Absolutely Anything Else

It did occur to me the neighbours did it but the old duffer isn't that with it. He's all hot air. Maybe it was just incompetence and we didn't notice amongst the 1000 things we need to do each day.

How could your Dad do that to your sister? So dangerous! I wouldn't ever let my kid drive a car that was falling to bits. I'd have it repaired pronto. But like many people, we'd die to protect our kids.

There was a movie with George Clooney in it about land owners in Hawaii. It was called The Descendants. I don't remember it being any good. I might have to watch it again to remind myself.  Might be on Netflix but I think we've been blocked now.

Strangely enough, I was reading that places around New Orleans are uninsurable and people are leaving those flood prone areas for others that are less risky. The wildfire areas must be the same. On a similar theme, car insurance has doubled in price in the UK and people are giving up their cars.

Meanwhile, we asked our insurance company to up the HUF insurance value of our house and they have refused saying there's a limit in this area. It's problem because inflation and exchange rates have increased the price in HUF (but it's still about the same in EUR).

-@fluffy2560

I heard the OV was seen walking with a spanner along your street. Never underestimate how evil these Fidesz people are.

The problem with an uninsurable property is that it cannot easily be sold for a reasonable price. In Germany there a also flooding prone areas. Some people buy expensive insurance, some don't. When the catastrophe happens, suddenly the state compensates those without insurance. So less people in these areas buy insurance with that type of cover.

This year I reviewed all of my insurances and I ended up saving several hundred EUR on car and home. The savings came with increased coverage for home and home content). It is really worth regularly comparing what is on the market.

We got a discount on our auto insurance if we added home owners insurance in the policy.

It was cheaper to have both sorts of coverage then the auto alone.

I'll have to double check the co. name.

Insurances don't honor loyalty at all. So every year one should check whether there are better offers on the market. I often forgot about that, but it saves lots of money. The only exception might be medical insurance.

I know in the US my friend pays for her medicare out of her monthly payment. They automatically take it out each month.

She and her husband pay for a supplimental plan as well.

I forgot what she said they pay each month to the penny but close to $400. each! That's a ton plus they also have to pay 10% to a GP for each visit and 20% to a specialist!!

They aren't collecting a ton in SS either.

It's really way too much plus they wait months for an appointment.

It's a crime to me.

She is handicapped, her doc sent in paperwork for her to get an electric wheelchair, her old one is 25 years old.

She has to pay partially for the new one and can't even pick out which one she wants!

I'd think a wheelchair is a very personal choice if you're stuck in it most of the time. How can your doctor know exactly what is best for your situtation?

I heard the OV was seen walking with a spanner along your street. Never underestimate how evil these Fidesz people are.

The problem with an uninsurable property is that it cannot easily be sold for a reasonable price. In Germany there a also flooding prone areas. Some people buy expensive insurance, some don't. When the catastrophe happens, suddenly the state compensates those without insurance. So less people in these areas buy insurance with that type of cover.

This year I reviewed all of my insurances and I ended up saving several hundred EUR on car and home. The savings came with increased coverage for home and home content). It is really worth regularly comparing what is on the market.
-@nz7521137

OV "FrankenOrban" needs that spanner to adjust the bolts through his neck. And his nuts/cojones to continue in office. In the end, someone is going to beat him over the head with it metaphorically speaking. Rumour mill has it that Fidesz top brass have made their plans to escape to the UAE in the event the population wakes up. All the money is there.  One story which hit the news is that OV's daughter left HU for Spain by private jet on the eve of the last election and then came back when Daddy was re-elected. So he might need that spanner himself to repair his bicycle escape vehicle.

But anyway, yes, we checked with multiple insurance companies. We're insurance tarts (UK slang, in this case it means whores).  We'll go with anyone who will give us the right deal.

We're not in any kind of dangerous area apart from dodgy wheels. We're on a slight incline so no floods and never felt an earth tremor.

We have seen house fires around her where people have died. I assume they didn't have smoke alarms.  They should be compulsory as should RCDs (current interrupters). I had to argue with our electrician to install them but they've saved us a couple of times. Couldn't recommend them highly enough.

