Tuesday, January 03, 2006

January 3rd, 2006
Saying "Excuse me" in Helsingborg

What I think:

If you go to a busy supermarket, or any other place where you find crowds of people passing by each other, you'll find that many people will not say "Excuse me" if you're in their way. They'll either wait patiently and hope that you get out of the way soon, or they'll just push past you, knocking the carton of eggs right out of your hands and onto the floor. It happens to me every time.

When someone's in my way, I politely say "Ursäkta" (pronounced something like "ur-sec-ta"), which means "excuse me". People turn around, say sorry (or rather the equivalent thereof), and graciously move out of the way. It's easy, it's civil, and it's the right thing to do. I wish more people would simply say "Excuse me."


I'm spending a fortune on broken eggs, and it's time that the Swedish government did something about it. That's what I think.


The news today (oh, boy)
From the world outside:

UK: Why January 3 Stinks:
The year is only a matter of days old but it is claimed we are already at the "toughest day of the year". Returning to work after New Year excess, dented bank balances and ages to the summer are all to blame, it seems. According to the recruitment consultancy Office Angels, three-quarters of people ina poll identified January 3 as the killer date in their diaries.
From Sky News

Canada: Gun lobby scraps ads in wake of Toronto shooting: In the wake of a deadly downtown Toronto shooting on Boxing Day, gun lobby groups have scrapped their plan for a $100,000 ad campaign in the city to attack the Liberals' proposal to ban handguns. The campaign, by the Canadian Institute for Legislative Action and the Canadian Shooting Association, had been designed to argue that responsible gun owners are not at the root of the crime problem. At first, the lobby groups intended to present the campaign despite the Dec. 26 crime that horrified the country, when a teenage girl died and six others were injured as gunfire erupted on a busy Toronto street.
From CBC News

US: Study: Cheerleading-related injuries on the rise: Cheerleaders catapult in theair, climb human pyramids and catch their tumbling teammates as they fall to the ground. They also make lots of emergency room visits. Research indicates cheerleading injuries more than doubled from 1990 through 2002, while participation grew just 18 percent over the same period. "Cheerleading is not what it used to be. It's no longer standing on the sidelines looking cute in a skirt," said Erin Brooks, a former cheerleader who teaches a safety course in Mississippi. "It's more bodyskills."
From CNN

Sweden: "Quiet start" for Stockholm congestion charge: One stolen transponder, one banner protesting against Stockholm mayor Annika Billström and one attempted sabotage of a payment station - but as far as police were concerned, that was a quiet start to the first day of Stockholm's new congestion charge trial. The cameras and infra-red beams began their controversial tour of duty at 6.30am on Tuesday morning.
From The Local - Sweden's news in English

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home