I don’t recall anything special about flying out of Schipol a couple weeks ago.

I do recall that flying there (Amsterdam) from Prague was a new experience for me, in that at no point did I go through any real security with my checked or carry-on baggage, and on the way out we just walked right out into the street without having to talk to anybody.

And nobody even set themselves on fire.

Another Nigerian man (on the same flight at a different time) was suspected of nefarious activity, though it turns out he was just feeling unwell and wasn’t too happy with being forced to leave the bathroom. Presumably he didn’t want to diarrhea all over his seat.

As assumed, limiting people’s basic freedoms has to cause more problems than it solves.

In Amsterdam, which has a crazy amount of bikers, it seemed pretty much everyone uses a heavy chain lock. I know a good chain held with a good lock is as good as a good u-lock. In Toronto, I see a mix of both types. In Amsterdam, it seemed exclusively chain.

Why?

Was in Poland, Czech Republic, Netherlands.

The main thing on coming back (with a brief transfer in Chicago) is the number of fat people you see once you’re back in North America.

I vote for combination unhealthy food tax and increase in minimum wage.

Ambling through the hazy Polish countryside on a urine-soaked train, this was the first song to come up on shuffle that somehow seemed to fit.

Off to Europe for a bit under two weeks. Posting will probably be slow to non-existent.

“It” being the inane insanity that is for some reason widely considered acceptable.

Being in Canada I can’t link to Hulu, so know this is from the December 1st episode.

Regarding Dubai:

STEWART
In hindsight, a crash like this seems inevitable. Why didn’t Dubai see it coming?

[cut to CNBC report by Erin Burnett]

BURNETT
[overpronouncing words, being generally condescending towards an entire country in an innocent, racist kind of way]
Over the past few years I would say they were literally, “ebullient,” would be the right word to describe it. You know, keep in mind this country’s only 38 years old, so there was sort of a newness and a naiveté about it.

STEWART
Ahhh, ebullient naiveté. can you show us what that looks like, CNBC’s Erin Burnett, almost exactly two years ago?

[cut to segment on Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai built on man-made island with eight staff for every room]

STEWART
… Luckily Burnett was on the air that day with someone who wanted to dig deeper.

[cut to Matt Lauer being asked if he had a question]

LAUER
If she could look for the golf ball I hit off that helipad there.

STEWART
Ahhhh, “if she could look for that golf ball I hit off that helipad there.” In the category of sentences you hear at the exact moment that your nation state may be too decadent to survive, that’s got to be right there in between “I want the guest vomitorium redone in venetian marble” and “what is the Matisse doing in my Monet closet?” We’ll be right back.

I can’t help but perpetuate it, but incredibly stupid lists shouldn’t be news items.

If a million people voted to create this list, that would be one thing. But arbitrarily having a bunch of reactionary assholes compile a list as a testament to their inability to like anything that looks interesting, that’s not news. Especially not when they can’t even be bothered to attach any decent photos.

Why was this picked up in the Star?

I like the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. It makes sure you don’t look at the museum and catch yourself thinking it should be turned into a Club Monaco. A bit of “what the fuck” is good for a generally plain city.