Sirened

Amsterdam residents prefer that you piss in their canals, rather than their buildings.

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It wasn’t until my recent trip to Scandinavia that I learned that Red Bull has actually been banned in some countries. First I learned that it’s illegal in Denmark, then upon further reading I found out that it’s also banned in France and Norway.
So why is this magical drink that “gives you wings” banned in several countries? Apparently it’s all because a few people have died from it and these governments are concerned with the high levels of taurine and caffeine in the beverages. In fact, a new Danish friend that initially brought this to my attention said “it’s dangerous …read more

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This is something you probably won’t see at your local 7-Eleven in say, Valdosta, Georgia. But have no fear, if you’re in Sweden and you’re craving a Big Bite, you can still get one! Despite all this fruit crap posted on the front window, they still have big bites rolling around all day, just like in the US and A.
Another thing you can nab at Swedish 7-Eleven’s is stale loose candy. Swedes love candy and their 7-Eleven’s have many germ filled bins with candy that was delicious days ago.
In Denmark, you can actually buy liquor at 7-Eleven, which is extremely …read more

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From this day forward things just won’t be the same. Thanks for the great memories public smoking, you will be missed…
Smoking in Bars, Restaurants and Clubs: Long ass time ago-June 30th, 2008
photo credit: me

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Effective July 1st, the Netherlands will be joining several other EU countries in banning smoking inside all restaurants, bars and clubs. But of course, since it’s the Netherlands there is a wonderful kicker, the ban is only on tobacco!
For awhile, many people were concerned that the smoking ban would bring an end to the Netherlands famous “coffee shops.” And if this were the case, come July 1st, some 200 businesses in Amsterdam alone would be no longer.
The future of coffee shops in the Netherlands is still an uncertain one, but for the time being they will be safe. Patrons will …read more

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I believe the Dutch translation is “smoking is cool.”
photo credit: personal collection

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This was the scene at an Amsterdam bar last night when the Netherlands scored in the waning minutes of regulation to force extra time with Russia. The packed bar erupted in cheer and everyone hugged one another in celebratory relief.
The celebration was not to last though, as in the second half of extra time Russia scored 2 goals to put the nail in The Netherlands Euro Cup coffin. Nederlands, who were the best team in group play, outscoring their opponents 9-1, seemed to struggle a bit in the role of favorite. And Russia, as the underdog playing with less pressure, …read more

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The first quarterfinal match of Euro Cup 2008 is complete and all is well in land of schnitzels, brats and very large beers. The Germans shockingly jumped up 2-0 in only the 26th minute and despite a solid Portugal effort to come back, it was to no avail.
Portugal was able to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 42nd minute, but Germany extended the lead to 3-1 in the 62nd minute. Portugal scored a dramatic goal in the 87th minute to make the ending a nail biter, but the Germans held on.
The nice thing about Portugal’s exit from the …read more

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Medical results out of Florida show that more people are dying from legal drugs than illegal ones. The Florida Medical Examiners Commission released autopsy results from 2007 that found that prescription drugs killed 3 times as many people as all illegal drugs combined.
In 2007, there were 168,900 deaths in Florida. 2,328 of these deaths were caused by pain killers (Vicodine, Oxycontin, etc.), 743 deaths were due to benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, etc.) and alcohol was judged to have been the killer 466 times (it was in the bodies of 4,179 people that died).
The deaths from all illegal drugs (cocaine, heroine, ecstasy, …read more

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Woohoo! The Netherlands just won a big match, so in European soccer tradition, it’s time to burn something!
Ok, so this was just the first match of Euro Cup 2008 for the Netherlands, but seeing as how they managed an upset victory over defending World Cup champions Italy, this is a huge deal. And 3-0!?! Jesus, 3 goals in soccer is like scoring 42 points in an NFL game!
As I’m writing this there are people yelling out their windows in my apartment building and honestly, why the hell not? The Netherlands hasn’t exactly enjoyed a great deal of international success in …read more

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