Monday, April 30, 2007

climate change and greenhouse effect

just saw an inconvenient truth, al gore's documentary about climate change and such. the movie in itself was quite interesting, hearing about what's going on in the world today, but his "reflective" moments weren't all that impressive. could've done without them...

tomorrow I'll be watching the great global warming swindle, to hear the other side of the story. there are some clear and indisbutable facts, such as that it is getting warmer, the ice is melting and things like that, but the question is - whose fault is it? how much have we affected things, and what can we do about it now?

there's a lot of stuff going around about al gore not living the way he "preaches". for example, check here. although hypocrisy is never good, that doesn't take away the urgency of what's going on with the planet.

as human beings, we have a great responsibility to take care of our planet. God has created the planet and set certain physical laws that govern how things work. as any sort of law - physical, social, spiritual - all actions we make have their reactions and consequences. we have to be careful so we don't go too far in starting processes we can't reverse...

dream goal

this is the type of goal you dream of scoring, straight from a corner:

Saturday, April 28, 2007

been a while...

... since I've been up this late. just got back home from a party at a friend's place, and I really enjoyed it. lots of people, more alcohol (none for me!), and lots of singstar. met a few people I hadn't seen for looooong, and got to have a few nice conversations with some of the people there. and got to mention the Faith as well, was really nice to have a few quotes memorized by heart. even though I perhaps didn't quote straightly, I pretty much paraphrased them. it helps.

now I just hope my daily routine doesn't get messed up by sleeping at this late an hour...

6-0! and 3-1 too...

second game of the season for the kids, and this time they did it really well (last game ended with an unlucky 5-2-loss). we started the game in a ferocious tempo, and had numerous scoring opportunities in the first half. unfortunately, the ball didn't go in, though they didn't have anything. (we might've had one ball over the line, but didn't get the goal.) however, first half ended 0-0. what did I say in halftime? pretty much nothing at all. I just told them they were doing great and that it's just been bad luck that we hadn't scored yet.
and then came the second half... and suddenly the balls started going in. the first one came quite early on, and then it just kept on coming, evenly distributed throughout the half. I think our goalkeeper had to make about half a save during the entire game.
the kids played so well, kept the ball, passed it around, and some really nice through balls to split open the defence. I was really impressed to see them play like this, really mature style of play. I'm proud and happy :)


and then I had a game on thursday, with work. I scored two goals (stole the second, but the first one was a really nice lob), but the game itself wasn't all that nice. not sure why, but turned out to be quite a boring game. at least we won it, 3-1, so that was pretty much the only positive thing of the game.

Friday, April 27, 2007

I'm not sure why I'm posting this...

I lost my hairband yesterday, or at least couldn't find it today at basketball. so... this is what happened:



I know, it's just wrong on so many levels... I apologize to anyone that's somewhat into anything remotely close to fashion.

google humor!

go to http://maps.google.com/, and click directions.
from: new york.
to: stockholm.
instruction #24: Swim across the Atlantic Ocean, 3,462 mi.



that's funny :)

Thursday, April 26, 2007

visited european countries

gotta do it, so here it is:



might do the world as well... although I guess it's not so spectacular... 19 in europe at least.

comforting words

from a Baha'i prayer: "And if thou art overtaken by affliction in My path, or degradation for My sake, be not thou troubled thereby."

that's so very comforting to read. if we're doing something for God, and something bad happens to us, we shouldn't worry. doesn't it feel good to know?

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

my legs are so dead

as expected, I didn't quite make my planned schedule, but I'm still satisfied. the past week, I've only rested two days, and by the end of the week it will pretty much be the same. on top of that, I'll probably double three days (football/football practice yesterday, squash/football practice tomorrow, squash/basketball on friday).
so my legs were a bit tired, and are even more tired now. I did the two first sprints (6*50), and then managed 3.8 km before I started to feel some pain in my knee. the tempo I kept would've given me around a 27.5 minute finish on 5 km, so that's quite good, especially considering it's my first run of the summer. and then I was too tired to do the final sprints.

and then when I showered, I almost tripped. that's not embarassing. what is embarassing is that I tried to grab the water to help me recover my balance. obviously that didn't work...

football tonight, man united - milan. having my brother and a friend coming over, it's gonna be fun :)

it's a bag!

the package:



after a bit of fighting and tearing the papers apart, here's the bag:



I guess it could be quite useful, my old one doesn't have much time to live. understandable though, since I've had it for more than 8 years...

