Swedish notions

Through a glass clearly

2011-09-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

I see these over 100-year old vines. Somehow they have managed to survive all this time in the orangeri behind this building at historical Sundby Säteri, untouched by the great Wine Blight. These vines are the thickest I have ever seen. Trees really.

I wonder what variety it is - quite doubtful that the people minding this place have any detailed iformation. Ahem, could i cut away a little scion?

Strange Swedish New Wave

2011-02-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

Ever since the successes brought by Abba in the seventies, Sweden a considerable music industry has developed. Sweden is no less than the third biggest music exporter in the world. In relation to the size of the country, this is something.

Its not only bands. A lot of it revolves around production and songwriting. There are scores of producers in Sweden who do material for big names behind the pond.

Come to think of it, the sounds, the cardigans, robyn, the sounds, the hives, the knife, sahara hotnights, the soundtrack of our lives and kent have all been on my playlists or I've seen them live - outside Sweden. There's a lot of good stuff. If not talking heavy metal (where Norway and Finland are strong), Sweden rules the Nordics.

Better yet, Sweden just keeps on producing a continuous stream of peculiar music phenomena, lykke li already mentioned, britta persson etc.

So, how about some Swedish New Wave with lustens lakejer?

Then

and

now

Ethanol Pt.2: RE85 and cold-start

2010-12-15T06:11:00.000-08:00

Indeed, the future of ethanol looks increasingly bright.

Here in Sweden there have been reports on cold-start problems with ethanol - this is why gasoline is a part of the mix that is the E85 fuel in Sweden in the first place. However, the new RE85 ethanol fuel (by ST1, made from biowaste, concept is called "Etanolix") does not have any gasoline; instead, it has components that actually solve cold-start issues. This makes ethanol a much more usable in cold climates. Its called "cold-optimization".

Tests have been made by VTT in Finland all the way to -25 celsius. The results of this TransEco-programme will be used by CEN (European Committee for Standardization).

The long goodbye to the era of fossil-based energy has begun.

Ethanol

2010-11-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

Sweden is no. 3 in Europe in the use of ethanol as a fuel for vehicles, right after France and Germany. The latter countries being quite large in comparison to Sweden, its quite an achievement. Like in many things, there is much that could be improved.

The silly part is that most of the E85 that the numerous Swedes (and me) driving an ethanol-capable car put to their tanks comes from Brazil and is made from sugar cane (EU has a special agreement on lower tariffs for Brazilian ethanol). This is fuel is a first generation ethanol-product, as in difference to second generation fuel, which is synthetic.

The great controversy usually associated to producing ethanol from plants is the risk of it replacing food crops in developing countries and thus raising food prices. Considering the fact that ethanol is much more environmentally friendly pollution-wise compared to fossils, this disadvantage has been seen as the major stumbling-block for large-scale adoption of ethanol as fuel.

So far the supply of second generation product is very limited. Finnish chain ST1 recently bought all the Shell stations in Sweden, but they have not launched their advanced second generation RE85 fuel in Sweden, which is made of waste. Yes, waste. No need to import anything, the fuel can be produced 'locally', which again reflects into the cost and environmental effect of transport etc.

Excellent.

And did I mention, ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline. This paired with an engine that is optimized for ethanol (and lets not forget turbocharging) gives results that are fun-fun. There are some prime examples of good Swedish engineering, say Saab Biopower or Koenigsegg CCXR (1020hp on ethanol!). All of this makes me glad at the fuel pump.

Man has no whale - learning Swedish

2010-11-10T02:27:00.000-08:00

My efforts to master the Swedish language continue.

Swedish is actually very close to English, being from the same family of languages. However, translating directly yields often funny results.

Lets say:

"Man har ingen val!"

One has no whale!
One has no choice!

If man has no whale, that must be changed. Said AHAB.

Seduction of certainty

2010-11-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Getting it wrong

is hugely popular. The human being is a group creature, and the opinion leaders are often wrong. In any issue, the future is difficult to foresee. No-one sees the complete picture, but the seduction of certainty holds a man captive.

More advanced thinkers can do meta. Meaning that they can look the way they themselves think. If one feels strongly about some subject, or a concept, it is very rewarding to ask oneself: "Why do I feel this way?". Done properly, this simple method can reveal a lot one does not want to see. It is remarkable what a dose of sanity follows from the uncertainty caused by this.

Some people make lists on all the ways they can be fools. It can be a tough exercise, if done thoroughly. In any case, its good to keep in mind that a human being does not learn that much from failure after all. This has been scientifically proven recently.

Anyway, the good stuff comes from the feeling of success.

Now, something practical:

Watch the news and write down what feelings arise with different stories, terms and concepts presented.

Another very Swedish phenomenon: complaints via WiFi network names

2010-11-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

The Local.se has written before about the curious Swedish phenomenon of complaining to neighbours via notes so that one does not have to face the target. This often happens in shared facilities of apartment buildings, such as laundry rooms or hallways.

These notes are usually written in a tone that is passive-aggressive. The topics range from left trash to loud marital activities.

However, Swedes have discovered a new, even more effective method: WiFi network names (TheLocal calls it "Angry note 2.0"). WiFi is used by many many people in Sweden, and if you go into a apartment building, you will usually find a bunch of them. What a way to complain!

Tyler Brûle on my ol' hometown

2010-10-28T05:20:00.000-07:00

I just took a look at Tyler Brûle's column (FT) after a long pause in doing so. To my pleasure I noticed that he has has written some about his recent visit in Helsinki.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/e0c11a6e-d262-11df-9e88-00144feabdc0.html

Cosy cardamom autumn it is. That made me think those megasize muffins with cinnamon, vanilla and apple that they used to serve in Wayne's Coffee (its from Sweden, by the way). Delicious with a large cup of cappuccino. Not anymore, though. It can be shared, you know. No need to buy two of those small ones they only stock nowadays.

Internet goodies from Sweden

2010-10-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yepp, its Spotify and Voddler. These are the two things that have affected most the way I enjoy my lazy-entertainment these days. Spotify for music, and Voddler for movies.

For example, I used LastFM for some time, but it looks like Spotify is to stay. It simply is the best thing for music, at least for the time being. Premium version is highly recommended, though - unless one is a masochist who enjoys listening to commercials every now and then. Spotify works beatifully with any party one might be arranging. Planning playlists is a joy, and its easy to compile stuff on the fly.

Almost no download when playing. Wonder if Monocle has written about this. They titulate themselves as the briefing on getting it right. Or something like that. What a great read it is, by the way.

I do remember Monocle founder Tyler Brûle writing in his FT column about the many possibilities in remaking the venerable concept of DVD rental stores, looking at the customer experience side. Lounging through shelves of DVDs, getting snacks and supplies, etc. On a lazy, rainy Sunday night.

Well, no more video rental stores for me. Its Voddler that "gäller". They some a lot of movies for free, and rentals over the internet are super-easy. Just plug your gold-plated HDMI cable to the telly and start.

These two are hardly the only good stuff that is brewing here in Sweden. Gött.

Now, if someone could just make a proper Spotify app for Nokia N900 (Maemo5). So I dont have to get nerdy.

Iain Banks has published some new science fiction: Surface Detail

2010-10-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Yes. This means I will part with some Euros.

Iain Banks (the Scottish writer who writes his non-scifi under "Ian Banks") is back with his scifi.

As a lifelong fan of good science fiction, I am, I must confess, excited about getting the latest one from the best. Yes Iain, that would be you. Now do not get arrogant :)

Rather slow with book reviews, its 1998 I am at

2010-10-06T03:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I was at the library one day looking for something specific, when by chance I laid my eyes on Robert Stone's "Damascus Gate".

The back cover pitch by the publisher was as follows:

"From one of the most distinctive voices of his generation comes a novel of soaring vision and profound intelligence.."

I was not familiar with Robert Stone nor his generation. However, what caught me was the sales pitch. So much of modern literature (at least if we are talking thrillers and such) are highly structured. You know, twist in the plot every seven pages, chapters very short and almost precisely of the same length, the classic structure of "protagonist meets some problems, is sucked in to the vortex of issues from which he/she slowly recovers and attains a happy ending", which can - despite of its base psychological appeal - be tiresome. Not so very real for most people. Just the same'ol ancient formula.

As I needed some pastime, I grabbed it. So, was the book up to the high-flying sales pitch? The answer is yes. I am a little ahead of things here as I have not actually finished the book. Without knowing how it ends, I dare to call it good. The read has been very entertaining, and the intelligence Mr. Stone pours into his text is fantastic. Humour included. In fact, I was reminded of another American - the well-known prankster Robert Anton Wilson.

