Looking forward to May 25th :)

This premiers when I'm in San Francisco. What do you think, Julie?

Rarity's back! (2)

See? And with photos of the royal family and all... She doesn't promise anything, but it seems not many others have discovered her re-posting, so I thought I'd tell y'all... (And Rarity - a tiny screen dump like this doesn't infringe any copyrights. Right???)

Dilemma

We've been asked by the Norwegian broadcasting corporation if they could come and make a programme about quads. They've got this series about 'cozy family chaos' and will no doubt be expecting quads to cause chaos.

It's the Norwegian equivalent of the BBC, which vouches for quality, and it's an ok show concept (not that I've seen it. But...). I'm sure they'd let us see the show before aired, and they'd probably make us look good. That's not really the issue... But do we want to be on national television? Do the kids want to? (Of course, yes, if you asked them, they would, but later, will they appreciate having been...? Or regret it miserably?)

The quad family that has been on television here a few times is really chaotic - they seem to have no control over their kids whatsoever, the kids wear the same clothes day and night - "there's no time for pyjamas!" - in school and home and in bed... So I guess it wouldn't hurt showing "people" that it doesn't have to be like that.

And I wouldn't mind bringing across the fact that our set of "rules and regulations" is both necessary and actually working. You can't leave everything to anyone in a family of 7. I would secretly like to smirk, and say "I told you so!" when people say that "my, they're actually well-functioning and cool kids"...

But on national television? Would you?

The cocoa maker!

I thought I'd share a cup with you. Wanna come over?

To make a short story really long...

What I want is your help to translate a (very!) Norwegian expression. It literally translates as "good day man, axe handle" -- but as this isn't particularly explanatory (I'd imagine!) I'll have to provide you with the entire folk tale where this comes from. Sorry guys...

“Good day to you!” – “Axe handle”
Once upon a time there lived a ferryman who was so deaf he could neither hear nor gather what anyone said to him. He had a wife, two boys and a small girl, and they took no heed of him, but lived happily as long as there was something to live on, and after that they bought on tick from the innkeeper and every day was a party.
When noone would vouch for them in the end, the bailiff was coming to pledge for as much as they had borrowed and wasted; so the wife and children went to stay with her relatives, and left the deaf man stay behind to meet the bailiff.
The man went about his business, and he wondered what the bailiff would be asking him, and what answers he should give.
“I will start making something”, he said to himself, “then he will ask me about that. I will start whittling an axe handle.
He will ask me what I’m making; and I will say:
“Axe handle”
Then he’ll ask me how long it will be; and I will say:
“Up to this twig”
Then he’ll ask me where the ferry lies; and I will say:
“I was going to tar her; she’s lying on the beach with cracks in both ends”
Then he’ll ask: “Where’s your grey mare?” and I’ll say “she’s carrying, due any minute”
Then he’ll ask: ”Where’s your cattle, and your summer cowshed?” And then I’ll say:
“It’s not far at all; when you go up that hill, you’ll be there in no time”
And he thought this was a cunning plan.
Verily, after a short while the bailiff showed up. But the ferryman had been to see the innkeeper, and had a few drinks, before his arrival. “Good day to you!” the bailiff said.
”Axe handle” the ferryman answered.
”Is that so” the bailiff said. “How far away is the inn?” he asked.
“Up to this twig”
The bailiff shook his head and stared at him.
“Where’s your wife, man?”
“I was going to tar her; she’s lying on the beach with cracks in both ends”
And where’s your daughter?
“she’s carrying, due any minute” the man answered; truly content with his answers.
“Oh, go to --, you’re such an ass!” the bailiff said.
“It’s not far at all; when you go up that hill, you’ll be there in no time”, the ferryman said…

So -- the expression is used if someone's answers are worse than a shot in the dark... If I ask you what the capital of Ireland is and you answer "11", or I ask you what you think of blogging and you answer "very well, thank you"... Is there an English idiom covering this? (One dictionary has "at cross purposes" but that's not the same - this is really without purposes...)

For once, I'll be serious. Please help.

As you read this, over 3 million people in Darfur, Sudan are crammed together in concentration camps, dying of disease and hunger, while government sponsored troops slaughter civilians, use rape to destroy group unity, and shoot children for sport. 400,000 men, women, and children are already dead. Entire races have been exterminated by the Sudanese government's campaign of ethnic cleansing. Automatically repost this petition and spread the word! Or Get the code here and repost manually or put in your profile. Where is Darfur? Darfur is a region in western Sudan, an eastern African country half the size of the United States Why are people being killed? Sudan is an Islamist Dictatorship controlled by Omar Al-Bashir. Bashir maintains control by ruthlessly crushing rebellion. When Ethnic African groups in Darfur started a war for independence, Bashir responded with a campaign of violence targeting civilians. He has used proxy militia groups to torch whole cities, rape and kill thousands of women and children.	This two year old girl was shot in the back. Her mother was killed.
How you can help: 1.Repost this bulletin 2. Go to www.LifeNets.net to learn more and take action. 3. Put this banner in your profile First copy the code below <br /><a href="http://www.LifeNets.net/darfur/darfur.php?t=bull"><br /><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.lifenets.net/myspace/savedarfurnick.gif" /></a> Then click here to open your profile and insert the code above
This message was created by LifeNets.net "Using the Power of Networks to Save Lives" We're a non-profit association of ordinary Americans who are using our unique talents and expertise to compete with powerful business lobbies and media interests in the fight for the lives of the world's poorest and least represented members. We don't have the money to buy million dollar television ads, so we must out-think (instead of out-spend) our larger and better funded opponents. We strive to adapt the most creative and effective means of reaching large numbers of people and convincing them to act to save the live of the millions of men, women, and children who die needlessly each year because of extreme poverty and genocide. Learn more at www.LifeNets.net

Thanks for your help!

