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Monday, December 25, 2006
Internet access.. a source for connection...
Swedish Internet access compares very well to that of other European countries, according to data released by Eurostat. The European statistics office looked at access to the Internet in the EU25, as well as Norway and Iceland, for the first quarter of 2006. For the period in question Sweden recorded more regular Internet users, 80 per cent, than any other European country. A full 77 per cent of households in Sweden have access to the Internet. Only the Netherlands and Denmark, 80 and 79 per cent respectively, have more homes hooked up to the net. Finland pipped Sweden to third spot when it came to broadband connections. Again the Netherlands led the pack with 66 per cent of its population wired up to high speed connections. Sweden's 51 per cent was enough for fourth position. Latvia, at 80 per cent, had the lowest proportion of businesses with Internet access. The equivalent figure for Sweden was 96 per cent. Swedes and Danes in the 55-74 age range are active Internet users, with 56 per cent of the older group spending time online. In Greece only 4 per cent of people in this age group used the Internet. Across the European Union more men (51%) than women (43%) use the Internet regularly. The corresponding figures for Sweden were 84 per cent of man and 76 per cent of women.
I think Internet is quite addictive once you get connected and.. I don't know of a quicker way to keep in contact with friends not living near me. I've come to appreciate MSN Messenger too.. It's great for group chat with friends, when we are planning gatherings or trips to London. Internet is also a great place to meet new people.. I've got a couple of friends that have met their boyfriends through Internet. Then I really like to blog, not that I know if others like to read what I post, but it's fun and I like to try new things. I've been hooked up since around 1998, when I bought my first own laptop. In high school we didn't even have computers.. yup, I had classes in how to type correctly on type machines... that makes me feel really old. Nowadays I think most kids now how to work a computer. My nephew who is five plays children's games on his daddy's computer. I didn't know what it was when I was in his age. Things changes quicker than sometimes is good... I don't know if Internet makes us more connected or not.. some say it's the other way around, that we loose the real life connection to each other rather than getting closer. I'm not sure.. as most things it has it's positive and negative sides.
Posted at 6:24:08 am by Sophie Cecilie
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Friday, December 22, 2006
High mortality at yuletide.. due to loneliness and exclusion...
More Swedes die in the two week period after Christmas than at any other time of the year. New figures from the National Board of Health and Welfare show that Christmas time is the deadliest time. The high death rate just after Christmas can't be put down to chance. Part of the phenomenon can be explained by infections. But stress, loneliness and extremely unhealthy eating habits over the Christmas period are also contributory factors. Former state epidemiologist discovered the phenomenon while working for the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control. Over the last ten years fatality figures for the period December 25 to January 7 have been well above the annual average. Large quantities of fatty and salty foods, combined with a lack of activity, can cause heart attacks or strokes for those already in the risk zone. And statistics for these maladies are indeed one percentage point higher for the period just after Christmas.
But sickness and unhealthy living alone are not sufficient to explain the higher yuletide death figures. It is very likely that loneliness and exclusion also contribute to the seasonal mortality rate. So think twice before you go ho ho ho with your family.. there might be one or two of your friends that don't have any family to celebrate the holidays with. Why not invite them to join, and show some Christmas spirit. It's not that much more trouble to have a few more guest around the dinner table.. What if it was you who felt lonely, wouldn't you appreciate if someone asked you..? I know I would.
Wish you all a great Christmas.. and don't overload with all the eating and get some helathy exercise too in between.. so there there can be many other days to come after Christmas too...
Posted at 5:34:21 am by Sophie Cecilie
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
Bears' hibernation delays.. due to warm winter...
Confused by an exceptionally mild autumn Swedish bears have delayed hibernating by more than a month, leaving only a small number of the animals in search of their long winter sleep. There are some 2 500 brown bears living in the wild in Sweden and a further 50 in captivity. In 1984 the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency set up a research programme devoted to brown bears in Scandinavia. In addition, for almost 20 years researchers have worked with bear experts in Norway. With the use of radio transmitters researchers have made detailed studies of the movements of brown bears.
While temperature and the amount of daylight hours are important in dictating when bears hibernate, the most important factor is whether bears have eaten sufficient amounts to keep them going throughout their long rest. Food scarcity forces the bears into hibernation as they attempt to use less energy. They can not hibernate however if they have not been able to accumulate sufficient body fat to survive the winter. In order to make it through the winter bears need around 440 pounds (200 kilogrammes) in additional weight. Prior to hibernating the animals fatten themselves up by eating as much as possible. Pregnant females are the first to retire to their dens, followed by mothers and their cubs. Last to bed down are the males. Females have been known to hibernate from the end of September until May and even June.
