Saturday, December 29, 2012

Hitler Praying by Maurizio Cattelan

A statue of Adolf Hitler praying on his knees is on display in the former Warsaw Ghetto, the place where so many Jews were killed or sent to their deaths by Hitler's regime, and it is provoking mixed reactions.
The work, "HIM" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, has drawn many visitors since it was installed last month. It is visible only from a distance, and the artist doesn't make explicit what Hitler is praying for, but the broader point, organizers say, is to make people reflect on the nature of evil. (Source
)

This piece of art sparks so many emotions in my that I keep coming back to it. No one is "pure evil" though we like to picture it so in books, films and our imagination. All those evil persons we see also have a good side, though I admit it can be very small and well hidden. I think it's important to remember that. Evil is not always obvious and it's easy to be fooled. When we face evil persons in our everyday life they may look humble and harmless.

It also reminds me about the story of a boy who almost drowned a January day in 1894. One of many fears a mother carry, the death of a child. There are claims that the boy was a young Hitler, though it has never been confirmed. You have to be very cold hearted to not sympathize with the mother and feel her fears and worries, yet, many express the wish that the boy had not been saved that day. Isn't wishing the death of an innocent boy and act of evil?

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Snow Snow Snow...

I'm so tired of the snow.

Right now we have 3 hours of daylight and the sun raises 1.3° above the horizon. This mean that we don't get enough sunlight during clear days to fill up on the well needed vitamin D. That's bad enough, but we rarely have clear days as it is. 

This summer we had about 4 days a month without rain, and now we seem to get the same statistics with the snow. 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Meet the meat =)

The meat is hanging for now, and my mind is full with ideas about what I can do with it. This year I'm taking a closer look at how the butchers in the US and the UK cut and use the meat since it's slightly different from how we do it. Most of all I want it to be quick and simple to cut and I don't mind cooking it longer.

I'm still a "food hoarder" and I don't want anything to go to waste. This year we don't have any dogs to feed with the left overs and I'm still wondering about what I can do with it. Mom has a fox that drops by her garden now and then and I'm wondering if we can feed it with the "dog food" this winter.

One thing is for sure, I love my meat and I love the fact that I know that the animal have had a happy free-range life. The meat bought at a store never taste as good and I'm worried about how the animal lived and was treated. Now I wish I knew someone who could help raise a couple of hens and chickens too... =P

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Not according to plan...

It's slaughter time again and I've travelled back "home". (I've lived more than half my life in the city but I still see the village here I grew up as home.) My oldest son is currently unemployed and living at home and I figured that I might as well bring him so that he can work too. I couldn't have planned it better...

Well, we were back home in time. That's about it. The weather is terrible, warm and rainy for the season, and the slaughter was postponed. My son have to leave on Monday (for a meeting that's a term of his unemployment) and... we start butchering on Monday.  

Looking at the bright side, he at least got to meet his grandmother, great grandmother and lots of other relatives that we don't meet in the city. He's also connected my mother's internet to a router so that I can easily access the internet while I'm here visiting. =)

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Amanda Todd

I dislike bullying and I have a hard time understanding how any human can be so evil, without someone else stopping them. Someone has to know hat they are bullies, other than the victim. In my eyes the bystanders who do nothing are equally guilty.

This poor girl made a mistake. A mistake of the kind that most 12 year old girls might do in the right setting. One mistake that should have been embarrassing at the most, and then forgotten.

We all make embarrassing mistakes. Mistakes that should never be more than that.

I hope the bullies get what they deserve. I hope all bullies, not just the ones who bullied Amanda Todd, get a taste of their own medicine.


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai
Most of us have had days when we've been tired of school, wondered why we have to go and some of us have skipped school to do something more fun. Some, like my 14 year old niece, don't want to go to school at all and they do everything in their power to get away. Going to school is often seen as a choir that has to be done rather than the privilege that it is. The right to education is also the right to take control over your own life.

Malala Yousafzai is a 14 year old activist that has been working for Pakistani girls right to an education since she was 11 years old. The problem is not the Pakistani government but the Talibans and their extremist views on Islam. She and two other girls where gunned down by Talibans yesterday as they were about to enter their school bus. All girls survived even Malala Yousafzai that have had a three hour surgery to remove the bullet from her head.
(Source: BBC, BBC.)

It's chilling to think of a 14 year old that almost gave her life to protect the right of education. A privilege that kids around me take so much for granted that they don't value it at all.

Friday, September 28, 2012

If you don't want to see ribs then don't hire a skinny model

Numéro photoshopped Karlie Kloss's ribs out of the photo after hearing critique about eating disorders. It's a sad twist to my usual question; "what's wrong with reality?".

