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misscamRight. So, I've fallen a bit in love with the Inspector Lynley Mysteries, both in book and show. Am buying the books, but have run into issues with getting the show. There are five and a half series made, but sadly the five first series appears only to be out in region one. Yay Amazon. Fair enough, I got multizone player, I can deal. Then Amazon warns me that apparemtly some International customers have troubles with region 1 playing on multizone players. Anyone know anything about this? I don't want to blow 161 USD on something I can't watch. My multizone player has played other region 1 DVDs fine, so I'm wondering if it's an issue with new coding or what. (BBC could of course solve my worries by releasing the series in the UK since they bloody made it, but nooooo, they're still on season two release. I not patient.)
And now for the scandal that has engulfed Norway this week, and made me severely uncomfortable.
An English entry on it is here, but it doesn't really sum it up too well. I'll give it a shot.
Basically, a few months ago, Norway got its first non-white minister. Norway has for a long time been fairly devoid of immigration - we're far north, we're cold, we were a poor country. It's only really the last few decades things have changed. Now, about 10% is what's known as immigrants or second-generation immigrants. (Actually, largest non-Norwegian group is the Swedes. They're invaaaaaading.) Norway's changing. Not all like this particulary much.
So. Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen - after some other high profile jobs - is made Minister of Children and Family. And two minutes after she is announce, the Progress Party questions her 'loyalty to Norway'. (She only got a Norwegian citizenship right before taking the post - she is married to a Norwegian man who's fairly high up in things.) I felt repulsed - Progress Party is right to the right in Norway and has a history of housing racists, if denying they're a racist party themselves. They have cleaned up in recent years, but they've always made me feel really uncomfortable by if not parading prejudice, by playing on it in more or less subtle ways. (And by being Bush's defenders in Norway, but that's another thing.)
So. This week, Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen appoints a new children's ombudsman. An ombudsman is meant to be independent of the government and be somewhere to go when the government has done wrong by you, among other things. It is a position that requires watchdog barking. Osmundsen appoints Ida Hjort Kraby. It is revealed Osmundsen and Kraby are on friendly terms. This could be a potential conflict of interest. Osmundsen denies they're friends. The press puts forward details that rather counters this. The Prime Minister goes on the offensive, defending Osmundsen and saying no interference was done by her in the process and all details have been given.
The next day, it's revealed Osmundsen effectively told Kraby that she should re-apply for the ombudsman post after having initially dropped out (by mentioning to a friend that it was 'too bad Kraby had dropped her application'). She told the friend to keep quiet about it after media muttersing about the appointment first started. This isn't what she told the PM the day before - she's lied to him. She leaves her job, he loses face. The ombudsman resigns as well. (Another high profile job Osmundsen had - leader of UDI in Norway - she also left after issues with how much she knew or didn't know about illegal permits given.)
The Progress Party opines all over the press, and I get that feeling again.
I mean, on one hand, Osmundsen really did an extremely stupid thing. If someone you get drunk with, who give you cheer-up speeches in private parties apply for a job you appoint that has as a core value watchdogging your job in the government, you have a portential conflict of interest. To then try to tone down your friendship, not give your boss the prime minister of Norway the full picture and even lie to him - that's gonna bite you in the ass. It's really the attempt to cover-up that is the big bad here. And it's so dumb. Norway operates on a great deal of trust in our public service, and some things you just can't do here.
And yet yet yet... Something in a corner of my mind is still feeling uncomfortable. Maybe it's the Progress Party gloating. Maybe it's the feeling that if it was another minister, the press wouldn't have pursued it so, and thus the minister might not have felt so pressed to do something as stupid as this. I mean, why must she go when the Progress Party politician who slept with a minor with questionable consent can stay? (Grrr.)
I don't know. It's so, so hard to feel objective sometimes when we're all so biased by our upbringing, our culture, our friends and family. What can I know of racism when I will almost always be in the position of observing it, not experiencing it?Blatant is easy enough to target and denounce - banning someone who uses terms like 'fucking towelheads' from your LJ - but subtle can be harder to spot when the affront is not towards me. Cannot subtle be as dangerous? I think it can. Subtle sexism certainly gets me going, but there I can be the one experiencing it.
This is why I didn't say much in the great race debate of Doctor Who fandom as well. I'm not afraid of being fairly vocal about my opinions in general, but I always been a researching and reading person. I need to feel I have a grasp on an issue before I settle my opinion. (This doesn't mean I have a good grasp on the issue, of course, just that I need to feel like I do.)
I am white. I am privileged. How blind am I to racism? I ahbor it when it's blatant, but that's easy. I wonder sometimes if I see ghosts trying to find the subtler versions too, but I don't feel certain.
So. Norway will get a new minister, the Progress Party gets to rake the governing parties, Osmundsen is left overwhelmingly distrusted and I can't get rid of the nagging uncomfortability of it all.
It's a headache week all around.
