May 17 in Norway. It’s been ages since I’ve been in Oslo for that. Brings back a lot of memories and feelings. There’s just something about hearing the bands play ‘Norge i rødt hvidt og blått’ and seeing all the people waving the Norwegian flags, that is very familiar. Feelings and senses of honour, childhood, country, valor…
In any case, it was great being here again for the celebration. Happy May 17!
Add comment maj 17th, 2010
So, Apparently, one can get the Portal game free until May 24. Even Mac-people. I thought I would just raise awareness 
http://store.steampowered.com/freeportal/
Add comment maj 17th, 2010
It’s funny how you just happen to run into people at certain times. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Hugh and his family from Ireland on the busride from Stansted to London. Very nice people. I was even invited to stay at their place for a night if I was ever in the area, and have an authentic Irish experience. I might just take them up on that offer
Add comment april 7th, 2010
It never ceases to amaze me how both Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Ryanair can both vigorously proclaim that they are Europe’s most punctual airline. Ryanair blasts it out their speaker every time the plane touches ground on time, and SAS sports it all over their advertising posters. Reader-centred hermeneutics anyone?
Add comment april 7th, 2010
Ingemann Olesen, administrative director of the commune of Kolding just got replaced. His apparent offence? To comment publicly that what is wrong with the public sector in Denmark are vast inefficiencies due to ineffective employees.
His statements caused quite a stir with reactions from Christiansborg (the Danish parliament) and local political authorities: Of course it isn’t so. Our employees are well motivated, doing a fine job, and by no means ineffective.
Unfortunately, pretty much everyone who has ever worked in the public sector knows for a fact that this sector – at least in Denmark, and I suspect other places as well – are filled with people just such as the ones he describes (though of course, there are those that do a very good job). I think this is most likely a function of the (generally low) attractiveness of working in that sector, which in turn expresses itself through the supply-and demand mechanics of the labour-market in terms of who finds a job where.
I believe this is a case of everybody knowing deep down that there is an issue, though no-one dares to touch it with a 10-feet pole.
For more info, see politiken.dk.
2 comments april 7th, 2010
Was made aware (by the help of politiken.dk) of the existence of the game ‘One Button Bob’. Basically, you control the guy only with a single mouse click that means different things.
It’s quite fun and not very time-consuming. Try it out:
3 comments marts 5th, 2010
Dansk Folkeparti has been in the media the past day for excluding one of their members who encouraged violent action in a Facebook-group (see politiken.dk).
The party secretary of DF notes: ‘we don’t want anyone who professes extreme viewpoints’.
Not going into the oxymoronic nature of this statement in itself (as many would probably feel that the essence of DF is just that), it is very interesting that DF does not recognize the obvious fact that extreme viewpoints such as these are exactly what is created and even encouraged by their very rhetorics and general way of communicating to the public.
As Cypher says in the Matrix: ‘Ignorance is bliss’…
Add comment februar 19th, 2010
Fell over a newspaper article a couple of months back which describes a new computer game called Lose/Lose. Apparently, the idea is that if you play the game aggressively and shoot the aliens, files will start disappearing from your computer, since each alien represents a random file on your computer. Very cool
Source: politiken.dk
The game’s website (I do not recommend installing this though, and would not let it near my computer ever): Lose/Lose
3 comments februar 4th, 2010
Just wanted to point my Danish-speaking readers to a recent controversy involving a member of parliament for Dansk Folkeparti: politiken.dk and follow-up on information.dk.
It’s incredible how Dansk Folkeparti can keep maintaining they are a legitimate political party with no underlying prejudice agenda, when time after time their members seem to be showing a different attitude. Only to be corrected by the party leadership, most often Thulesen Dahl, whereafter they incredibly revert to having very politically correct opinions.
To me, it’s incredible that a somewhat large minority of the Danish population is still behind this party. This stuff seems to happen a lot, and it should say something about the underlying agenda. But then again, it is sometimes easier to line up behind fear-based propaganda than making more nuanced – and harder – choices.
Add comment januar 27th, 2010
It sounded very theological when a website-menu had the option of choosing ‘My redemption history’. It was no more interesting than an airmiles bonus-reward scheme though.. 
2 comments januar 26th, 2010