The Celebration of Mediocrity

Bush is the new Hitler

2006-07-30T21:39:00.000+01:00

Here is exactly what most Europeans think of Bush and republican voting Americans. Written by a Jew now living in America. These are indeed sad times we are living in.

The Bush Hitler Thing

Friday 09 January 2004

Dear Sir,

My family was one of Hitler's victims. We lost a lot under the Nazi occupation, including an uncle who died in the camps and a cousin killed by a booby trap. I was terrified when my father went ballistic after finding my brother and me playing with a hand grenade. (I was only 12 at the time, and my brother insisted the grenade was safe.) I remember the rubble and the hardships of 'austerity' - and the bomb craters from Allied bombs. As late as the 1980s, I had to take detours while bombs were being removed - they litter the countryside, buried under parking lots,buildings, and in the canals and rivers to this day. Believe me, I learned a lot about Hitler while I was growing up, both in Europe and here in the US - both my parents were in the war and talked about it constantly, unlike most American families. I spent my earliest years with the second-hand fear that trickled down from their PTSD - undiagnosed and untreated in those days.

I'm no expert on WWII - but I learned a lot about what happened in Germany - and Europe - back in those days. I always wondered how the wonderful German people - so honest, decent, hard-working, friendly, and generous - could ever allow such a thing to happen. (There were camps near my family's home - they still talk about them only in hushed conspiratorial whispers.) I asked a lot of questions - we were only a few kilometers from the German border - and no one ever denied me. My relatives had obviously spent a lot of time thinking about the war - they still haven't forgotten - I don't think anyone can forget such a horrible nightmare. Among the questions I asked:

Why didn't you do anything about the people in the camps?

Everyone was terrified. People 'disappeared' into those camps. Sometimes the Nazis came and lined everyone up, walking behind them - even school children - with a cocked pistol. You never knew when they would just shoot someone in the back of the head. Everyone was terrified. Everyone was disarmed - guns were registered, so all the Nazis had to do was go from house to house and demand the guns.

Didn't you see what was happening?

We saw. There was nothing we could do. Our military had no modern weapons. The Nazis had technology and resources - they just invaded and took over - we were overwhelmed by their air power. They had spies everywhere - people spying on each other, just to have an 'ace in the hole' in case they were accused - and anyone who had a grudge against you could accuse you of something - just an accusation meant you'd disappear. Nobody dared ask where you had gone - anyone who returned was considered suspicious - what had they said, and who did they implicate? It was a climate of fear - there's nothing anyone can do when the government uses fear and imprisonment to intimidate people. The government was above the law - even in Germany, it became 'every man for himself'. Advancement was possible by exposing 'traitors' - anyone who questioned the government. It didn't matter if the people you accused were guilty or not - just the accusation was enough.

Did anyone know what was going on?

We all knew. We imagined the worst because the Nazis made 'examples' of a few people in every town and village. Public torture and execution. The most unspeakable atrocities were committed in full view of everyone. If this is what happened in public, can you imagine what might be going on in the camps? Nobody wanted to know.

Why didn't the German people stop the Nazis?

Life was better, at first, under the Nazis. The war machine invigorated the economy - men had jobs again, and enough money to take care of their family. New building projects were everywhere. The shops were full again - and people could afford good food, culture, and luxuries. Women could stay home in comfort. Crime was reduced. Health care improved. It was a rosy scenario - Hitler brought order and prosperity. His policies won widespread approval because life was better for most Germans, after the misery of reparations and inflation. The people liked the idea of removing the worst elements of society - the gypsies, the homosexuals, the petty criminals - it was easy to elicit support for prosecuting the corrupt 'evil'people poisoning society. Every family was proud of their hometown heroes - the sharply-dressed soldiers they contributed to his program - they were, after all,defending the Fatherland. Continuing a proud tradition that had been defeated and shamed after WWI, the soldiers gave the feeling of power and success to the proud families that showered them with praise and support. Their early victories were reason to celebrate - in spite of the fact that they faced poorly armed inferior forces - further proof that what they were doing was right, and the best thing for the country. The news was full of stories about their bravery and accomplishments against a vile enemy. They were 'liberating' these countries from their corrupt governments.

These are some of the answers I gleaned over the years. As a child, I was fascinated with the Nazis. I thought the German soldiers were really something - that's how strong an impression they made, even after the war. After all, they weren't the ones committing war crimes - they were the pride of their families and communities. It was just the SS and Gestapo that were 'bad'. Now I know better -but that pride in the military was a strong factor for many years, only adding to the mystique of military power - after all, my father had been a soldier too, but in the American army. It took a while to figure out the truth.

Every time I've gone back to Europe, someone has taken me to the 'gardens of stone' - the Allied cemeteries that dot the countryside. With great sadness, my relatives would stand in abject misery, remembering the nightmare, and asking 'Why?'. Maybe that's why they wouldn't support the US invasion of Iraq. They knew war. They knew occupation. And they knew resistance. I saw the building where British flyers hid on their way back to England - smuggled out by brave families that risked the lives of everyone to help the Allies. As a child, I had played in a basement, where the cow lived under the house, as is common there. The same place those flyers hid.

So why, now, when I hear GWB's speeches, do I think of Hitler? Why have I drawn a parallel between the Nazis and the present administration? Just one small reason -the phrase 'Never forget'. Never let this happen again. It is better to question our government - because it really can happen here - than to ignore the possibility.

So far, I've seen nothing to eliminate the possibility that Bush is on the same course as Hitler. And I've seen far too many analogies to dismiss the possibility. The propaganda. The lies. The rhetoric. The nationalism. The flag waving. The pretext of 'preventive war'. The flaunting of international law and international standards of justice. The disappearances of 'undesirable' aliens. The threats against protesters. The invasion of a non-threatening sovereign nation. The occupation of a hostile country. The promises of prosperity and security. The spying on ordinary citizens. The incitement to spy on one's neighbors - and report them to the government. The arrogant triumphant pride in military conquest. The honoring of soldiers. The tributes to 'fallen warriors. The diversion of money to the military. The demonization of government appointed 'enemies'. The establishment of 'Homeland Security'. The dehumanization of 'foreigners'. The total lack of interest in the victims of government policy. The incarceration of the poor and mentally ill. The growing prosperity from military ventures. The illusion of 'goodness' and primacy. The new einsatzgrupen forces. Assassination teams. Closed extralegal internment camps. The militarization of domestic police. Media blackout of non-approved issues. Blacklisting of protesters - including the no-fly lists and photographing dissenters at rallies.

There isn't much doubt in my mind - anyone who compares the history of Hitler's rise to power and the progression of recent events in the US cannot avoid the parallels. It's incontrovertible. Is Bush another Hitler? Maybe not, but with each incriminating event, the parallel grows -it certainly cannot be dismissed. There's too much evidence already. Just as Hitler used American tactics to plan and execute his reign, it looks as if Karl Rove is reading Hitler's playbook to plan world domination - and that is the stated intent of both. From the Reichstag fire to the landing at Nuremberg to the motto of "Gott Mit Uns" to the unprovoked invasion and occupation of Iraq to the insistence that peace was the ultimate goal, the line is unbroken and unwavering.

I'm afraid now, that what may still come to pass is a reign far more savage and barbaric than that of the Nazis. Already, appeasement has been fruitless - it only encourages the brazen to escalate their arrogance and braggadocio. Americans support Bush - by a generous majority - and mass media sings his praises while indicting his detractors - or silencing their opinions completely. The American people seem to care only about the domestic economic situation - and even in that, they are in complete denial. They don't want to hear about Iraq, and Afghanistan is already forgotten. Even the Democratic opposition supports the occupation of Iraq. Everyone seems to agree that Saddam Hussein deserves to be executed -with or without a trial. 'Visitors' are fingerprinted. Guilty until proven innocent. Snipers are on New York City rooftops. When do the Stryker teams start appearing on American streets? They're perfectly suited for 'Homeland Security' - and they've had a trial run in Iraq. The Constitution has been suspended - until further notice. Dick Cheney just mentioned it may be for decades - even a generation, as Rice asserts as well. Is this the start of the 1000 year reign of this new collection of thugs? So it would seem.

