Oslo crack down on littering

People who litter on the streets of Oslo will finally start getting fined as of June 1, part of a city campaign to clean up the capital.
Litter started becoming a big problem in Oslo several years ago. Most Scandinavian cities were once seen as being relatively clean, but all that started changing in the 1990s.
Some blame the advent of fast-food availability, along with growing affluence, while others point to a growing degree of carelessness among Oslo residents or simply bad behaviour. It's not unusual to see Norwegians simply tossing their cigarette butts or dropping their empty paper-cups and pasta cartons on the street.
The citizens of Oslo have to make a journey to Singapoore and watch the streets in this town. No garbage at all, and you got a fine if you throw something on the street.

Angry cat

My cat is angry with me, I've teased him a little. He wants to attack my camera.

Mr. or Miss Woody Woodpecker pay me a visit every afternoon

Man find badger under bed

A man returning to his home in Tönsberg late Saturday night got a nasty surprise when he found a snarling badger under his bed who didn't appreciated being awakened.
The badger (called a grevling in Norwegian) was fully grown and in no mood for a late-night party. Nor was his frightened, unprepared host.
The man called police, who arrived on the scene but met massive resistance from the badger. The rudely awakened animal ran around the room and ultimately overturned the bed, prompting the police to beat a retreat.
It so happened, however, that the badger's resistance efforts ended up getting him trapped under the overturned bed, with his rear end up and exposed. It proved a perfect place for a hastily called veterinarian to give the badger a sleeping shot.
Two-and-a-half hours after the bedroom drama began, the vet crew could finally remove the sleeping badger, and the Tönsberg man could take his rightful place. On top of the bed.
I'll rather have a badger in my bed than a crazy women...he...he...
Aftenposten (Norwegian)

Sleeps like a log

A 70-year-old motorist did more than doze off behind the wheel on Friday morning.
Not only did the elderly driver fall asleep while driving on highway 22, he didn't even wake up after his unconscious ride was over.
Police were not impressed with the man's performance and confiscated his drivers license on the spot.
The man drove across the road while asleep, and into a garden before coming to a stop on a lawn. The car stopped, and the man slept on.
"This could have gone very badly. It was just luck he didn't hit someone," I suppose.
The 70-year-old will have to take a medical exam before reapplying for a new license. The man was not suspected of driving while intoxicated.
Sleep and drive is not the best combinations. I've tried it myself and I hit some trees outside the road. The car became completely and totally a wreck.

Move to translate national anthem stirs controversy

A proposal to translate Norway's national anthem into a language used by many of the country's immigrants is stirring controversy. Opponents claim those who can't understand the Norwegian lyrics should just hum along instead.
During a week that brings out huge displays of patriotism in Norway, because of Constitution Day celebrations on the 17th of May, debate is brewing over a move to write an Urdu version of the Norwegian national anthem.
The debate comes just weeks after a proposal to translate the American national anthem into Spanish stirred controversy as well.
Aftenposten(Norwegian)

Briton claims new Svalbard island

A British artist believes he has discovered a new island in arctic Svalbard. He claims sovereignty, and wants to create his own mini-state.
The retreat of arctic ice is constantly unveiling new land in the Svalbard archipelago. Alex Hartley has dubbed the new islet "Nymark" (new ground, uncharted territory) and has applied to the Governor of Svalbard to be recognized as the owner.
He will be the King and prime minister of a one-man state!!

Picture from Northern Norway

From my place of birth

Oslo warmest capital city

Yesterday, Oslo was the warmest capital city in Europe. The temperature reach 24.2 degrees. (76 degrees Fahrenheit)

Man charged in dildo assault

A 37-year-old man remained in police custody Tuesday, charged with a violent assault against his former girlfriend. He has testified that his only weapon was a dildo.
The 28-year-old victim remained in the hospital after suffering a concussion, two broken fingers and several cuts. According to a local newspaper, she told police she feared for her life during the assault.
Aftenposten,Norwegian

Picture from my place of birth

Picture from my place of birth, 140 km(87,5 miles) from where I live now . This is from Hamaröy in Northern Norway.

Fires scorch western Norway

Firefighters, police and scores of volunteers battled a rash of fires all over western Norway during the weekend. Flames continued to spread out of control in several places.
A sudden onset of unusually warm weather and little rain has left much of southern Norway tinder dry. Fallen leaves from last fall that have emerged under melted snow can catch fire easily, and winds fanned the flames.

Drunk Norwegian tourist nearly lynched in Egypt

Two Norwegians, part of a group of intoxicated Scandinavian tourists on holiday in Egypt, were nearly lynched at the resort town of Hurghada this week, after their antics deeply offended the local population.

The two Norwegians and three Swedes ended up being arrested by local police, who protected them from an angry mob.
The troubled started after the five Scandinavian tourists got drunk, dressed themselves up like Muslim pilgrims and started dancing around the statue of a mermaid located in a town square, and pretending she symbolized Allah.
The Scandinavians apparently were trying to parody Muslim pilgrimages to Mecca. When they started stripping off their clothes, the local Egyptians had had enough and went on the attack.

To all Scandinavians and others: Don't drink too mutch, don't act stupidly and pay respect to the religion in the country you visit !!!
Aftenposten

Flowers inside a tree

My neighbour cat as a punk

Norwegiann children prefer friends to TV

Children in Norway, and in Scandinavia in general, aren't nearly as preoccupied with TV as they are elsewhere in Europe.
A new study suggests that Scandinavian children spend more time with their friends and participating in sports than other European children.

While more than 40 percent of children questioned in Spain listed TV-watching as their favourite activity in free time, just 18 percent of Norwegian children responded the same.

Bush snubs Norway's premier

President George W Bush reportedly doesn't want to meet with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Norway also seems to have lost an influential role within NATO, apparently, some say, because of Norway's lack of enthusiasm for the war in Iraq.
NRK TV reported Tuesday that Bush's staff had turned down a request from Stoltenberg's office for a meeting between the two at the White House. Bush, according to the report, was too busy to make room for Stoltenberg in the foreseeable future.
Seems ok to me, the norwegians don't need to ask Bush regarding foreign politics...