Interesting thing, habit. I'd kind of got into a routine of posting my oneaday stuff late at night, often in a hurry to get it done so I could go to bed - for no other real reason than it usually takes me that long to think of something to say. So when yesterday I ended up writing and posting much earlier in the day, it kind of threw my evening out. I was left with one of those nagging feelings that I ought to be doing something else besides watching tv and I just couldn't shake it. That aside, there was a certain amount of satisfaction to have got it over and done with and out of the way. Hence my attempt to repeat this today.
Although it doesn't make for much of an actual blogpost, I have been enjoying doing a 'worth a read' roundup of the week - although I do read as many of the posts as I can each day, I quite like having a Sunday catch-up. And Google Reader makes it that much easier.
Anyway, without further ado, here you are:
A Grandia Tale by Lauren (because I still have my PC copy of Grandia somewhere in storage and now want to play it again)
These are the sheep that I walk past to and from work every day by Sean
Feeling sexy by Chris
Cheescake Brownies by Jennifer (because they sound so damn good)
Tolkein: why I don't hate him like you do by Jazmeister
Temple of Love by Rachel
Demystifying games by Chris
I <3 by Daniel
This week has obviously been a good week, and it was actually quite tricky to pick these ones out - there were a lot more I could have added.
Oh, and can I just mention, for those very kind people who have added me to their blogrolls, my name is Kirsty. Not Katy (due to a misread very early on in the life of #oneaday I suspect).
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Saturday, 27 February 2010
I've started so I'll finish
When it comes to games, my perseverance has been somewhat lacking recently. I'm gradually wearing Mr.B down in my attempts to persuade him to let me buy a 360 and/or PS3, but don't feel like I can totally justify it until I've completed more of the games I've got for the consoles we already have.
Christmas left me with a huge stack of games thanks to gifts and a trip round a 2nd hand games shop where I just bought a load of random stuff because it was cheap. Some of which weren't even worth the £1.99 I paid for them, but that's besides the point.
My list of owned but unfinished games currently looks like this:
PS2
Dark Chronicle
XIII
The Da Vinci Code
Atelier Iris 3
Persona 3
LoTR The Third Age
LoTR Fellowship of the Ring
FF XII
Myst III
Wii
Zack&Wiki
CSI Hard Evidence
Tunguska
DS
Scribblenauts
My Sims Kingdom
Mac
Fable (the Lost Chapters)
C&C Tiberium Wars
I suspect the problem is that I don't have the time or concentration usually to pick one game and play it often enough so I keep forgetting where I am and what I'm supposed to be doing when I do play them. And some of them have just failed to grab me altogether. I did finally manage to complete Zelda Spirit Tracks last night, so need to pick one to get on with next. Most likely Fable or FFXII - depends whether I can kick Mr.B off the PS2 (he is addicted to Need for Speed Underground) for long enough...
Christmas left me with a huge stack of games thanks to gifts and a trip round a 2nd hand games shop where I just bought a load of random stuff because it was cheap. Some of which weren't even worth the £1.99 I paid for them, but that's besides the point.
My list of owned but unfinished games currently looks like this:
PS2
Dark Chronicle
XIII
The Da Vinci Code
Atelier Iris 3
Persona 3
LoTR The Third Age
LoTR Fellowship of the Ring
FF XII
Myst III
Wii
Zack&Wiki
CSI Hard Evidence
Tunguska
DS
Scribblenauts
My Sims Kingdom
Mac
Fable (the Lost Chapters)
C&C Tiberium Wars
I suspect the problem is that I don't have the time or concentration usually to pick one game and play it often enough so I keep forgetting where I am and what I'm supposed to be doing when I do play them. And some of them have just failed to grab me altogether. I did finally manage to complete Zelda Spirit Tracks last night, so need to pick one to get on with next. Most likely Fable or FFXII - depends whether I can kick Mr.B off the PS2 (he is addicted to Need for Speed Underground) for long enough...
Friday, 26 February 2010
Nordic Walking
After my trip there this afternoon, I wanted to write today's post on the Systembolaget, but was a little concerned that it had the potential to turn into another rant so I'll save it for another day. Instead I just wanted to mention the phenomenon that is Nordic Walking.
