Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Geograhy lesson

You can need that sometimes, at least I can. This one is only for Europe but I could need to study other continents too. Could you? :-) It is a pedagogical way of repeating/learning the European countries and capitals.


pic from here

Monday, January 28, 2008

Republican monarchy?

Someone said concerning the fact that one president Bush gave birth to another president Bush: "USA världens största republikanska monarki!"= "USA, the world largest republican monarchy"

Could it be said in a better way? I doubt it.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Political philosophy

Oh, fun!! And no sis, I am NOT kidding, I like this stuff. :-) Sorry, but the "political philosophy" in English isn't the same thing as the one I am talking about in Swedish, they are a about different things. Although the headings are easy to understand even if not knowing Swedish, except for: rättfärdigande = justifying, samhällskontrakt = social contract, fördelning = distribution, privategendom = private property. Nozick is NOT my favorite...

http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politisk_filosofi

Egoism and empathy

It is simply bs that "man is just an egoistic creature". It is just part of the truth, but it sure isn't the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Every now and then you meet people who think that man is a egoistic and there is "nothing to do about it", that it is "mans nature". If that had been the truth, there wouldn't be soo many people doing soo much for others which there is no personal gain for doing. There are way too many to be able to ignore it. So when people do, I interpret it as they just try to protect themselves from themselves. Who wants to really feel egoistic? Last but not least, doing things for others and show empathy are in many cases a good way of getting things back, in one way or another. I believe that helping others is one of the best ways of helping yourself. You get what you give.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Part of Me

Gypsies - "Part of Me"
I saw the video yesterday and I just like the video although the mucis is pretty good too.

People

Sometimes people are or do things that just might make you smile, remind you of things or just make some kind of impression. The other day there was a bus driver that I've met only once before but he made me smile this time too. He's just so friendly towards everybody and in such a good mood, saying good bye to people that is going off the bus and making small comments on this and that. The first time I met him, we spent the few minutes the ride takes talking about how the people in this small city votes (it was all over the news after the last election because of the racist tendencies shown in the results). How often do you go out of a bus, smiling just thanks to the driver?

A friend of mine was born with problems with some parts of her skin (her arm and shoulder) which makes it dark red and somewhat sensitive to cold. When she had drown older she was offered to have a treatment which would have taken it away but she denied it, saying that her skin was a part of her and she didn't want to change it. No one would have accused her of doing it because of simple vanity but she still chose to not go through with it.

Recently I had to spend several hours at work with a colleague, maybe the one I get along with the best. He did something I really appreciate when people do, he opened up to me and told me several quite personal things about his life and what he has experienced. He is from El Salvador and came to Sweden when he was about 25 years old (40 now) because this was the country that would take him the quickest. He, as well as some in his family, had to leave El Salvador due to the risk of being tortured or even killed because they were critical of the regime. He also told me about other difficult things in life, even when he was a child. Not only do I appreciate his honesty but also to hear these stories about things I otherwise only read about, to be reminded of things that happen every day, that they are truly real, how sad and troublesome it is but also that there are people who don't give up and try to do the right thing.


Friday, January 18, 2008

Again...

I repeat. No comments or answers to them from an anonymous person will be published.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Monday, January 14, 2008

Haha...true

"Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity."

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Heart In A Cage

The Strokes - "Heart In A Cage"
This is the kind of song that I immediately like, it goes straight to my head, the tones, the melody, the voice and energy. The kind of music which should be played on high volume.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

How to keep madness in life

Hur man upprätthåller galenskapen i livet:

1) Vid lunch, sitt i din parkerade bil med solglasögonen på. Peka på förbipasserande bilar med en hårtork. Se om de saktar in.

2) Sök dig själv via växeln. Försök INTE förställa din röst.

3) När någon ber dig om hjälp, Säg: jag delegerar!

4) Varje gång någon ber dig att göra något, fråga om de vill ha pommes frites till det?

5) Ställ sophinken på skrivbordet med en lapp med texten: Inkorg

7) Häll koffeinfritt kaffe i kaffeautomaten i tre veckor. När alla har kommit över sitt koffeinberoende, byt till espresso.

