Archive for the ‘Popular culture’ Category
PhD in Vampire cults
Posted by Johanna in Anthropology, Popular culture on november 3rd, 2009
For students of anthropology everywhere, its time for a television series. The series “Moonlight” from 2007 features in its first episodes an eclectic professor of Social Anthropology, who achieved his PhD in Vampire cults. In the series he has started his own “Study group” in the basement of the University where he teach, but this study group is a cover for his very own blood cult. The Professor believes he is a vampire, even though he is not. So take this as an example; tooo much engaging in your PhD dissertation and you can become the study!
Ski tunnel
Posted by Johanna in Popular culture on oktober 21st, 2009
This can be reality in my Hometown Stockholm, Sweden according to Swedish news media Dagens Nyheter . A ski tunnel under the heart of Stockholm. Beautiful or what?
With or without my cell phone
Posted by Johanna in Global, Popular culture on oktober 20th, 2009
I have for the last couple of days managed my daily life routine without a functioning cell phone. For me, personall y,I went through the first phase of panic the first day I realised I was completely disconnected. During the second day I felt totally calmness. I checked my voicemail regularly and I was at a state of peace in mind with nothing to distract med from the here and now.
Having tried this I think that the cell phone is an element of stress for some of us. We need to constantly be available to answer both the ringing and the text messages. We are, as cell phone owners by many means required to answer. I provoked my surroundings for 4 whole days and some people got really frustrated. Why dont you get a new phone? I just couldn’t be bothered. So I took a hippy-time-out – without my cell-phone.
But now I’m back. texting and phone-ing as usual. But I strongly recommend everyone to take a break. Too much time is spent over addictions to technology – sometimes you need to reflect and take a step back. I can honestlty do not remember the last time I was without a cell phone for a couple of days.
The myth of the Swedish amazons a 2009
Posted by Johanna in Popular culture on oktober 8th, 2009
Chinese news media are featuring a story about a famous but non-existing town in north of Sweden Shakebao, which is a name not sounding remotely swedish to me. Shakebao is the only town i the world ruled and populated by only women, a town where only women can enter and men who attempt to trespass are taken down by female policemen. According to the myth, the town was founded by a widow in 1820ies and the rules that apply are that the women who have left town to engage in sexual activity to able to pro-create the village, need a cleansing bath before returning.
I am happy to see an old fashioned amazon-society myth about my own country! Fun reading Xinua china!
Hindu friendly Julia Roberts (?)
Posted by Johanna in India, Popular culture on september 28th, 2009
Ok, Julia Roberts is shooting for a film in India, The Hari Mandir temple and Ashram on the outskirts of Delhi is one of the locations. Fine, she appreciates the wonderful India. According to these news and these news: when villagers hoping to celebrate the beginning of Navratras at the Hari Mandir temple, they found guards preventing them of entering. This is due to the safety of the Hollywood actress. I think this is simply an awful act of disrespect. Colonialism all over. The white mesahib takes over the temple for her own benefits and simply deprives the hindu devotees and villagers to enter their temple for puja. Shame on you Julia. Respect religion, especially on an religious occasions, and let the devotees pray in their temple.
The standard of beauty – Eastern vs Western
Posted by Johanna in Popular culture on september 27th, 2009
Yang Lui born in 1976. She studied at UWE at Bristol, UK, attained a Master degree from University of Arts Berlin. Since 2004 she has established Yang Liu Design in Berlin. Yang Lui is currently exhibiting her new culture and life project, which is an interesting and thought provoking installation. I give you a sample of her work, on the issue of beauty: Western to the right, Eastern to the left:
