, I would rather be dead than watch my kids starve to death.

It's not just starvation. 

In quite a few African countries (where I've worked), many people are HIV positive and those who had it earlier, just died as no anti-virals/medication were available. 

Grandma could end up bringing up multiple grand kids as her children.  Families are decimated, there are no social services and little health care.

It's not uncommon there for a woman to have 4-5 kids, with a few from different fathers. There must be an upside to that anthropologically but obviously the spread of STDs could increase amongst the population.  OK, yes, education necessary but culturally,  casual encounters are common in many countries.  There are other motivations to have kids - having progeny to provide for old age being one I know of.   And to provide more workers for the fields.

My point is, what's the price for behavioural change (where there are no obvious "potatoes and milk" involved)?

Of course my husband was joking about selling his soul for milk and spuds.
He doesn't even vote.
Humor can not be translated I suppose...
Yes, we have not always been well off, I've been a st. kid and my husband has gone hungry for days when he first arrived in the US.
No one not even our family has ever given us anything in life, glad of it too, no strings attached to anyone or anything.
It's just sad that they reduce people to signing up to vote with one party or the other just for a meal.
Hate to get so serious about any subject, we all know life can suck it at times and the older one gets the more you can see it really is a game.

That tv add was rather smart and funny.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...

That tv add was rather smart and funny.

I am also wondering why it's about laxative effects?  Seems also anatomically suspect - it's a very large object blocking his intestines - a serious medical emergency requiring surgery.

I am wondering if we missed the point. 

Perhaps the water and loo paper is going to be used to wipe the smug grin off the face of the perp.

I thought the add was to the point and funny but then again humor is different for everyone.
Case in point, my milk comments, dang, I'm taking a time out for awhile here, sometimes things get way too serious for no good reason.
I'll go out and eat some worms...

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I thought the add was to the point and funny but then again humor is different for everyone.
Case in point, my milk comments, dang, I'm taking a time out for awhile here, sometimes things get way too serious for no good reason.
I'll go out and eat some worms...

We're with you Marilyn.   Save some worms for us.

I was being deliberately over analytical and attributing too much meaning. My pathetic attempt at humour and to stimulate some banter and absurdity.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I thought the add was to the point and funny but then again humor is different for everyone..

Yes it is.

And written words of humor do not translate well. So one must apply tokens to make the joke obvious. So many people these days seem too easily triggered by on-line content (seriously, to people who do that, and at the risk of triggering you: get a grip).

Case in point. In response to not trading one's soul for milk and spuds someone may write:

'As an atheist, I would gladly do that. What a great deal. Something for nothing!'

Which would be followed by 300 irate comments from an enraged commenting populous about atheists being amoral heathens, etc. etc. etc. blah. blah. blah.

But if the same person wrote it followed by the correct "smiles":

'As an atheist, I would gladly do that. What a great deal. Something for nothing! '

Then there would be only 299 irate comments, as one of them who would have replied in the earlier case would then understand it was just a joke. **

** and just In case anyone does not "get it": 

klsallee wrote:

.....atheists being amoral heathens, etc. etc. etc. blah. blah. blah.

...

Oh dear!  I didn't realise I was classified as an amoral heathen but relatively pleased with that moniker.  I thought I was practical and rational. I've always wondered if not believing was a belief system in itself.

It's a bit like Terry Pratchett - one of my fave quotes:

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.”

And for good measure:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Oh dear!  I didn't realise I was classified as an amoral heathen but relatively pleased with that moniker.

Only an amoral heathen would be pleased by that moniker.    **

** and if anyone does not "get it".... see here.

What a bunch. I guess it is funny to joke about starvation if one has a full fridge. Maybe it will be hilarious when Capetown runs out of water in a few weeks. I can already imagine, the tens of thousands of people who die of thirst. Best comedy ever!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-28/d … wn/9368540

Now that I think about it, cremating should be cheaper, since the bodies will be already devoid of water! LOL. Business idea! Reserve your spot in the cemetery now! Share an urn with 4 of your relatives, and pay the same price!

