The Return

Wow, I was inactive for so long that they changed the layout. How long ago was it now? Last February? That is some time to cover. Easiest to explain is... a lot of work at my internship at a bank. Didn't lead to a real job, but I didn't expect any since I'm fairly up to date with the problems in the swedish financial sector or the economy overall. Wasn't time for that. So that went on until the end of March. Of course, at the same time I had to move from my apartment due to not studying anymore. So I moved in with my sister for the time being until something pops up or we are at each others throats. Or I will freeze to death since I'm having my bed just under the window and she insist that it shall be open all day. At cold spring days on the seventh floor surrounded by open water. The winds are freezing.

Anyway, there is nothing else to say really, just letting anyone reading that the blog isn't abandon and might wake up again now that I have some more free time. Unfortunately I am a bit late for making resurrection jokes and all that due to easter being a couple of weeks ago. What I can say is that SVT disappoints me. They didn't show Jesus Christ Superstar this time. I feel betrayed. It was becoming a tradition for me... and now they stole it away from me. Oh cruel world. Or so I thought, but apparently they didn't show it in 2010 either and I didn't find anything about it last year. Who would have thought that. My memory sucks.  

Spring Time

And once again I lost myself in my everyday life (read that as "just lazy"). And now it's the end of February. Not much happens during work, except last week when I had a really rough time. Friday, I lost one of my gloves. One of them, it annoys me even more than losing both cause now I will always be reminded about losing the pair. Anyway, went to the store to get some chicken and what happens? I don't read the freaking label and buys clubs instead of filet's. And I only notice that after I defrosted them two days later. It didn't help that the particular brand of filmjölk I like was out in the store. Does it end here? No, the following day (that's Monday) I almost miss the bus to work for some reason that escape me at the moment. The senior customers of the bank rails on me because I can't let them into the bank vaults (I'm just an intern for goodness sake). Then on the way home I take the wrong bus and the following morning I get on the bus in time, but it became delayed due to many people wanting to board it and then some cyclist walking on the narrow road. Short and easy, it was a hell of a week.

At least I had some better moments. This weekend my sister participated in a farce so me and the rest and the family was invited so I had to take a trip to Örebro. It was about Wilhelm Tell, the Swiss liberation hero. A very entertaining show if I say so. Good music, good acting and good (or so bad it's good) jokes. In the music department we had the snobbish side of me smiling for the Wilhelm Tell Overture (or it could be my Disney nostalgia), my metal head could have (but didn't) head-bang to a rewritten Hearts on Fire and then some other classic songs rewritten. One that made me smile just hearing the first tunes was a rewritten Brave Sir Robin from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The only downside was that the music sometimes blurred out the song. And most importantly, I actually helped to write part of one of the songs (or part, it was one word but still). My sister actually called me and asked for a two syllable word that had some connection to the Jönssonligan-movies. The word was flagpole if you had to know. Unfortunately I couldn't get writing credits since it was a "do over song" so it wasn't in the pamphlets and therefore no credits. 

Working 9-5

Been working for a week and start again tomorrow. A really good experience. It helps that it feels like I'm taking control over the internship group from my experience, knowledge and age. Yes, I'm the oldest. And I also got my own office last Wednesday and the others were a bit jealous since I was so far back in the building that no customers would walk up and ask for my help (which would have been "It's my first week, but I think s/he can help"). Privileges, gotta love them. Another one was that I also got our only key that we interns have to share so I had the honorable duty to open the door for the others. At least I don't have to wait outside in the cold, the cold that just hit us this winter. At least it wasn't as awful as the two latest winters that really was cold with a minimum of one meter of snow across the whole nation. So have a great week, cause that is what I hopefully will do. There was something else I have forgotten about. What could it have been? Probably nothing important.

A New Dawn

Some songs really make the most mundane things in life a bit more epic. For example The Touch  by Stan Bush when you are sitting in the buss on your way to your work place. First day at the bank is over and it feels really good. I haven't been this calm for a long time. The sun is staying much longer and lights up the world once more and the same can be said about my life. Hopefully there is no dark clouds on the horizon.