OV "FrankenOrban" needs that spanner to adjust the bolts through his neck. And his nuts/cojones to continue in office. In the end, someone is going to beat him over the head with it metaphorically speaking. Rumour mill has it that Fidesz top brass have made their plans to escape to the UAE in the event the population wakes up. All the money is there. One story which hit the news is that OV's daughter left HU for Spain by private jet on the eve of the last election and then came back when Daddy was re-elected. So he might need that spanner himself to repair his bicycle escape vehicle.

But anyway, yes, we checked with multiple insurance companies. We're insurance tarts (UK slang, in this case it means whores). We'll go with anyone who will give us the right deal.

We're not in any kind of dangerous area apart from dodgy wheels. We're on a slight incline so no floods and never felt an earth tremor.

We have seen house fires around her where people have died. I assume they didn't have smoke alarms. They should be compulsory as should RCDs (current interrupters). I had to argue with our electrician to install them but they've saved us a couple of times. Couldn't recommend them highly enough.
-@fluffy2560

Portugal has it all. Earthquakes, landslides, fires and dodgy electrical installations. So the insurance covers all of that and more. The problem for me would be all the irreplaceable things lost in whatever event. The money is never the big issue. I can recommend the fire alarms and CO alarms as well as the interrupters. None of these are standard in Portugal, but we are lucky enough to have them.

If people (even from Fidesz) have a bank account, and possibly a residence, in the UAE then this doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.

Portugal has it all. Earthquakes, landslides, fires and dodgy electrical installations. So the insurance covers all of that and more. The problem for me would be all the irreplaceable things lost in whatever event. The money is never the big issue. I can recommend the fire alarms and CO alarms as well as the interrupters. None of these are standard in Portugal, but we are lucky enough to have them.

If people (even from Fidesz) have a bank account, and possibly a residence, in the UAE then this doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.
-@nz7521137

There are quakes here and there have been severe ones in history.  But I've only felt one here in 30 years of being associated with the place.  Felt them elsewhere in the Balkans.

Politicians everywhere have places to go in the event of an emergency exit.  UAE is rumoured to be Putin's place as well.  If it's true, they will all have billions secured there. 

@fluffy2560 Portugal had a big one and it could come again. X fingers it won't while I live there. I felt many earthquakes when we were living in NZ.

I believe that it is a good idea to have some assets away from home and possibly outside the EU. Russia will never lose a war, which is why a Russian president would never have to leave Russia. Same for US government. So, unfortunately no drinks with Putin at The Agency in Dubai. I hear that lots of Western Expats have left Dubai (maybe UAE as well). These days there are many Russians and Ukrainians and Chinese. Many more than in the good old days.

I know in the US my friend pays for her medicare out of her monthly payment. They automatically take it out each month.
She and her husband pay for a supplimental plan as well.
I forgot what she said they pay each month to the penny but close to $400. each! That's a ton plus they also have to pay 10% to a GP for each visit and 20% to a specialist!!
They aren't collecting a ton in SS either.
It's really way too much plus they wait months for an appointment.
It's a crime to me.
She is handicapped, her doc sent in paperwork for her to get an electric wheelchair, her old one is 25 years old.
She has to pay partially for the new one and can't even pick out which one she wants!
I'd think a wheelchair is a very personal choice if you're stuck in it most of the time. How can your doctor know exactly what is best for your situtation?
-@Marilyn Tassy

$400 pp per months sounds like a lot of money considering the co-payments. Many Americans believe that Portugal has "free" healthcare, but that isn't the case. However, for a pretty good health insurance we as a couple (~60 y.o.) pay 400 per months with much smaller co-payments and usually low waiting times.

@fluffy2560 Portugal had a big one and it could come again. X fingers it won't while I live there. I felt many earthquakes when we were living in NZ.
I believe that it is a good idea to have some assets away from home and possibly outside the EU. Russia will never lose a war, which is why a Russian president would never have to leave Russia. Same for US government. So, unfortunately no drinks with Putin at The Agency in Dubai. I hear that lots of Western Expats have left Dubai (maybe UAE as well). These days there are many Russians and Ukrainians and Chinese. Many more than in the good old days.
-@nz7521137

Russia may negotiate for peace rather than be defeated by being overrun.  An Allied defeat of Russia would mean the country breaking up.  It has to be organised to stop it waging war again.

