Sunday, December 31, 2006

New Year

Happy New Year, friends and foes, here and there, alone and with some company!

Be careful out there, don't drink to much!
Downcount:
http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/newyear.html

Pump it people! (Black Eyed Peas) (normal version, maybe little bad sound)



If that was to slow for you, take a look at this version :-)


This kid is actually quite good. His has really thought about every singel step! Hit it Alex!



Saddam dead already

Why do they keep dying/get killed way before they are judged proporily?! How could they kill Saddam before everythings was finished?! What on earth do they have to gain from that? IDIOTS! They shouldn't have killed him at all! Killing the killers...then people should start killing the childkillers kids or raping rapers...sure, that helps the world becoming a better world *sarcastic*


The only thing about this song that has to do with Saddam is that he tortured people and now the government showed how OK that is by doing the exact same thing to him (do they also smack their children when the child has hit another child?). Hope they are proud of behaving in the same way as one of the world's most hated man. Congratulations! Here you go... TORTURA!

http://tv4.se/515344.html

http://sydsvenskan.se/varlden/article206792.ece

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Marriage

Lately I have realized that there are more and more people "around" me that are getting married. Very few of them have been expected! Some do it very quickly after meeting each ther (or at least becoming a couple), some do it without their parents knowing it, some do it with hardly any forewarning (1 week before) and some do it after years together and a few years apart and then after being together again. Some in churches, some by the see, some with a friend as a the priest somewhere outdoors, some in a civil wedding. There always seem to be some kind of story behind it, some more clear to me than others. I am happy for all of them even though I in some cases don't understand the context and I wish I did. I don't like to be kept out...

For you my married friends and for everybody else...
Jarabe de Palo: Bonito, todo me parece bonito... Everything is beautiful!
(sorry if my translation isn't very good)


Bonito, todo me parece bonito
la vida es un chiste con triste final
el futuro no existe pero yo le digo...
Bonito, todo me parece bonito

Beautiful, everything seems beautiful to me
life is a joke with a sad ending
the future doesn't excist but I tell you...
Beautiful, everything seems beautiful to me

Bonita la paz, bonita la vida
bonito volver a nacer cada día
bonita la verdad cuando no suena a mentira
bonita la amistad, bonitala risa
bonita la gente cuando hay calidad
bonita la gente que no se arrepiente
que gana y que pierde, que habla y no miente

beautiful peace, beautiful life
beautiful who are reborn every day
beautiful truth when there is no sound of lies
beautiful friendship, beautiful smile
beautiful people when there is heat

beautiful people who don't regret
who win and lose, who speaks the truth

Bonita la gente que viene y que va
bonita la gente que no se detiene
bonita la gente que no tiene edad
que escucha, que entiende, que tiene y que da

Beautiful people who come and go
beautiful people who don't hold back
beautiful people who don't age
who listen, who understand, who have and give

Bonita la gente cuando es de verdad
Bonita la gente que es diferente
Que tiembla, que siente, Que vive el presente
bonita la gente que estuvo y no está.

Beautiful people when they are for real
Beautiful people who are different
who tremble, who feel, who live in the present
beautiful people who were and no longer are.

Någons citat

"Att tänka fritt är stort men att tänka rätt är större"

Nature reserves increasing

*stumbling again* I like the internet in the way that you might look for one thing and find a whole bunch of other things you didn't know about before (what I call positive stumbling). I like it at least...and I like to share as some know (too?) well ;-) This tiny thing is about Sweden getting 101 new nature reserves since last year. I am not only forwarding bad news, also good news. Progress is a nice word and this is progress in my eyes. The nature reserve is the most common form to protect the nature and it constitutes 8 percent of the area of Sweden, including national parks etc. it constitutes 10 percent of the area.


From the Statistics Sweden and Naturvårdsverket (www.scb.se)

"Skyddad natur 2005:
Allt fler naturreservat
Förra året fanns 2 712 naturreservat i landet. Det är 101 fler än året innan. Naturreservatens totala areal ökade med nära 60 000 hektar, motsvarande 1,5 procent. Naturreservat är den vanligaste skyddsformen och reservaten utgör 8 procent av Sveriges landareal. Naturområden i Sverige kan även skyddas som nationalpark, naturvårdsområde eller djur- och växtskyddsområde. Dessa skyddsformer omfattar tillsammans med naturreservaten 10 procent av Sveriges landareal. Den skyddade arealen har ökat marginellt under år 2005.Det finns 28 nationalparker i landet. Den senast tillkomna är Fulufjället i Dalarna som avsattes 2002."

Hmm...here I need some song connected to nature. The closest I get from the long list of youtube songs and other things that is suitable here is Fool's Garden's LEMON TREE :-)


Friday, December 29, 2006

Alive

Just felt like playing some music.
This is P.O.D.'s "Alive"


Thursday, December 28, 2006

Eskobar, me liky


Escobar, one of my favorite Swedish groups. Some of their songs are just wonderful. I love that voice and the feelings. This is one of my favorite songs. Unfortunatly the quality of the sound is not good, I guess they did it on purpose. I prefere listening to them on CD than in real life.

