Welcome Celia!
since i am an unmitigated insomniac, i will be reading you often.
do you have any baskar dropa on your island?
i know it is not schnapps (better than schnapps!), but i raise a virtual glass to you tonight anyways.
i need it. ;)
Welcome, Celia. I appreciated our exchanges in earlier threads and admire your persistence. You give me a reason to check Dean's World more frequently.
Celia
Sweden eh? I'm a big fan of Sweden, being that once was home to the Vikings - some of the fiercest people on the planet. In fact I suspect that their fire hasn't disappeared under socialism, smart furniture and Abba. The Swedes I've known were some of the toughest people I've met, comparable only to Australians.
In a barfight if a Swede or an Aussie has your back, you're going to win.
But I don't drink, hang out in bars, or fight with my fists anymore.
Celia,
Welcome to DW, I'm sure you'll find us an accomodating lot.
Matoko-chan.
What pray tell is baskar dropa? Have you a link to this elixir you can share? You've managed to tweak my curiosity. I'm quite fond of Akhtamar (an Armenian brandy) which I've found is wonderfully bold and complex, able to hold it's own when mixed with soda, or clean the grease out of my pants when used straight.
Scott,
You forgot Poles. In my time in the service I saw a barfight or three (or maybe four), and particpated in one or two myself, and I learned a few things: Aussies have more scrap and toughness in 'em than any other people pound for pound, Swedes never seem to go down, Poles never seem to stay down, and don't hit the Shore Patrol even by accident - just because you're not a sailor doesn't mean they can't drag your green ass to the cooler.
Welcome to Dean's World, Celia. I really enjoyed your work on AIDS when you were at SPIN...and also that article you wrote when the editors sent a bunch of you (as well as Paul Westerberg, I think) out across the country to find rock'n'roll (something about a Dante's circle filled with pink and yellow guitars in weird shapes, all played loud as f**k and out of tune).
We're going to be visiting Stockholm this summer - my husband wants to learn everything about the history of his family that doesn't include lutfisk. After reading your essay I'm more anxious than ever to visit. It sounds like a lovely place.
How utterly wonderful to walk into such a welcoming living room. Thank you. Nice to meet each of you. I have hundreds of little stories in mind that I may be suitable for DW--a vast vast cutting room floor from all the years of print work. And I will answer any and all questions about Sweden, and alcoholic beverages. But first I must tend to some things here. Back shortly.
Lutfisk is strange stuff indeed. I wrote about it once, and will try to find the clipping and post it now that I have an attentive audience about all things Swedish. As for the other question--"Beska Droppar," is some kind of high powered brew that literally translated mean "Bitter Drops."
Were I more authentic I could tell you more...but I will have to consult my friend Urban, the aforementioned friend who gave us the news of the Apollo Butterfly. (I didn't name him previously.) (Can you just name people in blog posts without asking them? Are there rules?) I want to name all my beloved friends who constantly say funny things and tell me what's happening out there.
When Urban was in NY visiting me last, several years ago, my son arbitrarily re-named him "cone," and we have no idea why. Urban is easy to pronounce (rhymes with Sure and then rhymes with on.) Bah! Now I want to start posting pictures of all these people. How does one learn what is appropriate and what is not on the blogo-sphere? I suppose it's like the earliest days of answering machines? Taste and muturity somehow works itself out, over time?
I have hundreds of little stories in mind that I may be suitable for DW--a vast vast cutting room floor from all the years of print work.
Vast cutting room floor. Yep, that's the blogosphere!
How did you guys manage those umlauts?
I don't know about other people, but I cheat: I go to Windows Character Map (or Word, if I have it open already), select the characters I want, and paste them in. There are supposed to be key sequences for most accented and umlauted (is that a word?) characters; but I use them so seldom, I can't remember the key sequences. If I'm right, this should be an e with an umlaut: ë.
Of course, lots of times I'm lazy, and I skip the accents or the umlauts.
Were I more authentic I could tell you more...but I will have to consult my friend Urban, the aforementioned friend who gave us the news of the Apollo Butterfly. (I didn't name him previously.) (Can you just name people in blog posts without asking them? Are there rules?) I want to name all my beloved friends who constantly say funny things and tell me what's happening out there.
Although this could change, the blogosphere today is governed more by frontier etiquette than by legal codes. Yes, yes, the legal codes do apply here; but mostly nobody tries to enforce them in most places most of the time (as I strive to put the most qualifiers in the most possible places). If you think someone could be offended, you probably should ask first. If you don't think they'll mind, then don't bother with the sort of release process you would use in the magazines. If they complain, apologize politely and remove the offending information. Avoid posting too much identifying information about kids, because parents tend (rightly) to be more protective of their kids than of themselves. As long as you're not a jerk, most people won't mind.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is the size of your readership. My blog gets 70 people on a good day (except when Dean links me). Even if I'm a jerk on my blog, very few people will notice. Dean gets at least two orders of magnitude more readers than I do, and I'm sure it's three, maybe four. When you're a jerk here, it's pretty darn public. Your apologies, if called for, should be just as public and extra polite.
Bah! Now I want to start posting pictures of all these people. How does one learn what is appropriate and what is not on the blogo-sphere? I suppose it's like the earliest days of answering machines? Taste and muturity somehow works itself out, over time?
That's it exactly: taste and maturity. Add in humility when you're wrong, and you'll do fine. I would love to see your pictures from Sweden. I only got to visit there once, but your countrymen were extremely gracious to me. I remember it fondly.
