Cats in the hood

I am getting old. It is inevitable; it's happening, so I might as well admit to it.
It's not something I dread or anything; as a matter of fact I actually feel more liberated the older I get. My eccentric strike is more approved of, and the demands society has on my looks and appearance are more agreeable with my own standards: I don't have to be stylish and/or groomed, as long as I am clean.

Part of getting old is becoming more grumpy and annoyed at things which really should be trifle details, but which is actually worth giving a more profound thought. Because I am old, and all, you know?

One of the things which annoys me, and this is becoming more and more of an issue, is cats' droppings. Cats have a way of leaving behind all kinds of repellant stuff, like hair, catch of the day like mutilated birds and mice, and yes: poop. Cats dump their filthiness on the most strategic places, and that really doesn't suit me. I don't like it one bit.

My son is allergic to cats, and the hairs on our garden furniture is really unfortunate. Whatever furniture I keep outdoors, will soon be a preferred hangout for the cats living in the hood. It's like a headquarter for the cool guys. Often they don't even care when they see me charging them, broom, high heels, crazy hair, and all. They probably know me too well, by now. They know I won't hurt them. I just want them away. I can want all the way to China, they don't give a toss about me and what I want.

Every morning when I am off to work, I see the the rear end and a dishvelled tail of a cat rushing off in sheer panic. I know he sleeps in the doghouse, I just never can catch him red handed. The thought he is afraid, very afraid, of me, gives me a much needed psychological barrel over him. It is war. A war between me and the unwanted, stinky sleepovers.

Even though I have had cats before, I am not a cat-person. I have a dog. Having a dog in the house it is infinitely annoying to have cats with self-proclaimed permanent residence permit in my yard. The catty smell of what they leave behind when they do what they do, is really annoying. Even more so when I find it in my flower jars (!) and beds.

It is extra annoying as I, because I am a responsible owner of a dog, am expected to pick up after him, which I do, but catowners don't have that duty. Catowners are exempted that nasty obligation. Cats are, after all, stray animals, and they got rights! They need to wander about where ever they choose to wander in order to be happy. At least that is what I am being told when I moan and mope.
To me it is self evident that cats should be under the leash law, just like dogs, but somehow most people don't see that.

Unfortunately cats don't read signs, and folk remedies like
orange peel, black pepper, garlic, grind coffee and
 anti-cat remedies bought at the store, really don't work. 

I've even heard that cat's do not litter on their own turf, unless they are forced to. They my have 9 lives, but some time they will have to go do their business, just like any other creature. They can not hold it in for days. And when they go, they prefere doing it elsewhere, which makes sense: If I could deside wheather to stink up my own house or the neighbor's, I would not choose my own house and garden.

Some will say I am pretty crazy for bothering making a fuzz about cats on the loose pooping in my garden. To be honest I don't find it to be a trifle thing at all.
It is my honest opinion it is way too easy to get a cute kitten, and you get it for free, and you adore it while it is small and adorable.
You let it out to do its business, and one day it is too much trouble to let the cat in and out, so you put the bowls with water and food outside as well, and suddenly you haven't actually seen the cat for weeks.... but the food is gone, so you are sure it's around. Somewhere.

So these stray cats keep their house, which they no longer actually live in, clean. And they do what cats do in my garden.
There is a reason we have a dog: We are not catpeople! We don't like cats! And my son is allergic! So why would a neighbor want to be our bad neighbor, and make their animal our work? Why do my kids risk stepping into a stinky poop in our garden? We are not talking about one or two; in the course of a week I am sure we get at least 40 droppings strategically placed in our garden. No kidding! And they place them where I can't see them, but I can smell them, and then have to look for them.

I like cats. I don't hate them. I just don't want to be burdened with them. I want people to let the cat in at night so it doesn't keep me awake with its flirting and fighting.
I wish cats were more expensive. I wish all cats got a yearly checkup with a vet, shots, cures and dental treatment and castrated. Yes, I do not want more unwanted cats in my neighborhood. I wish cats had to be kept indoors at night.

