Monday, August 31, 2009

first day of school

No, not for the kids (which I dont have anyway) but for me :-)
For the first time in 4 years I am finally employed full time. And I still get to do what I like to do, namely teach... and in Photoshop.
I feel lucky.
So today was my first day of teaching. I slept horribly last night, and woke up at 5 am this morning. Idiot.
But everything went fine.
I should know by now that once I am in class that things will be fine.
So now I can look forward to tomorrows class as I cycle home in the rain.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

internett er en flopp!

Denne artikkelen finnes sikkert et utallige andre steder også, men jeg måtte bare ha den her hos meg også.
20. august 1996, nesten nøyaktig 13 år siden, skrev Leif Osvold et leserinnlegg i Dagens Næringsliv.
-"Internett er en flopp; det vil si en "motegreie" som kommer til å dø ut om et par år", skrev han i kronikken. Videre skrev han:
"ingen av aktørene på nettet vil tjene penger på å legge seg der med sine tilbud", "privat bruk av nettet vil være marginalt" , "og mengden av informasjon på nettet vil bli så enorm at det vil skape frustrerende store søkeproblemer, og dermed frafall av brukere".
I 1998 hevdet han at spådommen nå viste seg å være riktig.
"Det er ganske naturlig at bruken av internett nå har stagnert og begynner å synke. Jeg har spådd dette for lenge siden, som eneste person i Norge, og blitt ledd av. Den første nysgjerrigheten har nå lagt seg, og folk er blitt lei av å lete mer eller mindre formålsløst på nettet ", skrev Osvold da.
I 1999 kom han på trykk med flere dystre spådommer om internett.
"Spådommene om at nettet vil bli like alment brukt som øvrige medier har mistet sin troverdighet", skrev Osvold og la til at internett aldri vil bli et "folkemedium".
I dag føler han seg uthengt og kommer med følgende kommentar til dn.no:
- Min eneste kommentar er at jeg tok grundig feil den gangen, sier Osvold til dn.no.


Sitater og fakta er kopiert fra dn.no som ble trykket i 2005 som kan leses her.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

ja så le da!

Jeg satt og flippa kanalene og kom frem til "Komiprisen 2009" og tenkte at dette må jo være morsomt. Den ble jo beskrevet som "...latterspredende underholdning når våre beste humorister samles til Komiprisen".
Etter 15 minutter måtte jeg bare skru den av i frustrasjon. Ikke bare var det umulig for meg å le, eller i det hele tatt flire en eneste gang, men det var enda mer forunderlig at publikum lo så de nesten pissa på seg. Var de dritings? Eller kanskje var de betalt for å le? Eller er det bare jeg som ikke har noen sans for humor likevel?
Er dette de beste komikerne i Norge?
Og hvem er disse Raske Menn? Er det det rare håret som gjør dem umiddelbart morsomme?

Det eneste fine innslaget var når de zoomet inn på Pia Tjelta som satt i publikum. Men hun ble bare vist i noen sekunder for hun lo ikke hun heller. Hun har visst samme humor som meg. Kanskje jeg skal ringe til henne. Er hun singel?
Ja jeg tror jeg legger inn et par bilder av henne jeg, så blir jeg litt i bedre humør.
Kanskje det er på tide at det er noen pene bilder å se på her inne på bloggen min.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

syklister vs. nordmenn og norsk media

Norsk media er fantastisk flinke til å skrive negative artikler om syklister og deres/vår oppførsel. Enten det er i rittsammenheng eller ute i marka så er vi visst bare noen egoistiske udyr.
Denne siste artikkelen i Aftenposten skal ha oss til å tro at vi ikke engang er medmennesker nok til å stoppe å hjelpe en medsyklist som har vært i en ulykke under et ritt.

I bildeteksten står det "(syklisten) gliset bredt da paret ved hans side hadde et aldri så lite uhell ved Djuphølen underveis i Birkebeinerrittet".