"Tumbling Down"

Ice H fever

Both Slovakia and Sweden are ice hockey countries, maybe not the least Slovakia as far as I have experienced it. Not that I really care, but they are playing against each other this very minute. I hope Slovakia wins!

Kitty kitty kitty

Feeling angry or a little sad? Take a look at this, it's very cute. Animals are good for people's health so...

WÅCKNER

My poking around has lead to some very diverse info about this guy, hight and low and few and many but I am not going to repeat them here...but of some reason this is the only photo I can find right now even if I have seen two others before. Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that they are gone (at least out of my reach) since the radio works in mysterious ways, to say the least... This one I stole from Aftonbladet, but I would have prefered the other two fanatically happy photos, this is just a very happy Daniel. One piece of information I dare to write here is that he said, just a few minutes ago, that the greatest thing that happened this year was his marriage the 16th January :-)

Lonely nights ahead... :-(


*pillar bort den stora blodiga kulan som sitter i min fot* Aj aj... I managed to shoot my self in the foot and now I had to take the bullet away. Foto: Casper Hedberg

Ps. Förresten, liten är bra :-)
Ps2. Orange is the colour of today!!!

I thought hard about this, what to chose for my favorite night crawler...oh, sorry, I mean night talker :-P Since there are no photos of the dancing in the studio ;-( I have to give you some dancing anyway and why not with creatures of the NATURE to the tunes of Reel 2 Real with it's "I Like To Move It" from tadaaaaa 1994 :-D Nostalgia right?

The original version is to be found here.

One last thing, this time to him and his wife :-)


Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Preventive actions

Of course I don't see (nor seek) all the facts exactly about what is done to prevent crimes in general (on individual level) and to prevent wars, genocides etc. There is of course more done that I know about, still I wonder what is being done, are they doing all they can? Who are "they"? Politicians making decisions concerning social conditions (as is proven over and over and over and over again, bad social conditions lead much more often to criminal behaviour among those who lives under these conditions than among those who has "everything") in their own country, foreign aid in different ways, trade with other countries that put them in a weaker spot (short and longterm) etc. I am also talking about they who tell the represents from countries all over the world to the UN (and there are LOTS of departments there) what to say and do there. Blocking each others decisions while innocent people are dying while they are talking and fighting. I am a person who prefers when as many as possible agree on a decision and maybe even concensus when possible, but NOTHING should ever stand in the way of helping those who really need it and vetos in certain questions are simply cruel and disgusting, as well as some principals based on "but the companies needs the money to invest for the future" (by that saying we do not care for those who are in need right now). Sometimes you are just not on time and you see the concequences of your actions or lack of actions but what you do then is to take the proper action and that FAST. Not even that happens all the time. What people don't realize is that short term decisions affect the long term consequences and vise versa! If you sacrifice some people now, they or their children or grand children will come back to bite your XXX, and if you never think of the future, well...maybe the environment will be as inviting as the one high above Zion or someone will simply go and fly a plane into a buiking or two. It is all connected. It is not possible to prevent everything but there are so many things to do to minimize the consequences (loss of lives, money, environment) and it is so much cheaper...and by the way, the best way to deter people from commiting crimes is take away the reason to do it in the first place, not putting them in the crime school. Working towards the best solutions for everybody else is the best solution for you too!

What goes around comes around...

Sunday, December 24, 2006

XXX

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I have a list of friends that is all written in a book.
And every year when Christmas comes, I go and take a look.
That is when I realize that these names are a part
Not of the book they're written in, but really, of my heart.
Unknown


Saturday, December 23, 2006

Poker face

A while ago I was asked if I wanted to play some poker. I declined mainly because I am not really intersted in poker and definitely not very good at it. The closest I get to it is watching Celebrity Poker Showdown on TV when actors etc. that I like in some way are playing. Another reason is that I don't have a poker face. Those who know me know that I am easy to read, if I am happy, sad or angry...or if I don't like somebody.

Of no special reason at all I here play Titiyo's Come Along (2001), just that I have always liked it. She's Swedish btw. Sweden is the third biggest exporting country after USA and England.


A letter

Every now and then people write letters to politicians, they publish them in a large newspaper to start a discussion. Instead of doing that Timbuktu wrote a letter song to the (now former) prime minister Göran Persson. If you want to download some songs and videos of his for free, click here, including this video (Ett brev = A letter) and "Gott folk".

Parts of the lyrics...:

Herr statsminister, Ni måste ju vara medveten att:
den ondskefulle presidenten av USA skiter i du och jag,
han är Ku Klux Klansbarnbarnsbarn,
han är en giriggam, berövar alla från New York till Tadjikistan.
Den fascistverksamheten som han representerar,
du vet du har ju träffat honom, hängt och diskuterat.

(Refr.)Om du är ledare led oss rätt;
för många vägar i världen leder oss fel och snett.
Skärpning man, det e dags för dig att ta ditt ansvar.
Plocka upp telefonen ring ett fredssamtal!
Jag sa idag, vänta inte det är redan sent
Gå mot strömmen, ändra reglerna i deras spel.
Jag vet det verkar jobbigt men gör oss en tjänst,
gör vad som helst för att ställa det rätt igen

Okej, Sverige är ett tolerant land, men inte sant,Göran,
du kan väl säga till George ibland?
Som representant, du e ju vald av folket man.

