I’ve got the flu… Frej thinks it’s swineflu but I don’t know why it should be. Anyway it’s not that bad, a bit of fever & a hurting body and throat. I was wondering if any of you had advice on movies I could watch today? I’m sick and bored and Frej is busy packing for the move. I watch from his bed. Will go make pancakes now; ginger & cinnamon ones and then I am doomed to not having the internet to distract myself with. In need of movie. I just finished watching Equilibrium, which amused me quite a bit. I am up for dystopic movies, smart and good movies or stupid action! Or whatever that you think I’d like!
Been reading a bit too! 43. Vegansk näringslära på vetenskaplig grund – Björn Pettersson 44. Fosterbarn – Tora Dahl 45. Tyst Hav – Isabella Lövin 46. Molnfri Bombnatt – Vibeke Olsson 47. Graylight – Naomi Nowak (I’ll make a post on this some day when I’m back at home, she sent it to me as a gift and I thought it was gorgeous)
Being in the audience of Debatt yesterday was fairly interesting though I wish I had been braver and said things when I actually had the chance… I have so much to say on this subject. Like: Why angle a program on consumption & climate to mainly putting blame on female shopping of small things when we all know that energy, cars & agriculture are the main things that make an impact on the environment. (Not saying that I want to excuse excessive consumption of things, I am not a consumer of new things myself and that is really a big relief for me to not have to be) Why make women into mindless shoppers & let the men debate the issues of carbon storage & rationing of carbon dioxide. Why reduce people to consumers and make them believe that their consumption power is more important than their very humanity & solidarity and the opportunity we have in the western world to actually get involved, and mainly: why even think about technical future solutions as the only option while we can watch the people of sub-saharan Africa, Haiti etc die right now before our very eyes due to man made catastrophes. I am sure they would not, if they ever had the chance to speak out on the matter, tell me that it was sinful of me to not be an excessive consumer since the money I’d bring society would have “inspired economical growth” and lead to the “technical advancements” (that the opposite side of the debate says already exists… if it did, isn’t this the proof that this system will not use technology to help people if they can not at the same time make a profit out of it) that would have been worth the cost of lives that could right now at this moment have been prevented if only it wasn’t for our greed and disgusting narrowmindedness.
So if I would have said anything there it would have been: do not make yourself less than a human by thinking that your consumption power is the only power you could ever really use because that is just embarassing… If you do believe that there will be a miraculous scientific revealation that will salvage us all and help, not only with the climate chaos but also with the soil shortage, the contamination by toxins, the energy crisis, the over fishing of the seas, the excessiveness of the life styles and the sprawl of the car dependant cities, the mass extintion of species which we yet do now have any idea of how the ecosystems manage without… then by all means be my guest to show me that you will implement those solutions that are possible to prevent all this right now, instead of hiding behind the possibility of a future when we’re on the brink of disaster also here in this part of the world and which would be when we’d all suddenly make everything right again (for us) Do not constantly cram it in to peoples’ heads that this is too advanced a question for them to deal with on a personal and political basis by getting informed & adapting their every day lives towards long term sustainability.
I would never want to look back on my life and say that what I did for the world was to chose climate-smart gasoline & ecological meat, or even that the only thing I ever did was to be a vegan who ran a vintage store & lived in a shared household instead of being the manager of a H&M, with a house of my own & a car. I am not mainly a consumer, I am an interested human being who want to get involved and learn things and I hope that people stop feeling like the consumer role is their main contribution because if we do think that then we’re all equally fucked.
Watch Debatt tonight on Climate Change and Consumption, 22.00 on SVT1. It’s going to be interesting (this is my favourite subject evar) and also I am in the audience along with Frej and my friend Linda so keep a lookout for us…!
Ziggy and a wonderful crochet quilt that Susanne’s grandmother has made.
Kitchen! I painted the table this weekend, think I mentioned it before.
Nick with prizes
I don’t know the word for the kind of paint I used for the table, the kind you can draw on with chalk crayons anyway. This is my tea & my course litterature on building ecological cities.
Suss & I playing
Susanne also brought home a shelf and a lot of christmas decorations (they are teaming up on me in the collective on wanting christmas decorations here, I’d rather not since I find them kind of annoying but I bow to the majority I guess)
Been at the doctor’s again today. He said I can’t sit for more than 30 minutes straight without stretching, but I can’t even sit 10 minutes period so that’s not hard to do. Got another kind of supportive device
Everyone should watch this movie about the situation of the pigs on swedish meat farms. I got to look at parts of this movie this weekend while they were cropping it and I’ve rarely seen more disgusting & sad filmage in my life. There are pigs eating eachother, and ones that have been laying around dead around the others for days or weeks getting filled with gas. Loads of flies and huge flesh wounds… This is getting released in to national media today, and Djurrättsalliansen have done an amazing job! They’ve released this site on the matter today also. Manifestations and such will be held in a few different cities later on today.
An outfit from this friday: Jacket & dress set - thrifted at the most disgusting thriftstore I’ve ever been in, I dug it out from a pile of dirty lump. But it was 5 kr (less than a dollar) a piece! This was about five years ago. Shiny latex stockings (not very visible in the picture sadly) a gift from Carin who didn’t want them anymore
Boots – thrifted
This weekend I’ve attended a climate festival called Muller, which was very informative and great, with fantastic vegan food & lots of good seminars and such. And I’ve been helping Frej who is moving next week (not far, just two tram stops away but in a “real” apartment where you have your own kitchen & don’t do your dishes in the shower… Feels like the end of an era! It looks really empty and strange there now:
What it used to look like…
I also painted our kitchen table with paint that someone had left here, black school board paint that you can draw on with chalk crayons! Will show you pictures once they’re taken.
Tomorrow I’ve got an appointment with some hand specialist. And now I’m gonna go pick up a package that Naomi has sent me! I don’t know what it is and am excited!
I bought a 50s dress in dark green velvet and asian inspired silk bodice. It is my new love.
My flatmate Susanne is helping me with computer stuff now since my hands suck so hard and she’ll also help me update the site and such! I’ve gotten some support gear from the work therapist now, and also a hand specialist will look at it on tuesday so I’m glad something is finally done about this…
1. Between the Bars – Madeleine Peyroux
2. Den Ena Handen Vet Vad Den Andra Gör – Blå Tåget
3. Don’t Go Near the Water – Johnny Cash
4. Jimmy Jazz – The Clash
5. Lesbian Vampires from Outer Space – Scary Bitches (thanks Johanna for introducing them to me!!)
6. Seeman - Apocalyptica feat. Nina Hagen
7. Stella Maris (Soulway Remix) - Einstürzende Neubauten
8. Tango til’ They’re Sore – Tom Waits
9. Travelling Light - Tindersticks
i'm Karin, I'm 23 & live in Göteborg in Sweden. (grew up in Jönköping.) I run an online vintage shop called Lily of the Valley.
I like antique things, I buy way too many books with the last cash I own, I am interested in body modification, art, knowledge and Frej. I am a vegan and pretty involved in environmental issues. I've studied human ecology and CSR, going on to environmental revisioning this fall..
The first time you comment here, I will have to approve the comment, after that it will get published instantly. It's just a precaution since I get a lot of spam comments.
