Norwegian Good

Free Ticket To Ride Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg drove his people around in a taxi. Much ado, the Indian may observe, about nothing. Indian leaders have always been taking people for a ride after all. Well, it  turns out Mr. Stoltenberg  paid his passengers for theirs*.When was the last time Indian leaders paid for anything ?

Norway Or The Highway Mr. Stoltenberg believes the Norwegian Good is better served by his driving Norway rather than a cab on its streets. Norway or the Highway ? While polls suggest that the first option isn't a certainty, the second is no cinch either : the passengers were apparently unimpressed with his chauffeuring skills. 

But that's how customers are.They pay you , they complain. You pay them , they complain. No wonder advertising great David Ogilvy famously said that "the consumer is not a moron , she's your wife." 

*Disclaimer : Yes it'd be nice to have taxi drivers pay for commutes but don't count on JS's example being followed.So the next time you're in an Oslo cab  and contemplate any withholding of  payment , expect to be paid no more by the driver than a clout on the head with the slab of Norwegian wood  closest at hand.

The Sound of Music - 8

Act 8. Scene 1.

INTERIOR  Nazi military headquarters. Much agitation as von Trapp's let down is discovered.

GENERAL 1 : " Gott in himmel ! Have you seen von Trapp's Facebook status update ? It says he's decided to stop singing. And he's got a 'Like' on it too "

GENERAL 2 : " We can't allow status quo on that"

GENERAL 3 : " Ja , and it's on his Twitter too "

GENERAL 4 : " Himmel ! In 140 characters ?"

GENERAL 5 (Aside) : " So long as none are from The Sound Of Music"

G3 : "140 characters ? I think it shows zero character"

G1 : " And why has he made this decision ?"

G2 : " He says it's love"

G1 : " Love ? Is this love ? I want to know what love is"

G3 : " What's love got to do with it ?"

G4 : " Ha ! That was a second hand emotion , General"

G3 : " We change his mind for him then ! After all , we are the world ! "

G5 (Aside) : " Mein Gott , this is really getting on my nerves. First that silly movie and now these 1980's pop culture allusions . . . "

G1 :" I agree ! That's vat ve do ! We tell him to either comply or else beat it"

G5 winces

All now rise and sing The Beatles' All You Need Is Love - sort of, anyway

" There's nothing he'd do even though it can be done

There's nothing he'd sing even though it can be sung

Nothing he'd say , he thinks he's learnt to play the game

It's easy.

All he needs is love , (He thinks) All he needs is love , (He says) All he needs is love

Love ! Love is all he needs.

But there's nothing he can refuse that we say can't be refused

By the time we're through with him , none of his bones could ever be reused

And nowhere he can be but wherever the hell we want him to be

It's easy

All he needs is a shove, (All together now) All he needs is a shove , (Everybody !)

All he needs is a shove. A shove ! A shove is all he needs !"

(To be continued)