Linear view vs. Masonry View

Tag Archive for ‘Writing’

Rusty

Rusty

Rusty ball-bearing in dire need of some lubrication.

Leonardo Da Vinci is by some named the inventor of the ball bearing but the already the Romans used wooden ball bearings. The first modern ball bearing was patented by Philip Vaughan, a Welsh inventor, in 1794.

Sven Wingquist, a Swedish inventor invented a self-aligning ball bearing in 1907. This revolutionary invention became the foundation for one of Sweden’s most successful international companies, SKF. SKF stands for Svenska Kullager Fabriken, simply Swedish Ball Bearing Factory.

My first two and half years I lived across the street from the huge factory with its fasade of red clay bricks. Now a trip to Gamlestaden in Göteborg must be planned for some photos.

Aim for a smooth ride, ha de Gött!

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Fortress

Fortress

It is called the Queens Mountain, Drottningberget in Swedish, and it is an ancient fortress. More accurate a hill-fort. The natural form of the rock is what create the attributes of a fortress. There is very little man made constructions made. The height and the flat plateau on the top together with the availability of water made it perfect to stand ground. I have no idea where the royal name come from but maybe there was a female ruler in the settlement.

44 meter up surrounded by steep cliffs it was an easy place to defend by simply throwing stones in the head of the attacking enemy. I wonder if this is why the soldiers helmet was invented, still used today. There is only two ways up without any climbing gear, trust me I’ve tried. Here you can see some remains of walls and collected throw size stones. With the sea level a few meters higher up it was most likely attackers came from the sea.

Keep it simple, ha de Gött!

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Sail Away

Sail Away

Lonely fisherman sailing out to sea

Navigating shallow waters, inserts and island

Cliffs scraped naked by wind, not a single tree

Confidently steers along coast and strand

True and simple, a way to be

Life is a voyage, navigate with caution, ha de Gött!

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Cruising

Cruising

There was a warm light breeze

I sat there thinking

why good times never, last a bit longer

the fish had gone

taken an afternoon nap

sleeping it off, in the soft bottom clay

sail past me, silently

in the soft summer wind

the last day, of summer

Best things in life are free, ha de Gött!

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Communication

Communication

Invisible vibrations through the air, like telepathy. Waves of communication. Satellites circling the planet like wasps. Information and big data, internet of things, radio ga-ga, television. Smarter and dumber than ever in history, never lonelier.

The huge satellite dishes in the picture has a diameter of 32 and 30 meters. Tanum Teleport was built in 1971 for telephony and data transfer with the help of satellites as relay stations. The first videophone call over the Atlantic Ocean was made on the inauguration day 18 December 1971. A hightech landmark to manifest Sweden’s ambition to be a Information Technology nation to reckon with. Still stand as a landmark today but the facility, at peak employing 30 persons, was closed 2002. The facility played a part as the predecessor to Internet, Arpanet, in 1973 establishes its first international satellite link. Transfer rate of whopping 2,4 kbps.

We have two ears but only one mouth. Should we not listen twice as much as we speak! Ha de Gött!

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Greby Grave Field

Greby Grave Field

Outside the small town Grebbestad lays the Greby grave field. Even if it’s unique for this area there is not much known. There are around 200 graves that dates back to Iron age, year 200 – 600. Many of the burial mounds have large stones at the top. Very few excavations has been done but in 1873 historian Oscar Montelius examined ten of the burial mounds.

He found in almost all graves an urn with burned bones often with some small objects like a bone comb or glas beads. Ceramic vessels with an ear and a glass bead molded in the bottom. This type of pottery has been found in England and Germany. This suggest that this burial site was connected to a trading place.

There is an interesting legend that was told to one of the disciples of Carl von Linné, Pehr Kalm who visited in 1742. According to this fishermen from Scotland visited the area during the herring periods. Legend has that a Scottish army invaded and raided all the way to Bullaren 25 kilometres inland. A local army defeated them in two battles where the final one stod at Greby. None of the Scotts made it home and their remains was buried here. There is however no evidence found for this.

Come in peace, get home in one piece, ha de Gött!

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Merry Julblot

Merry Julblot

Christmas is upon us with all its traditions. Even if we think it’s the same every year there is change. Maybe not so fast but it’s there. In English it’s called Christmas referring to the celebration of the birth of Gods son. Makes sense but I wonder if Christmas has been taken hostage by the commercial forces and if that is not the new religion. It is not the first time a new religion builds on, and take over old traditions.

Thousand years ago the pagan Viking’s celebrated Yule blot to honor Odin, the All Father. There is som debate among the historians if this twelve day festival was celebrated at the same time as Christmas or in mid January. It is also referred to as ‘midwinter blot’. Some say that it was first celebrated in mid January and moved in the mid 900 by King Håkon I of Norway to fit the Christian celebration. This was done as an effort to convert the Vikings to Christianity by the already converted Håkon.

In Swedish we say ‘Jul’ for Christmas and in old Norse language it was the name for Odin. Odin being the most important God in Nordic mythology. The word ‘blot’ means sacrificing to the Gods. The ceremonies and ritual killings of animals was a blood dripping event. Drinking of fresh raw blood and splashing over the crowd must have been quite a scene. Luckily it was all washed down with lots and lots of mead.

Be traditional, create new traditions, ha de Gött!

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Into the light

Into the light

The low standing winter sun and night frost creates this exiting light. Tomorrow is winter solstice when sun rises 09:06, barely makes it over the horizon before it sets again 15:21. Then the light starts to come back again. Still the sun wins over Jack Frost and creates a mist over the fields.

Where there is darkness there is light, decide which you want to be. Ha de Gött!

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Want and Need

Want and Need

Want it, got to have it!

That young hot wife to drive off with, in that shiny red sports car. Hair flying in the speed wind.

That brand new phone, backside covered in camera lenses. Join the click party of the happy fit people.

That endless holiday, far stretched tropical white sand beach. Beer served by minimalistic dressed waitresses.

That top management job, private jet to close those big deals. Bank account flooding over by the minute.

That stare from the nightclub queue, sweeping passed. Arms wrapped around curves.

Need, not much.

To live, love and be loved, a family to hug.

Friends, beer, a laugh. Music and a bite to eat.

Don’t cross the stream to get water, ha de Gött!

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