The first time I visited Germany I was amazed by the amount of stamps that the country uses. For example, I brought my mountain-bike over from the United States and had to pay taxes. After the necessary forms were filled-out the man at the customs office carefully and purposely stamped each of the four forms with a loud smack of at least two different kinds of stamps. I think he rather enjoyed it myself.

Well, now even the commoner can take a special glee in the stamping of all things physical because sitting on the Reeperbahn, in the red- light district section of Hamburg, is a stamp-making machine from Sega. Costing only 5DM you can insert a picture of yourself in several motifs and a range of stamp style colors. After the process is done, make your mark on the wall to the left of the machine and test-out your stamp on the wall. Technology for the masses. A new religion of sorts.