Snow mobile trip

While visiting my girlfriend's parents, we borrowed my father-in-law's snow mobile, and went to the mountains. We drove in the middle of the day, so that we would have as much day light as possible.

Taking these photos, I started here:




.. and then I just turned 360 degrees - taking photos:











Coming back to where I started:



This ought to give you an idea about what the landscape a few hours away from Tromsø looks like in winter. And also how the winter daylight looks. I think it's absolutely beautiful. And breathtaking.

Sometimes literally breathtaking, because it's so cold! But I was certainly dressed for winter on that snow mobile trip:



This is girlfriend's photo, taken when we were almost back home again. Who wants to go for a swim?? :-)

Against nature?

- an exhibition on animal homosexuality

INTRODUCTION

On Thursday October 12 2006 The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, opened the first-ever museum exhibition dedicated to gay animals.

Today we know that homosexuality is a common and widespread phenomenon in the animal world. Not only short-lived sexual relationships, but even long-lasting partnerships; partnerships that may last a lifetime.

The exhibit puts on display a small selection among the more than 1500 species where homosexuality have been observed. This fascinating story of the animals' secret life is told by means of models, photos, texts and specimens. The visitor will be confronted with all sorts of creatures from tiny insects to enormous spermwhales.

How can we know that an animal is homosexual? How can homosexual behaviour be consistent with what we have learned about evolution and darwinism?

Sadly, most museums have no traditions for airing difficult, concealed, and possibly controversial questions. Homosexuality is certainly such a question. We feel confident that a greater understanding of how extensive and common this behaviour is among animals, will help to de-mystify homosexuality among people. - At least, we hope to reject the all too well known argument that homosexual behaviour is a crime against nature.

Read more, and see photos HERE.

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Next time I'm in Oslo, I know where I'm going! :-) I think the exhibition will go on tour too, so keep your eyes open.

But we're not going to Oslo in January - we're going to Tromsø! Tonight! We'll be visiting friends, my girlfriend's parents, and we'll be playing with this energetic dog. And Tuesday Tromsø Filmfestival starts. Hurrah!


Outside Tromsø in November 2006. I found the photo here.

Reading

Tofu Will Make You Gay!
This just in: Soy will turn your kid into a fey girly man with a very small penis. Also: God hates vegans
Mark Morford's column
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The only way to begin a new year is with optimism. No matter how bad it is, personally or globally, we need to believe that there will be a change, and that we can work towards change. I don’t know why our minds are so powerful, but I know that they are, and that our attitude affects much more than can be proved.
Jeanette Winterson's column

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This is a comic strip that echoes Bani's thoughts about lutefisk. It's the strip under October 27th.

Nemi is one of my favourite Norwegian comic strips. But I think Pondus and M are even more fun.

This is an M comic strip - the writer has obviously seen Brokeback Mountain... :-)

The Poetics of Desire

Throw away your papers tonight
put aside your pen
let your fingers
write on my body,
an empty page
a word,
a sentence,
write a poem
if your syntax hurts my skin
if I sigh, if I moan
just tighten your embrace
if your fingers stammer
dip them in darkness
and start again
fill up my margins
suffocate me with your grammar
proofread the madness
you have created
erase with your lips
any mistakes
your fingers make
read to me
what you have written
see the pages of my life
come alive
in your fingers
tonight.

-- Rina Singh

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There will be a proper post soon! Just busy at the moment, I'm preparing a series of lectures for the bachelor students here at uni. (Not all of them, fortunately! Just the ones who studies history of religion/science of religion.) I've had lectures before, but this is my first ever series of lectures. So naturally I want to be prepared and do well. My first lecture is tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed. Tomorrow evening I will definately throw away my papers and put aside my pen;-)