We see loads of people doing this round and about, mostly older people, quite often in couples, and it has fascinated me since we arrived. I don't know how much benefit there is to it but they all look quite fit and healthy when they're jauntily striding down the road, so I'm quite tempted to give it a shot. Mind you, strolling down a path that is narrowed from the snow with an old lady determinedly nordic walking towards you can actually be quite intimidating. I jumped into the snow out of the way just in case - those sticks are not supposed to have spikes on the bottom as far as I know, but there's no accounting for what home modifications these innocent looking white haired little old ladies might have done...
Here's a short semi-related video that made me giggle at the end:
We see loads of people doing this round and about, mostly older people, quite often in couples, and it has fascinated me since we arrived. I don't know how much benefit there is to it but they all look quite fit and healthy when they're jauntily striding down the road, so I'm quite tempted to give it a shot. Mind you, strolling down a path that is narrowed from the snow with an old lady determinedly nordic walking towards you can actually be quite intimidating. I jumped into the snow out of the way just in case - those sticks are not supposed to have spikes on the bottom as far as I know, but there's no accounting for what home modifications these innocent looking white haired little old ladies might have done...
Here's a short semi-related video that made me giggle at the end:
Thursday, 25 February 2010
'Forced' maternity leave
I read this post by Sweden's EU minister Birgitta Ohlsson earlier this evening and found myself rather frustrated.
Whilst it is admirable that gender equality is such an issue in Sweden, it often feels to me like things have been pushed too far in the opposite direction, to the detriment of women's choices rather than their advancement. Childcare provision is excellent and affordable, which gives women the ability to return to work after having children without too much difficulty - unlike in the UK where childcare is sometimes prohibitively expensive. However, instead of encouraging women to return to work if they wish, rather they are actively discouraged from staying at home to the point where it is almost socially unacceptable to do so. Frequently on official forms the only options are for working/studying/jobseeker/parental leave; there is no tick box that a full-time stay-at-home parent fits in. It may be that a mother staying at home to care for her children is a traditional gender stereotype, but that does not automatically make it wrong. And there is no reason why a man cannot be a stay at home parent either - if they decide that is how they wish to raise their children. But this choice has been virtually taken out of the equation, and that to me is not progress. Birgitta Ohlsson does not want women to be forced into staying at home, she apparently just wants them to be forced into employment instead so they can pay tax, regardless of their wishes.
The main issue of the article deals with compulsory maternity leave for the first 6 weeks after a baby is born. The maternity/paternity leave system here in Sweden is a vast improvement over that in the UK, with it being longer and also allowed to be shared between the parents as suits them, giving the fathers just as much opportunity to spend time with their child as the mother. But whatever you like to think, men do not actually suffer any physical side effects from the birth of a child, and the first few weeks are much less important for them than they are for the mother. Ohlsson has stated that she intends to return to work within a month of giving birth. When the time comes, if she feels like she can then that's great. Unfortunately right now she obviously has absolutely no idea of what is in store. Any new mother will tell you that the first few weeks are difficult. Your hormones are reeling, and unless you are very lucky, you will also most likely be suffering from sleep deprivation. And that's assuming that the birth itself is straightforward with no lasting physical effects, and not even taking breastfeeding and the possibility of PND into consideration.
Whilst it is admirable that gender equality is such an issue in Sweden, it often feels to me like things have been pushed too far in the opposite direction, to the detriment of women's choices rather than their advancement. Childcare provision is excellent and affordable, which gives women the ability to return to work after having children without too much difficulty - unlike in the UK where childcare is sometimes prohibitively expensive. However, instead of encouraging women to return to work if they wish, rather they are actively discouraged from staying at home to the point where it is almost socially unacceptable to do so. Frequently on official forms the only options are for working/studying/jobseeker/parental leave; there is no tick box that a full-time stay-at-home parent fits in. It may be that a mother staying at home to care for her children is a traditional gender stereotype, but that does not automatically make it wrong. And there is no reason why a man cannot be a stay at home parent either - if they decide that is how they wish to raise their children. But this choice has been virtually taken out of the equation, and that to me is not progress. Birgitta Ohlsson does not want women to be forced into staying at home, she apparently just wants them to be forced into employment instead so they can pay tax, regardless of their wishes.
