Absolutely Anything Else

Isn't MASH Report still on?
Just checked, it's not. Dang, that's another I really liked.
I think you are right though, too controversial/un-PC (not matter how sane/logical/common sensical) means canceled.
-@Vicces1

They cancelled the Mash Report for unknown reasons. The thought was that they had insulted someone but I don't remember the details. If you're in the public eye and actively promote yourself there, then you're fair game. Mash Report had its moments. Maybe something new will emerge to replace MTW.

Luckily, we'll get a new Dr Who next year.  We've had a woman and now it's a gentleman of colour. My kids say the new Dr is an excellent choice. He's very popular.  I don't know of his work myself.  Next time it might be someone of Asian origin. Someone like Sandra Oh maybe or a younger version of her. Liked her in Killing Eve but she's a bit old for the role.

BTW, radio says Boris is not putting his name forward. It's gotta be Dishy Rishi. He's far in front of the others.  Boris said he might come back in 2024. I think Boris has made the right decision. It could be Cynic's analysis is correct - Boris goes to the Lords and becomes party Chairman. Once he's started to make lots of money, he's never going to want to go back to No. 10.

So BJ announces he’s pulled out of the Conservative leader race. Sunak will be PM @ 14:00 tomorrow.

So BJ announces he’s pulled out of the Conservative leader race. Sunak will be PM @ 14:00 tomorrow.
-@Cynic

Unless Penny gets backing

So BJ announces he’s pulled out of the Conservative leader race. Sunak will be PM @ 14:00 tomorrow.
-@Cynic

Unless Penny gets backing
-@SimCityAT

Sounds like former BJ supporters are swinging behind Sunak, but you’re right, it ain’t over till the fat lady sings. She still has her hat in the ring.

The BBC's latest tally of publicly declared backers puts Mr Sunak on 155 and Ms Mordaunt on 25.

Mr Johnson had 54, according to this tally - although he said he had 102. Not all of the 357 MPs have gone public with whom they are backing.

It is possible Mr Sunak could become prime minister by Monday, and there will definitely be a new prime minister by the end of the week.

Unless Penny gets backing
-@SimCityAT

It's worth reading her Wiki pages - Penny Morduant. Her grandfather was in the IRA!

I asked my 98 year old Dad who he fancied and he said PM for PM.

I know that he likes the cut of her jib. And he's judging the book by its cover it seems. Might even be lead still in the pencil.

I think she looks like she could be a somewhat harsh headmistress.

Live news: Rishi Sunak wins race to become next UK PM

Conservative Party leadership candidate Rishi Sunak

Published On 24 Oct 2022

24 Oct 2022

Updated:  a minute ago

Rishi Sunak wins the race to replace Liz Truss as Conservative Party leader and is set to become the next UK PM.

• Sole challenger Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the race after failing to secure enough support.

Live news: Rishi Sunak wins race to become next UK PM
Conservative Party leadership candidate Rishi Sunak
Published On 24 Oct 2022
24 Oct 2022
Updated: a minute ago

Rishi Sunak wins the race to replace Liz Truss as Conservative Party leader and is set to become the next UK PM.
Sole challenger Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the race after failing to secure enough support.
-@Vicces1

I bet Penny M becomes Defence Secretary/Minister again or Foreign Secretary. Consolation prize.

Jeremy Hunt will probably stay as Chancellor to appease the old guard.

Sunak has done well but how is he going to choose the best from what is arguably a group heavily comprised populated by such low quality candidates? 

I am being polite. I was actually thinking along the lines of cesspool of morons. Ok, not all of them. But a lot.

Not very impressed by some of Sunak's cabinet appointments so far, particularly:

• Suella Braverman - someone whose dream is to see asylum seekers deported to Rwanda
• Dominic Raab - known for not being the sharpest knife in the drawer
• James Cleverly - the guy with the oxymoronic last name as foreign secretary

Sunak will be playing a consensus game for the moment. I was struck there was nothing for Penny Morduant - she should have have been foreign or home secretary although that's often a training position for the PM position. She could work to undermine him.

Elsewhere, I am not happy with India press coverage. BBC reports they have been saying impolite things like "Indians now rule over the Empire" and even worse stuff that's intentionally divisive and racist. Not the kind of thing the Indian nation would want to be known for.

Be interesting who Sunak calls first. Usually the PM calls the US President first. However, I am wondering if he'll be calling Zelensky or Modi - who will he call first out of those two? I cannot see him calling any EU leader in a hurry, except maybe Macron.

