PARDONS
Denmark formally abolished the death penalty in 1930; though the last execution (a beheading) in fact occurred way back in 1892. However, after the trauma of the German occupation during the second world war, Parliament reintroduced the death penalty in 1945, and with retrospective effect. 78 Danish citizens were sentenced to death; yet 32 were later pardoned. Why?
The short answer is that there was no rhyme or reason behind the different actions. Three different Justice Ministers were involved, two from the right and one from the left. Two of the 78 were women, and they were both pardoned, even though their crimes were much worse than those of many of the men who were executed (Denmark doesn't kill women). Seriousness of crime, or personal status (single, married, with or without children) seemed to have no effect. The result was random.
That seems to be "not very good". Little wonder that Danes are reluctant to talk about the "occupation".
Walter Blotscher
Saturday, 13 December 2014
Friday, 12 December 2014
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN (2)
Kevin Magnussen lost out to Jenson Button in the fight to get the second seat at McClaren for the 2015 season, after the team had poached Fernando Alonso from Ferrari for the other one.
To be honest, and despite the frothing from the Danish media, this was not really a contest. Button is a world champion, Magnussen is a rookie; and after Magnussen's good start to the year, Button consistently outscored his younger teammate.
That's not to say that Magnussen won't have a second chance in the future. It merely confirms that the worst thing to happen to young sportsmen and -women is to become a national icon at an early age.
Walter Blotscher
Kevin Magnussen lost out to Jenson Button in the fight to get the second seat at McClaren for the 2015 season, after the team had poached Fernando Alonso from Ferrari for the other one.
To be honest, and despite the frothing from the Danish media, this was not really a contest. Button is a world champion, Magnussen is a rookie; and after Magnussen's good start to the year, Button consistently outscored his younger teammate.
That's not to say that Magnussen won't have a second chance in the future. It merely confirms that the worst thing to happen to young sportsmen and -women is to become a national icon at an early age.
Walter Blotscher
Thursday, 11 December 2014
AN EAR INFECTION
I can't remember ever having had a serious ear infection before. Babies get them all the time; my children did, and I presume that I did as well. But it was before my conscious being came into being, so to speak.
Well, one thing I can tell you; it hurts like hell. Not just "it's sort of painful", but paralysingly, I-can't-do-anything-except-lie-down-and-groan painful. Yesterday my heavy cold and cough decided to migrate to my inner ear, and I woke up in agony. The doctor could originally only give me a time for today, but it hurt so much that I had to ring up and beg for a time yesterday. Thankfully they said yes. I am now on ear drops and antibiotics.
My wife tells me that this is happening because I am now an old man. I don't like to admit it, but she is probably telling the truth.
Walter Blotscher
I can't remember ever having had a serious ear infection before. Babies get them all the time; my children did, and I presume that I did as well. But it was before my conscious being came into being, so to speak.
Well, one thing I can tell you; it hurts like hell. Not just "it's sort of painful", but paralysingly, I-can't-do-anything-except-lie-down-and-groan painful. Yesterday my heavy cold and cough decided to migrate to my inner ear, and I woke up in agony. The doctor could originally only give me a time for today, but it hurt so much that I had to ring up and beg for a time yesterday. Thankfully they said yes. I am now on ear drops and antibiotics.
My wife tells me that this is happening because I am now an old man. I don't like to admit it, but she is probably telling the truth.
Walter Blotscher
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
A VISIT
My school contact group visited me today. A contact group teacher looks after 11-13 students, acts as their mum and dad, and helps them when they have problems. I have 11, seven girls and four boys. They all get on pretty well, as far as I can see.
Today they got the local tour, followed by Hunger Games with soda and popcorn at the local cinema. Then we walked home, where my wife and I fed them with sushi, pizza and pancakes with ice cream.
It was all very "hyggeligt", as they say in these parts.
Walter Blotscher
My school contact group visited me today. A contact group teacher looks after 11-13 students, acts as their mum and dad, and helps them when they have problems. I have 11, seven girls and four boys. They all get on pretty well, as far as I can see.
Today they got the local tour, followed by Hunger Games with soda and popcorn at the local cinema. Then we walked home, where my wife and I fed them with sushi, pizza and pancakes with ice cream.
