Burning Bridges

Today is such a day you can say everything is just perfect. Even though we had a whole day class, 8:15 - 17:00. I have not had so much fun for a long time. The task of today was to build a bridge. So that was what we did. We got assigned to different groups the teachers had constructed before the class and we were at it. We came up with the most interesting design for the project, we researched a lot, we were at the top of inventing a new sort of architectural design for bridges. The result was as follows:

It's a traffic accident. Suddenly it just looked like this. It just appeared out of nowhere and we didn't reflect on it until it was 5 minutes left and we had to quickly finish it. Never have I laught so hard when we were done. See the conceptual design of the pillars representing the Freemasons and the colors of the red and green representing the fire and earth that is interpreted as metalworking. We didn't make it justice. At least we had fun in our group. And I still think we should have won the design part. People are just not ready for our new way of thinking.

The good thing about it is that ever since I came home Ive been in a good mood, smiling at what happened and have high spirits. I'm gonna live on this for a long time. Had we been able to push this true and perfect it for another hour we would have had the best bridge there is. Stable, trustworthy and a design marvel...if we only had changed the colors.

Silence, Storm and Sunrise

A new week, a new beginning. Still the same spot in the library. At least for half the day, afterwards it was work with the project management group. Until 15:00 that is when it was time for the program evalouation for the 4th year students, meaning only me as the others are either in Stockholm studying for a master and therefore left the program or at an internship here and there. in Sweden and Europe So for the 1 hour planned for this event it only took 15 minutes. And then back to the project. Actually it was interesting to talk about the program as it actually made me reflect on the 4 years at the university and what Ive actually learnt from it.

First thing to say is that I really liked the program as I found very interesting and stimulating. I have now experienced who I really am and have a small clue on where to go with my life. The only problem as I see it was the fact that it doesn't have much connection toward the professions that a political scientist could have. Of course they changed it now and brought in some visits to the local municipalities. A bit too late for me, but I will probably manage. I have a very optimistic view on the future, but the question is what I'm supposed to do after the spring. Shall I find a job when the unemployment is supposed to reach 10-11 % or shall I continue and study 2 more years for a master? Being as young as me I will probably have no problem with either alternative. Let see, 22 next year and with 2 more I would be 24, not bad. High educated and hopefully some other things around me to support my academic credentials, you know, real working experience. Then something like 40 years work and then pension. Sounds like a plan, unfortunately I would have to change University as they don't (at the moment) support master courses in political science. I grown accustomed to Karlstad, even though it rains every day in the summer or some other weather phenomena that is not sunny. It even hails at the moment together with thunderstorms (or something that sounds like it).

Days of Future Passed

Talk about lazy day. Nothing has been done. After the releasing feeling after having made the statistic test it feels good to let the mind rest. And now it's a maximum of 3 weeks thrilling wait to see if I (god forbid) have to redo it one more time. We don't want that I tell you. Unfortunately I can't take any free times from the library this week...or the next and onward if you get the drift. 3 weeks with just statistic has let me slip the other courses a bit so I have to take some measures to get in line. Good thing I have tomorrow morning, whole Tuesday, Thursday morning and the whole Friday to dig into the pile of literatures that has stacked themselves on top of each other during these weeks. So Fun!

The Germans have gone to election and listen to this, this election was talked about for a week in the Swedish media. It was actually talked about, my god it even got more news than the Swedish church election. Not the coverage like the American election thank god, but something more could have been made. More analyzes over what the outcomes could have for consequences for Sweden. Germany is the largest and richest country in the EU and our neighbor. It must mean something for us who sits in Berlin (of course everyone knew it was gonna be Angela Merkel, but who would be with her?).