Men akta dej för nazisterna dom får ju överhand,
som i Köpenhamn, vårt grannland,
du och ditt anhang borde inse att Skandinavien har fått kallbrand,
samma samband som Italien, BeNeLux
där de goda krafterna antagligen har gett upp
Österrike, Frankrike ja listan är lång.
Men göran du och dina ministrar Ni dissar väl dem, eller?
För världen börjar se lite väl sjuk ut,
jag hör rykten om att i sverige är vår välfärd slut.
Snälla förvandla inte oss till ett mini-Amerika

Så mitt råd till dig: tänk extra noga,
så inte revolutionen börjar i Västeuropa.
Lever tätt ihop, och måste komma överens,
Ingen kommunikation på död frekvens.
Allt har sin konsekvens, hälsningar Jason
-och känner du för att snacka är det bara att säga ifrån.

Penguins tihiii

Hahaha...I was planning to find a nice Christmas song to put here but when I searched for a song including the name Staffan I found this. Very cute :-)


Thursday, December 21, 2006

Kingdom of Sweden

I was reading and comparing countries a little:

..and it says: Country name: conventional longform: Kingdom of Sweden.

It is true, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy we have a royal family but it feels strange using the name Kingdom... as if that permeate* our society and that we feel and think of Carl XVI Gustav's as our leader or something. He and his family is quite popular, why I don't really understand. Here in Sweden we only hear about them from time to time, mostly in the tabloids (talking about the oldest princess' relationsships, the younger princess' low cut dresses at the Nobel party or her ex that is a criminal etc.) but people like what they like. The symbol for Sweden. Personally I don't think any person should inherit the power over a country, or any position. On our coins it says "För Sverige i tiden" = For Sweden in time (more or less) but having a royal family is so out of date. I believe in earning positions of any kind. Btw I feel very Swedish without a waving and cutting family.

Unfortunatly this article is in Swedish, it is so good and so sharp, written by Lena Sundström last year:


"Ta hela det här märkliga fenomenet med människor som har som sitt jobb att sätta på sig lustiga hattar, klippa band och avla fram avkommor till oss, avkommor som sedan i sin tur ska sätta på sig lustiga hattar, klippa band och avla fram ännu fler avkommor till oss, som sedan i sin tur ska … ja, ni fattar vad jag menar. Först går vi till Skansen och ser om vi kan få en skymt av uttrarna och björnarna, och sedan tar vi bussen till Slottet och ser om vi kan få en skymt av kungafamiljen. Har vi tur visar de sig med sina nya ungar. Det brukar de göra så här års."

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"Take this strange fenomena with people who's work is to put on funny hats, cut ribbons and breed offsprings for us, offsprings who then has to put on funny hats, cut ribbons and breed even more offspring, who then...well, you get the point. First we go to Skansen [a zoo] to see if we can get a glimpse of the otters and bears, and then we take the bus to the Castle and see of we can get a glimpse of the royal family. If we are lucky they will show up with their new youngs. They usually this time of year."
She ends her article by saying:

"Låta kungen få uttrycka en politisk åsikt innan han dör, låta Victoria få gifta sig med vem hon vill och låta kungafamiljen gå ur Sverige i tiden."

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"Let the king express a political view before he dies, let Victoria marry whoever she wants and let the royal family go out of Sweden in time. "

What is nice though is that one of the most "Swedish" things according to many here is the royal family but queen Silvia is half German (if I am not misstaken) and her mother Brazilian...so the Swedish royal family is not so Swedish after all. I just wish more Swedes could be as welcoming to other immigrants as they are to her and her children!

*genomsyrar

The royal website:


Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Brain killing or intellectual enhancer?


Usually I watch TV quite a lot. How many times haven't I heard from some people around me that they "haven't been watching TV for ages", sometimes indirectly saying that they have better and more important things to do. Sure, sometimes I watch brainless and useless series for entertainment. E.g. I like to watch Lost and Buffy and neither are for brainsurgeons even it they of course, like many other series, have morals. On the other hand this doesn't mean that I don't also watch very good, critical and educational programs. Lately I haven't watched much TV at all, mostly sitting here and writing on my thesis. So, should I know with my almost nonexcisting TV watching be considered less time wasting and "stupid"?

I feel quite the opposite! The only times I have felt as detached to the world and what happens in it is when I have been abroad without possibility to get news...and NOW it is because I am not watching TV! I hardly learn anything new, don't get new perspectives of things. Missing one single program can mean missing knowing anything how things are and work in a country or within a area of society. No, for me TV means information and new perspectives. It has only to do what you choses to do with what you've got.

Good night

This is a Swedish singer called Tomas Ledin. Not a person I listen to if I have the choice but sometimes I don't have one. So why do I put it here on INCH (the only video I could find btw)? Because of the nutty but nice rhymes in the night! :-)

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Santa fits in a sock

This according to this photo. It is also one of the very few decorations I have in my home this year. To stressed to make it nice and cosy here. Btw, Santa is right in front of me here in front of my dear computor, the only place I really need any decorations. I also have some candles.

Noooo...arrrghh...Tried to lit another one and something started to burn. It smells bad. I always have to be extra careful when I use a lighter hehe...

