Public Service Announcement

I came across this graphic called "Credit Card Hell". To see the graphic larger, go to the original site http://www.mint.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/creditcardhell21.jpg and click on the graphic to make it readable. Thank the universe, we do not have a mortgage, car loans, or credit card debt. We only charge on cards that have to be paid in full each month, so we have to keep track of our spending. The rare times we do have to shell out big bucks, like for Ron's quarterly estimated taxes for IRS, I put it on a special AMEX card for the frequent flier miles, but then pay it off is two large installments automatically through online banking. I just happened to look at the new rules of my United Airline Visa card, I do not use any longer, but keep for emergencies. After a missed payment, the annual accrual interest rate is 85%. Is that to keep the airline flying? No, it is to keep unsuspecting people in the grips of credit card debt. For others, there is hell to pay and a hell of a time paying off credit cards.

Pin It Now!

Eye, Eye, Eye

I woke up this morning with blurred vision in my right eye, more blurred than usual without glasses or contact lens. Putting my contacts in did not help either. Does this mean another Hungarian medical experience in my future?

Pin It Now!

Take and Bake Pizza

When we were living in California, there were a number of places offering Take and Bake pizzas. They prepare the pizza, but you bake it yourself at home. This farm gives a whole new meaning to the concept.

Pin It Now!

Hypocrisy of the Elected

Maureen Dowd NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/opinion/28dowd.html?emc=eta1 Frank Rich NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/opinion/28rich.html?emc=eta1

Pin It Now!

Szeged - Paprika Capital of Hungary

Mea culpa times three. There I said it and I am truly sorry. For years now, I have been saying that once you have seen one Hungarian city outside of Budapest, you have seen them all - the Deja vu experience I called it. One more time for good measure, mea culpa. Ron and I took the 2 1/2 hour train ride to Szeged today so I could do some research for my upcoming book. The section on Szeged is small as is Eger, but still there was a burning need to refresh my memory of these smaller cities. According to http://www.citypopulation.de/Hungary-Cities.html#Stadt_gross, Szeged ranks number four in size, but Eger is not even on the top eleven list. On an IC train, we were surprised at how crowded it was. Why weren't all of these people going to Balaton instead? With Mr. M on his own adventure, I could not keep him from popping up in my mind. He had to catch a train at 6:30 this morning. We reached ours at 9:30 am. He had a seven hour train ride ahead of him to reach his destination, we had two and a half hours. He had two to three hours at his destination before returning again, we had all day. He had another seven hour ride to get home, we had two hours and fifteen minutes. Oh, life is good. It also occurred to me that with a perpetual mantra of "What should I do? What do you think I should do?", he reminds me of a remote control toy with the toggle controls in someone else's hands. He just goes where directed, without much self-control. When he crashes into a wall, he can certainly blame others. He did not direct himself there; someone else set him on that course of action. Back to Szeged. This is another city we have not trained to before. The last time we visited, we came by bus with Fulbrighters. The train station is beautiful, but like Eger away from the city center. A full day transport ticket was 750 Forints and the tram directly outside took us to one of the main squares from where we walked most of the day. A healthy person could easily become a sugar comotose mess here; there are more pastry shops than there are restaurants. Each of them have similar versions of all of the basics, so it is vexing why one would choose one over the other. Checking hotels and restaurants for the book, we allowed ourselves to take in some sites too. We found architecture, which I had web researched for the last edition, but had not seen in person. Stunning!! Szeged is lovely in parts, but it is spread wider than Eger, so to get from interesting point A to interesting point B is not as compact. Being a Saturday, everything was closed by 1:00 pm, even the little convenience stores that we rely on in Budapest for when the grocery stores close for the day. Interesting! Also, we were hard pressed to find a hotel in the heart of downtown, with one exception, but its looks were so unappealing from the lobby view, I could not bear to walk in to offer a reader recommendation. They will have to deal with the two that I have. The weather was congenial. Not a drop of rain fell from the sky, though I did pack an umbrella, which I would have shared with Ron had the need arose. All in all, we had a delightful and productive day, home again lickety split by 10:00 pm.

Pin It Now!