Balpreet Kaur

I loved reading about Balpreet Kaur and her response to the people who made fun of her appearance. Her words makes her beauty shine through in ways that a photo can't.


A Sikh woman’s eloquent response to a tasteless Reddit post targeting her facial hair has sparked virtual applause online.
“Yes, I’m a baptized Sikh woman with facial hair,” Kaur wrote. “Yes, I realize that my gender is often confused and I look different than most women. However, baptized Sikhs believe in the sacredness of this body — it is a gift that has been given to us by the Divine Being (which is genderless, actually) and, must keep it intact as a submission to the divine will.”
Kaur continued to school callous commenters on her religion, explaining that she wasn’t upset or offended — if anyone wanted a photo, “they could have just asked and I could have smiled.”
“To me, my face isn’t important but the smile and the happiness that lie behind the face are,” she wrote. “So, if anyone sees me at OSU, please come up and say hello.”
Kaur explained that when she dies, “no one is going to remember what I looked like.”
“However, my impact and legacy will remain: and, by not focusing on the physical beauty, I have time to cultivate those inner virtues and hopefully, focus my life on creating chance and progress for this world in any way I can.”
(Source)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Hen (Ze)

The debate about the word "hen" (ze) has gone on for quite some time here in Sweden. It's a gender neutral word  that can replace both "han" (he) and "hon" (she). The origin of the word could come from the Finnish where the word "hän" is gender neutral.
Finnish has only gender-neutral pronouns and completely lacks grammatical gender. The word hän is gender-neutral and means both "she" and "he". (Source)
The absurd part of the debate is when people want to call everybody "hen" (ze). Should all kids in kindergarten be called "hen" (ze) rather than "han" (he) and "hon" (she)? Should books, webpages and so on use gender neutral terms to describe all people?

In my eyes it's too extreme to force everybody to be gender neutral, and I think that those who are that extreme are few. Forcing people that have a gender identity to be neutral is just as wrong as forcing people that are gender neutral to "pick a side".

Gender neutral words are on the other hand welcome to me. There are cases where they will be useful, especially when the gender of a person is not known, needs to be secret and to describe gender queer people. It's a logical thing to do and it's strange that it hasn't been done earlier. When we encounter something that cannot be described with the words we have we invent a new word. Something that's a mix of red and blue is purple. If it's not his or hers it's zirs.

I don't see what's so upsetting about the word it self. It fills a function just as the word purple does. It's not strange in any form or way, it's a natural step to take and it's time to get words like this in our dictionary.

(The gender neutral words used in English are many and not organised and untied. I've chosen to use the word "ze" since it's the word I've seen the most often.)

Friday, September 14, 2012

GoPro Viral Marketing?

It all started with a seagull video that I could not see since my country was blocked at the site. It claimed that a seagull picked up a camera and flew around with it while it was on, then put it back on the ground. "Funny," I thought. "I want to see that." So, I googled it and found more than I had expected. A site called Life's Little Mysteries points out that the same company have had several videos of the same kind go viral. They deny being behind it all, of course. 
Multiple media outlets have reported the camera that caught the video is the property of a Nathalie Rollandin from France. Rollandin describes her experience with the seagull in the description of the video, uploaded to YouTube Sept. 2: "Funny video of how a seagull stole my GoPro, flew over the water in front of Golden Gate Bridge and how the camera incredibly managed to survive, recording everything!"
Either animals have a liking for GoPro cameras, or this is a hoax. Just over a year ago, another seagull in Cannes, France, supposedly filmed a different scenic and highly viral video, uploaded on June 23, 2011, with the exact same brand of camera before also depositing that camera in a retrievable location.
On May 23, 2011, one month before last summer's GoPro-carrying seagull video, another supposed GoPro owner posted a video in which a lioness picks up the camera with her mouth and carries it through the bush. That video now has over 400,000 views and includes information on where to buy GoPros in its description.
Another popular video, posted in August, shows what is purported by the uploader to be GoPro footage of a pod of actual, and not CGI, dolphins. (Source)
I decided to see for myself and I turned to Google again. This time I googled for "Animal picks up Canon camera," then I tried Nikon, Sony, Samsung and Olympus. No hits. However, when I tried GoPro several of them popped up. 

In this case I agree. It has to be viral marketing. This is planned and executed to deceive people into thinking that they are watching people's amazing videos when it's actually a commercial. 

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Stress

I'm stressed out and the chaos have not begun yet. Next week I'll have men working on the kitchen and the garage at the same time. My husband is ill and I'm in so much pain I can't stand on my feet for more than 5-10 minutes at the time. This far, nothing is prepared for what will happen tomorrow. Not one thing have been moved.

