Why have I never been forced to paint a Globe?
To actually mark out where on earth everything is on an actual globe, to draw the latitudes and longitudes, continents and countries, oceans and rivers, would have taught me so incredibly much about geography. It would be a knowledge that would burn itself deep in the brain of anyone doing it.
Why is that not an obligatory assignment in school? Is there no time somewhere between the first and ninth year in the swedish educational system where such a task could fit in? Flat maps only distorts the understanding of the world, they teach me nothing. I say 'To hell with flat maps!'. I firmly believe that the world would be a better place if everyone was forced to carry around their own painstakingly crafted globes where ever they went.
a blog about nothing
2013-05-07
Lists
Sometimes I get the urge to catalog all of a specific item that we own. I have never done it (possibly because I really do not want to become any more like Sheldon than I already am). But would it not be nice to have a complete inventory of e.g.
- All children toys. (Including number of all the different lego-pieces that we have. Make and model and story behind all the small: cars / stuffed toys / plastic thingies... )
- Books.
- Camera gear.
- Coat hangers (would it not be great to see where all the hangers come from? (don't think that I am kidding, I have actually thought about doing this list several times this last week (just in our hallway we have hangers labeled 'Vara', 'E för kvalitet' and 'Sidenvaruhuset', how did they come into our home?))).
The list of stuff I want to make lists of can probably become larger, but I stop myself here.
(After reading what I just wrote, I realize that I was lying. I have started on both the book and camera gear lists, probably several times. Sorry for lying to you.)
2013-03-30
Drag
||: Drag drag. Drag drag.
''Lift your feet''
''Why?''
''Because I ask you to''
''Okey''
Klomp klomp. Klomp klomp. Drag drag. Drag drag. :|| (repeat indefinitely)
I understand now mom and dad. I understand how increadibly anoying it was. I am sorry.
2013-03-27
Diary
I think a lot about memories these days.
My childhood memories are very fragmented and I would like that my sons have a better record of their early years than I do. I have only a few photographs of myself back then, and that will not be the case for them. I also try to write stuff down, but I have never been very good at keeping a diary myself (K is better when it comes to that). But I have tried. I know that I did keep some kind of journal on my C64 back in the days. And even if I have always tried to bring all my files when I migrate to a new system I think they have gotten lost some time long ago, even before the double-system crash I experienced some years ago, when both my laptop and stationary machine decided to give up simultaneously (so much for that back-up system). But maybe, just maybe, there might be a copy on a 3.5' floppy down in the cellar. I wounder if I can get the Amiga to work.
(Funny that Tage just came with a tape cassette and asked what the heck that was.)
My childhood memories are very fragmented and I would like that my sons have a better record of their early years than I do. I have only a few photographs of myself back then, and that will not be the case for them. I also try to write stuff down, but I have never been very good at keeping a diary myself (K is better when it comes to that). But I have tried. I know that I did keep some kind of journal on my C64 back in the days. And even if I have always tried to bring all my files when I migrate to a new system I think they have gotten lost some time long ago, even before the double-system crash I experienced some years ago, when both my laptop and stationary machine decided to give up simultaneously (so much for that back-up system). But maybe, just maybe, there might be a copy on a 3.5' floppy down in the cellar. I wounder if I can get the Amiga to work.
(Funny that Tage just came with a tape cassette and asked what the heck that was.)
2013-03-02
Tage
Walking home the other day Tage asked me what would happen if you pushed on the man and not on the button on the 'I want to cross the road, please change the lights'-apparatus. 'Does it get green immediately then?'
A long time ago he noticed that you can push on the text at the bottom (on the one that opens our front door at least) to get it to work, so who knows? Maybe he is right. But I can not test it, because then I would have lived a long time - pressing the button (as instructed) and waiting (as a fool), instead of pressing the man and going directly. Do you dare to push the man?
I am shattered
Ok, a classic post.
The frequency of this here blog has gone down. I believe that it might be due to that I am trying to be active here, on facebook, on twitter and on g+ all at the same time. My short witty remarks and observations of my surrounding need a home, and I choose you my dear blog.
The frequency of this here blog has gone down. I believe that it might be due to that I am trying to be active here, on facebook, on twitter and on g+ all at the same time. My short witty remarks and observations of my surrounding need a home, and I choose you my dear blog.
2013-02-08
Black spots
A few days ago I hanged a 'prism ball' in the window and Tage sat and looked at the small dots of rainbow that floated around the room. He thought about it for a while and then he said 'During the night there will be no spots. Cause there is no sun during the night. BUT maybe there will be dark spots.'
2013-01-11
Me-time
Inskolningen går in i sitt andra skede -> Jag är hemma på standby om det inte skulle funka.
Mattiastid? Vad är det? Vad gör man själv i 6 timmar? Har inte upplevt det sedan.. hmm.. sedan förra gången det var inskolning.
Börjar med en kopp kaffe. Finkaffe. Och lite kakor kanske. Utan att man behöver tänka på vart kaffekoppen står. Utan att man hör gnäll från någon avundsjuk individ som också vill ha. Kanske lystna på radio och faktiskt kunna höra vad det är dom pratar om. Sen kanske en film. Eller sova. Vem vet.
2012-12-06
Do not mess with Tage
I advise you to not mess with my son. You should at least refrain yourselves from scaring him.
He told me today that when He grows old, he will become a man just like [farbror melker] and squirt him (farbror melker red.anm) in the face with water. This since Tage got scared by him whilst riding the train at Astrid Lindgrens värld when he was 2. My son plans his vengeance ~35 years into the future. I swear, farbror melker will not be expecting it!
