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Monday 9th 37F, 3C, misty and breezy with a very heavy overcast and light rain showers. Yeuk!I wonder whether the UK has similar or equally wonderful library system to Denmark's. One simply waves one's credit card sized, national identity card at the little box outside the door. Most Danish villages with over 2500 inhabitants have a library.
From above.
The door opens automatically and one then has unhindered access to the entire library whether there are staff present or not. The same card then allows all the expected features via the numerous computer terminals via a 4 digit pin code. Renewal of book, DVDs and CDs, loans, returns, loan status, reservations and their status matched with simple reference number on the open shelf for collection. Plus the expected local and national, catalogue searches etc. and in which library the desired film, music or book is in stock. Even how much time before a reservation is likely to result in the book, music CD or DVD film arriving at the local library with email or SMS notification. There is, of course, free internet access via numerous PCs and free WiFi. The latter even extends to the village center with information signs on lamp posts.
Whoops! Silly me! The British are too paranoid to allow identity cards despite literally everyone carrying a driving license and umpteen different bank or membership cards. Probably including a library card. Most will have a passport to allow them to holiday freely outside Gravely Blighted.
Could you trust the British to respect the library and its contents when no staff are present? After dark and in the late evenings? On Sundays when there is "nobody about?" Or would the prospect of stealing a load of film DVDs and music be too much to bear? Would the presence of security cameras, the record of their identity card and an alarm system on the door, for non-registered items, limit their options? Even including groups of younger children? Without the ID card holder being bullied into allowing others inside without registering? The reason I ask is the level of maturity, honesty and self discipline between the two countries. Particularly amongst children.
Anything not "fixed down" in the UK is considered "fair game." It was normal for everyone from the part-time cleaner to the managing director to steal regularly from the company [or national .Gov service] when I still worked in the UK. There are countless cameras monitoring the entire country now. I wonder why?And from below.
Meanwhile, in Denmark, garages are left wide open all day and night with tools and materials clearly visible from the road. It is commonplace for building materials, including timber and packaged insulation, or even a house full of "gift wrapped" new windows and doors, to sit right beside the road. Often for months on end until they are needed in the build. Industrial estates are not normally wired like a POW camp. The only protection is usually a lawn. Yet there are few cameras monitoring public spaces in Denmark.
I took a steady stroll along the local lanes looking for prepossessing views in the mist. You must judge for yourselves whether I succeeded. You'll have to forgive the lack of Beijing-tobacco filter for that bit of <cough> extra "atmosphere" <cough>. WYSIWYG, I'm afraid. The wind is rising as slowly as the mist thins. 25mph gusts expected later. A busy day not riding a trike.
"Weekend warriors" have had a beneficial makeover in medical research. Deliberate weekend exercise can prolong your life by a third. While standing still and fidgeting does not. This reminds me of a sign I saw in a hilarious YouTube video. "Lying in bed and moaning 'oh god' on a Sunday morning does not constitute going to church!" Just as watching exercise happen may get your pulse racing but has few other benefits. So stop reading my blog and get on with it! You can't even count my rest days as your own.
Click on any image for an enlargement.
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