8) I minnesfältet på alla dina inbetalda räkningar skriv: För sexuella tjänster.

9) Avsluta alla dina meningar med: "I enlighet med profetian."

10) Använd inte punkt

11) Så ofta som möjligt: hoppa istället för gå.

12) Fråga folk vilket kön de tillhör. Skratta hysteriskt när de har svarat.

13) Specificera att din drive in order är för att "ta med".

14) Sjung med på Operan

15) Gå på poesiafton och fråga varför dikten saknar rytm.

16) Häng myggnät runt ditt skrivbord. Spela band med djungelljud hela dagarna.

17) Fem dagar i förväg talar du om för dina vänner att du inte kan komma på deras fest för att du har huvudvärk.

18) Be dina arbetskamrater tilltala dig med ditt Gladiatorsnamn, Rock Hard, eller varför inte Snöret......

19) När pengarna kommer ut ur bankomaten, skrik "Jag vann!","Jag vann!" "Tredje gången denna vecka!!!"

Och det sista sättet att hålla uppe en lagom nivå av galenskap:

Mum quotes Timbuktu

Monday, January 07, 2008

Karmakontot

Timbuktu - "Karmakontot" (Karma account)

Burma is still there

"Burma Chock Raised TV Fee
Without forewarning Burma's military regime has chock raised the fee for possession of satellite TV-receiver - obviously to prevent the people to take part of critic against the regime. Owners of satellite dishes received information on the Wednesday about the 166-fold raise, from 6 000 to one million kyat, only then can they pay the fee. One million kyat is equivalent to about 525 EURO (5 000 SEK), three times more than the country's average yearly income. Without satellite TV the Burmese people is referred to the severely state controlled TV channel MRTV. (TT-AFP)"
3 Jan -08
Pic from here.

Anonymity no more

From now on I will not publish or answer anything from someone anonymous. I don't care whether it is the person's real name or just a made up name, I have asked earlier for something that makes it possible for me to separate who writes what. Thanks...

Sunday, January 06, 2008

In My Head

Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out Of My Head"

Are YOU a rapist? ;-)

Maskinen - "Alla som inte dansar är våldtäktsmän"
I can help wondering what effect, if any, this song has on guys at bars and discos. The song is simply about those who don't dance that they are rapists ;-)

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Dropping prices on coffee

"The world market price on coffee varies substantially. 1997-2003 it sunk with 70 percent. Despite that we consumers payed about the same in the store, so instead the large coffee companies increased their income. It was worse for the coffee producers. The price drop forced many to sell their beans for less then it cost to produce them.

Source: Cooperation without limits (Kooperation utan gränser)"

Pic from here.

Chiquitas dirty bananas - Want one?

"Chiquita is sued for hundreds of murders

The banana giant Chiquita was sued in November for about 5, 24 billion EURO (50 miljarder) for among other things killing and torture in connection with its banana production in Colombia. It is the relatives of the 393 murder victims who is behind the sue, according to Reuters' report. According to the accusations the banana company have financed and provided the Colombian paramilitary AUC with weapons. The murders are said to be performed by the paramilitary to facilitate Chiquita's production of bananas in Colombia."

read in the SKTF paper

Friday, January 04, 2008

Mad World

Gary Jules - "Mad World"
It is a beautiful song and the video is kind of nice too. My favorite has to be the dog.


The Alliance's decisions for 2008

From 1 January 2008 you pay...

...+0,031 EURO (31 öre) per cigarette
...+0,63-0,84 EURO (6-8 kr) for a snuffbox
...about +0,04 EURO (40 öre) per beer

And...
...secret wire-tapping is allowed to investigate serious crimes (Big Brother is walking straight forward)
...your employer can demand a medical certificate from the first sick day
...also women who are not Swedish citizens or are living in the country can have an abortion in Sweden (that is great news!)
...the national defence can randomly drug test people liable for military service (värnpliktiga)

There are more things The Alliance has decided. The Alliance is the four right wing parties in the government (out of seven parties in total, the other three are the Left, the Social democrats and the Green Party). If you want to know more about the new laws, go to www.regeringen.se and clock on "publications".

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

HNY

Happy New Year friends, family and readers :-)