Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

Americans prefer Sweden!

Miscellaneous: September 27th, 2010 by DL

A story circulating on the web over the weekend argued that most Americans actually preferred a system of wealth distribution similar to Sweden’s.

The poor and the rich, Democrats and Republicans are all equally likely to choose the Swedish model.

The article, which appeared on a progressive news blog, is based on a study which attempts to get views from “regular” Americans concerning debates about wealth distribution and inequality in society.

According to the study, 92 percent of Americans preferred “Swedish-style” wealth distribution over the current situation in the United States.

Swedish voters could end country’s love affair with Social Democrats

Miscellaneous: September 13th, 2010 by VT

The AP suggests Swedish voters may be ready to spurn the Social Democrats for a second consecutive term in a story on Sunday.

Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson goes for a hearty Swedish meal in Chicago

Miscellaneous, Offbeat, Sport, Sweden abroad, Tourism: September 13th, 2010 by VT

Hockey defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson of Eksjö east of Jönköping, winner of the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, has a taste of home at the aptly named Tre Kronor in the Windy City’s Northwest Side on Friday.

City living can drive people crazy, says Swedish study

Health, Miscellaneous, Swedish Life: September 13th, 2010 by VT

A study conducted by a Welsh researcher of more than 200,000 Swedes in their late 20s and mid-30s suggests increased social fragmentation in large cities may partially explain why psychotic disorders are more common in urban areas, researchers have suggested, the findings, published on Tuesday, show.

Stieg Larsson prophecy of Sweden Democrats prophecy may come true

Miscellaneous, Politics: September 10th, 2010 by VT

Bloomberg suggests Stieg Larsson’s Stieg Larsson prediction a decade ago that the Sweden Democrats would first enter parliament in 2010 may come true, Bloomberg wrote on Friday.

Dolph Lundgren vs. Unicorn

Film, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Music, Offbeat, Swedish Life, Technology: September 10th, 2010 by VT

These were uploaded on Thursday:

Dolph Lundgren grills a unicorn

Dolph Lundgren loses his head

Just in case you missed it the first time, here’s Lundgren’s rendition of Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation” at Melodifestivalen in February.

Hollywood Millennium’s Lisbeth spotted in Stockholm prepping for film

Books, Film, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Swedish Life, Tourism: September 9th, 2010 by VT

Rooney Mara was spotted on the streets of Stockholm on Wednesday going to a gym and heading to a language school, where she is reportedly learning to speak English with a Swedish accent, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday.

CNN hits the Millennium trail in Stockholm

Architecture, Books, Business, Film, History, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Offbeat, Society, Swedish Life, Tourism: September 9th, 2010 by VT

CNN follows the flocks on tourists on the Millennium tour of Stockholm on Wednesday.

Swedish street prostitution cut in half thanks to law

Economics, Miscellaneous, National, Opinion, Politics, Swedish Life: September 9th, 2010 by VT

Street prostitution has been cut in half, “a direct result of the criminalization of sex purchases,” the Christian Science Monitor wrote on Tuesday.

Robyn waxes poetic on Sweden in CNN interview

Miscellaneous, Music, Swedish Life: September 9th, 2010 by VT

Swedish singer Robyn appeared on CNN on to talk about her love for Sweden and how the country inspires her music.

The New York Times goes House Hunting in … Stockholm

Architecture, Miscellaneous, Sweden abroad, Swedish Life: September 9th, 2010 by VT

The New York Times goes House Hunting in … Stockholm and profiles a 4.5 million kronor ($620,000) two-bedroom apartment in Östermalm in its Great Homes and Destinations section on Tuesday.

‘Passion’ leads Martha Stewart to Stockholm

Miscellaneous: September 5th, 2010 by DL

Martha Stuart, America’s “most trusted guide to stylish living” headed for Stockholm this weekend, according to a September 3rd blog post. She’ll be spending a few days in the Swedish capital to attend the GRID 2010 conference, put on by Bonnier, one of the biggest names in publishing and media in Sweden.

As Martha puts it:

The theme this year is “It’s All About Passion,” a subject very dear to me.

And as we all know, nothing screams ‘passion’ more loudly than Stockholm in September!!!

Alexander Skarsgård naked on Rolling Stone

Film, Media, Miscellaneous, Sweden abroad: August 31st, 2010 by VT

True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård appears naked on the cover of Rolling Stone with real-life newlywed co-stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer.

Långholmen hosts the Tartan Army in Stockholm clash

Miscellaneous: August 10th, 2010 by PVS

The braves of Långholmen, The Local’s partner football club in Stockholm, will be entertaining the travelling faithful of Scotland’s Tartan Army this evening in an international friendly that is set to be the social event of, well, this evening.

A Långholmen select eleven, featuring faces from The Local past and present, will be lining up to represent Sweden against the Tartan Army in a match in aid of Min Stora Dag – a Swedish children’s charity. The game will kick off at 7pm at Östermalm’s IP (T-bana Stadion behind Djurgården’s home pitch).

Pre-match festivities will begin in the Southside pub on Hornsgatan on Södermalm at 5pm and will continue afterwards with discounts for anyone who can muster an approximation of a highland brogue.