Other things that have happened since the last time? The new social democratic leader has been elected and it, to everyones astonishment, actually went to someone who really can be classified to a blue-color worker, or at least once. He is probably most famous for being the head of the industry union the last six year. I'm of course talking about Stefan Löfven. And suddenly a sound of relief was heard across the left and a sound of interest and small optimism from the right. This is a man that has talked favorably about nuclear power and EMU. A man the social democrats pin their hopes upon to deliver from their current position as opposition and back to the governmental power. Frankly, due to his past actions and statements even I could vote for him, if I wasn't so influenced by the liberal ideologies. Of course, I'm also a bit pessimistic about how he will be able to turn the party toward his ideas that I support. The first day he was already "threatened" by some of his party members that he can't stand for his own ideas, but must always express what the party congress has decided. Although yesterday he seemed to express the use of a loophole in the text they wrote so maybe he could change the party that way. The consequence of this however is that his own members are putting him in a very bad starting point. See, every time he has to talk about an issue that he has already expressed that clash with the party, we know if he lies, but if he speaks for himself and what he sees as the best course of action he will put himself in front of the knives that already cut down two party leaders. Will he be able to survive that or is it just a matter of time before the circus starts anew?

Paranoid

I'm on fire. It was quite a long time ago since I actually made this many posts a week. I would guess new inspiration with all that is happening at the moment and that I feel my situation looks brighter in comparison to the time right before christmas. So, lets look closer on the current political events in Sweden. As you all probably know Juholt has resigned and the Social Democrats is free-falling in the polls as well searching for a new leader to lead them over next election in 2014. Juholt fell due to a combination of back-stabbing in his own party as well as several mistakes made from him, mostly a constant flip-flopping on issues as well as bending the truth. Now this doesn't suit those who sided with Juholt who blame the media for hunting him down due to him being a "hillbilly" or something like that (excluding the fact that of all the other seven only two comes from the capital, the rest is as much "hillbillies" as Juholt). Also, they try to neglect all the mistakes he did by comparing it to Reinfeldt. Fair enough, but there is some mayor differences. One site published all 18 mistakes Reinfeldt done since 2009 (believe me, they would have published more if they could). Then look at Juholt's track record, 13. Oh and that is during a span of 10 month, and 1 month he had a vacation not showing up in media. This is probably something those who are blinded don't quite grip. Juholt constantly did those mistakes. People makes mistakes, we all make them, but he did it more often then anyone, in areas that was supposed his specialty (defence if anyone wonders). And they still defend him and complain about unfairness from the media. Do they not see a pattern here comparing something like 4,5 faults a year compared to 13 in LESS than a year? Then again, social democrats have some problem admitting their own fault since they always do the right thing.

Edit: Yeah, I can't really count, first I thought it was 5 years, when it closer to 4 or even 3, but you know I had trouble with the economics and math so I will blame that.

Star Fox

Rumors has it that Retro Studios (the studio that breathed new life into Metroid with the Metroid Prime-trilogy and Donkey Kong Returns) are gonna revive the Star Fox-series with a game to the Wii U. Would be nice with a new entry for the series since the last true new game was back in 2006. I probably can give a better run-down of this series compared to Fire Emblem since I actually played all the games in the series. And I have a hunch you don't actually care about the circus that is the social democratic search for a new party leader, especially since everything that comes out is "we want Wallström" and "No".

The first game was Star Fox, or as it was called here in Europe, Starwing. Just pure coincidence that we got it in the family since we bought it second hand on a whim, or we, my oldest little sister did. i guess it was the funny animals on the box. Didn't play it that much since it took me a long time to get how you played it, but I actually finished it on the easiest route. Today I feel a bit sadness that I don't have it anymore. The music was wonderful although the graphics aren't that good looking today. A bit blocky if you asked me, but it was a fun ride.

Next game is the one from Nintendo 64 in 1997 called Lylat Wars in Europe. I didn't get this one, I wanted it, but never got it until they rereleased to the Wii VC and 3DS. The one to the 3DS was much better since the controls didn't feel that awkward. A more advanced version than the original, but the music wasn't that awesome. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but I missed the beat from the first stage of Corneria from the original.

