Here is a picture from Årviksand, the place my parents and brothers live at in Northern Norway. This is taken at noon, within the 4 hours of somewhat light during the winter time. At 2.30 PM it was totally dark again, hehe. The picture is taken with my cell phone this week.



Here is another picture taken the same day, this time taken towards the south. The guy on the picture is my little brother, Kent-Robin. The mountain in the background I climbed a night a few summers ago when I was bored. This is the only mountain I have ever climbed, and I guess that says something about the amount of recreational offerings one has in that small coast village in - basically - the middle of nowhere. ;)

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Now that I am uploading images anyway, here is the view from my room. The mountain to the left is Ulriken, the largest of the seven mountains surrounding Bergen.

Statoil, the Norwegian oil company partly owned by the Norwegian State, has been involved in a corruption scandal in Iran. Several oil companies from around the world have been involved in similar irregularities when it comes to doing business in other countries, where one example is how ChevronTexaco is put under scrutiny in the US over dealings in Kazakhstan.

It is a well-known fact that many of the oil-rich countries are spending their income in ways which do not profit the People. There is created a corrupt power elite in the country which exploits the lack of transparency in the country in order to enrich itself. This is problematic, but it is very hard for people in Norway, or Canada, or Afghanistan, to do something about the problems on a
global scale. However, we Can in most cases do something from our national perspective. Here in Norway, there is currently a signature campaign where we (my political party) ask Hydro and Statoil, the two main Norwegian oil
companies, to show more corporate responsability in Iran, a country which is not really doing that well in human rights for instance. The campaign has so far gotten almost 200 signatures, which is mostly from Norwegian members of the Liberal political movement. For fun, I will now try to translate the Norwegian text on that page into English.

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"To Staoil and Norwegian Hydro"

The signatures wish to ask the Norwegian oil companies Statoil and Norwegian Hydro to work actively for human rights in Iran.

Iran is governed by a regime who are violating basic human rights and are denying their people the freedom of speech. The country is considered one of the worst in the world when it comes to capital punishment (death sentences).

To operate in a country such as this requires that you try to influence the conditions in a positive direction. We do not believe that Iranian authorities are influenced in a positive direction just by the Presence of foreign companies. We therefore ask that Statoil and Norwegian ydro:

Discuss breaches on human rights with Iranian authorities, and express discontent with these.

Continue to educate it's personell in human rights issues.

Ensure that the projects they are involved in do not result in exploitations of the local population.

Are open about their work to better the situation in Iran, and are including this in their reports and economic papers.

*on the right of the page:*
Human rights need you!

To do something for the human rights is Liberal Youth's invitation to you for Christmas 2003.

Ethical Consumption
Many of the goods we usually buy are produced by people in the poorest part of the world. Liberal Youths want a fair world trade, and find it important that employers give their employees proper working conditions. Unfortunately many are denied acceptable wages, are denied to form Unions, and can lose their work without proper reasons. Liberal Youths request you to ask in the stores under
what conditions the goods are produced, and whether the producers can guarantee that they have given their workforce proper working conditions. More about this
you can find at this link and this one (especially about jeans).

Iran
Iran is today governed by a religious regime which limits the opportunities of the people to elect their own representants and express their opinion. Iran also
has a Justice system which discriminates women and who have severely brutal punishments. Iran is one of the three worst countries in the world regarding the use of death sentences (together with the USA and China). The Norwegian companies Staoil and Norwegian Hydro are both operating in Iran in order to make money on oil production. Liberal Youths do not support boycotts and we do not wish that the oil companies shall move out from Iran. But we are of the opinion that they should be required to make human rights work a part of its operations. Because of this we ask of you to sign a petition to the companies to do exactly
that.

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My approach is that if we all in our countries put pressure on Our Own Companies who are operating in China, Iran and other places where basic human rights are violated, then we have gained a lot. As consumers, we DO have a lot of
power. As Individuals who can express ourselves, we ALSO have a lot of power. By using the internet to share information and experiences, and cooperating with
others in more or less loose forms, we can help create an awareness, which is:

If we want global change, often we must start with the companies based in our own countries.

