Weekend Fun

I moved to Vancouver several months ago from a city where I lived for many years, but where I was afraid to bike due to the tendency for city buses to plow down pedestrians, let alone cyclists. But, I bought a bike last weekend here and am getting brave and exploring this very bike-friendly city. Yesterday I rode around the seawall through Stanley Park and saw an otter. I also saw a lot of people feeding raccoons and taking their pictures, which I found interesting, as most other places I've lived, raccoons are so common they are not picture-worthy and they are perceived, probably rightly, as irritable animals who are likely to harbor rabies ... not the kind of thing you want a picture of your 3-year old feeding.

Also, I saw the movie "Up," which was very sweet and also cool, in that it featured both an elderly hero and villain.

Cycling rocks! Or, rather, whizzes. I did my geocaching by bike today.

We used to have raccoons in our back garden when I was a kid in Connecticut. And fireflies. Both are cool. This morning I missed an elk collision on the highway by a few minutes.

This weekend's fun - dinner and a board game (Munchkin Quest) with some good friends. We've played the Munchkin card games for years, but the new board game has lots more rules. So the game went very slowly as we tried to figure out how to play. Still it was good silly fun. Next time it will go faster.

Last weekend - went to a medieval event (SCA). The household camped next to us had a huge BBQ dinner to celebrate someone's 50th birthday. They fed us all in magnificent style. But the best part was visiting with some old friends I had not seen in a long time.

MQ has kind of a "meh" rating on Boardgame Geek: 6 out of 10.

A lot of old friends of mine from the Tolkien Society used to be members of the SCA. Some of them even went to Pittsburgh for the big rattan fighting event. "SCA" is a funny acronym to Swedes, as one of our largest firms, Swedish Cellulose Ltd, uses it.

Munchkin's excellent :-)

This weekend has been the Strawberry Fair in Cambridge, which is a long-running counter-culture affair which is entirely self-funded, several stages of local bands and immense numbers of food and clothes stalls. Always worth a visit for the sight of people you never otherwise see in this rather prissy town having fun with other freaks and everyone from the town wandering in and out and, usually, no trouble apart from litter. Lots of police this year after some problems with, er, informal approaches to lavatory decisions last year, but all quiet.

Sounds like a fun festival! I didn't see anything like that when I was in Cambridge a few years ago.

About the police: wouldn't it have been cheaper to rent a bunch of portapoopers if the main problem was people peeing all over town!?

Took a short ride and gazed upon the Mighty Mississippi. I go to a local state forest preserve. I keep meaning to start regularly hiking the trails, but instead walk a couple of miles around my town and go to scenic overlooks which are accessible from the road.

Get hooked on geocaching and before you know it you'll be hiking all over the place.

Girlfriend and I mostly did practical stuff around both our homes, cleaning, potting plants and such, but it feels good to get the house(s) in order. Voting was enjoyable too, in its way. A friend inaugurated a new glass cabinet for his ship models (very inspiring) which required a bit of celebration with tea and ice cream. Then late at night, looking up the election results over salmon sandwiches and melon cider(!).

I find the Swedish election results pretty uninteresting. What I want to know is the balance between the various factions in the entire European Parliament.

Martin, Strawberry Fair is fun but it is also just the one day, the first Saturday in June. The freaks all go home again after that, and not so many of them are actually Cambridge-based; it's a bit expensive for alternative lifestyles... They have huge numbers of portaloos, but it's never enough; this year they also had a lot of standalone urinals, which helped a lot, but they looked so unusual I'm not sure everyone who needed one realised what they were! All seems to have worked out happily enough though.

Eating big at two-star Edsbacka with the wallet at home sounds somewhat exciting, yes...

I'd forgotten my bank card in the cash machine earlier in the day...

