More creativity at the office

I was googling to find some inspiration on creative rooms. 

This first one is not my cup of tea but some guy must have thought this one was very creative...

Here are som pics from Google creative areas. They are hard to beat as an employer. What if you feel a bit tired in the morning? Just take this way to the "fika" (coffee break), like we say in Sweden. I worked at a company that partly was bought by the Autodesk company. After visiting us and our fika moments in the morning they saw positiv synergies and started doing this in the US.

Imagine working laying like this?! I don´t know if you would like to be the owner of that company. Yes I guess you would when you know it is Google!

This is a photo above is the opposite of creativity! A Swedish guy Johannes Hansen writes about creativity and the importance of the enviroment for most people! Press here to read his blog: Johannes writes (sorry in swedish) about this issue!

All the best

Anna




SVD har lagt ihop ett bildspel från Googles kontor om du vill kika!

Could we ask greece for some money

I think we need some extra cash to the Swedish government at this time. We need to put some money to the cancer sick people so that they don´t need to go to the agencies to apply for jobs they can´t get and we also need to put a little more money with our elderly, build new roads etc. Wonder if we could ask the Greek people to give us this money? We might have a nicely planned economy going on here in Sweden. There are lots of possabilities with our way of running a country but it is not perfect. A Chinese friend recently told me that in China they refer to Sweden as the best run communist country in the world?! I was a bit surprised and told the guy that we at this moment are governed by a right wing party. He also looked very surprised at that fact. 


Anyway my suggestion above is all about the demonstations in Greece. I don´t really understand why it would be ok to retire at 50, pay very little VAT and then when they have run out of money ask us to pay for the vacation?


All the best from me
Anna

Above a collage I made 10 years ago. I let it speak for itself!

We are alll made of cosmic matter

I love being inspired by odd creating like these gifanimations and manipulations by photos. I like the idear of us being a part of something big. 

This project began from the theory that humans are made of cosmic matter as a result of a stars death. I created imagery that showcased this cosmic birth through the use of dust and reflective confetti to create galaxies. The models organic bodily expressions as they are frozen in time between the particles suggest their celestial creation. In addition, space and time is heightened by the use of three-dimensional animated gifs. Their movement serves as a visual metaphor to the spatial link we share with stars as well as their separateness through time. Read more at this address: http://ignacio-torres.com/projects/stellar/

All the best

Anna

Personal style from....

Wouldn´t it be nice to walk on water like jesus did? If you´re into army you can wear those shoes inspired by a tank. 

Photo: http://www.fashioncraz.com/odd-shoes/

Photo: http://www.12thblog.com/funny-and-odd-fashion/

Should we be happy for this gentelmen finally finding his own style?

All the best from me

Anna

Dressed in meat

Photo: http://fashionopen.files.wordpress.com

Somehow I like when people think outside the box but this is two steps too far! 

Why not taking it cool with some ice jewelry. Up here in the North we are getting closer to the dark and cold period so I don´t think this jewelry would be very appreciated here but in some warmer areas perhaps. And it is inspiring to try and think outside the box. If you like to read more about this artist named Katharina Ludwig. Press this link: http://guestofaguest.com/gift-giving/the-best-guests-come-bearing-gifts-ice-jewelry/

All the best 
Anna

Some of my friends think it is so cute so they get sick

We live in a cute small area. Some of my friends think it is so cute so they get sick. Imagine yourself pink wooden houses in a romantic style and lots of roses and flowers in the yards. Perfect small lawns. The neighbours are always very “Truman show” happy and ask about the weather. I like these small houses and the neighbours. Therefore I never like any of the houses Fred find. Few days ago we experienced a not so cute experience suddenly a big Volvo park on a big rock in the playground we have between the trees. It was one of the warmest evenings this summer so there were lots of people out looking at this young guy who seemed to be completely lost. He had driven fast into a narrow path with lots of big stones on either side of it and finally parked on top of one. While trying to reverse his vehicle he manage to demolate the whole front of the car.
Swedes aren´t much of exaggerating when something happens or aren´t much of reacting at all, only when they have some vodka things start happening. If I generalize we tend to observe instead of doing something. At least in the beginning when we don´t have the whole picture clear like in this case. Two neighbours managed to call the police and was hoping that they would take care of this guy, who looked like he saw demons. At the time when the police arrived the guy was gone. The car wasn´t going anywere. Later the police captured the guy and he was quite influenced by narcotic substances but they let him go the other day. I don´t know why. The problem for the guy were now to remember where he parked his car. One week passed and he couldn´t remember. An article in the local news paper about the car didn´t help him ring any bell. After two weeks he made inquiries about the car at the police office. They started looking and when I got home on Monday this week finally something happened. I was hoping on seing this young guy fixing his car by himself but the police had ordered a big truck to get it up to the road.