I want to stroll about on my own land without fear I'll get smelly, nasty stuff on my shoes or between my toes. I want to open my windows and doors to let fresh air breeze through my house, without getting uninvited four-legged visitors who enter my castle for the only reason to fight my dog.

And I want to sleep at night. I want to sleep at night without wondering is that a baby? or a cat? probably a cat.... but what if it's a baby?...

I want not to worry about animals I never wanted to worry about.

Happy 10th birthday, Iphone.

On January 9, 2007, the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs walked on stage at the Moscone Center in San Francisco to introduce the first iPhone. "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone," Jobs proclaimed. The message was heard, but I am not sure they all understood.

It took a bit of glitches and crashes. It took some time, but Iphone shipped June 29, 2007. And Jobs was right: The smartphone changed everything.

"In 2001, we introduced the first iPod, and it didn't just change the way we all listen to music, it changed the entire music industry. Well, today, we're introducing three revolutionary products of this class. The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device. So, three things: a widescreen iPod with touch controls; a revolutionary mobile phone; and a breakthrough Internet communications device. An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator. An iPod, a phone...are you getting it? These are not three separate devices, this is one device, and we are calling it iPhone. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone, and here it is. No, actually here it is, but we're going to leave it there for now."
10 years later things have gone so far that many people I know, most of them, actually, check their phone so often it is quite annoying to others. Every 2.6 minutes I check on my own phone, it is just a swift discretion, but when others do it... well it feels very impolite as if I am the one to interrupt. I feel less important, I feel I bore whoever I talk to.

The phrase: "I have to take this", has become so common, people think it is quite acceptable. When they say it themselves, that is.

Back in the days, 10 years ago, evenings and weekends were time for family, friends, fun and relaxation. Those times have drastically changed with smartphones. Laptops, even, are old school. Now, we take our work (and problems) home with us where we continue working in between social media entertainment, dates, work outs, apps and games, and meals. We keep track on work late into the night, even when there has been no updates for the last 5 hours.

It's gone so far they in France found grounds to make a ruling: France gives workers 'right to disconnect' from office email. They found it necessary to protect people from their own madness. Working as a teacher I see young people adopting the smartphone lifestyle even more intense than my own generation, who grew up knowing other values.

It's a habit, a bad habit, people think everybody else has, and a lifestyle to a large extent expected in people who take their work, their distant and close friends, and leisure time, seriously.

To put the phone away is so difficult it hurts. We have mobile hotels in our school. Designed safekeeping boxes where the phone should be placed during lessons. My students never get used to it. They keep trying to not hand the phone in, making all kinds of excuses, just to keep the phone near. They tell me they will keep it in their pocket... when I tell them that since they are not going to check on it, or use it, it might as well be kept in the mobile hotel. They are very reluctant, and not happy about it at all.

It has gone so far our comfort zone depend on knowing where the phone is at all times, and to really know where it is, it has to be so close you can see it and hold it at all times. It seems like our phones are attached to our hips and hands at all time, or put next to the laptop or dinnerplate on the table in plain sight.

We reach for our phone when we’re bored, busy, waiting in line, sitting at a stoplight, on the bus, or pretty much whenever we have a free second. Not only that, but to watch a movie with family and friends is just a lost cause. The cozyness is taken out of the experience by their multitasking on their phone and tablet while watching the movie. Or at least care enough about the movie to ask what happened every ten minutes.

According to a study by MobileInsurance.com, the average person spends 90 minutes a day on their phone, which equals to 23 days a year and 3.9 years in their lifetime. 90 minutes we refuse to acknowledge being disconnected from the present realtime.
After all, a snap, a message, a quick scroll takes no time at all.

We check our mail and social media in fear of what we might find, and even bigger fear of what we might miss out on. Actually we don't miss out on anything, but we are afraid that if we do not respond in expected or appropriate way within really short time, somebody might get insulted, and we could suffer consequences.... like less likes next time we post one of our 15 selfies the next day.

We check our email and social media even if we know there is nothing new but we do it anyways to find that quick shot of dopamine to make us feel temporarily better. Resent research found we get a kick out of We open another game of Candy Crush so we will look busy and not lost. We pretend to be with friends while looking at some stranger's new posting on instagram or flickr.

Maybe the innovation of the smartphone was a good thing. It is a handy tool for communication, that's for sure. You can even call someone with the device. But when I scroll through my phone, and look at my apps, I realize my entire life is tracked and evaluated. My recipes, my alarms, my game score, my calendar, my work out, my work, my music, my money and my spending... 

The apps launched feed the development of 10 new apps we really need to download.
I think it's time to get real. To cut back on the infatuation and obsession, and return to real life with real friends. Friends with bad breath from today's garlic lunch and the most catching laughter there is. 


It's time to reduce the smartphone to what it is: marvellous, handy and diverse, but seriously getting out of control.

We need to take back control of our time. We need to set our priorities straight; at the end of the day decide what is truly important to us, and then spend our time accordantly.

Yes, happy birthday smartphone. You really changed everything, indeed.

When Computers Compute... Or Whatever They Do

Computers tend to frustrate me; a lot! Always has, right from my first encounter with a "New Brain".
I chose computer as elective subject in school in 1984.
My father got a terrible rash when I aired my wish for choosing crafts, miniature shooting, taking the certificate to ride a moped or another light subject. He stated "computers are the future!" And that was end of discussion.

So I hammered away on a keyboard I knew nothing about, in a language called Basic, which I knew nothing about, and my teacher barely knew even that.
What I remember from those classes is something like:
10 print "Bjorg is cool"
20 goto 10
run

Picture stolen from racketboy.com

I learned enough to help my cousin type in meters long lists of codes, in order to get games on his computer. Codes which, after error checks and completed typing, would be stored on cassettes after days of effort.
Then we had to load the cassettes into the computer every time we wanted to play a game.

Great things have happened within digital innovations since then. The mouse, the floppy discs, the discettes, internet, cd-rom, USB, the size, the weight, the graphics... you name it. It is hard to avoid computers and using them now.
Personal service and a friendly smile has been replaced by digits and keys.

Actually I know nothing about computers. My son accidentally broke the screen on his laptop (you can't tell by looking at it, you have to turn it on to see the image of a broken screen!?), and I have no idea what to look for in order to buy him the right one.

So I haven't gotten him a new one yet... rom, ram, processer, graphics... which is what and why and how is not very clear to me, simply because I normally take no interest.

Just for fun I went into a store and told the young man working there I wanted a red laptop. He turned slightly pale and asked what I was looking for?
-I just want a red laptop, I replied.
-But, surely you have some priorities on how you use it and what you use it for?
-No, it must be red!
Even though I felt a bit sorry for the poor guy, I wasn't going to tell him I already knew which laptop I wanted, and that I knew that was the only one they got in the colour red.
It was almost as if he hesitated to sell me a laptop, all together, he acted as if he was in distress. I am sure he needed a well deserved break after I left.

No, I know very little about computers, but just like the car: I am fairly ok at using it.

Internet has always been my friend, ever since 1992, when we got our first analog modem and listened to the terrible noise, for quite a few minutes, to get online.... and find nothing.
Back then it was almost as if we wanted to find something on the internet, we had to put it out there ourselves. And we did. No pictures, though, mind you.

Today my entire life is, to some degree, connected to computers and internet. Hah, even the sky. My thoughts, my doings, my commitments, my finances... it's all there. And it is convenient most of the time.

Last week I was reminded to order milk at school for my kids, and I placed the order, paid and scheduled it.
Problem is, it is too advanced. It annoys me. Too many parties are taking advantage.
So many sites are so filled with contents it takes forever to download and access. The better internet I got, the less patience I notice I have. I get more impatience now than I did before.

And where did I store my work and pictures? I have a C:, a D:, an F:, then I have the mutual external hard drive and the "sky". Trying to keep up order is really a mastermind task.

For some time things got even more complicated, and false links sneaked in, even on my online bank.
I wrote customer service, telling them how disappointed I was to experience they offered prizes on their customers' surveys, which were actually expensive subscriptions I committed to, unless it was unsubscribed within 2 days.
They wrote me back and told me it was the toolbar on my computer, not them.