So dig out your sporrans, tune up your vocal chords, and come down to Östermalms IP for a feast of football to lift the spirits ahead of Wednesday’s full international.

Lindberg conviction proof of Sweden’s ‘darkside’?

Miscellaneous: August 2nd, 2010 by VT

In the UK Guardian on Sunday Andrew Anthony links Scandinavian noir fiction with the real life intrigue of the Göran Lindberg sex case and the Olof Palme murder case, pondering whether Sweden’s otherwise wholesome image may indeed have a dark underbelly.

Monocle’s Tyler Brûlé falls in love with Sweden again

Miscellaneous: July 29th, 2010 by VT

Why I’m sweet on Sweden again

The magic of Google Analytics

Business, Health, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Music, Newsbites, Offbeat, Society, Swedish Life, Technology: July 23rd, 2010 by VT

Sometimes older articles on The Local find new life weeks, months or even years after they are initially published when they are picked up by external sites.

Recent examples of this are a sudden spike in traffic of 8,000 readers on June 16th to Swedish parents keep 2-year-old’s gender secret, initially published nearly a year earlier on June 23rd, thanks to a pickup on i am bored.

More recently, on July 8th, Cracked.com cited our article Black Cobra gang steals selection of small cakes from March in a roundup of 5 bizarre real-life gangs, sending 4,700 readers our way to read about their exploits that merited the mention (they came in 3rd).

This week alone, we’ve seen a significant spike on Artists lose out as fans stop burning CDs and Cerebral palsy fraudster gets 3 years in jail thanks to Fark and Swedish women vote to keep their tops on thanks to reddit.

How can we narrow down the dates, numbers and sources of the traffic coming to our site? Google Analytics. We could spend hours tooling around to see where people are coming from to our site, but we would never get any work done.

We love to see where our stories end up on the Internet, so please feel free to share any articles (old or new) that amuse or enrage you from our site (using the buttons at the bottom of each story or elsewhere). And don’t forget to check out our new and improved Facebook page.

Stockholm Oranje fans pull out all stops for World Cup runners-up

Miscellaneous, Sport, Swedish Life, Tourism: July 12th, 2010 by VT

No one can accuse the Dutch for not throwing a great party whether they win or lose. After being told at the door of the Dutch embassy that it was full on Sunday for the World Cup final against Spain, as soon as the staff of De Hollandse Club Stockholm heard about The Local, it was all smiles and a warm welcome in.

Pre-game show

Wandering into the courtyard, a big-screen TV broadcast a live Dutch feed with the names of the evening’s sponsors spliced in was the focus of the attention of the crowd. Organisers estimated 550 people watched the game, with the event costing about 70,000 kronor ($9,300).

Big screen for big crowd

There was indeed orange, orange everywhere – jerseys (one curiously with “Björklund” on the back), hats, one vuvuzela, shoes, pants, suspenders, furry lobster pendants, wigs, blow-up plastic crowns. However, the face paint was clearly the red, white and blue (the stripes in that order) of the Dutch flag and the hand stamp for re-entry when leaving the premises happened to be a red, white and blue crayon. In addition to Dutch fans, there were also a number of Swedes and English speakers of all accents among the crowd among the lucky ones who arrived early enough for entry.

A fan with an orange-hooded (!) Dutch flag toots on her orange vuvuzela

They also lived up to the promise of Dutch beer at Dutch prices – Grolsch at 30 kronor, as well as wine-in-a-box and soft drinks. Curiously, the bitterballen (Dutch pub snack food) were free. Only when those ran out did they starting charging minimally for the kroketten.

One does not truly feel short until he or she watches the World Cup final with a Dutch crowd – ironically forcing one to the back of the viewing area. After the crowd of Dutch fans who were denied entry finally dispersed well into the second half, seven-year-old Emilia Bouterse, a Stockholmer with a Swedish mum and Dutch dad, still lingered on at the front door, seemingly indifferent to the action on the big screen.

Stockholmer Emilia Bouterse, 7, whose father is Dutch, with Swedish mum Johanna

There were many gasps, jeers and cheers throughout the game for each of the numerous yellow cards shown depending on which team they were directed to, as well as every corner and free kick. Most audible were the shouts of relief when Nigel de Jong did not get a red card for kicking Xabi Alonso in the chest.

Interspersed throughout the game, as well as pre-match and during half-time was a DJ blasting out of the loudspeakers, as well as typical Black Eyed Peas fare in addition to classic Dutch favourites. In addition to the lone orange vuvuzela, other decible-shattering horns blew intermittently, peppered with “Holland!” clapping chants and oddly, “¡Olé Olé Olé!” once or twice.

The red card shown to Johnny Heitinga in extra time seemed to signal a turn for the worse and hinted that the game in the end might not go to penalty kicks, but there was not any excessive shouting at the screen for the decision. There were also nary but groans when Andres Iniesta finally scored four minutes before the end of the game.

As the final whistle blew, a palpable disappointed silence fell over the courtyard of the Dutch embassy as the fans streamed out to Götgatan to meet the oncoming jubilant Spain supporters, but the mood remained festive and cheerful in spite of the loss. However, there is no doubt there would have been partying all night had Oranje won – the line for beer disappeared instantly when Iniesta scored.