For meg ser det heller ut som at han prøver å anstrenge seg for å holde seg på sykkelen i den bratte nedoverbakken.
Vi har visst ikke god sportsånd, eller bruker "fair play", i følge artikkelforfatteren, Espen Hansen.
Videre prøver han å oppsummere/forklare vår adferd ved å skrive at "Arrangøren belønner fair play med fratrekk i tiden".
Når var det sist du var med i en konkurranse der man belønnet fair play?
For selv om Birken er kun en "mosjonsidrett" så er det litt naivt å tro at når man slipper ut over 10000 syklister med startnr på brystet at ikke adrenalinnivået er på spreng og konkurranseinstinktet kicker inn.

Nå sier jeg ikke at man skal ignorere en medkonkurrent som ligger nede i bakken og er såret. Tvert imot. Selv har jeg stoppet opp, i en konkurranse, for å spørre om alt er ok der en deltager har hatt et uhell.
Samtidig vet jeg at hvis jeg stopper opp for å hjelpe til så blir min slutttid dårligere. For syklistene som er ute etter en ny pers, eller som kanskje er akkurat på grensen av å klare "merket" i Birken, så er det nok et enormt tiltak å stoppe opp.

Videre setter artikkelforfatteren, Espen Hansen, enda et negativt merke på de i "40-års krisa".
- Det kan skje uheldige ting i en konkurranse... der en tar ut hele 40-årskrisen sin og hvor resultatet betyr alt.

Hvert år, under de siste ukene før Birken, blir det skrevet flere artikler om disse "40-års-krise gutta" som farer gjennom skog og mark, og som pløyer ned det de kan i forberedelsene frem mot Birken.

Det er ikke rart at Nordmenn har et negativt syn på syklister, og kaster flasker på oss når vi er ute å sykler.
Jeg har vært så heldig å ha syklet i flere europeiske og skandinaviske land de siste årene, og det er kun her i Norge hvor jeg opplever at både bilister og fotgjengere har et rent "hat" mot syklister. De ser rødt når de ser oss.

Ja, jeg har også opplevd at en syklist ute i marka har hatt en forferdelig høy hastighet når han raser forbi meg på stien. Men betyr det at alle syklister er slik?
Er det fair å sette alle syklister i èn bås? Er ikke det rasisme?

Hva med å fokusere på de positive egenskaper sykling har? At flere bør komme seg opp av sofaen? At det er mulig for syklister å sykle på asfalten, sammen med bilistene, uten at det skal bli krangling om plass? Og at vi alle kan nyte og å dele marka, både de gående og syklende, uten at det blir bråk?

Jeg tror at media kan hjelpe til stort her hvis de setter på trykk noen hyggelige/positive artikler, der man ikke setter "40-års krisa" som hovedfokus, eller klager på "alle" syklistene som herjer gjennom marka.
Fordi når det først er på trykk så må det jo være sant. Ikke sant?

applethrew? appleheist!

I love this part of the year because the apples are ready for picking!
This morning, as I cycled past several apple trees, I could not resist... I went on a little "epleslang" (I have no idea if there is a word for this in English... applethrew? applestealing? appleheist!)

Anyway, they were hanging over the fence, and most of these apples go unharvested and just fall on to the ground, so I don`t feel bad for taking a couple with me.
These are the only kinds of apples I can eat, since I am allergic to the ones I buy in the store. Very frustrating!

But now I will be enjoying apples for at least a few weeks.
Joy!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

mental note

When I am riding my bike to work in pouring rain, it is a good idea to bring along a dry pair of cycling shorts for the ride home.

a thousand words

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

i`m riiiiiding in the rain....

just riiiding in the rain....
what a glorious feeling, I`m haaaappy again.....

naptime

There should be a "mandatory naptime" integrated into the workday.
There`s no way I`m supposed be expected to function after a big lunch.

I urge everyone to sign this petition for a "after-lunch-naptime" so I can send it in to the prime minister.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

aaaaaaahh free at last

I rode my bike to work today! :-)
Finally!
All last week, with my troubled lower back, I was forced to taking the public transport system to and from work.
If it had at least been raining and freezing cold it would not have been all that bad. But when the sun is out and I am crammed into a subway cart, people sitting on top of each other... everybody talking on their cell phone or listening to their iTunes, or both, and the kids screaming and crying....
I feel claustrophobic.
My back is still not 100% better, and I am still in need of more physical therapy. But I felt good enough to sit on my bike and ride the 6,5 km to work, with the only sounds around me being traffic.
No more iTunes blasting from every direction, or having to sit and wait for the subway.

