Twitter

I`m sure Twitter is good for something. But so far the only thing it looks like i can do is to update my statusline on Facebook with it. I can even update my statusline at Facebook via Twitter ON Facebook. And i can look at what other people are twittering about, but some of them is also updating their statuslines on Facebook through Twitter, so i alrleady knew that.
I could chat with them, but i can also do that on MSN.

So, then – what do i use Twitter for? I need some suggestions here.

A change we can believe in

The Bush presidency had Karl Rove as their norwegian alibi. We wern`t too happy for that, but since someone with norwegian ancestors is better than none, and he made fun of the swedes, so we could live with it.

So far we have not found any good angle to the Obama presidency, but luckily the hunt is now over. The new minister of Education, Arne Duncan, has a norwegian name AND relatives in Norway. And today his fourth cousin was interviewed in norwegian news together with his seventh cousin, who also is major in the small town of Stange.

You might think that fourth cousin is not a very close relative, you might not even know what a fourth cousin is (it means that the minister and this person has the same great great great parents.) But has the swedes found any relatives in the Obama administration yet? No, didn`t think so. Norwegians rule the world!

Fitting song of the day :)

Because whatever happens it can`t be worse than the last 8 years….

Snow

OK, i can see one good thing about snow, which we got a lot of now. I`m happy i have a showel, and uh.. a father who can use it. Now – i WOULD have used it if i had come home earlier today. I guess i have to take my turn getting the snow away next time.

But the good thing – it`s not as dark anymore in the evenings. Actually it´s quite pretty with all the whiteness now before pollution has made everything grey.

It has come enough off it now, though. It doesn`t need to be even more white. Enough, i say. Enough.

You can`t be neutral

Kåre Willoch, former prime minister in Norway for the conservative party, said something very vise under a debate about the war in Gaza. Actually he was quoting Nelson Mandela – that when talking about a situation where there is an oppressor and someone oppressed being neutral and condemn both sides really is being on the side or the oppressor. You can`t be neutral.
It fits perfect on the Gaza crisis also. Everyone should hope that Hamas influence in the palestinian society decreases and that more moderate forces wins, but a strong part in their reason for coming to power also lays in the israeli occupation and blocade. And demanding that we in every sentence now tries to see both parts view doesn`t bring us any further.

Situation at the moment

My body hurts. Stiff in every joints. Mainly because of too little sleep and wrong temperature. Sore nose. (but no cold). And tomorrow the board meeting starts. I put a red towel over my head, and hope for the best.

One step forward, one step back

It never fails. When it looks like things are working out, something happens. Something evil. Evil this time was that Nordgu, where i am treasurer, didn´t get their administrative grants this year. And even i, who always expects the worst, is a bit surprised. First time that has happened.

It´s the same many places, organisations with much entusiasm and ideas, but difficulties finding funding. Part of the problem is that so much of it is based on project grants. Projects are good, but also difficult for smaller organisation because they don´t have the resources in the first place to really use them effectively and also provide some organisational stimulus. That way the projects got`s priority, and organisational delvelopment comes in second hand.

Much research has shown voluntary associations providing social capital in a society, and that in itself has a positive impact both on the economy, trust, public health and other things that also also are put as goals in project applications. So why shoud there be so difficult to get more free funds somewhere.

Oh, well. Guess it is time to go back to the drawing board, and start looking at foundations that might be positive to us. They are out there. In my next life i am going to work for some organisation that doesn`t have to think about their finances because they have enough of it. Anyone?

When you have nothing else to write about

You can always write about the weather. Today it was suddenly spring, +7 degrees, a little rain in the morning, but fine weather rest of the day. Which means that all the snow has melted also. After temperatures steady around -10, and up to -15, i threw away my winter clothes, and took on some lighter clothes today.It`s a strange winter, which makes people go around and say to eachoter – “It`s a strange winter.”.
But actually, it was the same last year, and the year before that. So maybe it`s not so strange anymore.
If you ask me it`s an improvement, without advocating global warming, though.

Demonstrations

Today almost 50 000 people participated in a peaceful manifestation against the war in Gaza. Not bad for a city with a population of 500 000. This could be a great story. Unfortunately a counter-demonstration against a pro-israeli demonstration went out of hand and some idiots thought that this was the time to start fighting with the police. Breaking windows, fire rockets into crowds, throwing rocks and other things, trying to set fire to the christmas tree etc. (Actually i think i supprt the last thing. It`s 15 days since Christmas Eve. Time to get the christmas decorations down.)

I have a hard time understanding how anyone thinks that throwing rocks on old people in Oslo, regardless how pro-israel they are, will accomplish anything. The police might have to take some of the blame, but regardless. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

In the real war area it is also very much a propaganda war. No journalists are allowed into the area. Two norwegian doctors managed to get into Gaza just before the war started, and besides working at the hospital in the area, they have been the only western eye-witnesses of what`s happening. Giving media some sense of what is going on, as long as no journalist are let in.
Here you can talk about someone who put action in front of their words.

The dog ate my sock (again)

So it happened again. He seems set on destroying my socks. This time first i caught him with a 50 crown bill in his mouth. Since i don´t like that he eats my money i had to wrestle it from him. Well, perhabs not wrestle. More carefully trying to jiggle it free from his teeths without destroying it. It was me holding in one end, and he at the other. Both staring at eachother. In the end i managed to get him to open his mouth by exchanging the bill with a potato chips. Luckily he don`t know how little one chips actually cost.

Then i chased him downstairs to teach him that this is no way to behave.
He apparently didn`t like that, and took his revenge.