Penny Mordaunt was reappointed leader of the Commons

Penny Mordaunt was reappointed leader of the Commons
-@SimCityAT

It's more like a marshalling job and not one of the frontline great offices of state. Ministerial but more like an admin job. Not a job where she's in sufficient charge of something such that she could plot a takeover.

here's a list of all the positions Rishi Sunak has filled so far:

Jeremy Hunt, chancellor

Dominic Raab, deputy PM and justice secretary

James Cleverly, foreign secretary

Ben Wallace, defence secretary

Suella Braverman, home secretary

Steve Barclay, health secretary

Oliver Dowden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Grant Shapps, business secretary

Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council

Gillian Keegan, education secretary

Nadhim Zahawi, Conservative Party chairman and minister without portfolio

Kemi Badenoch, trade secretary

Mel Stride, work and pensions secretary

Michael Gove, levelling up secretary

Michelle Donelan, culture secretary

Therese Coffey, environment secretary

Chris Heaton-Harris, Northern Ireland secretary

Alister Jack, Scotland secretary

David Davies, Wales secretary

Simon Hart, chief whip

Lord True, leader of the House of Lords

Victoria Prentis, attorney general

Jeremy Quin, paymaster general and cabinet office minister

Mark Harper, transport secretary

John Glen, chief secretary to the Treasury

Johnny Mercer, veterans' affairs minister

Tom Tugendhat, security minister

Gavin Williamson, minister without portfolio

Robert Jenrick, immigration minister

Andrew Mitchell, development minister

I am truly surprised at some of the names:

Keeping James Cleverly, surely an oxymoronic name!

Suella Braverman is a human cockroach, really undeserving of any position of authority.

Therese Coffey is a horrible person, let's hope she can do something about the shit being dumped in UK waters on the theory, like follows like...

Michael Gove with anything, but I do not even know what a Leveling up Secretary is...

The BBC states:

"Unity is the watchword of this reshuffle. It's clear each part of the party will feel represented in some way."

Another of the notable elements of this reshuffle is the stability in three of the top jobs: Jeremy Hunt as chancellor, James Cleverly as foreign secretary and Ben Wallace as defence secretary.

This is likely intended to be a clear message that, particularly during the war in Ukraine and economic turmoil of the last few months, Mr Sunak wants to reassure MPs he can offer stability.

As well as a signal of stability, keeping Boris Johnson ally Mr Wallace as defence secretary - and Mr Cleverly as foreign secretary - is an olive branch to some of the senior MPs who did not back Mr Sunak.

-- So will it unify the party and bring stability?

And finally:

"Suella Braverman's reappointment is the most eye-catching," says Sir Craig.

"There's a lot he is going to be doing that the right of the party will be uncomfortable with - for example around the budget and economy.

"So this [signal of a harder line on immigration] means he can point to something that really goes down well with the more traditional wings of MPs and party members."

--A hard line on immigration from 2 members of immigrant families who have benefitted hugely in their new country. Ironic? Sardonic?

Correction: Wales secretary is David TC Davies as there are 2 of them so as not to confuse the pair.

Be interesting who Sunak calls first. Usually the PM calls the US President first. However, I am wondering if he'll be calling Zelensky or Modi - who will he call first out of those two? I cannot see him calling any EU leader in a hurry, except maybe Macron.
-@fluffy2560

He called Biden

https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak- … e-12730422

Be interesting who Sunak calls first. Usually the PM calls the US President first. However, I am wondering if he'll be calling Zelensky or Modi - who will he call first out of those two? I cannot see him calling any EU leader in a hurry, except maybe Macron.
-@fluffy2560

He called Biden

https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak- … e-12730422
-@SimCityAT

Yes, but who first?  Has to be Biden.

It looks like he called Zelensky but not reported he called Modi.

He also called the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales.  Unlike BlunderTruss.

"Suella Braverman's reappointment is the most eye-catching," says Sir Craig.

"There's a lot he is going to be doing that the right of the party will be uncomfortable with - for example around the budget and economy.

"So this [signal of a harder line on immigration] means he can point to something that really goes down well with the more traditional wings of MPs and party members."

--A hard line on immigration from 2 members of immigrant families who have benefitted hugely in their new country. Ironic? Sardonic?
-@Vicces1

It's incredible he reappointed Suella aka Cruella.   

Couldn't think presently of a more powerful "voter off" switch than her.

Since her speech about the tofu eating Wokeratti,  I thought she was done for. Forever.

Speculation is that she must have done a deal to support Sunak  - she resigned on some silly excuse to get herself out from under  the Truss thumb so she could line up behind Sunak.

Correction: Wales secretary is David TC Davies as there are 2 of them so as not to confuse the pair.
-@SimCityAT

Incredible.

Wait ages for a David Davies to come along and two come along at once.

😀

Hope you all had a good Halloween.

Hope you all had a good Halloween.
-@fluffy2560

An American pile of sh^t, like valentines day. Means nothing to me. All commercial in order to buy rubbish.

