“Hacker: Don’t tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers: the Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.

Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?

Bernard: Sun readers don’t care who runs the country, as long as she’s got big tits.”

Also check out last years post.

I have 48 carefully selected RSS feeds. A lot of work-related stuff, some comics, and blogs like Boing Boing, Cynical-C Blog, Swissmiss and what have you. I am quite good at keeping up with it all, and I check everything out daily, even though it adds up to far over a hundred posts. Where I am getting with this though, is making the point of where my heart lies when it comes to my feeds. Fact is that if I had to take all of them away but one, I would keep “The FAIL blog”. The childishness in the humour of this stuff is just absolute dog’s bollocks (to use a crude idiom which I incidentally just learnt). The here posted clip from the FAIL-blog, I watched four times over, laughing out loud.

PS If there was one more feed I was allowed to keep, was I to loose all the rest, it would be “Cyanide and Happiness“.

In the meantime keep looking out for more of those pictures and videos of owned, pwnd and failed moments.

Last week I had two of the most fabulous days of my life. I attended the convention “Framtidens lärande” (possible translations: “Future learning”, “Futures curriculum” or ”21st Century Learning”) which was arranged by a number of organisations promoting the idea of internet and technology becoming important parts of education.

Apart from all the lectures and workshops being immensely interesting, the whole convention was very competently arranged when it came to practical matters. The technology worked wonderfully. I loved the fact that we were able to post questions and comments in a twitter-like manner throughout each lecture. (They can all be read here). The food was good, the wardrobes and toilets worked excellently, as did the wireless internet, the sound was great, the seats, the timetable; well in fact everything was top notch.

Important issues raised at the convention were:

- The fact that we are in the middle of a paradigm shift. People are communicating and learning in alternative ways. We have to change the way we look at learning and teaching and we need to review our roles as teachers and students.

- The implementation of aids for internet and communication needs to be speeded on by central/national directives. The one-to-one perspective has to be what is aimed for.

- Finding the resources for technological development is more about budgeting than about funds available.

Below are videos and slide shows of some of the lectures:

Bruce Dixon “Future Learning Today and Tomorrow

Bruce Dixon, Framtidens lärande 2009 from diu redaktion on Vimeo.

Thomas Fürth from Kairos Future “I möjlighetmaximerarnas land”

Thomas Fürth, Möjlighetetsmaximerarnas land, Framtidens lärande 2009 from diu redaktion on Vimeo.

Stephen Heppel “Be Very Afraid”

Among his quotes: “Every turned off device is a potentially turned off child “

Stephen Heppell, Framtidens lärande 2009 from diu redaktion on Vimeo.

A link to some of the slide shows.

I am just about to set of for the 40th birthday party of my colleague and good friend Niclas. This autumn I will have known Niclas for ten years. We met at registration for teacher training. One had to choose which course to start with and we both had History as our first choice. The next morning it was to be announced which course one got to take. We decided that the first one to find out would phone the other one to let him or her know what it was to be. My telephone rang at seven o’clock the next morning. Niclas had already been to Högskolan to find out, as he was anxious to go golfing – his prime hobby at the time.

We continued to do quite a few courses together during our teacher training and we had a lot of fun together with the other people in the gang we somehow formed. I think the first time we parted was when Niclas went to do Civics and I continued with the B-course of Science of Religion. Those were fun days and my training would not have been the same without Niclas at my side. Both regarding the studying and the partying on the side.

I started working some time before Niclas as I had rationalised my courses and studied during the summers and doubled up some courses. I started working at the Montessori School in June 2003. Niclas started a year later. I remember how nerve wracking it was before we knew it was to be Niclas that would end up with the job. We wanted him so much!

I like working with Niclas very much and there are several reasons for this. I love his sense of humour of course. I also like his professionalism and the way he so obviously is set on doing a good job. I also like the way he so clearly cares about his students and his fellow colleagues. Niclas always has time to stop for a chat and usually a very interesting one at that.

I also appreciate Niclas for being so patient with me as I know I can be quite a pain in the butt, being just that little bit too energetic and forceful.

Niclas! Have the best of birthdays and I wish you all the best for the future!

Hard at work during kick off at Dalgården

1. Pharyngula
2. Friendly Atheist
3. Cynical-C
4. Debunking Christianity
5. Atheist Media Blog

His own blog unreasonable faith is an interesting read. In the About section he describes his change from devouted christian to passionate atheist. One can also read about this in an interview on the blog Weird Things.

