Back Where I Belong

Back in school again. With economics... and they only talk about statistics at the moment... WHAT HAVE I DONE? What nightmarish delusion has brought me to this? Once again I find myself thrown into the bastardly equations of probabilities and graphs. SMITE ME DOWN GREAT GODS OF NATURE! I don't deserve to be among the living... *ahem* Maybe I'm overreacting. It probably will not be that bad, I actually feel very comfortable with it at the moment as I recognize most things. Hopefully it will go as planed.

What have I else done before this? Maybe I should have gone to bed earlier than 2 am. but when you are busy playing Civilization 4: Beyond the Sword. Especially the mod Rhye's and Fall of Civilzation. It basically follow parts of the world history, of course not all of them, how fun would that be? New civilizations pop up time after time during certain checkpoints or when large empires collapse and so. I prefer Japan as it is by far the easiest to win with and play with. You sit on your island, need few soldiers and can, with a bit "cheating" (you're allowed to change civilization once so you can begin as the chinese, establish a colony in Japan and build it up and give it up as well as technology to Japan, and then change civilization and crush the chinese as they are so badly handled). The goal is to win, but you got some historical criteria to fulfill which for Japan is to be the highest ranking civilization in 1500 A.D., no foreign influence on the japanese mainland until 1700 A.D. and not lose a city until 1850. First one is the most problematic if you don't expand, but if you do, you heightened the risk to lose a city as you must grow on the mainland (especially around the mongols who always attacks you at some point).

A actually won on the normal settings so that's nice. Although I was attacked by the damned british, so I think I shall continue playing, build some nukes and nuke the country and afterwards swarm them with marines and tanks. BURN BABY BURN HAHAHA *ahem*. Never mess with a superpower.

The End is Drawing Near

Been some time, but I'm back again. If you're interested to know I have been fully occupied with finishing the European studies course I have been taking this summer. Instead of the plan that I concocted in the early stage to just do it in one or two weeks and then just slap, I spent less than a week skimming through the books for the answers and then... did nothing until the day before it was supposed to be handed in. Maybe not such a smart strategy. This whole Tuesday I spent writing on those five questions and finished 1 AM in the morning. That left me a 6 hours sleep before I had to give it in. But I made it, and it feels I made a pretty good thing with it (glad four years of political science studies became useful). Unfortunately I still had another assignment which was shorter,but didn't feel that good. But it is done and I can enjoy the last days of the summer.

And today I had to be at a information meeting for the Swedish election, where I met some recognizable faces. Some social company. Fear that both this job and the Economic class together will be to much for me. Now I just shall enjoy these last days and then earn a bit of cash. Still, it feels like I forgot something I was supposed to do this summer... must have ben something that would take a lot of time, but have been a great pay off with both an ID as well as possibility to take me long distances. Nope, can't think of anything. Enjoy the vacation, now I'm waiting for the election debate with some chips, cola and chocolate... DAMN, I forgot to work out.

Babylon

I was supposed to stop writing political comments about Swedish politics at the moment as, well, it's just a lot of numbers and stupid propositions from the opposition (I know I'm biased, but common, a butler? It even goes against how they bash the current government). Really, when you have understanding for the whole spectrum of politics (economy, law, statistics and political philosophy, history and procedures) you understand how f***ed up the Swedish election is. That's not the worst. The worst is the loathsome Swedish Trade Union Confederation (shortened LO in Swedish). My personal belief is that this organization corrupted the Swedish politics in 1969 when Tage Erlander and Olof Palme couldn't (or didn't want to) control them. It is at this point the economy began to stagnate after the record years and made a halt during the 70's oil crisis.

How so you might ask? Because LO were able to get laws created which gave them an unfavorable advantage over the employers and broke the Saltsjöbaden Agreement that told the politicians to keep the hands of the disputes between these two. Not to talk about the rampant inflation that we just in the early 90's got a hold of (thanks to a right-wing government I might add to all the Swedish leftists out there). You know where to blame the low value of your money. And that's not all, they wanted to socialize all the earnings of the companies into fonds owned by LO., the so called Employee funds. Now, it might sound like I don't appreciate unions, but I do. It's just that the Swedish one has lost their true cause and see more to benefit the Swedish Social democratic party (or those at the top of the organization) instead for their members. All the time you here how bad the non-socialist government is, but do they ever criticizes the socialistic-bloc when they, let say, speak against nuclear plants although the richest of the unions members are working in industries needing a lot of cheap electricity to be competitive in the global market? No, we don't, it doesn't matter that some social democrats even prefer nuclear power, the whole damn party is like a hive-mind when it comes to be in opposition. They are never wrong and always right is their logo.