Today I am free again.

Monday, August 17, 2009

work

You mean I am supposed to be here at work every single day? From 8 to 4?
This work stuff is hard.

working 9 to 5, its a way to make a living....

Det er omtrendt 5 år siden jeg sist hadde en fast jobb med månedslønn. Jeg har klart å overleve med en del freelance-jobbing, både som instruktør, fotograf, og aktmodell.
Jeg har kunnet skreddersy mange av ukedagene, men til gjengjeld har jeg ikke hatt så mye penger til overs.
I dag starter et nytt kapittel med fulltids-stilling som instruktør!
Jeg har vært heldig.
Faget er fortsatt Photoshop, pluss en del fotograferingskurs.
Nå må jeg vende meg til en 8-16 arbeidsdag igjen, 5 dager i uka.
Egentlig funker jeg bedre med en fast rutine, så jeg tror ikke dette skal bli så vanskelig.
Og jeg gleder meg veldig til å kunne ha en litt bedre økonomi.

Friday, August 14, 2009

the nude blog

It`s funny actually, this curiosity we have about nudity. And how in many ways it`s still taboo, both the subject of nudity and just being nude.
I have written 2 blogs here about my experiences with it (the nude model and the nude cyclist), but it took about 6 months before I dared publish them.
"What would people think" ... well now I don`t care, I am who I am, plus I wanted to get some feedback.

But the interesting thing is that I got no comments or replies. Not to my modeling at the art schools, nor to my artistic cycling shots.
So I assumed people were not interested, or that maybe they just had not found my blogs at all.
Well it turns out that people have been reading these blogs... they just didn`t want to leave a trail. Talking with my friends last weekend, one of the girls made a comment about my new job, and kinda smiled. I thought she was talking about my new teaching job that I start on Monday, but no, she was talking about my nude modeling.
She had found my blog and seen the ones tagged "nude" and of course had to immediately check it out.
But she did not want to write anything... "no I didn`t dare". Not sure why.
I have gotten quite a lot of positive feedbacks though, mostly in person, which I think is very exciting. I have heard everything from "that is really cool" to a simple (and possibly my favorite) "æsj!".
What is art?
Am I just taking pictures of naked people or am I creating art? Am I simply walking around naked in an art class for the fun of it or am I learning more about the nude body and all of its complexities?
I hope most of my readers will pick the latter in both of these questions. But I also expect a lot of snickering and "æsj" ...unfortunately.
Either way, I will continue doing this and also strive to take better nude photos, as this is possibly the most difficult to do... without them looking like a Playboy shot.

Below are three of my favorites from my "nude pregnant" series. I finally got the lighting right. Hopefully I will get more of these photo opportunities.
And hopefully I will continue to get modeling gigs. I have learned a lot from being in these art classes.


Thursday, August 13, 2009

how much crap...

...is it possible to accumulate in 1-2 years? Obviously a lot!
I was going to get my Mom to empty out and throw away stuff we have in our storage units. Instead we started by cleaning up in my office, bedroom, kitchen and balcony storage. We are now in our 4th day and still throwing stuff away.
Don`t even ask me what all this crap is... but we are slowly filling up the trash container in my block (don`t tell my neighbors).
The advantage is that my office is now twice as big!
And I can actually see what I have in my kitchen pantry.
But still... I feel I do this once a year, and every time I end up throwing away a ton of stuff.
No wonder our landfills are filling up.
Once we fill up this planet we will have to move to the moon.

Sunday, August 09, 2009

reflections - norseman xtreme triathlon 2009

I am back in Oslo after organizing another Norseman Xtreme for the 7th year in a row. It is always with a sense of sadness, wistfulness, joy and satisfaction that it is all over.
The weekend is exhausting. We spend all year preparing for the next event. Ordering products, getting photographers, updating the website, and making improvements from the previous years.
The feedbacks we receive make it all worthwhile. It has become such a personal event for me. Already when I arrive in Eidfjord I meet and greet triathletes from all over the world. Some are here for their first time, and I can see the excitement and fear in their eyes. Others are here for their repeat and new goals. It is a reunion of sorts. We have become like a family. And we meet here once a year to rekindle the experiences from the year(s) before.
I talked to Victor from Colorado who was here in 2006. He came up to me and told me how much he was looking forward to doing it again. I would see him several times during the competition and he would always tell me how he was doing.
There are so many stories like these.

