Sunday strolling along Oslo quayside

Our walk this Sunday, from home to Frognerkilen, along Oslo Quayside to the Operahouse and returning up Karl Johan´s Street (including Coffee Americano and a Croissant at United Bakeries) to the Royal Castle and beyond, has resulted in some nice photos, a water blister under my right foot and this blogpost.A lot of ships (including the Color Magic bound for Kiel) can be found at the quayside.
My first ship is Christian Radich. The full rigged ship, named after a Norwegian shipowner, is anchored under the Akershus Fortress, and is Oslo´s pride.
At Vippetangen we can see Danskebåten, while a Russian school ship can be visited at Revierkaia. The white marble at the Operahouse looks good in the nice weather.
While resting at the beautiful white marble, the spectacular sculpture in Bjørvika needs more description.
The Water sculpture (335 tons heavy and 12 meter high) by Italian Monica Bonvicini (45), resident in Berlin, is a three-dimensional version of Caspar David Friedrich's painting "Arctic Ocean". He is considered among the foremost artists of European romanticism, studied in Copenhagen, lived from 1798 in Dresden and was friends with Norwegian JC Dahl.
Click on the photos to see them larger / better.

Spain second chance

Viva Espana!!!
The man with a red cap entered the scene and disturbed Spain during their performance in the EBU Song Contest tonight. Spain can sing once more at the end of the show. Break a leg, Spain.

The man in the red cap is Jaume Marquet Cot. Learn more about his interruptions by clicking on the name link.

iPad, New RAV4 - or only a new Painting

Yesterday I posted a blog about the new iPad my daughter Trine (and her family members) started to use. Maybe I will get one here too when Apple decide to open the sales in Norway. I thought the promotion made by our Prime Minister during the Ash-problems would give us a better rating, but we are not on the primary distribution list for this summer.That´s why I start to evaluate the possibilities around using money on a new car instead. Toyota has presented the new RAV4 on show at Skøyen today, and why not use money to swap my 2005 RAV4 to this new delighted SUV.
Times will show. A visit to the shop and possible try the car may be included in this weekend plans.
However, in the meantime I have finished this painting, acrylic on canvas 54 x 70. Title?
The painting season 2010 (summertime) has started.

The first iPad in the family

Living in UK, the Berry branch of the family became the first owner of an iPad in our familly. (not surprisingly)
The photo shows David act like a Formula-1 test-driver using the iPad, while Hedda is sleeping on his shoulder. If you want to watch the test, click on the video.

A playing tool for big children? or a useful IT-tool.

Recommended video speech on TED

My recommendation from TED today is Johanna Blakley: Lessons from fashion's free culture

Copyright law's grip on film, music and software barely touches the fashion industry ... and fashion benefits in both innovation and sales, says Johanna Blakley. At TEDxUSC 2010, she talks about what all creative industries can learn from fashion's free culture.

"Who owns the Look?"

That is one of the questions put forward in this interesting speech on video on TED. While we all are regulated by the copyright laws concerning downloading of music and films, there is almost no regulation in the big businesses like foods-, automobiles- and fashion-industries. You are free to make your own shoes based upon an original Dior shoe if you don´t put the false brand name on it. In literature or music, however, there is immediately a debate if you "copy" a sentence or tone (plagiarize) from another writer / composer without referring to the original.
Why is the gross sales in free industries huge and for those copyrighted industries comparably low? Is there something to learn from fashion?In fashion they even copy themselves to let their product be sold to lower prizes for common people.

I remember Picasso once said: "Good artists copy. Great artists steal."
Wes George, writer for The Mac Observer and financial Mac nut, has interpreted the quote to: "Picasso implied that great artists don't get caught stealing because what they appropriate they transform so thoroughly into their own persona, that everyone ends up thinking the great idea was theirs in the first place."
Albert Einstein has said: “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
Have a creative time out there.

