Backpack Nazis

January 1st, 2006

I've discovered an alarming trend, there are more and more places now that won't let you in with a backpack. Since they're complete nazis about it, I think they deserve the appropriately chosen Backpack Nazi tag. If you walk into a store, there's a chance they have a security guard guarding the entrance (from god knows whom) who will insist on you leaving your backpack at the counter at the entrance of the store. And it's impossible to reason with them "look man, I have valuables in here that I won't trust just anyone to keep for me" "please leave your bag at the counter, sir". Nazis. So what do people do? They stuff their pockets with everything in the bag that they consider valuable, WHICH IS THE FUCKING REASON THEY NEED THE BAG IN THE FIRST PLACE, and then leave a sweater in the bag and go in the store. Then after you come out, it always takes a few minutes for them to find your bag, verify that it's yours and you can leave. So add 5-10 minutes for every store with a Backpack Nazi policy and it slows you down considerably.

Just a few days ago I was in a museum in Warsaw where I witnessed a 20 minute discussion a visitor had with the staff about taking his bag into the museum. He actually had tons of stuff in there that wouldn't fit in his pockets no matter what and the bag was a small backpack that couldn't possibly do any damage. Finally, the security guard went over to the gift shop, got a plastic bag for the guy to keep his stuff in, and the backpack of course had to stay in the coat room. Before you ask why a plastic bag is incomparably safer to carry and is worth a 20 minute discussion I'll go ahead and tell you that I don't know.

Isn't this an infringement on our civil rights or something? I know I barely walk into Backpack Nazi stores anymore, when they tell me to leave the bag I just walk out.

in the late minutes of 2005

December 31st, 2005

So here I am, freezing in my room, it's 11 degrees ffs. Got home from a satisfying holiday 6h ago and it's almost 2006. In the 11th hour I put the finishing touches on a comfy little project I invented for myself, which I think will prove quite useful with time: galleryforge. Was going to throw up a project page for it but I can't be bothered, point is the code is tested and works.

Well then, 2005 has been good to me, New Year's is a complete waste of time and I don't plan to honor it but tune in the same time tomorrow and the show is back on the air.

Oh and today's news: Utrecht awaits me with an apartment ready. :party:

farewell trondheim

December 22nd, 2005

New sentimental gallery added, a compilation of images from home from all of 2005.

farewell trondheim

Ronaldo's latest ambition

December 19th, 2005

Once again, the fans booed their team and once again Ronaldo criticised
them for it, which isn't what you expect from a man who's just revealed
that his greatest dream is to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Then again,
you wonder if he actually knows what the award is for, having
cheerfully announced: "I want to win the Nobel Peace Prize - and I'm
going to fight as hard as I can to make it happen."

no comment (an absurdity in itself in fact, to match the wisdom of Il Fenomeno)

radio alarm clocks

December 19th, 2005

I have this radio alarm clock that comes on when the alarm goes off, I like it so much better than the traditional beeper cause it's much nicer to wake up to. And it's fairly practical too, often I will not want to get up and then they play Madonna or some bs like that and I'm forced to get up unless I want to listen to it. time goes by. so slowly. Maria Mena works well too, I actually like her but she is capable of the dumbest lyrics. So then I do get up cause I can't stand it. Unless I just turn it off and go back to sleep. Oh well.