So what is the book about? A washed-up American journalist freelances, drinks and hangs out in Jerusalem, where he encounters a very imaginative cast of characters and the story is complete with the strange religious phenomena (Jerusalem Syndrome stuff) and a plot. That should be enough about the story - its not really that relevant at all. Why not? Read it, and eventually you will understand.

Good stuff Robert, I think you've done mankind a favour here, in a small way. Once I finish this one, I'm going to take a look at other stuff you have produced. Skol på dig!

PS. The cast of characters is really something. Consider Pinchas. Pinchas Obermann, the Israeli Psychiatrist. Jösses.

The last week of filming of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" in Uppsala

2010-10-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Great many film enthusiast's have been flocking to the cosy city centre of Uppsala as the filming of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" has been ongoing in David Fincher's direction. Its last week now, so there still is time for the enthusiasts. As the scenes being filmed are from the 60's, there is a lot of classic cars about, Police Volvo Amazons, etc.

The locals like this, especially many of the small businesses in the area, but enthusiasm remians great as local papers write along the lines of "Hollywood is around the corner".

Well, at least the traffic irregularities should cease as well :)

CBD - also known as the Cinnamon Bun Day

2010-10-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

In the creme de la creme of Swedish traditions one finds the Cinnamon Bun Day (CBD), which is today. Cinnamon swirls (kanelbulla) are traditionally enjoyed during the autumn.

Let it be known that I have just enjoyed a warm kanelbulle, fresh from the oven. With a liberal glass of milk. This noble symbol of Swedish home baking tradition definitely deserves its on day on the calender.

Slurps.

The hunt for Sweden's best vodka martini

2010-09-29T04:30:00.000-07:00

Alas, many duties have kept me from pursuing the knowledge of where to get the best vodka martini (VM) in this country. I was planning to do some research in Stockholm next month, but it has to be postponed.

However, I have not been entirely without the pleasures of good martinis. I recently visited Helsinki (or Helsingfors in Swedish), and took the opportunity of enjoying a splendid VM before dinner at the American Bar (hotel Torni in the heart of the city ). Still probably the best in town, and you'd be hard pressed to find better anywhere. In the world. They stubbornly refuse to reveal the lenght and intensity of stirring that yields this wonderful result.

I have to do some testing.

Urban existence

2010-08-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yes. Roman satirist Marcus Valerius Martialis (who is, for some inexplicable reason, called "Martial" in English) was from provincial Hispania, and moved to live in the sprawling imperial capital in AD 64. From then on, he wrote much on the urban lifestyle.

Here is one:

“Why does Vacerra spend his hours
in all the prives, and day-long sit?
He wants supper, not a s**t.”

Apparently, large public lavatories (maybe 100 seats on long slabs of marble, flushing by running water below) were popular places to discuss politics, theatre, literature, etc. Somehow one thinks that the public toilet-arrangements in Rome were better a couple of thousand years ago than they are today. Go and figure.

Day 12 - day of the slacker

2010-08-24T22:22:00.001-07:00

Lagging. Behind. Argh.

Day 6

2010-08-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

Status:

30 pocket book pages done, 150 to go..

An experiment - a novel in 30 days

2010-08-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

For the next 30 weekdays I will be writing a novel. The objective is to get a draft version of 180 pages together within this time. It will be interesting to see if I can manage this task, considering my limited experience concerning writing.

I am writing this down so it will be more difficult more me to weasel out or give up.

Semi-historical fiction it is. Starting tomorrow.

Why Vesper is not Vesper anymore

2010-08-09T08:46:00.001-07:00

Ian Fleming made this classic drink famous via his novel "Casino Royale" (the year was 1953). The thirsty protagonist is a British agent James Bond, who always checks into hotels using his own name. Talk about travelling incognito, when all the bartenders, hotel managers and massage therapists from the top hotels from Hong Kong to New York know the man by name!

In any case, I did my homework on this recipe a long time ago. It is nice to notice that the Wikipedia article has caught up with reality as well. The problem with trying to create the experience Ian Fleming would have been enjoying is twofold:

1) Kina Lillet is not made anymore.

2) Most modern vodka is not 100-proof, and also the gin needs to be 94-proof. However, these can be found (Wikipedia mentions 100-proof Stoli and Tanqueray gin).

The closest product to Kina Lillet is Lillet Blanc by the same producer. Check them out here.

So what is the difference between Kina Lillet and Lillet Blanc? Kina refers to quinine, which gives the drink a twang of bitterness, and that is precisely the ingredient that has been toned down. So why is that? Quinine comes cinchona tree in South America, and it was the first effective treatment for malaria. It also has fever-reducing, anti-inflammatory and painkilling effects. However, overdose can lead to death or complications.

The Quechua Indians in Peru used to mix ground bark of Cinchona tree to sweet water, thus creating tonic water. It was used to stop shivering in low temperatures. Thanks to this, not only Bond got to sip his Vespers, but also mankind got a taste for gin tonics, which were introduced by the army of the British East India Company. The tonic water with its quinine would keep malaria at bay in the tropics.

Hollywood version to be made from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" etc.

2010-08-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

Now this is interesting news. Apparently Columbia Pictures has bought cinematic rights to all the books in Stieg Larsson's excellent Millenium-trilogy. The books are:

1) Män som hatar kvinnor (literally "Men who hate women") = The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2) Flickan som lekte med elden = The Girl who Played with Fire (here the name in English is a direct translation)

3) Luftslottet som sprängdes ("The air castle that was blown away/exloded") = The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The story is very peculiar, unfolding bit by bit throughout the trilogy. Very well worth reading, and the Swedish film versions were highly successful. Noomi Rapace did a perfect job portraying Lisbeth Salander to expentant retinas. I do suspect that critical to success is the cast. The director is David Leo Fincher, who gave us such movies as Seven and Fight Club, so that side of the affair should be a-ok. Now, supposedly Daniel Craig (the James Bond guy) has been attached to play the other starring role (the journalist Mikael Blomkvist who uncovers Lisbeth Salander's past in the books, and apparently is modelled by Stieg Larsson after his own personality), so the big question is that from where will they find someone to replicate Noomi Rapace's stellar performance?

A little googling reveals that industry rumors swirl around Ellen Page, Mia Wasikowska, Emily Browning, Sara Snook, Rooney Mara, Sophie Snook, Natalie Portman and Carey Mulligan.

As for Daniel Craig, the role entails a less physical job if one compares to the action packed Bonds. He is the man who made a testosterone-oozing action hero out of James Bond, who in late Sean Connery interpretations had a middle-aged mans belly and dealt with an opponent by throwing his own urine sample to the assailant's eyes. Well, unless the guys at the Columbia do not want changes to the script making Mikael Blomkvist a tougher guy.

Maybe logic, but slowly

2010-08-06T02:28:00.000-07:00

What good is an EU?

Well, just read a delightful story on Wired. EU is moving to standard, one-for-all mobile phone charger starting in 2011. Irrationally all mobile phones have come with a charger, and the old one has been chucked to the bin, every time, once a year for many people.

It is about time that action is taken regarding the ridiculous amount of unnecessary waste produced by our unsustainable economy. EU has other measures of rationalization ongoing as well, such as aiming for maximum recycling of metals as a part of its raw materials strategy.

Its really not so hard to make big improvements with technology that has existed for a long long time. How about a magnet powered bike light instead of a batterypowered?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017GA09W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1191814251&sr=8-1

It is very strange, that even though T-model Ford that was introduced 1908 had a 'flexifuel' engine (it can use either gasoline, ethanol or any mixture of the two), only now 2nd generation biofuels are coming to market - such as the advanced ethanol produced from waste by ST1 in Finland. Additionally, Mr. Porsche introduced the first hybrid car in 1900 (Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid), which had a friction free drivetrain. It took some time before Toyota Prius hit the market after that. Now why is that?

Travel and the middle-man

2010-08-05T09:44:00.001-07:00

Despite of knowing better, for reasons unknown (or was it so that an offer was very good - or seemingly so, of course) I made the mistake of using an internet-based travel middle-man (these low margin businesses seem to be all over nowadays) to make some reservations earlier this summer. And problems I got. Guess if you can get hold of this Swedish middle-man when the excrement hits the fan in scorched place far from home. And guess if they want you to be able to in the first place. This is a very common phenomenon in internet-based business.

The customer service is basically designed to be difficult to reach. When standing at the lobby desk of a 5 star hotel and realizing that you have to pay for an extra night (that you thought you had already paid for), there's nobody to help you to sort things out. And when you get back, it takes over 20 days to get an answer to your complaint. And the attitude is very poor indeed, and one becomes suspicious that maybe they do not answer many complaints at all. The business is low margin and any compensation will turn the transaction to red immediately. Nevertheless, these people like to pour money into advertising, but their marketing has not reached the level on which they would do the very professional thing of starting to calculate and compare the cost of getting a new customer versus retaining an old one..

