Moonflower's Sphere

Brazilian Domestic Animals Action – WSPA International

Brazilian Domestic Animals Action – WSPA USA

I haven’t really listened to any podcasts and very few audiobooks. Generally, I prefer to read – ordinary paper books, and tv series and movies. However, I think I could get into podcasts (or video podcasts), at least a little, if the subject was one that I’m very interested in. Audiobooks on the other hand, they’re probably not for me. Mom likes them and I’ve tried to listen to some of hers, but I never really got into them. One reason is that the translated ones are by necessity read by Swedish actors. They’re reading books that have been written in another language – these days almost exclusively English.

I never read the first book in the series about The Ladies’ Detective Agency, I listened to it on a cd player. The actress reading it could be said to be ideal in most ways – like Mma Ramotswe she’s ‘of traditional build’ and she’s very funny, or at least used to. However, when the topic of lady detectives came up, the British mystery writer Agatha Christie was mentioned and the actress pronounced that with the stress on the second syllable. That was it for me… Funnily enough, I think she got the African names about right. At least as far as I can tell.

The other memorable audiobook I tried was one about Jeeves and Wooster (I’ve forgotten the title). Again, the ‘cast’ – a group of famous comedy actors – should have been ideal, and maybe they would have been, if someone had adapted the entire book to a Swedish setting with Swedish names. As it was, naturally they hadn’t. One member of the ‘cast’ was able to correctly pronounce the UK county Worcestershire (I hope I spelled that right), the others couldn’t. No one could pronounce the more unusual personal names – like Bertie’s friend Barmy Fotheringay-something or other (?) which I think is to be pronounced Fungy- Phipps? In any case, they all botched the names. One of them, who is really famous, and a movie maker/director as well as an actor let one of his characters (he played two) use a southern Swedish accent. Never again, that’s all I can say.

Of course, that’s not really why I don’t like audiobooks, I just – well, don’t. For me, books are about reading, not listening. If I want to listen, I’ll turn on my iPod for some music, or I’ll watch tv/dvd.

Remember Tibet! Don’t forget, put a candle in your window tonight.

Happy Losar!

Here’s a simple Meme…answer the following questions:

1. What Book Are You Reading Now?
2. Why did you choose it?
3. What’s the best thing about it?
4. What’s the worst thing about it?

Here are my answers:

1. History of Sweden, part 2
2. I’m very interested in history and when a new series of books – there will be eight eventually – I just felt I had to have all of them.
3. It’s a well written book, about a subject I find interesting.
4. This part as well as the first one deals with matters that I find extremely distressing – war, hunting/killing, cannibalism, sacrifices. It seems for greater part of our history – and that goes for World History too – anyone smaller and/or weaker was considered prey, meaning anyone – animal, child, woman, man.

Believe it or not, there’s a hedge underneath all that snow. Don’t ask me what caused the sort of slot to form. It’s about a hand high and an arm wide.

This is a snowcovered wall.

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I’ve had it with winter! No more snow!

Are you a cat person or a dog person? That’s a question I see a lot. I guess I’d have to say I’m both or rather an animal person, rather than a people person. Someone who gets along much better with animals than with humans, generally.

Speaking of animals and people (or persons), I’m thinking animals can be, and are, persons – to me that means individuals rather than homo sapiens. So why can’t animals be persons, individuals and people? Anything but humans and homo sapiens. After all, we’re all animals, only different species.

I just read this article about the princess myth and if it’s harmful to little girls.

Though I liked pink for a while when I was a child and liked to draw princesses too, I’ve never identified with princesses and never wanted to be a dumb, blonde celebrity. My sister and I never played princesses, we were having shipwrecks and went exploring (those were our favorite games). For years I thought I was a tomboy, but I’ve realized that I simply wasn’t an average girl, just a girl, period. And yes, I think the Princess Myth can be harmful to girls, just as anything else can. It can teach them to be passive victims and I really hate that. On the other hand, as someone’s pointed out, if done the right way, I suppose this myth can be harmless. After all, nowadays there are warrior princesses too.

Last summer I saw a group of children playing. Not surprisingly the boys were cowboys and the girls were – prey? Squaws? In any case, the boys, who were ‘armed’ chased the girls, who were shrieking and conforming to all the myths about the helpless little female. It was really hard for me to keep quiet (sometimes I can’t, as when I see children doing something potentially dangerous), but I did. They’re not my kids and I’m sure the mothers would have objected to me trying to educate their children.

Grr. Oh, well, maybe those girls will eventually grow up to be sensible human beings too, and if not, well, it’s not surprising. Sigh. I’m many things, one of them being a pessismist.