There is no "sick" art

I just came across a sentence in a book that I got completely stuck on - so I have to sort it out a bit before I continue reading it:

"We are sometimes tired, too, of the arts within our [Western] civilization when they express the sick mind and the diseased imagination."*

Can art really be sick? NO: it can be provoking, irritating, annoying, and so on: but no, not sick.

Can an artist have a sick mind or a diseased imagination?

An artist may have a mental illness, sure. I think I heard somewhere that mental illness is overrepresented in artists, compared to the general population. But most people suffering mental illnesses are not able to create at all, so I still think it must be a sign of something healthy when you can transform inner agony into an exterior expression.

One example: I once saw a documentary of Terence Koh, also known as "Kohbunny" or "asianpunkboy". He didn't look like a happy, well-adjusted individual (whatever THAT is!), but there is no doubt that he is very creative! Many are provoked by his goldplated turds. And while I personally would NOT cough up the money required to purchase one of these items, I am intrigued by the antithesis of putting what we value most (pure gold) with what we value least (shit!).

Another contemporary artist that has caused a lot of upset is Damien Hirst. He got a lot of publicity - and angry public reactions - for displaying dead animals in formaldehyde, and for decorating a skull with billions worth of diamonds and platinum ("For the love of God", see photo above). He also created a stir when Sotheby's sold a collection of his art directly from the artist to the public -becoming the highest paid artist today. (And curiously, this took place in September 2008, when the financial markets seemed to be in freefall!)

Perhaps what people find most upsetting is that he is able to charge such incredible amounts of money for his art! There seem to be a strong remnance of the 18th century romantic movement, where the view of the solitary genius artist was elevated to new heights. I guess we still have a notion of this lonely genius, only interested in his oevre, not bothered about material matters like money... Preferrably a misunderstood loner, who dies before his talent is acknowledged. (OK, I'm exaggerating, but you get the picture! ;-)

I guess each age has it's own preoccupations: today - especially in the current global recession - it seems to be MONEY. So it is rather amusing how upset people get when Damien Hirst rakes it in...

But no, I don't get upset at the artists for holding up these mirrors to our society. Our reactions to their art shows us who we are, what we believe. Suddenly we define ourselves, we see the outlines of our own beliefs in clear relief.

So when a piece of art upsets us - how about taking a deep breath and ponder for a while: what in me triggers this reaction? Where lie my borders?

And no, I don't like ALL art - but I am thrilled to find someone who challenges me to react, and thus to learn more about myself!

PS. I have to add, that in a way you could call it "sick art" when an artists mental illness manifests in the work itself. I've heard fascinating accounts of art created by the Swedish artists Ernst Josephson (schizophrenic) and Carl Fredrik Hill (hallucinations, paranoia - also schizophrenic?). As I mentioned, I think creating art must have been some form of outlet for them, and thus a sign of health in the middle of their madness, but for us viewers, it offers a remarkable insight into a diseased mind. And why should we condemn these artists for their illness?

PPS. Even though I like Damien Hirst, I also like graffiti artist Cartrain, who made his own comments on Hirst's work! It's kind of like having a set of pins around to prick inflated egos, however creative :-)

Now you may ask - but what about beauty? But that is too big a question for this blog entry...

Long live art!

/KrisC

Post-post-whatever: Is Damien Hirst doing it again? I recently heard the news that he is currently - painting. Regular, square canvas paintings. He considered that would REALLY be controversial in today's modern art world! Go Damien!

*I am not going to name the title of the book, as I don't think this sentence is true to the actual message of it. Just a phrase I wish could have been more carefully formulated.

What pain has taught me

In a freak accident on 15 december 2005, I slipped on a piece of paper while passing through the central station area in Stockholm, and dropped straight down on my right knee so that the hipbone banged into the hipjoint with a terrible jolt. While the knee was swollen and sore it healed quickly, but after the accident I developed sciatica in my right hip.

This caused a pain that has been more or less incapacitating since then. At times, I couldn't even walk! I've seen orthopedists, been x-rayed, worked over by a physiotherapist, and met with doctors, but no-one could do anything but prescribe anti-inflammatory medication.

The consequences were that I could not practice yoga any more - certainly not the quite taxing Ashtanga Yoga. I tried Anusara Yoga, but it just triggered a really bad attack instead.

You could say that I hated the pain - sincerely! However, last autumn I bought four sessions with a personal trainer, the hip behaving fairly well for a change, and eager to get ideas on how to exercise withouth triggering further pain. And lo! My super PT Conny Andersson somehow fixed the hip! The exercises and the super-stretches (where he added his full weight on the stretch!) somehow fixed what the physiotherapist could not!

Anyway, my point is, I realized I am after all grateful for the pain! It got me started experimenting with different types of yoga, and even though Anusara didn't work for me, I discovered variations of "gentle yoga" through a book by Louise Grime, and through YogaJournal's magazine and web site. I discovered the therapeutic side of yoga, with for instance the passive restorative yoga, where you lie down in specific positions and let gravity and breathing do the work, like "legs up the wall-pose", one of my favourites.

Even though the sciatica is gone, my back still hurts sometimes, mostly the lower back, but recently I have added other sources for help: Anusara teacher Desirée Rumbaugh's dvd "Yoga to the rescue for back pain", (a bit more vigourous) and Gary Kraftsow's "Viniyogatherapy for the low back, sacrum and hips" (more gentle, when the pain is more acute).

Conclusion: no matter what your condition is, there is a form of yoga that is right for you! Keep experimenting, while listening carefully to your own body!