Always deal with carriers and hotels etc. directly. Lesson learned. And a good reminder it is of the fact that I can be a fool in so many ways.

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra conjures up memories

2010-08-02T04:18:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time I lived relatively close to the Irish Film Institute in Dublin. In a way, that was one of my favourite spots in the town, and it supplied many rainy late nights' worth of entertainment during those years, ranging from serious documentaries to B-scifi and horror. Their output was heaven sent when Cineworld etc. have succumbed to the same depressively repetitive format which also covers much of the mainstream radio, music channels and other media.

IFI is located at the edge of the Temple Bar disctrict, so analytical post-film pints were also close at hand, not to mention IFI's own restaurant and bar. It resembled me of the old Cinema du Parc in Montreal (which now apparently has reopened, good news for the locals..). I dont think that IFI would never go as risqué as CdP when it comes to lineup (mostly a good thing, I do remember a couple of incidents with half of the audience leaving in the middle of the show etc during some controversial horror, nauseous customers and so forth), but it did a wonderful job at getting much of the cool indie and documentary material on the silver screen. Its so much more fun to combine things, have dinner, good movie, and analytical pints afterwards. Very rewarding - mostly. Not everything was a success - I do remember suffering through some very bad ones, the The Night of the Lepus from the seventies maybe takes the first prize. Add a noisy audience 80% alternative nerds (there is some sort of crappy horrorthron festival ongoing that week) who have decided that every extremely bad movie is actually funny by default. Argh. Dont take you date to see this one..

This phenomenon may well be the reason for the existence of another terrifically bad movie that I saw a couple of years back. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is an American parody of the 50's cheap horror/scifi films with notoriously crappy special effects. In effect, the ingredients are: 1) very low budget, 2) turning colour footage to black/white in post production, 3) director demands as woody performances from the cast as they can humanly manage, 4) everything is explained to the audience by teh characters (like the scientist working, wearing a white coat surrounded by lab equipment "As I am doing my scientific work.." etc, 5) there is a supernatural skeleton and a space mutant involved. No need to describe the plot more than that.

The taglines tell it all:

From the company that brought you "Zombies of Mora Tau" and "Lawrence of Arabia."

This was the day the Earth was disemboweled in terror!

Supreme shock sensation of our time!

None Can Stand Its Mental Power!

It is very bad indeed, but for some reason I want to see the sequel "The Lost Skeleton Return Again". I dont know why. However, I seriously doubt that the Swedish Film Institute would be showing it anytime soon. Art house is serious business :)

Mini Me

2010-08-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Swedish summer is slowly turning towards autumn, and its time to do a little bit of reflection. A traditional Swedish "semester" is a time spent free of worries, stress and generally seriousness, usually in a summer house on the coast or by a lake. For 3-4 weeks. I have certainly indulged in it all after all the travel and hassle during June.

I cannot think of anything more healthier for the body and soul. The Nordic summer holiday is pure quality of life: The crisp morning swims in the lake, barbecues, sailing, crackle of open fire, dramatic thunderstorms, good company and a ton of fika. And a lot of time to think and to realize all the things I have been missing all the years living outside the Nordic. Except gadflies and mosquitoes however :)

The semester is now over and I am back in the city. I almost thought that the tropical night temperatures of this peculiar summer of 2010 would be over, but it looks like there are many hot days in store yet. Warm as my thoughts.

The weekend is also turning towards the end and life is gearing up for another period of increased complexity and pace. Here is a small piece of minimalist elegance and clarity for those darkening autumn nights:

"Mini Me"

Ingredients:
Russkij Standart platinum vodka
Angostura

How to:
Load a shaker with ice, cool the vodka in the shaker with vigorous motions in a general pace of a waltz, pour to a coctail glass, add a few drops/splash of Angostura

The result:
A crisp silver sky with an orange glow of the first or last rays of the sun. Enjoy.

Where on Earth..

2010-07-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

..can these be found?

On formality

2010-04-05T08:35:00.001-07:00

One can hardly underestimate the lasting, quaint joy in life that can be only generated by formality. Formality in correct dosage is a thing which can give a meaningul glow to any day burdened by grind and repetition. Think prayer here. Excellent.

Once a year an event requiring formality so deep that it feels nearly sinister is a must.

Winter storms and Olympics, plus a flight of an eagle

2010-02-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

It is - again - time for the Winter Olympics. I am definitely glad about living once again in a climate that has actual seasons. Last night was a stormy night. I went to get some supplies to the local store late in the afternoon, before the weather would come howling in. The hissing, or swishing sound of a fine shower of dry snow landing on trees and earth is one of those things that will get your skin tingling. I could smell the firepalaces and perhaps wood-fired saunas (the best kind) coming from the villas in the area. Later the snow would come down in an almost horizontal manner. I've missed this. A leisurely Sunday morning opened with a fast-paced jog into the sunshine and fresh powder in the forest.

As I've been missing downhill skiing, I've been watching the alpine disciplines on TV. Sweden has a long time alpine tradition of success, but this time aroud we got some serious entertainment. Sweden's veteran skier Anja Persson - who has a number of Olympic medals in her pocket already - suffered a very dangerous fall after a flight of sixty meters into which she was launched from a high speed. Miraculously - or maybe due to her superb ability to control her body - she came out from it with buises only, and continued undeterred to a bronze medal next day. She has one cool head.

Car Trouble

2010-02-20T05:28:00.001-08:00

Yes, thats a Bugatti Type 41 (aka 'Royale'). I recently read from Wired that it is maybe the most coveted collector car in the world. Its production started in 1927 and Ettore Bugatti was planning to sell these to the European royalty. Alas, the Great Depression intervened. It is quite a set of wheels, definitely your style if you happen to be the monopoly man. What a peculiar specimen of industrial produce!

During the last few months there has been intense debate in the Swedish media about the iconic car maker SAAB, as its future has been quite uncertain. Like Volvo, it has been a kind of a manifestation of Swedish mindset and style in designing and building cars. Both companies were pioneers in car safety (for example, it was Volvo who originally came up with the 3-point safety belt that has probably saved untold numbers of lives), and they still like to build those 5-star Euro NCAP rated vehicles. Very comforting if you have a family in the car. Even Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson has commented on the calming effect of driving a SAAB.

However, both companies have been sold to American car giants years ago. The idea was that as a part of huge corporations they will have the access to newest technology and extensive sales networks. However, with SAAB at least, the opposite has happened. SAAB used to be a piece of unique Swedishness relished by a devout global fanbase, but soon corporate men with souls of accountants made sure that it bacame very much like the average mass produced European car. As SAAB seemed to have reached the end of the road, there was something akin to an awakening in the Swedish press and public - suddenly the realization of losing the other half of the car industry with all related businesses seemed to strike home, as at the same time, Ford sold Volvo to the Chinese.

It now seems that car industry will join the ranks of vanishing cogs of industrial base as its reduction steadily continues. Shipbuilding is long gone, and with it all the jobs and export income. The government was suggesting to the SAAB employees that they should start to build windmills instead. What a dreadful prospect! If one has seen the eyesore of fields littered with towering windmills in the West of Sweden, one has seen enough :) Sweden is one of the most free-trade enthusiastic countries in Europe, and I do suspect it has to do with the fact that Swedes subconsciously believe that they will fare well in an open situation, being able to export much. Sweden does have a very long tradition of exporting manufactured goods (for example, in the 1700's, 80% of the produce of Swedish cannon foundries went to export). Except that they soon wont produce much, so what is there left to export, is the realization.

USA and the major European countries with big car industries have seen to it that their car industries stay in the country and keep on employing and tax-paying. Tax-payers money has not been spared in the bail-outs (as anyone can calculate the cost of an army of unemployed who have very limited buying power in the economy). Except in Sweden. Whereas many talk the talk of free trade lovin', few walk the walk when its against their own direct interest. Except Sweden, where fath is genuine and true.

However, if you cannot produce, and the parties doing the producing for you decide to cut off your supply, one may end up in a difficult situation. And have to improvise, like these guys:

Does it have a 3-point belts and side airbags? Nevetheless, I have a feeling that these guys will be upgrading soon. Good things come to those who wait.

I say. 4th popular search string that lead people to Swedish Notions: "Anna Anka sex midgets"

2010-01-25T13:56:00.001-08:00

I just checked out Google Statistics to see if anyone has been reading my boring blog during the quiet period that is the beginning of this year.