Monday, April 23, 2007

a deplorable loss

football this morning started out so well with a goal in the 5th minute or so. we played in the cup, against the same team we lost 4-2 a week ago in the league. unfortunately we had no substitutes (5 minutes before the game we weren't even enough to play) so we all had to conserve our energy.
well, they didn't actually create all that much, and we had a few dangerous chances in the first half. second half was pretty much the same, but they felt even less dangerous. we were of course focusing on counter-attacks, but couldn't really put the nail in the coffin. however, with 5 seconds (!) left of the game, a ball into the box somehow gets a touch on one of their player's head, and it goes into the goal. we don't even have time to kick off after the goal, the ref blows the whistle right away.
no extra time, straight to penalties. I decided that I'd try to be goalie, and do my best. and oh so unlucky we are... all penalties are really well taken, the goalies had basically no chance on any of them. I had my hand on one of them, but it was too hard for me to be able to save. third penalty, one of our players has the goalie completely sent the opposite way, but hits the post :(
up until the very last one, everyone scores with really good penalty kicks, and then their player steps up for it. and what does he do? sends it in off the bar, really close to the post. no chance for me to take it... :-/
so there goes our dream of cup glory, now we'll just have to focus on the league.


in other news, tomorrow is first time to go running. short sprints and then a bit of long distance. here's the schedule:
- sprints, 6*50m (run, walk back, repeat)
- rest and drink
- sprints, 6*50m
- rest and drink
- running, 5 km (approximate time: 30 min, 22-23 min is even better, eventually 20 min is the goal)
- rest and drink
- sprints, 6*50m

by now, I'm more or less dead. so it's just time to get back home :)

what is it?

just picked up the package from accenture (check this) with the price we got. gonna open and see what it is... pictures coming up tomorrow.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

short, but sweet :)

we were only eight people, it only lasted for 20 minutes, but it was still very nice and fun. here are the pictures:








pazza inter :)

crazy inter! here's a lovely music video recorded about 3 years ago:


and if you want the song, click here.

going to the fountain in the center of stockholm in 50 minutes to celebrate together with a few other fans... pictures coming up afterwards! ;)

italian champions!

lo scudetto is ours! inter are champions of italy!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

happy Ridván!

today is the first day of Ridván (arabic: paradise), designated one of the two "Most Great Festivals" by Bahá'u'lláh. it was on this day in 1863 that He for the first time declared that He was the Promised One sent by God. the festival was held in the Najibiyyih garden, situated just outside of Baghdad in Iraq. as He was being deported by the government to Constantinople (Istanbul), He gathered His family and a few followers there for a festival. here's a lovely story:
"Every day, ere the hour of dawn, the gardeners would pick the roses which lined the four avenues of the garden, and would pile them in the center of the floor of His blessed tent. So great would be the heap that when His companions gathered to drink their morning tea in His presence, they would be unable to see each other across it. All these roses Baha'u'llah would, with His own hands, entrust to those whom He dismissed from His presence every morning to be delivered, on His behalf, to His Arab and Persian friends in the city..."
(Nabil cited in God Passes By, p. 153)

Bahá'u'lláh stayed in the Ridván garden for twelve days, His family arrived on the ninth day. the first, ninth and twelfth days are Holy Days and Baha'is should not be working during these days.


so what do we do today? well, first of all, the entire period is spent in festivity with gifts and presents, etc., as a reminder that the crisis (Bahá'u'lláh's exile from Baghdad) was turned into a victory (the public declaration of His Mission). yesterday we had a nice gathering at the Baha'i center with some devotionals, music and food/cakes.
the second thing that happens is the election of the Local Spiritual Assemblies. the whole administrative order of the Baha'i Faith is quite unlike anything ever seen in the institutions of previous religions. it is what I consider truly democratic.
every community that has more than 9 believers over the age of 21, chooses the believers who best combine the qualities of "unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience" (Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'í Administration, p. 88). naturally, all voting is made anonymously. but what's so amazing here is that all nomination, presentation and campaigning is forbidden. it is a duty and privilege to serve, but there is no "Baha'i career" to be made. imagine how much money is saved (in comparison, hillary clinton received $51,567,732 in campaign money between 2001-06, source), how much trouble is saved in terms of debates, slander, gossip and whatnot. the elections are generally very calm occasions held in a spiritual atmosphere, which is something that can definitely not be said about the elections you see in the world today...