Ain't life grand?

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Why happy *or* fat?

Last year I read that my home town had the happiest people in the nation. Great! It's an amazing town to live in and I've never regretted that I moved here.
A couple of months later they reported that my home town are at the top ten of the fattest town in the nation. The local newspaper made a whole reportage series  about ow fat and miserable the citizens are.

So... we're happy at the same time as we are fat and miserable?

Now there has been a study on the whole nation and ... "Swedes feels better but have become fatter."

Once again people are happy at the same time as they are fat. It's absolutely terrible the newspapers report. "In two years the number of obese Swedes increased by 2 percentage points to 36 percent."

Why can't people be happy and fat? What's so wrong with being happy even though you are fat too?

Friday, September 7, 2012

Nokia Cheats Viewers

Nokia's new PureView ad is amazing, too bad it's faked.
Nokia's PureView still photos also include fakes (update: Nokia confirms).


I'm not surprised that a company tries to sell something by making it look better than it really is. Companies do it all the time. To me it's only a symptom of what's wrong in the marketing business, and once again I find myself wondering what's wrong with reality. 

People say that they want honesty, yet we're basing our popular culture on fakes and lies.

Look at what we're really saying by allowing this. Think about what we are teaching our children.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Nervous

I'm going to the hospital today to remove a "lump". It hasn't bothered me at all to think of it, until now. Suddenly it worries me and I'm so nervous that I have butterflies in my tummy.

What if?

I can picture lots of things that can go wrong, and there is also that nagging thought of cancer. What if it is...

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

What if your national hero was portrayed by an actor from another race?

How would you react if your national hero was portrayed by an actor from another race?
What if George Washington or Winston Churchill was portrayed by a black actor? What if Malcolm X or Nelson Mandela was portrayed by a white actor? Would it matter to you? 

Gustaf Mannerheim is a national hero in Finland and he is now portrayed by Kenyan actor Telley Savalas Otieno in a new low budget movie shot in Kenya. The reactions to "The Marshal of Finland" have been strong and they have divided the nation into two camps. Some think that it's unacceptable that a black actor plays the role of a white person, others have taken the time to see the artistic sides of it all and thinks that it's OK.

The explanation is simple. The movie is about a man telling a group of Kenyan children about Mannerheim. What the viewer see is how those children picture the story, and in their minds the man is black since that's how they naturally picture people.

I like history and I dislike when people twist facts to make movies or books. I often find myself grumbling over things in movies that are not historically correct. I'm often fine with it when the movie is presented as fiction, such as "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter", it's clearly not a historically correct movie. "The Patriot", "Braveheart", "300" and "Pearl Harbour" are on the other hand movies that have made me shake my fist and roll my eyes. If you claim to portray history then the least you can do is to get it right.

In the case of the Mannerheim movie it doesn't matter how the actor looks, the maker clearly says that it's an outsiders perspective that's portrayed. What matters is if the teller of the story show the historical facts correctly. That, on the other hand is something I've not seen discussed.

The Marshal of Finland

Funded by the Finnish Broadcasting Company the movie brings you an outsider's perspective to the Marshal Mannerheims life. The film has been carried out mainly by
Kenyans. Directed by Gilbert Lukalian. Marshal Mannerheim acted by Telley
Savalas Otieno (Kenya). Movie producer Erkko Lyytinen says that for Finland it's nationally very important thing that this first Mannerheim film will be completed. Premiere will be in late September.

Poll made by finnish magazine (Iltalehti) tells that 90% of finnish people will not watch this movie. Director of the movie has also received lots of hatefull feedback.


Friday, August 31, 2012

Lady Gaga Photoshopped

I dislike when art is presented as reality. This is another case of it. The Vogue cover is an artistic representation of Lady Gaga, it's not the Lady herself.

It's disgusting when magazines photoshop artists to the point where they can't possibly be real. Yes, we all know that magazines do it, but many of us don't actively look for the photoshopped parts and that can subconsciously screw our view on reality. 

What's so wrong with reality that we can't be allowed to see it rather than photoshopped artistic interpretations?

Saturday, August 25, 2012

It's been a strange summer.

Here we've had:
June 4 days without rain.
July 4 days without rain.
August (this far) 7 days without rain.
The average daily temperature have been above 18°C one day. One, in almost three months. We've had midday temperatures that reached 25°C a couple of days, but that's all.

Some parts of the country have not reached summer temperatures this year. If you look at the numbers they have had spring and now it's autumn.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Light Paintings by Janne Parviainen

Light Painting by Janne Parviainen
Links: OneTwoThree.

The art is created by making long exposure photographs and drawing the figures with different kinds of light.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Oops!