The bitter but happy end

“Secret” free gig at Debaser on Wednesday

Miscellaneous, Music: June 30th, 2010 by VT

Christian Love may not be instantly recognizable, but perhaps the name of his father Mike Love’s band might ring a bell.

The Beach Boys are celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band next year. There has been speculation that founding members Brian Wilson and Al Jardine would reunite with the band ahead of the 2011-12 tour season, both among fans and in the media.

Christian is in Sweden right now, both with his band 5 Alarm, which is performing for free at Stockholm’s Debaser Slussen tonight with Japandroids at 8pm, as well as for the Beach Boys’ four dates in Sweden this weekend and later next month.

In a statement on the Beach Boys’ website from June 22nd, Mike Love wrote, “The Beach Boys continue to tour approximately 150 shows a year in multiple countries. At this time there are no plans for my cousin Brian to rejoin the tour.

“…We have had some discussions of writing and possibly recording together, but nothing has been planned. I, as I’m sure he is, am proud and honored that The Beach Boys music has endured these 50 years, but felt the need to clarify that there are no current ‘reunion’ tour plans.”

The major surviving Beach Boys have not performed together since September 1996, but reunited for a public appearance four years ago for the 40th anniversary of the album Pet Sounds.

The current touring lineup includes Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who joined in 1965, as well as Christian on rhythm guitar. On this leg of their summer season, they will perform at three concerts in Sweden this week before departing for a festival in Spain and return to Västerås the following weekend.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he told The Local. “The concerts will be really good. The shows were very energetic.”

Christian last played in Sweden around the same time last year, both in central Sweden’s Töreboda and northern Sweden’s Piteå. On Tuesday, Christian learned of some Swedish ancestry among the Wilsons and Loves dating back to 1870s through some distant relatives. Christian also has Danish roots.

Ahead of the Beach Boys tour, 5 Alarm, which began 16 years ago, will perform at Debaser. The name was coined by the wife of the drummer, who is also a fireman. In firefighting parlance, a five alarm denotes that five engine companies have been called to respond to an incident.

Unlike his father’s band, Christian’s describes sound as reggae/pop-rock, but the band is firmly rooted to its member’s southern California origins. The band’s first album, Dancing with the Sun, released one and a half years ago, is available on iTunes.

Basketball is another passion in the Love family. Mike Love’s younger brother, Stan Love, was an NBA player, as is his son Kevin. Stan Love was employed as a full-time bodyguard and assistant to Wilson in the mid-1970s and 1980s and filed a petition to be appointed as his conservator in 1990.

As to whether he watches Kevin play in person, “I tried to see him play at UCLA,” Christian told The Local. “I can see him play on TV. It’s too far to see a home game,” as Kevin plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Touring is clearly a family affair, with Mike Love’s wife and Christian younger sister joining them for their Sweden dates. Having already done some sightseeing and “walking around” on Tuesday, they are ready for their upcoming shows.

There may also be a special surprise appearance at 5 Alive’s free gig. As it turns out, Matt Volsky, brother of The Local’s Dana Wikström and current Stockholm resident, is a (former) member of the band.

Beach Boys 2010 Swedish Tour

Thursday: Kungälv, Bohus fästning
Friday: Karlstad, Mariebergsskogen
Saturday: Målilla, G&B Arena
July 10: Västerås, Power Big Meet

Swedish ice hockey: from sex toys to somersaults

Miscellaneous: November 19th, 2009 by DL

Last season, it was flying dildos that made Leksand of Sweden’s Allsvenskan hockey league a household name.

And while sex toys sailing through the air may have been a one-time (albeit memorable) occurrence, the scrappy team from central Sweden has once again found itself in the international limelight.

Taking the mantel from Leksand’s Jan Huokko, who was the object of last year’s famed ‘dildo downpour’, is 18-year-old up-and-comer Henrik Andersen.

Normally, a goal by a virtual unknown in the country’s second highest league wouldn’t draw much attention…even if  it’s a rather nifty score.

But it’s not the goal that has everybody talking.

Rather, it’s Andersen’s jump for joy after notching his first goal in the league that has catapulted this budding hockey talent from obscurity to overnight sensation.

Andersen celebrated the score, the first in a 4-0 drubbing of opposing Björklöven on Tuesday night, by not merely jumping, but more or less taking a flying leap right through the plexiglass behind the goal.

The YouTube clip of Andersen’s unintentional celebratory somersault over the boards (see below), already linked to by sports websites across North America, is certainly on its way to becoming a highlight reel classic.

If only Andersen could have matched the grace he displayed in slyly slipping the puck past the goalie when he tumbled into the crowd. On the bright side, he’s likely caught the attention of NHL scouts, although not necessarily in the way he intended.

And speaking of Huokko, he announced on Wednesday – the day following Andersen’s acrobatics – that he’s retiring from professional hockey due to a career-ending knee injury. Hopefully he’ll be able to find something to keep him satisfied during all his new-found free time.

The question now is, who will be Leksand’s next international star?

(To see the clip with a classical music soundtrack, click here)