Putin himself might accidentally fall out of a window.  Then some other self-centered lunatic will be running the Klingon, sorry I mean Putinesque, empire soon enough.  Lukashenko could even find himself at the end of Qaddafi or Ceausescu type justice. He has almost no support in-country.

Both US and Russia have lost plenty of wars in the past. Neither have a good track record. Vietnam, Afghanistan and so on.

US government executive branch is turning into a farce with Trump's latest shenanigans. Luckily his appointed judges know their duty and as of the latest news reports, aren't going to let his forthcoming trials turn into media circuses. I am looking forward to receiving some schadenfreude waves from over the Atlantic. But I cannot see Trump moving to UAE to avoid justice. If he sought refuge there, they'd want him muzzled and he lives for the attention.

Russia may negotiate for peace rather than be defeated by being overrun. An Allied defeat of Russia would mean the country breaking up. It has to be organised to stop it waging war again.

Putin himself might accidentally fall out of a window. Then some other self-centered lunatic will be running the Klingon, sorry I mean Putinesque, empire soon enough. Lukashenko could even find himself at the end of Qaddafi or Ceausescu type justice. He has almost no support in-country.
-@fluffy2560

It would honestly be very nice to know what drugs you are on.

Russia may negotiate for peace rather than be defeated by being overrun. An Allied defeat of Russia would mean the country breaking up. It has to be organised to stop it waging war again.

Putin himself might accidentally fall out of a window. Then some other self-centered lunatic will be running the Klingon, sorry I mean Putinesque, empire soon enough. Lukashenko could even find himself at the end of Qaddafi or Ceausescu type justice. He has almost no support in-country.
-@fluffy2560
It would honestly be very nice to know what drugs you are on.
-@nz7521137

I could ask you about your delusions. Perhaps you're one of the vidéki thickies?

I know in the US my friend pays for her medicare out of her monthly payment. They automatically take it out each month.
She and her husband pay for a supplimental plan as well.
I forgot what she said they pay each month to the penny but close to $400. each! That's a ton plus they also have to pay 10% to a GP for each visit and 20% to a specialist!!
They aren't collecting a ton in SS either.
It's really way too much plus they wait months for an appointment.
It's a crime to me.
She is handicapped, her doc sent in paperwork for her to get an electric wheelchair, her old one is 25 years old.
She has to pay partially for the new one and can't even pick out which one she wants!
I'd think a wheelchair is a very personal choice if you're stuck in it most of the time. How can your doctor know exactly what is best for your situtation?
-@Marilyn Tassy

The general decline here in HU has long had Mrs F and I thinking of leaving for somewhere with better free public health services. As we age, we'll need it more and more.  I'll be 63 soon. One of my colleagues says Costa Rica is the place to go if you're on SS and moderate means.  Maybe not possible for us but Scotland might have some attractions (apart from the weather).

Today Mrs F was complaining about the rumour mill saying HU could leave the EU after the next election if OV is back in again.  She says it's the last straw.  The kids will have all left for abroad and we'll be stuck here in a half-baked Russian satellite country with closed off borders.

The general decline here in HU has long had Mrs F and I thinking of leaving for somewhere with better free public health services. As we age, we'll need it more and more. I'll be 63 soon. One of my colleagues says Costa Rica is the place to go if you're on SS and moderate means. Maybe not possible for us but Scotland might have some attractions (apart from the weather).

Today Mrs F was complaining about the rumour mill saying HU could leave the EU after the next election if OV is back in again. She says it's the last straw. The kids will have all left for abroad and we'll be stuck here in a half-baked Russian satellite country with closed off borders.
-@fluffy2560

What can I say? Go for it! Sell your house and car and buy something nice in Costa Rica or Scotland. I bet Costa Rica is exactly the place waiting for more people with little money to overload their national health service. Regarding free public health services you hopefully know that there is no such thing as a free service. Maybe you consider going to a place where you paid into the health system or opt for private insurance.

Russia may negotiate for peace rather than be defeated by being overrun. An Allied defeat of Russia would mean the country breaking up. It has to be organised to stop it waging war again.