Choo Charlie at it Again

Ron and I were going to train down to Szeged, far south in the Hungarian plains so I could do some current research for my next book. The Divineless Mr. M decided he wanted to go with. He came to meet me and after an errand he needed to run on the way, we went to the MAV office, the Hungarian train official office. As it happen, it was raining yet again, our seventh or eighth day of rain. I cannot be sure, my calendar is too soggy to read the exact number of days. Mr. M still has not bought an umbrella, though he has been here since August. Not tempted to share mine as it is only a one man size, when we passed a brolley dealer, I pointed out to Mr. M the divine color arrangements, sharing which would complement his complexion while keeping his shaved dome dry. He was all atwitter for a whole two minutes until he asked the price. The poor dear who spends her day out in all elements trying to make a living wage, whips out her calculator and punches in 800. From the reaction of my walking mate, one overhearing his reaction would have thought she asked for his first born. "Four dollars for an umbrella?", he shouts "I could get it in NY for three." Yes, I say, but the trip to NY would certainly detract from the savings of $1.00 and certainly your NY days are well in the past. You have not lived there for years now. Umbrellas there are most likely up to $6.00 or $7.00 at least. Regardless of my persuasive skills, he chose to ignore a practical purchase and I continued to justify my lack of sharing my mini-brella with him. This from a man who has a degree in Social Work, decries the flood of illegal immigrants into the US, yet would support child labor from third world countries to save himself a buck. Somewhere in my karma I must have been tagged with a sign that shows "Befriend me, I need to have my values perpetually clarified by your warped thinking and words." I cannot comprehend how I do attract people in my life like this. It is a burden. Mr. M had the plan to wander off to Szeged with us, only to continue on to Serbia for the day to have his passport stamped. His Visa was running out and needed to leave and reenter the country to gain another 90 day stay. However, since the world is out to persecute him, the Hungarian train system was out to get him too. There are no trains from Szeged to Serbia even if it is only inches away on a map. If he were to follow this plan, it would mean an overnight train there and one back again, just to collect a stamp. Instead, he second choice was to go to Zagreb in Croatia, which ruled out Szeged. His final solution was to travel seven hours to Zagreb, tour the city for two to three hours and climb aboard yet again to spend a relaxing seven hours to return to Budapest. The weather report showed that there was an eight-six percent chance of rain tomorrow regardless of destinations. I wonder if he will find a cheaper umbrella in Croatia.

Pin It Now!

SkyEurope = Belly UP

As old as yesterday's news, this item was in it. The budget airline SkyEurope is making news, but not such great news. Two Sky Europe aircraft seized on Băneasa Airport because of debts. Not such great news for Europeans who came to rely on it for those getaway holidays, but most certainly devastating news for those who bought vacation homes in foreign countries when the plethora of budget airlines seemed to make getting there and back a bargain. On the other budget travel front, RyanAir is in the news yet again with another lame idea. If you remember, this was the airline who prompted the hubbub around pay toilets on airplanes, now they are discussing having passengers load their own luggage. The idea is if you can get that behemoth piece of Samsonite through security, you can also lug it to the plane and toss it in the cargo hold. The bright side is no more lost luggage or waiting at the conveyor for your clone black suitcase that looks like everyone else's except yours has the cutsey identifying tag for you to recognize easily. You will be able to easily spot it six deep under everyone elses in the cargo hold and will only have to wait for someone to come rescure grandma's trunk, which is holding the rest hostage. If this idea 'flies', the next logical step is to have on board massage therapists who for a fee, will knead out the kinks in those strained muscles you acquired while dragging your bags down the stairs from the airport and then had to lift up into the plane. Some think Michael O'Leary, the CEO of RyanAir should try sleeping at night so he cannot think clearly in the mornings and not daydream of new ways to make his consumer base more miserable.

Pin It Now!

Hungarian Medical - The New Drama Series

Walking into the 'hospital' was an intellectual experience; the emotions did not kick in because I am so talented with repression, refusing to accept that this is my future. We had to walk up the stairs to the second floor, because the sole elevator was not working. Those in wheelchairs must have a real joy ride going down the stairwell. For one brief minute, the nurses station looked almost familiar. The women, presumably nurses were wearing white uniforms being busy, but not looking like they were doing much of anything productive at first glance. Then I noticed that they were cooking lunch in the little back room. I thought it was their lunch until they filled the top of a cart and delivered bowls to the rooms of patients. As we were sitting there waiting for the surgeon to call me, I started checking off the violations that the US Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) would find here. The nurses and doctors were all wearing open toe shoes, with socks, but open toe still. The food was prepared on the floor with no door and exposed as it was transported down the hall. Mental note: Do not eat while here. With anxiety building, I waited for the doctor to call my name, though it was difficult to tell whether the men in the green scrubs were doctors or orderlies. Then a bastardized pronunciation of my name was called out by this young man who introduced himself. He speaks English. Bingo! I won the jackpot. He is young and I can communicate with him. The tension eased as fast as a racehorse stung by a bee. After another brief exam, he explained that prior to surgery, I have to rid myself of an infection that he found. After giving me two prescriptions, we made another appointment for July 2nd and then surgery will be arranged for the end of July. Laszlo kept telling me how lucky I am. I hit the jackpot.