1. If someone posts or comments anonymously, it's for a reason. As long as you don't know the reason to be fraud, you should respect it. Some people work in very political situations where their blog writing could cost them their livelihoods. I would rather not have the hassle of maintaining separate identities, so I blog under my real name. I figure any job I lose for my views is a job I was going to lose sooner or later anyway.
2. If you go too far and later decide to remove a post, remember: on the Internet, anything can last forever. There's always a chance that the original post lives on in some archive somewhere, and will turn up and embarass you later. That's why I think it's far more important to make the very public apology than to just remove the post. That way, the apology lasts forever, too.
since i am an unmitigated insomniac, i will be reading you often.
do you have any baskar dropa on your island?
i know it is not schnapps (better than schnapps!), but i raise a virtual glass to you tonight anyways.
i need it. ;)
[Celia: as anyone who has read my comments can attest, that's irony, of the pot-and-kettle variety. Welcome aboard!]
But then you realize no one really cares. That was true in the magazines, too, but they pay.
So, er, yeah. Welcome!
Sweden eh? I'm a big fan of Sweden, being that once was home to the Vikings - some of the fiercest people on the planet. In fact I suspect that their fire hasn't disappeared under socialism, smart furniture and Abba. The Swedes I've known were some of the toughest people I've met, comparable only to Australians.
In a barfight if a Swede or an Aussie has your back, you're going to win.
But I don't drink, hang out in bars, or fight with my fists anymore.
Just words. And Photoshop.
Välkommen!
Welcome aboard!
Hank Barnes
Welcome to DW, I'm sure you'll find us an accomodating lot.
Matoko-chan.
What pray tell is baskar dropa? Have you a link to this elixir you can share? You've managed to tweak my curiosity. I'm quite fond of Akhtamar (an Armenian brandy) which I've found is wonderfully bold and complex, able to hold it's own when mixed with soda, or clean the grease out of my pants when used straight.
Scott,
You forgot Poles. In my time in the service I saw a barfight or three (or maybe four), and particpated in one or two myself, and I learned a few things: Aussies have more scrap and toughness in 'em than any other people pound for pound, Swedes never seem to go down, Poles never seem to stay down, and don't hit the Shore Patrol even by accident - just because you're not a sailor doesn't mean they can't drag your green ass to the cooler.
Best regards,
Ken
We're going to be visiting Stockholm this summer - my husband wants to learn everything about the history of his family that doesn't include lutfisk. After reading your essay I'm more anxious than ever to visit. It sounds like a lovely place.
How did you guys manage those umlauts?
Dean, you done good again, old chap.
I'll be back later this evening to read more with a margarita in hand (classic on the rocks).
Were I more authentic I could tell you more...but I will have to consult my friend Urban, the aforementioned friend who gave us the news of the Apollo Butterfly. (I didn't name him previously.) (Can you just name people in blog posts without asking them? Are there rules?) I want to name all my beloved friends who constantly say funny things and tell me what's happening out there.
When Urban was in NY visiting me last, several years ago, my son arbitrarily re-named him "cone," and we have no idea why. Urban is easy to pronounce (rhymes with Sure and then rhymes with on.) Bah! Now I want to start posting pictures of all these people. How does one learn what is appropriate and what is not on the blogo-sphere? I suppose it's like the earliest days of answering machines? Taste and muturity somehow works itself out, over time?
ps. Swedish fish discussion toward the end, but emphasis on the dreaded Surstromming.
pss. I didn't write the last line!
my swedish friends bring it.
Runmaro?
Vast cutting room floor. Yep, that's the blogosphere!
I don't know about other people, but I cheat: I go to Windows Character Map (or Word, if I have it open already), select the characters I want, and paste them in. There are supposed to be key sequences for most accented and umlauted (is that a word?) characters; but I use them so seldom, I can't remember the key sequences. If I'm right, this should be an e with an umlaut: ë.
Of course, lots of times I'm lazy, and I skip the accents or the umlauts.
Although this could change, the blogosphere today is governed more by frontier etiquette than by legal codes. Yes, yes, the legal codes do apply here; but mostly nobody tries to enforce them in most places most of the time (as I strive to put the most qualifiers in the most possible places). If you think someone could be offended, you probably should ask first. If you don't think they'll mind, then don't bother with the sort of release process you would use in the magazines. If they complain, apologize politely and remove the offending information. Avoid posting too much identifying information about kids, because parents tend (rightly) to be more protective of their kids than of themselves. As long as you're not a jerk, most people won't mind.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is the size of your readership. My blog gets 70 people on a good day (except when Dean links me). Even if I'm a jerk on my blog, very few people will notice. Dean gets at least two orders of magnitude more readers than I do, and I'm sure it's three, maybe four. When you're a jerk here, it's pretty darn public. Your apologies, if called for, should be just as public and extra polite.
That's it exactly: taste and maturity. Add in humility when you're wrong, and you'll do fine. I would love to see your pictures from Sweden. I only got to visit there once, but your countrymen were extremely gracious to me. I remember it fondly.
1. If someone posts or comments anonymously, it's for a reason. As long as you don't know the reason to be fraud, you should respect it. Some people work in very political situations where their blog writing could cost them their livelihoods. I would rather not have the hassle of maintaining separate identities, so I blog under my real name. I figure any job I lose for my views is a job I was going to lose sooner or later anyway.
2. If you go too far and later decide to remove a post, remember: on the Internet, anything can last forever. There's always a chance that the original post lives on in some archive somewhere, and will turn up and embarass you later. That's why I think it's far more important to make the very public apology than to just remove the post. That way, the apology lasts forever, too.
I know people who would be willing to try blowfish, but they'd draw the line at Lutfisk. As far as culinary adventures go, it's the extreme.