SWEDEN’S GRAND FINALE INTERVAL ACT
Seriously this was the best act of the entire evening, everybody else go home
Pride season is practically upon us and while there will be celebrations around the world, our Russian gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brother and sisters will not have the chance to join in the festivities in their home land.
“Please tell me about Pippi Longstockings” asks a daughter her mother. ….this is how it began, or at least so the legend says.
Pippi Longstockings (Pippilotta Viktualia Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Långstrump) is a character from the books of the same name by Astrid Lindgren, and she is not only a character that children can relate to well and who has a lot of things that they wish for themselves (she can just not brush her teeth or go to bed late and no adult will tell her what to do…). She is also, in my opinion, one of the best role models and idols that parents can give their child (especially their girl, but boys too): She thinks for herself, she’s independent and doesn’t need a “saviour”. She is a very loyal friend and while spunky still concerned about other people’s well-being and their feelings (to a certain degree). She is generous and doesn’t keep grudges (in one instance, she gives the thieves who just tried to rob all her money a Christmas present because that is what you do on Christmas). She is very open-minded and curious and knows almost no fear, but she loves her parents and has a soft side! Being super strong and respected and independent does not mean that she cannot be sad and cry.
I think knowing her and identifying with her helped me a lot through quite a few hardships in my life, not consciously but more subconsciously; my role model wasn’t a princess. It was a strong girl who could save herself. She showed that living outside of the norm is possible and can be successful; that taking your life into your own hands, making your own decisions, does not mean getting hard on the inside. That you don’t need to give in just because people tell you that it is wrong (the woman from the social service, the policemen, the parents of her best friends all want her to be a “real child in a family”) and that you can be very happy that way. When I have children myself, especially girls but also boys, I hope that I can show them the awesomeness that this girl is and make it a part of their lives as well.
TOP TEN SAFEST COUNTRIES IN A ZOMBIE OUTBREAK
10: Sweden – A favorably small population, and many natural defenses help Sweden capture the tenth spot. Its military is well trained, well equipped, and solely focused on the defense of its people and lands.
9: Argentina – As the eighth largest country in the world by land mass, Argentina is sandwiched by the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Its high level of urbanization keeps it from climbing higher on the list.
8: Finland - The Finnish benefit from being surrounded by other countries strong in zombie survivability, and their population density of just 41 people per square mile doesn’t hurt either.
7: Norway – The fact that the tiny country of Norway came in 2nd in Gold Medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics shows they know how to thrive in icy conditions. A lot of snowy land and a few hearty people is a recipe for survival.
6: Bolivia – With mountains to protect them from its neighbors, and the worst economy in South America, Bolivian’s are used to managing without modern conveniences, and can ably fend for themselves.
5: Kazakhstan – Borat made the whole world laugh at this little country, but Kazakhstan may get the last laugh. The rugged terrain, formidable climate and an extremely low population density are key survival factors.
4: Russia – Low population density, huge land barriers, and a battle-tested people give Russia the number four spot. If the Nazis couldn’t take Leningrad, there’s no reason to think Nazi zombies can.
3: United States – With over 83 people per square mile, the U.S. is considerably more dense than any other country in the top five, but its heavily armed citizenship is more ready for a battle than most.
2: Canada – Sure, its 35 million residents are packed in a thin strip along the country’s southern border, but gun ownership is common, and there’s plenty of room to head north when the dead rise.
1: Australia – This vast nation grabs the top spot because of its population density of just 7.5 people per square mile, and the fact that it has the world’s biggest moat surrounding it on all sides.
Despite popular belief, not all Scandiavians were Vikings.
In Old Norse the term “viking” was a noun that referred to overseas expeditions. The phrase “fara i viking” means “to go on an expedition”, and in later texts implies piracy or raids. Therefore, a Viking (Norse vikingr) was someone who participated in these expeditions; an explorer, warrior, or pirate.
Finns were never Vikings, and in fact had little contact with Scandinavia during the Viking Age.
I’m a bit oO About the picture but…
The moose, the lynx, the wolverine, the gray wolves, brown bears and the musk ox are sometimes known as ‘Sweden´s big six’, an equivalent to Africa´s big five.
Moose, live throughout the land in large numbers, even in areas close to the big cities. The moose is also Swedens unofficial national animal.
Wolverines live primarily in Lapland where its prey includes reindeer.
Wolves, once threatened with extinction, have now recovered and can even be seen in the southern parts of Sweden.
Brown bears that are mostly found in the northwestern forest and mountain regions.
The lynx, the Nordic Region’s own big cat, is a breed that survives well in the large forest areas covering the country.
A shaggy giant ox, the musk ox, is one of the oldest species of animal in the world - the contemporaries include the mammoth and the cave bear - and lives in the wild in Härjedalen in north-west Sweden.
