Greetings from Norway

[Hogsnort]

Very interesting article on scientific history of the Aurora Borealis in our local paper this morning. It covered the establishment of an observatory at Mount Halde, the work of Kristian Birkeland and the new observatory at Skibotn.

[ombugge]

Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights as it is more commonly known, is attracting a lot of tourists to Northern Norway and Northern Finland.
Some locals think it is too much of a good thing, with overcrowding and lack of facilities to cater to the needs of all the visitors.
One of our God daughters and her husband from Singapore visited Rovaniemi in Finland (home to the “Christmas Village”) and Tromsø this February. They enjoyed it immensely, although the -20C temperature was a bit of a cultural shock.
PS: They got to see the spectacle in both places.

You should have a changs to see the Aurora Australis soon:
https://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/aurora-australis/
It is still peak sunspot activities for the upcoming winter season at your end of the world.
While at this end we get to enjoy long days and hardly any night, even here at 62.5N. for abt. 3 1/2 months ( early May - mid-Aug.)

[Hogsnort]

The Southern Lights were visible as far North as 38 degrees South last year.

[ombugge]

It’s that time of the year again, the cod is in the fjord to spawn and the hobby fishermen are there to take their share of the bounty:

March 1st and Borgundfjord fishing is in full swing
Source: Ålesund City Center Association

[ombugge]

To get and hold a driving license in Norway it is compulsory to attend a “Glattkjøring” (Slippery road driving) course:

90K views · 34K reactions | När man blir jagad av Tony är det bara att hålla...

Ok this is not actually showing participants in the course. (Just two Swedish dads on being late for picking up their kids from football training)

This is what is the facts about what is involved in obtaining a Norwegian driving license, incl. “glattkjøring” course:

Elevens Trafikkskole | Driving School in Oslo & Asker

An American expats experience in getting a Norwegian driving license:

Getting a Norwegian Driver’s License | 2 SBD Trivia Prize | Adventure Every...

BTW: If he had done a bit of checking he could have saved himself a lot of time and money. (But lost a lot of driving knowledge)

[ombugge]

There were a discussion about NATO contributions and how USA carried the burden, while others were freeloaders, incl. Norway.
That thread has been closed, but here is a video that MAY manage to convince the doubters that what they have been lead to believe all these years are simply NOT TRÙE:

Why the US Military Secretly NEEDS Norway More Than Any Other NATO Ally

[spowiednick]

Dr,Bugge.Good day

Is your nice long thread about Norway worth sacrificing and getting it closed?
Come on. Just leave it. Those who suffer from cognitive dissonance will remain unconvinced even if you discharge the VLCC shipload of academic based evidence written by experts in the field.

Have a good day
Spo

[ombugge]

Just trying to educate by quoting others who have more detailed and current knowledge about Norway than me, an expat living on the other side of the world for most of my life.
Here is a Quora post from one knowledgeable Norwegian that MAY help to explain the Norwegian way of thinking.
Question: How does the Norwegian welfare system work?
Answer by: John Andresen

Norway is often referred to as a welfare state. This means, firstly, that the state and local authorities have a responsibility for ensuring that all Norway’s inhabitants have access to certain fundamental goods, such as schools, the health service and income in the form of benefits or social security if they are unable to work. A welfare state also means that every member of society shall enjoy these benefits; they are not just for rich people and they are not just emergency aid for the poorest people in society. Lastly, a welfare state means that there is a certain redistribution of income, so that everyone contributes to the common good through direct and indirect taxes.

The fact that Norway is a welfare state means that people who live here have certain rights - for example to education, health services and to be paid benefits if they are unemployed or ill. At the same time, however, it also means that people have duties that set out what they should or must do – for example to try to find a job and provide for themselves if they can, to be law-abiding and pay taxes, to take part in organisations to help themselves and others, and to take part in governing the country – by voting in elections, if nothing else. As a labour movement slogan puts it: ‘Do your duty! Demand your rights!’ This means that you cannot receive without trying to contribute.

Norwegian values are rooted in egalitarian ideals and Norway is a progressive welfare state. Openness, equality and equal rights are important values.

Norway is considered to be the most developed democracy and constitutional states in the world. The country is a parliamentary democracy. The main political parties are grouped into three blocs: a left-of-centre bloc consisting of the Norwegian Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Party Red; a centre bloc consisting of the Centre Party, the Christian People’s Party, the Liberal Party and the Green Party; and a centre-right bloc consisting of the Conservative Party and the Progress Party. The Norwegian parliament is called Stortinget, for which members are elected every four years.

The Norwegian head of state since 1991 has been King Harald V. He has no political power, but performs ceremonial duties and is generally a beloved, down-to-earth representative of the Norwegian people.

Norwegian values are rooted in egalitarian ideals. Most Norwegians believe in equal distribution of wealth and that everyone should have equal opportunities. We generally have a high degree of trust in the government and believe in the welfare state. Norway is called a welfare state because the government, both federal and local, has primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens.
The Norwegian welfare state is mainly financed by taxes and duties paid by its inhabitants.

Openness, equality and equal rights in general– such as economic, social and gender equality – are important values to most Norwegians. It is also an established fact that people with physical and mental challenges should have equal rights and be treated with as much respect as other people.

The egalitarian values at the root of the welfare state manifest themselves throughout Norwegian society in many ways. Systematic efforts are made to ensure that women and men are equal when it comes to education and wages. This has certainly changed the Norwegian male’s role as a father.

Norway has a paternity leave quota, so that fathers have to take a certain number of weeks of parental leave, but can also take more time off to be with their children. This has helped make it much easier to combine careers and family. Nevertheless, the goal of total equality remains.

Informality is widespread in Norwegian society. Formal titles and social position normally do not mean that a person should be addressed any differently than the man in the street. In other words, you are perfectly within ‘normal’ standards of behaviour if you call your professor by the first name. As a student you will likely have a friendly relationship with your professor, and this carries over into the workplace, where it is not uncommon to have lunch with your boss.

Source: https://qr.ae/pC021j

PS: Similar welfare systems works in most other developed countries.

[Hogsnort]

Except in a restaurant. The Chef is always called Chef.