The main issue of the article deals with compulsory maternity leave for the first 6 weeks after a baby is born. The maternity/paternity leave system here in Sweden is a vast improvement over that in the UK, with it being longer and also allowed to be shared between the parents as suits them, giving the fathers just as much opportunity to spend time with their child as the mother. But whatever you like to think, men do not actually suffer any physical side effects from the birth of a child, and the first few weeks are much less important for them than they are for the mother. Ohlsson has stated that she intends to return to work within a month of giving birth. When the time comes, if she feels like she can then that's great. Unfortunately right now she obviously has absolutely no idea of what is in store. Any new mother will tell you that the first few weeks are difficult. Your hormones are reeling, and unless you are very lucky, you will also most likely be suffering from sleep deprivation. And that's assuming that the birth itself is straightforward with no lasting physical effects, and not even taking breastfeeding and the possibility of PND into consideration.
I don't think the issue should be of the women who are going to 'suffer' from not being allowed to return to work in the first 6 weeks, rather it should be about the women who will be protected from being compelled perhaps by an uncaring employer or spouse to return to work immediately if they are not ready to. One situation will not likely cause harm, the other could prove to be extremely harmful. Whether 6 weeks is an appropriate length of time I don't know, but I believe there should definitely be a set period of 'compulsory' maternity leave for just these reasons. And let's not forget that this is not just an issue affecting Sweden, it is an EU law that is under discussion and not all other countries in the EU necessarily have such an 'enlightened' view on gender equality as Sweden.
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that all women should stay at home with their children, rather that either parent should have the choice if the opportunity is there. Not everybody can afford to live on one salary, but people should not be stigmatised by the choices that they make. Isn't that what liberation is about? Giving people the freedom of choice.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Sporting allegiances
Before we moved over to Sweden, one of Mr.B's colleagues gave him a bright yellow 'Sverige' t-shirt just so he would know who to support when we got here. And moving to a new country does give a certain sense that you should be cheering them on in their sporting ventures as it would be rude not to. The difficulty comes when your home country team comes up against your adopted country - who do you cheer for then?
We didn't expect it to be much of an issue for a while as Sweden didn't qualify for the football World Cup, and wouldn't necessarily have played against England even if they had. But then came the Winter Olympics. We've taken an interest in both Great Britain and Sweden as they've been going on and haven't begrudged Sweden their 8 medals to GB's 1. But now it's the acid test - Sweden and Team GB are currently going head-to-head in a tense playoff for the last place in the men's curling semi-finals and all of a sudden we have to pick our allegiances.
I'm wondering if it's wrong to just cheer on whoever is winning at the time...
(But on Saturday, regardless of who is skiing from Britain or Sweden, we shall be cheering on Ghana and the Snow Leopard in the Men's Slalom.)
We didn't expect it to be much of an issue for a while as Sweden didn't qualify for the football World Cup, and wouldn't necessarily have played against England even if they had. But then came the Winter Olympics. We've taken an interest in both Great Britain and Sweden as they've been going on and haven't begrudged Sweden their 8 medals to GB's 1. But now it's the acid test - Sweden and Team GB are currently going head-to-head in a tense playoff for the last place in the men's curling semi-finals and all of a sudden we have to pick our allegiances.
I'm wondering if it's wrong to just cheer on whoever is winning at the time...
(But on Saturday, regardless of who is skiing from Britain or Sweden, we shall be cheering on Ghana and the Snow Leopard in the Men's Slalom.)
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Braid (in which I pretend to write a review)
Not very well today with something that may or may not be Vinterkräksjuka so am cheating a little and using the sort-of review I wrote on Braid because of Spriteclub.
I'm doing so rather reluctantly, as so many of the #oneadayers are proper games reviewers and this bears no resemblance to something they would probably write. Anyway, here goes (with fingers crossed none of them read it).
For anyone who has never come across it, I would describe Braid as a kind of puzzle platformer where time goes both forwards and backwards.
I can sum it up in two words:
Original
Frustrating
The frustration does of course mean that it is incredibly rewarding when you finally work out how to do a level, but I'm not entirely convinced that the payoff is always worth the frequent temptation to throw the computer out of the window. I don't really understand the relevance of the story but then I never did get to the end so maybe it makes more sense the further you get through.
The whole being able to rewind if you get killed is a great concept, and the fluidity of time and motion varying with each level stops it from getting repetitive. I like the style and artwork but can't comment on the music as I only ever played it with the sound off. It's a good enough game that having played the first few levels on the demo I was really keen to buy the full version. Maybe I'll eventually complete it, some time around 2015.
Struggled for a while trying to decide what score to give. In so many ways it should be a 9, but in the end the aggravation with certain levels was just too much - it almost took it down to a 7, but the fact that you don't have to complete every single level in a world before unlocking the next one rescued it up to a final well-deserved 8.