Last week I proudly announced to my family that I've lost 10 kilos since January. I've had great problems with carbs and I keep falling off the wagon, but I've still managed to lose weight. Amazing!

Well... I've been "awarding" myself things to celebrate the success. Ice cream, fruit, carrots, rice, chocolate...

I'm not back at square one, but I've taken a big step backwards. Once again I have to get a grip on my "addiction" and get back on track.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Upsetting

A Florida judge sided with a special needs teacher who allegedly used hot sauce to stop an autistic student from eating art supplies and recommended the school district reinstate the woman's job.Source

It's upsetting to see how the judge is awarding and condoning the abuse. The judge claims that it can't be proven that the hot sauce was used as punishment and that's why Lillian Gomez should get her job back. I think it actually makes things worse. If she didn't use the hot sauce as a (very dimwitted) punishment then she must have done it out of pure evil to torture the poor kid. Such people should not work with kids in any form or way.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Not Exactly How I Planned It.

One and a half month after I started cleaning out the garage an not much have happened. There was a family emergency and I went down south to help out, leaving the garage to my husband and our sons. They have finished tearing things down, at least that's what they say. I'll have to check that later. Last week they called someone to fix the roof. Still, it's mayhem out there and I'm thinking that this will never be finished before the winter arrives. The thought alone makes me tired.

I also have the shadow of the family emergency hanging over me. My niece is going through a rough spot in life and I worry a lot about her. In this case I've taken on more than I can handle, but I have to manage somehow for her sake.

My relaxing summer where I planned to load my batteries have drained me totally. Not exactly how I planned it, but that's life.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

H.C Andersen breast cancer awareness statue by Jens Galschiøt

H.C Andersen in a Queer Time - Jens Galschiøt
It's no secret that I like art that makes people see red, or as in this case pink. This time it's Danish artist Jens Galschiøt that's under fire because of the statue he made for the Pink Cup golf tournament in Odense, Denmark. The Pink Cup is a tournament that draws attention to breast cancer and I personally think that Mr Andersen's pink breasts does that brilliantly. However, there are those who don't like the nudity as well as those who think that Mr Andersen looks bisexual (sic).

The issue of breast cancer is something that's close to Jens Galschiøt's heart since his mother died from breast cancer, and he's donate the statue for free to the cause.

When asked what H.C Andersen would have acted today Jens Galschiøt replies:
"It's hard to say if Andersen was gay, but he was very feminine, and how he would have acted today is a fun and interesting question to ask.
(Source: one, two and three in Danish.)

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Slooooooow

My husband moves around with the amazing speed of a tortoise, on a good day. After walking in to the wall last year I'm not much faster, though I do have sudden outbursts of activity now and then. One such outburst happened the other day when I started cleaning the garage.

 ... I shouldn't have done that. Well, I should have, but I wish I could claim ignorance and ignore what I found. A leak in one corner that has been there for a good while, it's been years since I saw that corner last. Mould on, and in, the boxes that we had there and a smell that kinda says it all. We have to tear down the wall linings and probably much of the wall too.

By "we" I mean "I". My husband can't go into the garage, at best he can come and visit by standing out side looking in. Maybe. This will take me months to go through and fix and I'm tired from simply thinking about it. Insurance? Probably not. My father did an improvised "fix it" thing on the garage many years ago and the insurance won't cover it if it's his "fix it" that caused it. =/

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

It's the coldest June in 20 years

And now the meteorologists think that July will be the rainiest in many years. This summer is going down the drain. I can't go on a vacation since I'm waiting for repairmen and painters, that will call "a few days" before they come here. The weather is less than inspiring, our sons are sleeping all day and it's probably easier to pull one of their teeth than getting them to help out around the house. My husband is sick and he's either asleep or complaining. I'm drowning in negativity and I'm sinking fast.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Adidas

Hypersensitive people have over reacted once again and through that proven that you will see what you want to see.
It's of course about the Roundhouse Mid shoe, created by New York designer Jeremy Scott.

Instead of looking up the designer and seeing what his work is about people rather scream racism at the top of their lungs. Why bother to look for the truth when fiction is so much more "you". It really is. When you read something into nothing it's a reflection of who you are. 
It's in a way like a Rochard inkblot test where your personal perception decides what you will see. 

