Archive for November, 2006

Ljungberg Sweden’s Footballer of the Year

Media, Sport: November 14th, 2006 by PR

Fredrik Ljungberg won Sweden’s Footballer of the Year award, the ‘Gold Ball’, on Monday night, while Lotta Schelin claimed the ladies’ version, the ‘Diamond Ball’.

As Ljungberg walked the long walk to centre stage, gold confetti rained down upon him. Grinning from ear to ear the Arsenal midfielder and Sweden captain stepped up to the microphone – and gracefully admitted that it had been a rather disappointing year, starting with Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League Final.

“The Champions League Final made a big impression. That was hard for a while. It hasn’t sunk in yet – we thought their first goal was offside.”

But then came Sweden’s World Cup campaign in Germany. 

“That was the biggest thing for me this year. It helped me after the Champions League Final. We began a bit hesitantly and the whole thing didn’t end well, but the matches against England and Paraguay were good.”

Ljungberg’s rare headed goal to seal the win over Paraguay was the high point. 

“That feeling when the whole stadium celebrated will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Footnote:

The awards threw up a bizarre mishmash of celebrity. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt put the serious matter of running the country aside for an evening to hand out an award and cheerfully delivered a few jokes about how the event reminded him of election night.

Then ageing British boy band Take That showed up, performed a song, and handed the ‘Best Striker’ award to Marcus Allbäck. “You look great,” said host and former Miss Sweden Jessica Almenäs. “So do you,” leered Gary Barlow.

Later, former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson took to the stage to present an award and was welcomed by excited applause. “Thank you very much,” he said. “It’s a long time since anyone has applauded me.”

Expressen’s legal gamble: high stakes or high ground?

Business, Media, Society: November 13th, 2006 by PR

Clicking through the sports section on Expressen, what’s notable is the deluge of ads for foreign-run gambling sites.

The law, upheld (in theory) by the Swedish Gaming Board, is perfectly clear:

Prohibition of promoting participation
In order to uphold the Swedish gambling regime the Lotteries Act contains a prohibition of promoting participation in lotteries arranged outside Sweden and unlawful lotteries. The prohibition of participation in foreign or unlawful lotteries covers such activities as selling lottery tickets, receiving stakes or passing on prizes and advertising.

Right now, by carrying their advertising, Expressen is promoting participation in games run by Nordic Bet, Parbet, Spelbolaget, Sportingbet, Fulltiltpoker, 24hPoker, Betway and bet365. Expressen argues that the Swedish law breaches EU regulations and has gone to the EU court to fight its case. In the meantime, the revenue from the advertising will probably fund the legal battle.

What’s with ignoring laws you don’t agree with? Expressen wasn’t exactly sympathetic when certain ministers said they didn’t pay for their TV licences because they disagreed with the system.

Aftonbladet takes the same position as Expressen, but Svenska Dagbladet and Dagens Nyheter do not carry gambling ads. Where is the criticism of the tabloids’ stance? Where are the calls for the editors (who have already been fined by a Stockholm court) to resign?

Maybe it’s considered OK, even bravely defiant, to break a law that we all think is ridiculous. But newspapers, like government ministers, also need to maintain the moral high ground. If they don’t, why should we listen to what they have to say about other law-breakers?

Ancient computerless society discovered in Stockholm

National, Politics: November 11th, 2006 by PO

Missed this little nugget during the week, where Peppe Engberg writes about Carl Bildt?s first day at work at the foreign department.

Apparently when the former PM turned up at his new office he found that not much had happened in the way of technology since the department?s palatial home was completed in 1794.

I heard that Calle Bildt was rather surprised when he took over at Arvfurstens Palats: there was no computer on the foreign minister?s desk.

Who had taken it?

The staff were equally surprised. An employee explained that they had never before had a foreign minister who felt the need for a computer.

Finally a plausible explanation for Laila Freivald?s failure to follow media coverage of the tsunami.

A civil servant finally managed to sort out a computer for Bildt. But he had to install it himself.

This is almost beyond the realms of possibility.

Is it really conceivable that Anna Lindh, Laila Freivalds and Jan Eliasson all simply ignored the computer age?

Spotted on Gudmundson.