Contact Darfur Action Network for any information.

Just imagine

Just before Easter, hubby and I went out to a concert. (Yes! With no kids!) You can't really see much in this video, but his voice stands out, and you might even recognize the song? No, I'm not pulling your leg trying to sell you some local hero, it's a world star, promise :)

As I was watching the band (good show, by the way, I love his music), I thought - just imagine what it would be like to do this for a living. To be able to do what you like most of all, with your friends, and have people pay for it and even applaud!

And then I thought, I wouldn't really want to be on a stage, though... And I wouldn't want 8-10,000 people watching me work, no matter how friendly they were.

So finally, it got down to this. I'm in this cozy, friendly, sunny, music-filled room, with lots of computers, and my bloglings sitting around fiddling with their own computers. Noone is applauding, but we're showing eachother fun stuff that we find, or brilliant stuff that we're writing, and there's a lot of oohing and aaahing. And this is our dayjob.

How about that, anyone? (Update: You're spot on, Just sayin', it's good old Bob Dylan!)

The world's by far coolest bus company!

I know, it doesn't sound very cool, "bus company" - but it IS!

Now, they've got a service called the "bus oracle" where you can type complete sentences and ask when the buses for so-and-so are going etc. But it can also answer other queries...
Updated way to go...
Now, go here. In the box named "spørsmål" (i.e. "questions") type "what is the meaning of life?" (possibly works better without the " ".) Click "spør >>" (i.e. "ask"). And wait for your answer...

Seriously, I'm in love with whoever came up with the idea of including that in a bus search...

Perhaps it's not quite as bad as I thought...

Last night I was just about to turn off the telly and turn to my beloved computer, when Nanny 911 (or some such show) came on. And the story was too close to home for me to turn it off... The mum (i.e. the main problem...) was like an amplified me! Not exactly mother Teresa. She was henpecking husband and kids constantly. Now, I don't go around believing I do that all the time, but some of the situations - esp. her being sarcastic to her kids - were uncomfortably familiar.

I watched till the end of the show to learn what to do. A revolutionary thought, that'd set it alright! But no, nothing extraordinary. She was just told to stop it... I've figured that one out myself, I'm not always that good at it, though. [Incidentally, her husband was the type that enjoyed doing manly things, like lifting heavy objects and spitting. Conversation not included. As far from my hubby as you can get, actually, which is probably why our family seems to work a little better!]

But to see if I'm such a horrid person I took this test that EllasDevil just did too:

Greed:	Low
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Very Low
Pride:	Low

- And it turns out I'm almost angelical, see? Ok, a bit of a sloth... (I didn't need a test to find that out!) And possibly they didn't ask the right questions to get me out on thin ice?

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz yourself and see what's your worst...

Scholiast trivia II

This, my dear bloglings, is my 400th post, apparently. Hurrah! Etc. So far I've had a little over 16,000 visitors altogether (or since I installed Statcounter, at least). Which is about as many as Josh & Josh have in a day...

But I did a calculation (hurrah! again...), and it means I've had 40 visitors to every post. Some of them really aren't that memorable, and there has never been as many as 40 comments to one post (unlike people like Chloe...), so I'm actually rather pleased with it all!

Hip hip Hurrah!
(The painting is actually called "hip, hip hurra" and was made by P.S. Krøyer)

This is just not on!

I don't know if anyone else cares, but really - here I am, peacefully, browsing Amazon. I stop by (natural choice) the world's greatest footballer, and they team him up with that?!!

It really is unheard of. "Perfect partners"? Pah. Glad I got that off my chest...

- By the way, don't mention this to my hubby. His birthday's coming up... And no, he doesn't read my blog :)

'nother fun exercise!

Yes, we're back... And here's proof of our wintery disposition - me on the toboggan with Filip. And yes, that's yours truly creating the soundtrack ;) Filip will no doubt grow up to be a rally driver. Phew, I'm just glad we managed to stop before actually hitting those people. Truly, we were inches away from the heads of happy picnickers...

(Incidentally, the people standing in the middle of the photo to begin with has nothing to do with us...)

Happy birthday, mum!

The cutest baby ever...

And the best mum in the world! :) MY mum!

That's it, I'm off

5 days without a computer... Like good Norwegians we're chasing after the snow to do a little more skiing before spring really takes over. I know. I'll tell you largely about this apparent defect in the nation's soul later...

But in the meantime, enjoy yourselves and have a happy Easter!

(I will be checking my online- and gmail mailboxes via mobile, though, so feel free to...)

New turf

My new office: Easter present: an egg full of goodies... And the key to the new office...
The view from my office!

And, we live in interesting times...

New surface on the terrace outside my office...

Corner office view

Oslo cathedral down the road City Hall --- where my boat comes in, so not that long a walk...
Don't look down

Ok, it's slightly better than mine, but still... Besides, as we've got glass walls to the main "mingling room", it's everyone's view!

Conversation of the day (2)

I was towelling a couple of the kids after their bath.


Anna: My friend "I" said, to make babies, mummies and daddies have to put their [insert appropriate childish word here - in Norwegian, a unisex word] together!
Thomas: hihihi
Hubby (leaving, chuckling!): It's all yours!
Me: erh... *

* Now, I've explained to them earlier, about daddy "seeds" and mummy "eggs". Only not gone into the details around the actual bringing them from point A to point B...

Anna: Did you and daddy do that?
Me (sounding dreadfully normal, well, trying to): Why, yes
Thomas (still giggling): Did it take long?
Me: Erh, well, it doesn't have to take long in order to ...
Anna & Thomas: Were you naked???!?
Me: Yes.
A & T: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa (leaving...)

... and cut!