Category: Society

  • First spring sun and contemporary Nirvana KBU

    Now I see that it is summertime tomorrow, and I hurry to write to tie in with the previous ending. Time and consciousness belong together. That feeling that it feels like there are a hundred seconds until summer. Or when the Concorde plane flew from London to New York so fast that the passengers landed earlier than when they took off from Heathrow.

    There is something special every spring when the first sun peeks out. The light is in a very special way. A feeling of hope is ignited within me. Plus, Easter is almost here, so here is a cute little chicken to get in the mood.

    Eastern 2026

    Pollen season has been going on for a few weeks now. Molly has had her first tick tablet. I have had a little break from my diary because I have been with family and friends. Singing and music are common interests – thank you for the perfect song! They offered a song, and I offered lunch. When I count, I have sung in the school choir for about 15 years.

    Music is always with me, even though I only listen and don’t sing. I needed to be in my training bubble before I could write today. It’s wonderful with music combined with heart-pumping training. Same trainer and same music for many years. A little rockier than what I listen to myself. I searched for several hours for a song that could capture the current state of the world. It ended up acoustically with Nirvana MTV—fantastic voice, empathy, and lyrics. Perfect after Ramadan.

    I got the chance to cook a new pasta dish. So new that I tested it beforehand. I found two recipes and combined them, interpreting them in my own way. Garlic, shallots, cooking wine, a little cream, cocktail tomatoes, vegetable broth, lemon zest, squeezed lemon, and scampi. Some chili flakes were added with salt and pepper. It was difficult to balance everyone’s tastes. This was mixed with pasta and fresh parsley. What a symphony!

    Finally, here is a classical musical symphony that interprets Nirvana’s ”Smells Like Teen Spirit” 🎶. I love the contrast.

  • The Panama Canal, and will the next pandemic be worse?

    Now war is a reality. Not only a trade war. No economist has spoken out, but from what I remember, trade tariffs are a textbook example of what a country can do to increase domestic growth macroeconomically. Real protectionism.

    Strategic targets are being attacked in the Middle East. I think about how important it was to control the Panama Canal so that the Nazis in the 1940s could not conquer the Caribbean and America. We will see how it develops with Greenland, which in a way has a similar geopolitical location to the Panama Canal.

    We must not be naive. In Sweden, banks and pharmacies are being targeted in cyberspace, affecting our everyday lives. I am working as usual and was reminded of the swine flu. T. Bäckstrøm and O-A Olsen were my bosses. Wash your hands! Which still applies even though I sometimes wear nail polish. The article from Boots Pharmacy Kråkerøy, Fredrikstad Blad (Norway) is still online: Swineflu short nails and wash your hands!

    It is with some concern that I wonder why Magnus Gisslén was not allowed to remain as state epidemiologist. We are the only country in the Nordic region where authorities with a medical mission are led without medical expertise. Why cannot the highest medical expertise be allowed to govern? Without expertise, the ability to assess signals, prioritize correctly, and, above all, understand the consequences disappears.

    It is similar to the first snow in November in Sweden. Even though it happens every year, it’s always the same chaos with slippery accidents, canceled public transport, etc. What if the next pandemic is also likely to be worse?

    I want to be involved and influence the day for the better. Time is passing. I heard such nice words about time in passing. Time that can be described with the laws of physics. Humanism has also tried to capture time. Me too, in my book “Time for Freedom”. Here is a variation of “seize the day” by an unknown author:

    You have no yesterdays.

    Time took them away.

    But you have today.

  • Fitness and Writing & Leisure

    My goal is the 5th of September 2026 – good that I signed up for the next women’s 10-kilometer right away. Training requires discipline. No late nights. Two hours today, and I was in good shape, which means it was great fun. Not hard. In Norway, I went to Elixia after work on weekdays. On Sundays when we were off, I had an early, tough Sunday session. Four to five hours of exercise per week. I am searching for that focused Elixia Norwegian feeling. Tomorrow I’ll watch a bit of Vasaloppet and then Power Step before lunch. Attention is required to reach the level I was at before.

    For those of you who are wondering how the updated diary is going, it will be ready towards the end of March. I’m learning to navigate the new environment. It needs to be fine-tuned. Writing & Leisure will also be refreshed.

    Writing & Leisure

    I developed my writing in France, and in these times of the Ukraine war, it feels good that the French Marine is visiting the south of Sweden. Sweden is currently classified as a very unsafe country to travel to. Canada 🇨🇦 is saying “Exercise a high degree of caution in Sweden due to the threat of terrorism”, see https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/sweden

    Sharing some French music.

    Stay safe 🐾

  • Two weeks after London 🇬🇧

    What could be more appropriate than Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights (1847)”? Almost two centuries ago, and today, an exciting film adaptation of her literary classic. The same feelings then as now; with love, hate, envy, life, evil, and sudden death (see below).

    I love historical costume movies.

    Fantastic photo with wonderful classical music. Similar to the piano, which evokes feelings for the interplay of drama and action in a silent movie. Beautiful colours and contrasts like those of the artists Matisse, Picasso, and Chagall, whom I have followed during 2025.

    Biological reward systems that are reflected in the humanities.

    I have studied ‘cinema (film science)’ in France and was then taught about the development of the art of film. Something that led to this Dogma-Denmark-inspired diary. The film ‘The Party’ was directed by Thomas Vinterberg in 1998. Also, all my photos that I call Dogma photos. The camera in hand, with spontaneous photos.

    It was Valentine’s Day this weekend, and I took the opportunity to think a little more about my heart. Again, I follow my pulse, and yesterday it was tough spinning intervals that made my face as pink as my t-shirt. When I started taking Levaxin® for my thyroid, my max heart rate increased. Now I need to test again, and I’m guessing it is down to 190. How do you take care of your heart?