NO MORE SQUATTING!

Michelle, my lovely sister-in-law will be selling the P-Mate(http://www.pmate.co.uk/) at this year’s T in the Park in Glasgow.

Please support her by buying as many as possible. Even if you are a bloke it could be useful, for example if you only have a chippolata and wish to preserve your modesty in public places.

Perhaps she can also bring some of them over to Sziget and make a few bob.

Anyway, here she is (pictured left) demonstrating both the new product and attempting to make a standing-up-like-a-man-and-having-a-piss face. It needs a bit of work, but I think she’s almost there.

Interesting article on the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5120004.stm?ls

This scientist is claiming that male homosexuality is genetic, and this caught my attention because of a picture I saw of the Gay Pride march in Budapest at the weekend: two men holding up a placard proclaiming “We were born this way”.

To me, that seemed almost like an apology to the straight community for being gay – “I’m sorry, but I was born like this and there is nothing I can do to change it”. It shouldn’t matter whether somebody came out the womb gay, became gay due to upbringing or simply made a lifestyle choice. Straight people should just accept that people can do what they want with their own sexual organs, and I don’t think that gay people should have to justify their choices or existence by proving they were genetically set up that way.

Interesting article on the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5120004.stm?ls

This scientist is claiming that male homosexuality is genetic, and this caught my attention because of a picture I saw of the Gay Pride march in Budapest at the weekend: two men holding up a placard proclaiming “We were born this way”.

To me, that seemed almost like an apology to the straight community for being gay – “I’m sorry, but I was born like this and there is nothing I can do to change it”. It shouldn’t matter whether somebody came out the womb gay, became gay due to upbringing or simply made a lifestyle choice. Straight people should just accept that people can do what they want with their own sexual organs, and I don’t think that gay people should have to justify their choices or existence by proving they were genetically set up that way.

Normally I try to keep this blog as peurile as possible as I suspect the few people who read it don’t really care about my opinions on politics, etc, but I went along to cover Dubya’s speech in Budapest yesterday and a few things struck me.

The first was that his comparison of the 1956 revolution and Hungary’s eventual transition to democracy with the situation in Iraq didn’t stand up. The US left Hungary to its own devices in 1956, allowing the Soviets to roll in and crush the revolution without lifting a finger. Bush held Hungary up as an example for Iraq, but Iraq’s “revolution” came about after the US invaded. If Bush really wanted Iraq to follow Hungary’s example, shouldn’t he just have left them alone and allowed them to get rid of the dictator themselves? The whole event smacked of an excuse to justify Iraq and the soundbite speech was liberally peppered with the usual references to liberty, freedom and God.

Secondly, I can’t help but feel Bush is as much a victim of the climate of fear the US stokes up around terrorism as the ordinary punter. The security around the event was as tight as a gnat’s chuff – although I have to admit the US secret service guys were very friendly and professional, unlike some of the jobsworth Hungarian police. I missed the first event after a local copper refused to let me cross the chain bridge – even with all my valid accreditation – and forced me to take a 40-minute detour. It was no surprise that the secret service (I’ll refrain from shortening it to SS, as that would be unfair) wouldn’t let me in because I was late. Bush probably can’t take a dump without someone having to shine a torch up his cavity to check for suicide bombers. I don’t think I would want to live that way. And even with all the security, there were glitches: most noteably two old drunks swigging from a bottle in an area of the Gellert Hill that was allegedly secured.

It was interesting how jumpy the crowd was, though. At one point, as Bush was speaking at the top of the hill, a plane flew overhead through the clouds. The engines were very loud, and a lot of Hungarian dignitaries (and journalists such as myself) glanced up, half-expecting to see a plane dive-bombing straight at the podium.

Some of the bowing and scraping from Hungarian politicians was pretty impressive as well. One prominent MSZP figure grabbed Bush’s hand with two of his own and almost bent double as he greeted him. He looked like a leper thanking Jesus for curing him.

All in all, Bush had a bit of an easy ride the whole day. The next time he wants a nice PR opportunity with no grief, I’m sure he will know where to come.

Normally I try to keep this blog as peurile as possible as I suspect the few people who read it don’t really care about my opinions on politics, etc, but I went along to cover Dubya’s speech in Budapest yesterday and a few things struck me.

The first was that his comparison of the 1956 revolution and Hungary’s eventual transition to democracy with the situation in Iraq didn’t stand up. The US left Hungary to its own devices in 1956, allowing the Soviets to roll in and crush the revolution without lifting a finger. Bush held Hungary up as an example for Iraq, but Iraq’s “revolution” came about after the US invaded. If Bush really wanted Iraq to follow Hungary’s example, shouldn’t he just have left them alone and allowed them to get rid of the dictator themselves? The whole event smacked of an excuse to justify Iraq and the soundbite speech was liberally peppered with the usual references to liberty, freedom and God.

Secondly, I can’t help but feel Bush is as much a victim of the climate of fear the US stokes up around terrorism as the ordinary punter. The security around the event was as tight as a gnat’s chuff – although I have to admit the US secret service guys were very friendly and professional, unlike some of the jobsworth Hungarian police. I missed the first event after a local copper refused to let me cross the chain bridge – even with all my valid accreditation – and forced me to take a 40-minute detour. It was no surprise that the secret service (I’ll refrain from shortening it to SS, as that would be unfair) wouldn’t let me in because I was late. Bush probably can’t take a dump without someone having to shine a torch up his cavity to check for suicide bombers. I don’t think I would want to live that way. And even with all the security, there were glitches: most noteably two old drunks swigging from a bottle in an area of the Gellert Hill that was allegedly secured.

It was interesting how jumpy the crowd was, though. At one point, as Bush was speaking at the top of the hill, a plane flew overhead through the clouds. The engines were very loud, and a lot of Hungarian dignitaries (and journalists such as myself) glanced up, half-expecting to see a plane dive-bombing straight at the podium.

Some of the bowing and scraping from Hungarian politicians was pretty impressive as well. One prominent MSZP figure grabbed Bush’s hand with two of his own and almost bent double as he greeted him. He looked like a leper thanking Jesus for curing him.

All in all, Bush had a bit of an easy ride the whole day. The next time he wants a nice PR opportunity with no grief, I’m sure he will know where to come.

You have to admire the ambition of these two guys and their make a million plan, although I’m a little unconvinced about their chances of selling:

http://www.budapesttimes.hu/index.php?head=7&issue=93

However, I hope they do sell it, if just to remove 1 million dollars from some large corporation’s sweaty paws.