I can only hope that in the coming year there will be some sign - some hint - that we are not becoming that which we abhor. The Theory of the Grotesque fares all too well these days. It may not be Nazi Germany - it might be a lot worse.

With the new laws Bush just passed legalizing the use of torture it looks like America is taking a very big step towards fascism and a sad repeat of history.

Hey

2006-06-26T22:04:00.000+01:00

Hey people, I'm still here. I just haven't had anything I'd like to write about in a while. But it'll happen eventually.

I guess I can tell you all that my car broke down yesterday coming back from Burbank. So I had to walk up and over the mountain to get home to Hollywood from the 101's Barham onramp. The only good thing I can say about that is that the Hollywood Hills have some very nice neighborhoods.

Impeach Bush NOW

2006-05-07T02:28:00.002+01:00

Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW, Impeach Bush NOW.

Aaaaaah.
I'm sorry You had to witness that folks but I'm just so sick and tires of this administrations constant lying , killing and just downright evildoing (to use a term "they" understand).

The Correspondent’s New Clothes

2006-03-21T01:47:00.000Z

I found this commentary by journalist Samuel Rachlin a Danish Jew of Russian descent. Samuel Rachlin, Danish journalism's anchor of classical virtues, cuts to pieces the scandalous biased program on Denmark, aired by 60 Minutes anchor: Bob Simon, “The State of Denmark”.

Samuel Rachlin is a Danish TV Correspondent and writer based in Washington DC. He is a graduate of Copenhagen University and the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. He has worked as a Moscow Bureau Chief and Washington Bureau Chief for DR1 and TV2 - the two national networks in Denmark. He joined the World Bank in 1995 as a media advisor.

The Correspondent’s New Clothes

By Samuel Rachlin

WASHINGTON The picture of Denmark presented by CBS and its 60 Minutes magazine on American TV as a country of aggrandizing, arrogant bigots, blond models and happy-go-lucky fools out of tune and touch with the real world has nothing in common with the country I call home. Moreover, it is home for immigrants from all over the world of all faiths and cultures who have found happiness and a safe haven for themselves and their families taking full advantage of what Denmark has to offer. They are doing much better than one would think after having watched Bob Simon’s story The State of Denmark on 60 Minutes.

This kind of journalism does not have much in common with the tradition of Ed R. Murrow or what his associate, Fred Friendly, taught me at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University when I took my degree there in the late 70ies. The snide asides and sarcasm that permeated the narrative do not mix with the high quality journalism I have learned to expect from 60 Minutes. What we got was a presentation so biased, distorted and corrupted by so many inaccuracies and innuendos that it was impossible to recognize Denmark. I am sorry to say it, but it is shameful for the profession that both Bob Simon and I belong to.

Contrary to what we were told, Jyllandsposten, the Danish paper that published the cartoons, has actually printed cartoons of Jesus Christ too, and yes, they have also rejected some. Contrary to what was said, Danish Muslims have graveyards all over the country. They have been offered a plot for a cemetery, but have not been able to agree among themselves or to raise the funds to operate it.

Contrary to Simon’s story, there are many mosques, but the 19 Muslim communities in the country have not been able to agree on building a new mosque or raise the necessary capital. Many in these communities operate their own schools with 75 percent of their budgets covered by public funds.

Both national and international polls, as documented in a 1999 survey by the European Values Study of 31 European countries, show that Danes have some of the least xenophobic attitudes among European countries. A poll by the analysis bureau, Catinét Research, showed that more than 66 percent of immigrants feel well integrated into the Danish society. More immigrants than ever are seeking entry to Denmark.

Like the U.S. and all other countries in Europe, we have had our share of problems with minorities and integration. No surprises here, but we are learning and accommodating and understand that it takes time. We are looking at what others have done and are trying to avoid their mistakes. We know, too, that Mr. Simon’s own country has had its own share of problems with immigration and integration. We witnessed with sadness how the legacy of these problems spilled over in the wake of Katrina. But no Danish journalist I know walked around in New Orleans pointing fingers or taunting Americans for what they had wrought.

The editor of Politiken, Toger Seidenfaden, who was presented by Bob Simon as a defender of Jyllandsposten has, in fact, been one of the fiercest critics of the paper, a competing paper. Seidenfaden is an adamant campaigner against the government. He is now being charged with having launched a vendetta against the government, and his paper has lately been busy with publishing numerous corrections of major errors in its coverage of the cartoon scandal. In the TV story, he gets away with saying “They (Jyllandsposten) explained on their front page that they were doing this, and I quote, “To teach religious Muslims in Denmark that in our society, they must accept to be scorned, mocked and ridiculed.” He is committing one of journalism’s worst sins, misquoting a source.

This is what Jyllandsposten wrote on its front page: “The modern, secular society is being rejected by some Muslims. They demand an exceptional position when they insist on special consideration for their religious feelings. This is incompatible with a secular democracy and freedom of expression where one must be ready to take scorn, mockery and ridicule.” One may agree or disagrees with that view, but it definitely is not what Seidenfaden said.

Viewers were told that Flemming Rose, the editor who published the cartoons and spent some time in the US when Simon was in Copenhagen, was staying at a five star hotel in DC. My goodness, what difference does it make if he stayed in Econo Lodge or in a private home? Such a cheap shot is worthy of the supermarket tabloids.

From speaking to colleagues at Jyllandsposten, I understand that the message from the 60 Minutes producers was that they should line up for the interviews or else… The tone and attitude were intimidating. This is 60 Minutes and we are not accustomed to be turned down. Well, we saw what “or else” means in Bob Simon’s school of journalism. It means pay back time in primetime and dressing down not only the editors but the entire country with its blurry “lines between fantasy and reality”

Too bad that Bob Simon’s own view of reality was so blurry that he lost sight not only of the freedom of speech at the core of this entire problem, but also of what Denmark is about. He set out with a preconceived view to tell a story about the weak and the strong, the good and the bad and he painted a picture of a divided society with fearful, victimized immigrants among paranoid Danes in fairy tale land.

Despite the references to H.C. Andersen, the correspondent seems to have missed the point of The Emperor’s New Clothes, one of my favourite stories. It reflects something crucial about Danes and their mentality: we don’t care much about “The Authority” and speak our mind when we are faced with dogma, fakery or doctrinaire thinking whether we deal with royalty, governments or some other hierarchies.

We have this disrespectful streak which sometimes gets us into trouble. But quite frankly, we don’t give a damn and, like the little boy in the fairy tale, we will tell anyone that they are naked, if that’s what they are. We don’t care if it is an emperor, an editor - or a correspondent.

Taggert

2006-03-07T10:35:00.000Z

Ok, enough drawings crap let's get on with it.

I got tagged by Ala'a. So here goes.

Q: Who’s the 4th person on your received call list?
A: Well what do know, Mother

Q: What’s your main ringtone on your phone?
A: Hehe it's: Europe - The Final Countdown

Q: What were you doing at midnight last night?
A: I was at Lars's playing computer

Q: What did the last text message on your cell phone say
A: "Why?"

Q: Whose bed did you sleep in last night?
A: Mine.

Q: What color shirt are you wearing?
A: Blue.

Q: Most recent movie that you watched?
A: hmm, I don't remember.

Q: Name 3 things that you have on you at all times?
A: My Cell phone, My Visa card and my driver's license

Q: What's the color of your bedsheets?
A: Yellow.

Q: How much cash do you have on you right now?
A: 29.25 Danish kroner, 1 Swedish kroner, 0.80 British pounds and 5 US Dollars.