Pin It Now!

Round and Round the Mulberry Bush

Not the Mulberry bush exactly, but round and round the medical system tuckers me to a frazzled piece of limp hemp rope. Laszlo, my latest nomination for canonization again escorted me to the doctor to arrange for my pending surgery, taking a day off to do it. Deja vu, we were there at 10am only to find the herds already there were like those at a close-out sale at a Gucci store. One woman told him she had been waiting for over an hour and a half. Couldn't she just round it off to two hours for simplicity? Ron joined us this time for the fun and games to lend support, but jetlag still has him in the vice, so he petered out early. Considering we were waiting for the urologist, this made perfect sense. We had to wait for the magic window to open when the nurse accepts the medical cards and writes your name in her book. When she appears at the open door, she is as off limits as the safety zone of home base in a game of tag. When she does open the window, I think of the groundhog seeing its shadow; there will be six months more of waiting in line. Finally, it was our turn. We spent ten minutes with the doctor while the nurse printed out another ream of forms. There was no interaction with the doctor, the nurse was the star today. With our load of recycled trees, I learned that this doctor was not, I repeat, was not performing my surgery. We had to go to yet another doctor at the hospital who would perform the surgery. Using my last ounce of mental reserve, I followed Laszlo as he led the way to the hospital to find the deparment we needed. The only thing that keeps me sane is repeating mentally, "This is going to make a great blog entry." I will continue this in the next post.

Pin It Now!

Paul Roberts Comments on My Sausage

Though I don't know him personally, Paul Roberts left this message on my sausage. "I take you mean the USA variety of Italian sausage and not ones from Italy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_sausage" Yes, the US kind. The last time we were in Milan, the only place to get the US type sausage was at one butcher shop, but we had no place to freeze it for transport/import into Budapest. Now that I have looked at your link above, I see they classify some salami as sausage also, which I was not aware of and there is an interesting comment. One of the salamis is considered peasant food since it will last up to a year. When I had asked about sausage in a restaurant in Rome, the waiter said "That is food for peasants." I felt wounded associating that comment to my grandparents, but now I understand it better. Speaking of which, there is an Italian grocery store here where they do have a small variety of Italian smoked meats and cheeses, but run by Hungarians. When I asked the "butcher" if they had Italian sausage he said no. When I asked if he could order it, he said "Next time". How definitive is that? Since the last post, I did consume one link of sweet. My stomach felt like a small hand was inside playing Chopin on my stomach wall. I swear I could see the little fingertips poking outward. Other than that, no negative reaction. Houston, we did not have a blast-off.

Pin It Now!

My Sausage Was Frozen, Thawed, and Fried

If you are expecting some naughty post here, shame on you! After convincing Ron that he really needed to bring me back Italian sausage, the one food item I have not had for over six years, he did. My instructions were to deep freeze the packages, wrap them in aluminum foil, and then put them in plastic bags. Packing them in his checked luggage should have gotten them here safely. What I had not counted on was his luggage getting lost and being delivered the day after he arrived. The great sausage hunt was on. Rip open that suitcase. They were still cold or if they were a person, they would need to put on a sweater type chilly, but not even close to frozen. Googling food safety, the advice is that after two hours outside of a refrigerator, it is time to abort the mission, fail the test, give up the ghost. Six years without an Italian sausage for an Italian is like six years without insulin for a diabetic. Life is not worth living, if there is life at all. I fried all four packages; he bought a Wegman's brand of sweet and hot, Ginnelli's brand of sweet and hot, all looking so appealingly pink and tasty. Ron's solution to testing all food is the sniff test. If it does not smell bad or have mold, it is safe to eat, but I keep reminding him that botulism is odorless and tasteless. Throwing caution to the wind, I fried them getting gratification just watching them turn brown, listening to the sizzle as the fats leaked out into the hot pan, the aroma whirling into the air. I put all of the hot sausage, now cooked into a freezer container and threw those puppies into the deep freeze. Now that I have heated the baddies out of them, I am try freezing the rest to death trying to beat the odds. According to the nutritionist website, they can stay frozen after cooked for two weeks. The sweet ones are sitting in another plastic container waiting for me to build up my nerve to take that fateful bite. We had thought of having a sausage sandwich picnic in the park directly across the street from the medical clinic just to err on the side of caution, but realized that is the doggie park. Who needs the competition for my sausages?