Swedes discover Pacific island

Miscellaneous: November 11th, 2006 by PR

Swedish sailors have discovered a new island in the Pacific Ocean.

Fredrik Fansson and his uncle Håkan were sailing from San Francisco to Fiji when they were suddenly grounded after passing the Tonga island Late:

“We were so fascinated and so busy taking photos that we didn’t notice that we were suddenly in the middle of some kind of floating gravel field.”

Further enquiries revealed that there had been volcanic activity in the area and although the Tonga authorities have not yet confirmed the discovery, Fredrik told Svenska Dagbladet that he’s been contacted by the Smithsonian Institute and by NASA.

SvD has the pictures.

Want a Stockholm apartment for 1 krona?

Business, Media: November 11th, 2006 by PR

Online auction company Bidster is running an eye-catching ad campaign at the moment. The web site turns the usual bidding system on its head: here it’s the lowest bid that wins the auction.

And amongst the flat screen TVs and holidays there’s a real bargain to be had: a 1 room, 27 sqm apartment near Karlaplan, newly renovated and fully equipped. It could be yours for 1 krona. And the company has set the maximum price at 50,000 kronor. Someone’s going to get the bargain of a lifetime.

The only catch is that your bid, submitted by SMS, doesn’t just have to be the lowest – it must also be unique. (In other words, someone has probably already bid 1 krona.)

But it’s an ingenious idea. The flat is worth about 1 million kronor. The SMS bids cost 20 kronor each. Just 50,000 bids and the company is happy.

So the question is, what’s the least likely number between 1 and 50,000 that anyone will submit? Maybe 1 krona is so obvious that nobody would bother. Maybe it’s worth a sneaky bid…

Why the rest of Sweden hates Stockholmers

Media: November 10th, 2006 by PR

They do, you know. And to find out why, just watch Söderlund & Bie on SVT1 next Thursday evening. The programme follows journalist Ann Söderlund as she tries to cram her daily life into the meagre 24 hours available. Poor Ann has three small boys, a husband, a TV deal and a weekly magazine column to fit in – but luckily for us, she still finds time to dispense valuable advice for less capable parents.

She gets the advice from her friends who live in big houses or fine apartments and who she vists in her hefty SUV.

“Take one problem at a time,” advises Ammi. It must be good advice because Ammi lives in a gorgeous house in Saltsjöbaden. “Do your dream job,” suggests another sage.

Poor, dear, scatty Ann, her blonde locks cascading over breasts which evidently produce more milk than Arla, writes the ideas down on a big piece of paper for us to read. Writing! Try it yourself!

Towards the end of the programme Ann drops her bombshell. She’s gone and sold her SUV and has bought a gorgeous house in the archipelago! Try it yourself!

Lest we think it’s all play and no work for poor, dear, scatty, spontaneous, wise, courageous Ann, we get to watch her type a bit on her two laptops, then think for a bit, and then type a bit more, like Carrie Bradshaw except maternally fulfilled. Finally she rounds up the advice:

“Prioritise your time, take one thing at a time, sell your house and move to an apartment,” she says, and then smiles to the camera.

“Oh, and do your dream job. I already am.”

Why has SVT funded this? And what must they think of this in Borlänge?

Mutiny on the Baltic

Business, National: November 9th, 2006 by PR

Viking Line, which plies the ferry routes between Stockholm and Finland and Åland, has spent millions on amusing advertising persuading Swedes that it is the cruise line of choice for discerning party lovers.

But it was all in vain. It appears that Tallink is where the real action is.

The company has just bought Silja Line, and to celebrate the acquisition the board and financiers enjoyed an epic drinking binge onboard the Silja Symphony. Things got a little out of hand, reported Expressen:

A bartender was knocked down when a director forced his way behind the bar to serve himself booze, a fire broke out when someone put a fish in a toaster and female enmployees are said to have been exposed to sexual harassment.

According to union man Janne Rudén, the company’s managing director said that the staff were now “Tallink’s maids”. That’s about the most offensive thing you can say to a Swede. Rudén added that the staff of Silja Line are “shit-scared” of their new owners.

Mutiny?