I'm glad to hear you're not condemned to "indentured servitude for the duration" -- standard procedure in these parts for those who leave wallets at home and dine out. I went to the Makers Faire in San Mateo, California the other weekend, the most excitement I've had in a long time, since I'm visiting relatives in that state. I saw a mechanical giraffe, fountains created by Diet Coke and Mentos (a kind of candy that fizzes on contact with Coke), the Mercedes Pens (car covered in pens), several famous robots including Robby from Forbidden Planet, the guy from Lost in Space who always yelled "Warning! Warning! Will Robinson!" and of course C3PO or was it R2D2 (the vacuum cleaner model, not the gold guy), plus my favorite, the trash compacter from Wall-e. The last was not a cartoon but a real model, a mini. 2 in fact. Unlike the giraffe, he didn't move.

I also saw Legoland, a big thrill for me since I've built no end of Lego cities at home with kids. There were deconstructed pianos from the Piano Liberation Front, lots of wonderful foods, a human-sized Mouse Trap with performances every hour, and hundreds more things to do and see (and eat). Great fun!

It's held every year, so if you're ever in San Mateo in the summer, try to go to it. They also put out a magazine, which you can subscribe to online.

Now that you have tested the 'forgot the wallet'-trick and it worked, I think I will use it a lot. :-)
Hope that you had a nice anniversary.

/ Mattias

Ahh, Munchkin! I haven't kicked in the door, only to face the Potted Plant in years... Nobody to play with here.

This weekend saw us going to Kobe. With the swine flu outbreak in Japan centered around Kobe and Osaka, there's fairly few people around right now (many school, work and holiday trips canceled). So we took the chance to go to Kobe's Chinatown - normally packed with people - for dinner. The food was excellent, and really surprisingly inexpensive. Indian food is still our normal go-to meal when in Kobe, but we'll be eating there again.

Somehow the idea of having an Indian dinner in Kobe strikes me as extremely exotic.

Wow Mr. atheist that's a really important occupation(atheist), but seriously I'm a 18 year old researcher(turned 18 last month yay me) But I'm also religious and I wonder if your history is good. During the age in which science was considered work of the devil or so on, what was the name of a man that was a scientist and a servant of God? I would truly appreciate if you can answer this for me. As a researcher we all try to find answer to questions unknown and to do so we research. By the way Mr. Atheist here is a Clue it was in Galileo's era. I find your beliefs and studies quiet interesting and I wish to receive a reply. By the way among other thing I'm a Capoeira practitioner(Self-Taught). So I would like to get a chance to talk to people like you that's deep into science. Dr. Martin Rundkvist please I beg you reply. Mr. Atheist is your nickname since you other name is ..............yeah.

During the age in which science was considered work of the devil or so on, what was the name of a man that was a scientist and a servant of God? ... in Galileo's era.

Galileo lived from 1564 to 1642. I don't think science as we understand it was generally considered the Devil's work at the time. Only when it went against Church teachings. But at the time there was extremely little recognisable scientific research going on.

As to your question "what was the name of a man that was a scientist and a servant of God" in Galileo's day, I don't quite understand. Are you looking for the name of one guy, or for the name of a category? You want to know what scientists with Christian beliefs were called in English at the time? I don't think there was a term for them, since they were so few. And in Europe all scientific practitioners were to my knowledge Christians.