the task of the local assemblies is to oversee the affairs, activities and happenings in the community. the guiding principle is consultation, which is a very interesting process. again, very different from how things work today in the politics and companies. read more about it here, and here. it is not the easiest of processes, as some things are difficult to get used to and understand, but I think it is mostly due to our own lack of personal development.

there's also more to read about the spiritual assemblies here. there is a lot that can be read/said/written on this subject, but it's a lifelong process of learning... :)

Friday, April 20, 2007

the monthly monthly, part 3

I've now lived here for three and a half months, and all in all, it feels good. I have some things that I definitely need to work on, and some things that I'm really happy about. I'll also write some stuff about the Fast, which ended a month ago...

cleaning
I'm glad I live alone and haven't invited all too many people over here... because I've been really bad at keeping things clean. dishes and vacuuming has been left too long to wait, and I've really felt bad about coming home to a complete mess. I have a slight excuse that things have been quite busy, but it still doesn't count as a valid enough excuse. I just need more discipline when it comes to it, because it's also affecting my mood and spirit. I've been really down when thinking about home (although I really love my bed!), so I have to make an effort to keep it up and good.

friends
since I'm living "in town", it's easier to invite people over. especially for football :) I've had people come over every now and then and it's been a lot of fun. that of course forces me to keep things clean, so I suppose that's good. season is almost over now, so not too many good games left. however, I suppose it *is* possible to invite people for other things...


now for my thoughts about fasting:

not eating
not really a problem at all. it was easier this year than previous years, and it is a bit surprising since I've been working at the same time. I thought it would be more difficult, but it's possible that working kept my mind busy and thinking of other things than food.

physically
since I was fasting, I didn't do as much sports as I usually do. almost no squash, and not all that much gym. this had the consequence that my body got to rest a bit, so now I have no pain in my legs, knees or shoulders, so I'm really happy about that.

spiritually
of course, there were occasions to talk about fasting and the Faith at work (quite many times I was asked if I wanted to come and have lunch with them). however, I did feel I could've focussed a bit more on myself and how to change things about myself and what to focus on. but I think I have a few new routines and such, so that's a good start. naturally things don't change overnight, but slowly, so it's getting somewhere...

when helping someone helps yourself

I went home to my parents yesterday to help out mom with a devotional, as she didn't have anyone else that could read the texts for her. the topic was kindness. however, after only about a minute or so, I realized that I really needed this for myself, and that it was so good for me, regardless of what the other participants thought about it. will help out next week as well, and then I gotta start it at my own place...

Thursday, April 19, 2007

goal of the season?

lionel messi, 19 years old, did this yesterday:

(gotta love the arabic commentator)


kinda reminds me of maradona's goal, back in 86:



which one's the best? I'm not sure...

headshot! :(

dreamt that I got killed tonight by a gunshot straight at my head. not a too pleasant feeling to wake up... managed to fall asleep quite quickly again though.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

man of the match :)

got appointed man of the match in yesterday's game. go to reklamserien.com, and click premier league on the left. scroll to the very bottom and you can read the text about our latest game. yay! go us! :)

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

more than just a sport...

I don't usually write too much here about football, but this time around I have to. people often ask me what's so interesting about looking at 22 guys running after a ball, and don't really see any joy or pleasure in it.

to me, it's different. simply put, it's beautiful. it's art. watching arsenal's game today, even the commentators were simply stunned by how beautifully they played, passing the ball around, hardly letting the opponents touch it. that's what I like about it, creating beautiful plays and really enjoying things on the pitch.

and also, it's one of the very few things that can make me completely forget about anything else. regardless of how I'm feeling, what I'm thinking about or how things are going, whenever I go out to play, I am completely and 100% focused on playing. and I love it.

good stuff!

football game today in the morning... we won 5-2, and I managed to score two goals. got a bit pressured as two of our guys had to leave a bit early on to get back to work in time, but we managed to hold them back and score a goal to seal the game. tiresome, but good fun :)
and also, my knees and legs and ankles are feeling okay, no pain, so it seems things are getting better.

but most importantly of all: I'm having a good hair day:

Monday, April 16, 2007

si-ilent night...

I've been silent here for a while now, things have been hectic as of recently - it's monday and all my evenings of this week are already booked... but despair not, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have a few things to post about:
  • the conference - best one this far
  • the monthly monthly, part 3 - I've been here for more than three months (including a roundup of the Fast)
  • work and football
  • and I'm sure I'll come up with something more... right now I just need sleep...

