ShellShock

The fabulous explorer (Take a look!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8drUvi68MVY

Blackpop are going to play downtown at Ynglingen today, warming up for Warlight. It all starts at eight. C ya.-
:D

I'm working 19 days of this month, and I just figured out that my logged working hours, of tuesday the 26th, had been shortened. I seldom get angry, but by this, I'm not far from it. I'll have to note for my self how much I work, day by day, or else I'll quickly loose much of my "worked-for" income if this occurs frequently. Someone just stated me the reason for not beeing motivated giving the best of me at work, and it will not pass by as with the silence of the winds - it feeds my rage.

I guess I scare you off from reading by writing this much in one post, but fine with me, you just go around and do something else. =)

Listening to Clawfinger the other day, I thought of why I hadn't introduced the music for my brother Fredrik. The thing with Clawfinger is that they sing about things such as anti-racism and political things, which both the two of us likes to talk about. You've might heard Clawingers song "Nigger" before, and I guess you find the title somehow offensive. Yes, I really wondered why it was played all the time on national television if it was offensive, but here is how some of it goes:

"take a look at yourself and your history
you don't look like a goddamn nigger to me
it's a negative word and the white man made it
gave you a name to dominate and trade it
making blood money of his very own race man
and all of this because the colour of your face man"
... "Nigger!"

Quite "up in your face" or what?

Thing is that they have a song called "Two sides", which is about religions. It has made me walk around myself asking "Why in the world do I believe in what I believe in". It has given me some hard times trying to figure out the issue, and by that I don't want to push people who believes to have the same thing going on, cause it is not fun. I know it is a good thing to do, but as with most issues: do you have to pass them on to everyone? Well, it depends of a variety of things. To be strong in faith is a good thing, to know the most fundamental answers to what you believe in is a great thing, but if something just pushes you down, down and down, you don't want others to experience it. I thought by myself that my little brother would probabely like Clawfinger, but was a bit unsure when it came to "Two sides", thinking "Well, it's better figure out of such, than not", and what's best, is that my brother gave me a good answer to that, so I'll post some of the lyrics and his reply.

""There's nothing a god can give to me that I can't give to myself
I put my beliefs in the things I believe and a god can take care of himself
There's not enough love in the world for me to think about wasting my time
It's not that I don't believe at all but I don't need a heavenly sign
I can achieve the things I need without getting down on my knees
I can respect your religion but I don't want to pay your fees
I don't want to hear you talk about the things you think that I need
so don't help me back on my feet again until you can hear me plead
Just look in the holy book of crooks and tell me what you can find
All the rules and the regulations made to manipulate your mind
Don't pretend that you're blind just open your mind and study historical times
The bigger the loss the bigger the cost the bigger the cross and its crimes

I don't believe in a god that I need to worship
I don't believe that I need to get down on my knees
I don't believe that a voice from above can help me
I only believe in what I can see and the things that I can achieve"


I'll just paste the conversation we had about it (translated):
Erik: Well, they have quite much interesting. Criticizing a whole lot in their lyrics, which makes you think of a whole lot of issues. Two sides, I believe it's named that, is the one that has given me the most to think of.
(...chatting..)
Fredrik: Two sides, yes.
Erik: It's a good song, makes you think about what you believe in.
Fredrik: Yes
Erik: Tell me what song you're listening to.
Fredrik: Buuuut
Erik: What?
Fredrik: Listening to it now
Erik: Buuuut what?
Fredrik: This is thoughts I've went through about several tens of times before, it's an EFFORT, and I'm TIRED of thinking it over and over again
Erik: Heheh
Fredrik: It just plainly SUCKS
Erik: I dislike listening to that song of that reason, so I catch your point, it's like "... Blah.." every time I hear it....
Fredrik: MM
Fredrik: That's what happens in most discussions about religion
Fredrik: Like "God doesn't exist"
Fredrik: I wish people could just shut up
Erik: Mhm
Fredrik: If you're a christian, muslim, atheist a.s.o. it's fine
Fredrik: I don't care, don't try to thrust your dogmas down my throat
Fredrik: Especially not atheists
Erik: Mhm HEH
Fredrik: Strictly, anyone who hasn't considered the religion thoroughly, SHUT UP
Erik: Bad experiences?
Fredrik: I could have hit someone in their face
Erik: Hoi!
Fredrik: Not that I've ever been urinated at, but I feel that someone literally PISS on my faith.
Erik: K!
Fredrik: And when I'm called dumb, idiot etc. because I believe in God, they have no clue of all the time, all strength and emotions that I've gone through concerning my religion, its credibility and so on
Fredrik: That the most of them are shitkids and punks, who has captured the simple point of view "THERE IS NO GOD", is damned stupid!
Fredrik: Go baa with the sheeps, assholes
Erik: HAHAHAHAHA!
Fredrik: Seriously.

Point is that the both of us had quite a long walk with ourselves before we came to the point of belief where we're now. It is, as said, an effort to go through all reasons for why and why not believe with people who's got a limited insight in your faith, especially when you try and try and try again, meeting nothing much else other than a point of view with blinkers.

The concert was excellent! people standed up from their seats and clapped Kings of Convenience back at the scene TWICE. The second time clapping and trampling! It seemed that they where overwhelmed by the audience. 
The last song they played for us was a new song, and they ended it up with one of the guys making trumpet sounds from his mouth "battling" against the violinist, listening to it was hilarious. If you wern't there, shame on you. There was no age-restrictions either, so that could not be the reason.

I've updated my photoalbum with a photosession of this summer. If someone feels that there should have been a picture of them, tell me. I don't have pictures of all those that I'd like to have a picture of, so I might come up with a request in reply =)

And the last: We've got one room ekstra in our appartment, so if there is someone out there looking for a room for rent, we've got one extra - 2.800 a month.