Saturday 27 March 1999
Pic of the day: Psychedelic War.
This picture is based on a screenshot from M1 Tank Platoon 2, by
MicroProse. Colors etc are heavily altered and add to the feeling
of unreality.
Yes, much to my surprise I've installed M1TP2 again. I guess I owe some thanks to Comrade Slobodan for that. It's been a while. As I've pointed out some months ago, the game has an obvious weakness in that it can't be saved during a battle, which may last from half an hour upwards depending on your more or less cautious playing style. Sure, breaking off a battle to eat lunch would not add to realism. Then again, who wants a real war?
I guess the playing style people choose for such a game tells a bit about them. I tend to play most of the time from the map, devising the strategy for all friendly troops. My main goal is always to minimize friendly losses, even if this means less damage to the enemy and even retreat from objectives. This cautious style takes a lot of time. I don't think I'm going to play this game much this time, but at least I've spent a couple of hours.
Apart from shopping groceries, I have stayed at home today. Played with my lavender soap and things like that, and rolling around in bed now and then. Needless to say, I've also cooked pasta and melted cheese over it. The pizza cheese I bought today was inferior to the freshly riven Norvegia that I've grown used to. Note to self: Buy more Norvegia. Perhaps I should also try Norwegian Edamer. (That last one was a Scandinavian in-joke. Aliens please ignore.)
Whistling song of the day: "Sugar in the morning" from the CD "På Frifot" with Knutsen & Nellie Neuf. I haven't played it for months, as far as I can remember. Yesterday (or was it the day before?) I went around whistling another song from that CD, "Rose i min hånd", featuring a ghost that laments being spirit. It wants to be human, to listen and feel and touch and hold a small rose in its hand. But it is a ghost, and ghosts don't exist, they are there just in spite. Finding myself whistling that song, I reflected on the fact that I have grown closer to my body in later years, even though I am each day a little closer to leaving it. For a while, let me say. As a Christian (sort of) I hope for the resurrection, not for a wraithlike existence. But time will show, I'm afraid.
BTW, speaking about religion, fresh research data show that 55% of Norwegians defined themselves as Christians. Most of these again believed that Jesus was God's son. I find those numbers baffling. I mean, incredibly high. We're a rich country and people don't need to pray to God for their daily bread; the State will provide. Also there is a slight cloud of scorn of religion from most of those with wealth and power: It is considered a thing for old women with no education, and the occasional mentally disturbed person. The atmosphere here is very different from the USA, where even the over-virile presidents swear on the Bible and pray in public. So I'm surprised to see that almost 2 out of 5 secretly admit to the belief that Jesus was actually raised from the dead. I doubt nearly as many would admit it in public, though.
Well, have a good night and don't be late for church tomorrow! :)