Pin It Now!

Bored with the Internet

God no, not me. I could never be bored with the Internet and now that my students' work is appearing, I am like a dog that has just spotted an unattended steak. A few weeks back, Ron forwarded this site to me and somehow I overlooked posting it here. This cartoon is particularly apropos for bloggers, while defining my thought processes at the same time. Go to this link http://xkcd.com/77/ to see the cartoon in question. Simplistic, but real! The title of the cartoon is the same as the title of this post, so if you get redirected, you will know which one to look for. But be warned, the site is addictive.

Pin It Now!

Tag Cloud

You may have noticed there is now a Tag Cloud on the right side. This crawls through the labels on the blog and chooses the most often used words. Clicking on any word will bring you to the postings where that label has been used. It took a great deal of time to find a Tag Cloud that worked well with this template, but I finally did at http://www.wowzio.com. Additionally, this service has created another interesting service called Pulse. They are in the process of extracting product reviews from blogs that they are hosted on to create consumer product ratings and reviews. From what I could tell, so far, it is limited to some kitchen appliances, but hopefully this will expand as they progress further. Keep you eye on it. These are real reviews by real people who have written a review on their blog about particular products. http://www.wowzio.com/docs/insights-shopping

Pin It Now!

The Irony of Life in the US

This came through today in the Consumerist newsletter. http://consumerist.com/5296940/applying-for-a-job-great-give-us-your-google-and-facebook-passwords Also, this morning, a friend sent this article from one of his news groups. I am not sure if the links will work here, but each did indeed link to a real news story in various publications, though some dating back years. I suppose there could be a Democrat list, an Independent Party list also, but this is all I have access to, so the others are not here for that reason only. I am only posting this to show the irony of the application above and the elected officials below.

STOP REPUBLICAN PEDOPHILIA

Former AG now accused of covering-up Republican pedophilia

Republican philanderer and hypocrite Newt Gingrich was cheating on his wife while denouncing President Bill Clinton's extramarital affair

Republican Party Chairman Sam Walls, who is married, was urged to drop his candidacy for Congress when it was found he likes to dress up in women's clothing

Republican preacher Jimmy Swaggart preached fidelity, but cheated on his wife with a prostitute

Republican Senator Bob Packwood resigned from Congress after 29 women accused him of sexual harrassment

STOP REPUBLICAN PEDOPHILIA

Republican aide Alan David Berlin was arrested on charges that he wanted to engage in sex acts with a 15-year-old boy while dressed in a panda costume.

• Republican news producer Aaron Bruns was arrested on charges of possessing child pornography.

• Republican activist and former presidential campaign chairman Jeffrey Claude Bartleson was arrested on charges of sexually molesting a 5-year old boy.

• Republican activist and former chairman of the Christian County Republicans Royce Fessenden pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child molestation and one count of second-degree statutory sodomy.

• Republican parole board officer and former legislator George C. (Chris) Ortloff pleaded guilty to attempting to lure 11- and 12-year-old girls to have sex with him

• Republican legislative aide Robert R. Groezinger was arrested for possessing child pornography.

• Republican legislator Robert A. McKee pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.

• Republican legislator Scott Muschany was charged with molesting a 14-year old girl.

• Republican chief of staff Eric Feltner pleaded guilty to showing pornography to a 13-year old girl.

• Republican presidential campaign official Matthew Joseph Elliott was convicted of sexual exploitation of a child.

• Republican Party Chairman Donald Fleischman was charged with two counts of child enticement, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child and a single charge of exposing himself to a child.

• Republican prosecutor John David Roy Atchison was arrested for soliciting sex from a 5-year old girl, then killed himself three weeks later At the time of his arrest, Atchison was an "assistant U.S. attorney" appointed by President Bush's attorney general.

• Republican city councilman John Bryan killed himself after police began investigating allegations that he had molested three girls, including two of his adopted daughters, ages 12 and 15.