Putin himself might accidentally fall out of a window. Then some other self-centered lunatic will be running the Klingon, sorry I mean Putinesque, empire soon enough. Lukashenko could even find himself at the end of Qaddafi or Ceausescu type justice. He has almost no support in-country.
-@fluffy2560
It would honestly be very nice to know what drugs you are on.
-@nz7521137

I could ask you about your delusions. Perhaps you're one of the vidéki thickies?
-@fluffy2560

To me you appear like a figure from 1984. One of those that are daily celebrating their Two Minutes of Hate.

It would honestly be very nice to know what drugs you are on.
-@nz7521137

I could ask you about your delusions. Perhaps you're one of the vidéki thickies?
-@fluffy2560
To me you appear like a figure from 1984. One of those that are daily celebrating their Two Minutes of Hate.
-@nz7521137

Blah-blah

What can I say? Go for it! Sell your house and car and buy something nice in Costa Rica or Scotland. I bet Costa Rica is exactly the place waiting for more people with little money to overload their national health service. Regarding free public health services you hopefully know that there is no such thing as a free service. Maybe you consider going to a place where you paid into the health system or opt for private insurance.
-@nz7521137

My post was a response to Marilyn, not you. I'm not in receipt of US SS funding or involved in US healthcare.  Google Costa Rica for US citizens on SS moving there.  Apparently it's a thing.  Scotland is of interest because if they gain independence, they (the SNP) say they will rejoin the EU.  And it has the NHS.

Scotland is of interest because if they gain independence, they (the SNP) say they will rejoin the EU. And it has the NHS.
-@fluffy2560

I would bet that an independence vote would fail. I would also not be so certain that the EU nations would all want to have Scotland, another country that will need subsidies forever.

Scotland is of interest because if they gain independence, they (the SNP) say they will rejoin the EU. And it has the NHS.
-@fluffy2560
I would bet that an independence vote would fail. I would also not be so certain that the EU nations would all want to have Scotland, another country that will need subsidies forever.
-@nz7521137

The real problem is the SNP itself right now.  It's been discredited and doesn't have a sparkling history of good governance.  But some still believe. There has been some discussions in the news recently that an theoretical timetable to rejoin could be as short as 3 years and as long as 10 years.   

Financially, Scotland is subsidised by the rest of the country via tax revenues, but that kind of thing has never stopped countries declaring independence in adverse circumstances (Montenegro, Kosovo etc). 

To separate Scotland from the rest of the country would take some years - maybe 5 or more.  And then there would be EU negotiations.  Altogether say 10 years.  It would be two heavyweight transformational projects at the same time.  That would be very difficult for any government or civil service to deal with.

By that time, the UK might have some movement to rejoin.  I expect during the next but one election would see increasing demands for a referendum on rejoining with a positive result if actually held.  But I'm not able to read the future (surprisingly).

I expect a considerable amount of softening of Brexit after the next election.  Possibly even rejoining the single market and some fudges on freedom of movement to satisfy the anti-immigration nutters.  It would probably assume a landslide win for Labour. At the moment, it's going that way in the polls but polls can be wrong.

Oh boy, if one is judged by their cover ( car) ,we are judged as being one step from homeless.
Our car is a 1998 Toyota.
It's silly, many people collect welfare but have brand new cars in someone else's name which they drive around as if they owned them.
We knew a Hungarian Engineer in S. Ca. who was loaded.
He worked in Asia for many years then opened up a large machine shop in Ca.
He decided to move his shop and didn't want to deal with renting spaces. He just paid a few million out of pocket to out right buy the land for his new shop.
At the time in the 70's I drove a decent used Volvo, just a few years old.
This guy drove a Volvo too. His was from the early 60's. It was primer colored and looked like it would break down any moment. ( It ran like a charm and he even set us up with his Volvo repair shop in Santa Monica, very VIP service)
He also sported a wild hairdo, Like Einstien, all wild and curly like he wasn't groomed at all.
-@Marilyn Tassy

Happens all the times.

Some people get a very expensive car and in the next 10 years live on pasta to be able to repay the loan.

While Mark Zuckerberg sometimes dress in a 2$  grey T shirt.

