Time for London again

Yup, it’s time for London again. Right in the middle of evening rush hour (as usual) I’ll be landing at Heathrow, jump on the train to Paddington and then take the Tube to the Strand. For the rest of the week I’ll pass Lord Nelson, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben and Westminster Abby on my way to the office. Happy days!

Happy 1st anniversary to me!

Exactly a year ago this blog was born, and 455 posts later it’s still alive. Maybe slightly neglected the last couple of months because of too much work, but I still find it highly enjoyable and relaxing to write about what ever comes into my mind.

Here’s for another year and another 455 posts! Also a big Thank You to Philip who introduced me to the blogsphere and its amazing population.

Glitch in genes

People suffering form arthritis may just have a glitch in one of the human body’s 25000 genes. A recent study in Japan showed that people carrying a particular variant of a protein-secreting gene called GDF5 were 80 percent more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the hip.

The presence of the variant, lead author Yoshinari Miyamoto and a team of Japanese and Chinese researchers suggested, probably reduced the production of the GDF5 gene, which plays a key role in the development of cartilage in joints.

All very fascinating, but the article does not say anything about how this will help arthritis suffers today. As far as I know fixing genes with glitches isn’t something one does that easy. We need to find a simple relief and cure for this very painful disease now.

Quote of the day

Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google:

- You don't learn very much when you yourself are talking.

Via Guy Kawasaki

Yeah for daylight saving!

It’s been another weekend filled with work and some household chores. Ugh! All work no play makes Cathy a grouchy girl… And with "losing" one hour this morning I’ve been running behind all day.

But then tonight at 19:30 the sun was still shining and everything was forgiven. It’s so lovely with the long evenings and they will only get longer for the next three months. Yeah for the light and sun that is back! I survived this winter too!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Stumbling over this clip made me feel good immediately. Nothing can make you smile like Mary Poppins. She’s just supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

What do you know…

In Italy last year more people went to the theatre than to a live football match.

The news has come as a shock in a country that often seems completely football mad. There are three national newspapers and hours of prime-time television debate devoted to the sport. Italy is the current holder of the World Cup, with only Brazil having won the competition more times.

So it looks like the scandal of fixed matched last year and recent stadium violence is making people stay home. Another reason is the expensive tickets, which made 13,5 millions Italians go to the theatre instead of 9 millions who went to a football match.

The Zimbabwean clock is ticking

The whole world is watching and expressing great concerns over the latest developments in Zimbabwe. The big question is: Is Mugabe’s days counted? He wants to run for another period as president, but there are signs that his time is finally running out.

"If a dog were to stand against him, the dog would win," one insider observed last week.

Nor, because of the rapidly collapsing economy, are they prepared to allow him to hang on until 2010. One Zanu-PF insider said: "We're all against him now. He will struggle to get our support for him to be the candidate in any election."

The central committee meeting is crucial because, in December, Mr Mugabe failed to gain the unanimous endorsement of the party's annual conference to extend his presidency for two years. Instead, it delegated the decision to the central committee. After being written off more times than he has had opposition rallies broken up, Mr Mugabe's time may finally be running out.

Also the African Union, which has been pretty supine earlier, and The Southern African Development Community, a group of neighbouring countries, is applying pressure and saying that the human rights have to be respected. But as usual the dictator hits back by proclaiming that protests aren’t allowed.

Mr Mugabe warned the opposition they would face more beatings if they staged protests. "We are the government. We will not be deterred by any criticisms, which are completely unfounded, from carrying out our duties," he said.

That’s quite a man… A cowardly dictating man one should add. Believing he’s the closest there is to a god and he has the solemnly right to decide over country and people.

“No alcohol” warnings

Alcohol during pregnancy is sensitive issue and the views differ very much mostly because of were you live. For example the USA or continental Europe.

In Britain the government want to put warning labels on the bottles. Something that is quite controversial, but in some sense also is sensible knowing that alcohol can cause brain damage.

The plea for total abstinence follows growing fears over the rise among binge drinking among young women and concern that maternal drinking can cause possible brain damage in the womb.

What really bathers me though is that it is the government telling you what to do or not to do. As a pregnant woman or a woman trying to get pregnant I already know this. Alcohol is not good for you or the baby. Period. I get the feeling the government think all of us women are imbeciles not knowing what is good for us. It’s my life; my body and I have the right to decide what’s good for me. And I’m a lot smarter in respects of those things than the government.

House of Trimbach

On Monday night it was time for another wine testing. This time solemnly dedicated to the House of Trimbach in Alsace. The testing was lead by Mr Hubert Trimbach himself that very much add an extra dimension to the testing.