When I opened a page, another one would open as well, with a video of a man telling me how to make lots of money in no time and with no effort.
I didn't want any of it, and tried to clean my laptop from everything my virus control reacted to... and then some. Not quite sure what I removed, but I did remove something, just not the right thing.

Needless to say, I got very frustrated. Foul words and stomping my foot in annoyance did no good. I couldn't figure it out.

I have an online friend in London, who I early on adopted as my computer oracle. We were chatting and I poured out my distress, complaining about how frustrated I was, but no, I wanted to be stubborn and do it myself.... of course I gave in.
I gave him the code and password and soon I could see the mouse moving on my screen, clicking this and that, entering folders and files... it was scary. It was like a sci fi happening right before my very eyes. Not only did it happen, but suddenly I got this feeling of someone tampering with my private life. I have no secrets, but that somehow didn't matter much.

I told him how uncomfortable it was.
- I saw nothing, I just did the job.

I was so grateful when we checked the laptop after: no pop ups, no extra "informative" pages, no ads covering what I wanted to read... I didn't really care. Besides I know him well enough to trust him.

Then I saw it:
-But, but... when I enter the control panel to check on programs to uninstall, it's there! I have not been able to delete it! You didn't delete it!
Even when I wrote these comments I was thinking how cunning it was to take the opportunity to get access to my laptop and go through the most private I've got in my life: my files on my computer. Yes, I am shameful to admit the doubt sneaked in on me for a split second.

-It's not there, it's empty. There is nothing in there.
He is my computer oracle, after all, and I know he knows what he is talking about, but there was this brief moment of sadness when I thought about how everything I have learned about computers for the last 30+ years crumbled.
I have learned that computers is nothing but 0s and 1s, but every 0 and every 1 are significant, and suddenly a troublesome folder, which can't be removed, is of no significance. It is only there to annoy me and pretend to be a problem!

The next day I got Windows 10, which was sent to me because I had reserved it. All I had to do was to click on the link, and it downloaded, installed, configured apps, shut down and started up again my computer several times... by itself.

Computers are machines, which only do what we tell them to do. If I tell it to do the wrong thing, the wrong thing is done.
Now I struggle with the thought of what if the link had been a mock link, and someone took advantage of my trust in windows?

Time-manage ment

A new year, full of great hopes that this year, finally, my resolutions will be fullfilled. This time I won't desperately hang on to my intentions, only to realize time after time how I fail.
This year things will be better. I will do better. Life will be better.
I don't really know why I wrote that last statement, because I have a good life. I have nothing to really complain about, so when I say "life will be better" it is mostly because it's a cliché I feel almost anticipated to strive for.

The only thing I have given some profound reflection on is the stressmess I constantly find myself in.
I work full time, I have kids who need follow-up in school, sports they are active in, and of course just attention for the sake of bonding.
I have a house and a home which needs tending: shopping (which I really don't like but still have to do), cooking, cleaning, laundry and mending clothes (Where do all the the sweatsuits and towels come from? When did we get hold of it all? How did it all end up in the laundry basket with ripped holes and seams?) , tidying up toys and dishes and the constant chase to keep up my intention of placing everything at its place.
My dog needs its walks, my friends deserve attention, and I really, really deserve a hot cup of coffee now and again.

My familie has paid attention to my complaints about how I never have time to read much, so for christmas I was given a few books. I still haven't had time to read them, and yesterday I was really upset about that: at my work's general meeting our principal decided it was appropriate to give a detailed summing up on two really good books he was given, and had read, during the holidays. I got both.

Anyway, in order to pursuit the quest of becoming a better person I have been reading up on time management. I thought that since it's true that to earn money you must spend money, the same thing goes about time: To save time you must spend time.

The vast amount of books, blogs and articles which have been created to address the concepts of time management is almost unbelievable. I found countless of seminars on the subject too. I never thought it was such a big issue. I’ve been soaking up information on how others bring order to their lives, creating more time and taking better advantage of the time they have.