Q: What is your favorite part of the chicken?
A: Breast.

Q: What's your favorite town/city?
A: Copenhagen.

Q: I can't wait to (till)...?
A: See my wife again.

Q: When was the last time you saw your mom?
A: Yesterday (monday).

Q: When was the last time you saw your dad?
A: 11 years ago.

Q: When was the last time you talked to them?
A: Yesterday (monday).

Q: What did you have for dinner last night?
A: Taiwanese by the royal palaces in Copenhagen.

Q: How long have you been at your current job?
A: 6 months.

Q: Look to your left. What's there?
A: My guitar.

Q: Who is the last person you spent over $50 on?
A: Me !!!!.

Q: Whats the last piece of clothing you borrowed from someone?
A: A T-shirt I think

Q: What website(s) do you visit the most during the day?
A: Yahoo, Hattrick, TV2.dk and Tommy's

Q: Do you have an air freshener in your car?
A: No way, never.

Q: Do you have plants in your room?
A: If you wan't to call them that.

Q: Does anything hurt on your body right now?
A: My head.

Q: What city was your last taxi cab ride in?
A: Copenhagen.

Q: Do you own a camera phone?
A: Of course.

Q: What's your favorite starbucks drink?
A: Tall cafe late.

Q: Recent time you were really upset?
A: Can't remember.

Q: Have you been in love with anyone?
A: It happens.

Q: Who do you think will repost this?
A: I have no idea.

So, I guess it's now my turn to tag someone. I'll get back to you on that one.

Muslims???

2006-02-28T13:52:00.000Z

I found this picture today. I think it pretty much sums up the impression westerners have of the Islamic world. Or rather, the Islam we are being presented with in the media. (click picture to enlarge)

Feel free to make a comment below but think before you write.

Me not understand

2006-02-23T23:00:00.000Z

Well well, no comments on my Muhammad entry on this site. However on February 22nd on my other blog, Tommy's, I got the following comment after an entry about Champions League Football. I'm still trying to work out what this guy wants to say. I don't think he's read my previous entry on this site by the way.:

"Very the communication with one of Denmark's citizens pleases me a very sad when a newspaper carries out from Denmark the distortion of the messenger image if you carried out the knowledge of this messenger biography if you knew the sacrifice of this messenger if you knew Gamal the messenger that he is the messenger of Allah of all of the humans being so that it brings them out of the darknesses to the light that he is the favour if you knew the biography of this noble prophet not you carried out your act of this you have offended the greater a human in the humanity history I hope you I do not request from you that you believe in this messenger then you are freemen but they consisted fairs I hope you try you that you make read and if few about prophet Mohamed's biography and you will know that you committed a crime against this prophet and who the Lord sent mercy of the human being and they accepted a superior my greetings of a friend from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were loving Denmark"

I don't think he's trying to offend or anything. I just don't know what he's trying to say to me. What I got from it is that he wants me to read about Muhammad and that Saudi Arabia loves Denmark??? or something.

If anyone can decipher the text please do so and click the comment button bellow and elaborate.

Why the Muhammad drawings situation?

2006-02-21T14:11:00.000Z

A lot of people have asked me to make an entry about the Muhammad drawings situation. After all I am currently in Denmark.
Of course I would be lieing if I said I have not been thinking about the situation, all Danes have. We are not used to being hated. We have always been on good terms with everybody and has tried to help those in need all over the planet. For example: Denmark was one of the first countries to recognize the state of Palestine and has supported and worked for a mutual peace in the region for decades. No other country has donated more dollars per capita to the region than Denmark. In short Denmark has no interest in being unfriendly with the Middle east. We have always seen them as our friends and respected them as such.
So how can 12 cartoons in a free and independent newspaper, Jyllands Posten, throw the warm friendship that existed between Denmark and the Middle east into a crisis when Denmark has been the closest thing the Arab world has had to an alley in Europe?
Maybe it is the Muslim world that doesn't understand that in a modern Democracy the government has no power over the media. Maybe it is us that are unable to convey this message to the Arabs. Maybe we just do not understand Muslims' point of view.
Maybe we have not made it clear that the Danish people does not wish to hurt the feelings of so many people but that You have the right to do so in a Democracy. Whatever the cause we must not give in to hatred and play it in to the hands of extremist, Middle eastern or Western ones. Remember, Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated.
I think the whole issue is rooted (among other things) in misunderstanding each others cultures. In the west freedom of speech and freedom of expression (and freedom of religion) is as important and holy as the Prophet Muhammad is in the Muslim world. In Denmark for example there is a long tradition of making satirical cartoons and caricatures to challenge our beliefs and points of views. In the 1930's Jyllands Posten made some pretty bad caricatures of Jews. During the occupation of WWII Denmark protected it's Jewish community from the Nazi's and smuggled them out of the country to freedom in the UK and USA through neutral Sweden. My point is, just because a newspaper thinks it's funny to ridicule a minority it does not mean all Danes dislike them in fact it probably makes us more sympathetic towards them. I can definitely feel more sympathy toward Danish Muslims now than I have ever done before in Danish society.
Also, Christianity has been ridiculed like no other faith in Denmark for as long as I can remember. So the Muslims have not been treated any differently than any other group in Denmark.
So, what do I personally think of the 12 cartoons. I think most of them are quite sober and fairly indifferent with one exception, the one where Muhammad is depicted as wearing a turban that is a bomb with the fuse lid. I find this picture dum and racist. In fact the person who drew this picture could find himself in court over allegations of racial antagonism.
I also think it was foolish to publish the pictures in the first place but in free and Democratic societies people have the right to be stupid and I support that 100% as words and pictures alone does not hurt anyone, at best it makes You think.

Anyway, that was just a few thoughts on the matter. I hope the Danish tradition of dialog and not monologue between nations can continue after all this.

-The power to question is the basis of all human progress

Muhammad Drawings

2006-02-01T19:59:00.000Z

People!!! We have to fight for our right to freedom of expression.

Stop the Muslim madness.
It's hurting the real Muslims who live peacefully and in accordance with the Qur'an.

Follow the link, look at the drawings and make up your own mind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons

(This link is updated several times a day.)

And also, I'd like to give most Danish Muslims a pad on the back for staying relatively cool, calm and collective.

Still Alive

2006-01-24T07:50:00.000Z

Hi everybody.
As it is clear for anyone to see I haven't written anything in a long time.
I guess it's just been to freakin' cold here to write ;-)

Snowy snow man!

2005-11-25T13:19:00.000Z

Today it snowed for the first time this year. When I got of work my car was covered in snow, wonderful.
I also got a nice little letter from Valerie today telling me how much she loves my, how cute.
Nothing else really happened since yesterday so I guess I'd better get ready for the Christmas party tomorrow.

Delta Kilo Christmas

2005-11-23T14:54:00.000Z

Since my last entry there has been a few changes in my every day life. My temp at Carlsen Europa has ended and I'm waiting for another job to come along. It is now definite that I will be spending Christmas in Denmark. Hopefully we'll get a white Christmas this year that would be nice. However the snow always seems to evade that week. I have experienced snow falling before and after Christmas just missing out on the 24th and 25th. Sometimes the snow stays away all together.
On Saturday it's time for the annual Christmas dinner with the old gymnasie class (High school). I have personally missed out on this the last two years as I've been in London and will probably miss it the next years to come again. So this time I will party hard and enjoy it as much as possible.

It has now been a year since I last stood on the stage. It burns deep inside to know that I'm wasting all this time here and that my skills are fading every single day.
The days have become very short and the nights very long in Denmark. The days are 7 hrs and 30 min long at the moment and getting 3 min shorter every day. The temperature is on average around 32F/0C right now often dipping lower.