I took a photo of this Volvo so you can see for yourself. I remember an American friend always use to laugh at the big lamps in the front of almost every car up here in Sweden. I hadn´t noticed until he pointed it out. I guess it is good to have some extra lights during the winter time when it is pretty dark up here.


All the best
Anna

People aren´t prepared that the robbers are in the bank

Something that seemed so difficult to understand has suddenly become pretty clear to me. I am talking about the savings 70% of the Swedish people are doing in funds for the retirement: Tonights show of “Uppdrag granskning” (a Swedish TV-show that investigates supposed injustices) showed that Swedes rank in the top all over the world when it comes to this form of investing money. They are putting all of their savings into pension funds and at the end they realise that they have given away approx 38% of their money to the bank because of all the fees?! Is this what we want to do?
They explained a lot of things in this show last night like noone are supposed to understand where the bank got their index from. They just want you as a customer to believe that you have put your money in a good place and feel safe even if the funds are hitting an all-time low. That is what they use this index to. They just want the reader to see the headline and that is meant to give you a good feeling. The journalist asked a retired CEO of a bank department, if he and his wife could understand the meaning of the information that followed with the fond payment at the end of the year. And not even they could understand the essence of the information. The reflection after realising what the real profit was: that they were trying to hide it and to make the fees invisible. As I see it the only winners here are the banks. Yesterday I was thinking about saving more, but now I am certain that I should save in other forms (like in the matress) or spend the money, but to do it myself. I can lose a great deal of money and I wouldn´t have lost anything if I would have done that since I don´t need to pay the bank fees any longer. Like one of the guests at this show said: “People aren´t prepared that the robbers are in the bank.“


All the best
Anna

Richard Branson is an inspiration

I read an article about Richard Branson in Time Magazine today and he seems like an inspiring person with a fresh mind who goes his own way successfully and also without following the stream.
He has aeroplanes flying all over the world and instead of flying less he proclaims to fly more and pledge that 100% of the profits goes to developing clean new fuels. He plans to fly one 747 using clean fuel next year to prove that this can be done. This guy also has dyslexia and actually thinks that this has helped him in his work. In his company they use normal language instead of using phrases that nobody understand, like “financial service industry”.

Without mentioning any companies here in Sweden I think this would be something that really would help advertsing give more results. Use language and words we understand and don´t make it so complicated. We don´t have the time for that. Sometimes it seems as if a slogan sounds cool but no one understands it, it’s better than the other way around?! Is it? You tell me? What also is cool with Branson is that he hardly ever says “no”. He is known as “Mr. Yes” because whenever someone comes up with an idea he encourages that person to try it out within reasonable limits.


All the best
Anna

Photo from commons.wikimedia.org

Some people seem to leave a smile on your lips...

When it comes to relations with other people there have been a lot of friends through the years. Some of them for a long time and some I have been trying to avoid after meeting them once. I haven´t always acted the best way but I tend to reflect, think and compare and somehow I think I learn how I want to change that way. I have grown to be more Anna nowadays and hopefully also a better person. If you know me you can let me know what that is . I think we all search for different things in relationships but joy and respect is of great importance for me. We all seem to be short of time so it is nice to know what we are looking for in a relationship and skip relations were you don´t get it. I have been more into that idea after growing older. Some people seem to leave a smile on your lips and some people make you need a long nap after spending time together. It is just to find those waterwholes.