He told me today that when He grows old, he will become a man just like [farbror melker] and squirt him (farbror melker red.anm) in the face with water. This since Tage got scared by him whilst riding the train at Astrid Lindgrens värld when he was 2. My son plans his vengeance ~35 years into the future. I swear, farbror melker will not be expecting it!
2012-11-05
Black and White
So, I started thinking.
If taking photos was not so easy. If it would cost me precious time and money to develop each frame. If it was not just a matter of sticking the memory card into the computer and importing the shots into the photo database software. Would I then stop making the same misstake of taking photos that I know will be bad and actually start to think beforehand?
Should I go back to my old Minolta and shoot, and develop, Black and White again?
I thought about this for a time in my bed, and then I got up, turned on my computer and started to brows through my b&w collections from way back (before 2008). And man was it a lot of crap! Sure, I did find some that I could put up here without totally embarrassing myself, but the main bulk of the work was, hm, not that good.
Is it possible that a second go at it could be inspiring, fun, worthwhile and a big improvement over the crappy frames of poorly exposed artsy shots of stones at the shore with water stains from the amateurish development that this is just one example of:
2012-11-01
Me, the photographer
So, I take a lot of photos. The amount varies, but lets just say that over a period of a couple of months, it stacks up to a lot. Now, most often, one of my children are in front of the camera. Sometimes with a prop.
And yea, sure, sometimes, I happen to stumble and get some nice results even if I just fiddle around without tripods, lighting equipment and all other stuff that I should really learn how to use in order to get to a level that I want to be at.
I don't know.
I should learn more. I should study the classics. I should get better at using my camera, my flash, my image software. I should learn how to direct people. I should learn more about composition than just the 'rule of thirds'. I should stop taking photos that I know will suck.
Why me?
Yesterday I went to the library with the kids to return some books. It is a great place to kill an hour or so. Especially since they have a fenced in play area where the smaller kids can play.
I usually read a book or two for Tage there whilst Knut walks around and plays with the toys and books, and almost every time some other kids comes up to me and wants to listen too. Yesterday no less than tree ~15 month olds came and wanted me to read their books, one even wanted to sit in my lap (which made Tage freak out and me a bit uneasy). And I don't mind. But I do wonder why. Do I really look that soft? Are kids not suposed to be scared of men with beards?
I usually read a book or two for Tage there whilst Knut walks around and plays with the toys and books, and almost every time some other kids comes up to me and wants to listen too. Yesterday no less than tree ~15 month olds came and wanted me to read their books, one even wanted to sit in my lap (which made Tage freak out and me a bit uneasy). And I don't mind. But I do wonder why. Do I really look that soft? Are kids not suposed to be scared of men with beards?
2012-09-21
20
Any day you can count the number of teeth of one child on the other child's skin is a good day. Or no, wait, that sounds wrong.
2012-09-16
Adopting a park
Whilst visiting the west coast this summer I read about a project in the local paper (gp) that really struck home with me. It was someone who was fed up with the incredible amount of trash that washes up on the shores of all the islands around the coast, and had started a 'adopt an island' project. I.e. a private person can sign up for an island and then take responsibility for the removal of trash from its shores. I have no idea of how serious the project was but the idea is great. So great that I started a similar project, albeit closer to home, and so far, I am the only person who knows about it (but who knows, it might grow):
'Adopt a park'. The children playgrounds around here, and anywhere, are completely littered with trash. There are of course people employed to keep them clean, but they only come once or twice a week and they do not really put their soules into the cleaning. Cigarett buts, candy wrappers, soda cans, pieces of paper, glass and plastics still covers the ground. So I started picking up everything that did not belong in a part (maybe 150m2) of the park that we visit most frequently, and now I do this every time I am there. My hope is that people litter less if it is really clean, and maybe it is so. But even if it not so, I can at least play in (a small part of) a park knowing that my kids will not choke on a bottle cap or start chewing on a cigarett butt. My second hope is that it will catch on and spread to other irritated parents that are fed up with the sorry state of things.
I have so far not done anything to promote my idea, but I have thought of ways to do it. To put up a sign 'This park is maintained by the following persons:... and was last cleaned by:...' might be a good idea. Or to write a blog post about it, a post that will be read by hundreds and hundreds of people. Or maybe I should call a reporter from the local newspaper.
'Adopt a park'. The children playgrounds around here, and anywhere, are completely littered with trash. There are of course people employed to keep them clean, but they only come once or twice a week and they do not really put their soules into the cleaning. Cigarett buts, candy wrappers, soda cans, pieces of paper, glass and plastics still covers the ground. So I started picking up everything that did not belong in a part (maybe 150m2) of the park that we visit most frequently, and now I do this every time I am there. My hope is that people litter less if it is really clean, and maybe it is so. But even if it not so, I can at least play in (a small part of) a park knowing that my kids will not choke on a bottle cap or start chewing on a cigarett butt. My second hope is that it will catch on and spread to other irritated parents that are fed up with the sorry state of things.
I have so far not done anything to promote my idea, but I have thought of ways to do it. To put up a sign 'This park is maintained by the following persons:... and was last cleaned by:...' might be a good idea. Or to write a blog post about it, a post that will be read by hundreds and hundreds of people. Or maybe I should call a reporter from the local newspaper.
2012-09-01
I am old
Today I asked Tage if I should crank down the windows in the car, and he immediately retorted that 'No dad, you push a button. There is no crank'. I had to explain to him that back in the day, when I was young, there were no such thing as electrical windows. Damn it, I am old.
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