I took time I don't have to read about time management and how to get time to do everything you want or need to do.
I read through a lot of online articles. I picked up a recommended book about it. I talked to a couple of people who say they got it all under control.

I can't believe how structured people's lives are. They can set off time to do just about anything they want. Anything from crafts, golf, gardening... to reading.

A couple of hours into me ploughing through the literature I found a distinct difference between men and women. Now, I admit it could be just fluke created from my selection, but even though the tips for good time management are aimed at all layers and genders I was struck by how many time management gurus are men. And most women don't tell me how to make "me"-time happen, but they are eager to tell me why I should schedule "me"-time.

I suspect only people getting paid to find out how to spend time more effectively have the kind of luxury it is to spend time thinking out strategies on how to spend time the best way in order to do what you want, and need to, do.

The Internet: My Oracle

The internet is a true blessing, and a very scary thing. Anything can be found there: you want proof the moon is in fact a cheese, you just go online and you find facts and videos to support your agenda.

When I have a lot to do, or perhaps a lot on my mind, I can spend hours procrastinating; surfing the net and entertain myself with an endless series of photos and videos of science experiments, babies and cats and horses... dogs even. Quotes, ads and sponsored suggestions are placed a strategical easy click away. More and more often I find pages too fancy and eventful; it takes forever to upload them. When I come across sites like that I find a hidden, strange kind of pleasure in avoiding them in the future. Yeah, that's the kind of brainless sports you can do online.

I have felt very poorly for quite a few months now, even more than usual, that is. I have blamed work, drama in my life and in my circles and a tight schedule. But somehow my general condition has not made any sense. There hasn't been any logic to my state of wretchedness which hovers over my everyday. I'm not sick or anything, I just feel, well, wretched. All the time!

Last night, in an attempt to ease my discomfort, I went outside and sat on my front door steps; It was freezing cold, for the first time this winter, and it felt lovely... for a second, untill I broke a sweat and feared I would freeze stuck on the landing.

I can't keep feeling like this, I know. I have known for quite some time, but after blaming life in general, last resort is to blame menopause. I still wish it is a few years away, but it could be happening right now: this may be the actual months I am turning old! Maybe I should celebrate? Mourne?

Anyway. I Googled menopause, but it didn't quite fit. There were a few symptoms I just don't recognize. I won't bore you with the details on that... not untill 15 years or so from now, anyway.

Then I came up with this brilliant idea to type in my symptoms and see what came out of it.

I sat there, in front of my laptop, with my fingers ready to type down any symptom I could come up with. I was thinking the more symptoms the more accurate hit.

Symptoms I added were:

• Strong cravings for sugar (especially right after meals, even though I am full; I just really want that last taste, and that has to be the taste of sweetness). 
• Uneasiness and restlessness in my body (shiverings, diffuse discomfort). 
• Headaches. 
• Giddiness. 
• Exaggerated breathing, almost like walking up a hill (sometimes it's even tough to complete a sentence without an extra breath of air, and singing is hard). 
• Palpitation (I can feel every beat, and some times even how my heart skip a beat). 
• Unable to consentrate. 
• Sleeplessness. 
• Spinelessness. 
• Sadness. 
• Irritability and touchiness 
• Confusion (probably because I can't find myself able to focus). 
• Weight issues. 

In all honesty I didn't use quite as many words. I kept it short and to the point. I wrote down every uncomfortable feeling I could come up with. What scared me, is that the internet came up with many hits, but only one suggestion to what it might be: Reactive Hypoglycemia.

I read all the articles and felt more and more sorry for myself. Words like "rare", "diet", "severe", "treatment" and a few other ones jumping out of the texts started to make sense to me, and I started feeling like a sick person.

And I felt lucky I had only a few of the symptoms, because I would have been devastated if I in addition had feelings and symptoms like anxiety, depression, wave of sobs, cramps, antisocial behaviour, constipation, hunger and thoughts about suicide.

I have felt like all of them, but one. I have never, ever considered or thought about suicide. Well, I have thought about it, just not thought about it as something which conserned me. We all knew someone who comitted suicide, I presume, and it is natural to make up ones mind about it.