I am committed to continue to help put pressure on our Norwegian Oil companies. The situation is that Statoil Claims that its mere presence in Iran IS helping
Iran's human rights record. We do not think this is the case, and that is why this petition was made.

Personally I do not believe in boycots or economic sanctions either. If you want to create change in a different country (be that Iran, China, Israel, USA or the
Soviet Union of the past), then increasing the distance to the people of that country is NOT the way to go. Instead, we must have belief in the power of communication and dialogue.

My hope is that we, youths from around the world active here on Taking It Global, can share information about what is going on in our different countries.
If a company from my country is helping the government in your country to violate the human rights of your people, then Tell Me!

Together we CAN make a difference.

I just read this news piece on CNN.com: U.S. terrorism threat level raised to high

Sigh...

Panic, fear, paranoia.

The one hand does not know what the other does, and the confusion and fear which naturally enough comes as a result of statements such as these is used in order to stir up things even further. Or, maybe I am just too cynical here.

Bush wants to get re-elected, and I guess he will be. During his regime, we will see even further destabilization. His policies are as flawed as that of Sharon in Israel, who, in my opinion, have not at all managed to bring peace to his own country.

I heard somewhere that since 1945 the US has killed 16 (or was it 160?) million people around the world in all kinds of military interventions (including Vietnam, Korea, Granada, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc).

Quote from CNN: "Recent reporting reiterates -- and this is a constant stream of reporting -- that al Qaeda continues to consider using aircraft as a weapon," Ridge said during a Washington news conference. "And they are constantly evaluating procedures, both in the United States and elsewhere, to find gaps in our security posture that could be exploited." Gaps? Lol, what does he think? That it is POSSIBLE to have no gaps? That it is possible to really stop the possibility of terrorists striking if they want to?

OK, I am not purposing to say that one should not think about security, or homeland security. But to think that one can create world peace by military campaigns and dogma alone, and then patch up your own carpet of safeness for your own people; well that is just simply hilarious, and naive.

Just a note to our friends from the USA: I am, of course, not "against the USA". I do not hate American "values" or culture. I am, however, very critical towards the current government in the US, especially the Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz triangle. Bush himself is more a puppet in the position of sole power, however much he himself is led into ways of extremism by religious fanatics.

I predict that the Age of Fear and Loathing in the US has come. There will be a LOT of talk about impending terrorist attacks in months and years to come.

Welcome, Hysteria!

:(

Tomorrow morning I am leaving for 'Arnøya' to celebrate christmas with my family. Arnøya is a rather large island way up north in Norway. I used to live there myself when I was a child. Here is a picture of a salmon production facility just outside Arnøya. My oldest younger brother works in a fish factory on the island.

Norway is a very beautiful country, and especially Northern Norway has my heart. I love images from Norway such as this, this or this. But Norway is a very expensive country to visit, and we do not attract masses of tourists, compared to for instance Spain or Italy. I will be staying at the Arnøya for a week, coming back here on Sunday.

I have a dual relationship to Northern Norway. The people there are sometimes living a rather helpless life; there is a relatively speaking high unemployment rate there, and well, it holds many of the characteristics of Rural Norway. I am born there, and partly raised there, but I do not identify myself with Northern Norway at all, despite all its natural beauty and .. interesting people. Every time I get up there, I am struck by my own disgust over parts of it. I guess that is a fault within myself more than anything else.

My family lives in Årviksand, on the northern side of Arnøya. This picture is taken from a nearby mountain. I dont remember how big it is, but i guess about 2500 feet or so. One night, in the summer of a few years ago, when I was visiting Årviksand, I decided in the middle of the night to climb that mountain. It being summer, the sun was up all night, so when I started climbing the mountain at 3 AM, the sun was still in the horizon. It took about 3 hours to get up there; the view was stunning, and then it took almost 5 hours to get down, hehe. Now it is winter, and there will be mostly darkness up there. Winter darkness in Northern Norway really sucks. Well, there IS a bit of dim light in the middle of the day, but no sunshine at all, it being under the horizon for months.