Fuck the US embassy

2005-10-27T15:44:00.000+01:00

It doesn't look like I will see my wife again this year. Thanks to the US's draconian and over bureaucratic red tape infested immigration process. Even after everything we've gone through so far it doesn't seem like we're even half way there yet. Every single piece of paper and document we've submitted so far has now been approved by The Department of Homeland Security and the other immigration offices in the US. Now, the embassy in Copenhagen wants all the same documents for their own personal pleasure or something. Shouldn't it be enough that The Department of Homeland Security has already approved it all or couldn't they get it from the US departments. The police certificate I have to get from England will take 40 days alone. The embassy claims it can take up to 3 months just to get an appointment with them, which I can only apply for when I've got all my documentation ready and have gotten a medical from one of their approved panel doctors.
So right now the best case scenario is: I'll be there sometime mid January 2006.
Fucking assholes!!!

Bambi Lives

2005-10-23T14:22:00.000+01:00

Last Friday I went to my aunt Jette's place, with my mom and Jørgen, way out in the country. We had a very nice meal with one of the best salads I've had in a long time. Jette has two dogs and three cats. One of the cats, a very small and black one, wants to be petted all the time and it's literally so into it it drools. I've never seen a cat do that before. On the way home in the autumn rain we saw to deer on the road. Of course we missed them, so Bambi lives to fight another day. Unfortunately Valerie couldn't be there as she is in Hollywood but I know she would have loved it.
Yesterday I was at my going-away party with Mikael and the gang. So after about a million beers and shots last night my head is feeling a little pounded this morning. Later I'm going to Mikael's parent's for dinner, they're making lasagne, yummy.

Todays celebrity birthdays:
Pele Football (Soccer) legend 1940
Weird Al Matthew Yankovic Let's just call him a musician 1959
Johnny Carson Entertainer/talk-show guru 1925

Go Freddy!

2005-10-18T18:35:00.000+01:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to announce a birth. And not just any birth. Denmark has received a new heir to the thrown. That's right, the oldest monarchy in world turns yet another page. On Saturday the 15th at 01:58 Crown-Princess Mary gave birth to a new Prince of Denmark. The little newly born will become Crown-Prince once his father Crown-Prince Frederik is crowned King of Denmark. And of course he will eventually also become King. The birth was celebrated throughout the country with the traditions that apply when an heir to the throne is born. There were salutes being fired by canons all over the nation at noon. And a tradition dating back thousands of years called baune bål. It's sort of a chain of bonfires. It works this way; one fire is lit and when the men on the next hill sees the fire they light up there's and so on and so on. This ancient tradition is also depicted in Lord of the Rings. So, from all of us to the very happy couple, congratulations.

News?

2005-10-14T12:40:00.000+01:00

I guess it's time to write another entry.
Well, not much has happened since I wrote the last time. I've been working all week. Getting some overtime in on weekends as well. Latest news form the US immigration is that my paperwork is at the embassy in Copenhagen.
Today I drove behind a '67 Mustang Convertible (think it was a 67 or 69) all the way home. That is such a sweet ride it looks and sounds amazing. Of course the driver was a balding middle aged guy.

Since I last wrote the dreaded and deadly bird flu virus H5N1, which has killed 60 people in Asia so far, has reached Europe. It was found in stocks of turkeys, geese and pigeons in Turkey and Romania. In Turkey 9 people has been taken to the hospital for observations.
Let's see, what else; Germany has gotten a new Bundes chancellor (President/Prime minister), Angela Merkel, she is conservative and has a doctorate in quantum physics (a far cry from what's on capitol hill and the surrounding areas these days).

Today's Birthdays:
Jack Arnold, Movie Director among other things, 1916
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the USA, 1890
Roger Moore, Actor (James Bond), 1927
Sir Cliff Richard, Singer, 1940
William Penn, Founder of Pennsylvania, 1644
Ralph Lauren, Fashion designer, 1939

And yesterday on the 13th it was my wife's birthday, so happy birthday to Valerie.

Stay Tuned

2005-10-05T18:27:00.000+01:00

Folks, I'm extremely busy at the moment but I'll be blogging again soon.

Winter is coming

2005-09-25T09:08:00.000+01:00

So, yesterday I visited my good old friend Peter. He's the lead singer of my old band Samsara. He was building a new terrace when I showed up and surprised him and his wife. They seemed happy to see me again. So we had lunch and a little to drink, swapped a few war stories and arranged a little jam or something in the future. It was great to see him again. Samsara is probably the best band I have ever been in in terms of the feel for the music and what the other guys are doing. We could literally just jam live on stage and it would sound great, now that is a rare thing. You could say they are wasted talents. Great guitarists, superb vocals, tight bass lines and a fantastic drummer. It sort of makes you wonder how many great bands are wasted out there and how lucky we all are that bands like Guns n' Roses were signed before they wasted away. After all it is pretty clear how volatile their were.

(great picture of Peter right after he cut his hair short, just great ;-))

Here in Denmark winter is coming and it's coming quick. The days get 4½ minutes shorter every day. The temperature is dropping rapidly and the mornings are getting really cold and dark. The first night frost was here two weeks ago. For you desert people and Californians; frost is when water freezes and below, in other words really freakin' cold. At this time of year it tends to be quite foggy in the morning. Which means I have to drive slower to get to work and it therefore takes me a lot longer to get there. Which again means, I have to get up earlier in order to make it on time.

Todays celebrity birthdays:
Barbara Walters - 1931
Will Smith - 1968
Heather Locklear - 1961
Scottie Pippen - 1965
Christopher Reeve - 1952
Mark Hamill - 1951
Michael Douglas - 1944
Catherine Zeta-Jones - 1969

More to come folks

2005-09-24T14:36:00.000+01:00

Don't worry folks more is yet to come I've just been too busy to write lately but stay tuned for more blogging from Denmark.

Psychopaths?

2005-09-20T09:07:00.000+01:00

Here's a little interesting reading for you all.

LONDON (Reuters) - "Wanted: psychopaths to make a killing in the markets."

Such an advert will not be appearing in the world's newspapers any time soon, but it may have a ring of truth after research revealed the best wheeler-dealers could well be "functional psychopaths."

A team of U.S. scientists has found the emotionally impaired are more willing to gamble for high stakes and that people with brain damage may make good financial decisions, the Times newspaper reported Monday.

In a study of investors' behavior 41 people with normal IQs were asked to play a simple investment game. Fifteen of the group had suffered lesions on the areas of the brain that affect emotions.

The result was those with brain damage outperformed those without.

The scientists found emotions led some of the group to avoid risks even when the potential benefits far outweighed the losses, a phenomenon known as myopic loss aversion.

One of the researchers, Antione Bechara, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Iowa, said the best stock market investors might plausibly be called "functional psychopaths."

Fellow author, Baba Shiv of Stanford Graduate School of Business said many company chiefs and top lawyers may also show they share the same trait.

"Emotions serve an adaptive role in speeding up the decision-making process," said Shiv.

"However, there are circumstances in which a naturally occurring emotional response must be inhibited, so that a deliberate and potentially wiser decision can be made."

The study, published in June in the journal Psychological Science, was conducted by a team of researchers from Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Iowa.

Today's birthdays:
Formula one driver, Juan Pablo Montoya - 20 September, 1975
80's rock legend, Nuno Bettencourt - 20 September, 1967

The Trivia of Life

2005-09-15T15:04:00.001+01:00

I don't really know what to write this time but I feel like writing something.
I saw a glimpse of my apartment in Hollywood yesterday on a bad webcam with a very low resolution. It looks ok from what I could see, far from perfect but acceptable. I also saw my wife on that very same webcam for the first time in more than a month. She looked quite pleased over there in California. I wish the department of homeland security would get there heads out of their asses and give me that damn greencard so I can start working over there and get our lifes moving. Everything is sort of on hold or standby at the moment. It's so frustrating dealing with all this BS from the US government.
I got a car buddy yesterday. So my ride to work is now cheaper and less boring. He's fun to ride with, very friendly and I don't have to go out of my way to pick him up. I also picked up some more overtime on Saturday.