Anyway, I have had moments when I, weak as a kitten, found myself curled up on the bathroom floor, calling for my kids to help me and get me a glass of water... just because I just couldn't get up from the floor, but I have always thought "it will pass", which it does because I have no other option, and after a few brief moments I am again able to pull myself together and get up and get going.

Those fits are really unpleasant; they resemble the fits of hypoglycemia I had as a teenager. Back in those days the doctor made housecalls, and I remember Dr. Natvik would come and give me shots in my arm, and tell me to slow down and get some sleep.

Back then my entire body felt like jelly, and I lost control and struggled like a car with a small engine on a steep uphill road. I would shiver and feel very cold, and then very hot and break a sweat the next second.

I don't like this one bit. Just a couple of months ago I had my cancer tests done. I haven't heard anything from the lab or my doctor, which is good. I would have been contacted if there was any sign of cancer. I know the drill, they did last time.

Now I have to go back to the doctor and tell her I think I might be sick or something, because I don't really feel well, and I am not quite sure I am old enough to crumble like this, just yet, for no particular reason at all.

And she will size me up and tell me to change my diet and lose weight and get in shape... again. And I will think to myself: I am in shape... which is round. And I will leave the doctor's office thinking it has nothing to do with the surgery I had 20 years ago removing my choleic system, it's not that I'm overweight or don't wind down enough.

I'll go home and log back on to my online wizard, the internet oracle, and find answers that are more to my liking... and of course: cures.

Some things are hard to write about.

As much as I like to write about this and that and nothing at all, I sometimes feel there are subjects I am really concerned about, but which I don’t feel I am competent enough to write about. And yet; there is, however, sometimes things I would like to mention, just because I feel it is fair to address the issue.

There are some things about modern time I have problems accepting. The only thing I find even harder to accept is the fact that we allow it.

I don’t point fingers or accuse anybody for consciously, or deliberately, to condone the trends, but I am worried because I never hear critical voices questioning the experts.

One of these issues, which I tried to write about, but discarded because it was too hard to get my point through, was how we tend to use equal terms when we talk about children and adults.

You see: Some smart person introduced the term “children’s sexuality”. What, what? Every time I hear it, or read it, everything inside me just writhes. I strongly oppose to the term, and I do so because I don’t believe there is such a thing, at least not the way adults usually interpret the term. Kids should not be made objects like that. The experts really shouldn’t use expressions the common man on the street has specific interpretations of.

There is something totally wrong in adults apprehending children as miniature adults, and by that believing children are subjects to the same issues adults are.

Languages all around the world, at all times, have given us strong understanding of how children differs from adults: Children will grow up to be adults/ children will be adults: It is in the future! But they are not adults yet.

Oh, I know I disagree with a lot of experts and researches, but I really don’t understand why we are so eager to make children into miniature adults, rather than just accept they are children.

I want for us to accept that childhood has stages of development, some which include exploring and getting to know one’s body, but that is not, in my opinion, the same thing as sexual behavior.

I get really upset when the medias tell about assaults involving children, using the same language they do about assaults where only adults are involved.

We shouldn’t compare. There are no similarities between the two. (Sorry, yes, there are similarities, but in my opinion they are more different than the same.)

We hear about so much cruelty, and I believe it is time we find expressions which define the differences between childhood and to be an adult, both in everyday- and professional terms.

When we talk about children the same way we do about adults, it weakens the power of the contents, for victims of either age.

We kind of wear the expressions out, and by that make them more normal and less dangerous or scary.

And now that I read my text, which I intended to be about how hard it is to write about controversial issues, or things I find disturbing, I just realized I wrote it anyway.

A threat - to terrorize

Last week was a rather short schoolweek as Wednesday was the last schoolday of the week. The reason was Ascendant Day… which always takes place on a Thursday, and is a day off here. With Thursday off there really is no point in going back to school for one day… most have already set their mind on a long weekend, and I suppose the world knows by now we Norwegians even postponed end of term tests because Justing Bieber’s consert coincided. (I know there are many rumors it was cancelled, but that is not true: It was postponed.)