When the chestnuts are blooming in Bygdø Avenue

Når kastanjene blomstrer i Bygdøy Alle is one of the most famous Oslo songs. Click on the link and listen to Jens Book-Jenssen´s evergreen.
This photo is from Skovveien at Frogner, and the chestnut trees are blooming there too.Some are not praising the spring in Oslo. They have other more important things to do. Arne Johan swimming on the beach at Calahonda, Andalusia.Anne Katharina at Bari, Puglia. Maybe they are longing for the Scandinavian Spring while spending their time along the Mediterranean. The spring flowers at King Haakon 7 Square in Oslo can be Whit greetings to those expatriate friends.

Sunday strolling and Sky watching

Our Sunday strolling around Frogner Park made it possible to catch some photos on my iPhone this morning. Weather still nice, but rain squalls are coming in from north-east.In the westernmost part of the park, with Smestad just around the corner, we can see the new Holmenkollen Ski Jump in the hillside towards the Oslo SkiResort Winter Park
Sky Watching from this part of Oslo in eastern direction with the Monolith at the top of Vigeland Sculpture Park and tower of Uranienborg Church.

Saturday before Whit

Saturday lunch at Aker Brygge.
D/S Louise and Moules frites for the Gentleman and Caesar Salad for the lady. But sharing a Chardonnay when looking at the summer people in Oslo.

Preparing for Midsummer Bonfire in Ålesund

Bonfires on Mid-summer has been a longstanding tradition in Ålesund. This year Slinningen bonfire builders want to get a new world record. They will try to beat the old record from 1993, when a competitive group of builders of Skjerva fire, reached 37,84 meters.

- This year we have prepared ourselves for a bonfire over 38 meters. we will be very happy if we succeed, said Nikolai Hovland and Ruben Barstad (bonfire managers) according to the NewsPaper Sunmørsposten

- If one is to achieve something, there is much that must be in place, said police officers Arild Helland and Eli Bente Skarbøvik. The most important thing now is Euro Pallets, not scrap pallets, a new floating dock to transport the material, a trailer or possibly a truck, a first aid case and climbing harnesses. If anyone can support the builders with any of these, it would be fantastic for the fire builders. The police is very concerned on safety.Just to show you the dimensions of the fundament, and the how the building process will progress in the coming month.
- We light the Bonfire on Friday 25 June. It has almost become a tradition for us the last few years to put the ignition to the nearest weekend, "said Hovland.

Spring 2010 - New Website Solvang 4

Yesterday evening I took part in a meeting where some of the summer residents at Solvang 4 established a project to improve the Web-homepage. In the two weeks to come we will develop the structure and fill in information that can give already members information about this and that at Solvang 4, but also be a trigger for persons evaluating if such a cottage at the center of Oslo is something to apply for. Hopefully the website will be a place to visit for many people.At Solvang 4 (the highest altitude area of the 5 communities at Solvang) the arrival of the spring is a little bit later than lower down the hillside. My red current is blooming and the rhubarbs are growing higher every day.
It is however a long way to go before the blossom will be as in the Convent garden of St. Dominikus Catholic Church in Neuberggaten.
Have a nice Pentecost, Whitsuntide or Whit whatever you call the upcoming weekend.

TED.COM Ideas worth spreading

This morning I became aware of a web site that in the future may be more important than YouTube if quality and professionalism are some of your criteria for being updated on technology and entertained. The site is Ted.com

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with the annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK, TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Program, the new TEDx community program, this year's TEDIndia Conference and the annual TED Prize.After breakfast I have been watching a speach by Eric Topol talking of The wireless future of Medicine The stethoscope was invented in 1816. Eric Topol says we'll soon use our smartphones to monitor our vital signs and chronic conditions.What about continuous monitoring of your blood sugar on iPhone?What about controlling your ECG, Heart rhythms, Blood pressure, Oxygen, Temperature, Pregnancy control and your sleeping habits? The future is here and maybe the stethoscope is outdated a century after its invention.

Put ted.com on your daily visiting sites.

