Author Archives: paal

Oh, wow that sound is really creepy!

So, I’m on a reading kick about the technical side of the cold war. Books such as Command and Control, technical data on the different systems and more. Awesomely scary reading, but when watching some movies about the C2 systems on YouTube, … Continue reading

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That is some next-level bureaucracy crap

So, I’m vacationing the beautiful Basque country and the thought strikes me: Since I’m here so often, a local bank account would be practical for everyday dealings such as paying bills.

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The long march towards excellent public transport

Many of those who follow my Twitter account ask me if I have a gripe with Ruter# (sic), the public transport company in Oslo responsible for underground, bus, trams and ferries. I really don’t. Honestly! My issue is that, for … Continue reading

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Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011

It wasn’t exactly unexpected, but still it’s sad to see a true visionary disappear from the information technology stage. Jobs  was a catalyst for improvement, in the respect that Apple, Pixar and NeXT seldom invented things. They perfected them. The … Continue reading

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Ruter# giveth and Ruter# taketh

These days, the Ruter# company (Oslo Transport Authority) is doing very hard PR on how the new, less insane zoning system will save some people money. Good on them. For travelers outside Oslo, commuting into the city that’s true in … Continue reading

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Navigating the web of Oslo municipality

So, I had a simple task the other day: Find the opening hours of Frogner stadium to plan some exercise. Sounds easy, right? Just pop over to the Frogner stadium web page and look it up. Nope. There are only … Continue reading

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The difference between two countries. Illustrated.

So, an article in Aftenposten about how the automated emergency systems in the Japanese Shinkansen reacted much faster and correct than humans possibly can, and stopped the trains before the earthquake struck. This probably saved tons of lives as having … Continue reading

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How to buy a Norwegian e-book in 42 easy steps

There’s been a lot of criticism towards the new (not so) unified e-book solution launched in Norway this week. I’m going to have a closer look at one of the solutions, Bokskya. The controversy starts at the name, Bokskya, which … Continue reading

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Whew! Lots of stuff done…

Today has been the Day of Booking! Restaurant date with wifey, epic battles with HRG to get tickets done for Hungary (not for me), an evening with Jerry Seinfeld in June, the list goes on. Looking forward to the Seinfeld … Continue reading

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Getting ready for summer

As some of you may have noticed, Vidar, Baard and I are owners of a small (6,5 meter) sailboat. I prefer the term yacht, though. Today Baard signed the lease for a dock space in Oslo and we all got … Continue reading

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