All the best
Anna

Change habits for moral reasons

I read at expressen.se webpage about a young girl who saved 23 newborn Iceland horses today. In iceland they get the horses pregnant and then they empty their blood cause there is some enzymes in the blood that are used in meatproduction. I think it is a little “Matrix” over this story. When the little foal is being born it is sent directly to be slaughtered. This Swedish girl saved 23 foals who arrived by plane in Sweden yesterday. A honorable thing to do. I think this is a reminder for many of us. I think it is important to think about what we consume and also be aware of how this is being done. Perhaps we can spare some of these habits just for moral reasons.
One can always ponder over if it is necessary to develop medicals, machines, food and clothes for human beings. I think many of us understand that this probably must be done but there is a moral line somewhere when we don´t care about much more than money and ourselves. I think you and I have to decide where that line is and try not to cross it. My line is drawn exactly where I don’t eat baby animals. You might think this is silly but I think why should I buy that when I just as well can have something else on my plate? We are doing some nasty things by buying products we don´t know much about. Some of them is for a good cause. I think this would be one to start with in Iceland. 


All the best
Anna

Photo from www.djurskyddet.se

Gustav Vigeland

It isn´t often I feel fulfilled and want to see more and more when I go to a gallery or a museum but I have found one artist who’s work I love. It is the genious Gustav Vigeland. He made art like a god. Like Michaelangelo searched for the divine I think this man found just that again and again in his sculptures. I almost started crying while seeing some of his sculptures. I didn´t thinkt a man who created so much in his life was blessed with sharing this with a woman but after visiting this indoor museum I understood that he married one of his models. He fell in love with her beautiful hands. All and everyone of us who tried to create art with hands as focus know how beautiful a hand can be and also how difficult it is to remodel this part of us.

Vigeland has also made the medallion who is given in the name of the Nobel peace price. A salute for Gustav Vigeland.


All the best
Anna

Should swedes become more Danish

Imagine yourself 6 billions of ants walking around in a small space. They are walking in groups in a hurry to be in time at a spot at a certain time. Some of them are carrying special leaves from certain trees and are valued higher as a member in their community because of this. This sounds silly for us looking at them from above. They spend time in groups and in each group the patterns are important. Everyone must follow the stream, otherwise you´ll not be accepted. When you go down into one small group of one little percent of this huge amount of ants they have their own language and their own traditions even if they are a small part of the big scenario of billions of insects. If one of the ants communicate a little differently from the rest of the group they are valued a lesser member of the group than the rest. They have to work harder and better to achieve the same status as the rest. When you look at the whole picture and have all those billions of ants walking around in groups you don´t understand why this little group can take it so dead seriously following the pattern in different ways. If you convert this picture into humans and their ways of living there is one thing for us Swedes to consider. We are rated high in the world as diplomats and employees. We are always very dedicated to our work and reliable. But there are some things I think we should consider in all of this. I am not saying that all Swedes follow this stream but we have a way of value members higher if they are alike and are doing like the rest.

When you dive into this community of time tables, status, values, languages and look around you, you can see that everyone is chasing that leaf or that language or whatever. I think for us Swedes it would be good to see everything from above once in a while. Perhaps we could loosen up a little bit and don´t take everything so seriously. Swedes have lots of good talents but we also have some we should get rid off. One of them is planing so much in details and be so deternminded in following our plan. We ought to reconsider our plan everyday and be more flexible. The world is moving faster and there is not time for timetables. I thing we ought to do more like the Danish. They are more relaxed at least from my experiences. They must be doing something right cause you are seeing danish companies everywhere and they are managing to go from one success to another. I have heard many Swedes being annoyed of the Danish when they are changing their plans and look at the time table as something flexible. Perhaps this is a good thing. At least for us Swedes to learn. Some people seem to want to follow a time table, a budget, a prognosis or whatever when the most important task should be to get higher profit or be happier. Don´t you think?

Photo: from vagabond.se

All the best
Anna

Thank you Astrid Lindgren for creating Pippi

Right now we are having a right coalition government in Sweden. I have been having my eyes on them since they started in 2005. Since the left-wing with Göran Persson has run the country for I think 12 years it is with interest and curiosity I follow them to see if they can do something new for this country. I think we have a pretty nice solution here with a mixed economy that we can be pretty proud of. Everyone can use the social security even if they don´t paid a lot of money on insurances. We have our problems like all others but I think we have a pretty human view of how one should treat each other both rich and poor. The question is if we can keep this standard in the future. There has been lot of cutbacks on the unemployed and the well-off have gotten their VAT lowered on houses and fortunes. We have a lot of taxes in Sweden so maybe we can get rid of some but the question is how we do this to share equally. What does it mean to do it equally? Some people like Kamprad who started and owns IKEA has put his whole life into serving his company, other people like to do nothing. Astrid Lindgren, the author of the Pippi Long Stocking books wrote a funny article many years ago and called some of the VAT Pomperipossa-taxes. She had gotten an amount of tax that was more than 100% of what she earned. I would love to have read a tale about that. 