Hope you all had a good Halloween.
-@fluffy2560

An American pile of sh^t, like valentines day. Means nothing to me. All commercial in order to buy rubbish.
-@SimCityAT

Yeah, for sure but the kids like it.   We were at Family Park in Burgenland on Tuesday. It was mobbed with long queues for rides.

So aggressive people in the queues there some of which (Austrian) told me this was "a German speaking" land and we should speak German.  So I said (in German), Ok, no problem, we can speak German.  Took the wind out of his sails.  My low expectations sunk further as those kind of arguments are so inane.   The place was full of Hungarians and Slovakians anyway including most of the ride operators.  They should be grateful international visitors spend their cash there.

Kids are a bit old for it now so I think it's the last time we would go there.

Sorry to hear about that poor experience. I wouldn't have expected Germans to be worried about which language was being spoken, that's more an American thing. But using low-cost labor from bordering countries sounds very American as well...

Then again, reminds me of the British living in Portugal/Spain decrying immigration and "those foreigners ruining our country".  I guess poor behavior is more prevalent than I originally thought...

Personally, I like Halloween. A nice reason to have a get-together, some fun, etc. We need such occasions these days. As an atheist, Xmas is also rubbish and far more commercialized than Halloween.  We're human, we need some downtime from the constant pressures we are subjected to. These are our outlets.

Sorry to hear about that poor experience. I wouldn't have expected Germans to be worried about which language was being spoken, that's more an American thing. But using low-cost labor from bordering countries sounds very American as well...
Then again, reminds me of the British living in Portugal/Spain decrying immigration and "those foreigners ruining our country". I guess poor behavior is more prevalent than I originally thought...

Personally, I like Halloween. A nice reason to have a get-together, some fun, etc. We need such occasions these days. As an atheist, Xmas is also rubbish and far more commercialized than Halloween. We're human, we need some downtime from the constant pressures we are subjected to. These are our outlets.
-@Vicces1

I tend to agree with you.  Xmas is a PITA.  Halloween is also mixed up with All Saints Day obviously.   It's good for kids, dressing up and doing activities.   They put some effort in at Family Park with Halloween decorations.   There's not a lot of entertainment around that area of Austria or Hungary. It's not exactly Disneyland.

I just think the Austrian bloke was some kind of simpleton.  If his aggression over speaking German was the best he could do, there's definitely a drop in quality standards for a**holes.  But I suppose an intellectual conversation was unlikely.  His wife had a nose ring. Very appropriate decoration for the spouse of that pig of a guy. 

As for the anti-immigration morons in the UK, words fail me.    Looks like the UK government is going to get hauled over the coals judicially over overcrowding at the asylum centre.  The calamaties keep on coming.   It reminds me of the Trump based US-Mexican border problem in the past with separating kids from parents, making people sleep in cages and so on.  And of course, that abysmal place Australia used, now defunct.

I don't get  it.  UK could allow say 50K diversity visas like the USA does to pull in people.   I rather liked the attitudes of the Canadian border control place - Roxham Road (older report from Trump period).  RCMP tells them officially not to come in but the border jumpers just ignore that as they wish and go into Canada anyway. 

I agree, will have absolutly nothing to do with holdiays myself.

Of course I still make a minor deal out of my birthday, which is just an ego trip, well actually it's the one day a year I am the boss around here so I do look forward to it!

Halloween is a Satanic HIgh Holiday no matter how cute they commercially try to make it look. Not innocent at all.

So many children go missing within the weeks and months before that day.

Spells and curses are let loose, one doesn't even have to believe in spirits to have the dark energy vibrations come your way from someone who wishes you harm.

Need to remove all curses and spells with prayer, good energy or whatever you wish to call it.

Actaully Halloween started in the UK with the Celts ...America just made it commercial.

As a child my older sisters and later my friends and I would really dress up, have a fun night going door to door. I regret that now. I even took my son around and dressed up to hand out candy from our home, even dressed up my dog!

Never again!!

One Halloween my father who no longer lived with us came to take my teen sisters and a couple of their friends out for Halloween.

My dad loved that time, he used to gather us all into the dark living room and turn off the lights.

He put a flashlight under his chin and recieted the ,"Raven" by Poe. Would give a really evil laugh at the end, shut off the flashlight and start to chase us around. We screamed our heads off.

Well, he took all those girls to a local graveyard and did his poetry reading. They screamed and ran in all directions. The caretaker went after them, they all piled in the car and off they went.

Years later my father was in a bar sitting and chatting with another customer.

The man said he used to be a caretaker in a graveyard and that one night some,"nut" came in with a bunch of teen girls!

My dad confessed it was him and bought the guy a beer!

It's World Cup time!

14h CET, England vs Iran

England already backtracking on the 1-Love armbands.  And Iran.  So many political  aspects to this match.