Here how about I give you more detail. During Galileo's era due to the church feeling this man (that was a servant of god and a researcher since you can't consider us scientists) was a threat to the church they burned him, they tried to justify the burning by claiming he was performing works of the devil. This news was sent to Galileo almost as a threat, knowing this galileo could be saved from execution by denouncing his findings. Another thing is the church wasn't much of a church since many in his days couldn't read so the church could say what ever and the people would follow. In other words corrupt people wanted to pretend to hold the church to a sacred position, but in truth they just used it as a form of power. How bout this name "one" of the religious researchers since we can't be considered scientist. By the way back then science was considered work of the devil if it contradicted the bible. By the way I think in foolish for people to blame religion for thing going south after all it was science the claim that my race was a sub human race, to justifying slavery and their treatment. I'm not making this a race thing just think about it, through Darwin law people stated that the strong ruled over the weak and before you say your big "No it didn't" I studied it when I was 12 so it should be in many libraries or since you are a big guy in science then you should already know. evolution states the origin of life then why is it scientist tamper with nature, in doing so would it make it more difficult to find the origin of life for them after all nowadays an apple can have the same similarities as a pig, through genetic modification and engineering. Is their any such thing as right and wrong because from what evolutions states their is no right or wrong and that one thing that is hard to believe, right and wrong is decided by any living being so their is no way wrong can truly be done. I love science but I am also religious and I don't know why atheist act like their so much better maybe they feel free but I feel free to so I don't get their point. Look at me I'm all riled up sorry about that. But do you get where I'm coming from? But think about it all the stuff science try to justify that I know is wrong, states as far as morals go their are no right or wrong so through history all that bull that happened wasn't wrong because it's about morals and not the laws of science.

Do you think morals are bull and that the laws of science should govern all? Or do you think morals should have a solid place in this world?

The authorities of the city of Rome burned Giordano Bruno to death in 1600 for his generally heretical writings, not mainly for his astronomical ideas. Galileo Galilei was forced to recant in 1633 and died in 1642 at age 78. He was never threatened with burning.

You seem to believe that I am unwilling to allow Christians to be called scientists. That's not true, there are loads of Christians doing science to this day.

Genetic engineering today doesn't make it harder to investigate the origin of life. Just because you engineer a few individuals, it doesn't mean that every member of that species suddenly changes or that fossils change.

Do you know a lot of nasty atheists who act like they're much better than believers? I have friends who are believers, and I don't think they'd want to be friends with me if I acted like that.

Is there any such thing as right and wrong? ... Do you think morals are bull and that the laws of science should govern all? Or do you think morals should have a solid place in this world?

Science says nothing about how we should treat each other, about good and evil. Science is just about finding out how the world actually works. Morals and other values are a question of negotiation among people. That's how we decide about right and wrong: everybody together. My own morals are built on empathy and solidarity. I care about other people and I believe most of them care about me.

Sorry I commented back late old man I have very limited bandwidth. Okay so basically what your telling me is mass production of genetically altered animals or plants can't breed with natural animals and plants and created trans genetic offspring? Also if I was to kill it would make it wrong if my morals were "I could kill who ever I want"? Also your right we do have to come upon an agreement with one another but as people we just all have our own way of doing things, lots may have similar ways of doing things but they still vary. S while back a friend of mine asked me do I think it is right for women to get abortions and I said no. So she tells me well your a guy and you don't no what it's like to go through birth. She was right about the birth thing. Then I tell her neither do I know what it's like to be unwanted by my mother. She start bringing up alot of "what if's" about the mother. But in the end she had no real reply. So moral are a basis in which we set a standard of living by and they all variate for personal reasons. I just don't feel taking a human life is right religious or not. I met plenty of atheists and they had very smart mouths they said things that got me riled up because I was young,stupid and what they said was disrespectful to my dead mother. The teacher claimed my mother forced her religion upon me, but so you know I chose.Morals are morals. Well it was nice to talk to a mature adult me being one also, 18 to be exact. Sorry bout putting my personal life in that, just had to give you an example of the atheists I've met were like. By the way the if you could give me an answer on the trans genetic thingy, That would help a lot. My bad on any mistypes.

what your telling me is mass production of genetically altered animals or plants can't breed with natural animals and plants and created trans genetic offspring?

Sure they can. But that won't swamp the genetic diversity that's already there. In most cases the altered strains will just be outcompeted by better-adapted natural strains. What humans want in a plant or animal is rarely what would make that organism competitive in the wild.

Also if I was to kill it would make it wrong if my morals were "I could kill who ever I want"?