First wine to test was Riesling 2004. Green yellowish colour. Hints of mineral flavour along with white peach, quince and lemon. The finish is more or less bone-dry, but a very nice one. The trade mark of a good Riesling.

Second wine to test was Pinot Gris Réserve 2003. Dark yellow colour with some hints of gold. A little bit of smoky smell with tastes of yellow plums, peaches and physalis. The fruit sweetness also comes back in the finish, which is quite dry.

Number three was Gewürztraminer 2004. Yellow colour and as usual a very flavourful smell with lots of roses, mango and pineapple. The taste is not as distinct as the smell. Instead the finish is a little bit spicy with a nice vitality.

As number four we tested Riesling Cuvée Frèdèric Emile 2001.Yellow colour with a greenish tone. A mature smell of minerals and green apples. The finish is very dry and elegant and one does not to be an expert to understand that this is the upper level of Rieslings in the world.

Last wine to test and number five during the evening was Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle 2001. Yellow colour with a smell of yellow fruits. But a more mature smell and taste compared to the other Pinot Gris Réserve 2003. The smokiness has also matured and gives the finish quite some more intensity.

The testing certainly opened my eyes for Alsatian wines. My friends and I talked about it, and maybe it’s a little bit of acquired taste. Only a year and half ago I would say that Gewürztraminer was disgusting and one had to be crazing drinking it. Now I think it’s a great combination with some spicy Asian food. The same goes for Riesling. My father loved bone-dry Rieslings and together with some nice white fish dish he was as close to heaven someone can be. And now I understand him. That perfect combination makes you almost wanting to shed tears of joy. Pure divine!

Spring weather

For the last week or so we’ve been having plenty of sunshine and temperature around 7-8 degrees. So looking out the window now is quite chocking. It’s windy, only 2 degrees and snowing/raining. I guess that is why it’s called spring weather…

I'm a Smartie

A bit of a silly quiz to celebrate the fact that tomorrow is Friday.

Are you a genius? Your Result: Smartie You are very smart and love to read. You tend to be on the quiet side. Any book is a good book and you tend to be at the top of the class. A+ is you average grade...

Are you a genius? See All Our Quizzes

The favourite woman

A recent survey in Britain showed that men in the UK put Swedish women on top of their list of desirable lovers. Swedish women beat both their Latin sisters in France, Spain and their Irish sisters. Irish women would seem like the perfect match for a UK man since they both speak the same language, but not. The Swedish woman won.

The Swedish man didn’t do as well as the women. British women prefer Italian, Irish, Spanish, French and Greek men before a Swede. But they did beat the men from the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland.

The phone company Orange commissioned the survey, so I’m not sure about how serious it should be taken. But as a Swedish woman it’s always nice to be desired. Especially since not all of us are blond with long legs and look like TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson and model Victoria Silvstedt.

Quote of the day

Blogger Ben Casnocha has the best quote of the day.

Great people judge themselves failures, and those who accomplish nothing swell with pride.

Amen to that. But the big question is - Why is it like that?

Fat from stress

Via Yahoo Health I found this very interesting article at Men’s Health talking about that stress could actually makes us fat. I have hard about the theory before, but not as good explained as here.

Under stress, your body produces two hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline is like lighter fluid, and cortisol is like charcoal. The former quickly burns off the immediately available sugar in your blood, so you can fight or flee whatever is stressing you. Cortisol continues to fuel the fire, pumping more sugar into your blood so you have energy to burn. The problem is that excess sugar coursing through your blood is meant to help you flee the saber-toothed tiger or battle the charging wild boar. It's made to be burned off quickly as you either escape or attack. When the stress comes in a more modern form — like a pressing deadline or a stack of unpaid bills — you can't literally fight back or flee. And without that burst of physical activity, you don't have the chance to burn off that extra blood sugar. Instead, it gets stored in your belly as fat.

Every time you feel anxious over those bills or deadlines, there's more mush added around your middle. In a recent study at Yale, women who were most susceptible to stress had both higher levels of cortisol and greater abdominal fat than nonstressed women. And the ladies under stress stored fat primarily in one place: their bellies.

OK, I know gaining weight cannot all be blamed on being under all lot of stress. The decision to eat that particular food is ultimately yours. But thinking back on how my life was back then when I lost all that weight and how my life is now. Back then I worried mostly about having money all month until the next paycheck. Working out was something I did during lunch and when the clock struck five I left work with no worries in the world. So then it’s me striving for a better job, career and life that are to blame? Not really. I believe it’s a combination of everything. Even though life seemed sort of carefree back then, I’m in a better place both mentally and physical now. What I need to learn now is how to handle stress and find the ultimate balance between work, food and exercise. Very hard work indeed but I can only try over and over again until it clicks for me.

