blackie the cat

blackie, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Blackie the cat isn't really satisfied with the weather. Too cold, too windy and too snowy... better to stay inside...

after after the storm

snowstorm, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Seems like the after the storm moment was just a short break before the real snowstorm...

swing

swing, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

The swing under the bridge. My house to the left.

tree of the magpies

tree of magpies, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

During the winter a tribe of magpies live in this tree. Every night when I come home they sit there together keeping each other warm and safe. I like them.

after the storm

after the storm, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

During the last night and day we had quite a lot of snow coming down.

oooops...

drunk driver, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

It's always a good thing to remember to open the gate before you try to take the car out for a spin...

yule night

yule night, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

A nice, dark and white Yule night. Just as it should be.

snow

snow, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

More snow... nice...

the christmas spirit

the christmas spirit, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Me and some colleagues celebrated the christmas vacation. Presents, wine, good food and... flutes... Everything you need for a great party. And now - finally - some rest... and silence...
Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

heavy german/austrian movie night part 1

movies, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Had a German/Austrian themed movie night yesterday. Heavy stuff! I started with Fritz Langs totally mind blowing movie The Testament of Dr Mabuse. It's almost impossible to understand that this movie was made back in 1933. It feels so fresh and it has a very modern pacing. There's a lot of inventive action in this movie combined with a spectacular and very dark plot. The scene where the spirit or ghost of Dr Mabuse haunts and takes control over Prof. Dr. Baum is still after all these years very strong and creepy. The car chase at the end is also absolutely brilliant. One of the best I've ever seen in a movie. The chase is illuminated by the cold lights from the cars and reflects on white stones besides the road and on spooky almost skeleton like trees. It's beautiful!
After that I travelled in time to Neukölln, Berlin, in the late 70's. The movie Wir Kinder Vom Bahnhof Zoo is about 14 year old Christiane F and her descent into despair, drug addiction and prostitution. This is a real 70's movie eventhough it was made in 1981. Uli Edel has made an extremely realistic and very dark movie. It's the total opposite of heroin chic. The movie has an excellent soundtrack based on David Bowies Eno/Berlin era. V-2 Schneider and Heroes from his 1977 Heroes album are a perfect match to the story and the icy cold pictures. For more info try this insanely rich and detailed fan site. Loads of pictures and stuff.
Finally I watched the classic The Third Man (1949) directed by Carol Reed and based on a script by Graham Greene. The movie is set in a bomb-damaged Vienna, just after the Second World War, and shot in a beautiful and expressionist black and white. I think that this quote by Harry Lime (played by Orson Welles) sums the movie up pretty well:
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly."
This is a movie about a society in disintegration and despair. The Austrians seems to struggle between a feeling of relief that the war and the Nazi rule is over and a feeling of humiliation towards the victorious occupying nations. This is not an allied propaganda movie - far from. It's a beautiful movie full of complex characters and storylines. It reminds me a bit of Casablanca (Alida Valli both looks and speaks like Ingrid Bergman) but the ghost like Vienna makes this movie much darker.

The End

bloody christmas

bloody christmas, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Maximum holiday spirit outside the East Side bar. Santa is back and he's pissed!

max peezay

max peezay, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Max Peezay will have a release party at Marie Laveau the 26th of December. Could be pretty cool. Max Peezay a.k.a. Tom Piha from Fjärde Världen and Henkan. Not Fiskis but damn close...

frost

frost, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Frost... more proof of a pretty cold morning... love to go to work on Mondays...

the greenhouse

the greenhouse, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

The greenhouse below my balcony... This morning was super cold... or at least pretty cold...

nobuta yule spirit enter

nobuta yule spirit enter, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Nobuta Yule Spirit Enter! Happy Yule everyone and have a great New Year! 2006 will totally rock!

ganesha, eshu & betty

ganesha, eshu & betty, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Some of my household gods. Ganesha, Eshu and Betty... Bless them!

from beyond the clouds

beyond the clouds, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

At noon the sun rose from beyond the clouds...

Eins
Hier kommt die Sonne
Zwei
Hier kommt die Sonne
Drei
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen

Rammstein - Sonne (2001)

my fern

my fern, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

My beautiful fern is still alive...

lady of vengeance

lady of vengeance, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

My Lady of Vengeance...

the december moon

december moon, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

The full moon shines over Fiskis.

the yule spirit part II

police, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Santa got so drunk last Friday the police had to pick him up. I hope he sobers up until Christmas...

the yule spirit

the yule spirit, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

You know Christmas is near when my neighbour starts to decorate his balcony.

lucia was here

lucia, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Lucia, or Saint Lucy, was here early in the morning the 13th of December.

ice

ice, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Looking down at the clear ice on the brink of Lundsjön.

lundsjön

lundsjon, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Lundsjön covered by ice. The ice was so thin it sang when people tried out their skates on it.

noon

noon, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

The sun at noon. Just above the trees.

grötfatet

grötfatet, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

A thin layer of ice on Grötfatet (The Porrige Dish).

the fiskayet stone circles

fiskis 02, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Another beautiful winter day. Two three hours of sunshine between dawn and dusk. In front of the house you can see our own stone circle. Works wonders for your fertility...

