Archive for the ‘Offbeat’ Category

Faces stuffed with Swedish pie in Illinois

Offbeat, Sweden abroad: June 21st, 2007 by PO

There can be few people in this world who love a lingonberry pie as much as Martin Cedillo from Illinois:

Cedillo, of Wayne, had his face so deep into the pie that when he came up for air there was purpleish filling between his eyebrows. When he looked satisfied that his pan was clean, he stood up and shouted “I love lingonberries!”

The Daily Herald reports that he had to fight off some stiff opposition before emerging as winner of the Swedish Days pie-eating contest:

Nobody got sick, but Jessica Barbeau, who works at Jitterbug’s in Geneva, said she came close, but it was worth it.

“I wanted to puke, but I kept going,” she said. “I wanted to beat them all. I just kept going.”

UK evangelist claims to heal Swedes

Offbeat, Society: June 18th, 2007 by PO

Is Sweden a good place for evangelical Christian healing?

For a ‘post-Christian’ nation with a declining Church, and the highest suicide rate in Europe, it might seem an unlikely place for miracle stories.

It actually doesn’t take a miracle worker to figure out that Sweden in fact does not have anything like the highest suicide rate in Europe. Statistics will usually do the trick. But we digress.

UK evangelist Paul Bennison has just been in Sweden to do the work the medical professional thought impossible:

Two people suffering from long-term strokes got out of their wheelchairs and walked out of the churches; a not-yet-Christian young woman (Linda), suffering from chronic neck and upper back pain felt ‘water running down my back’ as I prayed for her, and as Heidi prophesied, every time we said the name ‘Jesus’ she felt electric shocks pass through her.

Disclaimer: No electrodes were used during the performing of these miracles.

Sweden loses longest dandelion title

Offbeat: June 13th, 2007 by PO

The big news today is that Sweden’s record for the world’s longest dandelion has been shattered by neighbouring Norway.

Bjorn Magne of Klove found the giant weed, which measured 42 inches, while on a hike through the forest with his mother.

For fourteen years the record stood but 11-year-old Magne has raised the bar for weed-hunters everywhere.

American deejay calls basketball team ‘diaper-headed hos’

Miscellaneous, Newsbites, Offbeat: April 13th, 2007 by CW

According to an article on Thursday in newspaper Dagens Nyheter, American radio deejay Don Imus is in hot water after having made racist remarks on his MSNBC radio show ‘Imus in the Morning’. At an NCAA women’s basketball championship between the University of Tennessee and Rutgers University, Imus described Rutger’s team – mainly comprised of African Americans – as a bunch of “nappy-headed hos.”

Dagens Nyheter translated “nappy-headed” as “diaper-headed” (blöjhövdade), which would be a rather juvenile insult, but hardly worth the uproar it’s caused in the US (which has subsequently led to Imus being canned by NBC). While a “nappy” in British English would refer to something covering a baby’s bum, according to Merriam Webster, in American English it describes the “kinky” or “fuzzy” hair characteristic of black people. In the 1950s, it was used as a derogatory term.

Imus deserves to lose his job, and Dagens Nyheter ought to get a better dictionary.

Made in Sweden: Saddam Hussein’s bullet-proof windows

National, Newsbites, Offbeat: February 26th, 2007 by PO

Newspaper Borås Tidning revealed at the weekend that a Gothenburg firm was given the task in 1990 of supplying bullet-proof windows for one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces in Baghdad.

With Skanska responsible for the construction, the palace was to be an all Swedish affair.

A local army regiment in Borås was charged with testing the reinforced glass.

Heavy weapons were hauled in to a secret testing zone and the windows were pummeled with all manner of heavy ammunition.

Finally, in the autumn of 1990, the mixture of glass and plastic was deemed satisfactory and testing was completed.

Shortly after Iraq had invaded Kuwait, a team of fitters was sent to Baghdad to mount the bulky 6 x 4 metre panes.

But it was all in vain. The Gulf War broke out in January 1991 and the palace that Skanska built was bombed into a smouldering ruin.

The Swedish testers of Saddam Hussein’s bulletproof glass had made the same mistake as the dictator himself: they failed to factor in an aerial bombardment.

The Swenska tjej – it’s the grej!

Media, Offbeat: February 2nd, 2007 by PR

For all students of Swenglish, here’s Swedish comedian Henrik Schyffert’s glorious contribution to the tongue, from comedy show Veckans nyheter.

“The Swenska tjej likes the killar to wisa känslor och städa the badrum. They thinks its manligt for Swenska men to be like a tant. But it’s konstigt because then the tjejgänget go to Grekland and then they want to ligga with the…”

Well, you can see the rest here:

Thanks to Charlotte for the tip.

Good to be a woman in Borås

Newsbites, Offbeat: January 23rd, 2007 by PO

It has been statistically proven that the most average Swedish couple is likely to be made up of people called Lars and Anna Johansson.

And they probably live in Hallsberg, Sweden’s demographic mid-point.

But the town of Borås has another claim to fame.

Anna Johanssons in the western town have more orgasms (in Swedish) than women in any other Swedish town.