Liquid skies over Denmark

2005-09-10T16:32:00.000+01:00

I spend all day today at home taking care of my hangovers after a particularly wet night with Lars. Irene visited us earlier today with her two year old daughter Kristene. Thank god I don't have one of those yet!
Tonight and the next couple of nights the aurora should be very visible up here in Scandinavia. So, between 22:00 and 0:00 I'll be outside looking at this spectacular phenomenon. Again, this would be a lot better with Valerie here to see it with me. I don't think she's ever seen the northern lights. I wish I had a digital camera with me to take some pictures for you all to see. It really is quite a surreal experience to see the night sky light up and appear liquefied.

Weekend at last!

2005-09-09T12:05:00.000+01:00

Since you heard from me last I've moved in with my good friend Lina. She had a room for rent quite cheap with a nice big bed and plenty of space. Unfortunately this has increased my commute to work with 15 minutes as I now have to drive through the city before I hit route 43 south. The only good thing about leaving home at 5.45AM is that there is no traffic.

Today was also the day Denmark offered to aid America with the relief effort after Katrina. The US will be getting money, machinery and manpower shipped over. Oh, how things have changed with Bush at the helm.

Life in Odense

2005-09-03T14:16:00.000+01:00

Last night my wife flew back to Hollywood. I'm starting to miss her now. I haven't seen her in three weeks now.
After the hurricane gas prices has gone up yet another notch. In Denmark it's now up to 11 kroner per liter ($1,85 pr L = $7 pr gallon). It's the same all over Europe.
Tonight it's Denmark V. Turkey in a do or die world cup qualifier. If we don't win this game Denmark will not compete in next years FIFA world cup in Germany.
The other day when driving home from work I was reminded how beautiful Denmark is around harvest. With the rolling hills constantly changing from lush green meadows and forests to red puppy fields over to yellow fields of grain, rasp and corn. August is the perfect month here; sunny and warm.
Last night Odense city had it's annual "open by night" where all the stores are open all night serving drinks and beer and what have you. Musicians playing up and down the streets and some stores hiring DJ's to spice up the shopping and events going of everywhere. I finished of the night with a really big and delicious china box with everything. The night would have been completely perfect if Valerie had been here.

Workin' 6:30 to 15:00

2005-08-28T21:19:00.000+01:00

So, one weeks work is over and new one is about to begin. The company, Carlsen Europa, builds refrigerator trucks and sells them all over Europe and America. Chances are, if you see an ice cream van or some other fridge truck, we made it.
So fare I've done a lot of grinding and painting. This job is really cool because everybody is super laid back. We have three official breaks and about a million little breaks in between. We're never in any kind of a hurry and nobody is looking over your shoulder to pace you all the time. It's a low/no stress environment.
The only little problem is; we start at 6:30 in the morning and I really hate getting up in the morning. But on the other hand I have nice little car to cruise around in and it's only a 30 min. commute.

Zzzzzzzzz

2005-08-20T23:06:00.000+01:00

Today friends, I did absolutely nothing. For the first time in quite a while I was able sit at home in our four bedroom house and just relax, all by my self.

The PaintJob

2005-08-19T23:07:00.000+01:00

Hey folks I got a job today so I can pay for the Hollywood Apartment I'm not living in. In the near future I will be spray painting body modified cars for the sum of 107.75 Danish kroner pr. hour, which comes out to around $17,56 pr hour. That ain't too bad for a ding-dong job is it?

Time!

2005-08-18T17:14:00.000+01:00

I'm in Denmark now and very busy. I don't know when I can start blogging again. Only time will tell.

Whatever

2005-08-01T22:39:00.000+01:00

As it's plain to see I've not made any entries lately.
I've had other things to do.
I may start blogging again soon.

Anonymous up yours

2005-07-16T01:35:00.000+01:00

Let me tell you all about a spineless bunch of people on the internet who likes to call themselves “anonymous”.
It all started with the London bombings on 07/07. Naturally friends and relatives from all over made worried enquiries either by phone or e-mail. Among these was my sister-in-law. She wrote (I’ve copied and pasted the entire email): “hello? Are you and Val ok?????” And that was it that was the whole e-mail. So, thinking she wanted to know whether I and my wife were ok, I wrote; “we’re fine and dandy” after all that’s what her e-mail Implied she wanted to know. It would have satisfied me.
Then, a few days later, the 12th to be precise, she published an entry on her blog site Logic and Orgasm stating she had heard nothing from us other than;” a terse “we’re fine and dandy” in response to my worried inquiry. It's almost as if they find our concern an annoyance.” Apparently she wanted us to write her an essay about were we where, what we where doing and how we felt over the last two days or something. Seemingly just answering her question wasn’t enough. Well, I’m sorry sister but we’re not mind readers.
I would also like add that I bear no hard feelings towards her for writing these things; after all, she just wrote what she felt.
Anyway, I posted a comment to let her know how her entry made me feel. It goes as follows: “"It's almost as if they find our concern an annoyance." Dear LorE, I realize communication isn't one of my wife's stronger sides. But honestly what did you expect me to say to you; there really isn't much to say except that we’re fine and dandy. If you weren't satisfied with that you could have sent another email or phoned us. I find your critic overly harsh and uncalled for.”
I said what I wanted to say and think I made a fair and honest point.
Now, I love my sister-in-law very much. As sister-in-laws goes she is definitely the coolest of the bunch. She’s a hard rockin’ chick, a poet and a writer. How cool is that.
So, here’s the issue; some fuckwit called “anonymous" (prob one of LorE’s “friends”) posted a reply to my comment: ”hey there son...I don't know if you happen to have any friends or family members that you actually care about, but for the majority of us, having a loved one even close to a situation like that warrants a great deal of concern. I think Lore's post is less of a "critic" as you call it, than an attempt to deal with her feelings that this human tragedy has created in her ample, yet robust bosom.”
Honestly what kind of mentally disturbed, crack smocking moron would write; “I don't know if you happen to have any friends or family members that you actually care about” to your friends family after reading LorE’s entry where she clearly states that we have let her know we’re ok. I surely don’t hope LorE calls this spineless “anonymous” a friend. I don’t know any friends of mine who would write anything like that about any of my family members. And they would surely have the balls to back their words up with a name if they did.
I only keep people with moral, honesty and decency around the rest are gonna have to go.
So up yours "Anonymous" I hope I never meet you in person.

(Follow the link to the right called Logic and Orgasm and read the entry called tubular bells and the comments that go with it)

Business as usual

2005-07-12T14:27:00.000+01:00

Well, I guess I’d better write a little about something that happened on July 7th in the city I live in. As you all know there was a terrorist attack on London that day. I’m not going to go down the usual beaten track of condemnation, chock and horror and what have you. We all know that the “people” who do these things are horny, insecure, wife-beating camel jockeys. What I’m going to write about is how we Londoners have reacted to the events. Now bear in mind that 50% of all Londoners are from continental Europe, so it‘s not as much a British thing as it is a European thing.
That morning I was woken up by my mom. She called us on the phone from Denmark wanting to know if we were ok. At this time I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about and said, yes we‘re fine. So I went down stairs to turn on the TV and there it was; three tube trains had been bombed. 20 minutes later the bus was bombed in Tavistock square.
But here is the amazing bit; there was no panic what so ever. The police and the emergency services handled everything with an almost chocking calm. It was like they had all done this a 100 times before. Which they almost had, you see London has had a major incident and emergency plan in place practically since the IRA bombings began.
Now, by evening time things were already beginning to normalize. The buses were running again. The tube lines were opening again and most of the surface trains never stopped their services at all that day.