You know, that fact in todays world one cant joke about skin colour, nationality or religion, but is perfectly fine to joke about suffering people, now that is truly sick.

As I said, try living from 40000 HUF a month, all expenses included. It wont be funny. And it is not about being PC, this is simply about understanding such basic concepts as "misery", "suffering", "empathy".

Check the "Cost of living 2018 in Hungary" topic, and recommend this amount to the newcomers. Lets see if they will find it funny. Considering you guys quote amounts to the general cost of living that is waaaaay beyond what the average local lives from, a psychiatrist would say you are detached from reality.

Of course, it is easy to joke about the problems of the plebs from the mansion.

Maybe I am in the wrong place here? I though when newcomes want advice, they would like information about the realities of the present, yet all I see are either detached political views (from reality), mixed with a bit of "of course its the local burocracy, you cant be faulty", to the "you need bare minimum 40000 HUF to eat".

If times are tough and you are hungry you will accept handouts from any charity or political party. People will generally do anything to survive.
Fortunately I am not in that position but many families across the world are only one pay cheque away from losing their home.
In the uk many families juggle with credit card debt. I dont know anything about Hungarian use of credit cards but of course the major bill for any family or working people is the mortgage or rent.
Of course I have not looked at any official statistics only relying on what  I see and what I have been told.
I was surprised however, that even though there is a housing sale boom in Budapest there are also many bank repossessions. So many that one of the companies that handle them does not have the time to put them all on the list.
I am not sure if I would buy a repossessed property ?

Rawlee wrote:

What a bunch. I guess it is funny to joke about starvation if one has a full fridge. Maybe it will be hilarious when Capetown runs out of water in a few weeks. I can already imagine, the tens of thousands of people who die of thirst. Best comedy ever!

I am glad you are aware of real injustices in the world. Really. I am not joking now. This is a good thing.

But....

Rawlee wrote:

You know, that fact in todays world one cant joke about skin colour, nationality or religion, but is perfectly fine to joke about suffering people, now that is truly sick..

There are three types of comedy.  Literal, sarcastic and sardonic.

You are assuming that our comedy is literal.

Sarcastic or sardonic humor is not blaming the victim, but showing the obscurity of the situation often caused by the PTB (powers that be). As in, what sort of heartless, useless government gives out milk and spuds (only during a election year if you have not yet noticed) rather than actually and fundamentally addressing the real causes of poverty of these people for the past four years? Why not give them a real opportunity that gets themselves out of poverty, rather than offering little to nothing substantial, so making them dependent on government hand outs (which is, in its own way, maybe humiliating)?

People get "triggered" by other's comments (or humor) when they do not consider or understand the deeper, subtle, maybe hidden meaning of what is actually being said.

Think about that before your next post.

Rawlee wrote:

What a bunch. I guess it is funny to joke about starvation if one has a full fridge. Maybe it will be hilarious when Capetown runs out of water in a few weeks. I can already imagine, the tens of thousands of people who die of thirst. Best comedy ever!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-28/d … wn/9368540

Now that I think about it, cremating should be cheaper, since the bodies will be already devoid of water! LOL. Business idea! Reserve your spot in the cemetery now! Share an urn with 4 of your relatives, and pay the same price!

Hmmmm....some things to consider, not withstanding humour (we're really satirists):

1) They've known about the water issues there for years and apparently, did nothing about it.  Other countries in similar situations make contingency plans including things like desalination plants, build reservoirs, build infrastructure, store water in aquifiers etc.  These aren't pipe dreams. I am sure the government has budget it can tap into. All I can think is the ANC are an absolute shower.

