Friday, June 27, 2008

Hot Dog

Hot Dogs are a national delicacy in Norway. They can be purchased in every paper shop, confectionary and gas station throughout the country. On many an inbound flight, Norwegians jostle to get off of the plane and charge to the 7 Eleven in the airport lounge for their hot dog fix.

Of course, they are the best hot dogs in the world.

This is of little comfort as I sit in the airport lounge at 6:30 AM, drinking my double espresso while hoards of Norwegians chow down on hot dogs washed down with a pint of beer awaiting their charter flights to the Costa del Chav.

My stomach, robust in most situations, bar road accidents or train wrecks, is feeling a little sensitive. This is an unpleasant sight. My mother would be disgusted.

I read the analysis of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. This is the last ditch effort for the European Union to seize greater federal power, and it requires unanimous approval by the remaining countries.

Most importantly for the treaty, it will put into law that future treaties will not require country referenda. Ratification will be left to the sovereign authorities, not the people. After the Rome treaty, Lisbon’s predecessor which was rejected in referenda by France and Denmark, the politicians have learned!

The Irish, whom have benefited greatly for 30 years of European Union membership have spoken, and spoken for many Europeans. They are the only country to hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. The NO vote means the treaty now looks dead in the water. Back to the drawing board for the EU centralists.

So why NO?

Most Irish claimed they did not understand what the treaty meant, so felt compelled to reject it. This is a great insight into democracy where a referendum is concerned.

Power to the people. It is a timely slap in the face to European leaders.

Few would argue that the free movement of people, capital, goods and services have not been beneficial to all members of the European community. However, when membership translates into ceding further sovereign powers to Brussels, it is a sensitive subject with the vox pop!

Bravo Ireland!

Norway is not a Member of the European Union, but participates as a member of the European Economic Area which is essentially a trade agreement. The people of Norway were twice asked in referenda to join, on both counts the majority said NO.

Bravo Norway!

It would have more than likely meant giving away most of its precious oil revenues to poorer member states. Worse, the EU may have legislated to prevent the consumption of hot dogs and lager before 10 AM.

Beaverboosh

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hot dogs and beer for breakfast? This same country has lots of large-breasted blondes frolicing about the fjords? Sir, you have just described paradise!

Anonymous said...

The EU would have issued a 43-volume directive laying out the exact diameter, length, texture, skin thickness and permissible curvature in hot dog weiners, the strength of the mustard, the freshness of the buns.

Anonymous said...

You are like these Ottawa office people who queue at the hot dog kart at 9am!

I would have said no to the treaty, for many reasons... But I don't vote in Europe anymore.

Your blog was dead when I tried to link it earlier today, will do so tomorrow.

Jo said...

What are these things made of? Beef or horse or in this case whale? LOL I love my Norwegian family but sometimes they are very barbaric - not sure about that spelling.

Anonymous said...

Hot dogs, hmm. That would be the perfect vacation destination for my daughter. She can have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Re: the treaty & referendums: why am I not surprised. I guess because Europe has never been unified throughout it's chequered history. In fact, I was only recenly reading a book which again attributed European lead over the other regions (partly) to this disunity!

Unknown said...

In our attempts to cut down on red meat (of dubious origin), we've been eating hot dogs made from salmon - or hot dogs with no dog in them as my children would say. But never, ever before 5 PM. No childrens' birthday party in Norway is complete without hot dogs - I'd be happy if the EU could legislate against that - not that it would be much use in this non-EU state I suppose. We're not hot-dog lovers at any hour in Ireland, although we do like our sausage rolls. Our breakfast of choice however is rashers, fried eggs, black pudding and baked beans, otherwise referred to as a Full Irish. Sorry, if this makes anyone reading queasy :-)

Johnada said...

I had not idea about the popularity of hot dogs in Norway. I know the Irish like to eat sausages and black pudding - that's kind of similar right?

Anonymous said...

i didn't know it was possible to have hot dogs and beer without a baseball game going on. and last i checked, the Norwegians still play Rakfisk Wrestling and not baseball... but, as UK said, considering the large-breasted blondes, i'm willing to eagerly overlook this minor detail of hot dog legalities...

Michele said...

Good post, as usual. Ian in Hamburg has me LOL.

Let's hope the Celtic Tiger has not cut off its own paw, as, indeed, they have seen massive benefits from EU membership.

I'm definitely not Irish. When I don't understand something, I usually say yes anyway. That's how I lost my virginity and why I eat hot dogs.

beaverboosh said...

uk – one man’s paradise in another man’s hell. I am with you on the big breasted blonds… they love foreign men! But if you are a vegetarian, teetotal mincer… probably why you don’t see many here

ian – yeah, that would gazump the 23 volume Norwegian directive

zhu – there must be a global hot dog conspiracy! Don’t think you could have voted, after Rome, there was no referendum in France for Lisbon, it was ratified by the government!

joanne – dogs… or pig stuff I think. Viking spirit eh, it is global!

Shantanu – your daughter and uncle keith, albeit for slightly extended reasons. Too right, Europe has nothing on India or China!

oslo – Hot Fishes eh! I’ll take a full Irish most days. If I am hungover, anything with alcohol will do!

johnada – sure dude very similar except the Irish would be washing it down with a pint of Guinness, whatever floats your breakfast boat… I’d rather have mrs bb for breakfast but I need to be an early bird...

gnukid – welcome! No baseball here, it would be football (soccer). Norwegians eat 45M kilos of the stuff each year, that’s 100 hot dogs per head. Surely that is a per capita record! The annual consumption of Rakfisk, with a 5000 year history, is less than at tenth of pølse, eaten mainly as a Viagra substitute in the fjord villages

michele – Naw, the EU will go back to the drawing board and they will hug, kiss and make up. Do you understand the full complexity of extra-marital affairs?

kyknoord said...

The one instance where ignorance of the law is an excuse.

Anonymous said...

bravo! reminds me of when new zealand refused to let the US navy park their nuclear warship in their harbour..... the mouse that roared.....

beaverboosh said...

kyknoord - of the proposed law... yeah great excuse but unfortunately a great excuse to use legislation to eliminate future refernda

nm - yeah, the roaring leprechaun!