• Republican legislator Ted Klaudt was charged with raping girls under the age of 16.

• Republican city councilman Joseph Monteleone Jr. was found guilty of fondling underage girls.

• Republican congressional aide Jeffrey Nielsen was arrested for having sex with a 14-year old boy.

• Republican County Commissioner Patrick Lee McGuire surrendered to police after allegedly molesting girls between the ages of 8 and 13.

• Republican prosecutor Larry Corrigan was arrested for soliciting sex from 13-year old girls.

• Republican Mayor Jeffrey Kyle Randall was sentenced to 275 days in jail for molesting two boys -- ages ten and 12 -- during a six-year period.

• Republican County Board Candidate Brent Schepp was charged with molesting a 14-year old girl and killed himself three days later.

• Republican Congressman Mark Foley abruptly resigned from Congress after "sexually explicit" emails surfaced showing him flirting with a 16-year old boy

• Republican executive Randall Casseday of the conservative Washington Times newspaper pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a 13-year old girl on the internet.

• Republican chairman of the Oregon Christian Coalition Lou Beres confessed to molesting a 13-year old girl.

• Republican County Constable Larry Dale Floyd pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting sex from an 8-year old girl. Floyd has repeatedly won elections for Denton County, Texas, constable

• Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.

• Republican Party leader Bobby Stumbo was arrested for having sex with a 5-year old boy.

• Republican petition drive manager Tom Randall pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 14, one of them the daughter of an associate in the petition business.

• Republican County Chairman Armando Tebano pleaded guilty to fondling a 14-year-old girl.

• Republican teacher and former city councilman John Collins pleaded guilty to sexually molesting 13 and 14 year old girls

• Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester.

• Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.

• Republican Mayor Tom Adams was arrested for distributing child pornography over the internet.

• Republican Mayor John Gosek was arrested on charges of soliciting sex from two 15-year old girls.

• Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

• Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.

• Republican Committeeman John R. Curtin was convicted of molesting an underage teenage boy and sentenced to serve six to 18 months in prison.

• Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.

• Republican zoning supervisor, Boy Scout leader and Lutheran church president Dennis L. Rader pleaded guilty to performing a sexual act on an 11-year old girl he murdered

• Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.

• Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.

• Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.

• Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.

• Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl.

• Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer was sentenced to six years in prison for molesting two 8-year old girls, one of whom appeared in an anti-Gore television commercial.

• Republican fundraiser Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.

• Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.

• Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.

• Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.

• Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.

• Republican campaign chairman Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child and was arrested again five years later on the same charge.

• Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.

• Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.

• Republican Judge Ronald C. Kline pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer.

• Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.

• Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped.

• Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

• Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.

• Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.

• Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced prison after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

• Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.

• Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.

• Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.

• Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl.

• Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.

• Republican legislator Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).

• Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was found guilty of molesting a 15-year old girl.

• Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.

• Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.

• Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.

• Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl.

• Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.

• Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison.

• Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.

• Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.

• Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.

• Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

• Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter.

• Republican campaign worker, police officer and self-proclaimed reverend Steve Aiken was convicted of having sex with two underage girls.

• Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

• Republican president of the New York City Housing Development Corp. Russell Harding pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer.

• Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was found guilty of raping a 15-year old girl. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.

• Republican Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized the rape of children in Iraqi prisons in order to humiliate their parents into providing information about the anti-American insurgency. See excerpt of one prisoner's report here and his full report here.

Pin It Now!

United Doesn't TAP to the Star Alliance

Ron had to go from Newark to Lisbon to Frankfurt to Budapest and arrived home at 8:30 PM last night. When he went to check in at Newark, it seems that United had him booked on a TAP flight that was discontinued in May. However, he did not find this out at the check-in desk until they had checked his luggage and sent it off on the belt. They had re-booked him on a flight that now had him over nighting in Lisbon, but no one had forewarned him about this. Needless to say, no one offered to pay or supply a hotel voucher either. This scheduled plane was six hours later than his originally planned flight.

When he told TAP he was never informed of these changes and due to EU rules, he knew he was entitled to be put on a different flight if there were an earlier one out of Lisbon, they said he would have to deal with United. Because this was a frequent flyer ticket, TAP was not able to make the changes. He had the good sense to ask if they were all part of the Star Alliance, why they could not do it themselves, but the TAP rep tap danced around the question, saying they could not.

