a perfect storm?

on monday (dec 7th), 56 newspapers from 45 different countries spoke with one voice through a common editorial. that is a pretty powerful statement. the occasion was, as you probably already know, the opening of the world climate summit in copenhagen that same day.

two weeks ago, the UN had to close its accredential lists due to lack of space. the venue can only house 15 000 people and it is f u l l.
with 5000 journalists from 180 countries, the summit will be one of the biggest international media occasions ever. the developing countries are also in: several hundred journalists and filmmakers have been funded to follow the talks in situ.

still, the 5000 journalists arriving in copenhagen right now, are nothing compared to the bloggers following this event, outnumbering the journalists by the thousands, and enabling a social and emotional mobilizing we've never witnessed before. the uk paper the guardian calls this media coverage - the labours of thosands of organisations and activists - 'a perfect storm'.


the question is: will it be enough?

as the common editorial stated; the next fourteen days will seal history's judgment on this generation. but even before the summit had opened, the verdict was passed; no legally binding agreement will be signed in copenhagen. there's already talk of continued negotiations in 2010. are we witnessing the end of the world as we know it?


it really comes down to a quarrell between rich and poor. the developing countries says 'we won't cut back on our carbon emissions if the developed countries won't take the blame for our situation and cut back more'. the developed countries basically says 'fuck you. we won't cut back if you won't'. we're witnessing little boys with too big pants throwing dirt at each other in an ever shrinking playground. hold on to your hats, people. mind over matter doesn't really apply here. as has been stated over and over; this crisis is about physics, not politics. the laws of physics are not democratic nor open to compromises. will our world leaders remember this as the heat rises?


i watched the rather apocalyptic the age of stupid two nights ago. usually, i get all geared up by watching these kind of films, and try to make my own carbon footprints even smaller. but this film had me all depressed. it actually had me thinking, for the very first time, what does it matter what i do inside my own home, when we have greedy cowards for leaders? when money matters more than life? when i'm surrounded everywhere by advertising telling me to buy more stuff, spend more, need more, crave more? deserve more? because i'm fucking worth it? now who the heck came up with that nasty slogan?!?

i admit to thinking that people are basically stupid. people will always do what 'everyone else does', which is, in effect, what our leaders tells/allows us to do.
rations have worked fine during other times of crisis. how long will it take them to realize it's the only way to go now? there are thousands of people shouting 'ration me now', but instead of listening, world leaders are telling us - in various ways and with various actions - to buy. more. stuff.

i really, really, really wish these guys will get their heads out of their butts in time and act up to the men they're dressed to be.

bloody confessions

yes, i am alive. i am fine, no, i'm actually great. i just had to have a break from my computer. from the internet. from all the lovely blogs that i spent too much time reading every day. from my camera, even. i haven't found a way to use my computer efficiently, i get lost in cyberspace. until i can manage a balance i'm on a low cyber, high real life diet. it's highly recommended! when my computer suffered a serious 'oh, i'm 3 years old and having that break down my makers programmed me, along with every other computer in the world, to have so that you can go out and spend your money on a new one and make us rich'-attack, i was actually relieved. but then my birthday was coming up - and my husband did just that; went out and spent money on a new one. i am now typing on a 26 x 17 cm bright red/floral vivienne tam designed mini computer. (the guy in the shop told my husband that i'd be sure to know who that was, as a, you know, women's thing. wink wink. right. i had to google her. but it's a beautiful computer, i'll give her that.) i feel like trying it out, hope you don't mind!

i don't have much to show for, as i've been mostly knitting and reading the last couple of months. and watching tv, something i rarely do. and here's my confession (from one pair of fangs to another); i think i might have been bitten. just a slight touch of vampire fever, nothing bad. or - is watching the same episode of true blood three times bad?? oh, please don't answer that. but that's not the real confession. since we're still at season one, and only get to see one episode a week, i had to get my vampire kicks elsewhere while waiting for the next episode. so i read the first twilight book. i saw the movie. then i read the second book. holy crap, that is some serious shitty literature. then why am i eagerly awaiting book number three to be released from the sweaty hands of god knows how many dozens of teenage girls, and get back behind the safe walls of the library so i can pick it up?!? why am i trying to figure out how to go see the second movie and still keep my dignity?

because of the sex. the sex that isn't there. that's what these books are about, really; the sex that isn't there. the torment, despair and erotic longing that comes from unfulfilled love. bella and edward can't have sex because of edward's strength; if he looses control, he might crush her. wow. now will you get down to business and have sex already?!?! then i read somewhere that stephanie meyer, the author, is a mormon and will not write about pre marital sex. seriously - do not make me read two more books (or are there more?) of this 'i can only kiss you so and so or else i will loose control and drain your blood' stuff. it embarrasses me to read it in public.

seeing what this does to me, i'd rather not think of what it does to teenage girls with sweaty hands.

