A Roll in the Universe

I know, I know. I said I don't do politics on this blog and really, I haven't changed my mind. But some things have been getting my attention lately, and they are politics-related, so here goes. First off, Gerald Ford . The only president I genuinely liked besides Ronald Reagan. I moved back to California the summer of '76 and it was an election year. Later, I read an excerpt from Ford's book "A Time to Heal", where he says that after Vietnam, Watergate, Chile, oil embargos, etc., he didn't think that it would do the country any good to drag it through a trial involving a former president. So he pardoned Nixon. What baffled Ford was how many people thought that meant Nixon was innocent. I, however, still in my teens, was highly impressed by Ford's thinking. I found him pragmatic and caring. Years later, after everything that had happened to his wife Betty, I came to admire him for standing by her, and to admire Betty for bringing both breast cancer a...

Popular psychology has a number of tidbits on what can reveal your true self. Over at Whitley Strieber's Unknown Country I have now discovered that I have high self-esteem because I like murder mysteries with a surprise ending . Not that I feel smart when I read mysteries (I never solve them), but that's OK. The bit about why people enjoy mysteries versus suspense stories fits for me, too. I like a rich tapestry of possible culprits, and the best mystery writers offer up a number of logical suspects with ditto motives and opportunities. I have never thought that no human being is capable of killing. What makes a murder mystery interesting is the exploration of what it would take to make an otherwise intelligent, moral person take such a drastic step (murder mysteries involving a psychopath are no fun). Agatha Christie was good at pointing out that greed, jealousy, and revenge were the usual reasons. It's never more noble than that. But if they're good at covering the...

Simplifying our lives does not mean sinking into idleness, but on the contrary, getting rid of the most subtle aspect of laziness: the one which makes us take on thousands of less important activities. — MATTHIEU RICARD Ah, yes, distractions. I can attest to that, that having myriad of things and choices tends to distract a body, cutting into time that could have been spent on projects that might leave a more satisfying feeling. You know, like when you've spent a little while surfing the internett - and then realize it's been hours, hours not spent doing something else. In other words, make sure you are in charge of your habits, not the other way around.

It's the second day of Christmas, which is a holiday in Norway, so I have nothing better to do than this (for now): Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? Open. Unless I have guests. What was the weather like on your graduation day? Sunny and warm. I was living in Southern California at the time. What kind of winter coat do you own? One long black wool coat and a black lacquer one with a python-patterned faux fur lining. That last is waterproof and the one I wear the most. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people? Early this year some time, at some "vision meeting", reading my group's answers to the rest of the assembled co-workers. Where do you keep your change? Coin purse. Describe your keychains? My main one is a leather "coin purse" looking thing. What is your favorite flavor of jelly? Doesn't matter. Jelly never tastes as good as jam. Some things you are excited about? My cracked rib getting bet...

The above animation of planets and stars to scale starts with our own planet Mercury and ends with the red supergiant Mu Cephei , also known as the Garnet Star - a very pretty name given it in honor of Sir William Herschel.

Today Bergen is warmer than Rome, reports our local newspaper , and tells us also that 2006 will be a year where Bergen breaks a number of old weather records: Never before have we not had a frost before Christmas; previous annual average temperature was 8,8C (47.8F), while 2006 can boast 9,3C (48.7F); we have had 56 continuous days of precipitation and will beat the record of 59 days from the winter of 1974/75 since rain is predicted for the rest of the year. Which brings me to the current joke making the rounds: A bad man had died and found himself in a very, very long line waiting to get into Hell. He observed that every so often, someone ahead of him in line did not enter the Gates of Hell and get thrown into the fire, but instead was tossed aside. After observing this for a while, he finally asked the fellow ahead of him why some were tossed aside. "Oh, those are people from Bergen," was the reply. "They don't burn." And that should tell you how bad it ...

Via Sravana : You Are a Dragon You are very charismatic and incredibly popular. People are drawn to your energy, but you are a very difficult person to get to know. You are very active - you are usually hard at work or play. You enjoy drama, and you enjoy anything unusual or eccentric. What Mythological Creature Are You?

Lifted via Paula : Pick up the nearest book, go to page 123, and post the sixth, seventh, and eighth sentences. I've seen this meme before but have never had a book besides my Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" close at hand, until now. "If you want it to be air, act as if it's air, breathe it. Try." Maybe it's something about the presence of an advanced soul, I thought. (Answer follows. Reveal by highlighting with mouse.) "Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah" by Richard Bach. The reluctant messiah is trying to explain how he can swim through dirt like it's water. Another earlier messiah chose to walk on water like it was dirt.