Bollocks. In a 'what the heck is happening to Norway these days, anyway', mum got mugged this week. Nothing particulary violent, but three guys blocking her and stuff and it's just not cool. Anyway, one of the things she lost was a 'dilly bag' made of kangaroo skin she got in Australia in this range. (The medium size in the top range there.) You can't get this in Norway (duh) and I know she really liked it, storing her cell phone and wallet in it. So. I want to get her a replacement, and thus I need the help of an Australian. I trid to find an online store with them, but couldn't. Is there someone who could buy one and ship it to Norway? I will of course cover all costs, through PayPal or another way you might prefer. My mum is an awesome woman and this really bummed her out. Help me make it less bumming?
Now I need to put together a new lamp that is my first birthday present (it's next week) - sadly, the gifter didn't include helping me on that point.
And now for the scandal that has engulfed Norway this week, and made me severely uncomfortable.
An English entry on it is here, but it doesn't really sum it up too well. I'll give it a shot.
Basically, a few months ago, Norway got its first non-white minister. Norway has for a long time been fairly devoid of immigration - we're far north, we're cold, we were a poor country. It's only really the last few decades things have changed. Now, about 10% is what's known as immigrants or second-generation immigrants. (Actually, largest non-Norwegian group is the Swedes. They're invaaaaaading.) Norway's changing. Not all like this particulary much.
So. Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen - after some other high profile jobs - is made Minister of Children and Family. And two minutes after she is announce, the Progress Party questions her 'loyalty to Norway'. (She only got a Norwegian citizenship right before taking the post - she is married to a Norwegian man who's fairly high up in things.) I felt repulsed - Progress Party is right to the right in Norway and has a history of housing racists, if denying they're a racist party themselves. They have cleaned up in recent years, but they've always made me feel really uncomfortable by if not parading prejudice, by playing on it in more or less subtle ways. (And by being Bush's defenders in Norway, but that's another thing.)
So. This week, Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen appoints a new children's ombudsman. An ombudsman is meant to be independent of the government and be somewhere to go when the government has done wrong by you, among other things. It is a position that requires watchdog barking. Osmundsen appoints Ida Hjort Kraby. It is revealed Osmundsen and Kraby are on friendly terms. This could be a potential conflict of interest. Osmundsen denies they're friends. The press puts forward details that rather counters this. The Prime Minister goes on the offensive, defending Osmundsen and saying no interference was done by her in the process and all details have been given.
The next day, it's revealed Osmundsen effectively told Kraby that she should re-apply for the ombudsman post after having initially dropped out (by mentioning to a friend that it was 'too bad Kraby had dropped her application'). She told the friend to keep quiet about it after media muttersing about the appointment first started. This isn't what she told the PM the day before - she's lied to him. She leaves her job, he loses face. The ombudsman resigns as well. (Another high profile job Osmundsen had - leader of UDI in Norway - she also left after issues with how much she knew or didn't know about illegal permits given.)
The Progress Party opines all over the press, and I get that feeling again.
I mean, on one hand, Osmundsen really did an extremely stupid thing. If someone you get drunk with, who give you cheer-up speeches in private parties apply for a job you appoint that has as a core value watchdogging your job in the government, you have a portential conflict of interest. To then try to tone down your friendship, not give your boss the prime minister of Norway the full picture and even lie to him - that's gonna bite you in the ass. It's really the attempt to cover-up that is the big bad here. And it's so dumb. Norway operates on a great deal of trust in our public service, and some things you just can't do here.
And yet yet yet... Something in a corner of my mind is still feeling uncomfortable. Maybe it's the Progress Party gloating. Maybe it's the feeling that if it was another minister, the press wouldn't have pursued it so, and thus the minister might not have felt so pressed to do something as stupid as this. I mean, why must she go when the Progress Party politician who slept with a minor with questionable consent can stay? (Grrr.)
I don't know. It's so, so hard to feel objective sometimes when we're all so biased by our upbringing, our culture, our friends and family. What can I know of racism when I will almost always be in the position of observing it, not experiencing it?Blatant is easy enough to target and denounce - banning someone who uses terms like 'fucking towelheads' from your LJ - but subtle can be harder to spot when the affront is not towards me. Cannot subtle be as dangerous? I think it can. Subtle sexism certainly gets me going, but there I can be the one experiencing it.
This is why I didn't say much in the great race debate of Doctor Who fandom as well. I'm not afraid of being fairly vocal about my opinions in general, but I always been a researching and reading person. I need to feel I have a grasp on an issue before I settle my opinion. (This doesn't mean I have a good grasp on the issue, of course, just that I need to feel like I do.)
I am white. I am privileged. How blind am I to racism? I ahbor it when it's blatant, but that's easy. I wonder sometimes if I see ghosts trying to find the subtler versions too, but I don't feel certain.
So. Norway will get a new minister, the Progress Party gets to rake the governing parties, Osmundsen is left overwhelmingly distrusted and I can't get rid of the nagging uncomfortability of it all.
It's a headache week all around.