Of course, I would prefer to be completely free of pain, but still, the pain opened up a whole new world of yoga that I don't think I would have discovered otherwise - thus making my life richer. I know now that I can practice yoga for the rest of my life!

Om mani padme hum -

KrisC

To blog, or not to blog...

I started this blog with two goals: to keep up my English, and of course to reach friends. But the response from my friends was weak, and I got really depressed when one friend claimed that she couldn't be bothered to get another password (you need a password to comment on the blog - however, not to read it. And she could always comment in some other way: e-mail, Facebook...)

Anyway. I lost the impetus, and thus have not written since May.

But now I promise this: to keep up the writing even to an audience of one (me)!

SO here are some good reasons to keep up a blog (even if your friends ignore it):

1. Regular writing improves your writing skills
   


2. Writing in your second language will keep up your skills in that language
   


3. To learn to write regularly is a good way to develop discipline (not my best skill!)



4. Even though there are millions of bloggers out there, sending your thoughts out into cyberspace will still invite the surprise external contact!



5. Making your texts public forces you to strive for a certain quality, something you might not be bothered about when just scribbling in a notebook.



6. It's fun!

At least, this is what I'm trying to convince myself of... So welcome to the re-launch of my blog "Advanced Banter"!!

All the best,

Kris

Guruji Sri K. Pattabhi Jois died today

It was announced today on the official website of the Ashtanga Yoga Reasearch Institute, http://www.ayri.org/ that Guruji died today, on May 18. My deepest condolences to his family, but also to all of us, his students, who lost an inspiring teacher today.

I have tried different types of yoga, and even though I find it physically challenging and I am far from a stellar student, Ashtanga yoga remains my favourite. I had the honour and joy to participate in a week-long work shop in Helsinki, 2006, held by Guruji and assisted by his daughter Saraswati and her son, Guruji's grandson Sharat, who now runs the institute in Mysore, India.

It was a challenging but very inspiring week, I worked better than ever under their guidance! We must have been at least 100 persons in the large hall, but great concentration and energy filled the room - amazing!

And I will of course always be grateful for making two new great friends that week, Tanja from Finland, and Yvonne, who had come all the way from Beijing to practice for Guruji!

Let me finish with one of my favourite sayings of Guruji:

"Do your practice, and all will follow."

Thank you, Guruji, for your inspiration!

/Kris C.

The Bay at the Back of the Ocean

The most beautiful place in the world is called The Bay at the Back of the Ocean, Camas Cuil an t-Saimh in gaelic. It is a bay on the west coast of Iona, with white sandy beaches and a view that goes on forever - on the other side of all that water lies Canada.

Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, on Scotland's west coast. "Inner" isn't really correct, as the ocean is, as mentioned, unbroken from this point all the way to North America. To the north of Iona, the Outer Hebrides start, so here Inner here means southern, and Outer northern.

You need to be a poet to describe it well. I'll just try to add some facts: the white sandy sea bottom makes the water shift into all shades of emerald and blue when the sun's out. When the weather is poor, the colour of the sea changes to a metallic grey-blue.

Before you reach the white beach, you will walk across the "machair", the communal grazing grounds that the sheep keep cropped short and peppered with black poop pebbles, that tiny daisies seem to love. (The machair is also a golf course. I don't know who to feel most sorry for - the sheep who risk getting hit by golf balls, or the golfers trying to play such a rough course.)

The rolling hills that change from green grass to white sand are intermittently interrupted by brownish-black cliffs. "The Spouting Cave" is a natural cliff hollow that, when the waves reach a certain size and direction, throws up geiser-like showers at set intervals.

Facing west, the sunsets here are spectacular, if you are lucky to be here on a sunny day (the west coast of Scotland gets a LOT of rain!). Plenty of sea birds keep the sheep company. I once was chased by an upset oystercatcher (strandskata) - quite unfairly, I assure you, I had not even seen his/her nest! We'd like to think we saw whale fins far out to sea one evening (but the dolphins I once had the luck to see up close was on a boat trip to the north of Iona).

The sky here must be bigger than anywhere else. The clouds travel at varying speeds, you can see rain falling way out to sea while the sun still shines on you, and usually you get good warning and can head home before it hits the island, as you can see it coming from far away.

The light, finally, is incredible. Especially in the summer, when the sun sets quite late. You can find yourself just sitting and staring out to sea for hours (until it gets too cold). But don't stay too late - there are no street lights to see you back on the road to the village...

No wonder Iona inspires so many painters and poets! (I especially recommend "Iona: poems" by Kenneth C. Steven)

I always long to go back to The Bay at the Back of the Ocean.

/Kris C.

OK, I admit it: I love Totoro too!

My friend Yvonne introduced me to Totoro when I was visiting her and her husband in Beijing. I thought I was well passed cute cuddly friendly cartoon characters, but there is no resisting Totoro!

The film "My Neighbour Totoro", almost 1,5 hours long, is a simple, well-crafted story of two children, who move to a house in the country with their father while their mother is in the hospital. They discover different natural creatures, like the "soot sprites" ("sotspridarna") the tiny black creatures that take over old houses unless you scare them away with smiles and laughter, and then of course this mysterious creature Totoro himself. What IS he? He's not a cat, not a troll, not a bear. He's just a HUGE furry, friendly thing. The girls' father thinks he is the guardian of the forrest.