The morning after London was business as usual, people went to work, children went to school, students went to university, all the stores and markets were open. Everything was normal.
You see we Europeans refuse to give in to terror the way the Americans have done. We refuse to cower. We refuse to give up our civil liberties. We refuse to spread fear and panic. In short we refuse to give in and let them change us and our society like it has happened across the Atlantic.
And if the media outside England is trying to hype up the situation don’t believe them. Their aim is to spread fear and panic so you all will sit glued to the CNN in fear of leaving your home. Trust me when I say this; it’s business as usual. The threat is minuscule, there are NOT hordes of insane fundamentalist lurking around every corner waiting to kill westerners, it’s a myth created by the Bush administration and the Fox network to get Bush reelected, so get over it and live your life the way you want to live it.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2005-06-04T16:44:00.000+01:00

Now that France and Holland has rejected this most ridiculous of all EU constitutions we can safely say itÃ’s dead in the water. Hopefully the rest of Europe won't have to waste their time in voting for something that can no longer be ratified.

In more serious news:

England:
The former member of Boy band East 17 (I think the US was spared this pain), Brian Harvey, managed to get run over by his own car??? Yes, little Brian apparently fell out of his Mercedes convertible as he was reversing out of his driveway and fell/rolled under the car. He is now in the hospital. His condition is described as critical.

Germany:
German police was called to an alleged kidnapping last Thursday. A concerned motorist alarmed the police after seeing a woman locking a man in the trunk of her car. When the police pulled the woman over and examined the boot they found a 39 year old man wearing only a whip and a necklace. The lovely couple was in the middle of some serious S/M action, with the sadist behind the wheel and the masochist in the back. The police kindly asked the man to sit in the front and let them on their way.

China:
An 86 year old woman from China woke up during her own funeral on May 31. The woman, who was put in an open casket, started to move as relatives went up to touch her for the very last time. The family had found her on the morning of the 23. And they assumed she was dead. Without consulting a doctor they decided to arrange for a funeral procession the day after. Doctors say she had fallen in to a deep coma which made her appear dead.

And finally the United States of America. Yes, we can't forget the US can we:
A chicken who was fined $54 for crossing the road in Johannesburg, California was acquitted of all charges because its lawyer convinced the judge that it was a pet and not a domestic animal. The owners of the chicken Linc and Helena Moore hired the lawyer after the chicken accidentally strayed on to the streets of the little mining village. In California domestic animals are prohibited on main roads and when one of Americas finest saw the perp he promptly issued a ticket. After the chicken's courtroom victory the owners will now file a lawsuit against the police.

God Bless America!

Air Ducts Hide a Trove of Memories

2005-05-29T18:54:00.000+01:00

Hello folks, here is another story from the real world. I came across this article on the LA Times website. I love this story so much I thought I would share it with you. As articles on the LA Times’ website tend to be taken down after a few weeks I have decided to copy and paste it for your pleasure.

Air Ducts Hide a Trove of Memories.
Workers tearing down old barracks at Camp Roberts make a discovery that prompts a search for old soldiers.
By Louis Sahagun, Times Staff Writer

CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. — Crews demolishing old military barracks on this sprawling base near Paso Robles stumbled on a surprising find: wallets.

Tumbling out of heating ducts suspended from the ceilings, the wallets were stuffed with remarkably well-preserved personal belongings dating from World War II and the Korean War.

Love letters. Religious medals. Base passes. High school identification cards. Driver's licenses. Dog tags. Snapshots. Tips for surviving an atomic blast.

The only thing missing was money.

The discovery posed unusual challenges for officials at the former Army base, now used by the California Army National Guard: How did the wallets get there? And could these leather-bound time capsules be returned to their owners?

An intensive search for clues among the wallets' contents, and for addresses and phone numbers of owners now in their golden years — or deceased — has reunited all but three of 25 wallets with their owners or relatives. And the work has yielded at least one theory about how they got there in the first place:

"The fact that there is no money in any of these wallets leads us to believe they were stolen," said California Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tom Murotake. "The thefts usually involved a trusting guy from a small town who set his wallet down, then got distracted.

"Someone else, in one fluid motion, nabbed the wallet, snatched the cash and chucked the rest into the heating duct overhead."

Over the decades, the heat turned the leather into something resembling beef jerky, but left everything inside intact.

Murotake, who is in charge of tracking down the owners, said the wallets become instant "touchstones," jolting memories back to a grueling and uncertain time when thousands of recruits converged at the base for 13 weeks of basic training. From there, they were shipped out to the front lines in Europe, the Pacific and Asia, a few without their cherished photos and pocket keepsakes.

Looking inside these wallets captures a glimpse of what life was like in the 63-man barracks on the 43,000-acre base straddling Highway 101, once the world's largest infantry and field artillery training center.

Willard Groth was an Army private preparing to visit a cousin in Bakersfield when the wallet he kept in a barracks footlocker vanished one day in 1944.

"It had $20 in it, which I needed for the trip," recalled Groth, 81, of Hoyt Lakes, Minn. "No one else had any money to loan, so I stayed on the base that day."

Groth was stunned when Murotake called him in late 2003. "I have your wallet, the one you lost six decades ago. It's ragged, but still holding together," he said.

Inside was a crumbling draft card, an American Legion hospitality card, a Social Security card and a tarnished dime minted in 1935. "I've decided not to polish that old dime," Groth said. "It's good to remember what you can from that long ago."

As for the reddish-brown wallet, embossed with a rising sun and with his name inscribed in gold letters, Groth said, "I put it away. My kids will find it when they dig through my junk someday."

To walk among the base's 300 two-story abandoned barracks today is to step into the past. Roads that once teemed with soldiers and 2-ton trucks after the attack on Pearl Harbor are now choked with weeds.

Inside the buildings are beds, mattresses and pillows unused for decades. Windows are broken, and floors are caked with dust and crisscrossed with the tracks of raccoons and mice.

All of the barracks, which contain lead-based paint and asbestos, are to be torn down.

In some barracks, the heating ducts have been pried off their hinges, indicating that others may have heard about the wallets. "Call it 'Raiders of the Lost Ducts,' " Murotake joshed during a tour of the facilities.

Murotake calls the three unclaimed wallets his "cold cases."

One belongs to Joe Dean Hougland, a 73-year-old man Murotake described as a "Crocodile Dundee-type believed to be wandering the desert between Arizona and Mexico."

Another belonged to Perfecto Pacheco, who was 54 when he died in 1984 in Puerto Rico. Murotake continues to search for relatives who might want the wallet, a wad of letters, religious medals, military documents, meal cards, passes and snapshots.

One photo was from his mother, Panchita, who wrote a note on the back in Spanish: A mi querido hijo, con todo el cariño de tu madre que no te olvida. To my beloved son, with all the love of your mother, who doesn't forget you.

Each wallet has a story to tell, and Murotake has his favorites.

Take the romance tucked inside the glassine pouches of a wallet taken from Patrick John McElholm, of Bellingham, Wash., during the Korean War.

McElholm's wallet had pictures and letters from a sweetheart. Her name was Barbara Nolde, a woman with dark hair, big eyes and a sunny smile.

In the first letter, "this woman went through the trouble of writing intensely personal things about her love, devotion and desire to spend the rest of her life with this man," Murotake said. "His response was that she should try to live as normal a life as possible while he was away."

Nolde's next letter announced that she planned to attend a dance. McElholm was not happy, but appreciated her honesty.

In a final letter, Nolde wrote: "I guess you'd have been better off if I had never told you."

"I just had to find out how the story ended," Murotake said.

In 2002, he began searching the Internet and discovered that McElholm was killed in action in Korea on Sept. 5, 1952. He was 21.

An article about McElholm's wallet was published in a Bellingham newspaper.

"I got e-mail from people who knew this woman," Murotake said. "Turns out she later married. But a framed photograph of Patrick held a prominent place on her mantelpiece until she died in 1992."