Coca-Cola rockets

For all of those that feel that they drink to much coke (more or less addicted). If you still like buying this fiiizzzy drink you might just as well do something new and fun with it :-D Better be sticky on the outside than on the inside. Look at this, especially after about 30 seconds.

Let's dance

David Bowie says. Let's do what he says :-) A classic. Thought that some music like this could make the night a little more bearable.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Bad mood

Someone put me in a very bad mood today...then someone else put me in a better mood again (it cheared me up :-)). Unfortunatly the bad stuff tend to stick longer than the good things. So an appropriate song right now is Guano Apes "Open Your Eyes". Of course I think it is a good song, otherwise I wouldn't play it here. The few times I put songs here that I am not that fond of, it is because of some specific reason (e.g. suitable to the subject I am writing about or it is for someone else). In this case I both like the song and the feeling of it and the title suits me today. Natasja, open your eyes! There are always more to see...

ps. Sandra Nasic is one of the very few female singers that I think manage to sing like that without sounding just like another angry chick. Btw, I like these lines... "Open your eyes, open your mind, proud like a god don't pretend to be blind, trapped in yourself, break out instead, beat the machine that works in your head"

Colourholic

Colourholic, can you be that? I am. Colours are like candy but for the eyes and I just can't get enough. Those who know me, know in what specific little way I like to wear strong colours... Unfortunately I am not good myself at creating but I really enjoy other peoples art. This is from an artist I stumbled upon just now, Barbara Bonvin. She has made quite different things of which some I don't like but some things I really like. My favorites are the ones in Entre deux mondes and Des monts intérieurs, especially this one called Variation intime. This actually reminds me of a very old painting of Maria Luisa that showed boats. I love different shades of turquoise...

Thursday, December 14, 2006

"Quasi una fantasia"

While talking about tributes, why not make one for my mum. Here you go: Moonlight Sonata. Piano Sonata No. 14 by Beethoven.


Natasja Evil?!

Hmm... Recently someone said that "Natasja" is the Spansh word for Evil (maybe because I keep "disturbing" him at work hehe). Funny he mentioned that I thought and then asked him to read my name backwards. So what do you get if you turn my name around?

This is the respond I got back ;-) :
*ASG*otroligt roligt! aj satan:-D
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*LOL* unbelievable funny! aj satan :-)

(Crash lesson in Swedish: aj = ouch.)




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Tenacious D "Tribute" ...and I happen to really like this song. After all, this might be "the best song in the woooorld" ;-)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Variation is stimulating

Since I started to write on INCH I have avoided to write about this issue but always known that I could not ignore it, I am simply way to passionate about it. I have no intentions what so ever to step on anybodys toes, I just want to make you think of how you act and think sometimes. I am in a constant struggle with myself to try to live as I preach, not reacting to people without thinking first and not always doing to others as I would like them to do to me. I have prejudices like everyone else, no matter how much I would like to deny it. Being aware of them at least help me on the way. It is not always easy to keep an argument in a straight line without deviating from it. My point is just that try to respect others for their traits or choises even if you don't always agree with them. Wouldn't you like them to do the same for you? I have always loved to live an international life, living abroad and having people from abroad live with me, it is a part of me, much thanks to my parents. They are btw are not from the same place, not even same country, not having the same background, not having the same believs in some areas, but have been married for about 35 years. If I developed my family connections you would see that there are so many different people in it an many ways, but they are all family. When it comes to friends as I wrote before, they have many differents beliefs and they are also from a wide range of countries. What I am sure of is that any my problems I might have had with them always have had something to do with their/mine stupid actions or personality traits.

Tolerance

When do a person become TOO religious/atheistic? I think that one sign is if you don't feel like spending any time with people of others than your own believes, even if you have the practical opportunity, or respecting them for having another view of things. I think that I have most atheists around me but only because Sweden is one of the most secular countries so it is not so strange I think. Although I also have a lot of people around me in different ways that are Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, part of Free Churches, Muslims and nowadays even Jewish and who knows what else that I am not aware of. Usually I never think of them in that way, couldn't care less, I don't seek their company because of that. I just came to think about it.


I have only one rule * that I try to follow and it is the GOLDEN RULE and it is included in most religions even if many people seem to ignore that fact! You can do what ever the biiip you want to, as long as you NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DISRESPECT OTHERS! In that I include not only when it come to believe in a God, no matter the name, or if there are many Gods, not believing in any God what so ever (like me), respecting ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, which of course 200% forbidds any discrimination. That includes women, "races", religion, sexuality etc. My heart starts to pound very hard (and there are very few things that has that effect on me) even just writing about this because it makes me furious beyond everything that so many, no matter religion or no religion, can not respect others and their feelings. Discrimination against any person because of their religious belief is JUST AS PROHIBITED as ANY discrimination against people with different kinds of sexuality!! I personally see discrimination as any kind of action that helps to lead to anybody getting hurt (that includes all political decisions made to stop full rights for ALL!). I know this might sound harsh but either you agree that discrimination is bad or you don't. You simply can't pick and chose just because you think that some rights are more convenient for you than others. You are never any better than anyone else. Never talk about your rights as long as you are not ready to grant others the same. Hypocricy should be one of the deadly sins. The Golden Rule is the base for the main religions and human rights.