OK, sounds very cuddly so far doesn't it, but what I like so much about the film is that it leaves so much unexplained. One moment they all sit up in a tree and play flutes, the paths in the forrest appear and disappear, the plants grow - or do they? It is just full of fun ideas! The best of all: the Cat Bus! Where did they get the idea???

I don't really want to explain too much - just watch it - you'll enjoy it!

And yes, I still have the Totoro-song as ring tone on my mobile that Yvonne downloaded for me...

/Kris C.

Are you a dog person or a cat person?

As a kid I always wanted a dog, but now I have two cats instead. I have always heard the saying that you are either a dog person OR a cat person, but I can vouch for that that is not correct, as I am both.

I would love to have a dog, and do things together with it, like learning agility for instance. On the other hand, caring for a dog is like having a child in the house - they are so dependent upon you. Cats on the other hand are like other adults - even though they share your living quarters, they sort of lead their own lives. That is why it works out better for me, right now, having cats, as they can take care of themselves better than a dog would.

So I would love to have a dog - if I had enough time to care for it well. But in the meantime I really enjoy the company of my cats (even when their stubborness sometimes drives me nuts!)

So you CAN be both a dog and a cat person - so there...

BTW - the dogs portrayed here are of my absolute favourite breed: the border collie... So cute, and the smartest of them all!

/Kris C.

Commercial touch

Another fun project from the college course in post-production I'm currently taking: putting together a "commercial" using Adobe After Effects.

We used Adobe After Effects for both editing and effects, but realised Premiere Pro is much better for editing. But I suppose it is good to know you can still do all the post-production in AE if you set your mind to it...

The task was to put together a commercial for a health care centre, based on given footage: min 30 seconds, max 1 minute long, and it should include animated and motion tracked text.

We were particularly pleased that the words "hold on" in the song matched the images of the comforting hands so well. But frankly, it was pure luck... ;-)

We did miss, however, making a nice fade-out of the soundtrack, it is too abrupt now. Oh well, next time...

Thank God for "Goodness Gracious Me"!

Time for celebration! The dvd-box "The Ultimate Goodness Gracious Me" arrived today! I have a few things to do this weekend, but otherwise I plan to lock myself in and laugh the days away!

"Goodness Gracious Me" (called for some peculiar reason "Curry nam nam" when it was broadcast in Sweden) is one of my absolute favourite comedy series (up there with The Office, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and Little Britain). It originally ran in the UK 1998-2001 (3 seasons).

Some of my favourite returning characters:

* The noveau riche Kapoors ("pronounced Cooper" - see picture!) who tries to be more British than the Brits themselves: one favourite episode is when they apply for membership at a golf club, and when the (white) club secretary after trying in vain to politely explain that they cannot join the club finally loses patience and exclaims that "pakis" are not welcome, and the Kapoors fully agree - they are Indian and don't like pakis either! So there is a double form of racism going on - brits who can't bother to tell different asian apart and label them all "pakis", and between Indians and Pakistanis. But most of all - it is always funny when people try to be posh...

* The buddhist exterminator: when called to a private home infested with mice in the kitchen, the woman asks the exterminator how he intends to get rid of the mice - his answer: he will sit and meditate, and make the mice reflect upon their actions until they reach Nirvana! And in another episode, his research assistance runs up to him and explains "we have found how to kill cancer cells!" he answers his usual catchphrase "Kill?! No, we mustn't kill"". Which of course I find extra funny being a buddhist myself, but also because it points to the eternal dilemma: are there things you "must" kill?

* Then we have the two bragging mothers, each claiming their own son is the best at whatever the topic is (even being the best criminal!) and the "loosing" mother always end up with the ultimate repartee "- yes, but how big is his danda?!?". (Danda means "stick" or "staff", so I leave it up to your own imagination to guess what they refer to. And I can't help but smile in yoga class when we are supposed to do dandasana - the staff pose...)

There are other great returning characters, and I get to see them all soon! Hooray! It will be a fun weekend!

/Kris C

Our daily poem, give us today

On Swedish radio, every day at noon (except for Sundays) a bell will strike the hour, followed by a poetry reading and a short piece of music. It's a popular program, it has been running since 1937 (72 years)!

On 10 February, actor Gösta Bredefeldt read the poem "Lektioner om ting: Fjärde lektionen- Våra hus" by the American poet Ron Padgett. I don't have the original language version, but the title means something like "Lessons on things: Fourth lesson - Our houses". I just loved it, so I rushed off to the library and found a collection of three New York-poets ("3 x New York" translated into Swedish by Gunnar Harding). Here is the poem in Swedish (and if you can help me find the title in the original, please let me know!)


Lektioner om ting

Fjärde lektionen

VÅRA HUS

1. Huset skyddar oss från solen, regnet, vinden: sådant vi älskar. Huset är den plats där vi församlas med familjen. Fadern är solen, modern är regnet, barnen far omkring i huset som långsam vind, en stilla bris strömmar in genom fönstret.
2. Huset bör vara solitt, hälsosamt, rymligt, rent, torrt, öppet mot ljuset, luftigt, med dörrar och fönster som släpper in utsidan. Träd och växter utanför bör placeras så att insidan känner sig välkommen ut.
3. Husets olika delar är: taket och så vidare.
4. För att bo bekvämt i ett hus fordras inte så mycket: en ambulans, ett pussel, en flaska med moln.
5. Vi står i stor tacksamhetsskuld till den man som uppfann den korrugerade plåten, eftersom den gör våra tak starka och rytmiska.