Norway's approach to technology involving embryos is cautious and conservative. Norway bans in vitro fertilization for anyone except married heterosexual couples, for example. Now, after a debate involving a family that wanted a second child so they could get bone marrow to help a sick existing child, Norway has now decided to allow for genetic testing of in vitro fertilized eggs before implanting - out of the country. It won't be done here. I have no particular opinion about the technology itself; my stance is one of a mix of admiration for the creativity and a bit of skepticism. Man will think of all kinds of things, good and bad, in the name of science or progress. What's making me write today, is a nagging feeling about the whole issue of having a new, healthy child, in order to harvest it for bone marrow to help a sick, older sibling. What does this sort of "rescue operation" say about loving all your children equally? Will the new child be loved for its ow...

I can tell I'm well again. I'm stir-crazy and bored. I no longer want to rest up; I want to do something! Right now, I do have something to do: A task I must do every 6 weeks (it's actually 5 since I swapped with the neighbor, thinking I wouldn't be here during my week). Norwegian has a few words that are impossible to translate properly - not even into other Scandinavian languages. One is "koselig": The catch-all phrase for anything nice, whether it be a visit, a knick-knack, or chit-chat while in line. The other word is "dugnad", which is a type of volunteer work, but more akin to barn-raising than to candy-striping. It is the favorite word of co-ops everywhere. The joint property gets tended thanks to dugnad, or rather, a dugnad committee in charge of organizing said dugnad, which includes lawn mowing, hedge trimming and handrail painting. There are other tasks that are handled in the spirit of dugnad, like letting each condo owner repaint a b...

I was told about RapidWeaver and decided to give it a try. I had fun figuring out how to customize an existing template and making photos to use for it. So my website is updated in appearance , if not in content.

Just have no mind on things and no things on mind, and you will naturally be empty and spiritual, tranquil and sublime. —TE-SHAN The above is wonderfully self-explanatory, though the word "empty" may confuse Western readers. Don't worry about that word. It may (or may not) become a bit clearer if you read about Te-Shan's role in Zen Buddhism .

Not sure what I did, but apparantly, my body is not happy with me getting all ready to be busy again. It therefore pulled a muscle or something in my ribs on Tuesday afternoon. Hah, says my body, that'll keep you from doing whatever with wild abandon! Fine. I apparantly need a longer rest than the virus is giving me (coughing's almost gone) and this how my body tells me. I've never injured my ribs before in any way so this is new. It makes coughing quite the challenge. I roll over onto the hurt side, press my arm into my ribs and that helps. If I don't, I get a sharp pain right under my boob. For some reason, I just don't feel like letting my doctor see my boob, so I'm going to let time take care of this. Nothing hurts unless I cough or do sidestretches or keep my arms in the air for longer than one shampooing, so I figure nothing's broken and that it's not a hernia. I'm one of those people who listens to her body and who has a body who will defi...

I've been tagged by Hanne , a fellow Mac-user here in Norway, to admit to ten songs I'd rather the world didn't know I like. Thing is, I either don't have songs like that, or I've already admitted to them . Uhm, but if I dig a bit deeper, then I have to admit to liking so-called Christian rock. Hits me just right, like a Disney theme song or your typical "hit song" in a movie about a hit song. They are all basic major chord pop songs, much like the most popular entry to the Eurovision Song Contest . And I do have some songs that I like, but that I know are cheesy. So here are the 10 worst songs/artists I can think of admitting to owning and liking (in no particular order). There's Whole Lot Of Loving / Six Six voices, attractive clean-cut young people, G-rated lyrics, and very dancable major chord pop. No evergreen except in my ears. Loves Theme / Barry White (Love Unlimited Orchestra) I actually associate this song with travelling down the Mis...

Yep, she's a virus , just a virus, a real bitch of a virus, but today my doctor caught her gathering boxes to pack stuff in. I'm on sick-leave till Friday, and that should do it. I'm looking forward to getting well again. I always say that when I get sick: Oh, boy, am I going to be happy and grateful when I get well! Truth is, I have plenty to be grateful for right now. I have a wonderfully well-functioning immune defense system. It has done everything right from the first moment Marsha moved in. It was recently reported by Science Magazine ( and in Norwegian ) that it is important to encourage a fever (not to the point of complications from fever, though), because it's the fever that kick-starts a number of other immune defense responses. Fever makes you lethargic and tired thus encouraging you to rest and not tax your system. The heat from the fever creates some changes that trigger and aide white blood cells. I can't remember if it's feed a fever, star...

I've been home from work for a week now, with a virus named Marsha making me cough and ache. I've had plenty of time to be at the computer, to write, but the downside of being sick is that it shuts the brain down. My apologies to my readers. I need to get rid of my new roommate quickly. Marsha keeps me up nights (and she just may be keeping my neighbor up, too; walls are a bit thin).

