not a -picture- of a moustache but a -real- moustache.

The Italian prostitute I hear through my kitchen window is funny.

She was discussing the gay pride with her client.

-the- gay pride?

You go to gay party?

It’s like with lions.

Today izze gay.

Auf Englisch?

They come in prides.

Auf English but with a heavy Italian accent.

I think her client is going to some party.

Kinda of a impertinent question, right after...you know...business.

Really!

So long as she gets paid, what does she care?

I think most people in the crowds are straight, you know. It's really big.

How could you tell? That’s too many for the salty duck test.

@tchrist Touche. Also, really, just making conversation you know.

Even the national football league had a boat, with some famous players on it.

@tchrist Because I know several straight people who went, and zero gay people, so far.

Naw, they were just wearing those fake team helmets you can buy.

And jerseys.

The football boat.

and that's all.

Oh, no helmets in sight.

The minister of defence.

She had a boat too.

The minister of defense is hot.

Bucking for minister of offence, I see.

You say boat.

Do you mean float?

Because she's standing in direect sun.

@Mitch She's rather nice, isn't she?

Oh, how could you tell?

She's only ever been pleasant to me.

@tchrist No, she navigated the canals with great agility.

@Cerberus Kayaks are good at whitewater work.

Does that look like a kayak?

I don’t understand why they are all wearing bad colors.

Bad?

Seems in poor taste.

The police boat.

Except for the uniformed dudes, the rest look unstylish.

Maybe that is how come you said it is so full of straights.

They're military officers, what do you expect?

The officiers were fine.

One of the many anti-Putin boats.

The other people were not.

Those ones are better.

Those are Russian flags.

You have an anti-Putin manifestation?

Really? In Holland??

Many.

I’m surprised. Wait, he’s been gay-bashing lately, hasn’t he?

Yes, another new anti-gay law.

Something about arresting gay Olympians or something.

Good thing that wasn’t a law back in Greece.

Very much more colorful.

The Socialist Party, with the minister of finance in slightly-lighter-pink.

You know, if they arrest gay Olympians, there will be war.

@Cerberus Not green?

@tchrist Naaah the Greens are green. Socialists are red.

Seems like there should be other ore pressing things to worry about than making new laws against gay people. YOu know, like stopping people from playing bad rock music in churches. Now -that's- a crime!

This must be another ministry. That woman is the minister of...something.

I think of colonial affairs.

@Mitch I know that club!

Those flags are from some country/island in the Caribbean.

Suriname, I think.

@Mitch He got that covered!!

> Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says athletes will be arrested if they violate anti-gay laws.

No worries. Pregnant woman has been shipped to work camp in Siberia.

They have a sports minister? That’s just nutty.

But then, so is he.

Probably a sub-minister.

Cerb, what is 'kennen geen grenzen'? 'knows no borders'? is that good Dutch?

@Mitch Correct!!

Yes, it is good Dutch, though not a complete sentence.

Ah, yes, homo rights know no borders.

@Cerberus ha ha. Yes! Good for him! holds head in hands. silent sobbing

He's so brave.

The boat of the largest right-wing party.

@Mitch Holding head is fine, but holding hands will get you arrested in Russia, especially if you are cute.

> Travel site Skift reports that the new law, signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 30, contains a provision that allows the government to arrest and detain gay (or "pro-gay") foreigners for up to 14 days before they would then be expelled from Russia.

> As far as what is considered "pro-gay," the laws specifics are somewhat vague, but Canadian site Travel and Escape suggests "gay-affirmative" speech, displaying a rainbow flag and same-sex partners holding hands are among the prohibited actions. The move comes at a particularly critical time as the nation is currently gearing up to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

The IOC says they won’t let that happen. Good luck with that.

The IOC wins.

They're like the mafia, but global.

Look what they did to London.

Yeah, but Putin wasn’t in London.

He is mafia.

Oh, and there were also gays:

Those genitals are fake.

And the socks-in-sandals are on purpose.

wtf?

I have no idea.

It's hard to wear socks and sandals accidentally.

How can you tell they were not straight?

@DavidWallace Tell that to like 1000000000000 people who do so daily!

Look at the direction the girl is looking. The one seated just to the right of that group of half naked men.

@tchrist Touché.

Yes, I imagine that touching them would be the proof of the pudding.

@DavidWallace She likes it.

@Cerberus They’ve made a mistake.

Tell them.

I don’t think I would have the right words to confront a shirtcocking float.

Kinda surprised that was even legal.

Most civilized places ban shirtcocking.

I think you can see why.

It's a joke. And it's fake.

But I am glad that you are shocked.

Um, why? Not wholly jaded yet you mean?

I was once in a car driving down a fairly major Wellington road in the middle of the night. A group of about 12 completely naked men came running in the opposite direction.

Oh, that happens all the time.

It’s the shirtcocking that I have a problem with. :)

I’m all for men’s lib, but you have to be tasteful.

@DavidWallace Oh, dear. What did you do?

Got out and asked for directions?

Maybe it was a vision.

Bet they gave good tips.

@DavidWallace To...

Even the tax agency has a boat. That thing is the blue envelope everybody fears...

@Cerberus There was not much of a need to "do" anything. I continued on my journey; they continued on theirs.

Why on earth does the national tax agency have a boat in the canal parade?

@DavidWallace I see. Did it seem like some kind of stag party?

Party, hazing.

I suppose it could have been. They weren't wearing anything that identified the purpose of their nudity.

Were they running barefoot?

You know, I honestly can't remember.

!

I'm so disappointed.

I really didn't think to look at their feet.

I'd hate to run on a major road in the middle of the night.

Glass...

Kiwi poop...

Right, because kiwi wander through city streets pooping everywhere.

That’s why they didn’t have their drawers on.

And glass isn't really much of a problem here. Tom's former co-author used to walk everywhere with no shoes or socks.

Perhaps they were in training for that other parade.

Mind you, he is a freak. I've seen him poke a knife about 1.5cm into the sole of his foot.

He’s a Burner. He’s tough.

Never thought of him as tough. Just a freak.

Pretty normal fellow.

Almost boringly so, but in an endearing fashion.

@DavidWallace I knew it!

@DavidWallace ??

Why would anyone do that?

If you catch an infection...

@Cerberus No point asking me. It wasn't MY foot.

Indeed not.

If I recall, he was demonstrating how tough his feet were.

Successfully too. There was no blood.

That's probably normal.

Still painful and infectable.