Book Mooch

Book Mooch is a site that I stumbled across some months back and it proved incredibly useful when I was living in Denmark.

The idea behind the site is that you list the books that you are willing to part with on the site, stating whether you are happy to send them anywhere in the world, or just within your own country. Each book that you register on the site earns you one point. People interested in a book you have listed contact you through the website to "mooch" the book. If you agree to send it to them, two points are deducted from their total and are added to yours - or three points if they do not live in your country. You then post the book to them, paying the postage costs yourself. But with the points that you have earned first from listing the book and then from sending it, you can "mooch" books from others on the site.

The joy of Book Mooch is that no money is involved between members, eliminating the disputes that can arise on other sites For me in Denmark there was another, quite considerable advantage: VAT in Denmark is 25% and books are liable for full VAT, whereas in Sweden, which also has 25% VAT, books are only taxed at 6%.

Having now been a member for more than six months and had total success, so far, with all my mooches, I can highly recommend the site.

Technorati tags: books blogs

Spring is in the air

It seems as if spring might have arrived - even if only temporarily. The temperature is rising, the sun has emerged again and all the cafes along our street have their tables and chairs outside... with rugs included!

Technorati tags: spring weather stockholm sweden

Cultural imperalism?

A Danish newspaper has - with its tongue stuck firmly in its cheek - accused Ikea of bullying Denmark and committing "cultural imperalism" by naming its low-value products after Danish towns. The story has been picked up by Business Week in the US and by the UK's Independent newspaper.

Interestingly, this seems to have kicked off a comments debate on Swedish daily Aftonbladet's website about returning the Skåne region to Denmark, 350 years after Sweden took control of it.

The Danish language

Norwegian comedy series "Uti vår hage" has its own take on the Danish language, which should be appreciated by anyone who has lived in Denmark and tried to learn the language - hilarious, imho...

You know you've been in Denmark too long, when...

• You think there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
• You understand why not every type of meat can be put together on top of bread.
• You think it's impolite to sit next to someone in a bus if there is a bench where you can sit on your own.
• You can open a beer bottle with almost anything.
• You honestly believe that the distance between Copenhagen and Aalborg is long.
• You can tell the difference between a Grøn Tuborg and a Carlsberg beer
• The first thing you do on entering a bank/post office/pharmacy etc is to look for the queue number machine.
• You accept that you will have to queue to take a queue number.
• Silence is fun.
• It no longer seems excessive to spend 800 kr. on alcohol in a single night.
• You know that "religious holiday" means "let's get pissed".
• You use "Mmmm" as conversation filler.
• The word "yes" is an intake of breath.
• You don't mind paying the same for a 200-metre bus ride as you do for going 10 kms.
• You start to believe that if it weren't for Denmark's efforts, the world would probably collapse pretty soon.
• It feels natural to wear sport clothes and a backpack everywhere.
• You know the meaning of life has something to do with the word "hyggelig".
• You don't think it strange that no one ever comes by to visit without being invited and you never show up at any one's place unannounced either.
• You wouldn't dream of coming even 10 minutes early to a party. (Once around the block is always an alternative.)
• You find yourself lighting candles when you have guests - even if it is brightly sunny outside and 20 degrees.
• You offer people strange-tasting brown alcoholic liquids with their coffee in the morning...
  

I was sent this little gem today. And it's too true...

"A bit more exotic"

Glamour model Jordan and husband Peter Andre have named their newborn daughter Princess Tiáamii after their mothers (Thea and Amy). The accent on the first 'a' is apparently to make the name " a bit more exotic" and the double i to make it "different" - well, they're right there...

The Sun newspaper in the UK has very kindly provided a tool (at the bottom of the page) to help you decide on your own child's name using the same principles. So, what names can we expect to see on the children of the future...?

Great minds think alike

likemind is a concept that developed after Noah Brier wrote an entry on his site saying how he would be interested in meeting other bloggers living in or visiting NYC in person. The reply he received from Piers Fawkes led to them starting a coffee meet-up for like-minded people once a month; and so likemind was born.

The concept really seems to have taken off; in just a year it has developed into coffee morning held in 32 cities across the continents. Among them are Copenhagen, Stockholm and Malmö. So if you're in either of the first two (unfortunately, the Malmö meeting is cancelled this month) or, of course, in any of the other 29 host cities, and you like what you see on the website, why not check it out tomorrow.

(I cannot say how the coffee meets are as, I'm sorry to say, they are held at precisely the time that I really cannot sneak out of work...)

There is Nothing Wrong in This Whole Wide World

I stumbled upon this today - truly beautiful...

Pink Prank Project

How much fun is this?!