And what do I find out? Number four search string that lead visitors to the blog was "Anna Anka sex midgets". Whoa. I'm quite sure I havent written much about sex midgets. About the Swedish Hollywood Wives programme yes, but not sex midgets. I wonder what these accidental visitors are after. Quite the peculiar taste I must say, being quite morally relaxed myself.

Gotta love free Google tools. So much fun after a day at the office.

Doing it the old fashioned way

2010-01-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

After some years of living without a TV I now have found myself with quite a flat screen in my living room. And what do I see? People who visit teh gym 6 times a week advertising a device that stimulates abdominal muscles. Electronically. Bzzzt!

The promise ususally going along these lines: "Just 2 minutes per day while watching this commercial in the privacy of your home you will get flat stomach/dream abs/long awaited success in life/whatnot..". Body fat is not discussed at all.

The really serious implication of these advertisements is that there must be a buying audience for these products, otherwise they would not be aired. Abasement. In any case, the best way to get ruthlessly fit is to get in touch with mother nature:

Fitness you must, and I cannot think of a better way than doing a run on a cushioning blanket of fresh snow in the winter forest. Since my skis and tillbehör are in another country, running it must be.

A giant bubble has landed in the forest. My god!

Strictly no horseplay. But skiing is quite alright. Be sure to be dynamic, though.

A troll gym:

Rules of the stadsskog:

What does the salaryman listen to while he does the pendla?

2009-11-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

After a recently finding the old iPod Nano, the daily trip had a new, surprising element. What does the old cranker contain? I could not recollect.

Tightly squeezing my laptop case, I embarked on a journey of re-discovery:

"..strange days have found us!"

The Doors
Blood Red Shoes
Dandy Warhols
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
You Say Party! We Say Die!
The Duke Spirit
Ladytron

2008 indeed.

Tuning in to the festive season

2009-11-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

The festive season has arrived to Stockholm, bringing with it one of the most loved ballets in history. Seeing the Nutcracker took me back to childhood when Christmas was still something magical. Time would move very slow, as I could not bear to wait for Santa Claus's arrival. A rare feeling.

After the night at the Opera, it is a pleasure to wake up to a cosy Sunday. After recharging batteries with a lunch of fresh pasta and some crispy Frascati wine, it is time to stroll into Gamla Stan to check out the Christmas Market. Christmas Market is an essential part of the season in many European cities - for example in Germany it is a really big deal (check out Trier, for example). Germany boasts a whole tourist industry built around the thing. Stockholm's is quite modest in comparison, but it does not lack some charm. Looks like the old town well functions as a kiosk as well. Mistletoe and glögg is available.

Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures!

2009-11-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

After 2 days spent home due to illness, I came to realize that something had to be done. My feverish brains were producing nothing of much use, aberrations, ponderings and rants on the state of Swedish press.

The best fruit of this period is what I call the "Swinetini". Along with the voodoo gear on the table, this stuff will send the nasty virus packing.

5 cl Gordon's gin
1 cl Noilly Prat vermouth
7 drops of Angostura (5 if you are a conservative).

Begone, swine flu! :D

DN makes a comeback

2009-11-06T02:39:00.000-08:00

Lo and behold! I opened DN today, and what do I find in the editorial?

"Utmanade idéer.

Liberalism: En historia om hopp och illusionslöshet"

By Johannes Åman

After the humiliation and gradual degredation suffered by this newspaper that was founded in 1864, Johannes Åman comes to the newpaper's rescue. So, what is so interesting about the period in which DN was founded? Well, I've added a pic of Eugène Delacroix's "Liberty leading the way" not only because it appears next to the editorial in DN but also because it is such a wonderful picture that captures the birth of something entirely new - a nation. What we see there is basically a militia/civic guard (a prelude to a conscription army, the tool of choice for the modern nation) assaulting the professionals who only serve a certain special interest group in the society.

An interesting story unfolds; not one but two previous DN chief editors have a part in writing a Swedish version of the history of liberalism. The first one was Herbert Tingsten (chief editor 1946 - 1959), who also was a professor of political science. The second one is Svante Oscar Elis Nycander (chief editor 1979 - 1994). Both figures turn out to be interesting, and rather high caliber (just compare to the current situation of DN's staffing). Herbert Tingsten was an influential figure in Swedish public debate, warning about the threat that the trendy movements of the time (1930's), nationalsocialism and communism, caused Sweden. Nycander, who has some interesting titles (check out, for example, "Kriget mot fackföreningarna. En studie av den amerikanska modellen" (1998)), finally realized Tingsten's plan of putting a history of liberalism in between covers. The end result is called "Liberalismen's idéhistoria: Frihet och modernitet".

I have never read this book, but according to Åman, Nycander writes the following in the preface about why Tingsten never got the project on the move: "vem vill skriva snusförnuftets idéhistoria?". Indeed, who would be interested in writing the story of common sense? Its boring. There is nothing of the following in it: Versus! Socialism! Capitalism! Struggle! War! Tooth and nail! Killer app! Its more like: Individual is beautiful. Individual has rights. Individual is free to flourish. Individual is a citizen (not a subject to a despot). Lets build something that makes all of us free in the real meaning of the word. Et cetera.

Åman continues to state that a lot of what the liberals fought for are now a banal parts of a modern European democracy. Human rights, right to vote for everyone, freedom of speech, etc. It is also the basic concept underlying how European countries are organized in terms of economy. Note that this is not to be confused to what is called Neo-Liberalism.

Its quite true that liberalism itself has passed its highpoint over 100 years ago. The problem is, however, that we tend to forget this uninteresting common sense. Liberalism is centred on the individual, and the innate worth and value of the individual. Cynics always rush to ridicule liberalism's childish faith in the human being. However, recognising the ravages of ego and the competitive instinct, most countries based on liberal ideas have assumed methods of curbing the worst problems, implementing law and regulation when necessary. As common sense would suggest.

In any case, Åman's editorial was very interesting, and also enlightening to me personally. I had litlle idea of the newspaper's glorious past. So, what shall the future bring? A generation of new talent to raise DN into a new golden age, or a gradual downhill slope?

In the meanwhile, the difference between man and beast is not the possession of intelligence, but the will to seek it and improve. A childish thought, of lasting hope, of reason, of something decent, a fool's idea? A definitive yes to this but we dont have much more than that and our common sense now, do we?

Rabbit-munching eagle

2009-11-05T01:20:00.000-08:00

I just read an article in The Local - Sweden's English language news - about an incident where an eagle had eaten a little girl's pet bunny, and the responsible dad called police. However, police could not investigate, because apparently its not illegal for an eagle to get a meal.

This article is a good example why The Local makes such a good read for an expat. As it is staffed by expats, the magazine often picks up phenomena that is curiously Swedish, such as this. I've come to a stage where I am not surprised by much, but this was novel. Not so much talk about nature and ecosystmems in that family? The dad's noble gesture of calling the police to seems like an effort to appear to be 'doing something about it' in his daughter's eyes. I certainly hope that they will never fall victim to any form of crime or physical harm.

Quite different are things where I originally come from. My family's roots are in northern Finland (although I have only been there on vacations now and then). Reindeer business is big up there, and a conflict has risen between the locals and the environmentalists. Reindeer people often kill eagles and bears illegally because they prey on reindeer and so cause losses. The state gives out compensation, but this has not stopped the eager hunters. To many people it seems highly unprobable that eagles would actually hunt reindeer, but here's some nice footage of a hunt.

Man food

2009-11-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just have to get fruits, cheeses and wine in the living room.

Edit: ..and gingerbread topped with Taleggio.

"I myself am surrealism" - the Salvador Dalí exhibition at the Moderna Museet

2009-11-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

The Moderna Museet in Stockholm - which is, by the way, one of the best of its kind in the world - is undertaking the noble act of hosting a Salvador Dali exhibition (Dalí Dalí). Dali is one of my absolute favourite artists of all time. There is something almost enlightening in the way the man became the eccentric artist persona he was known for.

A big part of Salvador Dali's art was himself. I remember reading from somewhere (some old biography??) that he would have once said that you can earn a meager living by working hard, or alternatively, you can be fed caviar by rich ladies on a daily basis by being an artist. Whatever the truth, this veteran of the surrealist movement set out to become something larger than life, and while being a highly productive artist producing not only paintings but also designing dresses and jewellery, working in advertising, movies et cetera, a major part of his commercial success (which led to him being named as Avida Dollars - eager for dollars, that is) was undeniably due to his own super-eccentric persona.