I'm a little curious about the 4 last years in German politics as the biggest parties that usual opposing each other joined together. I haven't hide my preferences for a Fp and S coalition (with Mp and C if it's absolutely necessary). And they used to be the big opposing parties (until Fp somehow became second fiddler first to C and then to M). Well we have to wait till next year and we see where we stand our selves with a new Riksdag with maybe 1 or 2 new parties and maybe even some old ones failing to reach the 4 % voter line. By looking at the countries around us we can't make anything out anyway. Norway is a green-red coalition, Germany seems to be a an liberal-conservative coalition, Finland is going to election in 2011 and Denmark seems to not have a set next election date (they had their election 1 year after us and keept their right-wing party). Last election the political scientist said that during the good times when the economy is strong you don't cange government and then both Norway and Sweden changed government, they to the red-green coalition and we to our center-blue government. That alone would have been a sign that the recession would come, we only have blue governments when theire is problems in the economy. 76-82 (the first real crisis in Sweden since the 2:nd world war with the oilmonopoly), 91-94 during the largest crisis in Swedish history since the 30's and now again since 2006. The question is, will they sit 4 more years making themselves historical? We shall see.

Seven Days Without You Makes One Weak

It's over once more, the statistic test has been calculated and returned in. And how do I feel about? Could go anyhow really. In my most optimistic view (and that's really optimistic) I would get around 67-72 points (that's a VG) and in my more pessimistic view (not that pessimistic actually) I would land somewhere between 37-42 (that's either U or G). All depends on what they are giving points at and if I understood the question correct. The first question felt very simple and I suspect that I misinterpreted it and the same goes for the last question since I got a number out of it that doesn't feel that out of place but I have no clue if that was how I was supposed to get the number in the first place. So those are like either max point 10 or utter failure 0. If I get X>40 then I'm happy, but it would feel nice with 60. Then it only proves that to fix a mathematic test our either need to be a number genius or you just have to be lucky enough to get the right questions.

Anyway, to let all my anguish just leave my body I'm at the moment stuffing myself with dark chocolate ice-cream and Marabou chocolate and coke. Yeah, one week without anything and now I'm partaking in something that can only be described as a chocolate orgy. I'm weak.

Nothing else happens. Oh, and if any one wonders, yes, I still have to be in the library 8-16 every day to speed up the other courses I've taken but neglected studying to the statistic test. At least I won't have time to have this lazy after test week and degrade myself even more. One last thing about the statistic test. This morning I woke up at 7 to get ready and really wake up before the test at 9. What's on the TV? A show portraying someone that has a mental breakdown while studying...you guessed it:

Statistics

Isn't life fun. It ended with that the character threw down all the books in a trashcan and lit it on fire. Like what I'm feeling at the moment as well. Unfortunately it seemed like the whole house was going to burn down and the "to be continued" turned up. I'm not gonna stay tuned in for that but the irony in it is kinda astonishing. Karma I tell you, just plain karma. If I fail this test that will probably be my reaction as well.

Karma

The day after the biggest event of the year. This bloggs 100th post. Of course how much I wanted to spend the might partying away and rid myself of all worries I still have my test on Saturday. It feels like it can go anyway. I have no confidence what so ever that I will shine like a statistical know-it-all, which was the impression when I started the course. It seemed easy and if I had stuck to my original plan I might have. BUT NO, I had to spend my summer with playing video-games, escaping into fantasy worlds beyond my imagination and then watch gruesome murder shows at the TV. Karma is a bitch.

If the TV-shows wasn't enough, now the news seems more like an American action-movie. Helicopters and bombs? Maybe the next Beck-movie will be inspired by this. Still it doesn't feel like it happened. To unlikely to be true is the first comment that enters my mind. Maybe this is an effect of to much American series and movies. The real world seems to unlikely to happen. The interesting thing is that it is easier to distinct fiction from reality, but not the other way around. A paradox when the moralist claims that the fictional mediums are damaging and sucking in our youth in fantasy world. It's the opposite, the real world is to imaginative to be real.

So, is there anything else then spewing my disdain for the statistic test or do I actually have anything interesting to say? No. Probably not.