It was all very "hyggeligt", as they say in these parts.
Walter Blotscher
Sunday, 7 December 2014
THE HEALING POWER OF SLEEP
Sleep is a wonderful thing. You can go to bed absolutely knackered and totally without energy, yet wake up the next day completely refreshed. Without doing anything.
Even more remarkable is the way the body heals itself during the sleep process. I have a terrible cold and cough at the moment, and felt awful last night. This morning, it is ten times better. I can tell that I have sweated a lot during the night, but otherwise I haven't done anything.
Walter Blotscher
Sleep is a wonderful thing. You can go to bed absolutely knackered and totally without energy, yet wake up the next day completely refreshed. Without doing anything.
Even more remarkable is the way the body heals itself during the sleep process. I have a terrible cold and cough at the moment, and felt awful last night. This morning, it is ten times better. I can tell that I have sweated a lot during the night, but otherwise I haven't done anything.
Walter Blotscher
Friday, 5 December 2014
NETFLIX
My wife made a huge discovery the other day. Talking to a neighbour who has the same TV package as we do, he told her that we have Netflix on the system. And it turns out that we do. Netflix costs kr.79 a month, but the first month is free. So we are busily working our way through 26 episodes of House of Cards before the bills start coming in.
And very good it is too.
Walter Blotscher
My wife made a huge discovery the other day. Talking to a neighbour who has the same TV package as we do, he told her that we have Netflix on the system. And it turns out that we do. Netflix costs kr.79 a month, but the first month is free. So we are busily working our way through 26 episodes of House of Cards before the bills start coming in.
And very good it is too.
Walter Blotscher
Thursday, 4 December 2014
CULTURAL ICONS
DR is as much of a cultural icon in Denmark as the BBC is in the U.K. Like the Beeb, it started as a radio station, and then branched into television. Its television news is still the most widely respected, even if it is not necessarily the most watched.
Also like the Beeb, it runs a number of other cultural activities, including orchestras. They are very popular, not least when they tour the provinces and bring a bit of culture to outlying areas.
Again, like the Beeb, DR is funded by the state in the form of a licence fee, and there is pressure to get "more bang for the buck". In June, the political parties running media policy agreed to cut the funding going to DR in 2015 by kr.75 million. Cuts would have to come.
Rather than salami slice, DR management decided to do away with one of its orchestras, that covering light entertainment. The only problem with that is that this is the orchestra that is most popular with the general public (i.e. the plebs living in the sticks, not the cultural elite living in Copenhagen). The same politicians who had ordered the cuts quickly discovered that their constituents were unhappy. This was followed shortly afterwards by calls to save the orchestra in question. More than calls, in fact. Today, a non-Governmental Parliamentary majority voted to force the Culture Minister to find a solution that saves the orchestra.
I am left with the impression that DR management have played a canny game. The whole point about cultural icons is that they include buttons that can be pressed when needed.
Walter Blotscher
DR is as much of a cultural icon in Denmark as the BBC is in the U.K. Like the Beeb, it started as a radio station, and then branched into television. Its television news is still the most widely respected, even if it is not necessarily the most watched.
Also like the Beeb, it runs a number of other cultural activities, including orchestras. They are very popular, not least when they tour the provinces and bring a bit of culture to outlying areas.
Again, like the Beeb, DR is funded by the state in the form of a licence fee, and there is pressure to get "more bang for the buck". In June, the political parties running media policy agreed to cut the funding going to DR in 2015 by kr.75 million. Cuts would have to come.
Rather than salami slice, DR management decided to do away with one of its orchestras, that covering light entertainment. The only problem with that is that this is the orchestra that is most popular with the general public (i.e. the plebs living in the sticks, not the cultural elite living in Copenhagen). The same politicians who had ordered the cuts quickly discovered that their constituents were unhappy. This was followed shortly afterwards by calls to save the orchestra in question. More than calls, in fact. Today, a non-Governmental Parliamentary majority voted to force the Culture Minister to find a solution that saves the orchestra.
I am left with the impression that DR management have played a canny game. The whole point about cultural icons is that they include buttons that can be pressed when needed.
Walter Blotscher
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