At Christmas time I spend much time socializing with friends and family. This year is no exception. Its particularly fun to gather friends who live elsewhere in the country you haven’t met for a long time. Recently there has been a lot of that because many of them have come home for Christmas. We are chatting and laughing about all the crazy things we did in our childhood, while enjoying a good meal and a few glasses of wine.

No gathering without music and the top gathering song this Christmas is "Stop Draggin ' My Heart Around” performed by Rob Thomas and Joss Stone. It’s a great rock/soul tune with lots of drive that puts you in rockin’ good mood that you can easily sing and dance to.

Here it is – play it LOUD and enjoy



Rock on \m/

Lisa :o)

So it's Christmas again, and I feel the tickling expectation I feel every time. Everything is ready for the Christmas celebration and I look forward to spend time with family and friends.

I would like to give you a Christmas present that I hope you will like and appreciate. It’s a beautiful Norwegian Christmas song called "En stjerne skinner I natt" (A star is shining tonight) sung by Maria Arredondo. There is an English translation below the video I found at Karis blog



A STAR IS SHINING TONIGHT

This is the holiest hour
Heaven is now in sight
Listen to bells that are chiming
Christmas has come tonight

CHORUS
Sweet are the voices high above
Singing of peace and of love
All of the world is filled with light
A star is shining tonight

A newborn baby is sleeping
Heaven is near, this night
The Lord has sent us to see Him
Under the star, so bright

CHORUS
Sweet are the voices high above
Singing of peace and of love
All of the world is filled with light
A star is shining tonight

Quietly resting among us
On Bethlehem’s golden straw
Night’s given way, as we’re standing
Watching this child with awe

CHORUS
Here, we can dream about that peace
Which has been lost for so long
Heaven has given us this child
And Earth is filled with song


I wish you all a Merry Christmas or GOD JUL

Take care of yourself, family and friends.


Lisa

The Norwegian women's national team became European champions in handball on Sunday. The final was played against Spain, and Norway won the match 34 – 21. After an even first half the Norwegian team dominated the second half and won comfortable. The Norwegian national team also won Olympic gold medals earlier this year.

This is the first time the Spanish women's national team made it to the final and they deserve much praise and honor for their efforts. Spain has fought hard throughout the tournament and surprised many with their achievements. They play attractive and effective handball and the Spanish team will be interesting to follow in the years ahead.

Shortly explained a handball match is played in two times 30 minutes. It’s a demanding sport with lots of speed and action. Tactics and defense are important ingredients; where scoring goals is a painful and tough business.

The video below gives a good idea of how tough a handball match is. If you think American football is rough, take a look at a handball player's day at the office:



(Norway national team in red jerseys)

Congratulations girls, to become European champions in a 12 days tournament is an impressive and painful achievement.

I'm proud of you :o)

Lisa

Sometimes "things" sneak into my mind and take control over my life. You may have experienced this yourself with a movie, a book, a song, a person, a job, or a lover. The strange thing about this phenomena is that your life become lost around this "thing" and you can't have enough of whatever this thing is.

Recently this hit me hard and it's about to drive me crazy.

It all started when I visited a member profile over at Mixx, and discovered a music video of "Simple Man", by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I had never heard the tune before, But from the first time I heard the song it went straight into my heart and has stayed there ever since.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but this particular song is currently dominating my entire life. I have to listen to it over and over again - before I go to bed, while eating, working on my computer or taking a walk outside. Everyone who visits me must listen to Simple Man whether they like it or not, otherwise they will suffer my wrath!

Even when I'm not playing it, I still hear Simple Man played loud and clear in my head. I must hum or sing the tune while people around send me worried looks.

Another thing that's irritating is whomever I play Simple Man for, everyone seem to have heard it before. Well I haven't, and I don't understand how in heaven's name everybody else has heard this song, but it has never crossed my path.

Is this destiny?... Was I meant to be overdosed with Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man in my mid-twenties, and have the rest of my life spoiled by this obsession?

The music video is a beautiful live version that lasts over seven minutes. The song grabs and hold me firmly - the quiet organ layer, the drum back beats which give the song vitality along with the steady bass. Both powerful and soft guitars, and it's beautifully sung by the lead singer supported by harmonic backing vocals. The entire band seems to enjoy this performance, which adds a lot of positive energy to the song.

The song inspires me to write articles and poems, compose songs, spent time with friends that I haven't seen in quite a long time, and to call my parents on a daily basis.

But the song has now caused me to suffer from a personality disorder. It has become extremely annoying because my whole life revolves around Lynyrd Skynyrd and Simple Man. I don't want to play it, which is useless, because I just have to. Or could it be, that I want to? I'm not sure.

Help me....