He went to the United desk in a different terminal, spoke with a rep there, who said she would make the changes, but that TAP should have done this themselves since they are part of the Star Alliance, confirming Ron's thoughts. She then suggested he go back to TAP to retrieve his luggage and recheck it with United.

After returning the the original terminal where TAP is located, he asked for his luggage to be searched for, but the young man who had originally took it gave him the run-around about getting it back. After Ron pressed the issue, the young man supposedly went looking for it, but came back empty handed. Ron claims he was a bit surly about the request, so chances are the man disappeared just to say he did it when he return, but really having done nothing at all.

Ron arrived in Lisbon, had a wait and then had to fly to Frankfurt, before continuing on to Budapest.

The irony of the whole situation is that I had convinced him to bring me home some Italian sausage. I had him deep freeze it, wrap the package in aluminum foil and then in plastic bags, thinking that in the cargo hold, it would make it back partially frozen or ready to cook immediately. Also in the luggage were bagels.

In his carry-on suitcase is a new Windows Home Server, which I paid $700 for, but all of the peripherals, the cords, software, etc are in the big suitcase, along with the ten books on how to teach online and how to be a life coach. Is this a message from the universe?

Needless to say, Ron's luggage did not arrive home with him. There was another flight in last night at midnight, but the luggage was not on it. The next flight is today at 2:00.

I will be in mourning as I throw the sausage into the trash.

Pin It Now!

Another Intern Gets Her Time in the Spotlight

Hi Dr. James! I hope you are very well and enjoying the summer sun! I have had my first review published on Xpatloop, you can read it here: http://www.xpatloop.com/news/61727 I have been to another event since, to celebrate the Queen's birthday at the English Ambassador's residence- very nice, was a bit nervous though! Having a lot of fun going to these events though, so looking forward to being an intern!! Hope to see you sometime during the summer, all the best, Anna

Pin It Now!

No TAP Dancing for Ron

Originally, Ron was supposed to leave Newark, NJ yesterday afternoon on a TAP flight, the Portuguese airline, but the Continental Airliner with the dead pilot were given priority at the airport causing flights out to be delayed. Major storms all down the NJ coast had further impact on delaying flights.

The last time I had checked last night on his flight, it was delayed for four hours out of Newark. Fortunately, I had reminded him of the EU rules. His change in Lisbon from TAP to TAP was only 2 hours, so I knew he would not make the transfer in time.

This morning, I received a message from my sister-in-law. He called her to say he was rerouted via Lufthansa going to Frankfurt and then back here.

He was originally scheduled back at 2:30 PM. Now he will not get back until about 6:30 PM. I had made dinner reservations, but will need to change them. I am sure it will take him a few days to recover. He does not do well with jet lag when he returns from the States.

Pin It Now!

Instructional Video - I Don't Give Squat

I think the Asians have the right idea. Can we call this squatters rights? I am sick of cleaning toilets. Just in case I get the remodeling bug again, future guests had better take notes. We will supply the paper though, it is the least we can do. Come to think of it, we may need to put in handrails too. And then there is the video camera...Is America's Funniest Videos still on the air?

Pin It Now!

Facebook and TripAdvisor

BudaBaB our bed and breakfast is now on Facebook and we already have friends. It is listed as Buda Bab since Facebook insisted we have a first and last name, plus they claim that our last name cannot have two capital letters. Darn them! We are also on TripAdvisor now too. There are links to both on our website www.budabab.com. Both are on the Guest Log page. If you have been our guest, we would appreciate your befriending us on Facebook or writing a review on TripAdvisor.

Pin It Now!

We Are Sorry to Say, Your Pilot Has Died

I just spoke with Ron. He will be leaving for the airport in a couple of hours. I don't know how he found this out, but he told me that a Continental Airlines jet coming in from Brussels has priority landing at Newark Airport in NJ, because the pilot died during the flight. Yikes!! I cannot even imagine that crew announcement. Fortunately, overseas flights have three crew members in the cockpit.

His other joyful news included the weather report that Newark and the Jersey coast are experiencing storms causing flights outbound to be delayed. If you read this, keep your fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for a safe journey. I hope he is able to make his connections in Lisbon without any issues, but I would rather he have an overnighter in Lisbon and get home safely. For those flying to any EU country, even from North America, the EU rules for passenger rights are in effect.

Pin It Now!