So why am I venomously attacking them today? Well, one of the Swedish singers (Linda Bengtzing) was invited to a "family picnic", but when they found out that she was voting for the government parties and campaigning with one of them, she was put of the show. Music wise I should probably congratulate them to a decent choice, the problem, except the blatant politicizing and streamline of taste and thoughts in their organization, is the commentators. And I'm talking about those on the public entertainment news panel on SVT. These people... these people are undemocratic as hell. Who do they side with? LO. Why? Because you should be aware that your political choice has consequences. Those that sound democratic? They actually say that if you don't vote or agree with some people or organizations (in this case LO which should work for the workers not a political party and has of their paying members 25 % that votes for the main antagonist party for the Social democrats) they have the right to take you away AFTER they signed you up. That's... ridicules. But you know where they stand when they pull quotas as the best political mean to get more women in Swedish films (7 out of 20 apparently) and that it should be 50 % instead of the more commonly used 40 % ratio. No one even asked what movies they made or if they had the prospects to be good. If I know Swedish cinema, they will SUCK. We only produce 3 kinds of movies, comedies, cop movies or really depressing dramas. Which movies do I prefer? Occasionally a swedish comedy, but I have never seen any on Cinema... or bought them for that matter. So, to be blunt that's a part of the big waste of Swedish ~55 % taxes goes to. And we argue that we need more female producers into movies instead of making good ones. Sometime I really hate know-it-all's. Well, nice to get that out of my systems.

Bad Luck

So I'm back online again and shall not leave Karlstad until christmas if nothing special happens, which is highly unlikely. Got 1 1/2 week to finish the European studies which shouldn't be any trouble (except that i have to miss the second day to work with the election). Had a somewhat nice week at home. Nothing actually happens as usual. Mostly because there is not much that can happen when you are stuck at the same place with nothing to do and no means of transportation. Luckily it was only a week since my family gets on my nerve in such a cramped area (which is ironic since I spend most of the days in my apartment that only measures 19 km^2).

The only things worth mentioning is the trip across the country. It really didn't start out well as I managed to wipe my iPod clean just before I had to leave. Not a good start. Screaming children, loud people and so on, horrible. At the train station I bump in to another political scientist I studied with... which indicated another bed turn. This person usually has a very bad record with trains. So you could see that we were doomed from the start. At least I had someone to talk to waiting for the train. Train arrives 15 minutes late, but leave at the time set for travel. But after that two other stops for something like 10 minutes each and the whole trip was 15 minutes late I believe. And who do I see when climbing out of the train in Gnesta? The Left Party leader Lars Ohly. After spending four years with more right-leaning people together with my own education I have very little faith in there politics to get to their utopia of society. Mostly because there beliefs are very illogical to me.

That was that trip and it's nice to be back in Karlstad with all choices I have (which I don't use). Anyway, the most important things I picked up during my visit home is the first two Gabriel Knight games which I also finished for the first time, the second one even on a complete score. Also the first King's Quest games were acquired. I will probably not complete those games anytime soon since they are very time consuming since I don't have any idea what to do on any of them. And also due to them having a very cheap way of punishing even the slightest mistake, which most likely ends up in the infamous Sierra Death-moment. But still, maybe I have time for some occult mysterious and fairy tales.

The Price You Pay

You know, not much happens around here (might have to do that I actually don't do anything). Well, except that I'm going home yet again tomorrow for a week with the family. The most incredible thing is that I actually arrives one day before my sister which means I got to choose room and bed first. HA, take that. Actually, this is the first time that ever happens since she usually are home most of the time. So that will be some half boredom thing the coming week, but I will at least get some good food the coming week and... what, dad is working and mom stands for the food? That was that week then with leftovers and the most simplistic of cooking. Why women should be in the kitchen I don't know.

Other things that has happened? Apparently I got some money from somewhere, I don't know where, but money you didn't know you had are the best of money. At least it feels a lot better with all the games and films I bought. Yeah more films on the way, unfortunately it will take a bit time for them to arrive, strangely enough as the other shipment went rather quick (might be vacation time, what do I know, I don't have a job). And it still cheaper to buy them from the UK than Sweden. Really, a movie for 100 SEK in Sweden (~€10 $12,5 £8,3) cost around 40 SEK in the UK (~€4 $5 £3,3). How can the swedish prices be so... overpriced?