Even the places have become a part of me. The Gausta-mountain, with her grandeur and mystique, has so many stories that I feel that I know her. She can be brutal, with her sudden weather changes. I have taken so many pictures of her.


The next few days will be spent going through all the photos and videos that was collected through the event.
After reflections and summaries from 2009 are collected we start planning and preparing for the 2010 Norseman Xtreme Triathlon.
And new memories will be created.

3 days without the internet

...and I feel fine.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

reflections - eidfjord

Så her sitter jeg igjen da, i Eidfjord, med masse forventninger og sommerfugler i magen. Men denne gangen er årets Norseman unnagjort for meg, og jeg kan sitte her i min fine grønne Finisher skjorte og konsentrere meg om å ta bilder. Hvem hadde trodd det, etter den aller første Norseman i 2003!
Jeg kan huske hvordan jeg hatet Hårek der jeg karra meg opp det som skulle hete Zombie Hill. Den ble visst oppkalt etter meg, av han godeste Hårek.
"Dette skal jeg aldri gjøre igjen - det er jo helt galskap"
Vi var 21 mann det året... teståret.
Men det var flere som hadde lyst til å gjøre dette. Og nå, for 7. gang, arrangerer vi igjen og er muligens over 200 deltagere fra hele verden.
Jeg kjenner igjen fjesene fra de jeg har tatt bilder av tidligere. Og de kjenner igjen meg. Vi er som en slags familie som møtes her en gang i året.
Merkelig. Og litt koselig.
I morgen blir det fullt kjør med registrering, pre-race møte, pasta middag, salg av varer i butikken, osv.
Hvem skulle trodd at den lille logoen som jeg satt og tegnet i 2003 skulle ende opp på alt fra bildekor til skiluer.
Nei nå må jeg legge meg. Det har resten av Crewet gjort. Er sistemann på den gamleskulen i Eidfjord.
Gleder meg til i morgen nå.

Monday, August 03, 2009

my 5th norseman xtreme!

August 1, 2009.
Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is an Iron-distance triathlon that started in 2003. Distances are 1800 meters (2,36 miles) swim, 180 km (112 miles) cycle, and 42,2 km (26,2 miles) marathon run.

This was my 5th Norseman, and if I made the cut-off time limits I would also secure the green “5-time Finisher” jersey. This was my main goal!

The Crew Race is held for the people organizing the race so that we can also have a chance at competing. This time we held it 1 week before the official Norseman. We were 9 people this year.

So at 4:30 am we are standing on the banks of Eidfjord, ready for our 3,8 km swim. The temperature is cold as the sun is just barely peeking out from the huge mountains surrounding us. The temperature in the water is only 15 degrees Celsius (59 F).

We jump in and start swimming along the shoreline, in towards T1. There is little wind and the water is calm, but really cold. By the time I reach the end, my hands are starting to feel it and I`m having a difficult time keeping warm. Clive is really fast and was way ahead of us from the start. I swam with Dorthe and Geir F about halfway, but then they started to pull away. But I kept a nice pace and did not lose sight of them. Clive swam in 1:04 – I came in 10 minutes later. Swim - 1:14. This was 6 minutes faster than last year so I was pleased.

In T1 I was having problems getting warm (I am told I need to get some more body fat). I was shaking all over and it was actually kinda funny as I was clumsily trying to get out of my wetsuit and into my cycling gear. This year I was prepared for a cold bike ride so I put on wool socks, a buff under my helmet, long gloves, and a wind proof jacket. After 15 minutes in T1 (extremely long time), I finally jumped on my bike and was on my way.

The first 40 km is straight uphill, with parts of the climb at 7% grade. It is a long and windy steep road that leads us up a beautiful mountain with a huge waterfall halfway up. I passed Dorthe on the way up. Tim and Marit were my support this year and would meet me at certain designated points to fill me up with food and drinks. The first stop was at the top of the 40 km climb, Dyranut.