So maybe Lars Johansson isn’t so average after all.

Healthy Swedes? Ever tasted a Calzskrove?

National, Offbeat: January 8th, 2007 by PO

If there’s one thing small-town Sweden is good for, it’s bizarre pizzas.

But the Calzskrove in Skellefteå takes some beating: it’s a burger and chips wrapped inside a calzone. For just 95 kronor you can clog up your arteries for weeks with one of these beauties. They’ll even throw in a coke for good measure.

Aftonbladet has the story, along with images that may be disturbing for readers with a sensitive palate.

Animal life in the archipelago

Offbeat, Politics, Swedish Life: December 11th, 2006 by PO

Came upon these fine specimens while out wandering in the Stockholm archipelago during the summer. Aren’t they cute?

House for sale: would suit Bond villain with deep pockets

Miscellaneous, Offbeat: December 10th, 2006 by PR

There’s something decidedly unswedish about one of the houses for sale in Gothenburg via agency Bjurfors at the moment.

The asking price is 19 million kronor, which makes it one of the country’s most expensive homes right now, but it’s the extraordinary interior that surprises most. In a land where interior design means any colour so long as it’s white, this is a dream home for any aspiring Bond villain.

“Those are pirhanas, Mr Bond.”

“Sleep well, Mr Bond.“

“The wine is quite excellent, although I had rather expected a claret.“

Photos from Bjurfors. See the full details of the remarkable pad here.

A man, a plan, a catamaran

Offbeat: December 5th, 2006 by PO

What’s a man to do when he has hit retirement age and his wife has passed away?

In the film About Schmidt Jack Nicholson tried to stave off his late-life crisis by hopping into his motorhome and driving across America.

Retired Swedish paper-mill worker Erik Ramgren went about ten steps better. He climbed into his half-built catamaran and just went with the flow, which ended up taking him to Trinidad & Tobago.

The Guardian has the full, incredible story.

Cheers to VikingHumpingWitch for the tip.

Unique politician disrobes. Again.

Offbeat, Politics: December 4th, 2006 by PO

Last year former Big Brother winner Linda Rosing said she wasn’t going to do any more revealing photo shoots. Instead she started a political party, Unika Partiet. The party got 222 votes nationwide in the September general election.

Now she has decided to put politics behind her and go back to the photo studio because “nobody takes me seriously anyway”.

Expressen’s headline on its main page is a tad misleading, mind you: “Forced to disrobe,” they say.

Nonsense. Click the link and you’ll find that if ever there was a voluntary disrobing, this is it.

Lisa Miskovsky big in Pyongyang

Offbeat: December 2nd, 2006 by PO

When browsing through the Pyongyang Chronicles today I was delighted to see that Swedish singer Lisa Miskovsky has finally made it into the North Korean Top 20 Singles Chart.

TW LW
01 – 06 The Farming Collective of the Northwest – “Juche Farming Method is the Only Method”
02 – 01 Latoya Jackson – “C’est La Vie”
03 – 03 MC Cho – “Love The Americans (Hate The Imperialists)”
04 – 05 Hong Sae-Mi featuring MC Cho – “Golden Star for the Fatherland”
05 – 02 Kim Yong Yok – “Together In Defense of Socialism 06″
06 – 08 Bananarama vs. Kim Yong Yok – “Juche In The First Degree”
07 – 11 Korean Anti-Fascist Protection Assembly – “Bombs Over New York City”
08 – 04 The Pipettes – “Pull Shapes”
09 – 14 Scissor Sisters – “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’”
10 – 12 Shark Attack from Tumen River – “Dance! (Give It Your All For The Motherland)”
11 – 07 Mr Jong-Sung – “I Am Blind (But I Can Still See The Revolution)”
12 – 15 Kasabian – “Empire”
13 – NE Lee Jin and the Songun Heroes – “Let’s Gather Mulberry Leaves”
14 – 17 Lily Allen – “Smile (Censored Version)”
15 – 09 Bob Sinclar – “Everybody Movin’”
16 – NE Psapp – “Hi”
17 – 13 Bae Cho-Won – “If Our Party Decides…. We Do”
18 – 19 Lisa Miskovsky – “Mary”
19 – 10 Old Lesbians of Choson – “(People Hold On) Socialism Will Set You Free”
20 – 16 Lee Ji-Ma - “Please Accept Our Salute, Dear Leader”

The Pyongyang Chronicles offers a much needed antidote to the anti-communist hate-mongering of the imperialist west. The Economist may consider Sweden a model democracy. But just because we don?t hear much about the Democratic People?s Republic of Korea doesn?t mean it?s not doing something right. Just ask Lisa Miskovsky!

From the latest edition of the Pyongyang Chronicles:

Korea – One of the Only True Democracies in the World

While most of the world’s population have to deal with dictators and mud-slinging capitalists who lie to citizens to gain their votes, The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a shining example of how a true democratic system can prosper in one country.

What? A parody! Really?