I don't like Jeremy Scott's shoes. Not these with the cuffs, not the ones with wings, not the ones with teddy bears... none of them. It's simply not my style. The cuffs look stupid and I don't understand how anyone would want to wear them. However, racism is not the first (or second, or third) thing that come to mind when I see them. 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Monday, June 11, 2012

Written Pictures by Anatol Knotek

WomanArt by Anatol Knotek
Anatol Knotek's art is interesting and you really need to go to his site to experience it fully. There are textportraits of people such as Picasso and Bob Dylan. Drawings and collages, and textanimations. All art spins around words and the use of words. As you zoom in on the lines in the portraits you'll find that they are all built of written words.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Filming

I've started to use the video camera more, but I'm no good at it. To make film is so different from taking photos. I move the camera too quickly, I forget that I can't turn it on the side and then there is the sound. This time it's the sound that's the main problem. The birds song was so beautiful that I decided to film a bit to record it. Well, it can't be heard that clearly and the wind in the mic makes it even worse. =/

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Go Mamas!

Photo by Brynja Sigurdardottir
I've never understood why Americans are so prude about such a natural thing as breastfeeding. Why is it such a big deal? This is how our bodies work, it's how we are supposed to do things if we can. Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your baby and it's so easy compared to bottles and formulas.

This time it's army mothers that breastfeed in uniform that get people's knickers in a knot. I don't get it. It's a beautiful photo of two mothers and their babies. That they are in uniform makes the picture even stronger. Women who are willing to defend their country and their children is a strong image.
I've tried to go to the photographer's homepage but it is down because of the traffic it gets now. Her FaceBook page is still working though.

The women who breastfeed should be congratulated for being able to give that gift to their children, not hunted as if they did something perverted. There is a good reason why a mother carries lunch with her. It's always there, always ready to eat and it's in a great healthy organic package. There's no need to make a fuss of it, just open and serve when ever and where ever the baby is hungry.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Weight Stigma

Researchers asked young women and men to read about women who had either lost 70 pounds of excess weight or had stayed the same weight (weight-stable), and who were either currently obese or currently thin.The participants were then asked about some of the women's attributes, including their attractiveness.
"We were surprised to find that currently thin women were viewed differently depending on their weight history," study leader Janet Latner, of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said in a news release from the University of Manchester, in England. "Those who had been obese in the past were perceived as less attractive than those who had always been thin, despite having identical height and weight."
The participants also showed greater bias against obese people after they had read about women who had lost weight, compared to after reading about weight-stable women -- regardless of whether the weight-stable women were thin or obese.(Source)
It's as if obesity is a crime and you're judged for committing it even after you've served your time. It disturbing to see that people are judged differently depending on is they have been obese in the past or not. However, it's even worse to see that people who are obese are seen as "better" than those who managed to lose weight. 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

About 65-70% of the parents do not love all their children equally much

It's a social taboo, parents can't admit to loving their children unequally. It doesn't matter if the parents who are aware of it still treat their children as equals, there is still a great shame connected to it. The way parents proclaim their equal love for all their children is among the greatest lies parents tell.

I don't love my own children equally, there is a difference between them. Personally I think it's connected to the traumatic birth of my youngest and the mayhem that followed. I was disconnected from him since he was at another part of the hospital and it took a while to bond with him afterwards. It's also due to their personalities, our oldest son is more like me and we are "on level" most of the time, while there is more conflict with our youngest. It doesn't mean that I don't love one of them, only that the love I feel for him is different. It doesn't mean that I treat them unequally, though I deal with them differently them depending on their personality.

My local news paper have a quiz about it today and this far 30% of the answerers admit to unequal love. That number stands in contrast to Katherine Conger's 2005 study where 65% of the mothers and 70% of the fathers loved unequally. There are other studies and opinions of course, but many of them show the same pattern, many parents do have favourites.

There is a huge difference between loving your children unequally and treating your children unequally, but people seem to think of them as one and the same. I think it would be better if people could talk about it openly. It could help the children who are mistreated (or even unloved) by their parents.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Armed to the teeth

Rudy Eugene identified as the cannibal.
Naked man killed by Police near MacArthur Causeway was ‘eating’ face off victim.One man was shot to death by Miami police, and another man is fighting for his life after he was attacked, and his face allegedly half eaten, by a naked man on the MacArthur Causeway off ramp Saturday, police said,Sergeant Altarr Williams, supervisor of Miami police’s Homicide Unit, said a man doesn’t have to be armed to be dangerous. “There are other ways to injure people,’’ Williams said. “Some people know martial arts, others are very strong and can kill you with their hands.’’ (Source)
It's so macabre that I can't get it out of my mind. The victim seems to have lost as much as 75-80% of his face. Picture having to live with that, some guy on drugs ate your face.