    Sunday, April 15, 2007

    good news and bad news

    bad news: I am not really proactive when it comes to my life, but mostly reactive to things.
    good news: I am aware of it and am planning to change things.

    Thursday, April 12, 2007

    oh opera...

    opera is my favorite browser, by far. tried it a couple of years ago, but didn't like it. now I absolutely love it. latest development, speed dial:



    opening up a new tab opens that up, you can pick your favorite 9 sites that you with a simple click can open. can it be sweeter?

    the concept and paradox of sacrifice

    sacrifice and suffering are two closely related subjects. and we are also told that "until a being setteth his foot in the plane of sacrifice, he is bereft of every favour and grace..." (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 76)

    sacrifice: the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. (from dictionary.com)

    it is of course easier for me to just lie down in my couch and watch tv than do something else that is useful, such as studying or working on some project. but of what positive effect will I then be, both to myself and others? (this is of course disregarding those times when someone indeed is very tired and in need of rest.) read this:

    "Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.

    The labourer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him. A soldier is no good General until he has been in the front of the fiercest battle and has received the deepest wounds.

    The prayer of the prophets of God has always been, and still is: Oh God, I long to lay down my life in the path to Thee! I desire to shed my blood for Thee, and to make the supreme sacrifice."
    (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 51)

    so obviously we have to suffer and sacrifice ourselves to develop and grow as human beings. to sacrifice, means to make something holy. our higher, spiritual, nature has to be put above the lower, animal, nature. but here comes the interesting/paradoxical part: if what we are giving up is less important than what we will be gaining, there is no sacrifice. in effect, it is only a perceived sacrifice, because we believe something else to be more important. and in one sense, if we tell ourselves that we are making a sacrifice, we really aren't, because then we are only doing the right thing.

    we also have to remember that as we have different spiritual capacities, what is difficult for one person to prioritize might be more difficult than for someone else. we always have to compare to our own situation and challenges. and obviously, no one is so perfect that they are able to always make the right choice, choosing what's best for us and our spiritual long-term growth. it's all a process, and optimally we would of course never have to make any sacrifices, but always doing what's most beneficial to us.

    this is funny

    and there you have it...

    sure enough, I'm starting to feel a cold coming. can't say I'm really surprised... we were supposed to go out for dinner and stuff tonight with work, but I decided to go home... gonna rest and take it easy. anyone wanna call me? :)

    Wednesday, April 11, 2007

    what happened?

    no more free evenings or weekends, and I wonder to myself how that happened... I need some me-time soon, need to take care of some things here at home and work on some projects. hope to be able to do that during this weekend...

    Tuesday, April 10, 2007

    Baha'i schoolchildren in Iran increasingly harassed and abused by school authorities

    I'm speechless by this, so much cowardice...


    NEW YORK, 5 April 2007 (BWNS) -- Baha'i students in primary and secondary schools throughout Iran are increasingly being harassed, vilified, and held up to abuse, according to recent reports from inside the country.

    During a 30-day period from mid-January to mid-February, some 150 incidents of insults, mistreatment, and even physical violence by school authorities against Baha'i students were reported as occurring in at least 10 Iranian cities.

    "These new reports that the most vulnerable members of the Iranian Baha'i community -- children and junior youth -- are being harassed, degraded, and, in at least one case, blindfolded and beaten, is an extremely disturbing development," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.

    "The increasing number of such incidents suggests a serious and shameful escalation in the ongoing persecution of Iranian Baha'is," said Ms. Dugal. "The fact that school-aged children are being targeted by those who should rightfully hold their trust -- teachers and school administrators -- only makes this latest trend even more ominous."

    Ms. Dugal said the Baha'i International Community has been aware of scattered reports of abuse directed at schoolchildren but has only recently learned that young Baha'is are now widely being forced to identify their religion -- and are also being insulted, degraded, threatened with expulsion, and, in some cases, summarily dismissed from school.

    "They are also being pressured to convert to Islam, required to endure slander of their faith by religious instructors, and being taught and tested on 'Iranian history' in authorized texts that denigrate, distort, and brazenly falsify their religious heritage," said Ms. Dugal. "They are also being repeatedly told that they are not to attempt to teach their religion."

    According to Ms. Dugal, one Baha'i has reported that the school-age children of a relative in Kermanshah were called to the front of the classroom, where they were required to listen to insults against the Faith.

