One of the companies making GPS navigators for cars used to advertise lifetime map updates. Small print: lifetime of the device, two years after release

Sadly your average person just doesn’t care about consumer rights, in any matter.

I learned my lesson about malicious DRM when Starforce broke my new computer’s DVD drive back in the day. Fortunately it was still under warranty so I had it fixed, but sucked all the same.

Not only with their permission. In many cases at the request of the host country. Plenty of countries would like to host a US base.

EU is at least trying to do something about that. As of last year stores are required to display the cheapest price they’ve had for an item in the past three months when they have something on sale. Not all stores comply, and of course they try to get around these by the usual shenanigans, like basically the same product being available from the manufacturer with two slightly different item codes.

Edit: I think I was mistaken, and it’s 30 days, not 3 months

For once not a red flag!

This is pretty close to how it works here in Finland, although I’m not sure if it’s based on national or EU legislation. The cost of recycling is baked into the price of any electronics, and as a rule of thumb, you can drop off any small devices to be recycles at stores that sell appliances. When it comes to bigger appliances, the stores only need to take your old one if you’re buying a new one. You can of course also bring them to municipal recycling centers.

I know the Finnish National Library acquires and files a copy of every newspaper or magazine issue released in Finland, and many Finnish language ones released outside Finland. Other countries probably have something similar.

I’m not a Marvel guy, but I’m vaguely aware of that. But as someone who only read the occasional comic as a kid, it’s something I only learned of after the movies.

Well, he does play Nick Fury.

I realize I’m very privileged. If I’m working on an issue for a whole day or a half day, everything I do during that day is part of the solution and will be billed to the customer (and I’ll be paid for by my employer too). If that includes taking a nap, so be it. Results are what matter, as it should be. If someone ever starts saying I’m taking too long to do something I may consider changing my ways.

Here in Finland, since their return in 2013, Burger King has sought to differentiate from other chains by having self serve drinks and unlimited refills.

Reminds me of quite a dark joke that made the rounds in Finland some years ago, when a grooming ring run by recently arrived immigrants was discovered in Oulu.

“A sex holiday for the whole family: Dad goes to Thailand, mom goes to Gambia, and the kids go to Oulu”

There sure is, but mostly it manifests itself differently than in the US.

This takes me back to the era when every other online store was selling DVD-gramophones.

I debated whether I should say NA or American, but I figured I don’t know what Canadians use, so there we go. Anyway, nice to see that debate is still alive and healthy. I gave up on it ~20 or so years ago. Writing unitedstatesman was exhausting after a while :)

Not a native English speaker, but my hunch is, soccer will almost certainly be understood. Also it will identify you as American.

A large group of Russian soldiers in the border area in 1939 are moving down a road, when they hear a voice call from behind a small hill: “One Finnish soldier is better than ten Russians”. The Russian commander quickly orders 10 of his best men over the hill where a gun-battle breaks out and continues for a few minutes, followed by silence.

The voice once again calls out: “One Finn is better than one hundred Russians.” Furious, the Russian commander sends his next best 100 troops over the hill and instantly a huge gun fight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again silence. The calm Finnish voice calls out again: “One Finn is better than one thousand Russians!”

The enraged Russian commander musters 1000 fighters and sends them to the other side of the hill. Rifle fire, machine guns, grenades, rockets and cannon fire ring out as a terrible battle is fought… Then silence.

Eventually one badly wounded Russian fighter crawls back over the hill and with his dying words tells his commander, “Don’t send any more men… it’s a trap. There are two of them!”

I have no idea if they still do it, but a decade or so ago it was all over the internet that a Brazilian fast food company had started using edible wrappers and made a marketing stunt out of it. The chain was apparently “Bob’s”.

Not really relevant, but where do we draw the line of first time he threatened nukes? As a Finn, feels like Russia has been making threats about their nukes almost monthly for the last thirty years.

Critical mass. When it has been the default way to message anyone and everyone for over a decade, it’s pretty difficult to start converting everyone and their literal grandmother to start adopting something else. I understand it doesn’t enjoy quite the same status in the US though.