Bollocks. In a 'what the heck is happening to Norway these days, anyway', mum got mugged this week. Nothing particulary violent, but three guys blocking her and stuff and it's just not cool. Anyway, one of the things she lost was a 'dilly bag' made of kangaroo skin she got in Australia in this range. (The medium size in the top range there.) You can't get this in Norway (duh) and I know she really liked it, storing her cell phone and wallet in it. So. I want to get her a replacement, and thus I need the help of an Australian. I trid to find an online store with them, but couldn't. Is there someone who could buy one and ship it to Norway? I will of course cover all costs, through PayPal or another way you might prefer. My mum is an awesome woman and this really bummed her out. Help me make it less bumming?
Now I need to put together a new lamp that is my first birthday present (it's next week) - sadly, the gifter didn't include helping me on that point.
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 12:22 am (UTC)And that sucks. Muggers make me v.mad, the cowardly fuckwits
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Date: 2008-02-16 12:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 12:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 12:39 am (UTC)LYNLEY!!! Damn, I freaking love this show. So very, very hard. You know what makes me sad? That you can't access Netflix. Because if you could, I'd just give you my login so you could watch it from home as they've got all the episodes up for WATCH NOW!
Because I want EVERYONE IN THE WORLD to watch this show! The character development! Tommy being a dick! Barbara being a dick! They're complete and utter codependency by series 4! Tommy's emo hair! Barbara's frightening bell-bottoms! FLARE GUN!
*flails*
And for the love of peter! Don't get the $160 ones! There are used for $107 what ship internationally! SAVE THE FIFTY DOLLARS, WOMAN!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 12:54 am (UTC)I havent bought anything from Amazon in a few months though, but I don't think they would have changed anything.
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Date: 2008-02-16 01:04 am (UTC)Yas. I know how she feels give my treat before Christmas, too. It's just so very blah - it's not the money, it's all the stuff you have to replace and blaaaah.
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Date: 2008-02-16 01:05 am (UTC)Muggers suck so hard.
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Date: 2008-02-16 01:08 am (UTC)First episode I saw was the caravan one. So much love. Now I want the whole range. GIMME BBC YOU MEANIES I WANT SHINIES. Of course, I only discover shos after they're done and all the fans of them have wandered away. Just my luck.
I no trust used after one I got that was dodgy :(
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Date: 2008-02-16 01:10 am (UTC)Probably Amazon just wanna cover their bases.
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Date: 2008-02-16 01:15 am (UTC)Really? I've never had a problem with the dvd's from Amazon's used area. Especially my Lynley ones. (OMG, I got myself the first three seasons as a PRESENT and I want to cuddle them FOREVER. Even if PBS blows and doesn't put on extra bits. Ah, well. I still love me some Babs and Tommy!)
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Date: 2008-02-16 01:17 am (UTC)And yes! Muggers do suck! I'm glad your Mum is okay though and wasn't harmed.
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Date: 2008-02-16 01:28 am (UTC)I shall go out and have a look in a bit. What are you still doing up, btw? :P
Bessie has her kodo and new shiny mail now. I am now farming a bit of org rep so I can get her a wolf. ;)
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Date: 2008-02-16 02:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 04:08 am (UTC)About how big do you want? (cos it's hard to tell from the picture) And any colour preferences? It looks like there may be a few...
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Date: 2008-02-16 09:59 am (UTC)Erm, kan the cow ride a wolf? Tauren are so big they can only ride a limited amount of mounts. But grats her, still.
As for the thing, about as big a hand - to fit a little wallet in, access card, little cell phone. What's medium size in the page I linked to, I think. And mum's was a pale tan, so anything tan will probably do.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 10:02 am (UTC)Maybe I was just unlucky. Oh well, I'll see what I do. Either way, Norwegian customs will make me pay an evil amount of tax on it. They don't love Babs and Tommy :(
But I shall preservere anyway. Want shinies. Want now.
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Date: 2008-02-16 10:04 am (UTC)Slowpoke, I am.
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Date: 2008-02-16 10:59 am (UTC)On another level, I think it was a Danish professor in Norway who said something about the difference between countries in how we build networks, and how "networking" in Norway was seen as slightly negative and conspiracy-inducing, while in other countries it might be seen as something more natural.
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Date: 2008-02-16 12:26 pm (UTC)Must see if I can find some episodes.
I think I found a way to make my DVD player region-free except I don't have any R1 DVDs to test it with, so I fear I shall have to waste a bit of money on Amazon and buy one just to see if my tinkering was successful.
This is one of the few instances when being not!American sucks.
Sorry to hear about your Mum getting mugged.
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Date: 2008-02-16 02:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 05:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 05:13 pm (UTC)Norway is a hugely particular country in some ways, that's for sure.
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Date: 2008-02-16 05:18 pm (UTC)Sounds like a sad test if it doesn't work. Fingers crossed.
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Date: 2008-02-16 05:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 05:22 pm (UTC)I shall let you know how it goes.
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Date: 2008-02-17 05:01 am (UTC)...some of the things they sell in those places! Kangaroo scrotums are apparently much sought after. Um, yeah.
Give your Mum a hug for me. ;)
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Date: 2008-02-17 12:18 pm (UTC)Yeah, I can imagine - used to work in a Norwegian souvenir places years and years ago after all, and some of the stuff we sold... Saw lots of scrotums online too - is some sort of rising fetish or something?