In Årviksand, there is very little to do for youngsters such as my smaller brothers. Johannes, age 21, is bored to hell sometimes out there. There is no cinema, no restaurant, no café, nothing of what I take for granted here in Bergen. If you want to do something, there is a small soccer team, there is fishing in the ocean, or getting drunk. Lol, sorry :)

Is it possible to be this happy for a single letter? To feel such ruptous bursts of joy by the letter B?

Yes, certainly. I will explain some of the background for this.

When I entered the University here in Bergen in the spring of 1998 and starting on the first semester courses in philosophy, I had such great hopes for University life. Here was to be Essence, meaning, something Totally different from the High School life which I adhored. And I did 'well'. I studied hard, had read through half the reading list even before the first lecture had begun. I was quite motivated. But in the easter of 1998, just weeks before the examination, I broke down. In hindsight I realise I had something Close to a mental breakdown, if not clinically so. I don't remember what ignited it. Perhaps a single comment by a stupid student like: "It doesn't MATTER, Raymond. We are just in this for the examination papers and the degree anyway." I had wanted to seek the Essence. What lies beyond the required reading list. I had wanted to ask the Big questions, even from the beginning.

That Easter of 1998 I lost totally faith in University life. I stayed at home for weeks, in my bedroom, just thinking. Probing the Meaning of University, knowledge, yes, Life itself.

The examination that semester - I did not even turn up. I had given it up.

But not quite, the same autumn, I wanted once again, to see if meeting a new batch of first semester students would make it better. I looked for the Fire (of academic Passion) within my fellow students, but saw none. Of course, it must have been there, but I was blinded to it.

This introductionary course in philosophy I did not take, and pass, untill the end of the spring semester of 1999. I had then already started being a student at the "proper" philosophy undergraduate studies. I worked on my specialized field, being "Philosophy and Literature". The writing of the Term paper. I wanted to go Beyond the beginners lectures. I wanted to think new. But instead of doing it, I delayed it. And delayed it; and had not written more than a few hundred words when the deadline of the term paper approached. I did not hand in anything. I did not talk with the Department about my Problems. My issues, so to say:
Quasi-perfectionism, a deep, existential, DISTRUST in Reality, fatalism, and an approach of "all or nothing". Do I regret all this? Of course. I regret always being the well-meaning joke of my friends. "Raymond the guy who studied for 5 semesters and all he got out of this was this one puny starter's philosophy course". 5 study credits; that's 15 according to the ECTS credit system. Worth 1/4 of a year's study. I focused my energies on other things. From 1998 the Student Culture House here in Bergen, being in the information department. Heading a new press relationships group. Then, from 1999 I turned to Student Democracy. By the end of 2000 I was full time employed by the Student Union of my University, as the vice-president and welfare responsible person of the Executive Council of the Student's Union. By the end of 2000 I had made several international connections and became President of Mosaic, an European student association between students from 34 Universities; Bergen, Oxford, Cambridge, Bologna, Graz, Heidelberg, and so on. I tried; yet I did not try. I realised, as with studies, how so many were in this just for the shiny paper. The CV document, the flashy words on some statement from some guy; something they can use for their job applications. I got disgusted. I put not my heart in it as a result; I put not a whole heart into any of the 13 committees/councils/boards I was student representant in at faculty and university level in 2000. I ... had become a fatalist.

I then wonder for how long I had been this fatalist. I have realised during the last years and months and weeks, and am realizing even now with greater strength that my father's rejection of me when I was 2, his leaving my mother and I, and for me to not see him again before I was grown-up myself, that led to my fatalism. NO MATTER WHAT I DO, IT DOES NOT ULTIMATELY MATTER!.

