Back to Norway.
Norway may be near the top of the list of countries that is seen as “Least Corrupt”, but If you thought that Norway was free from corruption, think again:
Local shop to go fully self-service after 1800 hrs.:
Translated by GT from:
The concept has already been tested in Oslo. Use of cash is almost eliminate in Norway already. ( Even in shops manned by cashiers)
They have got you where they want you! The woke police are about- buying too much meat or anything else not on the nutritionist list you will be told.
But seriously when the Christchurch earthquakes happened cash was king. Cellphones died when the cell sites exhausted their backup batteries and ATM’s shut down. Ok I know an earthquake is unlikely in Norway.
Yes earthquake are unlikely, but more short term local power outings does happen (although not often)
But I bet there will be protests from some local people who doesn’t like the idea of self-service by scanning their purchased items themselves.
PS> Using bank card or phone to pay for purchases are already well established and the norm.
I bet that initially some stubborn people will take the ferry to Volda to do their weekly grocery shopping, even if it means paying a hefty price for taking their car back and forward.
Alternatively they can do their shopping before 1800 hrs.
PS> Folkestad has abt. 300 inhabitants and is a major ferry connection on the main coastal road E39:
Norway and the US have signed some kind of pact:
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A fellow called Tom Cruise is causing quite a commotion just by his presents in the district, where he is waiting on weather to perform some stunts. He is not suffering, staying in this “cabin” in Valldal:
He will be riding and fighting on top of a train wagon, made out to look like the Orient Express, going up Romsdalen.
Seen here during a practice session in Åndalsnes:
'He is also jumping off a mountain near Hellesylt on a motorbike.
A ramp has been built on top of Helsetkopen(1200m. asl) to give him a “flying start”.
This last especially require calm weather, which hasn’t materialized before today. He did jump this afternoon in cloudy by calm conditions:
So far he has done 3 jumps (When the article in smp.no was written)
He brings along a large crew and has chartered two Hurtigruten ships that happened to be laid up in the right places, Fridtjof Nansen in Hellesylt and Vesretålen in Åndalsnes:
PS> As usual the geography knowledge leave something to be desired.
This hasn’t been without controversy since the Fidtjof Nansen is registered in NIS and has partly Filipino crew. Both the Seaman’s Union and the Union for Hotel and Restaurant is protesting:
NMD has approved the arrangement from a maritime point of view…
Another view of the stunt:
NMD is a bunch of useless fuckers.
I think the “Take our country back” is/was a slogan used in the Brexit campaign. So don’t worry, the Norwegians are not coming to claim back the continent they “found” over 1000 years ago.
As to what Americans thinks and knows about Norway? It is kind of hilarious too. (Those who have heard about it at all that is)
Even those Americans who have spent some time in Norway have some screwed up ideas about many things Norwegian:
Sushi, Kebab, Taco and Pizza (the American variety of) has become “national dishes” in Norway. “Taco Friday” and the “Saturday Pizza” is now “Norwegian tradition”.
The idea of the Homogeneous, Mono-cultural, Mono-lingual Norway is looong gone. People of all races now live in Norway. Some are third generation of Pakistani decent, but a lot has arrived in the last 10-15 years. Lots of East Europeans, incl. Russians, are working in Norway but go home on their time off, while more and more bring their families and settle in Norway.
Some place in Norway has a lot of returned Norwegian-Americans, especially Lista and Farsund:
There are also some Americans oilfield workers that got “stranded” in the Stavanger and Bergen regions after the time when Americans were “Rulling the Roost” in the oil industry…
One very recent anecdote; many of the Norwegian-Americans in Norway that returned years ago received a cheque for USD 1200 (singed by President Trump) in the mail a few months ago.
Some chased the cheque, but others returned it with a note that there are a lot of people in the US that needed the money more then them:
Saturday morning, the tug ‘Diavlos Force’ arrived at Brattvag after a month long tow from the Black Sea. What did this tug tow from Tulcea to Brattvag?
I followed this tug in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic… because I thought the tow was a new vessel under way to the Netherlands…
Finally it was a rather calm tow, always at 6/8 knots. Beside when they rounded Cape Sao Vicente (the SW corner of Portugal) where they run into strong head seas and slowed to 2 knots for 24 hours.
More "informative videos ab\out Norway for those who have the time and interest:
I don’t know either (yet)
I noticed her a couple of days ago with destination only given as Norway.
She is still at Vard Brattvaag Shipyard.
Could be the hull for this 80 m. trawler that is due for delivery in Q1 2022:
PS> The Diavlos Force is the ex. Russian AHTS Katun that I inspected in Vung Tau, Vietnam for a potential buyer in 2014:
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Correction, not that one.
It was the hull of the Cable Layer Leonardo da Vinci that arrived at Brattvåg this Friday:
Here some details on the vessel:
Under tow by Diavlos Force, passing through Bosporus:
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My Mom was born in Norway just outside Arendal, and my family is still very close to the cousins there with lots of long visits in each direction. One of my Army postings was in Lebanon and Syria with the UN and I wound up being semi- adopted by the Norwegian UN Contingent and have a lot of good friends from that as well , so I’ve really stayed in contact with Norway. And while my Norwegian is pretty spotty- I’ve found that there are few Norwegians under the age of 70 who don’t speak English fairly fluently. It is without a doubt a far more civilized country than the US at present, and frankly for the last several years I’ve given some semi- serious thought to moving there because from my perspective- the US is rapidly becoming a train wreck.
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I have been to Bergen.
A lovely and historic town.
Except for the drunk who accosted us at a street corner and tried to spit on us, it was a nice place to visit
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which is why I always had the " you are representing your country" speech before we got into port. This was prefaced with the speech “most ports are the arm pit of any country so don’t judge the country by the people right outside that gate.” Travel a kilometer or two away from the seaport to see the country.
However, I have had a lot of fun right outside the gate to the port. 
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Obnoxious drunks are unfortunately found many places, especially in the larger towns in Norway. I’m not talking about the “weekend drunks”, although those can be annoying too.
I mean those who have fallen outside society due to alcoholism (and now also drug addicts) Many live on the streets because they refuse to follow rules that apply at shelters, in half-way houses, or to receive a flat from Social Welfare.
They still get money from the Government every month, since they are usually declared disabled (some from a fairly young age) and receive disability pension.
PS> Spitting on people is not something that happens often, though. 
I would have loved to see more of Norway. Had to be happy with what we got.
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I have made a few trips to Lillehammer. There is a yearly Energy Adjuster’s conference. Granted, it is in winter (late Feb/early March). Most attending are Brits, but there are always quite a few of us Colonists, too. For the most part, I do enjoy my stay, but man, I am glad I am on an expense account when I am there.