This is so crazy that it seems unreal, somehow. It's the type of thing you see in movies, not reality.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

School Photos

4-year-old was in tears after being banned from school photo for hairstyle.Little 4-year-old Marcella Marino told her daddy, professional hairstylist Marcello Marino, to make her look like a princess for her school photo. Her father obliged, and fashioned the girl’s long blond hair into a bun resembling a hair bow, a look Lady Gaga had worn back in 2009. The excited girl ended up in tears after arriving at school and being told she could not be in her class photograph because her hairstyle violated the school’s dress code. (Source)
I've never understood the whole deal with "dress codes" at schools. Perhaps because we never had any where I grew up. From what I understand, the father knew very well that he sent his daughter to a school with a strict dress code and I think he should have understood that the hairdo could be too much. On the other hand, parents are not perfect and can't think of it all. Either way, it's sad that schools have systems that in a way "bully" students who want to express personality. It's not as if the poor girl showed up with Kiss make-up...


My son have experienced something similar, at a school that have no dress code that I've ever heard of. He's a metalhead with long hair studs and all. There have never been any problems when it comes to how he dress, until it was time for the school photo. Some of the other students in the class decided on a dress code for the photo and he refused to "monkey up" since it's not his style. It all ended with him not being allowed on the school photo. The photo in it self doesn't matter to him, but it annoys him, and me, that a few can have the power to bully others to do what they want them to do. 


Isn't it a basic human right to have the right to be yourself?

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Gulls

Little Gull
Gulls are beautiful birds, but... the beauty ends when they open their mouths. We have had a gull colony close to where we live for years now and the noise is overwhelming at times. I'm an animal lover and I can barely kill a fly, but there have been times when I've wished that someone would take a shotgun and ... well, scare them away.

The one day, a couple of years ago my niece followed me there and she noticed that some gulls were different. It turns out that it's Little Gulls a bird that's rare where I live. Suddenly I'm more forgiving when it comes to the noise they make, and I look forward to seeing them each spring.

The photos shows a little gull in flight, but also the branches of birches with leaves budding. Soon the world will be green again and summer will be here.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Honesty

Honesty is something that we all value and see as obvious, even though we do question things. There are liars and conmen, we all know and despise that, and that makes us value honesty even more.

One of the online newspapers I read have webtests where people can check many different things and today I found one about honesty.

"If you find money on the street, do you take it?" It's in Swedish, but I'll translate the questions.

1. You find a wallet with 50€. Do you turn it in to the police?
2. Would you part in a handicap space?
3. When you leave the story you notice that you got too much cash back. Do you return it?
4. Would you drive if you suspect you are too drunk.
5. You're in a hurry. Would you go on the train without paying if the risk of detection is little to none?
6. Would you steal hotel towels?
7. Would you take envelopes and pencils from work?
8. You see your friend's partner holding hands with someone else. Do you tell your friend?
9. You're alone on the road, would you drive 30km/h over the limit to get home quicker?
10. It's raining, you see that the bus won't have space for you. Would you push yourself ahead in the line?
11. A fried gives you an illegal copy of a program. Would you install it in your computer?
12. Would you cheat on your taxes if you felt certain you'd get away with it?

69000 persons have taken the test so it should show a fair view on the "average". Over all you can say that roughly 20-30% are dishonest while 70-80% are honest. But there are questions where the opposite apply. That's what I find interesting.

70% would hand in the wallet while 75% would keep the money if they got too much back at the store. 73% would not take hotel towels while 64% would take pencils from work. 69% would not cheat on their taxes while 79% would install illegal programs in their computer.

The point is that people seem to agree on many things when it comes to when to be honest and when to cheat. Some things are more "acceptable" to do wile others are not. Drunk driving is a good example, 93% would not drink and drive.

The honesty we all value is subjective. What value does honesty hold when we can pick and choose where it should apply or not?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Idiots

South Africa protesters deface Zuma penis portraitTwo men vandalised a portrait of South African President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed on Tuesday, intensifying a heated debate about the picture that has enraged the ruling African National Congress.Television footage showed a white middle-aged man in a suit walking up to the portrait at a Johannesburg gallery and painting a red cross on president's face and private parts.A younger black man then smeared black paint over the picture while the first man was being taken into custody by security guards. (Source)
I'm not surprised, but it is sad that two idiots could do such a thing.  What would this world be like if anyone could destroy art because they disagree with it. 



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Spring Flood

I spent an hour by the overflowing waterfall yesterday. It's amazing to stand there surrounded by the thundering water. I would have stayed for longer but my husband was waiting for me.



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Game of Thrones

People around me have told me about Game of Thrones, comparing it with Lord of the Rings or "something similar to Tolkien". After watching the DVDs I can say, it's not even close. Comparing Game of Thrones with Tolkien is blasphemy in my opinion.