Frågor:

1. Trivs du där du bor?
2. På vilket sätt har historien placerat dig där du är?
3. Kan du bygga ett hus? Varför inte?

Ron Padgett

Memories of evil

On 27 January 1945 the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was liberated, and this day is now commemorated by the international Holocaust Memorial Day.

I visited Auschwitz some years ago: I had arranged a guided tour out of Kraków for a group of friends. Upon arrival an authorized guide, a kind of businesslike, middle-aged lady, joined our group and took us through the grounds and the museum.

The day was suitably overcast with rain just waiting to be released.

And this is what I remember most:

- That the famous gate with the "Arbeit macht frei"-sign is much smaller than you expect. It has become such an icon over the years that you think it must be much bigger. And I never understood the meaning of the sign. No-one was freed no matter how much they worked!

- From the museum, the saddest images I recall are the piles and piles of personal goods sorted - one pile for shoes, one for bags and suitcases, and one for eye-glasses and so on. What petty, sick minds will cause people to invent such a sick bureaucracy? It was also very moving to look at all the photographs of the former prisoners, and try to imagine their lives and feelings. I had to mentally pinch myself - this is for real! These people were real! I'm not watching a movie or a TV documentary!

- The crematorium was loaded with such a negative aura that it was almost tangible. I remember it as completely black in colour, but the photographs reminds me that that was just my mental concept of the place. It held such an amount of concentrated evil that I half expected some shadowy monster to materialize out of the walls and out of the ovens! (I have probably watched too many monster movies.) The small bouquet of fresh flowers on the slab in front of the oven openings looked so out of place. But maybe hopeful? That evil can be transformed?

- From Birkenau, the extension of Auschwitz, I remember best the "shelves" inside one of the barracks that actually served as beds... Unimaginable to "store" people in this way! And of course the iconic tower at the end of the rails. We went up in the tower and I could help wondering what the soldiers in the guard tower were thinking when a new train of prisoners arrived.

But the strongest memory of all was an incident right as we were about to leave - we were heading back to our bus when we met a small group of elderly people that just entered the gate. And just a few steps inside the gate the small group stopped and huddled together and cried and cried. And they wore the blue-and-white striped scarves that indicated that they were former camp prisoners...

The incredible sorrow that surrounded them like a thick cloud was overwhelming. It was compelling, and we got caught in a strange dilemma of not being able to stop staring and at the same time not wanting to intrude on their very personal sorrow. Oh the memories they must carry!

To deny the holocaust is both silly and pointless. And Auschiwtz is the logical end point of any racist argument. So why do the neo-nazis deny it?

There sure is a lot of things I don't understand.

/Kris C

New Age obscures that which it claims to enlighten

I have a deep distrust of the phenomenon called “New Age”. I see it as a large market place where people try to get a quick fix for their existential anxieties, from hucksters mining religious traditions for saleable trinkets that demean their origins.

The main problem with New Age, in my view, is that it is used as an ego-booster rather than reducing the power of the ego, which is necessary if you want to live a "real" life: read this text from Wikipedia and you will see that the ego - more specifically its defense mechanisms - has a vast array of strategies that keeps you living in denial:

"To overcome this the ego employs defense mechanisms. The defense mechanisms are not done so directly or consciously. They lessen the tension by covering up our impulses that are threatening.

Denial, displacement, intellectualisation, fantasy, compensation, projection, rationalisation, reaction formation, regression, repression and sublimation were the defense mechanisms Freud identified. However, his daughter Anna Freud clarified and identified the concepts of undoing, suppression, dissociation, idealisation, identification, introjection, inversion, somatisation, splitting and substitution. " (link to source)

Paul Heelas, Professor in Religion and Modernity at Lancaster University, has written a book aptly called "New Age Movement. The Celebration of the Self and the Sacralization of Modernity" (1996) . The key words being "the celebration of self"... So you go to this market, look around at all the stalls and pick and choose the bits that suit you, your wallet - and your ego. Some chanting? Crystal healing? Reading books that confirms that you are the centre of the universe? That you are indeed a god?

In my view, true religion or philosophy, involves taking a good look at yourself, and acknowledge even the ugly parts, not trying to gloss them over as the ego will have yo do. And then you search for a method to dissolve the ego - to eventually remove the very reasons for its existence.

This is why I have become a Buddhist, because I find it to be the best way to work with the ego. But I am sure that the other major religions offer similar help: they all have an element of surrendering - which is the last thing the ego wants us to do.

Buddhism has also become a source for "new-age thieving": the increasing popularity of "secular mindfulness" is one example. It is sad to see mindfulness reduced to a servant of the ego... But if it can inspire people to eventually discover true Buddhism, maybe it can bring something good anyway!

(Link to more reading on Wikipedia)

/Kris C

This is how to complain!

Got this tip from The Economist's newsletter, and I just had to pass it on! The best way to learn to write well is to read your betters, as I have mentioned before, so here is how to complain well...

The letter, sent to Virgin, reportedly earned its writer an apologetic phone call from Richard Branson himself.

But funny as it is, I think the best part is the comment added by The Telegraph: Paul Charles, Virgin’s Director of Corporate Communications, said the in-flight meals was “award-winning food which is very popular on our Indian routes.” !!

Read the full letter (with photographic evidence!) as published in the Telegraph by using this link.

/Kris C

Bubble sorting (Lessons learned from surprising places 1)

Sometimes we can apply lessons learned in one place in completely different circumstances - for me, "bubble sorting" is one example.

