Mo asked a question about Jens Lekman, so I thought I'd post this up. I've been listening to some "Night falls over Kortedella" while I've been here, I think I heard of him on some hipster music blog. Some of his songs are a bit too disco-pop-ish for me. But the song "Opposite of Hallelujua" is just great. It was cool to go to Malmo and see tram cars that ran to Kortedella. If he crosses the border I'll definitely try to see him.
Here he is a solo & acoustic. Very strongly reminiscent of Andrew Bird. Or maybe its just the whistling.
This is the ABBA influence:
This video is pretty fun.
mandag 10. mars 2008
søndag 9. mars 2008
Sunday Boring Sunday
If you have followed the presidential primaries for even 15 seconds then you should read this article. That's my kind of analysis: cutting through all the b.s.
Its been a pretty slow weekend in these here parts. I was supposed to go out to Skien (a city about 2 hours away) to chill with Char and her husband and hear his band, but it fell through. It also caused me to miss a rally for International Women's Day :(
Anyway, today I went to Bar Boca for some joe and then I checked out the Astrup Fearnley Museum for Modern Art. Its a privately owned art museum that is free to the public, and it is much better than its state-owned rival. The Fearnely had an exhibit showcasing new trends in Norwegian contemporary. I approved.
Because of the slowness I also had the opportunity to watch a couple flicks. I watched Robert Altman's classic, MASH, revisited Indiana Jones with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and got around to the Twin Peaks prequel movie, Fire Walk With Me. It was nice to see the Twin Peaks gang back together but I don't recommend it unless you've seen the entire series and are dying for more.
lørdag 8. mars 2008
fredag 7. mars 2008
Making the rounds at the ISS
Show time in Minnesota's smoke-easies
Associated Press
Friday March 7 2008
guardian.co.uk
All the world's a stage at some of Minnesota's bars.
A new state ban on smoking in restaurants and other nightspots contains an exception for performers in theatrical productions. So some bars are printing up playbills, encouraging customers to come in costume and pronouncing them "actors".
The customers are playing along, merrily puffing away and sometimes speaking in funny accents and doing a little improvisation, too.
The state health department is threatening to bring the curtain down on these sham productions. But for now, it's on with the show.
At The Rock, a hard rock and heavy-metal bar in suburban St Paul, the "actors" during "theatre night" do little more than sit around, drink, smoke and listen to the earsplitting music.
"They're playing themselves before October 1. You know, before there was a smoking ban," the bar's owner, Brian Bauman, explained. Shaping the words in the air with his hands, like a producer envisioning the marquee, he said: "We call the production, Before the Ban!"
The smoking ban, passed by the legislature last year, allows actors to light up in character during theatrical performances as long as patrons are notified in advance.
About 30 bars in Minnesota have been exploiting the loophole by staging the faux theatre productions and pronouncing cigarettes props, according to an anti-smoking group.
"It's too bad they didn't put as much effort into protecting their employees from smoking," grumbled Jeanne Weigum, executive director of the Association for Nonsmokers.
The health department this week vowed to begin cracking down on theatre nights with fines as high as $10,000 (£5,000).
"The law was enacted to protect Minnesotans from the serious health effects of secondhand smoke," the Minnesota health commissioner, Sanne Magnan, said. "It is time for the curtain to fall on these theatrics."
Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008
Associated Press
Friday March 7 2008
guardian.co.uk
All the world's a stage at some of Minnesota's bars.
A new state ban on smoking in restaurants and other nightspots contains an exception for performers in theatrical productions. So some bars are printing up playbills, encouraging customers to come in costume and pronouncing them "actors".
The customers are playing along, merrily puffing away and sometimes speaking in funny accents and doing a little improvisation, too.
The state health department is threatening to bring the curtain down on these sham productions. But for now, it's on with the show.
At The Rock, a hard rock and heavy-metal bar in suburban St Paul, the "actors" during "theatre night" do little more than sit around, drink, smoke and listen to the earsplitting music.
"They're playing themselves before October 1. You know, before there was a smoking ban," the bar's owner, Brian Bauman, explained. Shaping the words in the air with his hands, like a producer envisioning the marquee, he said: "We call the production, Before the Ban!"
The smoking ban, passed by the legislature last year, allows actors to light up in character during theatrical performances as long as patrons are notified in advance.
About 30 bars in Minnesota have been exploiting the loophole by staging the faux theatre productions and pronouncing cigarettes props, according to an anti-smoking group.
"It's too bad they didn't put as much effort into protecting their employees from smoking," grumbled Jeanne Weigum, executive director of the Association for Nonsmokers.
The health department this week vowed to begin cracking down on theatre nights with fines as high as $10,000 (£5,000).
"The law was enacted to protect Minnesotans from the serious health effects of secondhand smoke," the Minnesota health commissioner, Sanne Magnan, said. "It is time for the curtain to fall on these theatrics."
Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008
onsdag 5. mars 2008
Epic
Things have been kinda weird here lately, like a bizarro world. Its funny how I've gotten so used to a routine that when things deviate a bit it throws off my mental state completely. Most of the strange stuff has been class scheduling related. But it has also gotten cold again, and today it snowed! I was so happy about the spring too!
I am also very excited about my trip to Berlin in two weeks. I'm ever more pumped after seeing an article up on the NY Times on the city's graffiti.
I'm also finally working on making another music mix. In December I threw together a couple of epic three hour mixes for Cate's arrival, but I haven't touched the Itunes playlists since then.
tirsdag 4. mars 2008
For The Record
I love this band!!!
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords.
On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.
So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.
FullAlbumCover.jpg)
Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way.
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do...
[Chorus]
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.
Got no time to for spreadin' roots, The time has come to be gone.
And to' our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to Ramble On.
[Chorus]
Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear.
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah.
[Chorus]
Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird!
And as an extra goodie the above poster was designed by Mr. Shepard Fairey, whose work I've posted up here before.
mandag 3. mars 2008
Blind Opportunity
Less than three months left folks! Is it too soon for the countdown to begin? Cate and I have already talked about what we're gonna do when I get back. A Sunday evening grill out is in the plans so mark those calendars!
I'm feeling good here! Been out skateboarding again, just cruisin the city and feeling out different spots I've seen over the past year. I tried to go up to a miniramp near another student village, but the ramp was still iced over. Yikes!
I was completely broke over the weekend, but I still managed a few drinks and a few smokes with the help of some friends. Friday night I kicked it with the roommates Jan and Ulla, as well as a few of Jan's friends from out of town. Saturday night went to Knut Erik's for some homemade wine and a couple games of chess. I used to play chess a fair amount when I was a kid, but its been a few years since I played even semi-regularly. So I was quite pleased and surprised when I actually won a game. yahoo
Over the weekend I also watched an excellent polish film, Blind Chance. It was originally made in 1981, but censorship delayed its widespread release until 1986. It presents three scenarios of the same young medical student, all depending on the circumstances around catching a train to Warsaw. If he catches the train he becomes a Communist party member. The second scenario has him missing the train, then getting into a scuffle with a police officer. During his subsequent jail time he becomes connected with the dissident movement. In the final scenario he misses the train, and returns to his studies and his girlfriend who he soon marries. He becomes a successful doctor who is apolitical. The film was shot beautifully and the acting is excellent. I highly recommend this flick!
We are planning on showing it in class next week. I was initially reluctant actually. It creates an excellent picture of Poland under communism in the late 1970's-early 1980's, but I was worried that the random chance of the main character's vocation would rob our students of a sense of agency over their own lives and their own ability to create change. Still this was precisely representative of life in Poland during that period, and it could be a perfect reminder of the opportunities our students have in their own lives. It was under that reasoning that I'm quite excited for the class to watch it.
But that is next week! Right now we are covering Norwegian political parties and institutions and the Norwegian relationship with the EU. This afternoon we visited Stortinget for a guided tour and discussion. Stortinget literally translates as "The Big Thing," but is also known as the parliament. Oh those Norwegians...they are so cute and silly.
I'm feeling good here! Been out skateboarding again, just cruisin the city and feeling out different spots I've seen over the past year. I tried to go up to a miniramp near another student village, but the ramp was still iced over. Yikes!
I was completely broke over the weekend, but I still managed a few drinks and a few smokes with the help of some friends. Friday night I kicked it with the roommates Jan and Ulla, as well as a few of Jan's friends from out of town. Saturday night went to Knut Erik's for some homemade wine and a couple games of chess. I used to play chess a fair amount when I was a kid, but its been a few years since I played even semi-regularly. So I was quite pleased and surprised when I actually won a game. yahoo
Over the weekend I also watched an excellent polish film, Blind Chance. It was originally made in 1981, but censorship delayed its widespread release until 1986. It presents three scenarios of the same young medical student, all depending on the circumstances around catching a train to Warsaw. If he catches the train he becomes a Communist party member. The second scenario has him missing the train, then getting into a scuffle with a police officer. During his subsequent jail time he becomes connected with the dissident movement. In the final scenario he misses the train, and returns to his studies and his girlfriend who he soon marries. He becomes a successful doctor who is apolitical. The film was shot beautifully and the acting is excellent. I highly recommend this flick!
We are planning on showing it in class next week. I was initially reluctant actually. It creates an excellent picture of Poland under communism in the late 1970's-early 1980's, but I was worried that the random chance of the main character's vocation would rob our students of a sense of agency over their own lives and their own ability to create change. Still this was precisely representative of life in Poland during that period, and it could be a perfect reminder of the opportunities our students have in their own lives. It was under that reasoning that I'm quite excited for the class to watch it.But that is next week! Right now we are covering Norwegian political parties and institutions and the Norwegian relationship with the EU. This afternoon we visited Stortinget for a guided tour and discussion. Stortinget literally translates as "The Big Thing," but is also known as the parliament. Oh those Norwegians...they are so cute and silly.
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