A while ago I posted a video about Norway on Mixx and received some requests to post more like this. I am pleased to share a video called “Nature at its best” that guides you through the landscape from south to the north of Norway. See the famous Norwegian fjords, glaciers, mighty mountains, go all the way to North Cape and the midnight sun.

Enjoy the freedom of wild and beautiful Nature.



Music: Perfect by Fountainheads
Video by visitnorway.com

Visit the Nature near you, its there and waiting for you to come.


Lisa

A while back I wrote an article about Mira Craig, who became famous overnight because of her infamous stage dive.

This time I will tell you about how fast fame can go in the opposite direction.

17 years ago Erik Hartman hosted a Belgian Television show called Boumerang. The program was followed by many with Argus eyes, because it raised controversial topics for its time.

In a program about medical failures, everything went wrong for Erik Hartman.

On that particular show, Hartman had two guests in the studio, who suffered from disabilities due to botched medical procedures. Marijke, a woman, had been paralyzed from a injury to her spine, and Velerej, a man, had his voice cords damaged in a routine surgery.

Because Valerej's voice had become very high pitched due to his surgery, Hartman struggled to remain serious, and eventually he lost all self control, which unfortunately for him, resulted in his continuous laughter.

This episode led to Erik Hartman being fired and the program was canceled.

In this interview he tells us his side of the story and the fatal clip from the TV show appears. Please watch the video before you read on.

Attention: If you are sensitive or offended by sarcasm please think twice before you watch the video.



What's the big difference between Mira Craig and Erik Hartman?

First and foremost, you may safely conclude that for Mira Craig, she became an overnight success, even though her escapade was terribly embarrassing, while for Erik Hartman, it became the tragic end of his TV career. His TV guests were ridiculously treated in a tragicomic setting. In other words, an overnight failure.

At least that was my opinion, until I recently found out that I'd been fooled.

Yes, I and many other have been fooled like idiots for several years, because the video you just watched is a fake. Or, more correctly, it's a sketch that was made for a Belgian Satire show called "In De Gloria". Erik Hartman is portrayed by the actor Tom Van Dyck, Valerej by Lucas Van Den Eynden, and An Miller plays Marijke.

Visit Wikipedia to read more about In De Gloria

In hindsight, I admit to have laughed at this video many times. It's a relief for my conscience to realize this was only a sketch and not real. Actually upon further introspection, I'm now asking myself, how could a professional T.V. host like Erik Hartman, have lost all sense and sensibility?

Please excuse my bizarre sense of humor - years of extreme sports have had a damaging impact upon my finer sensibilities!

Lisa

We had our first snowfall a while ago and King Winter blessed us with beautiful weather afterwards. I went for long walks to become acquainted with this year's king. These are some of the photos I took and would like to share with you.

Photos by Lisa, NetSnacks

Frost Bite

King Winter Beauty

Black Winter Creek

Bleach Sun

Winter Dawn

Please take care of the beauty around us.

Lisa

These two commercials were created for the Norwegian oil company Hydro. They are looking for innovative young engineers, and are using these movies to recruit the kind of engineers they prefer.

The movies are funny and creative. I think you'll like them.

A remote controlled car

These kids have done some "minor" engineering on their dad's car. His morning drive to work apparently didn't go as he had expected.

Train Loop

Some enthusiastic kids rebuilt a railway track through team work and "borrowed" equipment.



Hydro's slogan is:

There are many young engineers, and we are excited to see them grow up

Hydro should be careful what they wish for. My advice is Don't let your kids do this at home. Meanwhile be sure to encourage knowledge and creativity because

The youth are our future

Love and Kisses

Lisa

By Lisa, NetSnacks

King Winter came early this year, one evening he scattered a layer of snow quiet and resolute over the landscape. The King knocked caution, embraced me, and I stretched out my arms to receive King Winter's first kiss while his wind caressed my hair. We were in the very beginning of our love affair.

In the coming months King Winter dominates much of my life. We will have a passionate and strong relationship marked by happiness, anger and grief

I will feel Happiness because King Winter creates so many beautiful sculptures in the landscape, Joy because King Winter allows me generously to ski through his white powdered cape and feel a buzzing happiness of life. Devotion when King Winter is tenderly tickling my face cautious with his snowflakes.

I will be jealous when King Winter is not present and leaves the landscape desolate and lifeless. I will feel the anger when he sends furious snowstorms or an unstopable scatter of snow. Frenzy when he evilly sentences me with a biting cold that is ruining my plans.

The sadness comes when King Winter is getting old, he becomes weaker and weaker until he finally has to give way for the spring. Then I feel the sorrow because I know this King Winter never comes back.

No King Winter is the same. Some are generous, others are angry and evil, while some are gentle and tolerant - every winter a new King is coming.