It was ages ago, when I was learning the programming language Turbo Pascal (which is no longer in use, that's how ancient I am!) "Bubble sorting" is a way to sort data in a certain order by comparing them in pairs until all data has been compared and arranged into a list. The method is very simple - only two items are compared at one time - but since computers are so fast, the program will repeat the algorithm and run through the data very quickly.

When I have several options to choose from and I can't make up my mind, I try this method! I pick two of the options - any two - and compare them: should I buy this or do that? One option will almost automatically "weigh" heavier than the other.

If I'm still not sure I pick up another "item" to compare the first "winner" with. I'm not as fast as a computer, but on the other hand, I usually don't have to compare very many options. So it speeds up my decisionmaking! I know it sounds silly, but try it - it can help in surprising circumstances!

/Kris C.

Worst movies 1: "Eyes Wide Shut"

Stanley Kubrick's last film is a total enigma: how can such an experienced director make such a bad movie as "Eyes Wide Shut"? What an incredible waste of resources and time!

There are no characters to care about and no story to tell. The actors try SO hard to make us think this is an important film, but they're not really "method", are they? It all stays on the surface, they grimace and cry and try to make us feel something, but I find it all quite ludicrous. Tom Cruise's appeal totally eludes me.

And the "orgy" at the mansion? Titillating? Stirring? Nah, anything BUT! It tries so hard to meld sex with a sense of threat and forbidden realms, but it is more like HC Andersen's story "The Emperor's New Clothes": the images try to cover the empty hole where a story should be... (If you want to see a truly interesting portrait of sexuality in a 'mainstream' movie, see "Secretary" from 2002 with Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader instead.)

And the soundtrack?!?! Playing a Romanian religious service backwards? My how exciting (NOT!). And that annoying piano tinkle that tries to imply a threat that is never realised, and is played over and over way too many times? (Only redeeming musical feature: Shostakovich "Waltz No. 2" from "Jazz Suite".)

So why did I watch it again? Well it has some of the best colour photography I've ever seen! The cinematography has a kind of super-realism to it; take for instance the scene in Sydney Pollack's den - the pool table, covered in red rather than the usual green felt, and the green lights over it, and the blue light coming through the windows in the panelled room... (According to Imdb.com, this scene, only 13.5 minutes long, took three weeks to shoot.) The N.Y.C. street scenes were actually shot on sets in the UK, and the film was 'pushed' two steps, which is why the signs "glow" in such a super-real way: absolutely gorgeous!

But with no content, it is like putting stunnning wrapping paper around an empty box.

Well there is one actor I like - Alan Cumming as the hotel desk clerk. Probably because he puts a twist of humour in this movie that takes itself way too seriously...

Unless you want to admire the cinematography, don't waste your time on this film - picking navel-lint would be more rewarding.

/Kris C

Under the weather

Didn't feel well today, had to cancel my appointments and lunch with Mom, and crept back to bed after breakfast.

Scary how much you can sleep when you are ill! I slept all morning; on the cats' insistence I fixed lunch for them and myself (different food in different bowls though, I'm not that ill!). But still tired after lunch I laid down again - and fell promptly asleep... Well, it doesn't seem possible, but I slept through the rest of the day as well. It is now evening, and I'm feeling better!

Why do we sleep? How come just sleeping can cure? Strange that!

(And will I be able to sleep tonight?)

/Kris C

Smile, all you four-eyes and brace-faces out there!

I picked out some photos from a visit to a friend and e-mailed them to her, but it turned out she didn't like the picture of herself, even though it was my favourite. I thought it was great, she looked very happy and carefree! So I had to ask her why she didn't like it - and her answer surprised me: she thought she smiled too widely and it showed too much of her teeth, and from what I understand it reminded her too much of the painful time she had when wearing braces as a kid.

I chose to wear glasses and got braces as an adult: it was my own decision, which makes me forget how difficult it is for children who has to wear glasses and braces as very young. Even though parents take these decisions thinking only of what will be best for their children, it is easy to forget how cruel children can be to anyone who deviates even the slightest from the "norm"! You hear stories of kids being called "four-eyes" or "brace-face" or worse...

But all of you who suffered as kids but now has left the braces behind, or wear contacts or glasses of your own choosing now when your an adult - remember to leave the childhood pains behind and to enjoy your pretty smiles, your good vision, and opportunity to show off with smart-looking eyewear! You paid a price, but please remember to enjoy the profits!

May your smiles today be as toothy and big as possible!

May you find nifty, bold frames for your eye-glasses that fearlessly compliment your features and display your face to the world!

And if you do wear contacts, celebrate their convenience!

Bury the past, and embrace the future.

/Kris C

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp - favourite words from the inauguration

Working with words, I enjoy reading my betters for inspiration and education, so I read the transcripts of the speeches held at Obama's inauguration yesterday. Here are some comments on my favorite turns-of-phrases (beware, this will be a long post!):

The most cynical men I can think of are Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld, so I'd like to think Obama had them in mind when he said:

"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply."

...

And this whole section on foreign policy touched me the most: for how can the US promote freedom and democracy at the same time as they created a place like Guantánamo? Rule of law and habeas corpus must apply to EVERYONE! Read and rejoice - I put boldface on my particular favourites:

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's* sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.
---
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."
---

*I think "expediency" could also read as "fear". (Link to full transcript: - and use this link to vote on your favourite part at Times Online!)

As for Elizabeth Alexander's poem, I fall back on that old cliché, "I don't know much about poetry, but I know what I like": I loved the images, rythm and sounds the poem evoked! Here's a link to the full poem, even though most of it his here - I found it hard to chop it up too much. (My favourite lines marked :-)

"We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider."