Other instances, all of which confirmed to me that whatever I do, I can only observe life. As life inflicts itself on me. So I became an observer. All through high school I was mostly the observer. It even came to my 'friends' being almost shocked when I in august 1996 had gotten myself a girlfriend. "You?!" Lol :)

This semester had been yet another try at being a student. At ignoring the sickness I feel when I suspect that all the othes are just faking it, wearing masks, all because they want to seem slick, smart, reflected. That all they care about is their own lebenslauf, their own profits.

I had my reasons for finally realizing what I want to study: English. So I started on the first semester of undergraduate English studies this last August. But I failed my concentration, I left my heart out. The passion, where was it?

In the end, I was there, once again, with a term paper to deliver. It was just weeks ago. I did not feel ready. I did not feel that I could deliver what was Possible. I almost took up again my old habit of chickening out. Of isolating myself, and questioning always questioning, my own motivations (am I just as greedy as everyone else?), my own capacities.

I Did hand in my term paper. I was not pleased. But I was pleased. I had broken that barrier. 4 years after not handing in that Philosophy and Literature term paper. I felt great.

But I chickened out, and for the written exams I did not attend. It was as if it all meant naught. I would get an E, or F, on my term paper anyway, it was all a failure, anyway, and no matter what I did, it would not matter. That same day as the written examination was held, I wrote a lengthy e-mail to the studies consultant at the English department. Explaining my examinations stress, my dual relationship with my own learning and expression capabilities.

The next day she and I had a good talk. In fact, the talk reminded me of the talk I had with an old priest the day after my father had died of throat cancer this last march. New possibilities. It did not sink in then. But now, I have decided to open up; to admit my problems, to face them, face the bull, and show myself that indeed I CAN. I CAN, above else, have passion. Not just lust, PASSION.

Today my professor, the one who advised me throughout the term paper process, called me in order to tell me my grade, which was now public. She told me I got a 'B'. I seriously started crying, silently. I felt so relieved. Not so much that I got a B, but.. the process. It was a Letter to the Fatalist, that is Myself. Finally. She told me the ending was rather unstructured, weak, not conclusive enough. Not bringing together the threads enough. Thus the B. I was happy, I couldnt be happier. If I had gotten an A I would have been in total despair. I expected a flunk, or D or E. This last week I every day went by the Department looking for the publication of the results of the term paper on the wall. There was nothing yet. And she did the courtesy to call me.

Conclusion?
Those who know me understand why this is so important for me. For the others, I hope that my tale can help you understand that it is never too late. :)

Next semester I will try, once more, to let my passions out. My intellectual passion, the joy in Learning. Understanding.

My goal is Wisdom, not pedantic glitterings of rhetorical points. My goal is understanding, not flashy degree papers.

I could have been in my Master studies now, or done with it. I could have been so much that I am not. However, I choose to use what I can of my fragmented past.

This is my hope.

At last the US administration and Bremer in Iraq can smile; their smiles are also broad and colgate-glittering:


It is a good thing that Saddam is treated as a war prisoner, and thus protected by the Geneva convention! I was surprised at this move, and then surprised at my own surprise. Perhaps I have become too cynical over the US' administration.

But will the Iraqi fight against occupation of their own country stop here? I doubt it.

But again, this is a great moment of publicity for the powers that be. All hail the Intelligence.

In 2005, my city Bergen, on the western coast of Norway, will be host to a conference where most of the educational ministers of Europe will meet and discuss the further steps within the Bologna Process of reforms in higher education.

Since I am out of the student democracy scene (more or less), I will not be active in preparations for this conference, even tho it is a crucial conference, and it even takes place in my own city.