And now for some Richard Dawkins quotes:

“It is often said, mainly by the “no-contests”, that although there is no positive evidence for the existence of God, nor is there evidence against his existence. So it is best to keep an open mind and be agnostic. At first sight that seems an unassailable position, at least in the weak sense of Pascal’s wager. But on second thoughts it seems a cop-out, because the same could be said of Father Christmas and tooth fairies. There may be fairies at the bottom of the garden. There is no evidence for it, but you can’t prove that there aren’t any, so shouldn’t we be agnostic with respect to fairies”

“Out of all of the sects in the world, we notice an uncanny coincidence: the overwhelming majority just happen to choose the one that their parents belong to. Not the sect that has the best evidence in its favour, the best miracles, the best moral code, the best cathedral, the best stained glass, the best music: when it comes to choosing from the smorgasbord of available religions, their potential virtues seem to count for nothing, compared to the matter of heredity. This is an unmistakable fact; nobody could seriously deny it. Yet people with full knowledge of the arbitrary nature of this heredity, somehow manage to go on believing in their religion, often with such fanaticism that they are prepared to murder people who follow a different one.”

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

“Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where’s the harm? September 11th changed all that. Revealed faith is not harmless nonsense, it can be lethally dangerous nonsense. Dangerous because it gives people unshakeable confidence in their own righteousness. Dangerous because it gives them false courage to kill themselves, which automatically removes normal barriers to killing others. Dangerous because it teaches enmity to others labelled only by a difference of inherited tradition. And dangerous because we have all bought into a weird respect, which uniquely protects religion from normal criticism. Let’s now stop being so damned respectful!”

Yes! Let’s now stop being so damned respectful!

The other day I (incidentally (or not) the day of Obama becoming president) I saw the most ingenious advertisement in the national paper Dagens Nyheter. It was published by Republikanska föreningen – an association working for the abolishment of the monarchical constitution; and it congratulates the American people on being able to choose it’s head of state. The clever lay-out of the advertisment made such an impression on me that I immediately joined.

As long as the head of state position is hereditary, Sweden should not be considered a true democracy.

]]> http://marielinder.net/2009/01/no-we-cant/feed/ 3 http://marielinder.net/2008/12/a-mild-coup/ http://marielinder.net/2008/12/a-mild-coup/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:00:00 +0000 admin http://marielinder.net/?p=187 A group of our year nine students finished of the Christmas ensemble by playing the White Stripe’s “Seven Nation Army”. And bless their little cotton socks didn’t they take the opportunity for a little coup, changing the first line to “We’re gonna fuck you all!”. Those kids are the nicest kids imaginable and we shall be very pleased this is about as naughty as they’ll get. The number was rounded of by young Oscar exclaiming to the music teacher “Vi älskar dig Britta!” (”We love you Britta!”) Very sweet!

Photo: Karl Gunnarsson

David Crosby with his dad.

Is there any wonder he turned out very hmmm… creative….

Frank Zappa and parents

Might have known he was brought up with poodels!

Donovan and parents

More to be seen here

The Tallest Man on Earth at Magasinet, Falun, 27 July 2008

I am not sure if we should go all five of us at the same time and sit together, or if we should spread out around town. Maybe we should go at different days. I am thinking that the square near the big outdoor café in the very centre would be a good place. This is probably the busiest place and there is no traffic.

The big thing that shall be blogged is the supposed reason for me being too busy to post. I have become a cohabiter. After two and a half years of friendship, and one year of courtship, my Kalli has moved in with me here in Falun, and he has come all the way from Iceland to do so. It is brave and I am very lucky. Regarding the heading of this post, it refers to something young Fraser’s football trainer said to me on the phone “I hear you’re importing an Icelander”. I have now done just that.

At work the spring term this year ended with some disconcerting happenings; both my bosses left and that with a lot of commotion. I am doubtful about the way in which the situation has been resolved, but I intend to try and not think about it during my seven week holiday with intent to face reality when it hits me in August. I shall then also have to face the fact that the shelves above my work desk has fallen down. (I realized this when I went in to use the printer the other day).

Anyway, term ended and on the first day of my holiday I traveled to Reykjavik. The plan was for me to be there for two weeks after which me and Kalli would travel back to Falun together. We had two weeks of work and play; packing and sightseeing alternatively. Among other things we went to see the lovely house of Halldór Laxness. Unfortunately one was not allowed to photograph inside the house, but the interior was very interesting and it made one realize what fascinating people him and his wife had been. Outside was parked his white Jaguar 340 (née MkII) and in the garden there was a swimming pool. His house would come across as an oasis of intellectuality amid the rough terrain and simple farms of the surrounding area.