...

"We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light."

We surely are on the brink, on the brim, of something new...

OK, but to end this long entry, don't you agree that Reverend Joseph Lowery almost stole the show? After his sincere, solemn blessing, which I frankly just listened to with just one ear, I suddenly thought I must have heard wrong, but no, it's in the transcripts! He ended:

"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen"

You've got to love him for that! As Times Online comments: "a great tonic after so many solemn comments about how history was made on that sunny, icy day in Washington." He sure is one cool dude!

/Kris C

No drama, Obama!

I'm not sure the Americans understand how popular their soon-to-be sworn in 44th president Barack Hussein Obama is also outside the US! How much hope and expectations his election has generated world-wide!

Personally, I particularly enjoy his great rethorical skills, and I will be sure to tape his inaugural speech today. I also think it is a good sign that his campaign staff nicknamed him "No Drama Obama". After so much blustering during the Bush-years, let's hope for more level-headed communication.

If you've read my blog earlier, you know I'm a great fan of the news show CBS 60 Minutes, and they did a great interview with Obama's staff on the election night, "Obama's Inner Circle" (sorry for the embedded commercials!)

BTW, when Marvel Comics heard that Obama is a fan of Spider-Man, they promptly created a special issue where Obama is saved by Spidey! Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada said he was "floored" to hear that the new commander-in-chief is also a "nerd-in-chief" :-D! Read Reuter's report here:

Well I think "nerd" is an honorific, indicating a person who is deeply interested in something he cares greatly about it. As long as it's not at the expense of other important matters, that is...

The issue is said to have sold out in no-time, and is being reprinted. (That first issue must be quite valuable already!)

Anyway, to end on a more serious note: May your visions come true, Mr President!

- Now I'm just going to lean on my friends in the US to send me an official Obama T-shirt or two...

/Kris C

Great movies 1 - The Station Agent

The other night I watched the independent movie "The Station Agent". It is such an unlikely success, it's not hard to understand it was not picked up by the major studios - can you imagine the pitch? "Well, its this dwarf, you see, who is a train-nerd, and he moves to the countryside to watch trains and befriends, however unwillingly, his neighbours." Does not sound like a big blockbuster movie that the stars will flock around, does it ;-) ?

I read somewhere that the director, Thomas McCarthy, adapted his script to his leading actors, which is probably why their chemistry is so wonderful. "Unhurried but continuously captivating" is an apt comment on http://www.imdb.com/ . Great storytelling without a lot of words, relaxed pace but never boring, heart-warming without getting syrupy... Can you believe it's McCarthy's debut as director?

No wonder the film has earned more than 20 awards... Warmly recommended!

/Kris C

Cats are excellent alarm clocks!

If you have a hard time getting up in the morning - get a cat or two. You can't put them on 'snooze', and they are very persistent and innovative!

Lillen (see yesterday's post) will start with sittïng by my head and try to hypnotize me to wake up. When that doesn't work, he will reach out a paw and carefully tap me on my nose and eyes. No claws or anything, very friendly-like. They will then resort to jumping on and off my bed, August being the most persistent. He will rush about on top of me, and jump just out of reach when I try to grab him.

Well, this has been described on YouTube in "Simon's Cat - Cat-man-do", so take a look:




I'm grateful that my cats are gentle enough to stop before the ear-pulling...

If possible, see this film in the company of a child. I showed it to one of my youngest relatives (Selma, 3 yo) and she laughed more and more with each viewing - kids love repetitions for some reason.

One thing is certain - Simon Tofield has a cat: he's spot on!

PS. Every time I play "Simon's Cat", August comes running, all upset, trying to find the "intruder"! :-)

/Kris C

The mystery of cats' furballs

I have two cats - August is a sacred birman, and Lillen (i.e. "Tiny", because he is the biggest I suppose) is a british shorthair. They are of course the most handsome and charming cats in the world! (See their photos, right!) But while I've had them for over a decade now, I will never understand their different approaches to where to place their furballs...

Lillen is a very straight-forward kind of guy: first, he does not "deliver" them too frequently, so I guess they mostly exit the other way in the litter box... But when he does, he just coughs a little and places them neatly on the floor, usually in the livingroom, and usually right where you walk the most. So it is easy to spot and easy to clean up.

August is a totally different matter, however. Due to his long fur, I suppose, his furball-frequency is quite high, and he has to cough quite dramatically before he manages to throw it up. (Whenever my mom is coming to cat-sit, she always asks if August has puked any furballs recently: she hopes he won't do it when she's there, as she's convinced he is about to die because of the long, persistent, dramatic coughing.)

But the mystery is: why does he choose such odd places to throw them up in? It is either well-hidden (hard to reach places like under my bed is a popular spot) OR he aims for a carpet! I must be the world's most frequent carpet-washer! The result is, after all these years, that I tend to live without carpets... Well I have a pretty hardwood floor (light oak) but it is, admittedly, a bit bare without carpets.

August is a charming cat in many ways, but I almost gave him away one weekend, when I rolled out newly washed carpets in the living room as I was expecting dinner-guests the same evening - and after just an hour he placed a huge, gooey fur ball smack in the middle!

I wiped it off as best I could, and the carpet dried out well enough before the guests came so I could flip it over, but August was not a popular member of the household that day.

Well, I do love my cats, and I could not imagine living without one, but if I ever get a new cat, I will try to find out first what their furball-placing habits are...

/Kris C

Now also on YouTube!