So, what makes an artist? The eyepatch with an eye? A moustache that points optimistically up towards the Lord? Holding a lecture titled "Fantomes paranoiaques authentiques" while wearing the old type diving suit with a heavy metal helmet while holding a billiard cue, almost suffocating and then being saved by the audience who finally realized that something is very wrong (as the lecturer struggles wildly)? Who had the habit of masturbating behind a curtain during the parties he hosted?

I dont have the answer to that question. But his paintings are excellent. There is simply nothing boring or conventional in his work. Or life.

In the loop has finally reached Sweden..

2009-10-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

and its getting some reviews. I saw it in the summer in Dublin, and its good. Really good, in fact.

I spotted this recently on the library wall in Södermalm:

The state of Swedish journalism: DN's Hanne Kjöller sees a propaganda film

2009-10-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately one of DN's eager journalists, Hanne Kjöller, has seen Michael Moore's new movie. Its called "Capitalism: A Love Story". I have not seen the movie, but my expectation would be that Moore does his thing with looking at some of the not-so-pleasant sides of the American society and culture, while trying to do it with some humour. Having seen the previous ones, I dont think there would be that many surprises for me. Anyway, a lot can be said about the quality of Moore's 'investigative journalism', his rather immature style, tireless repeating stuff that is no news to anyone etc. However, that would be beside the point.

So, Hanne sees the film, and writes: "Propaganda: Michael Moore är tillbaka". Half of her text is not about the movie, but Michael himself and what he represents (Moore supposedly says that capitalism has gone too far to be reformable). Then Hanne goes on to ramble that the only alternative is socialism, and Europe has some experience on that. You know, living beyond the iron curtain was actually not so nice, and hey, try and go make your movie in a country with no freedom of opinion!

She goes on to educate her readers that in a democratic society there is room for many an opinion and you can organize work even on non-profit basis (!), whereas in socialism there is only one "model" that makes people poor. And Mike should have definitely mentioned this in his movie!

The whole thing leaves a distinct wtf-feeling. What is going on? Does she realize that from the point of view of many Americans, Sweden is a socialist country. In fact, all countries following the venerable continantal market economy model (that includes welfare benefits, rational societal planning on a national scale, etc.) would be perceived as 'socialist' even though their conception precedes this concept. Then again, some more radical socialists might be annoyed if, say Sweden, would be advertised as a socialist country. Discussion with grossly simplified terms is rampant, but this must be a new simplification record. Use just two keywords with very ambiguous content (interpretations vary wildly).

It seems that Hanne has skipped all the history lessons in school. I would recommend a read-through of, for example, the history of liberalism.

In any case, Michael Moore is the black knight, the champion of evil socialism. And he wants people to be poor! Like in Sweden! Yup.

Seeing Massive Attack for the first time and realizing I would have appreciated it so much more 10 years ago

2009-10-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

I was tired today. That was due to the fact that I was at the Massive attack concert at the Globen Annexet last night. Not a wild night out by any means, I just happened to notice that they would be playing.

This transported my thoughts into a distant time in the past. It was 1998 and I was wearing "the cucumber salad", the camouflage of the 90's pattern, that is. I had heard some from Massive Attack's brand new "Mezzanine", and I thought it sounded seriously cool. So, come the rare free strecth of time, I was reclining in a comfy chair at the brigade library, and listened through the album. Back then, at the verge of proper adulthood, I was dreaming of farway places, looking to one roam all the continents, and getting all the adventure and copious amounts of sexual experiences a young man can desire.

And now MA was to perform live. The same day. And I have to work the next day. Pendla. Talk about customer relationship management. Fraud prevention. With somewhat mixed feelings I surfed to ticnet.se and bought a ticket. Had a beer.

Here is Globen, the relatively large ice hockey arena in Southern Stockholm. Looming in the background like a massive red moon. The picture is fuzzy, because I was using my mobile phone camera (only 3.2 megapixel). The regular camera is refusing all cooperation at the moment.

The place and the people

To the gig. A quick beer in bar and the show is on. We start with an eerie red light, poking forth from behind the stage like a sign of the presence of a malevolent artificial intellect.

The massive, electronic soundwall and the striking lighting soon stops my yawns. The gig is as much as an art installation as a concert. The band, including two drummers, works in front of a massive video wall. This element will be used creatively during the show.

The crowd is, again, very mixed. This must be a Swedish thing. Middle aged wives of intellectual looking (the eyeglasses, kavaj and grayish stubble-look) guys moving their bodies with restraint. Not that many young people at all. Still they only sell folköl in the actual Annexet. Strange.

It was the 90's when Massive Attack was big, and Bristol sound was everywhere, but its not that long ago. Or is it? Just me getting older, rather.

Questioned truths and trendy world-vision

Now that the financial crisis has done its worst and some underpinnings of how systems work are questioned by also others than professional thinkers (what a sane exercise, too bad this usually requires a disaster to happen), commenting on the global issues such as poverty, war and inequality has become a major trend amongst celebrities. Here Massive Attack puts its penny forth in this issue as well.

Not that long ago I saw Madonna live at the Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg (thats was a first of those as well for me). She had impressive effects on stage as well, and a very definitive societal message incorporated into the show using the videowalls. So did Massive Attack. The music was topped-up with some brain candy. The video board rolled out some horse-sized figures for comparison. Say "MCLAREN F1 CAR, £ [insert astronomical sum]" and then "COST OF A COMMUNITY WORKER IN KENYA, ONE YEAR $ 1500", "AMOUR AMOUR DOG COLLAR $ 18 00 000", and then "COST OF COMMUNITY CENTRE, A YEAR $ 15 000" etc.

Also represented were some UK and Swedish themes. For UK, the sights had been set on the new initiative to get an ID for everybody. This has traditionally roused stiff resistance in that privacy-loving island. This commotion seems rather comical, considering that probably all nordics probably more or less always carry IDs.

Anyway, Sweden was covered also in Swedish. "REGERING SKA SPIONERA VARJE SAMTAL" etc. The innocent need not to worry! I found the "ANNA ANKA'S BLUFF AVSLÖJAD" a lot more funny. Again, as a Nordic person I usually find the Orwellian scare rather amusing. All in all, this works rather well. Far from corny self-aggrandisement practised by some grandiose celebrities and rock stars who spend time 'solving' the world's problems on the pages of gossip magazines, MA does an installation of sound, video, and interesting contrasts of information, turning the event into a something you could have in a gallery. And walk out pleased with all the stuff they rolled out for your entertainment. Lagom almost. But what was the thing with folköl? That's not lagom.

Saturday lunch in the town: beasts of the wild on your plate, martini in your hand at 19glas

2009-10-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

Today was a rainy, gray and uninspiring day at best. To cheer myself up and inject a dose on nonchalance to the day I went to have a lunch to 19glas in the Gamla Stan.

The place comes recommended, I've read some good stuff about it from a credible source. And indeed, good it is. The resonably priced lunch menu includes a martini for the very very reasonable sum of 29skr. There is a bright sliver, an elegant ray of pleasant light there is :)

The 'sage of baltimore', jounalist H.L. Mencken has, at least according to Wikipedia, called martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet". I am no man to dispute this authoritative remark. What better to please your soul and tease your appetite than a clear, sublime note of grace, delivered by the best cocktail, or at least best pre-dining cocktail, in the history. The martini could have had a bit less vermouth, but I did not let that bother me. In any case, 19glas is heading into the 'getting it right'-section of reasonably priced luncheon full and well.

Starter of the day for lunch is salmon with very nice mustard dressing. I am not fond of seafood in general, especially fish. However, salmon is something I can eat but I do that rarely. However, I cannot dispute that the fresh, nice-texture-salmon on my plate is beyond critique. Nevertheless, I do not finish the dish, but start to gear myself towards the game coming up.

The main course is a curious game of moose. Moose meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberryketchup(!). Lingonberry ketchup sounds awful, but it works quite well, in fact. The mashed potatoes could have been a bit more solid, however.

The service is good, staff friendly and food very well worth the money. A lot of extra points come in from the atmosphere, and the martini serving, which can be considered a humane, generous act. More IKEA-thinking to the restaurant business, and the world will become a wonderful place to live in.

There was a guy with a fez in Berns last night (as Nouvelle Vague performed)

2009-10-10T08:06:00.001-07:00

Indeed, one of the things one comes across here in Stockholm is the.. well, good fit. By that I mean that come a concert by Nouvelle Vague - the saviour of French music - the venue had been tuned up to make it a memorable night.

Unfortunately I have no pictures of the event due to the laundry incident earlier that day.