On my second night in Reykjavik Kalli held a goodbye party. It was staged at a place called Rex in central Reykjavik. It was a great evening and I got to meet many of Kalli’s friends and relatives that I had not yet met. Considering the outrageous drink prices we were very lucky that the place served two drinks for the price of one that particular night. It was a great night and one to be treasured.

The car had to be sold and Kalli went to great lengths to do it photographic justice.

It needed new hubcaps and getting them turned in to a bit of an adventure. Outside Reykjavík there lives a man who has dedicated his life to collecting hubcaps. Apparently he is a well known character, and there are plenty of stories circulating about his hub-cap adventures. We went to his house and there in his big barn, full to the brim with caps, he fished out four suitable ones for the car. Cheap they were, but did a great deal for the appearance.

Even though people would phone and show their interest in buying the car, it was not sold until our last day in Iceland. This was of course very handy as it gave us the opportunity to use it until the end.

(Here on our way past Þingvallavatn)

A great day was when we went to see the hot springs at Haukadalur. Here the famous Geysir is located. It was dormant but another spring, Stokkur, kept erupting every five or so minutes. Quite spectacular! (Thought we and around five busloads of tourists)

(Me next to Geysir)

After Haukadalur we went to se Gullfoss waterfalls. Incredibly beautiful it was and the power of the moving water was breathtaking.

We took a southern route on our way home and I was amazed at seeing clouds of steam emerge from the ground wherever I looked. We went passed an area where the resent earth quake had made itself known and one could see plenty of evidence of it through blocks of stone that had tumbled down the hillsides.

Another one of our outings took us to Hellisheiði geothermal powerplant area. Here steam is collected through drilled holes and turned into hot water and electricity. The bubble houses covering the drilled holes and their release valves, gave the place a very surreal appearance.

We also made a lot of trips to the rubbish tip. When all was sorted Kalli’s belongins were narrowed down to a pallet 152cm tall and the two suitcases we would bring on the plane. The furniture went to some Portuguese guest workers four days before our departure. Left to us was a small bedside table and two bar stools with which we managed just fine.

(Our simple abode)

(The pallet setting out on its three week journey to Sweden)

Our last meal was eaten at the Sægreifinn seafood restaurant. Quainter place would be hard to find. I can not think about that lobster soup without my mouth watering like mad. Following the soup we had skewers of lobster and whale. The previous night we had visited another fish restaurant, namely Icelandic Fish & Chips, together with Kalli’s mum. This meal was however a disappointment and I would not go there again. The chips were to be likened to small burnt matches, the portions of sauce were tiny and the service was poor.

(Delicious skewers of lobster and whale)

On the morning of Friday the 4th of July we flew to Sweden. It was so wonderful to not have to say goodbye at the end of a holiday, and to instead get on the plane together. We had over 15kg of surplus weight, but the charming girl at the check in let it pass. (Just one of the many things that has gone our way during this move.)

At arrival in Stockholm we went to see my dad and his wife and Kalli was introduced. We had a very nice afternoon there and when we left we went to friends Monica and Stefan’s place to drive with them to their summer house in Botkyrka where we were to spend our first night in Sweden. We had a fantastic evening there and as always those guys served the most fantastic meal; grilled lamb fillets this time with asparagus and a warm potato salad. The weather was lovely and we sat outside all evening. Thanks to the breeze we were not bothered by the otherwise in Sweden so troublesome mosquitoes.

(Monica and Stefan)

On the Saturday we sat out on our journey to Falun. It was nice to get home and we had a couple of hours to shower and get ready for the evenings party antics. It was time for Malin’s 30th birthday party and the party was held in the Gopa bystuga. It was a great party and one of the evening’s highlights was a Bellman recital performed by Malin’s flute teacher.

(Malin receiving some raspberry bushes from Ingemar)

On the Sunday we unpacked and on the Monday we went to do all the practical stuff an immigrant has to get on with; tax office, jobcentre etc. Kalli’s Swedish personal number should arrive any day now, and he will slowly get drawn in to the system.

All this to me is just like a wonderful fairy story. When I think back on how it all has happened; our long letters and IM conversations before we met for real and how we have formed the most rewarding friendship. I am so happy to finally have him near me at all times and the future is in my mind wrapped in a happy haze.