Not exactly the media-event of the year, but here is the video we put together when learning the digital editing program Adobe Premiere Pro! This is why we've added almost any effect possible - cross dissolves, different wipes, split screens, multiple screens, colours for effect etc.

It was part of the Media Production class this autumn (2008) at the Sodertorn University College. ( http://www.sh.se/ )

It's a somewhat whimsical collage of images illustrating the song "Hard Drive" by Evan Dando - I hope you'll enjoy it!



Thank you Christian, it was great fun working with you!

/Kris C

"Mad about the boy"

The song "Mad about the boy" sung by Dinah Washington has been in my head the whole evening... The song is more sticky than superglue.

Here's the lyrics - let's sing along!

Mad about the boy
I know it's stupid to be mad about the boy
I'm so ashamed of it but must admit the sleepless nights I've had
About the boy

On the silverscreen
He melts my foolish heart in every single scene
Although I'm quite aware that here and there are traces of the cad
About the boy

Lord knows I'm not a fool girl
I really shouldn't care
Lord knows I'm not a school girl
In the fury of her first affair

Will it ever cloy
This odd diversity of misery and joy
I'm feeling quite insane and young again
And all because I'm mad about the boy

So if I could employ
A little magic that will finally destroy
This dream that pains me and enchains me
But I can't because I'm mad...
I'm mad about the boy

Found this hilarious tribute to actor Scott Bacula - of all people - using the song - great fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9g9DdSTD9c

I think my tribute would be to - Hugh Jackman probably... And yours?

/Kris C

Nobody likes to be told what to do

Today I will enter someone elses writing: quotes from Gordon Livingston's book "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart" (now isn't that a great book title!)

Gordon Livingston is a psychiatrist who has counselled many over the years, and has lost two sons: one to suicide, one to leuchemia. In this book he sort of summarizes the life lessons he has learned through a long practice. The book contains 30 short chapters, each with a pithy title: the parts I will quote are at the very start and end of chapter 23, "Nobody likes to be told what to do":

"It seems too obvious to mention, and yet look how much that passes for intimate communication involves admonitions and instructions. I sometimes ask patients of balky children to keep track of the percentage of their interactions that consist of criticism and directions (the latter being a variation of the former). I'm used to hearing numbers like eighty to ninety percent. Sometimes, not surprisingly, communication between the parents themselves yield similar figures.
How are we inclined to react when told what to do? For most of us, resentment progressing to obstinacy is the most common response. Whether our refusal is overt ('Not going to do it') or passive-agressive ('I forgot'), the result is commonly frustration all around."
...

"Too often, in our efforts to be good teachers, all we transmit is our anxiety, uncertainty, and fear of failure.
The primary goal of parenting, beyond keeping our children safe and loved, is to convey to them a sense that it is possible to be happy in an uncertain world, to give them hope. We do this, of course, by example more than by anything we say to them. If we can demonstrate in our own lives qualities of commitment, determination, and optimism, then we have done our job and can use our books of child-rearing advice for doorstops or fireplace fuel. What we cannot do is expect that children who are constantly criticized, bullied, and lectured will think well of themselves and their future."

Straight to the heart!


Link to the book on Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Too-Soon-Old-Late-Smart/dp/1569243735/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231969630&sr=1-2

/Kris C

Who cares whether Tintin is gay or not?

Tintin's 80th birthday this weekend relit the debate on his sexual preferences - is he gay or not?

Matthew Parris' article in The Times on January 7 put new gasoline on this heated debate - he argues:

"What debate can there be when the evidence is so overwhelmingly one-way? A callow, androgynous blonde-quiffed youth in funny trousers and a scarf moving into the country mansion of his best friend, a middle-aged sailor? A sweet-faced lad devoted to a fluffy white toy terrier, whose other closest pals are an inseparable couple of detectives in bowler hats, and whose only serious female friend is an opera diva..."

Link to article:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article5461005.ece

Parris thinks the only straight character is Milou/Snowy, the dog... The discussion is great fun, it makes you look at the characters with new eyes :-) and I agree, the shoe fits quite well, doesn't it?

But of course, it doesn't matter one bit!

However, papers report that the official response from Hergés heirs is that Tintin is definitely NOT gay, he just has a lot of male friends. But why do they bother? Would you think any less of Tintin and his adventures if you knew he was gay?

;-) /Kris C

Bonus (in Swedish): Intervju med Tintin:

http://sydsvenskan.se/samtidigt/article404702/Tintin-stalld-mot-vaggen.html

I have adopted an elephant!

Well I am now the proud foster-parent of a 16 month old baby-elephant called Mzima!

Yes, I will get up on my soapbox, but it just makes me so happy to learn of people like Dame Daphne Sheldrick. How can you not celebrate a lady who has dedicated her life to saving orphaned baby elephants?

She's the nurse who kept going after her husband's death, and for instance turning her nursing skills into creating the milk formula that saves baby-rhinos and elephants.

How could I resist adopting Mzima after having watched her "Elephants' orphanage" in Kenya portrayed again on CBS 60 Minutes? Here's the link to the video - but beware, it may make you want to adopt a baby elephant too!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/19/60minutes/main4677338.shtml?source=search_story

So if not for yourself - when you're looking for a very special gift, how about giving away an adoption of a baby elephant?

http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/fostering.asp

Climate change and peak oil as entertainment

I spent about three hours of my life watching the British-Canadian 2-part miniseries "Burn Up" on TV last night. I probably could have spent this time better, but I did enjoy this political/environmental thriller, even if it admittedly was a bit heavy on exposition.