The constant jumps between the families makes it a bit hard to follow and makes me feel a bit overwhelmed. Who did what now? I'm about to watch it all again to see if it's easier to follow the twists and turns the other time around. I'm forgiving the confusion because some of my favourite actors are in it, Sean Bean, Jason Momoa and Peter Dinklage. (Yeah, I know. It's unfortunate.) Peter Dinklage's character Tyrion Lannister is a favourite and a bit of a surprise, since he's not stereotyped in a way as so many dwarves in fantasy are.

Monday, May 21, 2012

PETA

PETA once again cements the impression that they are all full blown idiots, this time by wanting Jägermeister change the name to "Waldmeister". (Source) If they don't like the product name then they don't have to buy it. It's as simple as that.

This has to be a publicity stunt, it's the only way this makes sense. "Attack" a well known company, and its name, and you will get a lot of attention.

I wish...

By Elly at Blasting Art
I wish I could figure out how to create chrome effects in art. I've read some tutorials, but they are about text or things such as apples or fruits. I can chrome text easily, but fail when I try to chrome fruits. What's worse is that I want to chrome something that's more advanced, such as a skull like the one in the image.

I'll keep on trying, but it seems impossible for me to "get it" as it is now.


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Censorship

The Spear by Brett Murray
Established Cape Town based artist Brett Murray returns to Goodman Gallery Johannesburg with Hail to the Thief II. This body of satirical work continues his acerbic attacks on abuses of power, corruption and political dumbness seen in his 2010 Cape Town show Hail to the Thief. In this sequel show, Murray’s bronzes, etchings, paintings and silk-screens form part of a vitriolic and succinct censure of bad governance and are his attempts to humorously expose the paucity of morals and greed within the ruling elite. (Source)
Political satire artwork with South Africa's president Jacob Zuma in a typical Lenin pose with his penis sticking out annoys ANC. Zuma who enforced the law that gave South Africans the freedom to express themselves without being punished for it now want to censor the artwork.

If Zuma (and the ANC) hadn't protested then the rest of the world would never have seen the art or heard of it.   There has to be a spark to start a fire. Our Prime Minister didn't complain about the political satire aimed at him, and the "news" faded quickly. This on the other hand could live on for a long time since ANC is threatening to take the museum to court to have the artwork censored. 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Frog

The snow is almost gone now in our backyard, but this frog still had to sit on it. The poor thing was so cool that it didn't react when I walked up to it.


Friday, May 18, 2012

Time for new glasses?

I've been going through some photos I took of birds last week. There was a Western Marsh Harrier that circled a grove in hunt for food and we watched it for quite sometime. Well, that's what I thought. Once I uploaded the photos and had a closer look I realized that it's not a Western Marsh Harrier at all. Not even close. It's a Rough-legged Buzzard, a bird that I've never seen before.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

I'm too old

I went to my youngest son's concert yesterday and I'm exhausted. The event reminded me of my true age, I'm not what I used to be. =/

I wanted to film the new band line up in action since I've never heard them play. However, the sound quality is poor. They didn't do a proper sound check and it was painfully obvious.

The band in it self sound much better with the two new members and I think the split in the band was for the best. The new guys haven't had time to rehearse all the material properly and they still play better than the two old members that had played most of the songs for years.


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Will warning labels in DVDs stop piracy?

Pirates Beware: DVD Anti-Piracy Warning Now Twice as Fierce.
Hollywood and the federal government have partnered to create updated and even more annoying anti-piracy warnings that will be included in new home-release DVDs and Blu-ray discs beginning this week, the government said Tuesday. (Source
)
Everyone who actually buy their DVDs face this annoyance, the piracy warning that can't be skipped past. Great isn't it? You've done the right thing, you bought the DVD, and then you are "punished" for it by being reminded of all the pirates out there. You're also in a way reminded of the fact that pirated DVDs don't have that annoying warning and let you watch the movie of your choice undisturbed. 


Do the pirates care about such warnings? Do they care about the fact that they are breaking the law? Well... I don't think so. If they cared then they would have stopped pirating and we wouldn't have this problem. 

Monday, May 14, 2012

Strange

My husband is an animal lover, that's why he doesn't eat their food. It's close to impossible to get him to eat his veggies and I have stopped trying. He eats potatoes, carrots, cucumber and sometimes a lettuce leaf. That's it.
Personally I like veggies and our youngest son often join me when I'm making something special with them.

Yesterday I got hold of fantastic green asparagus and I decided to have a luxury lunch. Our youngest son wasn't at home and I looked forward to eat it all by myself. As I'm filling my plate our son comes through the door. Did I have enough for him too? Of course, he's my child, I can't deny him to eat even though he's and adult by now. Then my husband shows up and ... wants to have some too. While recovering from the shock I split my delicious lunch in three and give him a plate too. By then it wasn't enough food to call it lunch and I was just as hungry before lunch as after.