A blogging Foreign Minster

Carl Bildt, Swedish Foreign Minster, has been blogging for years. First in English on different European and international development. Becoming Foreign Minster his schedule change somewhat and in January he started blogging in Swedish. He has always been seen as a bit of pioneer when it comes to the Internet and the new media age. Back in the early 1990’s he was one of the first politicians to write and send out weekly newsletter. During his time as PM it’s also said the he was one of the first politicians to send an email to President Clinton in the White House. All in all this has made him quite a popular person in Sweden, regardless of the fact that he belongs to Moderaterna (the conservative party) and sometimes has a very different opinion on things.

With him blogging in Swedish suddenly everybody could read about what a Foreign Minster did. Something the public really liked, but not the journalists.

"Members of the government have a political mandate and everything they do therefore takes on a political dimension ... A member of the government is not just any 'chatter,'" a former newspaper editor, Bertil Torekull, wrote in a opinion piece published in Sweden's largest morning daily Dagens Nyheter.

He said that "Bildt's new unclear double role, as a private blogger and top representative of the government, has similarities" to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who appears on television each week for hours to express his points of view.

Torekull also lamented that Bildt does not stick to the traditional forums for a foreign minister - parliament, the foreign policy committee, or direct contact with the media.

The debate has been going on for a couple of weeks now and to me it seems like the old time/old school journalist are afraid of what Carl Bildt is doing. He’s talking and interacting with to the public without going through the press.

Also it might be a bit of a generation gap, like in so many other things when it comes to IT and the Internet. Peter Wolodarski, 29, an editorialist at Dagens Nyheter has another opinion in the debate defending Carl Bildt’s blog entries as "a welcome complement to the interviews and official commissions, not a substitute."

Various ramblings

Sunday afternoon and I’m wondering as usual where the weekend went. Friday evening was just here and so was Saturday night. Now another busy week waits round the corner. A week that probably will just disappear in a wink as well.

Since time flying it’s only two weeks until I’m off to London again. Yeah! Even though the way things look now I have a feeling it’s going to be a couple of tiring days with many long and heated discussions. At least I’m learning how to argue for my case... Saturday is already planed to be another talking and walking spent with Philip. Something I look forward tremendously to. A carefree day spent so far from Internet, emails and mobile phones as possible.

Coming back from London it will be Easter week and only three and a half day to work before a four-day weekend. My plans for Easter are quite easy. Just relaxing and reading. Maybe eat an egg or two (chocolate most likely). If spring has arrived I might even do some reading on the balcony in the sun. I can’t wait! Only three more weeks!

Believe

I used to say that all you need is to believe. Believe in yourself and in your power. Finding this verse the other day going through some old word documents made me realise that believe is still the only thing I need to do. Believe in myself and in my power.

Believe in yourself-
in the power you have
to control your own life,
day by day.

Believe in the strength
that you have deep inside,
and your faith will help
show you the way.

Believe in tomorrow
and what it will bring,
let a hopeful heart
carry you through.

For things will work out
if you trust and believe-
there's no limit
to what you can do!!!

Healthy eating

Still struggling with my weight, or really trying to find a connection and balance of what I eat, how I eat and when I eat together with getting in enough exercise. After almost four years at a healthy and normal weight, and seeing myself a normal sized person I’ve come to realise that this is something I’m going to struggle and fight with for the rest of my life. Some days, weeks, months and even years are better than others. But I still have to think and plan. Every single day. Food and exercise. Exercise and food.

Prevention magazine has made of list of 100 smartest diet tips ever. Many of the tips are old to me but good and still worth repeating. Others are new and actually made me think. Maybe it’s time to change one or two of those good habits into better and healthier ones…

3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions--unless you want to supersize your clothes.

15. Keep a food journal. It really works wonders.

25. Limit alcohol to weekends

31. Use prebagged baby spinach everywhere: as "lettuce" in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta, and added to salads.

32. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.

36. "I'll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere."

42. Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.

45. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with calories. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.

52. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!

72. Try 2 weeks without sweets. It's amazing how your cravings vanish.

73. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in his diet doesn't have a raging sweet tooth.

84. Eating late at night won't itself cause weight gain. It's how many calories--not when you eat them--that counts.

92. Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won't stimulate you to overeat. It's just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.

99. Pennsylvania State University research has found that women less able to cope with stress--shown by blood pressure and heart rate elevations--ate twice as many fatty snacks as stress-resistant women did, even after the stress stopped.

