Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ducks flying eggs

Jerry Yang hasn't enjoyed having to fend off Microsoft's takeover advances. But unless the Yahoo chief executive speaks Hungarian, we doubt Yang was the guy throwing eggs at his Microsoft counterpart yesterday.

There's a priceless video circulating on the Interweb of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ducking for cover during a lecture in Budapest, Hungary.

Ballmer had just started his talk at Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, a university, by asking the students how many still had exams to take, when someone in the audience stood up and shouted "Hey, you!" The guy pointed his finger at Ballmer, said something about Microsoft causing damage to the Hungarian people, then demanded that Ballmer "Give that money back right now."

The Microsoft honcho, who has remained quick on his feet during the Yahoo takeover saga, took shelter behind a lectern as the protester tossed his chicken grenades. All three missed, making delicious splatting sounds.

When the last egg was tossed, Ballmer emerged from the lectern to glare. The guy, muttering as he was escorted out, drew a laugh when the crowd caught sight of the writing on the back of his shirt: "Microsoft = Corruption".

But the biggest laugh was reserved for Ballmer, who scratched his famously bald head and quipped,"It was a friendly disruption." Hmm. Maybe if you were Hungarian, that would be hi-laaarious.

"That broke my train of thought," Ballmer said, before continuing his talk.

And, for your enjoyment, our brief history of face pieing.

-- Chris Gaither

Comments

[steveballmer]

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS:
The kid was taken to a back room where he was being held by a campus security guy and my Blackwater Bodyguard #6.
I told the university staff that I was concerned about him and wanted to speak to him personally. He was handcuffed and tied down to a chair. As everyone left so I could have my little "talk" with this poor troubled soul, I instructed BWBG#6, "Nobody gets in here for the next 45 seconds!", he said, "I understand sir."

The rest of my story goes like this:
"I approached the kid and he became irrational! He screamed, tipped his chair over backwards, slammed his head into the wall several times! I tried helping him up by the neck, but he tried to bite me! I released him and he fell to the floor hitting his head on my shoe (several times)! Boy was I glad to get out of there! That guy was crazy."

The Hungarian authorities have assured me that he will never do anything like this again.

I am not evil