We're moving (among other things)

But fortunately, happily, I am not moving. ;-)

I hate moving. I think moving is just the worst. It is such a hassle, it's so much work, and it's unsettling. I'm kind of a pack rat, I have a lot of stuff, and I like to have a lot of things, too. In the sense that … well, as my friend NyxRo once said, 'Minimalism never really came round to Leisha's.' :-D I like having various bits of furniture – 'eclectic' is probably the word I'm looking for – I like having knickknacks and geegaws around, they're fun to look at (and maybe even to play with ;-), they tell a story and they tell you something about their owner. And above all I like having lots of books. I think it was Cicero who's supposed to have said that 'a room without books is like a body without a soul'. I so believe in that. :-)

But anyway, this means that I have a lot of stuff to move, and so when I do move it's a big job … even without the emotional upheaval that living in boxes entails. So I'm very happy that it's not me who’ll be moving. :-) It's just the company where I work. The Oslo branch of the company, that is. We're moving at the end of this month … not very far, but to somewhere much better. The new building has been designed and constructed for us, it has everything we need just the way we want it. It'll be so great once we're settled in. ;-) I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished product – I've only been there once, weeks ago, when it wasn't completely finished. But even so, I could tell that this place is going to be something on a completely different scale from the place we're in now.

We're going to get s o ... m u c h ... s p a c e … o_O

In other news, Martti Ahtisaari received his Peace Prize today. Congratulations to him … except that what he said about cluster munitions yesterday kind of stuck in my craw. It probably makes sense to him. I disagree. But I am happy about him being this year's winner, I really am – in fact I had hoped that he'd win last year, instead of what I felt then was a wrong choice. Not that the IPCC and Al Gore haven't done important things. But I don't really feel, as the Nobel Committee does, that Nobel's Will is open to a great deal of interpretation. Alfred Nobel wanted to award those who achieved arms reduction. That, specifically, was his aim. Let me see if I can translate. 'To be awarded to whosoever has achieved the most or the best for the fraternization of nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies as well as the forming and spreading of peace congresses'. Shit, what a lousy translation.

But anyway … sure, times have changed. The world is different now. But does that automatically confer a license upon the trustees of the Will to reinterpret as they see fit? As much as I admire, say, Wangari Maathai, she has done very little that is relevant to the terms of the Prize as set out in the Will. I fully understand the wish for an investigation … or whatever you want to call it. Certainly, if the Committee has nothing to hide, there can be no harm in it. And I really don't see why we can't debate the issue, even though it's such worthy recipients they have chosen to reinterpret for.

If I say that I don't think the IPCC and Mr Gore should have won the Prize in 2007, does that mean I automatically belittle and deny all the good work they've done? I just don't see how that follows.

I'm going to see The Day the Earth Stood Still today. Me and Anéa. Opening night. We're pretty psyched … maybe me just a little bit more than her, I don't know. ;-) I got us tickets for the first screening at the big screen at Colosseum. As I've mentioned before, that's the biggest THX screen in the world. I don't think this movie can get much better than it's going to be for us tonight. :-D Review coming up, sooner rather than later, I hope.

And to close, check out the coolest help wanted ad ever. Seriously. Look at this. Does that rock or what!!? :-D For those who don’t read Norwegian, let me explain: this advertisement has been placed by the Royal Court, and they are looking for someone for the position of chambermaid to Her Majesty the Queen. The place of work will be the Royal Palace and 'other royal residences, private and official', and the main duty will be to 'plan and organize Her Majesty the Queen's wardrobe'. 'Some travelling must be expected'. :-D

Be warned, though: if you're even the slightest bit lazy, do not apply for this job. ;-) A friend of a friend of mine is lady-in-waiting to queen Sonja; she's been at court for years and years, I think even while Sonja was still crown princess (so, OK, back then I guess she wasn't really at court, but you know what I mean) … so I've heard some stories. It's well known that HM is an extreme perfectionist … and this friend of a friend says that she does tend to … I want to say butt in, but of course that sounds a little rude … but she does want to know what everyone is doing all the time and she MUST know that they are getting it JUST right. She's a very demanding boss. But since she holds herself to the same standards, no one at court has any problems with that. Lazy people might find it annoying, though, I guess. :-) But this is definitely the coolest thing I've ever seen on finn.no. :-)