How King Winter will be this year I can only tell when he has cried his last tears and his white cape is gone.

A few years ago, Mira Craig was a relatively unknown musician who was working hard for a break.

Although very talented and skilled, Mira realized that many other musicians were as well. So Mira doubled down and worked stridently using her live performances and mini-tours to showcase her talent and to secure her place in the spotlight.

During a concert at the Oslo Spectrum in 2005 everything changed.

The venue was larger than what she was used to and quite a step up for Mira. Because there was also a large media and press contingent present, she wanted to make her mark then and there to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

This turned out to be her lucky break in more ways than one.

At the end of her set she decided to take a stage dive, which means that she literally jumps off the stage and into the audience, who then are supposed to catch her. Obviously the latter is an important condition for this to succeed.

This small but important detail was missing when she jumped into what she thought was a crowd but instead Mira had a brutal meeting with the floor. The result was a broken leg.

A sad story but true tale of an ambitious artist, you would think.

Perhaps, but it has a happy beginning because of what happened afterward. The episode was undeniably funny, she became a media sensation and Mira Craig instantly became famous and an overnight success in Norway.

From doghouse to penthouse, the public couldn't get enough of her. She appeared in numerous concerts, TV shows, and promoters fought to retain Mira.

Because of that incident, she was able to accomplish what most musicians can only dream of: to use their creativity, to be in demand, make money at what they love doing, have a loyal fan and customer base, and, in Mira's case, to be able to perform at shows frequently.

Since then, everything has gone her way and in 2008, she was voted the sexiest woman in Norway.

So my wish for all the starving artists around the world: Break a leg ...

The headline is an excerpt of the song “Dear Mr. President” sung by Pink. This is one of my favorite songs because it has a beautiful melody, meaningful lyrics and is simple and beautifully performed by Pink. Dear Mr. President has a political message that starts with inviting the President out for walk to ask him some questions.

The questions asked are many; how he can live with mothers who are unable say goodbye to their children dying on the battlefield, how he feel about all the homeless living on the streets, who he prays for when he goes to sleep at night, children left behind and several more intricate questions. The song manages to capture the important political issues in just a few sentences. Dear Mr President is a song every politician should listen to because it has a strong and clear message.

With elections coming up in the USA and many other countries we should ask ourselves and the Politicians these questions and demand some answers before we vote.

In the video below you'll see Pink perform Dear Mr. President Live in Wembley, from "I’m not dead" tour DVD released in April 2007. A bit further down you’ll find a transcript of the lyrics.

Some songs are more important than others - this is one of them, please listen to it.

Pink: Dear Mr president
Featuring: Indigo Girls Lyrics
Songwriters: Mann, Billy; Moore, Alecia B

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You'd never take a walk with me.
Would you?

Its kick off time for our behavior courses again due to a tremendous demand from women. This autumn we offer 12 courses based upon popularity and urgent needs. Please notice we do not offer the Drinking Behavior course anymore.

Course 1
How to fill up an icecube tray.
- Step by step, with slide show

Course 2
Toilet paper, it is true that it grows out of the toilet paper holder?
- Discussion Groups.

Course 3
Is it possible to lift up the toilet seat before you urinate, and is it possible to urinate without spilling on the floor, walls and bathtub?
- Practical exercises.

Course 4
Basic differences between the laundry basket and the floor.
- Slide show and descriptive diagram.

Course 5
After dinner, do the dishes take off and fly into the kitchen dishwasher?
- Video samples.

Course 6
How to overcome memory loss when it comes to remember birthdays ,anniversaries, other important dates, and call home when you are late.
- Brain Cell-shock therapy and full Lobotomy.

Course 7
Learn to find things, start by looking in the appropriate places instead of turning the house upside down while you scream and shout.
- Open discussion

Course 8
Giving her flowers does not cause any health damage.
- Graphics and authentic audiotapes.

Course 9
Real men ask road directions when they get lost.
- Confessions from reality.

Course 10
Is it genetically impossible to sit quietly when she parallel park?
- Driving simulator

Course 11
How to be a perfect shopping friend.
- Relaxation techniques, meditation and breathing exercises.

Course 12
Learning to live: Basic differences between mother and wife.
- Online classes and role plays

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is really necessary to send men on behavior courses?
Believe me it is, please take a look at the video below and you’ll understand:



The video is taped prior of one of our courses, I have to admit that we didn’t notice much difference after the first sessions.

How much does it cost?
That’s entirely up to the man, however it can be very expensive

Do you guarantee that your courses will help?
No, but you do get some time off.

Is there a money back guarantee?
Are you kidding, didn’t you watch the film?

Please contact us for further assistance

Sincerely

Rebecca Hardnail
Survival Expert and Chaos Consultant