As for me I do distrust anyone who by the apperance (dressing, car, on hand gadgets, jewellery, etc) seems to be loaded.,

In most cases they are either good in wasteing money, or it is a showcase, or simply snob.

In other news, we've given in to the hype and are going to see the Barbie movie today. I don't know how stupid I'm going to feel sitting there. I wouldn't feel stupid at the Oppenheimer movie.
-@fluffy2560

Poor guy.

Anno my buddie's daughters did offered me a "nice vampire movie" to watch with them on dvd.

Guess what?

Twilight

Scotland is of interest because if they gain independence, they (the SNP) say they will rejoin the EU. And it has the NHS.
-@fluffy2560
I would bet that an independence vote would fail. I would also not be so certain that the EU nations would all want to have Scotland, another country that will need subsidies forever.
-@nz7521137

Scotland is quite well off because of investments.

The Camorra did taken care of it - virtually Scotland belongs to them.

Those are legal businesses, pay tax, etc

Dirty money invested into legal and clean ones.

Oh boy, if one is judged by their cover ( car) ,we are judged as being one step from homeless.
Our car is a 1998 Toyota.
It's silly, many people collect welfare but have brand new cars in someone else's name which they drive around as if they owned them.
We knew a Hungarian Engineer in S. Ca. who was loaded.
He worked in Asia for many years then opened up a large machine shop in Ca.
He decided to move his shop and didn't want to deal with renting spaces. He just paid a few million out of pocket to out right buy the land for his new shop.
At the time in the 70's I drove a decent used Volvo, just a few years old.
This guy drove a Volvo too. His was from the early 60's. It was primer colored and looked like it would break down any moment. ( It ran like a charm and he even set us up with his Volvo repair shop in Santa Monica, very VIP service)
He also sported a wild hairdo, Like Einstien, all wild and curly like he wasn't groomed at all.
-@Marilyn Tassy

Happens all the times.
Some people get a very expensive car and in the next 10 years live on pasta to be able to repay the loan.

While Mark Zuckerberg sometimes dress in a 2$ grey T shirt.

As for me I do distrust anyone who by the apperance (dressing, car, on hand gadgets, jewellery, etc) seems to be loaded.,
In most cases they are either good in wasteing money, or it is a showcase, or simply snob.
-@sjbabilon5

In 1977 I had access to drive a friends brand new 2002 BMW.

I had about a buck in my pocket at the time!

Driving in LA on the freeways with that car I noticed people just glaring at me.

The car I admit was super fun to drive and very comfy but getting so much attention was a bit off putting to me.

My husband bought me a fairly new nice looking Volvo a bit later.

We knew a Hungarian guy who was a used car saleman. He offered my husband to go with him to a auto sale and buy a car at his cost.

Super deal on a nice car.

I know driving a flash car has it's down side, like I said, too much attention and people might wish to have an ,"accident" with you thinking you're loaded.

We bought a cute red BMW in Hungary a few years back. We always noticed young men looking it over... hassle really didn't wish to find it stolen one morning. It wasn't new but in great shape and cute.

My son bought a really ugly looking but great running ( drove it for several years without hardly checking the oil) Susuki from a Janpanese lady who was leaving the US and wanted to just sell the car fast. Cost him all of $300. and was great on gas mileage.

The few times I borrowed his car, everyone seemed to cut my a wide path. Looked like some uninsuraned car ready for the scrap heap.

It was actually funny at times.

Cars, on one holiday in Vegas we bought a cheap old Caddie, we knew we only needed the car to run OK for 6 months.

Our son borrowed it once when his car was in the shop.

He worked in a casino in a bad part of town.

Night shift at the time too.

The police did a profile on the car it seems. They say old Caddies are for drug dealers or none white people and the police often pull those cars over just to make their quota of tickets.

They pulled our son over, saw a young man dressed in a business suit, red headed and polite and just waved him on.

People do often judge by the cover/car.

It's true though many people with expensive cars really can;t aford them, often they are repoded.

I knew a repo man years ago. People would do anything to keep cars the couldn't afford. Even pull guns on the repo man.

We like our peace of mind, if our car should ever die on us we know we got our moneies worth. All time serving us is gravy now.