However, I will be preparing for a workshop which will be about the knowledgebay.de project. This coming spring I will create a Bergen branch of this e-learning project where we will be recording as many university lectures as possible and putting them online for anyone to listen to, take notes on and discuss. Of course, we will first get the permission of the professor to record the lecture and put it online. So far we are two students here who are in this project; we will need a few more. But I think the project will go well, and we will have a rather large media database by the end of the spring with lectures, guest lectures and doctoral disputations which will be freely available to all on the homepage. I think this project could revolutionize things at this university; but then again, it could also flop, and none of the lecturers would allow us to record their lectures and put it freely available online. But we must have hope :)

Here is the speech Shirin Ebadi made in connection with receiving her Nobel Peace Price:

http://www.nobel.no/eng_lect_2003b.html


I think it was marvellous that she got the Prize. It is great to support these reform forces within strict societies like that of Iran. I think Ebadi seems like a very coherent person with her soul intact. She is not afraid to "bite the hand which feeds her", and she dares to whip the western countries for our support of breaches of the Human Rights, especially in the "war against terrorism". Here is a quote:

"At the same time, in the past two years, some states have violated the universal principles and laws of human rights by using the events of 11 September and the war on international terrorism as a pretext. The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 57/219, of 18 December 2002, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1456, of 20 January 2003, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2003/68, of 25 April 2003, set out and underline that all states must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism must comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights and humanitarian law. However, regulations restricting human rights and basic freedoms, special bodies and extraordinary courts, which make fair adjudication difficult and at times impossible, have been justified and given legitimacy under the cloak of the war on terrorism. "

Great stuff to read.

On another note, my political youth party (the Liberal Youths) here in Norway recently launched a signature campaign towards the Norwegian oil companies STATOIL and HYDRO asking them to promote human rights More in Iran, where both companies are highly active. If we all could put pressure on the oil companies of our own countries to fight corruption and fight breaches on the human rights in the countries these companies are active in, it would be a great step forward.
The signature campaign, which is all in Norwegian, is online here:
http://www.venstre.no/uv/hydro/


raymond/dltq

I got quite late into the whole GSM era, and got my first cell phone in 1999. It was an Ericsson S868 or something like that. Sturdy, big, and did what it was supposed to do. But nothing more. No fancy stuff there, really. My second phone, which I bought in the summer of 2000 while I was in Hong Kong, was this beauty: Sony CMD-Z5 I really liked this Sony phone. It was fancy enough for my technophile ego-trip, and quite reliable. So reliable, I guess, that someone actually went to the step to steal it from me. Oh well. My next phone was a Nokia 8250 (Asia Version of the 8210), which I also got while in Hong Kong. I really loved it, altho the abovementioned Sony was the one who broke my heart. The Nokia phone also got stolen, but this time by robbers on the night train from Marseille to Barcelona. Don't ask. :) So, untill last week, I borrowed Nicole's old Panasonic phone. It was her old one, well not That old (2000), but still old enough so that I could keep it for more than a few months. Nobody has stolen it yet at least :)

Then that phone started breaking down due to wear and tear, and I figured I want to get into the GSM race again. I went for classy design first and got myself a Sony Ericsson T610. I am quite pleased with it. The design is an eye-catcher, it has GPRS/wap, e-mail, and a neat little camera on the back side of it. It has some glitches, including a certain lag in the software which annoys me like hell :) But overall, I am very pleased with this phone.

If I had an unlimited budget, I would consider getting myself one of those phone/pda things, like the SonyEricsson P900 or a similar Nokia phone. But alas, I also think the development in that field is going quite fast, and if I wait just 1 year there will be new models in the market which dazzle us even further.

Indeed, cell phones are very important communicative tools. We use them quite a lot, and they GOT to be functional, and hopefully also have a design which says something about the owner. (Or am I just another cell-phone snob? ;))

Actually, design-wise, I would prefer to have the CMD-Z5 again. I really liked its flip-down cover and the "joystick" (or whatever we may call it) on the side.

Oh, the things we worry about in our materialistic life .. :)
I will go on reading Greg Palast now.

But first: What cell phones have you had? Which one do you have now? Happy about it?

I refer to an interesting article in the current issue of Foreign Affairs. I am very intrigued by the current development in China, especially in the political field.