2)  In some countries, you cannot bury cremated remains in a container.  The remains are simply poured into a hole in the ground.  In that respect, yes, it's sharing and probably the greenest option.  Alkaline hydrolysis is the latest way to dispose of the deceased.  The remaining materials are disposed off on the ground or pumped into the sewer system for recycling.  Sharing at it's best.   It's not as though there isn't a body of knowledge about this stuff.  I'll make no bones about it, I'd accept chemical disposal as I'm an amoral and immoral (perhaps) heathen.

Rawlee wrote:

Considering you guys quote amounts to the general cost of living that is waaaaay beyond what the average local lives from, a psychiatrist would say you are detached from reality.

Maybe we're all expats who are just a lot older, studied hard, sacrificed our younger years to be higher earners in funny places/hardship conditions and have more disposable income after years of hard work.  In other words, we've paid our dues and want our rewards. 

Rawlee wrote:

Of course, it is easy to joke about the problems of the plebs from the mansion.

"Young man who isn't a socialist, hasn't got a heart. Old man who is a socialist hasn't got a head".

Boring quote but it'll do.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Oh dear!  I didn't realise I was classified as an amoral heathen but relatively pleased with that moniker.

Only an amoral heathen would be pleased by that moniker.    **

** and if anyone does not "get it".... see here.

Hmmm....I've lived the life, now I need the T-shirt.

anns wrote:

....
I was surprised however, that even though there is a housing sale boom in Budapest there are also many bank repossessions. So many that one of the companies that handle them does not have the time to put them all on the list.
I am not sure if I would buy a repossessed property ?

I actually looked into buying a house that was under foreclosure.  It's not worth it as you have to take on the debt of the former owner.  This was before personal bankruptcy existed here.  At the time there was a moratorium on foreclosure.

I was trying to negotiate with a bank to pay, say only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the mortgage outstanding in order to take it off their hands.  They were not interested in the slightest to try and recoup their money.   They would not even consider it. Never found out why.

Quite strange - at least to me - that really they would not even talk about  those kinds of arrangements.

fidobsa wrote:

I was wrong about the gemstone, looks more like an emerald but here is the advert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49UrRWqLC7U

After seeing it.... and the look on his face..... I am thinking now enema rather than laxative. 

fluffy2560 wrote:

I've lived the life, now I need the T-shirt.

Someone should put that on a T-shirt.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I've lived the life, now I need the T-shirt.

Someone should put that on a T-shirt.

I've already got that one.

I could do one with maybe "going..going...going...." on the front and "gone!" on the back.

Or maybe "coming...coming....coming...." on the front.

Errr....that might be misunderstood...

fluffy2560 wrote:

Oh dear!  I didn't realise I was classified as an amoral heathen but relatively pleased with that moniker.  I thought I was practical and rational. I've always wondered if not believing was a belief system in itself.

This has certainly long been my view but it does seem to be contentious. I regard myself as agnostic, as I have a background in science and therefore like to apply scientific rigour to my understanding of matters. To my mind, atheism is as unscientific as theism, both requiring a sort of faith. If you can't prove that god does not exist, how can you be sure? Certainly the evidence is heavily loaded on the side of there being no creator but it is still circumstantial.

Failure to prove a thing does not mean its opposite exists.
But I like to believe that certain religious traditions are worthy of keeping alive and well within our cultures, even when one is atheist.
Example: It's become polite to say "Bless you" after someone sneezes, even though we no longer believe it is the body's way of expelling / resisting evil spirits or the devil.

fidobsa wrote:

.... If you can't prove that god does not exist, how can you be sure? Certainly the evidence is heavily loaded on the side of there being no creator but it is still circumstantial.

Sounds generally this is an impossible proof of a negative.

Prove that God doesn't exist or that I didn't bump off Caesar.

As a rational (when I want to be) person, maybe I'm not an atheist heathen but an agnostic heathen.

Not sure if that's a promotion or a demotion.

fluffy2560 wrote:

heathen

That reminds me. Everyone should remember that Imbolc is on Feb 3rd this year.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

heathen

That reminds me. Everyone should remember that Imbolc is on Feb 3rd this year.