    "Another student, accepted at an art institute, has been followed by the authorities and on three occasions seized, blindfolded, and beaten," said Ms. Dugal.

    "While a few of these may be isolated attacks, the extent and nature of this reprehensible activity has led the Baha'is in Iran to conclude that this is an organized effort," said Ms. Dugal.

    Of special concern, she added, was the fact that a high proportion of the attacks against high school students have been against girls.

    "While the attacks reported to have taken place in elementary and middle schools were leveled evenly against boys and girls, those at the high school level targeted girls to a far greater degree: of 76 incidents, 68 were against Baha'i girls," said Ms. Dugal.

    Ms. Dugal added that the ages of the children and junior youth affected are as follows: at the elementary school level, grades 1-5, students 6 to 11 years old; at the middle school level, grades 6-8, students 11 to 13 years old; and at the high school level, grades 9-12, students 14 to 17 years old.

    The reports of attacks on innocent Baha'i schoolchildren come at a time when a growing number of older Baha'i students seeking to enter Iranian universities have been expelled after being identified as Baha'is.

    So far this year, at least 94 college-age Baha'i students have been expelled from institutions of higher education. That figure is up from 70 as reported in late February.

    Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979, the 300,000-member Iranian Baha'i community has faced ongoing and systematic persecution. In the early 1980s, more than 200 Baha'is were killed, hundreds were imprisoned, and thousands were deprived of jobs and education.

    At the present time, more than 120 Baha'is are out on bail and awaiting trial on false charges, solely because of their religious beliefs and activities. Over the last year, as well, international human rights groups have expressed concern at the Iranian government's efforts to step-up their covert monitoring and identification of Baha'is.


    (source)

    Monday, April 09, 2007

    I'm home

    back at my parents... more info about everything later.

    Thursday, April 05, 2007

    nordic youth conference

    am in norway right now, soon on my way to the nordic youth conference. looks promising :)

    Wednesday, April 04, 2007

    fried cucumber...

    ... tastes like potato...

    the swedish summer school!

    this year it happens between the 16th and 20th of july, in a small, lovely resort called lundsbrunn. main speaker is mr. fariborz sahba, architect of the lotus temple in india, and the terraces in haifa. I'm sure it'll be really good, the place looks sweet and the speaker too. be there!

    link

    Tuesday, April 03, 2007

    bad humor, part 2

    here's the "more" part of it. intended to be part of a stand-up or something similar:

    - you wanna hear some current events? 2 milliampere!
    - nah, that was lame, only about 3 Newton.
    - I feel under pressure to be funny, about 15 megapascal.
    - how's it hanging? vertically?
    - you guys seem a bit cold, almost close to 0 kelvin.
    - do you feel the attraction? it's gotta be at least 20 newton!
    - did you know that buddhists are electrical engineers? they say "ohm" all the time.
    - are you hopeful about my future? just an ounce? maybe a few pounds?
    - how low was that? I think less than 10 atm...


    :)

    bad humor

    really bad humor:



    translation: "we put a lot of weight on environmental questions. 400 grams, approximately."

    and you know what's worse? there's more where that came from... :)

    Monday, April 02, 2007

    so much difference from a smile :)

    was sitting on the tram back home from football practice (which went really well btw), and put one of my feet up on the chair. up comes the conductor, and without saying anything, just looks and points on my foot, but with a big smile. what else could I do but laugh and smile myself? :)

    and while we're at it...

    the latest apple invention, the irack:

    is "youtubing" going to be the next verb?

    it has happened quite a few times now, that youtube is being used as a social tool at different sorts of gatherings. it almost always starts the same way, someone says "oh, I saw this really cool clip on youtube, it's soooooo funny!" and then looks it up and shows it.

    then follows a cavalcade of videos; everyone has their own favorite piece of something funny/strange/crazy/cool. if you're a decent amount of people (3-4 is usually enough), you can go on for at least an hour or two... it's actually a quite nice way of entertainment - no effort is needed ;)


    in other news, I was on my first football leadership course yesterday. it was... okay. quite fun to go out and play a bit (lovely weather), and the theoretical part wasn't all too bad either. since it was the first step, it was mostly directed towards training kids that are around 7-9 years old, so in a way it wasn't all too relevant for me (my kids are turning 12 this year). but there were still some tips and suggestions I picked up that I will be able to use. it's always better with some training and education than none.
    there will be two more courses in mid-may, which I might be going to. not too sure about it, would be nice to have a free weekend for once, but on the other hand, football is fun!