I made it here in 2 hours. I grabbed a new bottle and a sandwich with salty cured meats. Then it was off towards Geilo, which is the halfway point. I got another sandwich here and headed off towards the next 4 climbs. The first 3 climbs are about 3-4 km each with about 5-6% grade. At each top I would get some more food/drink. I have learned the hard way, from previous years, that not eating is detrimental.

The weather was slowly getting warmer and I could switch to short gloves and peel off one of the 2 wind jackets. I was getting warm in the climbs, but then on top and in the downhills I would get cold again. But my pace was steady even though I was hoping to go slightly faster.

After these 3 “short” climbs came the 4th and final climb, Imingfjell. This one is 8 km long with the same grade as the others. It is long and winding and you never really know if you are in the last turn or if there is one more. I guess I was having problems with my energy because it was going much slower than expected, and Tim could also tell that I was having more problems than Clive who was now 1 hour ahead of me.

Finally I was on top of Imingfjell. I got some much needed Coke and salty meats from Dag and Kalle. They were supporting Line, who was only about 5-10 minutes behind me. So it was really nice of them to be helping me as well.

The last part of the cycling was not going to be easy. The top of the mountain is long and flat and totally unprotected from the winds, which I was now getting head on. It was a cold head wind. There is a final, long downhill, which is so steep that you have to really grab on to the handle bars so not to lose control.

My cycling time would be 8 hours and 27 minutes. I was SO ready to get off the bike and start running.

It was now sunny and warm, so time to peel off all my cycling clothes and put on some running shorts. But I spent about 12 minutes in T2 which is again a really long time. But I felt the need to compose myself and get some much needed nourishment, plus some helpful words from Marit who was waiting for me.

The first 25 km of the run is fairly flat and on tarmac. I always force myself to keep running here because I know what is coming up… more climbs. I hear that I am still 1 hour behind Clive, so at least he has not pulled away even more. When I get to Rjukan, at 25 km, I catch up to 2 other guys, Rolf and Geir H, and they are walking. They have realized that they will not be able to make the cut-off time limit at the 32 km mark, so they are going for the White jersey. But they feel that I still have a chance and want to help me by walking with me. We are now in “Zombie Hill”. From here it is straight up in a winding unforgiving road that seems never-ending.

When we start doing the math (which is difficult enough at this point) Rolf warns me that this pace will not be fast enough for me. The thought of losing not only the Black jersey but the 5-Time jersey makes me dig even deeper and I manage to increase my speed to a slow “jog”. I make it up to the 32km mark in 14 hours 28 minutes and 30 seconds. This is 2,5 minutes before the cut-off time!

I now have 1 hour to make it to the next cut-off time which is at the 37 km point. I continue to run, which is the very first time ever in this race that I have been able to do that. Marit is now on a bike beside me keeping me company, although I am not the most sociable person right now. I am only concentrating on one thing… the green 5-time jersey. I manage to get there in about 41 minutes and have now secured the Black jersey! I can finally smile and give Marit a nice hug.

But my day is not over yet. I still have the last 4,7 km left which is a rocky winding path up towards the top of Gaustatoppen mountain. Wikipedia information. It has an elevation of 1,883 metres (6,178 ft) and the weather can be brutal. I spend a lot of time getting ready for the mountain. A short bathroom break, plus changing into warmer clothing, including gloves and winter-woolen hat “beanie”.

It is required to wear a backpack with a change of clothing, plus having a traveling companion up the mountain for safety reasons. Marit is still by my side following me up the path. It is a brutal path consisting of big rocks and each step must be planned so not to twist your ancle.

I am in a good mood but really tired. I have to stop a few times to catch my breath and get some food and drink in me. The tower at the top is constantly teasing me as it is visible, but so far away. I meet Geir F on his way down. He made it in 14:34 and was todays winner. About an hour later I meet Clive and Tim who were also on their way down. Clive finished in 16:36. A while later I finally made it to the top! The 4,7 km took me 2 hours to climb. My total run time was 7:23.


My time for today was 17:33:03!

I was just so pleased to have earned the Black jersey and also the Green colored 5-Time Finisher jersey. It is only given out to the ones who have won the Black jersey 5 times, and there are only 5 other guys who have this!