Thanks. I'll put it in my diary.

I'm planning ahead as a true Anglo Saxon pagan for the Stonehenge Summer Solstice.

I'll have to start working on my tan and getting a six pack (Gosser? Soproni) if I'm going make an effective mad semi-naked hysterical dance around the place on the 21st June.

I respect all religions and peoples individual beliefs. I also love stonehenge and I have visited often . I  have a Hungaryhenge in my garden. Its titchy. Long time till June tho

anns wrote:

I respect all religions and peoples individual beliefs. .....Long time till June tho

I dunno, some people have really odd beliefs like swearing by gluten free water!

I couldn't help smiling over the cargo cults in the Pacific.  I know they are sincerely held beliefs but come on, Phil and Liz, no way.....

Stonehenge has been there for 1000s of years.  We've been waiting for each other.

BTW, there's a lunar eclipse tonight and it'll also be a "supermoon".

Don't miss it!

Yes there are beliefs and weird beliefs.
And strange cults.
Im not sure about the recent pattern of assigning names and powers to the different full moons but then I suppose pagan and occult beliefs have been around since time began.

anns wrote:

Yes there are beliefs and weird beliefs.
And strange cults.
Im not sure about the recent pattern of assigning names and powers to the different full moons but then I suppose pagan and occult beliefs have been around since time began.

Supermoon is an astronomical term. 

There's also a micromoon just to complete the set.

All the moons I've seen recently have been, meh, whatever moons.

fluffy2560 wrote:

odd beliefs like swearing by gluten free

fluffy2560 wrote:

BTW, there's a lunar eclipse tonight and it'll also be a "supermoon".

Don't miss it!

Looks like I will. Cloudy.

klsallee wrote:

......

fluffy2560 wrote:

....Don't miss it!

Looks like I will. Cloudy.

Same here.

And not a chance of meatballs either.

That's the trouble with naturally occurring phenomena, no sense of timing.

fluffy2560 wrote:

And not a chance of meatballs either.

From above:

"his inventions, including spray-on shoes, a remote controlled television, rat birds, hair-un-balder, and a flying car, all ended in failure."

How could a flying car end in failure? This is what all humanity has been waiting for?

Oh the injustice !!!!!

Dammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmn !!!!!!

* Breaks down crying in a pathetic, catatonic heap *

Oh.... Wait..... It is a cartoon.

Never mind.

Carry on.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

And not a chance of meatballs either.

From above:

"his inventions, including spray-on shoes, a remote controlled television, rat birds, hair-un-balder, and a flying car, all ended in failure."

How could a flying car end in failure? This is what all humanity has been waiting for?

I could do with all of those except one when they become available at Aldi.

The one I don't want is a rat bird.

But aren't they just urban pigeons?

anns wrote:

I respect all religions and peoples individual beliefs.

Religion: The most effective way to incite hatred ever devised by mankind. I disrespect all religions.

fidobsa wrote:

anns wrote:

I respect all religions and peoples individual beliefs.

Religion: The most effective way to incite hatred ever devised by mankind. I disrespect all religions.

I'm with you on that.

I was just listening to LBC (London Broadcasting) over the Internet - basically this channel is a continuous phone in.

The topic of conversation was kids as young as 8 wearing hijabs in primary school.   The callers ranged from secularists, Imans, Rabbis, Christian educators and so on.  Soon enough the topic moved onto sex education as an extension to religious teaching in schools.  Plenty of divisions apparent.  Any kind of religious belief system seems to be very divisive.  Even in a liberal society, it needs an honest broker to keep these things under control.   

But there's an upside to all that stuff and an excuse to enjoy some cultural events:

Here in Hungary, we're  approaching Farsang (German: Fasching or English: Carnival).   Nice excuse to go a bit bonkers. 

And I really rather liked Songkran in Thailand and Laos - excuse for a massive water fight and party time!

The Festival of Colours is a bit of a laff too...