Valborg

The title is the name for today. At least in Swedish. Last of April is traditionally a day of bonfires. However, here in Gothenburg, Valborg has become associated more with a university than anything else. For about a century freshmen attending the university of technology have taken to the streets in a caravan of wagons, each a show depicting some event during the years that passed.
Around a quarter of a million line the streets, climb trees or simply gather in open windows and balconies to watch the spectacle. I guess this is the fun part, the part we like to brag about. Sadly enough as traditional a part follows -- binge drinking.
Well, I refused to become downcast by this. Like most of my fellow people here I'll watch the greeting of spring, enjoy what promises to be a sunny but cold day and simply turn a blind eye to the disgrace trailing the festivities.

Moronic dangers

I just read one of the potentially most dangerous suggestions I have ever seen. Unsurprisingly it comes from our big neighbour in the west.

If you believe that this is no big deal I ask you to reconsider. It is fully viable to create a piece of software that I allow anyone to use in order to be allowed to install a trojan on anybody's computer. Malicious trojans are the least of the problems here. State produced trojans are a much greater concern.

Poetry for novels

That didn't make sense, or did it?

I joined a small contest for reasons that were made clear earlier.

So, there you see, a direct link between poetry and novels.

Being behind on the news

This blogger has given a response to what was expressed here.

Note that the second article is not written by the man with the strong opinions, but merely published. That also translates into: Don't kill the messenger.

Insensitive bastard or artistic soul

I wonder which of these archetypes has an easier time to become published. The former ought, according to my prejudice, have a harder time to express feelings. So maybe the written result isn't as good as it can be. The latter, however, should have an equally hard time to cope with rejections and requests for changes.

Well, this was me thinking in writing. I don't have an answer, and I don't even know if there is an absolute answer.

Sitting critting

How to spend a sunny Friday when the skies scream at you to go out. Indoors, critting pieces of text submitted by fellow writers.

Well, I'm mostly done with that part now, and while the skies call for me the outdoors temperature definitely does not. Neither does the wind. As is all too usual this time of the year a sunny spring day can be deceptive. Deceptively lovely to look at -- from a distance. In reality it's cold as winter, but that doesn't stop sun starved northerners from scrambling to the streets and gazing up at the bleak sun while they pretend that it is a warm and lovely day.

And I? I'm indoors, sitting critting.

And up

As temperatures reverted back to wintry conditions last week my mood went downhill as well. Now spring has returned in full force, even with a weekend that gave us summer's days.

A laptop, a beer garden, a wireless network and a problem -- that's where I am at the moment. Something in the story grates on me, but I can't fully grasp wherein the problem lies. Something about the lack of integration between plot lines does ring a bell, but there has to be more to it than that. Oh well, I'm hammering away again.

Down and done

Submissions done, Easter down, ECQ done and I'm down. Down with a nasty cold that is. Just great. When spring finally arrives here in full strength I have to sit indoors.
Bah. Rant.

Filled days

The last week the so called real life has taken a firm grip of me. Well, that is only partially an excuse. Temperatures well above normal and long sunny days could possibly have something to do with it as well, but that is merely a theory.