I have to thank Tim and Marit who drove all day, making sure that both Clive and I were fed and clothed during this long day. In addition, Dag and Kalle helped me several times as well. There is such a comradery in this sport that is so unique.

I will now be wearing my lovely green 5-Time Finisher jersey… planning my next Ironman adventure.

Link to the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon site with a short report from the Crew Race.

jeg er en "5-time-finisher"!!!

Dette var min 5. Norseman Xtreme Triathlon og det var den grønne trøya som var hovedmålet. Jeg visste det ville bli vanskelig med den nye cut-off-tiden på 32 km. I fjor kom jeg hit på ca 15 timer, men i år måtte jeg komme hit før 14,5.

I år hadde jeg fått med meg Tim og Marit på laget mitt, og de var utrolig hjelpsomme gjennom dagen. De hadde ikke bare meg å passe på men også Clive.

Svømmingen gikk bedre enn forventet og jeg kom inn på 1:14:25. Men jeg var iskald når jeg kom opp av vannet og brukte over 15 minutter i T1 for å varme meg opp. Jeg må visst få på meg litt mer kroppsfett.
Jeg var forberedt på en kald tur opp Måbødalen og tok på meg ullsokker, lange bein og armer, pluss vindjakke, buffer under hjelmen, og lange hansker.
Syklingen gikk egentlig greit, men hadde håpet på en raskere tid. Opp til Dyranut på 2 timer, som forventet. Det var kaldt over Hardangervidda og heldig vis hadde jeg tatt på meg enda en vindjakke på Dyranut. Det var ikke før jeg passerte Geilo at jeg kunne begynne å prelle av meg noen av lagene. I bakkene opp fra Geilo ble det varmt, men med en gang jeg var oppe på flatene måtte jeg kneppe opp igjen. Kom meg greit opp til Imingfjell hvor jeg fikk forpleining av Dag og Kalle (Line`s support), som også var kjempefin support underveis. Clive var nå 1 time foran meg og Tim kjørte som en villmann frem og tilbake for å kunne hjelpe oss begge to.
Det var en kald motvind på toppen av Imingfjell som ikke ville slippe taket før jeg var kommet inn til T2. Først da kunne jeg fjerne ”vinterklærne”. Hyggelig at Kari og Randi var der for å heie på oss (mulig det var flere men jeg var litt tåkete her… mer enn vanlig).
Sykla på 8:27:08.

Det var deilig å kunne strekke på beina i shorts og kortermet, og jeg holdt et fint tempo helt inn til Rjukan. Brukte 2 timer til Rjukan. Der møtte jeg Rolf og Geir som ville holde følge med meg opp Zombie Hill. Og Hårek kom på sykkel som stakk innom for å hilse på. Etter mye kalkuleringer var det tydelig at jeg var akkurat på grensen med å rekke cut-off tiden på 32 km. Selv med Rolfs økt tempo skjønte vi at dette ikke ville holde. Så jeg gravde enda dypere og klarte å sette et slags løpetempo de siste kilometerne. Det skulle rekke akkurat! 14:28:30!
Marit sendte melding til Kalle om at jeg klarte det og jeg kunne høre at han lo i andre enden.

Men så var det cut-off nr 2! I fjor brukte jeg litt over en time videre til Stavsro. Denne luksusen hadde jeg ikke i år. Når jeg var oppe på flatene klarte jeg å ”jogge” helt inn til Stavsro. Marit var flott følge med sykkel, selv om jeg antagelig ikke var så veldig pratsom. Jeg hadde ikke så mye ekstra energi til å prate. Jeg klarte å komme meg til Stavsro på ca 41 minutter og kom dit på 15:09! Helt utrolig!

Nå først var jeg bli og fornøyd og ganske pratsom… i følge Marit ;-)

Det ble et ganske langt opphold på Stavsro, med dobesøk og kleskift, men vi karra oss oppover fjellet og brukte ca 2 timer til toppen. Min endelig tid be 17:33:03.
Ca en halv time raskere enn i fjor, men ganske nøyaktig samme tid som i 2007.

Dette hadde jeg ikke klart hadde det ikke vært for all support og støtte. Tusen takk til alle som hjalp til!

Tim og Marit var et fantastisk støtte gjennom dagen!