People should never fight because of religion. People should coexist, see the resemblance rather than difference. I am far from exact like my friends but they are my friends because we have things in common that we appreciate. What is weird though is that at the same time as one reject someome because they act in a way (whether it is based on religion and/or culture) that you disagree with, eg. the view that Islam is bad because they discriminates women, you can still agree on issues that are just as prohibited where you live as other kinds of discrimination. Let's SAY that acting oppresing and discriminating against women is one thing that distingueshes some religions and atheists from Islam. Then let's look at the SIMILARITIES! In e.g. Saudiarabia one can get sentenced to death penalty for acting on homosexuality, it is forbidden according to the religion, at least according to some. Extrem right? Sure, but what it says is that homosexuality is wrong. What they in practice are doing is discriminating against homosexuals according to human rights. My question is then, aren't there then a clear connection between Islam in that aspects with other religions and not the least with many atheists? To make it VERY clear for you, I am NOT saying that you can't think or believe whatever you want to, of course you can and I would never say anything against that. By the way, it is a naural part of the human rights to be able to do that. What I AM saying is that ANY action leading, in the shortrun and the long run to minimize , stop or even to take away rights of someone that you yourself think you are intitled to, is according to me participation of an act of discrimination. It doesn't matter what you believe in or don't believe in.


Once a person (atheist) in my inner circle spontaneuosly said that gays should be shot in the neck. Few things has ever made me so sad as hearing that! Just the memory of that day and that night that followed makes me very upset. It doesn't matter that I know that this person didn't mean it literally, it is in my heart and I will never forget it.

I am not so sure that what the world needs in first hand is love, I believe it is respect because how could there be love without respect?

Coexist!
What can be more appropriate than U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday?!





*One rule... "One ring to rule them all" Isn't that what they say in the Lord of the Rings?

Helping hand

...deserves a classic.
Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose"

Mystery

ometimes it sure happen things that are quite weird and that I can not explain. The other day Amulett (my computor...as I said once, I like that name) was haunted. It really made swisch swisch sounds every now and then and I could simply not figure out what caused the sound. Guess it was a sound from one of the programs I use but none of them were really doing anything. Spooky Amulett. Today something else, very weird thing happen and I have no idea how! It's nothing bad so I guess that I'll just see what happens :-)
While I am it, I might just as well give you something nice, according to me, to listen to.

This is one of the many videos I spent quite a lot of time watching in a small TV-room upstairs in a house somewhere in Mexico many years ago. It was there that I realized how good Korn is. Very soon after that my brother contacted me to tell me just how good their song and video is. Always the one giving me good tips and feeding me with music. He raised me well ;-) It is really well made, just to bad the quality here isn't so good.

Korn - "Freak on a Leash" my ladies and gentlemen:


Monday, December 11, 2006

Doberman part III, Jump!

Have you ever seen a doberman jumping on a trampoline before? :-)

"Embedding disabled by request"

Making fun of one of the absolute most dangerous man in this world, George W Bush, is definitely ok, comparing to many other people and things. Here there is a discussion on NBC whether Bush is an idiot or not, of course including clips of him talking.

To me it is of less importance whether he is less intellgent or not, what matters is that he has a huge lack of ability to put himself in others's situation and lack of compassion and for his fellow human beings, and that includes both americans and every other single individual that is affected by his and other republicans in power decisions. That is what makes him so dangerous and to be honest, he schares me A LOT more than any Saddam Hussein.

I wanted to put the youtube here as usual but that function is not working. It only said: "Embedding disabled by request". You interpret that in anyway you want. My only comment is that there are restrictions on what are allowed to be shown to everyone and that is, as far as I have understood it, usually too sexual things. Someone doesn't seem to want people to spread this with Bush (that doesn't contain any sexual things) in the usual way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgPShicCCTA

Things you CAN'T do

when you're NOT in a pool!
My addiction lead me to find weird stuff...
This is sooo funny! *LOL*

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Space v/s Hell

Fuglesang is the first Swede in history going to space. He has finally left earth and is somewhere above, floating around. Nice! To put it like this though, I don't regret not following the launch in the middle of the night.

Fuglesang has gong to space and a disgusting man has finally gone to HELL! Too bad he didn't get his full sentence... I just hope the people who need it get comforted by finally know that the Chilean devil is gone for good.


Bye bye Pinochet!

Timbuktu - "You know better"

Jason "Timbuktu" Diakité is this 31 year old Swedish hip hop artist that is one of my favorite artists here in Sweden. He is one of the few who actually sounds cool speaking and singing in our dialect hehe. That is although the less important reason for liking him. He is good at what he does and he has something to say and he is not afraid to say it!! More people should definitely be more like him...and I wouldn't mind if more Swedes should look a little bit more like him :-) (not concerning clothes)

Article where he says that he couldn't care less about the definitions of right or left and what he wants to put forward with his music is humanism.
http://www.ungtval.se/main.aspx?article=831931

"Ingen av oss kan ju värja oss mot kapitalismen, vi är alla delaktiga i den. Men jag anser att man måste försöka att påpeka det som är fel. Att trampa på människor för att tjäna en slant är helt enkelt inte rätt! Jag föreslår att du lägger din energi på att kritisera dom som på omoralisk väg gör sej mätta."