My husband would never buy a new car.Never even crossed his mind when he could afford to buy one.

Just like his old boss who drove a beat up looking very old Volvo, my husband drove a tiny little 1970's model Honda Civic or his 1973 now classic Saab 99. In dark brown.Boring but so realiable.

I drove the nice Saab 900 while he drove a car so strange looking at the time that people asked if it was made in Mexico!They had never seen anything like it before.

Some people get a very expensive car and in the next 10 years live on pasta to be able to repay the loan.

As for me I do distrust anyone who by the apperance (dressing, car, on hand gadgets, jewellery, etc) seems to be loaded.,
In most cases they are either good in wasteing money, or it is a showcase, or simply snob.
-@sjbabilon5

Those people exist. But I also know people that have the money and like to spend it on things that they like. I believe that I am not the jealous type and I can live with rich friends. If buying expensive toys makes my friend happy, I am happy for him. As long as he/she doesn't judge me because I don't do the same.

As for me I do distrust anyone who by the apperance (dressing, car, on hand gadgets, jewellery, etc) seems to be loaded.,
In most cases they are either good in wasteing money, or it is a showcase, or simply snob.
-@sjbabilon5

You missed out one other option.   

If they have bling (expensive jewellery or fancy watches) and they are public servants, there's a chance they are corrupt.

I meet a lot of civil servants through my work and usually I look at their clothes, their watches and their jewellery.   Out of all of them, for men, it's the watches which give things away. A  civil servant on $1500 a month is unlikely to be able to afford a $25K Rolex or $5K Breitling.  There are numerous cases of fancy watches giving away a dictator or dodgy politician's wealth.  It happens all the time (click here if interested enough). Handbags worth checking on for women.  That's more likely to be bling worthy than a watch.

Today I had on my $100 watch and a $4 T-shirt from Primark (UK chain also found in Austria and Germany).   While there's a lot wrong with Meta, there's nothing wrong with Zuckerburg's thrift.  Or  Steve Jobs.  Apparently he didn't like spending money on appearances either.

As for me I do distrust anyone who by the apperance (dressing, car, on hand gadgets, jewellery, etc) seems to be loaded.,
In most cases they are either good in wasteing money, or it is a showcase, or simply snob.
-@sjbabilon5

You missed out one other option. 

If they have bling (expensive jewellery or fancy watches) and they are public servants, there's a chance they are corrupt.

I meet a lot of civil servants through my work and usually I look at their clothes, their watches and their jewellery.  Out of all of them, for men, it's the watches which give things away. A civil servant on $1500 a month is unlikely to be able to afford a $25K Rolex or $5K Breitling. There are numerous cases of fancy watches giving away a dictator or dodgy politician's wealth. It happens all the time (click here if interested enough). Handbags worth checking on for women. That's more likely to be bling worthy than a watch.

Today I had on my $100 watch and a $4 T-shirt from Primark (UK chain also found in Austria and Germany).  While there's a lot wrong with Meta, there's nothing wrong with Zuckerburg's thrift. Or Steve Jobs. Apparently he didn't like spending money on appearances either.
-@fluffy2560

I know quite a few people that have expensive watches. The advantage is that one can enjoy them for 20 years and they still have their value. It is similar with some handbags (e.g. Hermes). I wear an over 20 years old Omega Seamaster and it would sell at more money today than I bought it for. Nothing wrong with that. People that by at Primark also accept the way those clothes are made and that these obsolete (new or used) ones go back to the "rubbish tip" Africa. I prefer having less, but of good to excellent quality. However, to each his/her own.

    I know quite a few people that have expensive watches. The advantage is that one can enjoy them for 20 years and they still have their value. It is similar with some handbags (e.g. Hermes). I wear an over 20 years old Omega Seamaster and it would sell at more money today than I bought it for. Nothing wrong with that. People that by at Primark also accept the way those clothes are made and that these obsolete (new or used) ones go back to the "rubbish tip" Africa. I prefer having less, but of good to excellent quality. However, to each his/her own.