This could be an infinitely long post, because there is no shortage of stupidity. But I can't help but wonder if the world isn't in fact dumber now than it used to be. This is what I've come across recently in forehead-slapping idiocy (the last three just today). I read this as a factual practical joke in a family. Now, I always thought that school, no matter how much it currently sucks, managed to teach kids that birds come from eggs. All birds hatch out of eggs. How can an adult not know this? Innumerable calls to some helpdesk stating the computer won't come on , and the call comes during a local power outage. Or: Customer: "If I unplug my computer, will it shut off?" That baffles me. We in the west have all been raised with electricity. We know that to get something working, it has to be plugged in and switched on. We know that things like lightning or electrical errors can knock out the power or a fuse and therefore electrical things won't work....

(A Vanity Fair Proust questionnaire I got via Paula , who answered far more tongue-in-cheek than I. No, I don't know what this has to do with Proust.) What is your idea of perfect happiness? - Believing it will remain perfect. What is your greatest fear? - Besides spiders, heights and cramped places? Not being missed. What historical figure do you most identify with? - Nixon. He screwed up the second time, and I tend(ed) to do that, too. Which living person do you most admire? - My boss. He's very kind and practical and supportive and has been very loyal to me. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? - Laziness. What trait do you most deplore in others? - Having a brain and refusing to use it, or having a heart and refusing to use it (often the two coincide). What is your greatest extravagance? - iTunes Store. On what occasion do you lie? - Never. I choose not to say anything if I can't say the truth. What do you most dislike about your appearance...

Misery 1: Fever, sore throat, constant cough, and home from work since Monday (and staying home tomorrow, too). Also trying to get a hold of a doctor without having to take a bus or taxi someplace. I need a doctor's notice for work. Misery 2: Royal League match tonight here in town, on a soggy soccer field, in driving rain, with hardly anybody in the bleachers. They are definitely trying to play a game, and I am trying to watch, but I understand the lack of enthusiasm from both me and the soccer players. Misery 3: The joke is, it's time to start building an ark, because it's been raining for 40 days and 40 nights. Nothing like a nice bit of gallows humor while whole lakes form on fields and roads, and a coinciding high tide adds a nice touch by flooding Bryggen. Twice. Oh, hey, our team just scored! Heia, Brann! OK, a little less misery. UPDATE: Misery 4: The other team scored just a couple of minutes later. We won 3-2!!!

...but had that Brazilian tarantula done anything else besides walk across my palms, I would have freaked. As it was, her feet felt like tiny catpaws. So, how do you celebrate your birthday?

Most religions state that we are all one, united under God. Looking back on his home planet from space drove that point home to astronaut James Irwin . Even a good number of worldviews and world organizations say the same, though without the mention of a deity. I find the idea hard to grasp. Intellectually, I get it. I see that we all struggle with the same things, and are comforted by the same things. I see that we all have a responsibility to the planet we live on, so we can keep on living on it. But there is a spiritual side, an emotional side to this idea that tends to lie just out of reach of my understanding, so I can't consistently feel one with everybody else. I have started on a new book (audiobook version), "Light On Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom" by B.K.S. Iyengar with John J. Evans and Douglas Abrams. (Iyengar himself is on the cover with some of the longest eyebrows I've ever seen, and a wonderfully happy face.) ...

This year I really feel Christmassy. I usually root for the Grinch come Christmas, but this year I am feeling especially ready for the gaudiness and panic. I suspect it has to do with the weather. Bergen just had its second-wettest November ever (last year's was wetter) with a few other statistical notables: Warmer than average and not one day without precipitation. We're at December 3 and have had only one day of frost so far and that was November 2. The relentless "this would be summer if the trees had leaves" is making many of us long for the picture postcard version of this time of year. So, inspired by a tree I found, I changed my wallpaper to show snow, and went searching for lights and snow for my Mac desktop. (The snowflakes are animated.)

I once asked a Danish co-worker if he liked rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge) and he said no. Nor did he like lutefisk (lye fish), or some other Norwegian delicacies. "I don't eat spoiled food," he said. Human creativity never ceases to amaze me. Who figured out that live grubs, or whole-fried flying dog, or raw seal blubber, or deap-fried spiders were edible? Or that fish damaged by lye (as in being covered in ash after a warehouse fire) could be salvaged and turned into a delicacy that currently costs USD50 (inluding refills) at a restaurant? October to December is lutefisk-season. My department have an annual Christmas dinner at Bryggeloftet , a restaurant in the heart of Bergen that serves traditional Norwegian (and a few local) dishes, and does it very well. Some of us choose pinnekjøtt (literally: stick meat), salted and dried ribs of mutton, steamed over birch sticks (traditionally), served with mashed turnips and boiled potatoes, with akevitt and beer as th...