What will happen with the global warming climate is that winters get shorter and shorter and warmer and warmer. This will of course affect the bears. Delayed hibernation has so far not had a detrimental effect on bears. In the long term, their hibernation could be shorter. They probably adapt themselves. What could have a serious effect (on the bears) is if climate change affects vegetation and causes a shortage of berries, their staple food. If bears are unable to find sufficient amounts of food to see them through their winter hibernation they are more likely to become aggressive and search for food outside their territory. Europe's unusually warm autumn has broken records across the continent with many places reporting their warmest season in decades, and in some cases centuries. 
Posted at 7:29:24 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...
Snow joke for traditional yule enthusiasts.. experts are ruling out a white Christmas for anybody living south of Sundsvall. In a special Christmas weather forecast commissioned, meteorological agency SMHI has concluded that the immediate future is green. Temperatures will be above zero in the whole country for Christmas. If this was summer we would be experiencing a heatwave, said SMHI. In more northerly parts of Norrland, which have already seen plenty of snow this year, the ground will just about stay white despite temperatures being way above the average. The rest of country however has no chance of catching up.
This is a very unusual occurrence. Children in Stockholm and central Sweden usually have a fifty-fifty chance of building snowmen on Christmas Day. Every second Christmas is usually green there, and every other one is white. But Sweden's best chance of ensuring a white Christmas is to somehow engineer a new date for the yuletide festivities. If Christmas was moved to the end of Febrruary there would be a greater probability of a white Christmas.
We have had lots of rain and due to the mild weather there have been floodings and yesterday on the train down south, I passed by many areas with fields under water. In other areas the weather have caused other kinds of problems like the 50 000 reindeer risking starving to death out north. The unseasonably mild weather has caused the animals major problems. As the wet snow has frozen it has formed a hard crust of ice, making it almost impossible for the reindeer to get through to their pasture.
Sami communities in the Västerbotten region of northern Sweden have already begun moving their reindeer to snow-free areas by the coast, according to reports in local media. There are estimated to be a total of 56 000 reindeer in the Sami communities of Västerbotten, 50 000 of which are currently in danger of starvation.
Posted at 6:34:01 am by Sophie Cecilie
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
Sweden is the most democratic country in the world, according to a new Economist Intelligence Unit report. But some Swedish political experts say that Swedish democracy has real problems. The organisation looked at a wide range of democratic variables before dividing the 167 countries surveyed into four categories: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes. Sweden, a near-perfect democracy, comes top, followed by a bevy of similarly virtuous northern European countries, the EIU reports.
The other wholly democratic northern Europeans are Iceland, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. When 60 indicators were graded from 1 to 10, Sweden achieved a dazzling score of 9.88. The indicators were spread across five broad areas: electoral process, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties. More surprising are the relatively modest scores for two traditional bastions of democracy Britain (23) and the United States. In America there has been a perceptible erosion of civil liberties related to the fight against terrorism. Long-standing problems in the functioning of government have also become more prominent. In Britain, too, there has been some erosion of civil liberties but also a shocking decline in political participation, according to the report.
Italy (34), however, a country recently depicted by The Economist as 'the sick man of Europe', is considered a flawed democracy. North Korea, with a cumulative score of 1.03, is the least democratic country in the world. Formally Sweden is of course a democracy but there are some problems. The power of appointment for example is probably the hottest political potato at the moment. There have been many examples in recent years of long-serving politicians being rewarded late in their careers with less demanding jobs as ambassadors or county governors. The alliance parties have proposed removing this feudal relic and replacing it with a more modern approach.
The head of the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services, pulled no punches when describing the prevailing appointments system in an interview with Dagens Nyheter last year. The process takes place with no visibility whatsoever. It is completely arbitrary, in sharp contrast to the image we have of our openness. It does not work like this in any other state governed by law. In other countries it is taken for granted that all posts will be publicly advertised and people will be chosen on their merits. Sweden and the USA are diametrically opposed on one important point. Where Swedes treasure equality, liberty is everything for Americans. To achieve equality, Swedes place a lot of money in the hands of the state. There is a general notion that resources belong to the state, a sense that money for schools, for example, belongs to the education minister. But really it is our money.
Posted at 12:01:53 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Lucia Day.. a celebration of light...
Traditions play a central role in our lives. They affect both family life and the working year, irrespective of how we choose to celebrate them. Originating in religion and folklore and with magical, romantic or commercial associations, we are all caught up in traditions. Some traditions stem from other countries, yet have been adapted to feel Swedish. One of this traditions we adapted is the celebration of Lucia.