The venue

Berns in Berzelii Park was offering, at least ambiance-wise, everything one can hope. Massive chandeliers floating in red mist, fragrant air and sumptuously ornamented theater gets one in the mood for some 60's style bossa nova interpretations of new wave punk and country tracks. Getting the audience in the mood worked very well. As an appetizer before the gig, the DJ played some tasty French pieces from the 60's to modernity, including stuff from Serge Gainsbourg. Try >>this.

Picture: Serge you old hound!

The band

This is the second time I see Nouvelle Vague live. Tripod in Dublin (a venue that is originally the old Harcourt Street train station) was the scene of the previous encounter, and NV was playing the last gig of the tour. The other singer had a pint of whiskey to celebrate that, but she did give it away to a member of the audience eventually. The gig was memorable, and Tripod is a good venue, but Berns wins because of the ambiance side and the exemplary attention to details. This is crucial in creating a memorable event.

NV performed energetically, the girls giving to bouts of wild dancing and.. er, moshing at times. Also, the legendary Dead Kennedys track "Too Drunk to F***" was used as a high point of the show (as was done when I previously saw them in Dublin) with some naughty chatting with the audience and goading the audience to yell the keyword.

The people

Crowd was very international. Whereas in Dublin the audience mainly comprised people in their early 20's, hipsterite students mostly, at Berns it was another story. Many nationalities were represented, and all ages as well. Some old radicals/francophiles/whatnot appeared in their striped shirts and kavajs appeared and we could also see some 60's style dancing and even some bump'n'grind-type of action from an woman representing the over-the-50-yrs demographic. Some wild stuff it was back in the day, I reckon. Also the type of the venue, its restaurant and club and close location to the posh sictrict of Östermalm showed in a troupe of fashion victims. I think I saw a Kylie Minogue. Except that she was more beautiful than Kylie. But very serious indeed with the tastefully hot outfit and those very high heels. Only in Sweden. All in all, an interesting crowd.

And yes, there was a guy with a fez. In a white suit. With a scarf, no less. Monocle, anyone? I was saying earlier something about how everything was tuned to fit well into the occasion and create a mood for the experience. This was an example when this goes too far. Is this the colonial Algeria? Going about the place all blasé? That's an Östermalm Douche Award- performance? No, seriously, got to appreciate when people put some effort to it. Its so rare otherwise. Grey mass. My thanks goes to, as always, to all who want to give an input to the night.

Wired blog roundup on subject "Sweden" - an American perspective

2009-10-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

Wired.com is one of my all-time favourite reads on the net. They have excellent and multi-faceted reporting on what's happening in technology, electronic society and culture.

In the past I have noticed that Sweden is usually strongly connected to socialism, but any accurate information is often lacking. So, how about Wired writers' mental image of Sweden?

Condensed: A land of tedious, cucumber-minding socialists who fast adapt things like Spotify and also navigate the seas with stealth ships.

I must admit, this made me smile out loud. Anyway, check out the latest entries in Wired on Sweden:

Blog >
Biggest Record Label Earns More from Spotify than iTunes in Sweden
Epicenter The Business of Tech. Biggest Record Label Earns
Quote: "We can probably chalk some of this effect up to home-team pride; Spotify is a homegrown Swedish product while iTunes is imported from California. But there’s also some legitimate hope here for Spotify and U.S. music fans who hope it will launch here soon.

A couple of years back, Steve Jobs admitted that the average iPod contained only 22 purchased songs, while the remaining 97 percent were either downloaded for free or ripped from CDs. Spotify’s model, which coaxes users into paying monthly subscription fees to access their music on mobile devices, while allowing them to listen on desktops for free, could certainly improve on that figure."
2
Blog >
Sweden Rescues Volvo and Saab from Fjord and General Motors Woes
Quote: "Like a friendly foreign embassy in an unstable land, the Swedish government came to the rescue of two fellow countrymen with cold hard kronor for carmakers Saab and Volvo. Far from a bailout, the Swedish aid comes with some assembly required."
3
Blog >
Sweden now presiding over European Union (yawn) [Lol]
Quote: "And now the SWEDES are at the wheel. The world’s best-organized,
most tedious socialists. Guess what: in a sudden, daring move, the Swedes ease
up on the cucumbers."
4
Blog >
Sweden Deploys The First Operational Stealth Warships
... Sweden Deploys The First Operational Stealth Warships. ... things? Posted
by: goldenstag | 02/12/09 | 1:28 pm. Sweet Sweden! Maybe ...
Quote: "The country that gave us Volvos, Saabs and ABBA has developed what it claims is the world’s first fully operational stealth warship that is essentially invisible to radar."

A Robot Army, A Telephone Piano, & A Black Hole That Never Was :)

2009-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Link

Little fun on the expense of science doomsday nuts..

A movie deal worthy of Hagar the Horrib.. Fredrik Malmberg: Paradox Entertainment to work on a new Conan the Barbarian

2009-10-05T08:02:00.001-07:00

Paradox Entertainment will, according to its Swedish CEO Fredrik Malmberg, start work with Lionsgate on a new Conan the Barbarian movie on the 21. Feb next year. As the director is though to be Marcus Nispel, the director of "Friday the 13th" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", we can expect a medieval fantasy-splatter that leaves no man, the law nor camel safe.

The actor hired for the role of the big guy himself has not been made public. According Paradox he is not a super famous actor, but has made a name for himself. Robert E Howard's jolly, scantily clad barbarian of a character has previously made Arnold Scwartzenegger big, and look at the guy now! Like Conan, he is the boss of a state without formal qualifications!

Article on Aftonbladet about the movie project:

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/film/article5900332.ab

Anna Anka's saga continues

2009-10-04T11:40:00.001-07:00

..here are some recent quotations from this ethnic Polish, newly naturalized American citizen:

– "Nu har priset gått upp. 100 000 dollar ska jag ha"

– "Anna Anka gör ingenting gratis. Hur höga tror du att tittarsiffrorna skulle vara utan mig? "

– "Sen satt det en norsk kärring och klagade på mig för att jag hade tjänstefolk. Titta på omvärlden. Det finns tjänstefolk överallt. Hon fattar inte att tjänstefolk i USA tjänar mer än vad direktörer tjänar i Sverige."

That's some deep stuff from the beauty queen, personal trainer and hollywood housewife. I am looking forward to getting more of this :)

Cast an eye on the past for a review: Youth Novels by Lykke Li

2009-10-01T03:18:00.000-07:00

Indeed, Youth Novels - album was released back in 2008, when I was still very unaware that I'd be living in Stockholm next year. I found it interesting back then, and now as I am residing not-so-far-away from the artist's hood of Södermalm, I feel that its certainly time to put some of my thoughts together about this album.

So, Lykke. She has the credible artistic/indie background in the sense that she grew up in various countries around the world as her hippie parents moved around (and lived, amongts others, on a mountaintop, of all places). However, she was born in Ystad in deep-skåne, the hometown of the fictional middle-aged hero of folkhemmet - inspector Wallander, the scourge of all crime in Southern Sweden. So, back to 2008. Lykke releases Youth Novels (also in the US), and performs in Jools Holland. There's also cooperation with Kings of Leon, remixes and some movie stuff. Which is nice.

So, how about the music? Lykke sings with an almost childish voice - think Björk in the category of personal voice. Otherwise, its first and foremost eclectic. Then electric, poppish, indieish in the late 2000's way (loads of instruments used), easy listening, a real lugna favoriter type. Note: try "I'm Good, I'm Gone" for a quirky, almost happy vibe. Spotify has a good collection of her stuff, remixes and all. Only caveat with her music is the irritation-treshold concerning her childish singing voice. It can be too much if you are suffering from anxiety etc. Moderation in doses is advised.

So far, Lykke-girl is fairly underground, venerated mostly by some lumberjack-shirt wearing hipsters who probably hang out at the Debaser Slussen all the time :) Or something like that. However, she is supposed to be writing material for a second album. We'll see.

Try it with a happy snappy white wine from the cheap range of Sysselsätter.

Bythe way, here is an excellent video of the artist getting at it in her own 'hood of Södermalm. A guy with a moustache watches from the window. CLick

The Guardian wine critic Victoria Moore and the fear of the Systembolaget

2009-10-01T00:32:00.001-07:00

I recently happened to read an article in The Gurdian about the binge drinking problem in UK. In January, Guardian wine critic Victoria Moore wrote about the Home Office scrutinizing cut-price drinking deals, such as happy hours and all-you-can-drink offers. UK is, as is Ireland, a hard-drinking culture.

What sets the Nordic coutries apart, is the regulation. Victoria hopes that the Labour will not set its regulation-lovin' eyes to Sweden, where alcohol sales are done solely via Systembolaget, which is a state monopoly. Systembolaget works on the principle that if profit motive is removed, there is no reason to try and persuade individuals more than they were planning, sell alcohol to underage buyers etc.