Finally, the last thing that has happened this week is yet another damaged water pipe in need of repair. And I found out just before I was going to boil my pasta and no water from the tap. And when it got back it's white and bubbles a lot. Is that safe? Well, it's drinkable and I'm feeling fine after a couple of days of use. I really should stack up some bottles of water, but unfortunately I don't have room for it. I need to get a larger apartment... and a job.

Nightmare Avenue

People reading this blog (= me) knows that I like politics, I'm a political scientist. At least it says so in the profile up on the right. I haven't mentioned it very much lately as nothings happened or haven't been worth mentioning... well, maybe the allegations that one of the minister's bought some sexual services, but we don't know if that is true or not. So I didn't bring that up, or that some crazy left-feminist burnt 100 000 SEK (~€10 000 or $12 500 or £8 300). What's even more interesting is that they had a man lit the fire. You can just guess how that was received. Worse is that some newspapers try to compare this to KLF burning 1 million pound. I don't know about you, but that is just ridicules. We must be extremely poor compared to everyone else if we try to compare to that.

Not mentioning that it created rumors that some brats participated in the art of conspicuous consumption that has created mass hysteria for the moralistic left. The rumor is that some people order in two bottles of sparkling wine and then ask the waiter to empty the content in one of them or someone bought 50 burgers, ate one and then throw away the rest. Not only should these people be served higher taxes so that they can't do this again, but these people don't deserve to live. They are bloodsuckers on society without morals and should have given all the money to the people in need. Or that is at least what the mob suggest in the left-leaning newspaper. Even more interesting is that no one has ever seen this. It is all rumors. I even checked youtube and all I got on it was one person dumping one cheap beer in a lake. But apparently that's enough to give the left a reason for more tax-raises.

I tell you, the left gets more nuts for every day we get closer to the election. It must be the power abstinence and the worries of not being the biggest party anymore. Not only do they have very few original ideas but everything is that they need to raise taxes and changes the laws the alliance put in place. On the other hand, when they do have original ideas it just feels... awkward. Recently it's the social democratic youth league that have the answer for youth unemployment. Apparently the answer all along was to make 25 % of the public workforce people under 35. What happens with the already employed? No one knows. Also, some wise-head defend the idea that it's supposed to make the transition from the old generation to the younger smoother. Let me ask myself then, why do we need it then or why don't we help the private sector decide who to employ since a normal organization can't handle it? Less grabby fingers in the organization the better (unless it's about clear violations against environment and security).

Money for Nothing

Sometimes you really got confused when looking thru the bank account and realizes there is a bit more money than you thought. And usually you don't know where it came from. Me especially since I bought a lot of games and movies. How does it came to that? First, I didn't buy the things in Sweden, but from the UK. There I can get around 6 items (movies and games) for the cost of two of those things in Swedish sites. I don't know why, but somehow the british keeps the prices low on everything, and that they actually have a lot more to sell. Even games from around the millennium. Good luck finding it in Swedish stores. Secondly, the current summer course I'm taking has me experience the first time I haven't bought any books at all. I borrow it from the library when there is no one there. In conclusion, I bought cheaper things and didn't buy the books for my course... Maybe I should have thought on that from the beginning.

Anyway, I watched Fire and Ice. Good looking movie. I liked the animation, the music did it's job, but it really felt so cliched somehow. Also the main theme sounded like the Jaws theme for some reason (or maybe like it had some inspirations from it). The story on the other hand is a really cliched mismatch. There's no magic behind the character or the land. Take just the names Ice keep and Fire keep, the two opposing forces in this movie. I don't know, but it doesn't seem to have the tune like Gondor vs Mordor or it might just be me. Unfortunately (in my own opinion) it has some interesting hooks in the story. There's some kind of ruined place in a jungle with a statue of one of the most awesome characters in the film, Darkwolf. Then the question is, why? Do we get an answer to that? No. That is a bit annoying as it takes away my concentration on the movie and kinda spoils what could have been a very living fantasy world. Also, who is Darkwolf, that is also nothing talked about, he just is. Why is that important you ask? Because he is the one slaying the antagonist who he has a grudge against... for some reason. What did the antagonist do to deserve a whack to the head with an axe?