Thank you Astrid Lindgren for all those great books you wrote and also giving small girls a strong and funny role model!

Photo from: http://www.rabensjogren.se

Anyway the person who impress me the most today is the postman who is biking and biking all year long in rain and in snow. That is impressing. Perhaps he is more happy than the men in black suits!


All the best
Anna

lazy website owners

I think the Internet suit Swedes just fine. We can sit by our computers and don´t need to wrestle in a line or look at clothes in a crowded shop. To stand in a line is something that is almost holy in Sweden. We avoid it, but if we have to, we stand in the queue very calmly and quietly, almost solemnly and wait for our turn at the cashier or whatever. If someone try to get ahead we really explode but don´t show it. We give the person the killing eye. Without a word we stare. I am exaggerating this a bit, but it is pretty much a big issue if someone try to get advantages on our behalf and don´t wait for their turn to come.
On the Internet we surf around and since having high tecnical standards with broadband in almost every cottage we will soon be able to do everything over the Internet. Some people like to put on their washing machine from their workplace, others like to watch their children at the day care via a webcam. From my point of view I don´t think that is necessary but I must admit that the Internet makes my life a lot easier and it is nice to be able to use it as frequent as I do. But I have come across some traditional problems over the Internet when it comes to using services, buying things etc. I belive it is important to be present as a website owner even if the visitor actually doesn’t see this. This mean you are open to communicate with any one passing through your special cyberhome. I think nice behavior towards the customer is the key that many webshops forget over the Internet. New websites seem to pop up all the time and they wan to cash-in quick. They want to grow fast without putting too much energy into it. Most often you find a big faq-side on these websites. Usually the bigger it is the more difficult it is to find a real email-address to a real person. If you do find an email-address and try to contact the person to get some help to use their service, or buy an item, you aren´t always lucky enough to get an answer. Some owners have resolved this with sending a preprogrammed mail with instructions to enter the faq-pages again to be sure not to use their precious time in vain. I don´t know if they think I will be happier with that answer. If you are really lucky you get a mail from a real person after this if you have the strength to continue. I happen to run into one of these sites today when I was trying to use the changinglink.com on my website. The problem was that when I recieved the mail from this person he had a really arrogant tone, so I think they would made better impression if not answering at all. They are a good example of how websites should not be when communicating with visitors. Enough written about this boring website! I have met a lot more persons behind websites that is being nice, humble and friendly over the Internet. And one feel really appreciated for using their service or buying their items. One of them ishttp://www.iblogbusiness.com/. I am glad that I can find passionated people who like to make a website successful by being nice and put efforts into it. I hope this is worth doing in the long run on the Internet. I think most of us would enjoy surfing much more then.




All the best
Anna

Börje Salming called

Börje Salming already called me few years ago. This happened when I gave him my Thor Bractea´t (medallion) from the TORJewelry Collection. I thought he would appreciate it and since he is such a good role model I wanted him to have one. I know he like silver jewelry and he told me that I was right. He also told me that he thought the pendant was made with skilled craftmanship. He seemed like a real gentleman so I am sure that the bracteat has a nice time in his company.

About the Thor Bracteat:
This piece of jewellery is shaped like the ancient "Braktea't". A magnificent piece of jewellery which can be used as an amulet. The Vikings and their ancestors wore these to protect themselves against evil and in the hope that it would bring them prosperity. Thor was the god of thunder in ancient Nordic mythology and his weapon was the hammer "Mjolner". It would return to his hand like a boomerang after he had used it. It was also a symbol of strong ties, and was used to consecrate marriages. Se the whole TORJewelry Collection by entering my website at http://www.4vikings.com/.

All the best

Anna

All the best from me to you!