There are many Lucia legends. The common thread is that Lucia, called the Queen of Lights, symbolizes light and hope, and her coming ushers in the holiday season. The legend's origin is universally traced to the Italian city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily, at a time when Christians were persecuted for their beliefs. One version tells of a young Italian girl named Lucy who was born in Syracuse in 283 A.D., the daughter of wealthy parents. She was raised a Christian. For years, she resisted the custom of a suitor being chosen for her to marry. She was especially opposed to the rich 'unbeliever' her mother was pressing her to wed. At the same time, she was smuggling food to Christians hiding from Roman persecutors in dark underground tunnels. To light her way through the catacombs, and free her hands to carry bread, she wore a wreath of candles on her head. Another version has Lucy's mother suffering from a serious illness. She was healed as she prayed with Lucy, and as a result, Lucy was allowed to break her engagement and give her dowry of money and jewels to the poor. When her pagan fiancé heard about this, he reported her Christian beliefs to authorities, who ordered her burned at the stake. The blazing fire did not harm her, purportedly because of her belief in God, so she was then struck down by a sword on Dec. 13, 304 A.D. Under the old Gregorian calendar, Dec. 13 was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Because Lucia's name means 'light', many of the ancient light and fire customs became associated with her day of martyrdom. She was declared a martyr and named a saint long after her death. Her bloodshed is symbolized by the red sash of the traditional Santa Lucia costume. The white robe speaks of her commitment to purity. The tray of sweets represents her service to the poor. The crown of evergreens and halo of candles symbolizes her eternal life. Lucia's legend continued to grow after her death.
When a great famine spread throughout Italy, the townspeople of Syracuse gathered in the cathedral on Lucia's feast day, Dec. 13, to pray. Legend has it that two ships loaded with wheat arrived, with Lucia at the helm of one, dressed in white with candles on her head. This explains why she is a patron saint for Italian fishermen and is said to help guide them home through the rough seas during a storm. Even though Santa Lucia is the patron saint of Syracuse, Sicily, she is probably most celebrated in Sweden. The legend became part of Swedish lore when Sweden suffered its own severe famine. The church celebrated the Santa Lucia 'Festival of Lights'. According to this version of the legend, Santa Lucia appeared on Lake Vannern in Sweden, dressed in a white gown with a glow above her head, standing at the bow of a ship. Lucia came ashore and carried food to the starving masses. To this day, the Swedes remember the kindness and mercy of the young Lucia, considered the bringer of light. She heralds the birth of the Christ Child, the Light of the World.
In Sweden, Lucia Day is celebrated in homes, schools and workplaces on the morning of Dec. 13. The other Scandinavian countries.. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway... celebrate Lucia as well. In addition to family traditions, parades are held throughout Sweden. There is a Lucia competition, with young women from all over competing to be crowned Santa Lucia. At schools, they gather in the auditorium or gym first thing in the morning. The lights are dimmed and the Lucia and Lucia maids enter, singing the old song 'Sankta Lucia'. The Feast of Santa Lucia is celebrated differently throughout Italy. In Sicily, a bonfire commemorates Lucia and residents abstain from eating bread and pasta. In northern Italy, children leave carrots and hay for the donkey that brings Santa Lucia and her bag of gifts. Here in my student house the student choir comes every year early in the morning.. walking through every hall of the building singing very beautifully.. gathering those who are up to penthouse where they keep singing and we are given glogg, Lucia cat (saffron buns) and gingerbread. I think this is a really nice tradition and I will miss it when I move away from here...
Posted at 6:23:51 am by Sophie Cecilie
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Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Increasing Swedish arms export.. where did the policy of neutrality go..?
Exporting Swedish weapons is a booming business. Even though the former ruling government have said they don't approve of expanding such deals, billions of kronor were and is still rolling into the country. Last year Swedish companies exported 8.6 billion kronor worth of weapons.. double what was exported just four years before. Defence manufacturers play an important role in Sweden's economy, with Saab and Bofors (owned by British BAE Systems) among the major exporters. In total, the arms industry accounted for 0.9 percent of Swedish goods exported in 2005. Saab is a bigger exporter of weapons than all other similar Nordic companies combined. The company has some 14 000 employees and orders worth 48 billion kronor, some 75 percent of which is set to be exported.
Swedish arms and defence equipment exports to countries with troops in Iraq were worth in excess of 1.8 billion kronor in 2005, according to government statistics. Arms exports to the United States were worth 745 million kronor, exports to Australia were worth 380 million and exports to the UK were worth 353 million. Another company up north, manufactures armoured vehicles and tracked vehicles. The company is smiling with some 12 billion kronor of orders.. five times as much as its turnover. During the past 10 years, turnover has tripled to 3 billion kronor, while the percentage of goods exported has gone up from 40 percent to 90 percent. The company employs 10 percent of those working in the municipality.
Criticism of the booming industry is becoming louder. Sweden export, to a greater extent, to countries that break human rights and are involved with war, said a spokesman for Svenska Fred. I think Sweden is known for its double standard of morality when it's concerning earning money on arms export. With that I mean that this country condemn other countries in war, but at the same time contribute by selling weapons to belligerent countries. That makes me want to cry of anger...