To most people, it would be wrong regardless of what morals you subscribe to.

do I think it is right for women to get abortions and I said no. ... I just don't feel taking a human life is right religious or not.

I agree. But I don't think a fetus is a human life. It's only a potential human life. And every time me and my wife use a contraceptive we keep another potential human life from being born. I see nothing wrong with that in our overpopulated world. (Also I like nookie.)

I met plenty of atheists and they had very smart mouths they said things that got me riled up because I was young,stupid and what they said was disrespectful to my dead mother.

If I'm talking to believers about faith issues I sort of try not to dis their mothers...

Yeah people wasn't saying that when the spliced a strawberry with a fish, so that it can adapt to harsh weather, "Oh I'm allergic to fish but I can eat a strawberry with it's genetic make up", Don't get me wrong I love fish.

Well to me a human life is a life in this over populated world even a fetus. And if a fetus isn't a human then I can evolve right now. Man and they know they want them fetuses for their sick experiments, they claimed they trying to find cures by doing so, but about 30 something years ago they said the same thing when they
were doing the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

Also what is "nookie" just so you know I'm a virgin and just because I fight and dance a lot doesn't mean I know all the slang sexual terms if that is one. Also I'm not gay either. Another thing why people that have sex thinks that they get stronger. They come up saying they had sex and think they can take me and I just knock them back down, I just don't get it. Is their a scientific answer that proves they do get stronger from sex?

Also I'm glad your not a immature atheist. Cause they say I got angry and hit them cause they was right and I said no you disrespected my momma. Age 14 when I did it I'm a bit more mature now.

You may want to look into the health-care benefits stem-cell research has actually produced so far. It's not a question of mad scientists performing "sick experiments" on little babies. They're working with individual cells to save lives and cure illnesses.

"Nookie" means sexual intercourse, as you correctly inferred. It certainly doesn't make me any stronger. I'm week in the knees for an hour afterwards if I don't fall asleep flat.

Well from my view they save a life by taking one.

Also when I get a wife I hope that she is older the me preferable a lot more open minded than me. Is into the type of studies I'm into (science wise anyways), want kids listen and understand my research, because I'm sick and tired of these girls that be talking saying I'm a good listener then turn around and say I talk about boring stuff. They need to stop callin then.

Most stem cell lines are from fetuses created for in vitro fertilisation. They would just have been flushed down the drain otherwise. No woman wants 17 kids through IVF.

About girls, it'll get much easier in college when you're around other science nerds and the dating pool is bigger.

Hey don't old woman that want to have babies be using in vitro fertilization? Bizarre stuff.

Well I can't get college money or a loan but the best bet is for me to just keep up the job thing. I want to go to college but just don't have the money. Gonna just have to keep saving up, so those type of girls will have to wait. Most likely I'll be 22 by the time I get in college, this sucks. 4 whole years. What am I suppose to do in that time? MMA sounds good.

I believe IVF mothers are almost exclusively in their 30s and 40s.

In Sweden everybody gets study loans. Aren't there any scholarships you can apply for?

MMA, is that a military academy?

Yeah there are loans but things here get complicated.

MMA is Mixed Martial Arts. Capoeira and Boxing are my chosen fighting styles. I'm gonna have a tough time making it big but I'll get their.

Maybe it would be wise to get some theoretical education too. Athletes don't last long past age 35. And lay off the boxing, it'll only make you stupid.

Theoretical education? Whats that an education where I learn put together a lot of maybe statements? I don't know if that was an insult or not so..........

About the boxing thing I may be old but I have 17 years before I reach 35. If I don't make it by the age 23 then I'll give up MMA and go to school to become a mechanic. But for now research, job, and mech work. Maybe girls(that aren't clueless)

Theoretical education leads to desk jobs. Practical education is what will make you for instance a mechanic. White collar, blue collar.

Then practical education it is. Desk jobs just aren't for me I gotta move around a lot. Still need to stop doing capoeira inside the place, nearly broke my brother's tv.