Whiskey Robber, Bachelor of Arts

For years we have followed the story of the Whiskey Robber with great interest. It was a reporter for this so-called journal who brought the story of Attila Ambrus, the Hungarian hockey goalie turned bank robber, to the attention of Sports Illustrated in 1999.

Now Pestiside, the must-read for anyone interested in events in Hungary (Hungarians included), informs that Mr. Ambrus has made good use of the past decade he has spent in the pokey by earning a degree in communications (by correspondence) from Hungary’s Dunaujvaros College.

According to the Hungarian tabloid Blikk, Ambrus starts his days at 4 a.m. with his artwork and then his studies.

He was given a 17-year sentence in 1999 after robbing dozens of banks in Budapest.

Ambrus is the subject of a book by Julian Rubinstein, The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber, which may be turned into a movie starring Johnny Depp.

Barack Toilet Paper, The Perfect Holiday Gift

This item is real and was never intended by its manufacturer to be a gag. Rather, Barack toilet paper is a good that has been displayed on Hungarian store shelves for generations and has nothing to do with the former Senator from Illinois who currently resides in the White House.

Barack is the Hungarian word for peach (oszibarack) and apricot (sargabarack). We are not sure in this case whether the toilet paper in question is peach scented or apricot scented or whether this plays a crucial role in a Hungarian consumer’s purchase.

This particular 12-roll pack of Barack toilet paper was found in a Spar supermarket and costs a recession-friendly 700 forints (or roughly $4).

The meaning of President Obama’s first name in Hungarian was brought to his attention this April when he was in Strasbourg, France.