No gym. Again

Me, working a lot is having a bad impact on my workouts. Either I stay too late at the office or I’m too tired when I have the time. I forced myself going yesterday and I should have gone today if a meeting hadn’t run late. I know that’s really no excuse, but if I don’t leave immediately when the work day is over I run out of steam. It’s easy to find excuses for not going to the gym right now since I’m in a bit of slump. Working out is just boring and feels like a chore. I know I have to or otherwise I’ll turn into a big blob again. Something I promised myself never would happen again, but really right now I don’t know or care. Well, I do care, it’s just that it is so freaking hard at the moment and I’m having trouble finding that balance between work, going to the gym and eat well and sensible. I used to say that "Tomorrow is another day" which is the only thing I can say now as well. I can just try and that is what I will do. Try again.

Growing phenomenon

Back in 1993 this is what CBC news said about the growing phenomenon called Internet. Kind of cute and funny. Makes you wonder what people will say about 2007 in 14 years.

Via MarketingProfs: DailyFix

Another name

Seems like calling me things at work is the latest thing. Today one of the consultants that I’ve been working very closely with since early this autumn came and got me by saying: "Cathy, my little plum pudding". His smiley expression got me all cracking up and when and asked if he just called me plum pudding he said yes because I’m so sweet. Just like a plum pudding. I guess that’s what you could call a compliment. And one should be happy he didn’t compare me with the dried fruit in the pudding…

Shutdown Day

March 24 is Shutdown Day. An experiment to see if we can cope 24 hours without a using a computer. Being Saturday and all it feels like a pretty easy thing to do, but still. No checking email. No checking the news and no blogging. Hm, I have a feeling it’s going to be harder than I think...

I want to go

George Michael will be the first will be the first pop artist to perform at the new Wembley Stadium.

Michael's gig at the much-delayed rebuilt stadium, which has cost more than 750 million pounds, is scheduled for June 9, three weeks after the venue is due to host the FA Cup final.

I think it’s been about 20 years since the last time I saw George Michael live, and even though he’s older and I’m older he is still one of my favourite artist. His private life is quite troublesome, but never less he knows how to write good music and perform. It would be a ball going. Anybody want to join me?

Iron lady strikes again

I know I can be very stubborn and set in principles at work some times. When I got called Iron lady last autumn I decided to take it as compliment and smile. If someone thinks I’m an Iron lady that’s his or her problem, not mine.

Feathers were ruffled and are being ruffled with this new project going on at work and me being appointed Global Project Manager. That I knew going into all this, and it might have been one of the reasons why I was chosen, but being called f-ing bitch was never something I expected. It wasn’t straight to my face, but to one of the directors who had picked me. A man 10 years junior me thought I was a f-ing bitch since I three times had asked him about important information for the project. When I did not received any information I just told him that the project was not gong to be held responsible for missing out on some things – the information he had failed to give us. But I’m been busy, was his response. Since I’m doing more or less two jobs at the moment that wasn’t really a good excuse. Especially since his deadline had been postponed three times.

So he marched off and emailed the director complaining and calling me f-ing bitch. He also implied that I wasn’t competent enough and wondered how I could have been appointed since I had only been in the company for 8 months.

I know now that he has made a fool of himself (a very, very big fool), but it still bothers me how a man can act like this (Sorry all you lovely and supporting men out there. You’re my heroes!). And yes, I know some women can act this way too.

Why is it so hard sometimes to understand that a woman might be competent and knows things? Do we remind you of your mothers or is just plain jealousy? Anyhow I don’t like being called f-ing bitch, because that’s the last thing I am.

Another baby

I ran into an old friend and her very quite 2½-year-old daughter on Thursday night. The first thing her daughter says is: “I have a baby sister in mummy’s tummy”. Exciting news of course, but once again I was reminded that I don’t have any children of my own and I’m the odd person out. I have more or less decided that I do not want children. I’m just not mother material. But what hurt with this decision is that I’m going to miss out on the amazing wonder of carrying a person inside my body for around nine months. To feel that special love and connection a mother has to her child(ren) no matter what. To know that I (and the father) have created a very unique person and that person are always going to be part of our lives. I also feel sad for mum who never will have any “real” grandchildren of her own. So she is and will be the odd person out as well. Her daughter hasn’t given her any grandchildren.

I wonder if it’s society to make me feel like this? Still it is very much expected that a woman should have babies and be responsible for the next generation. It really doesn’t matter how enlightened and liberated we are. It’s just there. Women and babies.

Someone you know?

Thanks for the laugh!

By Hugh McLeod at Gapingvoid