100 Miles

We have reached number 100! An applaud to myself for...actually just give me applaud for keeping this up. The small pieces of myself and thoughts I plant in all these post are just a big puzzle for the readers to understand me. Of course some pieces are probably dated as we all develop and I might as well have changed opinions and then again some are just ironic comments on society so have fun to figure that out. And now for something completly different:

I miss my old coursemates. It's not as fun anymore sitting in the library without their spot-on observations on the world around us. The discussions that followed could be anything between heaven and hell but they were interesting. The problem could also be that the statistic test on Saturday makes my life miserable at the moment and therefore not acknowledge the brilliance of the younger generation of political scientists. I guess that's the biggest problem. At least it's over on Saturday and my god I don't want to do that again. Why in god's name did I take this course, or even better, why didn't I study during the summer with ample oppurtunities. Lazyness just don't pay of and put you in debt instead.

I didn't cover the results from the church election. Frankly I don't actually care as seen by earler posts. I had more important stuff to do, like spending most of my time at the library reading and calculating. 8-16 ever day with occasional 17 or 18 as well. Except on Tuesday when I go home at a whopping 20:40. Of course that's because the spanish course but still. I could practicaly move in there with the amount of time I spend there. When I get some money I surely will donate some to the library so they can put up a sign that reads:

"Here studied Niklas Andersson, a political scientist that for some reason deceided to study statistics. He regretted that decision EVERY day!

Yeah, I really don't like this test. It should also be placed at my seat. Yeah, "my seat". When you spend most of your time there it should be classified as my seat. Some bastard actually took my seat the day before yesterday so I had to relocate my studie place. I can't have been in the library often as I have been on that same place for 2-3 weeks now. You think people learn after a while. It feels kinda pathetic when I think about it now.

Disturbing The Priest

Voted for the the church election today. And I still question what I voted for. I don't know. First of there was four instances to vote for. FOUR. The national elections usually have three instances, local, regional and national. Here there was four and I only voted on three on them. When they pointed it out I just said "I don't care". Which is actually true, I don't care one bit about this election, but I had to vote anyway as I justify their existence as I believe they do a good job with preserving the churches. And with that I accept there existence and can't use my loophole for other things I don't care for. The most interesting thing is that the only ones that propose a very good solution for the problem with the church overall is the Humanist movement that is secular in an debate article at Newsmill. Isn't that like going to Satan for salvation or something like that?

I don't support all seven points they propose, especially point 5 and 6. Nr 5 is that you constantly need to approve that you are a member of the Swedish church. I understand the purpose but the proposed idea that the church should send out letters that you have to answer to confirm it would be just a waist of natural resources and use the money the church get to wrong cause. Also to let children stand outside religious communities and wait until 16-18 when they are old enough to make their own decision is good, but it would probably not work that very well with peoples beliefs. This ritual comes from the old belief that if you weren't baptised and member of the community and died you would go to hell. So denying some the right to baptise their children and bring them into the community in order to protect them from hell would be against the religious freedom we have. Therefore it's more important to have a school free from religion and give the children the necessary tools to judge everything by themselves.

As this post more or less is about the church I can really recommend the song Disturbing The Priest by Black Sabbath. It's one of there better songs with Ian Gillan from Deep Purple. It's even better if you listen with the intro song Stonehenge. The build up is fantastic, it feels like you are floating on an ocean and then the heartbeats began to sound, both calming and at the same time alert you that something is wrong, and then out of nowhere the mad laughter of Ian Gillan kick starts the song and you wonder what the hell happened. Maybe that's one of the reason to stay in the church, without it a lot of good music would not have been made.

I almost forgot, nr 6 of the humanist movements proposal is that the monarch should be allowed to chose there own religion. I don't have any problem with that per se as I don't care about religion, but the reason they give is because if the head of state has his religious belief written into the constitution of the country, then it is a theocracy? Even the wikipedia page state that there is a line between monarchies of grace of god and theocracy and I hardly think our king believe in the grace of god. A theocracy is a country when a deity has direct control or an appointed person instead of said deity, such as the Vatican, Iran and the Ethiopian Empire under Haile Selassie. The King is not even in control of any power and has to bow down to the parliment and are therefore not the highest authory in the land. How can it then be a theocracy?