I'm doing so rather reluctantly, as so many of the #oneadayers are proper games reviewers and this bears no resemblance to something they would probably write. Anyway, here goes (with fingers crossed none of them read it).
For anyone who has never come across it, I would describe Braid as a kind of puzzle platformer where time goes both forwards and backwards.
I can sum it up in two words:
Original
Frustrating
The frustration does of course mean that it is incredibly rewarding when you finally work out how to do a level, but I'm not entirely convinced that the payoff is always worth the frequent temptation to throw the computer out of the window. I don't really understand the relevance of the story but then I never did get to the end so maybe it makes more sense the further you get through.
The whole being able to rewind if you get killed is a great concept, and the fluidity of time and motion varying with each level stops it from getting repetitive. I like the style and artwork but can't comment on the music as I only ever played it with the sound off. It's a good enough game that having played the first few levels on the demo I was really keen to buy the full version. Maybe I'll eventually complete it, some time around 2015.
Struggled for a while trying to decide what score to give. In so many ways it should be a 9, but in the end the aggravation with certain levels was just too much - it almost took it down to a 7, but the fact that you don't have to complete every single level in a world before unlocking the next one rescued it up to a final well-deserved 8.
Monday, 22 February 2010
When internal debates go wrong
My lovely Swedish teacher decided to give us extra homework half way through this week in the form of preparing a discussion of an article about women having babies at 60 years old. The fact that we were barely able to talk in basic sentences about ourselves last week without resorting to English is presumably besides the point.
Naturally I decided to work out my discussion points in English first, but this proved to be more difficult than I expected. Obviously a simple statement against it was not going to be enough, but for every reason behind my stance I found I could think of a fairly legitimate counter-point. Things that would have seemed clear-cut to me 10 years ago, now were much fuzzier. Which did make me question whether what I was thinking was actually right. I was originally going to write a post detailing all these points and opposing arguments in the hopes that it would clarify things for me, but unfortunately it didn't and I ended up tying myself in knots.
I admit my opinions are influenced by my own life - whilst my mother was not incredibly old when I was born by today's standards, in the 1970's she was. Maybe I was just an unpleasant child, but I will always remember being horribly embarrassed when I was young by my white haired mum and dad and hated being constantly asked if they were my grandparents. And though I loved them dearly, the generation gap was immense and despite trying, my mother often struggled with relating to the way things were for me as a teenager. She grew up in the second world war, left school at 13 to work in t'mill, and was married with a child by the time she was 20 - all perfectly normal for her generation, and worlds apart from mine. Although as I got older the generation gap did diminish quite a lot and I relied on and valued her knowledge and experience a tremendous amount, especially when I had a family of my own.
So my final answer to the discussion point ready for tomorrow? Jag tycker att det är inte bra för kvinnor att bli mammor 60 år gammal, men det är ett personligt val.
If you disagree, then that's fine. I can probably tell you all your arguments anyway.
Naturally I decided to work out my discussion points in English first, but this proved to be more difficult than I expected. Obviously a simple statement against it was not going to be enough, but for every reason behind my stance I found I could think of a fairly legitimate counter-point. Things that would have seemed clear-cut to me 10 years ago, now were much fuzzier. Which did make me question whether what I was thinking was actually right. I was originally going to write a post detailing all these points and opposing arguments in the hopes that it would clarify things for me, but unfortunately it didn't and I ended up tying myself in knots.
I admit my opinions are influenced by my own life - whilst my mother was not incredibly old when I was born by today's standards, in the 1970's she was. Maybe I was just an unpleasant child, but I will always remember being horribly embarrassed when I was young by my white haired mum and dad and hated being constantly asked if they were my grandparents. And though I loved them dearly, the generation gap was immense and despite trying, my mother often struggled with relating to the way things were for me as a teenager. She grew up in the second world war, left school at 13 to work in t'mill, and was married with a child by the time she was 20 - all perfectly normal for her generation, and worlds apart from mine. Although as I got older the generation gap did diminish quite a lot and I relied on and valued her knowledge and experience a tremendous amount, especially when I had a family of my own.
So my final answer to the discussion point ready for tomorrow? Jag tycker att det är inte bra för kvinnor att bli mammor 60 år gammal, men det är ett personligt val.
If you disagree, then that's fine. I can probably tell you all your arguments anyway.
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