Posted at 6:17:57 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Sunday, December 10, 2006
More than half of first-time Swedish voters want to ban pornography, according to a new survey. Of a thousand interviewees aged 18 to 21, 55% said they completely or to some extent supported the statement that pornography ought to be totally forbidden in Sweden. The opinion poll, shows that views vary greatly between the sexes. Among women, some 67% said they could support outlawing pornography. Over half of those, 34%, say it should be banned completely. Men were somewhat less supportive, with only 13% wanting a complete block on pornography in Sweden. Nevertheless, 32% of men said they partly agreed that pornography ought to be banned.
A majority of men, 54%, said they were opposed to a porn ban. 32% of women agreed. The opposition to pornography was not distributed along the usual right-left political lines. The greatest support for a ban was among young Greens and Christian Democrats, but none of the political parties is officially demanding that pornography is outlawed in Sweden.
I don't think the result was anything less than I would expect it to be. Men are mostly the consumers of pornography.. of course they wouldn't want a complete ban of it. Some say it's good with pornography otherwise the number of rapes, abuse or violance against women would increase. Don't know if that's correct or not, but I'm all for a total ban of pornography, in all kind of various ways or forms.
Posted at 8:13:38 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Thursday, December 07, 2006
Swedish space excitement...
The countdown to the most eagerly-anticipated Space Shuttle mission ever.. in Sweden, at least... has begun. In the early hours of Friday morning, weather and technical factors permitting, Sweden's first astronaut, Christer Fuglesang, will soar into space on the shuttle Discovery. While the words 'T-43 hours and counting' just before midnight on Monday indicated the beginning of the final preparation phase, the clock will still be stopped several times before lift-off. The last stop will be with nine minutes remaining, when a final decision will be taken about whether or not the mission will go ahead.
But the countdown began considerably more than 43 hours before the planned lift-off time of 9.36pm on Thursday (3.36am Friday Swedish time). The reason is that Nasa takes breaks in the countdown for changing staff, carrying out checks, refuelling and other preparations. Three hours before departure, Christer Fuglesang and the six other crew members will arrive at the launch pad and will board Discovery. They will test communication with launch control at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and ground control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. At T-20 minutes the clock will be stopped for ten minutes, and then the final planned stop will be at T-9 minutes. At that point, Nasa's most senior officers will decide whether or not to give the mission the go-ahead.
The International Space Station (ISS) has been in an orbit which was slightly too low for the docking with Discovery. Late on Monday evening the Russian Progress craft on ISS managed to correct the positioning, following a failed attempt last week. Clouds hung low over Cape Canaveral on Monday morning but sun broke through later. Meteorologists say there is an 80 percent chance of good weather on Thursday, according to CBS. But low cloud is the biggest concern and the weather is expected to worsen on Friday and Saturday.
Discovery's crew flew to Cape Canaveral from Houston at the weekend, when quarantine began. On Monday afternoon the Discovery pilot, William Oefelein and Christer Fuglesang, took a flight tour over the Kennedy Space Center. Fuglesang said that for the sake of the hundreds of friends, colleagues and others who have gone all the way to Florida he hoped the mission would start on time.. many of the guests are not staying long. I think the whole nation is holding fingers crossed.. and best wishes to Sweden's first astronaut... and of course, to the rest of the crew also.
Posted at 8:50:28 pm by Sophie Cecilie
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Sunday, December 03, 2006
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Today we will do the traditional glogg drinking.. it's kind of a hot snaps with spices and sugar served with raisins and almonds... I'm up early so I will have time to bake home-made gingerbread cake and Lucia cats.. it's a kind of saffron buns eaten on Lucia Day. I'm doing them already now, because I like them so much and don't want to wait. All the spices used in the doughs smells so Christmas-ishy after being baked in the oven. It sure makes one get into the Christmas spirit. Later on today I'll meet Ida in town and we'll stroll around at the Christmas fair. Not to forget.. since it's the first Advent Sunday we will also lit the first candle in the Advent tray.
I started out several weeks ago to change the look on my blog, but haven't had time to do much more since then. I hope I'll get time during the Christmas holidays, because I feel this blog needs a change in its layout now. |
Posted at 7:24:23 am by Sophie Cecilie
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Blog Owner » Sophie Cecilie
Yogini » Suryananda
Location » Sweden
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All other love is like the moon,
Which grows and shrinks like flower on plain;
Like bud that blooms and withers soon;
Like passing day that ends in rain.
All other love begins in bliss,
And ends in tears and suffering:
No love can salve us all but this,
The love that rests in heaven's King.
For ever green, renewed again,
For ever full, it never pales.
It ever sweetens, free from pain,
Continues always, never fails.
'You can close your eyes to the things you don't wanna see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don't wanna feel...'
Sophie Cecilie © 2006
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