Recent news from Norway

When I listened to the radio this morning, I heard that Norwegians are the number one victims of internet frauds. While the NRK people were mostly interested in showing off all the new words they’d learned (scams, phishing etc.) I was struck by the thought that one of the best IT nations in the world is also the most gullible.

.. Hang on. Phonecall.
Hehe. That was my friend in South Africa. He needed fifty dollars to continue with our "little project" down there, so I just wired him a houndred. It’s Christmas after all. Jolly good fellow.

Where was I?
Yes. The gullibility of Norwegians is widely known. In London, Spain and everywhere else Norwegians are normally going, we are famous for having our wallets stuck in the backpocket. Even I could’ve managed to pull it out. When I was in Beijing and the group I was going with was headed for the Northern Coast (Quin Han Dao or something), nearly all of them left their passport back in the hotel. What are they thinking? There we were, in the middle of a pseudo-communist community, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, and you don’t bring your passport?

Oh. Hang on..
’twas him again. Wished me a merry Christmas too. Said he thought we’d have the princess’ life savings by the end of January. Great, I can’t wait.

Anyway, you people want to watch your back. There’s a sucker born every minute. You just happened to come around at the right time. Norwegians are filthy rich bastards and most of them insured. Most of them can afford being robbed. I can’t, so I’ll just keep up the cynicism.

Then I heard a cow had been creating some havoc in Drammen city.
The Salvation Army was putting up the barn for baby jesus and all, but not all of the four-legged participants were happy about the deal. In short, the cow got loose and was chased by the Army, the Police and Securitas guards before calmly apprehended in the back of someone’s yard.
Why do they put up this show? The Salvation Army I mean?
Do they really think Jesus will be so impressed by two snotty and underpaid teenagers, freezing their butts off in front of the central station, that he finally decides to come back and save the world? I have no idea.

Then there’s the whole deal about Avinor.
Avinor took over the central air traffic control in 2001. Since then they have, as every other Norwegian industry, been chippin’ of the costs by "centralizing" and putting people on the street. Normally I wouldn’t care. But now I have to, because of the nervous breakdowns among the flight leaders (you know, the guys controlling the planes) that nowadays are as rapid as farts during an opera. They are indeed very much like Scrat here.
I think the flight leaders of Avinor must be the most nervous group of people on the face of the earth. I’m sure, if someone sneezes, two plane falls down and three houndred lives are lost. Then the person in casu would go on sick leave, talking to the media about the inhumane conditions.
I swear. Apart from elevator repairmen, one of the finest trades in Norway judging by the salary and social benefits must be the flight leader. If anyone as much as look at you, you can just take a long vacation and blame it on depriving social dumping or something.
Of course, there’s a case somewhere underneath all the bull, but let’s not think about that.