"Apparently systembolaget has transformed Swedes from being one of the hardest-drinking nationalities in Europe (in the 1800s) to one of the lowest (now). This is all very fine but for those of us who love wine (as opposed to just alcohol), there's a problem: it means the government is deciding what wine you drink. Systembolaget carries 3,000 lines of beers, wine and spirits which sounds a lot until you consider that Oddbins, until recently, had 2,000. You can order a further 4,000, which again sounds generous, but from everywine.co.uk you can order more than 42,000 wines, and goodness knows how many more spirits and beers it's possible to buy in the UK." - Victoria Moore

What she fails to mention, is that Systembolaget is one of the biggest wine buyers in the world. Because of its bulk deals, its able to negotiate very good prices for the end users on top-of-the range articles, such as champagne. Also, you really can get wine from other sources. Jesus, go to Oddbin's pages for starters..

Vic, there's still room for wine critics even if you only have Systembolaget :)

Link to article

...on turbochargers and life

2009-09-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

A while back I wrote a rambling entry about the turbocharger. So, what is so interesting about something which increases the density of air entering into a combustion engine? The answer is, of course, that driving can be incredibly fun. And a true connoisseur of life looks at moving from a to b as a potential pleasure.

So, a turbocharger has a turbine driven by the car's exhaust, which in turn powers a compressor that actually increases the air density, resulting a more efficient combustion. Vroom. However, traditionally turbochargers suffer from a lag - before the engine has enough revs, the turbine will not get enough pressure to be effective. I lately tested a dual-turbo engine in the road, which is designed provide instant throttle response on all revs. It is basically a smaller and a larger turbocharger in conjunction, partially overlapping and together covering the whole rev range.

A 1.9 liter (relatively small thus) TT diesel engine with 180 horsepower and a 400nm pulling power (TTID) gives a nice feeling on the road. Overtaking is a joy, and the pleasure of relaxed, calm but very fast driving style is yours. A nice example of Swedish engineering product that shows foreign competition what a Swedish utility-minded vehicle is made of. Good show.

Blog police: Rebecca Scheja och Fiona FitzPatrick [sic]

2009-09-28T05:56:00.001-07:00

Yes indeed,

if your life is boring, worry not! You've got Rebecca and Fiona to tell you all about their exciting existence in their blog. This blog is an excellent representative, if not an opening page to a peculiar phenomenon here in Stockholm. I was planning to write about it, but I had very hard time deciding where to start! Ok, on we go. Anyway, Rebecca and Fiona (FitzPatrick - jesus, Stockholm is full of phoney names, all Jönssons want to become Silfverboehms etc. - I doubt Fiona has much to do with Fitzes eller Patrickes). Everybody wants to be unique, different and exciting. In fact, they think everybody would like to have a piece of their life.

More than a few people have been lamenting the phonyness of Facebook lately. People create a public persona on-line, that does share one's existence with the world quite selectively. Yes indeed - pictures are never spontaneous, the whole thing planned to look good out. There is something very feminine to this. In any case, Sweden, and Stockholm, is the paragon of this phenomenon. These girls are part of a crowd who frequent the pages of sites like Stureplan which display the lives of young, almost narcissusesque, wealthy(?) etc. people. People all around Sweden would like to join this crowd. Hundreds of blogs by teenage girls follow this template. Not only in Sweden.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Reb and Fio are DJs! The music part in the blog is not the first thing that comes out - the posts follow the style of "Shopping and fucking", "Skrik och panik" etc. However, there is booking/gigs section. Maybe they are cutting edge in the music scene? I certainly havent seen them live, but I was just trying to set myself in the role of a club manager :)

Is their existence so glamorous then? Something to be interested in reading about, let alone being envious about? Star's poop does not smell? Well, knowing life, and also all fates of many many celebrities (for example Whitney Houston), I dare to suspect that its so special live their lives after all. At least for a time period of years. But what do I know :)

So, what shall we call this phenomenon? Stockholm-ornication?!

Quote: "Vi börjar på en brygga med mat och massor av champagne. Sedan ringer vi alternativt mass-sms:ar hela telefonboken och berättar vad ska vi göra."

Link to blog

Stockholm, the self-appointed capital of Scandinavia

2009-09-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed, I will be moving to Stockholm this weekend. Thus my excursions in to the Swedish countryside will come to a temporary halt - I do suspect that I will be seeing Dalarna soon in any case!

So, about Stockholm. I have visited this city a few times before, and I do like the city, especially the older parts. Sweden without Stockholm is united by a strong feeling of dislike towards Stockholm and its inhabitans. It is commonly believed that the Stockholm people are snobbish, arrogant, intolerable etc. No smoke without fire? Well, it is certainly true that a certain level of high individualism prevails in Stockholm. It is riddled with exlcusive clubs (your looks will determine your mileage), good restaurants and of course, beautiful people. What makes me happy, however, is tha fact that the city caters to my rather decadent sensibilities. This would be, quality dining and good vespers (and believe me, these are hard to find).

Anyway. Quite recently Stockholm's tourist bureau people (or an ad agency hired by them), came up with a new slogan. Now Stockholm is "the capital of Scandinavia". This has aroused quite a lot of discussion in Norway, Finland etc. Why? Well, Stockholm used to be the capital of Scandinavia a few hundred years ago, when whole of the Scandinavia was in the iron grip of the power hungry Swedish king. Bring back the good old days? :)

Bring on the decadence! Well, in reality, Stockholm merely wants to be perceived as what it really is. A premiere location in terms of culture, design and business. Cant wait to get some proper dining.

UPDATE: Oslo seems to be doing better..

The Girl who Played with Fire - Flickan som lekte med elden

2009-09-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

Aah - finally I get the chance to unfold some of the observations on the cinematic version of Stieg Larsson's story "Flickan som lekte med elden". I read the book quite recently only, and I can see why it is so huge at the moment. Not to mention the movie versions, Larsson's trilogy is being translated to a plethora of languages. Anyway, the movie was a pleasant surprise. This is the middle part of a trilogy, continuation to Män som hatar kvinnor (Men who hate women).

First of all, casting. Casting is always the key when one is making a cinematic version of a book. Everybody who has read the book has his or her own mental pictures on how the characters look, what kind of interior is found in a Stockholm apt on Fiskaregatan etc. I hardly can not mention at this stage, that I will be moving to that city quite soon. Well, anyway, casting rocks in this movie. The most dazzling example of this is the actress Noomi Rapace who does an excellent job portraying Liz Salander to our retinas. Undoubtedly, she will be projected into fame of sorts in the Nordic countries and perhaps elsewhere in Europe as well. Other roles are filled well also. No problems there.

How about the story? Stieg Larsson, that old communinist, does a lovely job at painting the red wine guzzling, Peroni (Nastro Azzurro!)-swilling ambiance in an independent, left-leaning small magazine called Millenium, in which the jornalist character Blomkvist works. Btw, Stieg himself worked for a magazine called Expo. Now how do the people in Expo compare their own workplace to that of Millenium's? Probably quite close, is my guess :)

In this episode, Liz Zalander :) gets to know a bit more of her ancestry, and of course, on the bad guy section we have a bunch of guys who hate women. Also, in pure Stieg-style, a larger, societal theme (how lefty is that?!) of human trafficing and organized prostitution underlies the story.

All in all, the movie is, as is the book, a moving experience with a serious societal message. What is regrettable, is that Stieg Larsson died recently, unable to see his trilogy's success. I am, however, thankful for this experience.

Wild boar hunting is the new black in Sweden - a gentleman does it with this:

2009-09-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Unnatural Selector

Update

Continuation to the previous post - Mia Engberg and avant garde

2009-09-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Svenska Filminstituten (Swedish Filminstitute) provided 500 000 kronor (Swedish crowns) to director Mia Engberg to make adult enterntainment. The discussion on this has ranged from outrage to feminist approval. Dirty Diaries is a collection of short films, all made by women. The makers' full manifest can be found on the movie's homepage. All the movies were shot with a mobile phone, and Fever Ray has contributed music. Svenska Filminstituten says that Mia Engberg makes art and this movie is something to counterbalance to movies made to meet the mechanistic male perspective of the subject. It has been calculated that every Swede participated in fininacing this movie by 4 öre (Svenska Filminstituten gets its money from the state).

Adult enterntainment paid with tax payer's money? Soundtrack by Fever Ray? That's avant garde!

