this and that monday musings

:: The interviews went well, the first one was both fun and jolly, the second one well, we can't all be congenials asking the right questions. I suppose. As the whole employing procedure has been, to put it mildly, muddled I am *dash* sceptical. There's a third interview scheduled later this week and oh, I don't know, it feels like 'on the one hand still rather interesting tasks on the other hand quite not well thought through'. Being involved in such a lengthy process does invite a whole lot of (possibly over)analyzing of the situation...

:: Despite wash bag shawls and scarfs with tassels and fringes always come out of the washing machine looking like this. I can't seem to find any fool proof way to wash tasseled stuff. Any suggestions (other than careful, slow motion handwash)?

:: As much as I loath superfluos silly English phrases in Swedish commercials I can't help but being highly amused by German phrases (spoken by Germans) especially car commercials, 'das auto' has such a comforting quality ring to it somehow.

:: Season one of "True Blood" airing here. I'm completely entertained and enthralled.

:: Once upon a time I shared the odd lecture and odder pen at university with the previous Swedish minister of justice / solicitor / writer / your average politician Thomas Bodström. He probably has his points, but I can't say I was impressed by him in those days, can't say I am now. To me he is a textbook example of the unfortunate fact that connections and nepotism counts for a lot. I'm all for politicians having a real job being in actual contact with real life. I'm all against their too often misappropriate use of public funding.

Again and again we whine and grump about the fact the ethics as well as regulations regarding this, that and then some just don't apply to (or so they think themselves) certain people in certain groups. Again and again they get away with it. As long as there are no severe measures taken and obvious expensive penalties for this blatant disregard of common decency they will continue to get away with it. Again and again. Bafflingly enough.

:: First Kenneth Branagh version of the Wallander-series on TV here. Well, what can one say, such a pity on a good story as well as good actors that they decided to film it in Ystad/Sweden and with the original names. Because it is beyond ridiculous that everyone speaks English in Swedish settings, with Swedish names and newspapers. The English prononciations of Swedish names are hilarious ' Wåll and Ör' 'Istad', 'Cört', 'Hasselholm', 'Sanndinn' to name but a few. Really. How I wish they had decided on changing the names and the setting to some small town in England instead.

Wallander personated is of course always brilliant actor Rolf Lassgård, the Krister Henriksson series are overall of a rather poor quality. He's usually a good actor, but he just doesn't work as Wallander. Or maybe it's the overall rather second rate cast makes him look bad.

:: As much as I see Barack Obama as one of the truly good guys capable of and with means to making and influencing great changes all over the world I'm more than slightly dumbfound about him being the latest Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Not so silly me have always regarded that prize as an acknowledgement to someone who has already made a real and positive difference in a very substantial way already, and not as an incentive for positive vibes and something good that hopefully might come one day. Being given such an honourable - granted not all recievers have deserved it - prize for a work in progress seems like an obstruction rather than a prudent decision.