Christmas Babies

The result of a photo shoot I did with Aron, Simon and Valentina about a month ago. They behaved terrific. They ended up on home made Christmas cards that were sent to family and friends all around, on Facebook and now finally on this blog. Share the Christmas spirit!

Now Leaving "City of Angels"

After some three months of rehearsals and eight performances in two weeks, it's time to say good bye to the cast, crew and stage of the "City of Angels". It's been a beautiful experience in the company of a some very special people. To see the acting grow and mature. Working together, playing with the text. The reward of an entertained audience.

Here is a teaser clip from the last performance, recorded by my pal Sven-Erik. This clip is from the scene where Stine caves in to the demands of his publisher to change sex on Detective Muñoz. Stone, another of his fictional character, reacts and openly questions his creator. Emil Gustafsson in the role of Stine, Margareta Clasborn as Muñoz and I'm playing Stone.

A Visit to the 1860's

From Walmstedtska Gården

During the second half of the 1800's, Prof. Herman Rydin and family rented an apartment in central Uppsala. They were bourgeois and had six rooms. When the wave of demolition swept through the city in the 1960's this house was spared, as one of the few remaining old residences in the city centre. The Rydin family's apartment was restored to its original appearance, and has since been a part of the Uppland Museum. it is known as "Walmstedtska Gården".

At this time of year, it is decorated and staged for the Christmas of the time. I made a visit, and took some pictures. One of the things that stood out was how dark it was back then. Furniture had to be placed by the walls, or you would risk tripping over them after night fall.

Vulgar Vikings in the Final

A few questions for Joakim Englund, manager of the football team Vulgar Vikings. Where and when is the Final going to be played? - On hattrick.org, an online football manager game with 900 000 active users. It´s free to join and build your own team to compete with. My team is in the English Cup where more than 16 000 teams are playing. The Final is tomorrow (Tuesday 8th) at 21:00 (GMT+1). We are very excited about it. With "we", you mean you and the virtual players? - Yes, but to me they are very life-like. How did you get to the finals? - I've been studying the algorithms of the game. What parameters control who gets the most goal opportunities, the best defence or how leadership affects the players. In the long run, it is important to have a good economy, earn money and make your club profitable. About six months ago, I felt like trying something new in the game and sold off my entire team. They were mostly young talents and were worth quite a lot.

With that I bought old but great players, like Henrik Larssons, that won´t last very long but can perform great in the short run. The team became really strong and has taken me to the Final. But I doubt it will still be standing in a few seasons. How will you prepare for the Final? - I have to configure the team, decide on formations and other parameters. My opponent will probably buy new strong players, and I must follow to have a chance. Being a virtual football manager takes time, I am spending around 15 hours per week on this, and it reflects your chances to succeed. My family knows I've reached a high level in the game, and have shown understanding. The best of luck to you! - Thank you. When its over I will enjoy some time off. In his real life, Joakim works as a statistician in clinical research. He is also a long time friend and co-singer of mine. Update: Vulgar Vikings have won the Cup by 3-0! Congratulations!