Hungary Closes Shops

June 17, 2009, 9:55 CET

Hungary to close, merge embassies and consulates

By MTI

Hungary will streamline its network of diplomatic missions and end up with 102 representations in 80 states as a result, Foreign Minister Peter Balazs told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

Mr Balazs said that Hungary would close its embassies in Luxembourg, Venezuela, Chile and Malaysia and as well as its consulates general in Dusseldorf, Lyon, Krakow, Chicago, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong and Sydney.

Hungary will also integrate its UNESCO mission into the country's embassy in Paris and combine its WTO and UN delegations in Geneva as well as its OSCE and UN delegations in Vienna.

Mr Balazs said that the closings and consolidations would save HUF 2bn (EUR 7.2m) per year and increase the efficiency of Hungary's network of diplomatic representation.

The foreign minister said the closings and mergers will eliminate 70 positions, though all those who lose their jobs as a result of the closings and mergers will be transferred to other positions within the foreign ministry.

They will also review Hungary's membership in international organisations, Mr Balazs said.

Mr Balazs noted that the foreign ministry's 2009 budget was reduced from the originally stipulated HUF 49bn to HUF 44bn, adding that money stemming from sale of the ministry's property in the affected locations will be allocated to the central budget.

http://www.politics.hu/20090617/hungary-to-close-merge-embassies-and-consulates

Pin It Now!

Down and Dirty

My last 'free' day yesterday, I spent cleaning the apartment in preparation for guests coming. Since I was at it, I did it the hard way, I really, really cleaned with furniture polish and everything. Yea, yea, yea, I have been dusting all along, but it is amazing what a little polish will pick up that a dry rag does not. I went through three big rags, folding them to expose a new clean area until I wound up with Origami type creations. I really hated to put them in the wash, they were kind of attractive in a grungy sort of way. Then I did the biggie, washing all of the wood floors with wood soap. If anyone (subliminal message-guess who) ever tells me that vacuuming is good enough, I am going to make soup out of the dirty water from floor mopping. The floors look lovely. Our bedroom floor is actually parquet. I had forgotten that. I made the beds for guests, the rooms were ready, all I had to do was iron the pillow covers. After six hours of cleaning, I had dishpan hands, mop hands, cleaning elbow, wood grain knees, and enough polish on me to make me rainproof. Today, I had the last of the State Exams. This time for the BA students, our first group ever to go through the misery. We had eight in our group, were told to spend thirty minutes with each person, so I was planning on escaping by 1:00 pm. Each student had to defend their thesis, take a comprehensive oral exam in their specialty area, and then another in an area of their choice. The grading system required an abacus to figure out. Needless to say, we ran behind all day, so I finally said "Chow" to my colleagues at 3:45 when I rushed off to teach my private English lesson. On my way home at 5:30, I stopped at the grocery store to get breakfast supplies for the guests coming tomorrow. Then I whipped out the iron and board, did up the pillow cases, put them on, and vacuumed the tiled floors. If I play my cards right, I can mop them in the morning and have them dried before any arrivals. Six more episodes of 24 Season 7 to go. Will I make it tonight? I am not sure, I am really pooped.

Pin It Now!

US Embassy Invite

It is always a thrill to receive these invites, though I never go to any of them. I wonder if I moved back to the US if the Hungarian Embassy will send me invites to the 1956 celebrations?

Pin It Now!

My Pride in My Students

One of my journalism students started his internship early. He secured a position at Time Out magazine, a tourism publication that is produced in all major cities in the US and Europe. His first work, a listing of cultural events, appeared in the June issue and he e-mailed me. I am so very proud of him. Next month, he will have a full article to his credit. What could make a teacher more excited than to see their prodigy achieve and succeed?

Pin It Now!

Tomorrow is the 200 Forint Day

Starting tomorrow, the Hungarian government will begin issuing the new 200 forint coin, replacing the 200 forint bank note. Similar to the 100 forint coin, it will be minted in two metals with an outer and inner ring, made of 75% copper. The last date to be able to use the current 200 forint paper currency will be November 16, 2009. According to the central bank, the reasons are two-fold. The coins will have a longer life expectancy as the bills wear out faster and this is also to prepare people for the eventual adoption of the Euro. That will not be happening in the near future, but it is still interesting to think about the currency exchange identification between 100 or 200 forints and 1 or 2 Euros. Yikes, what a rate that would be sending inflation skyrocketing. The forint's name comes from the city of Florence, where golden coins were minted from 1252 called fiorino d'oro. Hungary's florentinus (later forint), was also a gold-based currency, which was used from 1325 under King Charles Robert

Pin It Now!