Robert Morning of Rialto thought it was a case of mistaken identity when Murotake called to say he wanted to return remnants of a wallet apparently stolen here 48 years ago.

Then Murotake came knocking on a recent Sunday with a driver's license stating Morning's age as 16 and his hometown as "Hollydale, Calif.," a mailing address in South Gate that no longer exists.

"Yeah, that's me," said Morning, 64, sorting through mementos accumulated when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. "This is bringing back a lot of memories."

Except one: How did his wallet end up at Camp Roberts?

"I've never been to Camp Roberts," he insisted, "and I have no idea how my wallet got there."

Morning's wallet was one of Murotake's cold cases until private investigator Edward J. Zemaitis, a volunteer in the effort to return the wallets, recently came up with a phone number and address.

On his living room couch, Morning, who breathes with the help of an oxygen tank and copes with the lingering effects of a mild stroke, lifted the returned items, one by one.

"This, I'm going to keep," he said, marveling over his bright red-and-blue Social Security card. "It looks like it just came off the typewriter."

Morning, who used to complain that he had nothing interesting to say to his four grown children, has been filling their ears with memories. "This has been a real boost for Bob," said Morning's wife, Maxine, trying not to cry. "It's as though a piece of time has come back to greet him again with memories of the old days, and better times."

Liverpool Football Club

2005-05-27T14:39:00.000+01:00

More tales from the real world. As some of you may know, Liverpool Football Club won the EUFA Champions League final the other night in what has to be the best Champions League final of all time. After the first half they where down 3-0 to Italian giants AC Milan. But, the underdogs from Liverpool fought there way back to win 3-4 after extra time and penalty shoot out. This was the first piece of silverware they had won in the last 23 years. So, congratulations to the club, the players and of course the millions of fans around the world.

Now, speaking of the fans. The day after the final, and this is true, in Liverpool, one fifth of the workforce had called in sick! The supermarket chain Sainsbury’s in Liverpool estimated that more than 10.000 bottles of Champaign was consumed on Wednesday night in the city.

Ps. In certain places on the planet football is known as soccer, and what they call "football" is a game played predominately with your hands??? go figure???

The SeaOrbiter

2005-05-26T14:02:00.000+01:00


This, Ladies and gentlemen, is the SeaOrbiter, a floating research facility that will float around the world for the next 15 years. That is, if they can gather enough money to build it.
Here is what they say about it themselves:

The international scientific station, SeaOrbiter will drift across the oceans, driven by the current. Its mission is to observe and explore ocean life, to study the interactions between ocean and atmosphere and their impact on our climate. The underwater saturated area that can host 6 people out of 16 will be used by astronauts of space agencies to perform training on long term missions in extreme environment.
Most of the oceans have still to be discovered and understood. With a life expectancy of 15 years, SeaOrbiter will provide a new tool for multidisciplinary scientific expeditions focusing on global

climate

change, fish resources, viruses and bacteria.

The designer Jacques Rougerie states:
“Exploring Space and Ocean are the great adventures that fire the dreams of humanity. Space stations have enabled us to measure the extent of the world’s oceans, the blue plant about which we know so little.
Everything connected with the ocean has an impact on our daily life – the seas that surround our coastlines have travelled the world on the great ocean currents. As we enter the Third Millennium, winds of change are carrying new concepts onto our horizon, capable of changing our vision of the ocean.
It is in this spirit that we propose SeaOrbiter.”

Recognized professionals are participating in the development of the station: Space agencies, Scientific laboratories (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution(US), Institut de Recherche et de Development – IRD (FR)), Specialists of underwater operations (COMEX – FR).

So there you have it folks, the SeaOrbiter. It will stand 51 meter tall from top to bottom. It will cost in the neighbourhood of 25 mil euros to complete. Money which they hope to raise through private funding.
Anyhow, I'm looking forward to seeing countless documentaries about this new beast of the oceans. Surely it's worth at least three Discovery channel documentaries and one from National Geographic.

Natural selection

2005-05-25T02:20:00.000+01:00

A herd of buffalo can move only as fast as the slowest buffalo, and when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular culling of the weakest members.

In much the same way the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, we all know, kills off brain cells, but naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.

In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, constantly making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

E.T. phone home!

2005-05-20T23:17:00.000+01:00

The other day I got a phone call from one of my best friends, Christian, whom I haven’t spoken to in over a year and a half. Not because we fell out with each other or got in to a fight. We simply haven’t kept in touch. No phone calls, no emails, nothing. Now this is a friend I feel I can tell just about anything too, so it’s not just someone I know but a real friend. And it was great to hear his voice and dry humour again.
So why haven’t we kept in touch you ask yourself. With cheap international phone rates and FREE PC to PC calls with skype.com there really is no excuse. I guess we’re just stupid people.
This phone call also triggered another greeting from a dear friend of mine, Mark.
I’m looking forward to seeing them and the gang again in June when I will be visiting Denmark for the first time in one and a half year.
So, the moral of the story kids, is; stupid people do stupid things.

The normal amount of normal

2005-05-19T13:29:00.000+01:00

The other day I took a test on the internet to se how “normal” I am. You know, one of these ridiculous unserious tests. So, here are the results:

You Are 70% Normal
(Really Normal)

Otherwise known as the normal amount of normal
You're like most people most of the time
But you've got those quirks that make you endearing
You're unique, yes... but not frighteningly so!

Well, there you have it I’m apparently 70% normal. So when, in the future, people tell me I’m weird or not normal, I can now safely say I’m 70% normal or really normal if they can’t understand percentages.
I have to say, it’s good to know I’m the normal amount of normal. I mean you wouldn’t want to be the not normal amount of normal. Or even worse, the normal amount of not normal. Even the not normal amount of not normal would be better than the normal amount of not normal, don‘t you think.
Aaah! It’s good to be really normal, isn’t it?

Working thoughts

2005-05-16T13:17:00.000+01:00

Here are a few thoughts I’ve had while being bored at work:

Why do we reminisce a time we've never experienced?

I wonder if there will ever be a “dusk of time”?

Why are all rock stars tattooed?

How can a flower be sweet?

I envy all my friends for having someone like me for a friend.

Why is it, when police officers and other authoritarian persons say “there is nothing to see here”, at accident and crime scenes, there is really always something interesting to see?

Why is it, that people who provocatively ask “what is your problem” often are the ones with the most problems?

Why is there only one alternative to life?

Even if you are a hypochondriac you can still get/be sick.

How do you explain to people who are stupid, that they're stupid, if they can’t understand what you are explaining to them?

Vengeance machines

2005-05-09T23:22:00.000+01:00

More stories from the real world. Today, at work, I think I might have destroyed one of our vending machines. And not only did I accidentally break the ridiculous contraption I just happened to do it as one of the execs was passing by. Needless to say, he was not very impressed.
Now, how did this terrible incident come to pass I hear you thinking to yourself.
Well, it all started with me showing up for work at 8am with my mandatory café latte and chicken pesto sandwich. I found my booth, sat down and got to work as I worked my way through my “breakfast”.
10am: Had a little 15min break by buying a coke.
12pm: Lunchtime. I head down to Subway to get my meatball marinara 6inch sandwich. I returned to work at 1pm.
2.30pm: Had another little break.
3.30 pm:… got hungry.....