Wales vs USA might be interesting too.

It's World Cup time!
14h CET, England vs Iran

England already backtracking on the 1-Love armbands. And Iran. So many political aspects to this match.

Wales vs USA might be interesting too.
-@fluffy2560

I mention this game to my husband, guess that's how my afternon will go.

I mention this game to my husband, guess that's how my afternon will go.
-@Marilyn Tassy

If it's Wales vs USA, it'll be 20h CET.

Not sure which channels will be showing it here.  Probably MTV4.

I am watching England vs Iran over VPN to fool the BBC geolocation.

Probably a good way of watching for English speakers would be to turn off the HU commentary and listen to Engish commentary over Internet radio.

Don't want to say who won but kudos to the Iranian Team for not singing their anthem in protest.

A google search gave me a "Live" link to the game... (starting at 20:00 CET)

Don't want to say who won but kudos to the Iranian Team for not singing their anthem in protest.
A google search gave me a "Live" link to the game... (starting at 20:00 CET)
-@Vicces1

The Iranian captain was making some pretty bold statements this morning. Good for him.

I'm watching USA vs Wales as I type.

In my lifetime, USA have gone from being not very good at all to being a pretty good team.   The women's team are also good.

Not sure about Wales but they will have league players and plenty of experience. But I see USA is putting plenty of pressure on Wales. 

My money would still be on Wales.

The Iran vs England game was entertaining in parts but it was obvious Iran were way outclassed.

The Wales v USA game was the first proper game to watch as both know how to play the game. The games before were pretty boring tbh. Friday's games will be fun to watch, I have a pal coming to watch them, and we are going to have a session and get a takeaway in.

The Wales v USA game was the first proper game to watch as both know how to play the game. The games before were pretty boring tbh. Friday's games will be fun to watch, I have a pal coming to watch them, and we are going to have a session and get a takeaway in.
-@SimCityAT

Sounds like just the job.

There's USA vs Iran coming up.  That will be something to see.

I'm watching France vs Australia this evening, 20h.

Well England is 2nd Favorite to win now, after Argentina losing 2 - 1 KSA

Well England is 2nd Favorite to win now, after Argentina losing 2 - 1 KSA
-@SimCityAT

Odds seem a bit high.  Hardly any games played.

There are so many stages to go and formidable opposition out there.  Germany, France, Mexico, Brazil - all good teams.

Fantasy football might be say,  Germany vs Brazil.

Well England is 2nd Favorite to win now, after Argentina losing 2 - 1 KSA
-@SimCityAT

Odds seem a bit high. Hardly any games played.

There are so many stages to go and formidable opposition out there. Germany, France, Mexico, Brazil - all good teams.

Fantasy football might be say, Germany vs Brazil.
-@fluffy2560

https://news.sky.com/story/world-cup-ne … s-12752191

Mr Fluffy you might like the look of this https://britishtv.org/#order ? 

Mr Fluffy you might like the look of this https://britishtv.org/#order ?
-@SimCityAT

I just watch BBC and ITV over a VPN to the UK.  I've set up a router on the other side at my Dad's place. I just connect to it from here in HU and stream directly from there. It's plenty fast enough for standard but not high definition. IPlayer is slow to download here in HU but it's fast when in the UK. But it's quite tolerable to wait for it to download when here.

Nearly everyone I've spoken to admits to downloading shows for free.  On the other hand, we do pay for Netflix. Actually I pay one of my kids to subscribe and we share the account across the world. 

We're a bit fed up with Netflix. Not enough shows being turned out at high enough speed. We're considering dumping it for Disney. That name puts me off. Disney I think of Cinderella and Dumbo etc. Some of the other channels have excellent shows like Yellowstone which Netflix is unable to beat. Besides, I need zombies, spies, mafiosa and spaceships. Doesn't seem to go with the Disney label.

Quality has dropped in UK TV shows. I don't think I really care so much except these special occasions like the footie and the Queens funeral etc.

Well England is 2nd Favorite to win now, after Argentina losing 2 - 1 KSA
-@SimCityAT

Odds seem a bit high. Hardly any games played.

There are so many stages to go and formidable opposition out there. Germany, France, Mexico, Brazil - all good teams.

Fantasy football might be say, Germany vs Brazil.
-@fluffy2560
https://news.sky.com/story/world-cup-ne … s-12752191
-@SimCityAT

There are a few pictures of the rainbow bucket hats being rejected at security.   

I am wondering if this sort of thing is what the Qataris wanted.  To get the spotlight on them to force internal change.  Be an unusual plan.

But it makes me wonder if the rumours of some football elites receiving bungs to give the World Cup to Qatar have any truth to them.

That Gianni Infantino guy who was waffling on defending the Qataris was just an embarrassment.  Infantile nonsense.

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. 

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?