Space Race

Space Race, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Welcome to nerd paradise. This fantastic BBC docudrama tell us the story about the great space race during the 50's and 60's. The main characters are the Soviet Chief Designer Sergei Korolev and his US opposite, the former German rocket scientist, Wernher von Braun. This docudrama looks both beautiful and impressive and really let you take a close look at the incredible efforts that were put into the race to the moon. Unfortunately Sergei Korolev died before he could see his dream realized. I really recommend this BBC production.

nobuta wo produce

nobuta wo produce, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Nobuta wo produce is a totally excellent dorama. It has everything you want from a good TV show - it's fun, it's sad, it's weird and it's spooky. The main characters are Shuji, played by KAT-TUN vocalist Kamenashi Kazuya, Akira, played by NewS member Yamashita Tomohisa and Noboko, played by the brilliant Horikita Maki. Overall the acting is great considering that this is a dorama, not a movie. There's a great vibe between the actors and they all have their own charming little trademarks. At its best this show is a crazy combination of The Breakfast Club, Heathers, Nightmare on Elm Street, Uzumaki, Ring and Battle Royale. Nobuta Power Enter!

december 14.30

december 14.30, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Shit... I almost missed the sun... but it actually was there for a couple of hours...

december 11.30

december 11.30, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

The sun is struggling hard to get over the horizon...

winter lights

winter lights, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

I think it's christmas again...

webstrarna two

webstrarna two, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

It was a great concert! Webstrarna always were a very entertaining live band - they still are. I had a really great night. Thanks guys!

webstrarna one

webstrarna one, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Ola Jameson, Sten Tjäder, Petter Eklund and Jan Lundkvist - Webstrarna.

mosse

mosse, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

This is one of the original members of Webstrarna. If you wanted to discuss Gary Numan or Illuminatus! back in the 80's - this was the best man to do it with. Ewige Blumenkraft.

me

me, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Yes - I'm still awake!!!

old friends two

old friends two, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

More pics from the Webstrarna reunion. Happiness!

old friends one

old friends one, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Last friday (december 9th) I went away to a Webstrarna reunion concert. Met a lot of old friends from the 80's and 90's... that's like almost 15 years ago... ouch...

november evening

november evening, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Looking at this years last november evening from my balcony. Pretty nice...

a forest

snow tree, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

It’s always the same
I’m running towards nothing
Again and again and again and again

The Cure - A Forest (Seventeen Seconds, 1980)

the yule tree 2005

the yule tree 2005, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Here it is - the Fiskis Yule Tree 2005!

the sledge premiere

the sledge premiere, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Today was the official sledge premiere this season. Soon I will fly by these little hooligans in Draken Backen (Dragon Hill) and show them who's the boss.

happy birthday!

malte, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Happy Birthday Malte! You're 1 year old now - excellent work my favourite little duderino!

first snow

first snow, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Tonight the first snow fell over Fiskayet...

the dynamic duo

the dynamic duo, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Murre the Cat and his father Moses. Moses is a well known local wild cat. Or as it looks, former wild cat.

krazy maus

maus, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

This little bastard ran around in my bed, bit my toes and my hair. He seemed to think he owned my room but I introduced him to Murre the Cat who showed this little rodent who's the boss. Murre 1 - Mouse 0.

deer

deer, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

A couple of deers came by for food.

the farm

the farm, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Winter has come to the farm. It was really cold and the ground was covered by frost.

a wolf in Fiskis

a wolf in Fiskis, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Yesterday a young wolf visited Fiskis. How cool is that?! But unfortunately we need to protect the wolves in Sweden from stupid, superstitious and guncrazy hillbillies. These hillbillies wants to kill every wolf, bear and lynx they can find in our huge empty forests. They claim it's because they want to protect their livestock. But that's just bullshit. If they wanted to protect their livestock they could just as well use livestock guardian dogs as the ones above. They can protect livestock against attacks from all the big predatory animals we have in Sweden. The problem is that the Swedish hillbillies shows no interest at all in these dogs. They want to kill wolves and their hunting association is very influential. The government should stop paying all these hillbillies for killed livestock as long as they refuse to use dogs for protection.
Sweden has an area of 449,964 km² and 9 million citizens, most of them living in cities. In that huge empty space called Sweden there are approximately 100 wolves. In the Carpathian Mountains there live approximately 4000 wolves. 2800 of them in Romania (22 million citizens living on 238,391 km²), 450 in Slovakia (5 million citizens living on 49,035 km²) and 250 in Poland (39 million citizens living on 312,685 km²). There are approximately 200 wolves in Estonia (1,5 million citizens living on 45,226 km²) and 2000 wolves in Spain (43 million citizens living on 504,782 km²). So the big question is - why isn't it possible to have 100 wolves living in Sweden? We should be able to have at least 500 wolves in Sweden maybe a 1000 without problems. It's sad when a wolf is safer and more welcome in Stockholm than out in the countryside.