No need to arrange an end of term test you know only half of the students will show up for. The hassle of arranging two is just very inconvenient and expensive.

So, this Friday off is another convenient thing as well; not a holiday for religious purpose.

As it turned out, Wednesday became quite an eventful day.

The department, where I work, is in the same building as the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV), and on Wednesday they received yet another bomb-scare, the third one this year, and we had to evacuate our students (for the first time) because of the threat...

We didn’t really get a lot of information, but we, the teachers, focused on keeping calm so our students would not be frightened by the armed terror police. They are 16 and older, but even though they are on the threshold of being adults, they still need the insurance only adults can give; we play the ”lived-a-long-life” card and tell them the police is on top of things and that we just do as told: trust them, and everything will be ok. To some even that is a challenge, but it is ok to show the teenagers it is true. (Police is never armed here, in any way, apart from in situations like this.)

I found out my year in Israel 23 years ago, was a great advantage. I think I was even calmer than the police themselves. Hah… of course I was: they were on the alert! They took the situation seriously, I discovered later I lulled myself into a state of refusing the possibility it was for real.

So we waited, in the rain, with our students. They needed to go back in to fetch their stuff so they could go home, and the police needed to clear the building before anyone entered. It wouldn’t have been a problem if only the students had brought their busfare card, money, keys to their cars/mopeds/motorbikes… but they didn’t; they left the building as told, and so they had no possible way to get home… we don’t encourage them to hitch-hike.

An hour later I talked to the police and the students who had their car keys were allowed to take their cars from the parking lot and leave. Half an hour later we were told we could sluice the rest of the students into the building, to get their stuff, and we could send them home.

This is like stories we hear from across the Atlantic, or in some other European or Eastern country, or any country anywhere else but here.

In spite of what we have experienced of evil, what we want is no one to pick on others, we want everybody to be good and nice, and with that as basic guiding rules you can do whatever you want… more or less. You don’t have to be friends with everybody, but you can still be friendly and polite.

After all the school shootings over the years in the U.S., administrators have established plans. They have police officers at the schools, tighter security for getting inside, fences, etc. There is actually debate about putting police officers with weapons inside schools to help curb any violence. We don’t want that. We want our schools to be safe, in every aspect.

To me the bomb scare was a rather surreal incident. Even though it was a very calm and undramatic incident, it made me think about huge tragedies. Most started with a phonecall.

People tend to not take them seriously because there are so many. They evacuate buildings, etc., but no one is really scared. Neither were we. We told jokes, talked about future plans, we talked about how the students felt about their school year now that it is almost over. It was rather nice, actually.

For some reason more and more people seem to think that to threaten others is an acceptable, alternative way to express their own profound frustration and/or rage: Regardless of whether the target is a company, an organization, a person or even just random people. To express you want to kill someone, not just take lives, but to do it by inflecting as much harm as possible, purely because they do their job, or just because they happen to be at a set place, is to me to terrorize.

I read a paper published by an Indian student; I think he put it very well:

From Old to New Terrorism: The Changing Nature of International Security

Mahdi Mohammad Nia
Department of Defense and Strategic Studies
University of Pune, India

“New terrorism takes religious and apocalyptic ideologies as its main motivations to action. The new terrorists have ambiguous goals on the systemic level and value destruction for its own sake. For the new terrorists the means are the ends. The old terrorism was comparatively intelligible, limited, precise, and frequently connected to territory, therefore making the political, cultural, or social grievance more susceptible to bargaining.

New terrorism seeks to kill as many people as possible and is specifically drawn to weapons of mass destruction. By contrast, the old terrorism targeted specific groups or institutions and was limited in its means. Old terrorism preferred centralization, hierarchical organization, and skilled personnel, but new terrorism is decentralized, more networked, and inspiration-driven, which opens it up to amateurs and nonprofessional “fighters.”

            http://globality.cc.stonybrook.edu/?p=149

It describes how come many feel they can be inconsiderate and mean enough to predict worst scenario possible as a tool to make a point. I know there is a big difference in threatening to do something and to actually carry out the threat. But to each individual who has to deal with the emotions which occur because you may, or may not, face real harm; that can very well break a person’s spirit. To do so is just not acceptable.