    -@nz7521137

Omega Seamaster is a nice watch.  But that's not blingy enough for some people and countries.  They want to show what many Western people would call bad taste. Like having a gold plated AK-47.   There are some houses in my village that a decorated with fake Roman columns and statues of Aphrodite etc.  All bling and no taste. Not the height of chic but the height of kitsch.

Old clothes don't always go to Africa these days as that's rather discredited.  Having had to dispose of quite a lot of clothing recently, we were surprised to find they are recycling them into paper and cardboard.   

I do look at the labels and I always get nervous when I see a Made in Bangladesh label on a $4 T-shirt.   Conditions there for garment workers are not that good. 

@SimCityAT I wonder why this even makes the headlines, because this is a completely natural thing. In the Russian media this would be on the sidelines as all Western Services are spying on Russia.

As for me I do distrust anyone who by the apperance (dressing, car, on hand gadgets, jewellery, etc) seems to be loaded.,
In most cases they are either good in wasteing money, or it is a showcase, or simply snob.
-@sjbabilon5

You missed out one other option. 

If they have bling (expensive jewellery or fancy watches) and they are public servants, there's a chance they are corrupt.

I meet a lot of civil servants through my work and usually I look at their clothes, their watches and their jewellery.  Out of all of them, for men, it's the watches which give things away. A civil servant on $1500 a month is unlikely to be able to afford a $25K Rolex or $5K Breitling. There are numerous cases of fancy watches giving away a dictator or dodgy politician's wealth. It happens all the time (click here if interested enough). Handbags worth checking on for women. That's more likely to be bling worthy than a watch.

Today I had on my $100 watch and a $4 T-shirt from Primark (UK chain also found in Austria and Germany).  While there's a lot wrong with Meta, there's nothing wrong with Zuckerburg's thrift. Or Steve Jobs. Apparently he didn't like spending money on appearances either.
-@fluffy2560

I stick with tried and true Seiko watches or I wear my solid white gold with diamonds

ladies wind up watch from the 1960's Bought it at a LA county police auction for a whopping $26.00!

Somewhere I still have a Swatch watch.

Not into impressing anyone, if I like something I like it forever.

Hanadbags, my son twice purchased LV bags as parting gifts for two different ladies.

Crazy, to spend that much on a handbag when he was driving a $300. car at the time!

Money is for spending and for saving, depends on what's going on in one life at the time.

I've been penniless and I've had enough to actually care about the stock market.

Never changed me either way, I admit it's a bit better to not worry about where your next meal is coming from.

Sunday as we drove home from the lake we were passed by a tiny red Ferrari. They young man was too young to have saved up on his own for such a purchase so not empressed at all.

People who pull themselves up without help are impressive, buying things with daddies money is a bore.

Thinking back my father bought a really nice watch in the 1940's.

I know it started with a P.

Looked online and it was a Pequignet.

He wore it all his life and it never was off by a second.

One of his relics of his single days.

Like he used to always say about being a family man.

He went from silk shirts to T-shirts.

@SimCityAT I wonder why this even makes the headlines, because this is a completely natural thing. In the Russian media this would be on the sidelines as all Western Services are spying on Russia.
-@nz7521137

I think its just because they were Bulgarian with fake passports posing as journalists. With the war going on, it is of interest. 

Old clothes don't always go to Africa these days as that's rather discredited. Having had to dispose of quite a lot of clothing recently, we were surprised to find they are recycling them into paper and cardboard. 

I do look at the labels and I always get nervous when I see a Made in Bangladesh label on a $4 T-shirt.  Conditions there for garment workers are not that good.
-@fluffy2560

Very quickly I could find this https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-12/ … 100358702, which isn't so old. Even China is these days very restrictive in importing plastic waste from "The West", so I wonder whether that is also dumped in Africa. And as we are at it: Where do you guess the none breast parts of chickens (the only popular part in "The West") go?  Yes, they end up for next to zero money on the markets in Africa destroying local farmer. 

Sunday as we drove home from the lake we were passed by a tiny red Ferrari. They young man was too young to have saved up on his own for such a purchase so not empressed at all.
People who pull themselves up without help are impressive, buying things with daddies money is a bore.
-@Marilyn Tassy

The richer are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer. If the parents have lots of money then the children usually start off with lots of money. And it doesn't mean they are not hard working/studying, but maybe daddy has to keep up with the colleagues that also buy their kids cars or organize 100,000 EUR weddings. It is sad, but reality.