Maja´s genes

The unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring, is called Gene
I have transferred many good but also some problematic genes to my children. Now there is a new generation developing, and Maja´s genes come from those persons on these photos.
First and foremost her own parents Tor Marius and Rikke Arnedatter.
However, on her one year birthday we shot a photo of the grandparents too. Documenting who is responsible for genes.
From left: Tor (Bestefar), Tullen (mormor), Maja (the recipient), Edel (farmor) and Arne (Bestefar). There is no way back. You are a result of all this distinct sequence of nucleotides forming part of a chromosome. Now it is up to her environment to shape the remaining part of Maja´s personality.

Time for planting - 18C at Tullarbo

Mid May is passed. We are facing the Pentecost Weekend (The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, or Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday)
The temperature today was +18C this morning, and it is time for planting.Water is needed now and hopefully Maja´s family will continue to take care of the flowers during their stay at Tullarbo this summer.
When duty is served, the high-heals can be taken off and the intake of sunbeams increase.
High-heals when gardening? Well, always High-heals.
It is just an ordinary Tuesday after the Constitution Day.

Happy 17th of May

Hip, Hip Hurra Congratulation with the 17th of May.

Greetings from Wales
and from Oslo

Evening before The Day

Tomorrow we will, together with Norwegians and friends all over the world, celebrate our Constitution Day "Syttende Mai".
All over the globe people are ironing their "bunad shirts" today. So have I done this afternoon. My national costume looks like this

However making the breakfast table ready is also a job for the day before the day, and this is our´s tonight.
(and the weather forecast is not so bad as expected only 18 hours ago)

A Happy 17th of May to all of us.

Age before Beauty

Today I have to submit a blogpost about the Californian woman Hazel Soares that graduated from collage at the grand old age of 94.
Through SkyNews Twitter I could read "... in collecting her art history honours she had fulfilled a 78-year ambition." and "It's taken me quite a long time because I've had a busy life. I'm finally achieving it, and it makes me feel really good."
In 2007, Nola Ochs of Kansas became the world's oldest graduate when she received her honours from Fort Hays State University, aged 95.

That was Age. Now to Beauty.Rikke used her Oslo Dress yesterday when joining a Confirmation in her new family. Her beauty is not questionable. Tomorrow she will like thousands of other Norwegians wear similar costumes (me included). She took a break from her University ambitions after BSc in Psychology some years ago, has become a mother and wife and business leader, but looking at the grand old women above, there is always time for returning when she feels for it.

"The biggest thing that we can all learn is that we're never too old," said Regina Hungerford, Ms Soares' youngest child, and I copy that.

Maja at Tullarbo

When the male persons in the family was occupied with testing the new lawn-cutter, Maja was playing with the old Ring Game. In full concentration and focused, but most important stable on her own feet. It´s only days until she will walk over the lawn at Tullarbo or on her own living-room floor.
For those familiar with the rules of points, please add her result. Tonight we will be babysitters at Maja´s home. Nice to be available for your own children when help is wanted.

Sky Watch and Weekend Reflection

Today I will combine two international memes in one photo.Sky Watch Friday and Weekend reflections.
The Sky Watch Community you find here and Weekend Reflections here. For local inhabitants it may be important to document the peaks seen from left at Asbjørn´s photo from the Sykkylven Fjord.
1. : Straumshorn
2. : Lille Kløvheitind
3. : Råna
4. : Trollkyrkja
5. : Skopshornet
6. : Stavekollen

Salary levels for Prime Ministers

According to my information the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg is receiving an annual salary of 1.268.400 nok for leading our country of 4.86 mill people.The new Prime Minister in United Kingdom, David Cameron will receive a salary of 1.293.900 nok (£ 142.500) for leading the country of 62.04 mill people. He has decided to reduce the Cabinet Ministerial Pay with 5% compared to the Labour level.
In Norway the Prime Minister did not want to freeze his own salary during the financial crisis last year although he expected temperance from all others, but as you know Jens S. is also a Labour (Arbeiderpartiet / Social Democrats) minister.
The deficit in the UK during the year will reach 12% of GDP, while Norway will have a surplus of more than 7%. Wonder if we pensioners will get an increase this year.