Judy in the Sky Without Glasses

After my day of patience testing going and returning from Eger, the clock had to be set for 4:20 am to see Judy off to the airport. Judy stayed with us about six years ago, perhaps longer. Over the years, we have stayed in touch and she returned for a few days. She heartily missed not seeing Ron, so I had to do double time being R to the second power in his absence. With Judy, this is not a problem, she is also a social worker and a genteel soul, a pleasure to have around. So it was with hearty hugs, I waved good-bye when she climbed into the elevator at 4:40 for her waiting taxi. I went back to bed and actually slept until 9:00 am, a real feat for me. Now I am without guests until Thursday, unless there are some late planners who call for an emergency reservation, which has been known to happen. Unless that does occur, I am alone for four whole days, looking forward to the peace, quiet, and solitude. Most people believe I don't need or want alone time, but the truth of the matter is I do. It is just that I have many things on my plate at one time, it does not happen often. Yes, I could scrape things off of the plate, but life is short and I want it to be the most meaningful; it is a trade-off.

Pin It Now!

Eger Busted

Michael and I were at the train station in plenty of time to catch the train to Eger; I had bought the tickets the day before with Balazs's aid. When we looked at the departure board, there was no train to Eger listed, including the sub-stations that the train would travel to. I saw the town Fuzesabonyleaving from track 3 and since it was on our ticket along with Eger, we went to track three. Now at Keleti station, there are guards who only allow ticketed passengers through. No problem, we had tickets. When I confirmed with her that Eger was track three, she said no, track eight. Okay, we went to track eight, but first I looked at the departure and arrival sheets that are behind thick plastic making them as readable as a newspaper in a sand storm. Eger 8. She was correct, but I checked again with the ticket inspector on this side, who pointed to the train on track eight and waved us through. Nestled into our seats, the train left on the minute it was scheduled. Impressive indeed. Fifteen minutes into the ride, Michael gets up to go to the bathroom, runs into the conductor who wants to see his ticket causing Michael to make an immediate about face. We are on the train to Romania. What the f(&*? We are told to get off at Szolnok, a town I had never heard of and had no desire to learn about. It took over an hour to get there, but that did not end the trials and tribulations. We had options to return to Budapest and then go to Eger again or we could go to Hatvan, change trains, go to Fuzesabony and then on to Eger. The latter choice would get us there at 3:30 pm, while the other would land us in at 5:32 pm. It turned out that additional tickets would cost us 1,220 Huf each with my teacher discount and with his student discount. I paid mine, received my ticket, looked to Michael who was not reaching for any money only to be floored when he said "I am sorry, but I am not putting out any more money for tickets." IF I had thought fast enough, I should have said, "You are right, good-bye", but I did not want a scene after this hassle and paid it. Though I have to say I fumed for hours, which he did not notice or at least respond to. The train station is about a mile from the center. What were they thinking? We rushed through the city, the TourInform was long closed, but I did manage to find three nice hotels in the center for the book. We found two restaurants and the city is much lovelier than I had remembered. We were running late to get back to the train station for the 7:34 train, which if we missed it, we would have to wait until after 10:00 pm for the last train. We bought our tickets, but the woman clerk told us we needed seat reservations for one portion of the trip. She did not however, sell them to us, escaping my attention. When the female conductor came for our tickets, she asked for our reservations that we were not in possession of and then started screaming at the top of her lungs. She asked our cabin mates if they spoke English and the poor man said he spoke a little while trying to explain why she was upset. We tried telling him that the clerk did not charge us for or give us reservation tickets. He and the woman in our cabin started calmly speaking to the conductor, but she went berserk. We really thought she had lost it. She then disappeared and returned with a young man whose English was quite good, who explained she wanted us to pay 890 Huf for a seat reservation on the spot. Fine, we did. Then I said she had not given me my ticket back. Her hysteria escalated to the point I thought she was going to stroke out in front of us. As it turned out, I had stuck it in my wallet in the confusion. When I discovered it, she burst into tears, crying without abandon and continued her tirade the whole time. When she finally abandoned us, the gentleman told us that he and the woman sitting with us were trying to get her to by-pass the reservation fees, since we were misinformed, hence her theatrics. We finally arrived in Budapest at 9:40 pm.

Pin It Now!