=

"None of us can defend ourselves againt capitalism, we are all part of it. But I think that one has to try to point out what is wrong. To step on people to make a buck is simply not right! I suggest that you put your energy on criticizing those who in amoral ways feed their bellies."
(freely translated by me, as always)

"Gott folk" with Timbuktu

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Putting frustration here

If you have been reading my blog before you know that I have a tendency to put some of my frustration in my posts here at INCH and this is another one. So, if you don't want to read about my frustration, just listen to Ray Charles and enjoy :-)
---
I just don't understand some people! Whether there is a God or not, or whether the earth was created in less than a week of it took billions of years... those are tiny, tiny questions comparing to the huge mystery of understanding some people! Incredible! ...and it sure as ¤&% dosen't matter what part of earth they are from. I am soon going to question my intelligence, I thought I had more. Either I am less intelligent than most people because I don't understand them, or, I am more intelligent than most people because they don't understand simple things. Which would actually be the worst thing for me to say, that I am an idiot or that I am too intelligent?!
---
Since I am blogging again I might just as well give you some more youtube as promised. This is Ray Charles and his nice "Hit the Road Jack" that cheared me up now at this time at night...heard it on the radio, Vaken of course but this time Vaken with Kajsa :-)



Friday, December 08, 2006

Addiction(s)

I don't like to be "addicted" to things, I even find it annoying sometimes that I HAVE TO eat sometimes (I like eating just sometimes...) because it takes times to fix or I have noting fun to eat. Eating I guess is something I just have to accept but I honestly don't understand why some like having addictions. How stupid can you get to get a habbit of some kind that actually makes you DEPENDENT on something that usually is bad for you and sometimes even for the people around you?!?! Come on people... No matter if it is some kind of food, drink, smoke, drugs, alcohol, biting your nails. There is a reason that it is called BAD habbit. Just so you know, "bad" = negative. Big nono.

I have a few things that I have little power to resist. Buffy at 3.35 AM (they are showing episodes that I haven't seen yet), Lost sometime before Buffy at night (I missed 6 months so I have a lot to catch up with...stupid Slovak television that didn't show it), writing post-it notes (more about that another time), going to bed very late, talking talking talking (definitely an addiction) and of course blogging! The blogging is connected to the talking x3, just in a written form.

BUT, I have found a small NEW addiction and it is called YOUTUBE! Finding and listening to music I haven't heard for ages and that I can't stop listening to now but also the new things I find there, including the cats below. So I have some bad news for you readers, there will be showing up quite a few videos here! If you don't see it as educational to find out what kind of music I like (even if it sometimes is just that song and maybe not the majority of the songs that particular artist usually play) or don't think you like the music, at least you can listen for a minut or so. Prejudices are BAD...let's see if you have any. If you don't even listen for a very short while enough to hear a little of the melody, then you probaly are a prejudice person! (unless you've actually heard the song before and KNOW that you don't like it)


Hmm...which one should I chose today? What it's like with Everlast. If I remember it correctly, I first heard this song and saw the video sometime during 1998-99 and I like it as much as I did then. Even have it on my mp3 player right now.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

"Only God knows"

...someone once said, in a totally different situation! :-D ...maybe!

Here I think of that "only God knows" why these cats are so clumsy when cats are supposed to be lithe* and good at measuring distances!

Mjauuuu!

*vig

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Reflections

Believe it or not but I have felt and still feel a little empty in my head and that is the reason of my less reflective posts lately. I can think of small comments on different things that I can share with you this very moment. One thing is that concerning my last post about Sweden, I am NOT a very patriotic person at all so the flag and the info is not to show how much I love my country. I am proud of certain things that I think we have been able to build up during a long time that is good for a lot of people, but those things all countries have. One worldvise person I spoke to not long ago called Swedes for "peace injured". Some things we have been able to achieve is thanks to the long period av peace but it has also had the effect on us that we sometimes have problems understanding other people's sentiments, e.g. why they keep fighting about things that for us seem "silly". It is all about perspective. I admit that when I think about it, I am probably one of these Swedes. I have never really understood the thing about extrem prestige that seem to be involved in many cases that lead to violence. I feel that it is never worth it if it is hurting people and prestige often seem to cause that. That is my perspective.

Conclusion. Of course I like my country, I am born and raised here and have in general the same way of thinking as other Swedes, the same mentality. I don't know how it would be possible NOT to feel like that, just as you probably feel the same thing about you country wherever you are from. All I know is that I probably feel it a little less than at least some of you... You know what, that is actually also kind of Swedish :-) Whenever I have been abroad I have learned to appreciate more things about Sweden, but never have I until this day felt warm and fuzzy or heated inside thinking of Sweden. The more different people there are here, the more fun I think! Difference is good.

Another thing I'd like to share is the feeling when someone appreciate what you do for them, even if it is just a small thing really! Helping out when needed, saying when you are happy for them or just listening when they are feeling blue. It doesn't cost anything to just put a couple of more minutes to make a difference for someone or making something a bit more special. Sure, I love to get things and have it nice and easy but how great isn't it to do something for someone else every now and then?! I just always feel that I wish I could do more. What you get back gives you such a good feeling. Well, hearing the word "amazing" just made me smile!