The thriller deals with climate change and peak oil, and has terrific production value - must have cost quite a bundle to shoot! It moves from the desert to the arctic, from London to Calgary, and have hundreds of extras in the crowd scenes outside as well as inside the conference hall where the Kyoto II-agreement is negotiated.

I also learned new facts: while I knew about "peak oil" (being an ardent watcher of CBS 60 Minutes), I had not heard about Methane Hydrate ("burning ice") before, but a quick search on the web provided several articles with scientific backup - yikes! The gas has been trapped in the permafrost and seabeds for centuries, but as the ice melts, it will be released - and it has a greenhouse-effect at least 20 times that of the oft-maligned CO2. Now that is more scary than any serial-killer or monster movie!

Well, how about the drama itself? Heavy on exposition, as I mentioned, but in part it is a necessity with a topic of this kind, and partly I am nerdy enough to enjoy it - I love learning new facts. (And info on the net supports these facts, so it seems the writer Simon Beaufoy did his homework; thank you for that!)

Bradley Whitford, one of my absolute favourite actors from "The West Wing", steals the show as the tough oil lobbyist Mack who surprises us at the end. When he realises that Tom, the fresh-faced new oil company CEO (played by Rupert Penry-Jones) is in danger, his face tells a whole (surprising) story without exaggerating. Bradley Whitford can play both the good guy and the bad guy credibly.

However, I cannot imagine Rupert Penry-Jones cast as a villain. I used to discard him as just another "pretty face", but he managed to look so sad in the TV-movie of Jane Austen's "Persuasion" that I've been won over. But Neve Cambell is quite dull as the "love interest" - the other two female parts, Tom's wife Clare and the inuit activist Mika Samuvai (played by Claire Skinner and Sandrine Holt respectively) are so much better, too bad their parts are so small. Watch Claire Skinner's face when she tells her husband that she knows of his affair (can you tell that I love acting done without words?).

Add to this excellent cinematography (Lukas Strebel was DOP) and competent editing, I quite enjoyed the show - so no, I do not think the three hours were wasted!

Do you have a favourite "film with a cause" that you can recommend?

/Kris C

Sample sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/26/climatechange.scienceofclimatechange

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_Up_(TV_miniseries)

"Because methane is also a greenhouse gas, release of even a small percentage of total deposits could have a serious effect on Earth's atmosphere." from https://www.llnl.gov/str/Durham.html

Happy birthday Tintin!

Well what do you know - the eternally young cartoon reporter Tintin turns 80 today!

The morning paper reports, however, that Tintin is hardly known in Britain and the US. Well friends, then you have something to look forward to!

I grew up reading Tintin, and yes, Tintin himself is admittedly a bit bland, but the company he keeps is grand! One is the most lovable of alcoholics, Captain Haddock with the creative expletives. He really takes swearing to a new level!

In Sweden, a new translation was published recently where they tried to get closer to the french language original (Hergé, the creator, was Belgian), but some of Haddock's curses have become mainstay in Swedish, so the translators admitted they could not change all of them - I hope "anfäkta och anamma" survived! He is also famous for his alliterative skills, like "billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles!"

Eager for more examples? Check this site:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/brooksdr/haddock/main.htm

One favourite sequence is (I believe in The Calculus Affair /Det hemliga vapnet), where Captain Haddock tries to get rid of a plaster (bandaid) sticking to his fingers. The sequence has nothing to do with the plot, but is a great visual gag!

I am also very found of Tintin's terrier Milou (Snowy in English). He has a knack for getting Tintin out of trouble, as well as a fondness for whisky, like Captain Haddock. Then there is the absent-minded, hard-of-hearing Professor Calculus, and the bumbling detectives Dupond and Dupont (Thomson and Thompson in English) who must be thouroughly hated by the French police corps for their portrayal of incompetence!

I could go on, but don't take my word for it, read them yourself! And now Steven Spielberg is going to make a film of him (planned for release in 2010): I'm a bit sceptical of how he will translate into the film medium, but at least it will make Tintin better known in the Anglo-Saxon world, and hopefully more people will read him as well.

(According to http://www.imdb.com/, the role of Tintin has not been cast yet, but I think Andy Serkis will be a great Captain Haddock!)

For the interested, here is a link to a long article in The Economist, "Tintin - A very European hero", where they try to provide "the key to Tintin":

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12795471

Who is your favourite Tintin character, or Haddocksian expletive?

/Kris C

So what's in a name?

So - I've decided to add to the clutter on the world wide web by starting a personal blog. I have absolutely no idea what you may find here, time will tell!

The first hurdle was coming up with a name for the blog. Should it be a cool name, a sincere one, funny, or what? Several of my first ideas where already taken, then my eyes fell on the book on the table next to me.

So yes, I admit it, I nicked the name from John Lloyd & John Mitchinson's book "Advanced Banter: The QI Book of Quotations". It is a brilliant collection! I was planning to use it as reference to liven up papers and presentations, but I find myself browsing through it page after page.

I hope to live up the meaning of banter ("good-humored, playful conversation"), even if calling it advanced may be a bit of a stretch...

Today's favourite:

"Honest criticism is hard to take - especially when it comes from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger."
(Franklin P. Jones)

So be kind!

/Kris

http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/what-s-name-that-which-we-call-rose

http://www.amazon.co.uk/QI-Advanced-Banter-Stephen-Fry/dp/0571233724/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231542805&sr=8-1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_P._Jones