Even more shocking was that he thought it was good and decided that he could eat it again.

Now I wonder what's wrong with him and how worried I should be.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Do what you want to and apologize later.

It seems to be how H&M operate. They do what they want to do, even though they know they will get critique, and then they apologize.

It's like a kid, stealing and eating candy, then saying they are sorry. They still got the candy and that was what mattered. Apologizing is easy when you've already got what you wanted.

So, H&M is once again apologizing and saying that they have listened to the critique and will keep it in mind in the future. We've heard it before and we've also seen how easy it is for them to do what ever they want the next time too.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Blue

I'm feeling down and blue again. The rapid changes in the weather makes my aches and pains worse and my brain isn't functioning as it should. I forget even the most basic things.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

That's not fair

H&M is getting critique again, this time from cancer experts that says that the model, Isabeli Fontana, has an "unhealthy tan". Deeply tanned models encourage people to get tans and through that skin cancer.
H&M have defended the campaign to the Swiss press by saying they chose a model with darker skin in order to best show the strong colours on sale this season.
The Swedish firm said Fontana, the model featured in the controversial campaign, has naturally dark skin.
However, pictures previously published of the other model in former campaigns show her with a light skin tone.(Source)
Let's start with two photos of Isabeli Fontana one from H&M 2012 and one from Victoria's Secret 2011.
Isabeli Fontana H&M 2012
Isabeli Fontana Victoria's Secret 2011













Isn't it strange that Isablei's "naturally dark skin" is so much lighter in the 2011 Victoria's Secret photo? It's not all though, all photos I can find of Isabeli in a quick Google search showsher with skin that's much lighter than in the H&M photos.

Why lie about something that's so easy for everybody with internet access to look up? It makes no sense. Why not explain the reason for the dark tan without lying? This, together with all the other issues that H&M get critique for, shows how H&M is clearly out of touch with reality. 
Patricia Krentcil
H&M's ad reminds me of "tanning mom" Patricia Krentcil that has been in the news lately. What's obvious when you watch interviews with her is that she's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. That's something she seems to have in common with the decision makers at H&M. That and the preference for the abnormal. 
There is another side to the story. I and (I assume) many others would never have known that Isabeli has lighter skin than in the ad. There are models with naturally dark skin and I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Watching Oprah does not make me feel that I need to get a tan, nor does the H&M ad with Isabeli. 


I also dislike how the "cancer experts" (who ever they are) target H&M because of the ad. This makes the experts look as if they are doing it for the PR they will get. There are far better ways to get attention and educate people about skin cancer and how to prevent it. As things are now people will remember the critique against the ad, but they will still not be educated about how to protect themselves.

This article explains the basics of staying safe quite well I think. The mistakes that many do are to apply to little sun screen and not reapplying after two hours. 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Birding

Common Kestrel
We went birding yesterday and got photos of both Common Kestrel and Western Marsh-harrier. I've been feeling down lately, but seeing the birds cheered me up somewhat.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

I'll believe it when I see it

Beginning with their June issues, the editors of the 19 international editions of Vogue magazine have made a pact to stop using models under age 16 or those who, from the viewpoint of the editors, appear to have an eating disorder. (Source)
The problem with Vogue's new modelling rules is this part; "... who, from the viewpoint of the editors, appear to have an eating disorder". People who see (too) skinny as a norm, something good, will not see the warning signs in the same way. It's like letting an anorexic decide if they are too skinny or not. H&M have made claims about picking their models more carefully more than once,and they still keep failing. It's easy to doubt that Vogue will live up to what they promise. 


It would be great if they succeed with their ambitions, but that's only one small step towards a "sane" display of models all over. We are still far away from models being "normal".

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Something I got in the mail

 I got a mail from a friend and the sigline caught my attention far more than the actual message.
"Every guy thinks that every girl's dream is to find the perfect guy. Not so, every girl's dream is to eat without getting fat."

 It rings true. A world where you can eat anything you want to without any bad side effects is fiction, and impossible dream.

I lost control over my carbs when I visited my mother and my husband's birthday did not help either. (Of course I have to have some cake.) My blood sugar levels went up, and so did my weight. The worst thing is that the weight it took months to lose came back in no time.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Whooper swan on thin ice

I went for a walk down by the water yesterday and I saw a swan struggling to get to open water. I filmed it and thought that was all, then I saw his/her mate and turned the camera on again when they got together. It was a sunny, but windy day and the gulls were of course as noisy as usual. Today it's snowing and summer feels very far away again.