I decided to take the elevator up the sixth were all the good vending machines are. So, I take my time and carefully select a nice little candy bar that would totally do the job. I check to see if the machine is working and turned on, check! I find the appropriate amount of cash from my wallet. I put the cash in the machine. Rejected! The machine rejects me and spit my money back at me like my money isn’t good enough for its high standards. I try again and again and again and again. My hunger is now mounting as I’m forced to struggle for nourishment. I decide to change my money to something a little more upscale. Again, the pompous ass machine rejects me, over and over again. So I decide to do what any warm blooded, right minded, and straight thinking man would do, I shake the posh little thing a bit. Mmm, it’s making new sounds now, as the little LCD display turns blank. “That felt good, do it again”. So of course I shook it some more and ups! I’m holding the side panel in my hand. And, low and behold, mister fancy pants walks through the door. Of course I was just picking up the mess after some other anonymous crazed co-worker. “I didn’t do it, it was like than when I got here”. I don’t think he believed me but he can’t prove a damn thing.
Anyway, I decided to walk to the shop around the corner to satisfy my hunger. And so I did. Mmm yummy, snickers satisfaction. I then returned quietly to my seat and finished up. Aaah! All in a days work, how satisfying.

Rape me

2005-05-08T19:11:00.000+01:00

Well, well, looks like the Norwegians are at it again. In the city of Bergen, Norway a 23 year old woman was convicted of raping a 31 year old man. The sentence was set to 9 months imprisonment plus a $6,324.11 compensation fee to the poor molested soul.
The rape took place in an apartment in Bergen were the man had been sleeping on a couch. According to his testimony, the defendant was performing oral sex on him as he woke up. The woman admits to having sex with the prosecutor, but claims it was all consensual and that the man was in fact awake.

Now I don’t know about you, but waking up to see 23 year old Norwegian girl sucking on your little soldier sounds more like a dream come true to me than as horrible an ordeal as a rape. And forgive my ignorance and sexism but isn’t men usually a lot stronger than women. I mean wouldn’t he just be able to pull his schlong out of her mouth, get up and walk out of there. I think the truth is he was enjoying living the dream but felt pretty bad about himself afterwards because he wasn’t supposed to be with this woman. He then decided; to make an unbelievable story seem convincing he would have to report it as a rape. I mean honestly most men would kill to be in his situation.

So there you have it, egalitarianism at it's best. After all we're all equal aren't we ?

Victory in Europe Day

2005-05-07T22:09:00.000+01:00

Today is VE-day (Victory in Europe). Today we commemorate the sacrifice the world had to make between 1939 and 1945.

Also, today Britain reflect on a role in WWII they never actually played. You see, the Brits likes to see them selves as the victors of the war. The truth on the other hand is; in 1941 they were standing on the beaches with little more than pitchforks and muskets, completely unprepared to take on the biggest military machine the world had ever seen. Britain honours their fallen heroes and their survivors. They tell stories of how evil the Germans were and how the world owes them everything.

Wait a minute!
How dare the Brits feel so superior about their role in WWII. They were, as they are today, a backwards and poverty stricken little island. Had it not been for the Americans and the Russians, Europe would still be in the grips of Nazism and Britain would have surrendered to Hitler, just like he had anticipated they would. So the Brits should show a little more respect and gratitude for the sacrifice our saviours from America and Russia had to endure for our freedom.
So here is what America did for Britain: 1) Gave them weapons and ammunition 2) Gave them technology to build and develop machinery that could almost rival the Germans 3) Gave them military knowledge to fight the enemy in the new and mechanized way 4) Protected them with their presence.
And the Russians, well they created an eastern front. The Nazis, now faced with the largest army in the world, was forced to concentrate on the eastern front instead of rolling over little Britain like they had done with the rest of Europe.
So, what Im saying is, even though the British contribution wasnt insignificant, credit is due where credit is due. But then the British have always had a much conceded opinion about their place in the world.

So from the rest of Europe (excluding the French), thank you America, Canada and Russia for securing our freedom.

Oh Great Londinium

2005-05-07T14:44:00.000+01:00

How do you know if your from London or have just lived there too long?
You know your from London when...

You say "the city" and expect everyone to know which one.

You have never been to The Tower or Madame Tussauds but love Brighton.

You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Shepherds Bush to Elephant & Castle at 3:30 on the Friday before a long weekend, but can't find Dorset on a map.

Hookers and the homeless are invisible.

You step over people who collapse on the tube.

You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.

You've considered stabbing someone.

Your door has more than three locks.

Your favourite movie has Hugh Grant in it.

You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.

You call an 8' x 10' plot of patchy grass a garden.

You know where Karl Marx is buried.

You consider Essex the "countryside"

You think Hyde Park is "nature."

You're paying £1,200 a month for a studio the size of a walk-in wardrobe and you think it's a "bargain."

Shopping in suburban supermarkets and shopping malls gives you a severe attack of agoraphobia.

You've been to Tooting twice and got hopelessly lost both times.

You pay more each month to park your car than most people in the UK pay in rent.

You haven't seen more than twelve stars in the night sky since you went camping as a kid.

You own hiking boots and a 4WD vehicle, neither of which have ever touched dirt.

You haven't heard the sound of true absolute silence since 1977, and when you did, it terrified you.

You pay £3 without blinking for a beer that cost the bar 28p.

You actually take fashion seriously.

Being truly alone makes you nervous.

You have 27 different menus next to your telephone.

The UK west of Heathrow is still theoretical to you.

You're suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.

You haven't cooked a meal since helping mum last Christmas with the turkey.

Your idea of personal space is no one actually standing on your toes.

£50 worth of groceries fit in one paper bag.

You have a minimum of five "worst cab ride ever" stories.

You don't hear sirens anymore.

You've mentally blocked out all thoughts of the city's air quality and what it's doing to your lungs.

You live in a building with a larger population than most towns.

Your cleaner is Russian, your grocer is Korean, your deli man is Israeli, your landlord is Italian, your laundry guy is Chinese, your favourite bartender is Irish, your favourite diner owner is Greek, the watch-seller on your corner is Senegalese, your last cabbie was Pakistani, your newsagent is Indian and your favourite falafel guy is Egyptian.

You wouldn't want to live anywhere else until you get married.

You say 'mate' constantly

Anyone not from London is a 'wanker'

Anyone from outside London and north of the Watford Gap is a 'Northern Wanker'

You have no idea where the North is.

You see All Saints in the Met Bar (again) and find it hard to get excited about it.

The countryside makes you nervous

Somebody speaks to you on the tube and you freak out thinking they are a stalker.

You talk in postcodes. "God, it was really warm round SW1 the other day"


You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from London.

United Kingdom of Blair

2005-05-06T23:20:00.000+01:00

So, yesterday was election day in Britain. And surprise, surprise Tony Blair won again. For some reason everybody in the media is talking about what a bad election Blair and Labour has had. I ask you, how is that possible. How can this be a bad election for Tony & Co. They have 66 mandates more than all the other parties put together. In other words Tony Blair and the Labour party still have the power to do what ever they want. For the third term in a row by the way.

What was all this talk of anti war feelings and Bush ass kissing destroying Blair. And why do all Brits hate the man who brought Great Britain out of the Thatcher slumps and in to 1983. Maybe after another four years of Labour and Blair the Brits may be where the rest of us were in 1992.
So, congratulations to Labour and the Blairs on a deserved victory. And thank god we don't have to listen to Mr. Howards (conservatives) whining about what Blair is doing wrong instead of actually proposing some policies of his own.

Get the Green!

2005-05-04T23:34:00.000+01:00

I might accidentally have picked up some more overtime today which ultimately could delay the real blogging for another couple of days or even a week. So while we wait for genius here's a picture of me looking very unimpressed on Rodeo Drive.

Sleep me

2005-05-03T22:15:00.000+01:00

Well folks it looks like I didn't work 8am to 8am today. It would seem that it took a little longer to sleep than I had anticipated. I was only 3hr 45min late. Tomorrow should be the last day of overtime so the writings will start in the very near future.

In the beginning

2005-05-02T22:53:00.000+01:00

Sorry people, there is still nothing here. I’ve been doing a lot of overtime at work. So, in between working from 8am to 8pm, eating and sleeping there isn’t a lot of time to write on my blog.

But don’t despair I have plenty of ideas and things to write about. See you soon.