right. 'nuf said. signing off now. *blush*

corner view bergen, norway: september

so far, september has been:
- happy to be back home from our vacation
- equally happy that we did go on vacation
- cuddling our new, oh so sweet kitten
- enjoying an early, moist and warm autumn
- exploring the idea of not eating gluten, milk products and sugar
- and therefore making no sugar/milk/gluten candy and cakes, with success (!)
- enjoying a much needed computer break
- being so behind on my blog reading that i'm not sure where to start, so therefore i don't
- anticipating the national election
- realizing that damn, parliamentarism is difficult
- nevertheless, being very content with the result

how's your september?

more corner views:
jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,
athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b

about:turning the season

we're off for a week to hunt down the summer that left us in a puddle of rain water. i've got the sun hat... and i'm working on my - uhm - err - what?!?!
... a needlebinding hat for charlotte. i might be 'interesting', but i'm not crazy! see you in a weeks time, with 'about: raising the dead'!

hilarious, but scary

in these health hysteria times...
i came across this in the news a couple of days ago:

the us newspaper investor's business daily has declared that the world renowned theoretical physicist stephen hawking, who suffers from ALS, would be dead if he was british and under british health care system.
they kind of missed the fact that he is british - and still very much alive.

krohnegården

forgotten post from earlier this summer. or should i say; forgotten post from the summer. now it's been raining for a month and fall is already here. we're planning to do something about that, though.

digging for earthnuts. on our first 'date' (we don't really 'date' in norway), my husband and i went for a mountain hike and he showed me how to find earthnuts in this very field.

we took our kids back to the lake we used to live nearby when our son was born. i don't think i've ever walked around this lake without at least one of our two dogs accompanying, and our cat following behind us. it was a bit sentimental to be there, since they're all dead from old age now. we plan to do something about that, too.

hm, raise the dead, turn the season?

to be continued....

viking summer, part 7: stalheim/the royal mail road

just below the stalheim path lies a beautiful piece of the old royal mail road between oslo and bergen. water fall, mist, steep green mountain sides and ice cold river.

(oh, and just in case you didn't get it: the you tube clip is ironic, and the accent is on purpose. and this will be my last viking post) :)

this is norway

maybe this won't be as funny for the non norwegians of you, but still... i just had to share it :)

viking summer, part 6: stalheim

just a little outside of gudvangen there is this spectacular place: stalheimskleiva.

at the top of this extremely steep path there is a folk museum (above), and a big hotel. the hotel was first built as a prolongation (right word?) of a small inn. the inn was a stop on the royal mail road between bergen and oslo, and was in turn a prolongation of a farmhouse. the mail road was opened in 1647, the inn was built in 1750, and the first hotel was built in 1885. then it burned. 3 times. the photo below shows the third and, in my opinion, the most beautiful of the four hotels.

skiing activities during winter
biking was a popular sport in the 1800's. some time in 1889 these guys were out exercising. impressive. but the most impressive fact? well, look at them; they got there wearing suits.

viking summer, part 5: composition

achievements

i met the multi talented helene in gudvangen, and she taught me how to make holes for thumbs in my needlebound wristwarmers (make sure to check out helenes incredibly beautiful printed sheepskins here). so now i can finally make those long (and sometimes quite ladylike looking) warmers. these are made with yarn dyed with cochineal, a small louse originally from mexico. that's right; this kind of dried up lice makes red and purple colours!

i didn't get one single good shot of our stall at the market, but i just have to show you my bottles of elderflower syrup - homemade label and all, but i thought it looked quite pro!

kindness

when my grandmother died a couple of years ago, i chose some of her old breakfast plates to keep. i like retro plates, and i used them a lot. but this particular plate broke (a triangular piece down to the left, see it?) i tried to glue it, but it broke off again. still, i wouldn't throw it away. then i remembered having seen this norwegian blog and webshop of a woman who makes jewellery out of broken ceramics. it was perfect; someone else could use it and i didn't have to throw it out. i contacted her and sent the plate off in the mail (and i didn't even have to worry about it breaking during transport, ha).

this was a couple of months ago. yesterday, a small package was in my mailbox.

she had made a pendant for me out of the plate, as a thank you gift. isn't that wonderful?? imagine; an old, broken plate. from my grandmother's kitchen.

thank you, mimmi!

viking summer, part 4: craft

this year, i sold every piece of childrens linen clothing i had brought. i sold wristwarmers made in the needle binding technique, using plant dyed yarn. i sold every bottle of homemade elderflower syrup i had made, and the first day i even persuaded my kids to walk around the marketplace and sell pre made elderflower lemonade in small glasses. it was a hit. i also sold several of my felted pouches. new this year was hand stitched, embroidered linen napkins like the ones you see in the above pictures. the motives are bronze age rock carvings, embroidered with plant dyed linen thread.

my friend, the bone carver

from around the market:

we both came home with one of these each.

salt smoked with juniper.
leather work

needle binding - hats, wristwarmers, socks. needle binding was the technique used before knitting and crochet was invented. even though i would say it's almost impossible to learn without having anoyone to show you, randi - a norwegian woman living in the u.s. - proved me wrong. she visited gudvangen last summer, was intrigued by the technique, and when she came back this year she told us that she had tought herself from various tutorials on the internet. i'm impressed!