22. Februar 2005
H2G2
I tilfelle det ikke er sagt tidligere: Filmen basert på Douglas Adams' bok "A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" har USA premiere 29. april. Det ble laget en engelsk TV-serie av boken 1984, men den har såvidt jeg vet aldri vært vist her hjemme. Hvis filmen blir like artig som boken (og serien), har vi noe å se fram til. Douglas Adams døde av et hjerteinfarkt i mai 2001, bare 49 år gammel.
Og husk: Svaret er 42. |
17. Februar 2005
Norske innlegg
Fra og med nå vil innleggene i Retrospekt igjen bli på norsk. Dette skyldes i hovedsak at det ble for vanskelig å fore bloggen med egenprodusert, engelskspråklig materiale. Muligens vil deler bli skrevet på engelsk, men det vil være spesielle innlegg, som f.eks. bildetekster. |
16. Februar 2005
Georgians convicted of white slavery
An Oslo court Tuesday convicted two men from Georgia of keeping two women as virtual slaves. The women were raped, held captive in an Oslo flat and forced into prostitution.
One of the men, convicted of human trafficking, pimping and kidnapping, was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Prosecutors had sought 13 years.
The other man was sentenced to four years for pimping and kidnapping.
The women, one from Russia and the other from Lithuania, were brought to Norway by the men and forced into prostitution from an Oslo flat. Neither was allowed to keep any of the money that their male customers paid.
Six other men were also convicted in the case, found guilty of rape and organizing prostitution operations against the women's will.
The case ranks as the biggest of its kind in Norwegian history.
Via Aftenposten News in English. |
14. Februar 2005
Bondevik accused of embarrassing Israel's leader
An Israeli newspaper Monday accused Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik of embarrassing his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon, during a meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday.
Newspaper Haaretz claimed the embarrassment arose after Bondevik asked Sharon why Israel continues to keep Palestinian offices in East Jerusalem closed. Bondevik referred to a letter that Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres sent to him in 1993, where Peres wrote that Palestinian offices in the area would be allowed to continue to operate.
Sharon reportedly responded that he could also show Bondevik several letters with promises from the Palestinians that weren't kept, either.
Haaretz also reported that Bondevik put Sharon on the spot again when he took up the controversial issue of the security wall that Israeli has built inside Palestinian territory. The wall has been internationally condemned as being illegal.
Bondevik reportedly mentioned the case of a Norwegian woman who is married to a Palestinian, who no longer has access to a hotel he owns because it's now cut off by the wall.
Bondevik said later that Sharon "had nothing to give" regarding the wall, indicating Israel has no plans to bow to international pressure and remove it.
Norway has long played an active role in Middle East peace efforts. Bondevik is in the area to meet with both Sharon and the new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
Via Aftenposten News in English. |
6. Februar 2005
Birthdayparty for mother, 90 years!
We had a terrific party for mother yesterday and children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, second cousins, friends and the leading lady herself all had a fabulous time!
I've put the pictures I took up on "PHOTOS". But to be quick I dropped the text. I'll put that in later, those who were there hopefully remember what happened. |
4. Februar 2005
Happy 90th birthday, mother
Unbeleivable!
My mother is turning 90 - that's ninety - years today! She is a remarkable woman, living by herself and managing fine!
Here she is enjoying the afternoon sun in april, a couple of years back, on the terrace at my sister's place here in Oslo.
We're going to celebrate her tomorrow, thanks to my niece Øydis.
I love you, mother and wish you the best of luck and look forward to your 100th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! |
3. Februar 2005
Healthy, wealthy and sad
A new study finds that Norwegians, despite their beautiful natural surroundings, oil fortune and having the country ranked as the best place in the world to live, are the saddest people in the Nordic region.
"We have everything and that is basically all we have. The meaning of life is to do difficult things," professor Thomas Hylland Eriksen told newspaper Dagsavisen. That is his explanation for Norway, regularly rated the best place in the world to live and one of the planet's richest nations, only finishing 14th in a study of world happiness.
"We don't have what is needed to be happy. We need something to aspire to, a project, a hope. Look at children, they can build the most complicated things. But when they are finished they tear them down, it isn't interesting any more. It was getting there that was fun, Eriksen said.
On a scale of 1-10, where one is deep depression and 10 dizzying happiness, Norwegians manage a score of 7.4 on the World Database of Happiness, a major scientific comparison of the state of cheer in 90 countries.
Stiig Broby, head of the Association of Danish Interests in Norway, has been puzzled by his nine years of living in Norway.
"Norway is one of the world's most prosperous nations. One should also be one of the most satisfied. Everyone complains about schools, the health system and Oslo Transit," Broby told Dagsavisen.
Researcher Ottar Hellevik believes that the steadily rising standard of living undermines contentment by stimulating a desire to have even more.
"More people look upon material things as the source of happiness. But that joy is short-lived, so it becomes an endless race, full of frustrations," Hellevik said.
Via Aftenposten News in English. |
2. Februar 2005
Hardly winter
The average temperature in Oslo was nearly six degrees Celsius (10.8 F) higher than normal in January and the next warmest January since measurements began.
Only a few days this winter have provided Norwegians in the capital district with their traditional snowy pleasures. The new year has begun with near-record temperatures.
Only one January has had a higher average temperature than 2005 since the Meteorological Institute began taking records in 1938, and this year was headed for a record before a sudden cold snap set in.
In 1989 the average temperature reached +2.3C (36F). The norm is -4.3C (24F).
"Using the word "extreme" is completely justified for this year's January in Oslo. A deviation from the norm of 5.9C is an extreme amount," said Hans Olav Hygen, climate researcher at the Institute.
"If one examines the data in a perspective of about 70 years the trend is completely clear. It is getting warmer," Hygen said.
Via Aftenposten News in English. |
We're (probably) back in business
After a long and winding road towards a new host, and after a lot of problems (mostly self-inflicted), we're (probably) back in business. |
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© 2000 - 2017 Kjell Arnesen |
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