-@SimCityAT

Wouldn't surprise me they are working for Russia.   

If they were doing it for money, that's one thing but if they were doing it out of conviction and belief in Putin, that would be really dumb.   

Very quickly I could find this https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-12/ … 100358702, which isn't so old. Even China is these days very restrictive in importing plastic waste from "The West", so I wonder whether that is also dumped in Africa. And as we are at it: Where do you guess the none breast parts of chickens (the only popular part in "The West") go? Yes, they end up for next to zero money on the markets in Africa destroying local farmer.
-@nz7521137

The plastic I can believe but it  sounds like fake news about the chicken bits. It makes no sense to do that.  Cost of shipping would be insane.

Mrs F's cousin used to work as a manager of a large meat processing plant in the South West of Hungary.   The bits of animals which are unsuitable for human consumption goes into "wet" dog and cat food.  This ends up like extruded meat sausages cut up and in some kind of meat based jelly then tinned.   Our dog and cat like that kind of stuff.  They scoff it down in minutes.

I've got a theory that cat and dog food presentation styles are aimed at humans.  We had some dry dog biscuits which were multi-coloured and my son and I tried some just to see.  It didn't matter what colour we had - red or green - they all tasted the same which was very bland without any flavour at all.  It could be our taste buds and dogs/cats driven by smell.  Didn't smell of anything to me. And my understanding is that dogs are colour blind and see in monochrome.   Not sure how it looks is important to the animals but it seems to be important to their humans.   

It used to be that bones etc are crushed and used for gardens.  Dried blood too. 

AI increasingly used by students to do their school work and many teachers can't tell

The survey of 500 secondary school teachers revealed that 41% believe there needs to be better regulation of AI with 31% wanting the government to step in to police its use.

The plastic I can believe but it sounds like fake news about the chicken bits. It makes no sense to do that. Cost of shipping would be insane.

-@fluffy2560

It is really true and it is not so expensive to ship frozen chicken pieces. This article refers to it https://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/over-6 … -unhappy/. The chicken feet are still mainly going to China. Looks like they like that.

Chicken parts...

My MIL used to treat her dogs with chicken feet, raw.

Freaked me out to no end.

She could of at least boiled them or better yet BBQ'd them.

We once BBQ'd a whole chicken for our Dobermans. BD. He had a July 4th BD so the grill was on anyways.

It was gone in 30 seconds flat, after we removed the bones for him.

Came back up about 30 seconds later!

Dogs will eat just about anything.Even horse droppings...

My son's old lady love was from Hong-Kong.

She used to take us out all the time to a nice Chinese restaurant in Las Vegas. PF Changs .

I liked it.

She once ordered a specialty of chicken feet as a take out for my husband.

he liked it.

Funny story. I was a Vegas games dealer at the time.

My boys' GF was well known in the Chinese community. She was a business owner and sort of well off.

Well, I had a group of young Chinese men who always played in the baccarat area in the casino I worked at.

I was a rather good baccarat dealer so the boss always had me in that section of the casino.

Used to call me the Baccarat Queen,probably only got that name because I let all the insults, rude remarks and nasty words flying my way just roll off my back.

Most dealers took it personally and would argue with the players. I couldn't care less what they said as long as I got my break on time. Once a regualr craps dealer was put on a Bac table and sparks did fly.

Anyways, these young guys were in the tables every single day that I was at work.

They all dressed in nice suits, ordered drinks like they owned the place and more importantly never ever tipped anyone.

Well off to PF Changs with my son and his lady for lunch.

Guess who was serving us, a couple of the Bac regualrs from my casino.

Man, you should of seen their long sour faces when I sat at their table with my son's GF.

They looked terrified actually.

I mentioned it to her and said I hope they don't pee in my soup!

All went well enough and she tipped them but I also think she had a few words with them.After that they were much more respectful to me if they dared sit at my table.

Does anyone know what they  are building IN the lake at Balatonfoldvar?

We can see large amounts of stone piled up IN the lake.

It could be a new harbour.