2009-09-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

Avant garde! I cant wait Anna Anka's opinion about this :)

Folks, let me introduce you to two rather adorable Swedish personalities: Christopher Rahlenfeldt and Anna Anka

2009-09-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Why them? Lets start with Christopher Rahlenfeldt. He is quite possibly the most popular male blog writer in the whole of Sweden, his writing covering mostly issues of fashion, partying etc. What's your image of a Swedish man? Rugged Nordic handsomeness? He recently arranged a competition for both girls and boys who would get a "Shot at love" with him. Read all about it in the blog :D

Link: http://rahlenfeldt.blogg.se/

Quote: "Jag helt nyduschad, hihi"

So, how about my pick for the feminine example. First I thought that Anna Anka is not a good example since she lives in the US and is married to singer Paul Anka. Another consideration is her Skånishness - is that really Sweden at all, some humorist might ask :)

However, since the first showing of tv-programme Svenska Hollywoodfruar (Swedish Hollywood wives), she has become quite a public figure in Sweden as well. Svenska Hollywoodfruar concenrates on introducing the lives and lifestyles of blonde, usually heavily modified (via plastic surgery) wives of rich and famous people of Hollywood.

Many Swedish women have reacted strongly on her views on relationships (the notorious 'suging'-comment that she made in the programme - something along the lines of a celebrity husband being pleased orally daily). Despite of this, she has had some difficulties in her relationship as well. The Swedish yellow press had dug out information on her domestic battery incident (her husband was in the receiving end).

Here is what Howardstern.com has to say about Anna's past:

"..Paul brought in Anna, his Swedish personal trainer and (now) girlfriend, and Howard told her she was beautiful and “some catch.”

Anna reported that she's had Paul's baby, but joked that she wouldn't marry him if the pre-nup didn't promise her at least “a couple million.” Howard asked Paul if he wore rubbers now, so Paul told him that he got a vasectomy after the birth of the baby, adding that the procedure was a “non-event.” Robin asked Paul how long he had to wait to have sex after the surgery, and Paul claimed 5 days."

(Another hit for ms. Anka)

Quote: Jag vill bli en förebild för svenska kvinnor

What else is Sweden..

2009-09-15T09:55:00.001-07:00

In addition to royalty (check out drottning Silvia), Stockholm, Madeleine, snus, science fiction and blondiner, what is it that comprises Sweden?

How about this baby here on the left? As an invention, its over 100 years old. Yes, its the turbocharger. It has a pivotal role in enjoying life in Sweden as well, not only on those Autobahns. I'll explain all about it in the next part..

More Neill Blomkamp goodies

2009-09-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Halo
Yellow

I have a good feeling about this guy :)

Finally it was time for D-Day, District 9 day, that is

2009-09-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Talk about fresh perspective. This is a totally new kind of Hollywood scifi movie in many ways. Probably would have not happened without the bearded LOTR king Peter Jackson, who happened to notice this S-African advert director n00b Neill Blomkamp. Yes, the movie. Its different I tell you. Based on Blomkamp's original shortie Alive in Joburg. And yes, its pure gold, robots and tentacles are found a plenty. These are the basic ingredients of an enjoyable scifi movie :)

The 'hero' of questionable character traits - Wikus van der Merwe - is a weasly bureaucrat who wears smart casual (on the nerdier end of the meter). Where's the buggered bow tie, that's the only question at this stage. Anyway, despite of the silly moustache and all, he manages to drag himself upright and do the manly thing of taking responsibility in a difficult situation. Blomkamp's South Africanness becomes clear with all the notions towards the Apartheid.

The worst of humanity is mercilessly diplayed, and all cheesy Hollywood heroism and such have been left out. Only a whiny phone conversation represent the EMO-ness in this movie. Thanks Peter for giving mr. Bloemkamp free hand with this. Its not always your own genius dude; a wise man knows how to benefit from the talent and success of others. Nice one.

Another thing: first person shooters. I lately played some Resistance: Fall of Man on PS3. In Distric 9 the cool alien guns (and a combat exo-skeleton of sorts) trumpet the starting of a game-esque splatterfest. The end allows for an easy implemetation of sequel/prequel, and in the horizon looms also a threat of judgement; will mankind be made to pay for its wickedness by avenging aliens? I can hardly wait to see!

Ps. Do NOT make this movie the centerpiece of a romantic evening. My female movie partner could hardly eat after seeing the movie, let alone enjoy it.

UPDATE: remember to check out this Romanian review!

Lets talk about SNUS baby

2009-09-14T03:24:00.000-07:00

Do you know what is snus? Its a tobacco product that has a long history in Sweden - and it is widely used and appreciated over cigarettes. Most people you see in bars and cafes would be using what is called portion snus. I recently tried out some, and while not being a newbie to nicotine (being an ex-smoker), the effect was still a bit dizzying. Portions snus has its advantages - its clean, no bad breath and what's more, no black lungs.

The health effects are not fully known yet due to low amount of research done on it. However, despite of potentially being a lot safer than cigarettes, one can imagine that there is a carsinogenic effect in one's mouth from using it. What makes this product interesting is that its sale is illegal in the European Union, with the exception of Sweden and Norway. American big tobacco has quite recently gotten very interested in snus as well.

Check out: http://www.snuscentral.org/

Tyvärr det blev priceless för dig..

2009-09-14T00:39:00.001-07:00

I've always been interested in the power of advertisements, commercials etc. on affecting the popular culture. This applies to Sweden as well, but the difference to anywhere else is that now we have middle-aged people (in Sweden, old people do not feel that they would be losing their dignity if they parrot catchphrases popular with the teens) repeating "det blev priceless för dig" after this ÖoB (a cheap store) commercial.

I think the ad is giving a nice, over the top 'cheapo' feel, making humour out of the image of the business. Cheap, crappy taste etc.

Or how about "SMS'a eller ringa"?

Shoegazing

2009-09-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

I turned 30 this summer. This has made me think about all the changes in my own tastes, ways of thinking etc. I recently realized that REM is a damn good band. Really. Think about partying as a person who has been an adult for more than a decade and not look like a douchebag. There's nothing more cool in a 30's kinda way than Ignoreland from the album Automatic for the People. That's REM-empowerment for us older people. Its a revelation!

The same thing goes for many other things as well. I took a closer look at my shoes yesterday. In Gotherburg. They're Converse for crying out loud! Get on with the shoegazing! Was it good old Gothenburg that evoked these thoughts?

Now where's my Bowmore Enigma whiskey again..

There is some weird skit going on in Sweden - pumping up to meet the beefcake threat?

2009-09-11T00:42:00.001-07:00

I was doing some exercising at the local gym in a small Swedish town when I noticed something very strange. There was a plaque with the town seal and all informing all gym users that there will be random doping tests taking place at this location. Should you refuse the test (or test positive), you will lose your membership. And of course, a positive result is reported to the police.

After reading, I took a look around. Surely there must be an army of hulking monstrosities pumping away with 125kg dumbbells in each hand? Ill-tempered, pumped up beefcakes? Threatening the very existence of the nation and its traditional way of life? No. Middle-aged men and women, mostly occupying the bikes, none seemed too happy about doing excersice. Probably the doctor ordered. Unbelieveable.

I guess this is what they take seriously, but in case of the local gym of a small town doing random checks on the middle-aged, reluctant trainers (to make these very same people feel safe and secure) seems a bit ridiculous to me. All nations have their pecularities. Could this be a track to follow deep into the Swedish psyche? Hmm-mm. On with the protein bar!

The Un-Business

2009-09-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny summer day few years ago in Helsinki. I was sitting on a park bench, checking mail on my laptop. Over comes a large man in his fifties - an American tourist who wants to know how to get connected.

Me: Connect to the Helsinki wireless.
Him: How do you know which wireless network it is? (there are LOADS in the city centre Helsinki)
Me: Just choose any of those with the word "Helsinki", those are Helsinki City networks. Public.
Him: Where do we need to pay..?
Me: No need to pay, its the city network, its free.

I could see that this information surprised him. In reflection, that reminds of my experience in Dublin, Ireland. All those crappy WLANs in cafes, bars and restaurants that only make you angry. Get a scratch card with a code that works for 20 minutes. And you have to register. Argh. And those that are free are unreliable and slow. Horrible. That is what he was probably used to, and not knowing of anything better, was accustomed to pay for something substandard.

It seems that just like the American tourist the Irish city fathers do not understand what networks really are. What if the roads and railways were in a similar condition? Well, in Ireland they actually are (despite of decades of EU funded infrastructure improvement). But in case of roads the Irish authorities recognise the problem. Its not good for business, or generating wealth.

Shortsighted thinking leads to a crappy end. A scratchcard. Not to the high tech society.