Next one was probably the one I really delved into and absolutely love of the Star Fox games. Star Fox Adventure by Rare, the gods of video games during that time. They mostly seemed to have fallen pretty deep at the moment. I didn't care if it was a Zelda knock-of, it was fun in its own way, nice music, gorgeous graphics and a story that didn't feel that far-fetched. Although, since I didn't play Star Fox 64, I had some trouble knowing how to kill Andross since I never fought him like that before. In Starwing it was just shoot the eyes, no one said anything about his hands. Although I can probably agree on that Tricky can be kinda annoying some times. I actually waited for this game since the N64 days, but then titled as Dinosaur Planet. It was pushed forward all the time until the GameCube came out and then it was changed to a Star Fox-game. Funny enough the same happened to Retro Studios Metroid Prime (pushed forward to Gamecube that is). Another funny thing to note is that this was one of the games we won by pre-order it. The other one was Super Mario Sunshine. Yes, we won the games in two different drawings. That is really lucky.

After Adventure I was pretty muck hooked on the series and waited patiently for the next game, Star Fox: Assault. Now you could actually use your blaster. This was a confusing game for me the first time I played it. It had similar control scheme as Lylat Wars, but since I never played it I had some trouble getting used to it compared to Adventures Arwing-controls. Most notable that in Adventure you could just keep the A-button down to fire at the enemies, but in all other games you had to push it. I know, not much, but it caught me of guard. Then we have the plot, which basically feels like a Star Trek Borg episode. The biggest issue was that I didn't know any of the characters beside the main six that appeared in Adventure. I still enjoyed the game and finished it, but it felt rushed. The first chapter for example didn't have any voices in the intro until your team shows up and just made it feel... unfinished.

So after that less of a stellar game, what happens next? Star Fox Command for the DS. The worst game in the series. Controls felt awkward which made it a bit of an ordeal to finish. Especially fly through the circles over and over again. And it felt it was just two different sorts of missions. Shot everything and then fly through a couple of rings or fly through rings destroying missiles. No, I really hope they make a fun new game that ties the knots story-wise. If it gonna be only flying and/or walking? It doesn't matter really, if it works for the story go ahead. Just don't make it gimmicky like this last game.

Sad Wings of Destiny

Nice album cover right? I'm just using the picture as a symbol, showing the current events in Swedish politics. Yes, Håkan Juholt has stepped down as the social democratic party leader. He hold the position for 10 months, that is probably the shortest time any swedish party leader has sat on the throne. The only ones that comes close is Maria Leissner from the Liberal Party and Karin Söder from the Centre Party, but they at least sat for 2 years and left due to personal problems (Leissner's husband died in a car accident she survived in while Söder left due to illness). This also illustrates the fall that the Swedish social democrats is in, traditionally the party leader sat a minimum of 10 years (you can read about it in an old post), but the latest ones have only sat for 4 years and now 10 months. There is a new dawn they are witnessing.

Of course, the party members are now looking for a scape goat. The blames falls often at media due to almost constant barrage of news centering around Juholt during the years. It began sadly the same day as his installation when the news broke that the pension reform he said he coordinated together with the unions was nonexistent, they didn't know what he talked about. Then it followed with his spouses criminal past, his constant flip-flopping on the Libyan issue and probably peaked with the deduction scandal in October last year. Didn't help when he declined to participate in the party leader duel due to him standing beside the Sweden democrats and talking about a written paper which both the green and left party signed. None of the others knew what he talked about, all they had was a mutual agreement that the greens broke, but no paper. And then the final straw was probably how this week began with the obvious blunder. Is media to blame? Only in the sense that they reported it, but would it not be against the free press to stop them reporting on constant failures of the party leader of the current biggest party in the parliament? This has the stuff to turn into Stab-in-the-back legend that will make the climate inside the party much more uglier when the left and the right sides while start the attack new for the price of power. We have already seen the current left-wingers purge certain right-wingers and will probably be more bloodshed to come.

Still, the fault isn't in media, it lies in the fact that they decided upon a party leader that didn't keep a straight course for a party desperately in need of one. It doesn't help that many of them appears as sect members that see no fault in anyone from S, especially the left supporters that doesn't hesitate to use names as betrayers, fifth columns and so on. They will probably not stand silent, although they usually forget how the media has hunted down not one, not two but three ministers from the right-wing government. If you would you could probably put the last liberal party leader as one as well. Do we on the right complain? Some, but I think most agree that that was necessary due to the problems they brought with them. And still the left complain that "all media is owned by the right", "they are hunting for us" and so on. A bit childish, don't you think? A bit sad actually.