Best sellers at the online pharmacy

Offbeat, Society, Swedish Life: November 9th, 2006 by PO

Since going online, pharmaceutical retailer Apoteket has done a roaring trade in goods of an intimate nature.

The contemplation of baldness and babies is sufficient to make many a Swede reach for the keyboard.

Here is the list of Apoteket?s top ten bestselling online products:

1. Alvedon (painkillers)
2. Shaped condoms, with lubricant
3. Clearblue pregnancy test
4. Ipren (painkillers)
5. Another shaped condom with lubricant
6. Rogaine Forte (stimulates hair growth)
7. Klick lubricant, water-based
8. Cho-San condom with lubricant
9. Clearblue Digital ovulation test
10. Betolvidon (vitamin)

Sugar causes pancreatic cancer

Miscellaneous: November 8th, 2006 by PO

A high sugar intake increases the risk of cancer, according to a new study.

Absolut hypocrisy

Media, Politics, Society: November 8th, 2006 by PR

Sweden’s state-owned alcohol company Absolut has been forced to withdraw an ad in Germany because of its less-than-subtle reference to Herbertstrasse, the focal point for Hamburg’s sex trade.

Alcohol has always been linked to sex in advertising. Prostitution is legal in Germany. The ad was cheeky and inoffensive. So what’s the problem?

The problem is that Absolut is owned by Vin & Sprit, which is owned by the Swedish state. And the Swedish state is emphatically opposed to prostitution and the exploitation of women in advertising. Indeed, before the World Cup last summer, Sweden’s equality ombudsman Claes Borgström went so far as to suggest that the Swedish team should boycott the tournament because of prostitution in Germany.

The state’s ownership of Vin & Sprit is an anomaly that cannot continue. The double standards of a government owning a booze firm (not to mention the retailer Systembolaget) can no longer be covered up by vague references to concern for the nation’s health.

The Reinfeldt government is planning a series of privatisations. Vin & Sprit must be in the first round of sell-offs to put an end to this Absolut hypocrisy.

Sweden: Heaven and Hell

Miscellaneous, Offbeat: November 7th, 2006 by JS

Ever wondered how Sweden earned its reputation as a hotbed of sin? Well, let Italian soft porn director Luigi Scattini enlighten you – his sixties film ‘Sweden: Heaven and Hell’ is doing a roaring trade on YouTube.

Sweden was, for Scattini, the country where “topless bands beat out the rhythm of a turned-on generation.”

A country where “meter maids wear uniforms by day and nothing by night”.

A country where “erotic books are displayed for both sexes with government approval.”

Watch at your own risk (it’s very soft core, but rather lacking in taste and political correctness).

Incidentally, the song Mah Nà Mah Nà was originally recorded for this movie. See the Muppets’ version here.

The Local: over 200,000 readers

Media: November 7th, 2006 by PR

In October, The Local had more unique readers than ever before.

207,565 discerning individuals turned to us for Swedish news and features. If you’re one of the recent converts, welcome. And if you’ve been following events in Sweden with us for a while, thanks for your support.

Winnerbäck v. Idol 2006

Media, Society: November 7th, 2006 by PR

Swedish folk rocker Lars Winnerbäck has withdrawn an ad for his new ‘best of’ album from TV4 at the eleventh hour. The reason, he writes in DN today, is Idol 2006.

Winnerbäck, who eschews celebrity as much as possible, says that the show – the hunt for Sweden’s next big pop sensation – encourages bullying.

Young people with dreams and ambitions come to TV4′s Idol believing and hoping that they have a talent. Some are rejected and derided on nationwide television.

He also slams TV4 boss Jan Scherman’s defence of the show, which was that lots of people like it so it must be OK.

When it’s bullying we’re talking about…that’s like a headmaster defending a gang of bullies because he has five hundred other pupils who aren’t doing anything about it.

Idol is lowest common denominator television. It glorifies disposable celebrity. But it doesn’t sanction bullying. To compare a starstruck wannabee truthfully being told that he or she can’t sing with a child in a playground being singled out, isolated and tormented is, at best, misguided.

Winnerbäck’s musical career has to some extent been built on his principles. His songs ooze with the stuff. And his audience is the polar opposite of the Idol brigade.