Hazardous grocery shopping

It is winter break here in Norway this week, and today I have been on my computer for most of the day. Not doing anything important; just surfing the net, watching this and that and reading whatever caught my attention.

While doing nothing important the TV was on, and I got to see all the unimportant stuff which I usually miss, since I am at work during daytime.

At one point I forgot about my doing nothing at all: On TV there was a program called Extreme Couponing.

Here in Norway coupons is not something you can base your finances upon, because it is not a big thing here. The closest thing I have found to anything like it s www.Rabattkuponger.no

Categories of coupons which can be found there, are the same ones we sometimes find in the newspapers:

• Barneutstyr, Leker og Barneklær            (childrens equipment, toys and childrens clothes)
• Bil og biltilbehør                                         (car and car accessories)
• Data, Utstyr og Internett                           (computer, equipment and internet)
• Diverse                                                          (sundries)
• Dyr og Tilbehør                                            (animals and accessories)
• Dating og Erotikk                                         (dating and erotics)
• Film, Musikk. Bøker og Underholdning   (film, music, books and entertainment)
• Finans og Lån                                               (finances and loans)
• Foto, Video og Utstyr                                 (photo, video and equipment)
• Hjem og Bolig                                               (home and residence)
• Hvitevarer og Småelektrisk                        (household appliances and electrical notions)
• Klær og Mote                                                (clothes and fashion)
• Kropp og Helse                                             (body and health)
• Lyd og Bilde                                                   (sound and picture)
• Mobiltelefon og Telefoni                            (mobile phones and telephony)
• Reise                                                               (travel)
• Spill og Leker                                                 (games and toys)
• Sport og Fitness                                            (sport and fitness)

A lot of stuff which you can get a great deal on, but food is not represented. Using a coupon here in Norway you can get a discount, but the amount of items is very limited and never for free. The closest thing is the deals when you i.e. buy a carton of eggs and get a bread for free to go with it.

To watch families make do, by putting down effort to get great deals on groceries, was so incredible fascinating, I watched how they organized their shopping, preparing to go to the super market, collecting coupons and paying close to nothing (in a couple of cases absolutely nothing!) for groceries sometimes worth as much as US $1000,- or even more (in most cases less, but still a considerably amount of money was saved).

Advanced skills in business economics were displayed in such an unexpected and cunning way. I was just blown away by how they took advantage of the loopholes in coupon regulations.  And by doing that they could make down payments on their house, arrange huge parties (weddings even) and fill their houses (literally) with incredible amounts of bottles, cans, boxes and bags.

I started off watching being very intrigued, but then, as the program proceeded, I found myself being really worried; the only vegetable I saw them buy was canned tomatoes. And the fruit I saw was passed by as the procession of family members, each with their own fully loaded shopping cart, hurried towards the next coupon smashing deal. They were directed, in strict order, to the items they were to buy.

To me the coupons came across as a trap to lure people into a bad diet.  Meat was represented in processed food like frozen dinners, and we all know how unhealthy they are, with all the additives and fat.

What was represented a lot was detergents, deodorants, shampoos and a very disturbing amount of sugar.

Who in their right mind needs 100 boxes of cereal, 1200 cookies, 20 cartons of soft drinks or 69 boxes of cake- or cookie mix. It is all for free (or as free as it gets), but all of it is groceries with huge warning signs: It is not good for you to eat too much of it! These things are treats and rewards on special occasions. They are not meant to comprise your daily diet.

I understand the value of having a hobby, and I understand how stretching finances is both wanted and crucial for most people, but I find it worrying that nobody sees the hazard and limit the access to free unhealthy food. It would be so much more reassuring if fresh fish, meat, fruits and vegetable were somehow included to the system.

Yes, at least they get very clean when using all the detergents, fabric softeners, razors and shampoos, but I still am very skeptical.  What should be a clever marketing strategy for food industry and stores, end up jeopardising customers and their families’ health.