The challenge of fermented herring

Miscellaneous, Offbeat: November 27th, 2006 by PR

Before you take the ultimate Swedish cultural assimilation test of consuming surströmming, or fermented herring, you might like to watch a couple of British guys experiencing the delicacy:

Thanks to Shark99 in Discuss for the link.

Pubic Service Announcement

Media, Offbeat, Society: November 27th, 2006 by PR

Spare a thought for 22 year old Mia Adrelius, who is in hospital with a nasty infection after shaving her pubic hair. Now Mia has decided to go public with her plight, and Expressen was only too happy to oblige.

“It’s not the first time I’ve done it, but it’s definitely the last.”

After trimming her front lawn, so to speak, Mia noticed the infection. Alas, antibiotics didn’t do the job and she had to go to hospital, almost unable to walk.

“The doctors thought it was one big abscess. But as it turned out, there were thirty.”

What on earth possesses a young woman with a colony of boils in her knickers to get on the phone to a national tabloid about it? Mia told Expressen that she wants to warn others: 

“This is a trend which is creeping down the age groups without girls knowing how bad it can be.”

Perhaps the pubicity will do some good.

Danish public service film a bumper success

Offbeat: November 20th, 2006 by PO

Denmark is different.

Earlier this month the Danish Road Safety Council released a new campaign film encouraging motorists to reduce speed on the streets of Copenhagen.

Like watching paint dry? Not according to Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

The campaign film was put up on the internet on November 6 and has already been seen by 1.6 million people around the world.

But why the sudden interest in Danish traffic policy?

A. The chance to see video footage of a beautiful city.

B. The campaign?s amusing American voiceover.

C. The team of topless Danish women holding up speed limit signs.

Only on the other side of the Öresund Bridge could this happen.

The Women?s Council has protested against the public service film. But Equality Minister Eva Kjer Hansen hopes the campaign achieves its objective and has given it the green light.

Watch Copenhagen’s Speed Bandits tackle traffic crime.

Anders Borg loves boobs

Media, Offbeat, Politics: November 16th, 2006 by PR

But which Anders Borg? Trying to find out a bit about Sweden’s finance minister this week, we came across a blog written by an Anders Borg.

This Anders Borg is based in Sweden and his profile could certainly fit the man holding Sweden’s purse strings:

I have always been interested in politics, and have as I have grown older realized that the answers to many of my questions are found in the Classical Liberal tradition.

His posts offer well-presented opinions on a variety of political and economic issues, many written in English. One such post addressed the ad campaign for bras run earlier this year by underwear company Lindex. Their strapline (geddit?) was ‘We love boobs’. So, it seems, does Mr Borg:

I can go on ranting and preaching about the beauty of the female body for hours on end, but I’ll end with saying that there are few things that I have such a genuinely uncomplicated feeling towards as boobs. I love ‘em.

Was this written by Sweden’s finance minister? The blog entries stopped around mid-February – just when things were hotting up for the election. There’s nothing on there to suggest involvement with the Moderates or an impending government role, but it’s a tantalising thought.

Would the boob-loving Mr Borg please reveal himself!

Update – 2006-11-17

Beta Alfa 2.0 points out to us that sadly Boobs Blog Borg is not Budget Borg after all. It seems he dealt with the matter some time ago. Bang goes another exclusive. Thanks Beta Alfa 2.0.

The world through Swedish eyes

Offbeat, Society: November 14th, 2006 by PR

Just saw this evidence of anthropological differences on Bubblare. Sorry, Brits, but this really is how Swedes see you.

National stereotypes, eh?

Stockholm training camp for girl gamers

Offbeat: November 14th, 2006 by PO

In case you didn’t know, somewhere in Stockholm there is an elite team of female gamers getting ready to blow somebody’s head off.

When the San Francisco Chronicle managed to prise Jamie Lee away from her shotgun they discovered that she had fled her native country.

Lee currently lives with members of an all-female team, Girlz of Destruction, in a video game training facility in Sweden.

The 19-year-old native of San Jose moved to Stockholm because of its fabulous… broadband.

She grew up competing with her two older brothers but didn’t find other women to play with until she formed the Girlz of Destruction in 2003. The team has members all over the world, and the Girlz chose a home in Stockholm in part because the city’s superior fiber wiring translates to less lag time during online Quake duels.

Lee obviously loves the cut and thrust of fighting games, but fellow gamer Rob Enderle thinks the time is right for the industry to target the potential pool of more genteel female players.

“The market that’s been heavily plumbed is the young adult male market that likes scantily clad women and blowing stuff up,” Enderle said. “And the market that hasn’t been plumbed well at all is the female market in any age group.”

Filming your neighbours having sex

Offbeat, Society: November 14th, 2006 by PR

Sweden is the new haven for Peeping Toms, after a prosecutor dropped the charges against a 20 year old who was caught filming his neighbours having sex.

But interestingly, Sweden has very strict laws on bugging, with the police even finding it hard to get permission to eavesdrop. So be warned: in Sweden, you can watch your neighbours having sex – but you can’t listen.

Bubblare,  Scandinavia’s homegrown alternative to YouTube, must be girding its servers in anticipation of a wave of new productions - accompanied by some very dodgy amateur soundtracks.