So a cynic might suggest that taking such a high profile ‘stance’ against the show would enhance Winnerbäck’s credibility and save a few million kronor in ad costs. All things considered, it might not be a bad commercial decision.

Royal veteran turns 90

Miscellaneous: November 6th, 2006 by JS

He’s the last surviving great-grandson of Queen Victoria. He’s also the uncle of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Margarethe of Denmark. But Carl Johan Bernadotte, who recently turned 90 and is interviewed in today’s Expressen, has no royal title of his own.

He was forced to give up his princely title to marry a commoner, Kerstin Wijkmark, in 1946 (something his brother Sigvard was also forced to do. Another brother, Bertil, had to wait until 1976 to marry Lilian Davies, now Princess Lilian, whom he met in England during World War II).

The tabloids have been speculating for years that current Crown Princess Victoria’s match with her boyfriend Daniel Westling has been deemed ‘unsuitable’ – that he’s not princely enough. Let’s hope that the current royal family has more sense than to repeat the mistakes of Victoria’s grandfather’s generation.

Money, tickets…

Miscellaneous: November 6th, 2006 by JS

British band Babyshambles have cancelled two planned concerts in Sweden on Monday and Tuesday. The reason: Pete Doherty has lost his passport.

The current plan is for the band to come back later in the month. Swedish police will doubtless be on standby: last time he was here he was arrested after a shambolic performance and fined 14,000 kronor when police found traces of cocaine in his blood.

Newspaper column for top Swedish blogger

Media, National: November 6th, 2006 by PO

One of Sweden’s foremost bloggers, Per Gudmundson, made his debut this morning as a columnist at Svenska Dagbladet.

The former SVT producer’s eminently readable blog was forced into a lengthy pause when the state broadcaster found out about its employee’s sideline. But now Gudmundson has left SVT, his blog is back up and running, and he has got the reward his fine writing deserves.

Best of luck to him!

The final windfall

Offbeat: November 4th, 2006 by PO

Ever wonder what happened to Europe, the Swedish band that brought us The Final Countdown?

Well, they?re back on tour. And they?ve got a blog (Swedish). And a few nights ago they were out stealing apples from Roxette singer Per Gessle?s garden.

When the bus rolled into Halmstad the other night we decide to pinch apples from Per Gessle. So we asked a man in check clothes where the king of pop lived, followed his directions and soon found ourselves in Per?s lovely garden.

While we were helping ourselves to his fruit we saw a women standing in a window and gesticulating wildly. Maybe it was Åsa Gessle. We assumed she was trying to say, ?Help yourselves to the apples boys, and best of luck with everything.?

When we later checked in to the hotel we gave the apples to the nice receptionist, who thanked us by giving each of us an almond bun.

Could this be the spark that reignites ancient rock/pop rivalries?

Will Per Gessle respond by kicking his football into Joey Tempest’s greenhouse?

Watch this space.

Crime of translation

Media: November 4th, 2006 by PR

Aftonbladet reports that a flasher in the US has been handed an unusual punishment: wearing a T-shirt declaring that he is a sex offender. What’s odd, though, is the uncaptioned photo accompanying Aftonbladet’s report:

Unless he lives in certain small pockets of Minnesota, that’s hardly going to cause the chap much embarrassment Stateside.

Norbergs can’t keep up with the Joneses

Offbeat: November 4th, 2006 by PR

Pity the Norbergs of Sweden. Two years ago, 583 of them gathered their way into the Guinness Book of Records when they met – where else? – in the Västmanland town of Norberg. It was the largest-ever gathering of people with the same name.

But records, and especially utterly pointless ones, are made to be broken and to the chagrin of Norbergs everywhere, the inevitable has happened.

Damn those 1,000 Welsh Joneses.

Borat’s cultural learnings of Sweden

Society, Swedish Life: November 3rd, 2006 by PO

Borat has a chat with Aftonbladet and gives his considered opinion on some famous Swedes. Of Princess Madeleine he says:

What? She is a real princess? We say it is dangerous to give any woman power. In my country we say to make a woman princess is like to give a monkey a gun. Very dangerous!

Fredrik Reinfeldt gets kazakhed too. Here’s the clip for your viewing pleasure.