I will just like to finish by saying that I truly hope that whatever your problems, you tasks and you life might be at the moment will turn out fine! Including getting to pet the tiny kittens running around in a garden :-) I know that so many of you are busy with all kinds of things that you have to do. It might be stressful right now but your efforts now will show later, as my mother always says when she comforts me, you get what you give even if it sometimes takes a while to see the whole picture.



Kisses to all of you that I hold dear!

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Sweden and the Swedes


..according to the Swedish Institute. I don't know what you think, if it is correct or not. So what do you think?

There are several languages to chose from to read the short text in. I don't feel like copy the text and put it here, so click:
S:s?
Here more about Sweden from the same website.
Swedes are raeally weird sometimes...brrrr...
http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____11372.aspx Never tasted or even smelled it myself. You always eat it outdoors amd never indoors because it smells so bad.
Both pics taken by me, flag in Copenhagen and ad in the Financial Times I think.

Sky high and ouch


I Love Sky - video powered by Metacafe

Sunday, December 03, 2006

End of meaning

The conclusion:

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple norpine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France(Surprise! ).

Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig isneither from Guinea or is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocersdon't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?

One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one ofthem, what do you call it? Is it an odd, or an end?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?

Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which yourhouse can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form byfilling it out, and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects thecreativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when thelights are out, they are invisible.

P. S. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Creative work

"Any creative work must be appreciated even if opinions differ" Very true! Appreciated yes, but maybe not always shown, depending on what it is... Some creative work that DEFINITELY should be shown to the world is what you find here. Even shown in the big apple... :


The best art ever :-D

One of my favorites:

When I Get You Alone


Robin Thicke. I love the energy this song gives me! For a long time it has been a classic in my mp3 player, specially walking through the city center of Bratislava on my way to work, giving me the that extra thing in the morning and putting me in the right mood for what ever I could expect after work. I hope it wasn't too obvious that I almost was dancing a little while listening to it and walking the streets :-)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Comments

Finally I introduce the possibility to make comments here. So here it goes...

To P3 & my nocturnal friends

"but NATASJA!"

I was called that today, twice, because I lacked some what someone think is generel knowledge (I am not sure that I agree though). That amoung other things described my day today and that was this night's winning contribution to the radios "Loggen". So they played Pink's "Stupid Girl" for me since I think that song describes my day, Natasja being a stupid girl. It was nice and the song has given me some of that extra energy I need to sit here this night and write to meet the deadline tomorrow at noon. One clear advantage living by myself is that I can dance/halfdance (on the floor or sitting in my big chair) as silly as I want to, even sing with my nonexcisting singing voice without anyone laughing at me because I look and sound ridiculous doing so :-D




Sometimes I complain that people don't listen to me...but I must say that P3, especially a couple of them working there at night, are very, very intelligent and nice :-D...hehe, because they do listen to me quite often, 3 times so far (to my surprice). They have chosen to read my opinion about smoking out loud once and another night they played the wonderful "Mas que nada" (of which I write more about in the post "More than nothing"), liking my reason for them to play it. The song made me bounce up and down and side to side dancing. Tonight they have made my night a bit easier to handle, me being very tired and all. I should add, even better than most other nights.

Vaken (Awake) is the faithful nocturnal friend to the Night Owl Nat that I dedicate this post to!

Thanks Mattsson & Peter of course :-)
Later...
Ps. They keep saying on the radio what I write...3 times they mentioned my name this night hihi. Except for the "Stupid Girl" they, of some reason, also mentioned my comment to them that I'd like to see that dancing in the studio that Mattsson did, then they forwarded my opionin about the Lund university main building being the nicest one in Sweden. I love passing it by, especially when the sun is shining and I have to many (?) pictures of it already. Hmmm..but they said one strange thing, that it looks like the White House...hmmmmm. Comparing the intellectual building to the building with the most dangerous and idiotic contents...

Monday, November 27, 2006

Eye to eye

...and everything in between.



With the eyes you see the beautiful things and you see the horrifing things, if you allow yourself. So many that refuse to acknowledge what the eyes see but what the mind and heart probably already know. I have spoken to some that just deny what "everyone else" knows (specially concerning critical things about how their country/government etc has handled and sometimes still are handling things). They pretty much say that they have confidence in those who have a lot to lose, prestige being one of those things, by admitting their wrongdoings or lack of will to change what is not as good as it could be and should be. More than they have trust in those that observe the descisions made and the consequences and objectivly see that laws are broken and innocent people hurting, groups that has absolutely no personal gain by telling the uncomfortable truth. Be proud of the good things but not of the bad things, don't think that something is all good all the time. In stead of denying it, do something about it or at least admit it and see the perspective of those who are on the other side of the barb wire.

With the eyes you can also see other's eyes and see how some eyes themselves are beautiful. Some just have those eyes that are magnetic! I have seen several of those rare eyes, especially during this last year and everytime I find it as fascinating!


To read more about the famous girl (a woman now) with the amazing eyes, National Geografic 2002:



Who is she...

"She became an orphan and refugee of war at about age six. Soviet bombing killed her parents, and her grandmother led her and her brother and sisters on foot, in winter, to Pakistan, where they lived in various camps."

