Ministry Blog

It’s late summer at the Ministry and it’s been pretty warm today. Around 25-27 when warmest! That’s good, go on like that! Otherwise it’s lot’s of planning and lot’s of colds going around… The first autumn-leaf was spotted today! Yuk. Another fall… But it’s not autumn just yet. The lawn mower is still busy and the pool is still nice for a dip! The ministry also notes the birthday of Jack Black, Shania Twain and Amanda Tapping today!

Amanda Tapping – happy birthday!

“I never found out much, listening to my self.”

The Ministry notes that today Galileo Galilee’s telescope celebrates it’s 400:th birthday. Galileo Galilee was the inventor and was an Italian scientist. Galileo’s invention got him into trouble fast… The Catholic Church forced him to denounce his heathen believes (physics) when he claimed that we we’re living in a solar system where the sun was stationary and the earth was traveling in a big circle around it (the sun). He wasn’t really the first to say so, Copernicus said the same and others before him.

However, the Inquisition gave Galilee the opportunity to get away with life (instead of death) and he was sentenced to a life in house arrest – after he went back on his own scientific discoveries. To the defense of the Catholic Church we have to consider the fact that the Pope Johannes Paulus II actually pardoned Galileo (in the year 2000). A bit late perhaps… Still, the Catholic Church finally admitted that Galileo in fact – was right.

Other than that the Ministry notes a couple of birthdays: Sean Connery, Peter Gilmore, Gene Simmons, Tom Skerritt, Frederick Forsyth and Tim Burton.

Ibland dyker det upp nya ord som plötsligt fyller ett tidigare tomrum i ordförrådet. Ett tomrum man ibland inte ens anat, och ibland uppfinns ordet på studs för att beskriva ett nytt fenomen. Efter en bilresa på 120 mil (2×60 mil, och en förbannat trevlig släkttillställning däremellan) återvände Ministern hem med två fantastiskt användbara ord. “Klustercheck” och “skentrevlig”. Det senare fick Ministern i utbyte för “Kluster-check”. Vilken oväntad bonus! Man får vara glad om man uppfinner ett nytt ord, men att dessutom få ett i present – Bingo!

Båda orden är så självklara men tarvar ändå en förklarande not:

Klustercheck – när man “scannar av” flera saker samtidigt med en blick. (Man gör en okulär check i ett svep).

Det har tidigare inte funnits något bra svenskt alternativ, men nu finns det: Kluster-check. Man kollar helt enkelt snabbt av flera saker på samma gång för att hitta något bestämt. (Ett mycket användbart ord och likaväl en mycket användbar färdighet!)

Skentrevlig – när en person är trevlig av en orsak, alltså sken-trevlig.

(Ungefär som ett ändamålsenligt leende).

Ministry report: Today in swenglish.

Ministern is getting better every day. Only tumme is now a bit weak. Lockjaw-shot not so öm (tender). Only a blåmärke where the hideous blood sample was evacuated. Vänster leg almost good too.

I övrigt noterar Ministeriet en födelsedag idag, nämligen: Joe Strummer. Happy B-day Joe!!

The right thumb is still hampering the Minister. Today a new bandage has been applied, but today the muscle in the left upper arm is a bit stiff and tender due to the tetanus shot that was administered the Minister after the thumb was taped up. Such a deep cut renders a renewal of the protection against tetanus. In the case of the Minister it was some 20-25 years ago such a vaccination was received. On top of things – last week an unfortunate incident with a faulty plank in the floor boarding (on the second floor) in the Ministry outhouse (barn). The Minister somehow managed to hit a plank with his left foot that gave way and a short fall through the floor with the left leg rendered a swollen muscle and a nasty scraping of the outer thigh… This means that right hand, left arm and left leg are now more or less put out of business, or at least in a not so good of state…

The cut thumb. Thumb + broken glass = Bad.

Otherwise the Ministry notes that it was in 1973 that the more bizarre crime took place, namely “the Texas chainsaw massacre”. On a different note the Ministry notes the birthdays of Antonio Salieri, Robert Redford, Patrick Swayze, Madeleine Stowe, Edward Norton, Christian Slater, Brian Aldiss and Glenn Albert Black.

The Minstry notes that it’s the national day in Indonesia, and Sean Penn and Robert De Niro have their birthday today. And this morning, the Minister cut his thumb up real bad. This is to the most probable extent – unrelated. The thumb is now in a severly bandaged state. Thumb + broken glass = Bad.

“Never waste character, you never know when it’s needed.”

It’s been a windy and cool week and not without showers. The rain has really come down! Monday morning started out with concrete work. A cement-truck arrived at the Ministry for some serious casting. The cold week in spite, this morning a cool and refreshing morning-dip in the Ministry pool was conducted. In the Ministry pond a Grey Heron (!) was spotted shortly after the refreshing morning bath. The harvesting has also started and a (large) flock of seagulls is sitting outside the Ministry in one of the newly ploughed field. Otherwise a little checking on the new Ministry wheels (a slick black turbo-cart) has been done during the week. A few new art-projects are under way. In the end of November the latest edition of ARCHIVE (V) is scheduled for opening, but before that other projects are brewing…

“I’m thinking horse…” Other projects are brewing.
Image credit: Ministry of Art & Jump – “The War” – exhibition at Christinehof Castle.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”