I must admit, I am not what you might call a fan of musicals. It has often been an unpleasant experience to watch a film, where an attempt has been made to hide a lousy plot with lots of songs. (Luckily, most lousy films use naked women instead of songs to make up for bad writers and directors).

But sometimes it actually makes sense, using songs to tell a story. Or even better: if it deliberately makes no sense at all, as in the TV-series 3rd Rock from the Sun, about a group of aliens visiting Earth. A small TV-budget without room for a lot of special effects has dictated a plot in which the aliens take on human form without the understanding of the inhibitions normally present in humans. Very funny! In one episode, they dream for the first time (being aliens, it is not something they normally do) and the most odd member of the crew has a dream with a breathtakingly stupid musical with himself as central figure.

In another TV-series, Buffy the vampire slayer, about a girl who – well – slays vampires, a whole episode (“Once more with feeling”) went up in singing. An intelligent plot and – in the end – a good reason for all the singing, made it all eatable. What is more: Some of the things that would have sounded a bit stupid if said actually gave good meaning in singing. And brought so much fun, especially because the characters really hate that they burst into song and corny dance acts all the time, and try all they can to find a way out of this curse.
It is difficult to give a meaningful explanation on why I find this so meaningful and intelligent, without leaving you with a feeling of exactly the opposite. That is: if you are not familiar with the series yourself – and then there is no purpose on telling you about it.
But very short: The main character Buffy died some episodes before this one, but was brought back to life. Everyone who took part in the rescue thinks they did her a favour. She, on the other hand, had already gone towards the light and has some trouble seeing the positive side of returning; but that she cannot tell, afraid of sounding ungrateful. The problem is that in musicals, thoughts are also often song out loud, and so a lot of secrets are suddenly not so secret anymore.

By the way: Buffy is the only series I have ever seen, where the sudden loss of someone close is portrayed as it really feels. No other series or films I know of, has even come close to that. That was in a more normal episode without singing.

Just to make tings clear: I am not making fun of people who loves musicals like Sound of Music. This happens to be a film with a well build plot – and if it could loose the sickening scene with the annoying kids singing a good night song, it would be fantastic. The animated American television sitcom Family Guy made a parody of that scene, by making an unchanged cartoon version. Probably because any change – no matter how vulgar – would likely make it better.

If ever a film should be made, portraying my life, it should be a musical; both for the fun of it, and to hide all the dull moments. Until that happens, I guess this blog is my song.

And just to set things straight: I also very much like films with lots of shooting, very little singing and no intelligence. 😉

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Glædelig jul og godt nytår!

Yesterday, a very famous mouse turned 80. Normally mice have a shorter lifespan, but in the parallel universe of Disney, it is possible.
Congratulations Mickey! I grew up with you and all your friends.
But though you have a nice character – I think I am more a duck-person. 😉

I may have to let this blog go.

I know there are people reading some of the things that I write. The log shows that people (real people, not just search engines) visits this site. People have told me they have seen this site. There have even been people commenting some of my blog posts. But most of my blog posts show “No Comments“.

I know that most people do not like to write comments, or feel they have nothing to say. I, too, often visit websites to seek out knowledge or to spend some time, and then leave without a trace.

This is not wrong, but it does leave me with two questions:

1. Who do I really write this blog for?
If I write for myself, and just let you watch, then the lack of comments should not be a concern.
If I write to share my inner thoughts with you, then it could be a concern.

2. What do you think of this blog?
Do you come here often to read the things I write? Or is this your first visit, after you have stumbled upon this blog post in a search engine? Do you find it funny, rewarding or a stupid waste of time?
I do not know!

I still have a couple of blog posts to write to get them out of my system – or reorganized so the thoughts fit inside me without making a complete mess.

  The future has not been written yet, and may never be without comments.

A lot of people use Internet the same way they use TV, radio and newspapers: they grab the information others have produced – nothing more.

This strikes me as a little odd since the Internet is intended as a platform for interaction. Not since Speakers Corner, there has ever been a place more dependent on the contribution from the public.

Use the possibilities the Internet brings, but please do not hesitate to contribute with all the fantastic things you know about, have special feelings about or at least have an opinion about.

If you don’t know where to add wisdom to the Internet, you can write it in a comment to this post.

This morning, I put on a t-shirt with a “Tuna” logo (a spoof for a famous brand with another animal).

In the mirror, the t-shirt said “A nut”.

“One day when he was out walking, he came to an open place in the middle of the forest, and in the middle of this place was a large oak-tree, and, from the top of the tree, there came a loud buzzing-noise.
Winnie-the-Pooh sat down at the foot of the tree. Put his head between his paws and began to think.
First of all he said to himself: ‘That buzzing-noise means something. You don’t get a buzzing-noise like that, just buzzing and buzzing, without its meaning something – and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of is because you’re a bee.’
Then he thought another long time, and said: ‘And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey.’ “

(From the book ‘Winnie-The-Pooh’ by A. A. Milne)

Alan Alexander Milne’s book ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ was released 82 years ago today, on October 14 1926.
I like bees for the same reason as Pooh Bear: Honey. But this summer, I have noticed a disturbing lack of bees. I have heard about parasites being the reason for a recent decline in the population of bumble bees, but scientists believe that this parasite does not affect honey bees. But it is a fact that the honey industry has been plagued with colony collapse disorder in recent years.

I do not know if another plague is also worldwide or just a local phenomenon. But this year has shown a disturbing increase in spiders. I may have seen more spiders this year, than all other years combined! I do not like spiders. I hate spiders! But seeing so many has almost made me loose my fear for spiders. But I still do not like them at all!

I like bees.

I keep a lot of stuff I really do not have any use for.
If you have the same problem, then maybe this might be a useful advice:

Only keep things that are useful or beautiful!

I intend to live by that rule – for a while or forever – and see where it takes me. 🙂

You may have noticed the long time between posts. Please do not panic, I am still here. But my carefully laid plans for this blog – and other things in my life – have a tendency to go down the toilet when real life comes knocking at my door.

First, the same old story: Lack of inspiration. I really want to write some stunningly clever posts, but each time it turns out that I am missing inspiration, intellect and/or ability to put my thoughts into (in my case: foreign) words.

Second: I had arranged with someone to help me redecorate the exterior of the place I live. On the date they were supposed to turn up, they told me that they unfortunately couldn’t. At that time I already had started the preparation, and had to continue on my own. With some help from some very nice people I have the great fortune to know – and with skills I did not know I had – I have now managed to get the place redecorated (in a week or two the work should be done).
I am glad to see the project so close to the end, but it has taken all my free time for ages. Time I could have spend on writing blog posts and enjoying life.