Please save us

I don't know how many posts I'm going to devote to how shit most part of you lot are at commenting, because you really are. One thing I DO know however, is that this isn't going to be one of those posts.

We are in desperate need of sorbet. The Norwegian community is now reaching out to the world in a plea for some proper icily refreshing fruit sorbet. It is not that we can't get it anywhere, it is just that the (may I add) few, scarce places it is obtainable the sorbet will cost us and possibly foodpoison us. (Please keep in mind that I may be exaggerating just a little, but that the cause still do remain of utter importance).

You see, Norwegians are good at many things. Though when it comes to how good we are at food it is generally our dairy products that really outshine everybody elses. Really, we make the most sexy milk chocolate (snaps perfectly, not too sweet, melts just right, basically a complete chocogasm), fantastic cheese (you may have heard of the Jarlsberg), thick, fruitilicious yoghurts, awesome waffles and magical ice cream. BUT. I say but because I have to make it seem like a drawback; we're only brilliant with dairy based ice cream. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry - you know, the basic ones (oh, and the creamy lemon one). We're really spectacular with them.

But sorbets :( No, we aren't actually very good with sorbets. Most Deli de Luca's in Oslo have an assortment of ice cream that is quite impressive, but we had some last night and I can't say I was enchanted by it. We've yet got such a lo0ng way to go before we're near central european standards of delish sorbet. REALLY.

Please, someone has to help us. Somebody do something!
I might cry.

Neeew moosic

I know that you woke up today and thought; "Dang! What have Tora written about new music lately, really? It has all been old recycled stuff we've heard of before, it's hardly indie at all!"

Well I am sorry. My apologies. It is just that sometimes I have (not necessarily better) but other things to do, than to scan the webnet for new, steaming fresh music for you. I know, it is because I don't love you, and that I take you for granted, you always feel stumped about the way I harshly ignore you. I don't deserve you. Let me make it up to you.

Now this band I discovered around Christmas, but I totally and absolutely forgot about it since then! Such a shame, they're awesomely chill and supersexy sweet, like a sticky toffee apple from the big apple itself. I give you New York band "Violens". Wonderful! Can't get enough! Especially the track "Already Oslo". Amazing.

http://www.myspace.com/violens

Unfortunately that is really all I have time to hand to you at the moment.

This is my shelf, above my bed, when decorated for Christmas. Ehm. The lights are really the only addition. All the other things usually hang there.

The Things I Do Like

I don't want this blog to be this immensely fueled by negativity, so to balance out my outbursts, here is some positive feedback for the world to become tranquil once more. Besides, I really like to make lists, they're nice I think.

I might have skipped some obvious ones, just because I think it is more appropriate to put on the "Things I LOVE" list. Right. I mean, I am pretty sure that I love food, but I also like food a lot, and not having it on the like list will be an insult to my own taste. I am sure there are things or concepts that I just like too much, so they overqualify and don't make it.

You will find that is the reason why you're not on it.

1. Food (especially eating or preparing it)

2. Music

2. Glitter

3. Things that glitter

4. Sleep

5. Toffee, like Thornton's

6. Liqorice (the salty variety)

7. Colours, bright ones

8. Laughter, especially others

9. Snowboarding

10. Reading books

11. Drawing

12. Soft things, like beds, or dough

13. Walking

14. The ocean (actually water in general)

15. Really amazing games, like Zelda, or Pikmin

16. Sunlight

17. Bubbles

18. Lists

19. Talking to strangers (making new friends!)

20. Dancing

21. Doing absolutely nothing

22. Fishing

23. To be inspired

24. The Mighty Boosh

25. Writing

26. Rain, the sound of rain, the feel of rain, the smell of rain

27. Changes

28. Thinking about things that make me happy

29. Otters

I took this picture in a beautiful garden in Lisbon, Portugal last year. I played around with it for a bit so it looks a little more dramatic.

The Things I Don't Like 2.0

On November 4th 2006 I blogged about the things I don't like. Now I reread it for some reason, and I must say I now entirely disagree with many of the statements! Now there were 28 different things on my last list, so I will now create an entirely new list and see what things I still dislike, because I now found that some of what I used to hate has now earned my respect. Green tea! I used to dislike green tea! That's just downright outrrrrageous.

And I have serious trouble understanding why I wouldn't eat pickles. You say the word 'pickle' and I now hear the word 'gold', as contrary to 'poop'. Really. I actually used to think that pickles was the champion of being beastly and repellent. *GASP* Well, anyway, here goes my new, revised list. Just click the link above and you can see the old one!

1. To be sad
2. Cakes made with almonds
3. Marzipan
4. Tinned mushrooms (bleugh!)
5. Ruccola (or rocket salad, if you like)
6. Vinegar-based coleslaw
7. Tights
8. Programming
9. Fresh coriander (tastes like garden snails)
10. Chess
11. Phone-surveys
12. Swedes, especially the ones "here to party, oh I touched your boob"
13. Lady Gaga
14. Pencils that break when you sharpen them
15. Cross-country skiing (Aaah! No! Please!!!)
16. Cakes of make-up on people's faces

17. Tampon advertisements (Grr!)

18. Gin & Tonic

19. People walking slowly

20. Revolving doors revolving slowly

21. Smelly people, either smelling of pee or of really heavy perfumes

22. Furniture of pine-tree

23. Social-network statuses of the kind: 10 days left. (Until WHAT?!)

24. Books that wont read themselves

25. Handsome vampires that don't really exist

26. Ungratefulness

27. Uncommenting blog-readers

28. Ehm. I'm sure there's something.

So, smartypants. What about you?

Oh yes!

And I forgot to ask you what you think of my opinion boxes!

Music Update: Alert! Aqua!

Aqua are having a comeback!

Or an attempted one, at least, with their release of the pop-single "Back To The 80's".

A very tactical choice of concept I think, considering "The 80's" is all very "now" and "The 80's is the new Friday" so forth. But sadly, Calvin Harris knew this back in 2007 already when releasing the much more justified 80's tribute: "Acceptable In The 80's" (it's true, and you know it).

Aqua's is a rather monotone tune that will rock the socks of every gay karaoke bar within range and hopefully the rest of us mortals will shrug it off as a joke.

This is .. danceable, not half as quirky as their previous classics like "Barbie Girl", "Dr. Jones", "Happy Boys and Girls" or "Lollipop (Candyman)" (songs we ALL love, seriously). It seems they are subtly attempting to be something more this time, more than just random and "laugh-at, not with". I mean, I like Aqua, really. But this is making them look like Wig-Wam. Sure - their track is an 80's tribute, and their wacky "style" has always been their trademark, but all the glow effects and the lack of REAL enthusiasm instrumentally (because the group itself is exploding with joy) is what holds this baby down.

It is not fair to judge pop music this way, and I know that. But the track is (unintentionally?) dropping hints of a "take-off", but the track really never gets going. It might qualify for Eurovision, but Tora the tiiiiiger is not impressed. I give them kudos for the attempt and hope that the Aqua who's sold over 30 million CD's worldwide will show us what they're made of when the entire album is released!

You can see their brand new video "Back to The 80's" here.