"“She’s had a hard life,” said McCurry. “So many here share her story.” Consider the numbers. Twenty-three years of war, 1.5 million killed, 3.5 million refugees: This is the story of Afghanistan in the past quarter century."

"It is the ongoing tragedy of Afghanistan. Invasion. Resistance. Invasion. Will it ever end? “Each change of government brings hope,” said Yusufzai. “Each time, the Afghan people have found themselves betrayed by their leaders and by outsiders professing to be their friends and saviors.”"

"Now, consider this photograph of a young girl with sea green eyes. Her eyes challenge ours. Most of all, they disturb. We cannot turn away."

Nightmare


...I can be...moahaaaa

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Pessimism


Why so pessimistic Natasja, someone just asked me. Well, I just don't know how to be positive when it comes to people who are really weird to me of no reason at all, not reasons that I can see nor that anyone cares to tell me about. So either there is something wrong with me reacting like this, or it is wrong with the person how choses to act that strange way. Either way, I lose¨...or so it feels like sometimes.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Good day

I needed this day, it was a good day with nice things in it. Too many days since that happened. Started off by going to visit an old Swedish diplomat for an interview that I need for school. Talked for 2,5 hours which is much more than I had planned for. It was very interesting and fun to listen to him speak about what he has experienced. So the 2,5 hours wasn't a long time since I enjoyed it. I look forward meeting and interviewing more diplomats and hear their stories and their experiences.




After I spent a while in a small red sofa, eating a tasty bagel with chicken, listening to the music palying in the background and reading through my notes. This while it was grey and rainy outside. 14.50 I went out in the rain, hurried to listen and see Margot Wallström. For those who don't know who she is, she is the Vice-President for the European Commission. She is very involved with environmental issues and that what was she was talking about today, smart growth! That is about sustainable environment development. She is a good speaker and had a lot of good points even if her speach was more or less general. After, I managed to get a photo och her and me together :-)

Her blog (in English of course):



At 16.00 there was still 2 hours to go before the Amnesty meeting was going to start but I went to the premises since I just might as well wait there. No point of going home since, too little time. The meeting started at the premises but we soon moved to one of the others kitchen close by which was quite nice. Had our coffee/tea and some saffron buns there while discussing all the matters. Even if I don't go to all the meetings (practial reasons) I enjoy being there. Nice atmosphere and nice people.






Thursday, November 23, 2006

INCH reminds you of...

We should not forget this...

...which is still going on somewhere.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Strange week

Wow...this has been a strange week! Also confusing! Society of information is our time and what can I say, I agree. Not talking about the technology but the information sent and recieved, it is powerful. It has the ability to change a persons view of things and not the least people. Making you reassess situations, relationships, expectations and loose thoughts in general, or just deepen already ambiguous feelings. Just confirming that things are rarely what you think they are. Of course, this can be both good and bad, in my case, this week, it has been both and sometimes more to the negative side. Don't ever think that you know what to expect of anyone or anything. You'll just end up knowing less anyway. Looking at the bright side, you learn what not to expect. I just wish that I knew what to expect sometimes because it makes future actions, situations and feelings so much easier to handle. I don't like to be thrown of guard...at least not in some areas. This is what information can do to at least me...


Angles










Monday, November 20, 2006

Crime doesn't pay...

…nor does honesty! Who was stupid enough to think that honesty pay off?! *BS* Being honesty and open is the worst thing one can do. It is better to shut up and not wanting anything of anyone or anything. People just turn it against you. There are several situations, people telling you what to do when they don’t know nor ask for the whole picture, assuming they know what’s best for you and what you should do, or telling you that you are lying (both concerning “scientific proof” and my own experiences, who knows better than I what I do and think??) even it they refuse to use that word but it is clearly what they actually mean. If someone says that “what you just said is not true” I interpret that as the other person think I told a lie. I am not talking about the “honesty” that some speaks of, that is just saying what’s on you mind even if it’s something hurtful and unnecessary but the honesty of telling the truth and sharing and reflecting. BIG mistake and I keep doing the same mistake, just wanting to get to know people, make friends. Well, no, I do not appreciate people treating me as if I did something wrong by trying to share and/or improve things with all the best intentions! The older I get, the more confused I get. The more people I get to know, the more I appreciate the few I know I can trust. Instead of expanding the inner circle, the circle stays just where it is. I hope there are people out there willing to prove me wrong…one bright day.

Keep it superficial dear readers!

---

What is a lie?


According to some philosophers:

(1) Lying is a perversion of the natural faculty of speech, the natural end of which is to communicate the thoughts of the speaker.

(2) When one lies, one undermines trust in society.

(3) When one lies, one uses the humanity of another person as a mere means to one's end -- one bypasses the person's rationality and in effect makes a decision for the other person, instead of
allowing the other person to use her/his own rationality and make her/his own decision.
(4) When one lies, one uses humanity in oneself as a mere means to one's ends.

I should do like this famous man. He is the living proof that crime does pay and so does dishonesty! Maybe I would be more successfull in achieving my goals by adding as much dishonesty to my life as he has to his politics. He gets what he wants and people is happy to give it him! People simply hear what they want to hear, they rest they ignore...