May 7th

Owning a car keeps one busy. Yesterday Ernest and I took it down the local autoclub to have it checked out and get some papers with which we can get some more papers to then get the papers. While waiting on the mechs to do their job we gone for a walk, after the playground we nipped into Szeged Plaza, by far the largest shopping mall in south-east hungary. around the size of Stockman downtown Oulu. We were thrown out of the sport shop, in fact not allowed in because I had a backpack and weren’t willing to give it up. Never mind that we were the only shoppers in the sportshop probably due to the early hour while there was a security guy and two other shop assistants on duty besides the cctv. regulations are regulations.

We spent the rest of the day with shopping. Ernest slept trough the market for which I was thankful, was not up for chasing him around there. We also spent the day in anticipation of the Scottish election results and following the news of the UK results somewhat, mostly the referendum.

We parked the car by the way, fairly early yesterday and haven’t bothered with it since so my opening statement isn’t so true for this last couple of days at least
Liliom has the habit of jumping of her bed far as she can onto a matrass and some giant inflatable coushin. Ernest copies her although he hasn’t gathered the courage to actually jump yet. Probably due to the relative weight of his head. He still gathers their duvets and pillows right next to the bed and after dutyfuly counting to three, as seen from Lili, he steps out of the bed onto the pile.

Last night we had some wine celebrating the Scottish election results. Although I am cautious to celebrate the SNP. The interesting development is there nevertheless. I believe if we cannot just yet do away with the state, at least government should be brought closer to people and the smaller a state is the easier this task can be. For me it’s about locus of control.

In the UK people generally voted down the idea of a more representative electoral system. The argument to support such decision that through a more proportional system (the current first pass the post is one of the least) there would be a greater chance for a ‘hung’ parliament and coalition governments that are unstable and yara yara.

The past four years the Scottish government was a minority government (which is an unimaginable notion in Westminster) yet this gov managed to now gain such an overwhelming swing of seats that the SNP controls more than half the seats in Hollyrood. This has happened in an electoral system which is practically designed to prevent it.

The arguments against changing the UK voting system are false as in Westminster there is an unstable coalition government contrary to the disproportionate electoral system and in Hollyrood there is a majority government contrary to a far more proportional system. Maybe voters voted the proposals down cause they annoyed with the Libdems, but surely; punish other, smaller parties?

Looking at the developing political culture in Scotland I came to realise that unlike most central europen countries Scotland will go on its separate way – prob in a couple more elections – once it’s ready, it has a tradition of a democratic process well developed. A culture of parliamentary politics.

I wonder if a political tradition is a reason for the no vote on the referendum now. A more proportionate representative system would get parties such as UKIP into Westminster in numbers. And look at Finland to see where does that get you. What if that seemingly idiotic no was a very well calculated no?

Naturally, I am critical of it nevertheless. Even bogyman nationalist must be confronted in a dialogue (ok, this is told by me who half the time runs away from such confrontations) but more importantly, here comes the Marxist, maintaining the status qou benefits the structure that is already in power; economic, or corporate fascist. They are only really a step away from hard liner nationalist and nationalist-fascist, besides, in the current system the electorate is also robed from choosing someone else. In such system many probably just opts to take the least worst, as the result of the referendum shows.

Tomorrow we should go to the zoo or something like that, take plenty pictures – if we find the camera – and have a photo blog entry. It takes a lot more composition to write photo on electoral systems

Ant the whole point mentioning the wine was that being drunk after the second glass I realised that I have dropped my thesis topic. Looking for a new one. Then Jen told me that she thinks I have dropped my topic quite some time ago and only my stubbornness kept me on it but she didn’t want to say, just in case now I don’t quite remember what.

February 4th

There may be something wrong about stand up comedies when one stays awake, keeps watching a show in hope that maybe, maybe at the end there will be the punch line that made it all worth it, that made it all ok to persevere. It was the second time now – if one can say in a row – that this has happened. I do not like it and I find only two explanations: either these comedians i watch getting old and start losing touch or I am getting old and losing touch. For this latter I could borrow one of my mum’s recently favourite phrase ‘I’m just not as young anymore as I am used to be...’ Well neither am I and unless one finds the fountain of youth we all have the ready answer to whatever comes our way. Had I been younger it would probably had been a more fun show (although I doubt it, being ‘old’ – well maybe not so old actually – and grumpy). Show me a stand up that I find painfully funny at least in my stomach muscles and I will owe you the price of your choice.

I couldn’t help reading in the news this morning that the USA, its government now want the Egyptian Mubarak gone, and hopes to have him replaced with his former minister for secret services... one shall not comment on that but I fear for the peace in a country where seems to be a genuine hope for a democracy. The army will probably take over, best case scenario that the European Council and the UN will organise elections... then comes - my concern here - that the people will have voted ‘wrong’.

Reading news has happened before going to the market, before taking Liliom to school and after having breakfast and although we were late to school it was a brief session of reading nevertheless. So I derive my analysis from minutes of news reading. I perhaps got it wrong.

After dropping Lili off, Ernest and I turned towards the market which usually a blissfully oblivious browse for me as by the time we get there, he is almost always asleep. Ususally his is covered by his shawl so people just know me there as the guy with the buggy. They rarely see Ernest. But today it was different. He was awake and he wanted a piece of the action so we experimented with him on foot. I wrapped his shawl around him in some manner so it didn’t obstruct his movement and didn’t strangle him either. And off he went. Invincible.

Twice I lost him completely following the signs and waves from friendly vendors as I was chasing after him. It was a laugh. Eventually we came to an agreement to take turns leading the way and waiting up on each other. This system worked well only to break down rather explicitly when the appearance of satsumas –especially ones in crates under the vendor tables. In the beginning our agreement was like that of the great powers on the security council of the UN. We wanted, we dreamed of a future – and at the time a present – without conflicts, of mutual understanding only to have it gone in an instant degrading back in to pity self interest the moment our common dreams became an obstacle of the corporations that controlled ‘our’ governments, the moment those satsumas were in sight all deals were off.

I caught up with the news later so maybe my hypothesis has some more ground than it first seems. Yes, I am very clever.