tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053219227219212952024-09-05T00:55:03.135+02:00Musings from Kvicksund about life in Sweden or anything elseClaris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-88677350123581653062017-04-09T14:42:00.001+02:002017-04-09T18:27:57.310+02:00

Interesting thought this morning. Dreamed last night that I was back in college and couldn't find my dorm room - kept mixing up the floors and ended up in a new dorm that was built after I graduated and that I've never even seen except in a picture. Was also worried about my senior examination that is usually done in the winter of senior year but it was already springtime in my dream and I

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-57317718150226236252016-08-04T14:39:00.002+02:002016-08-04T20:36:03.511+02:00

Here’s the thing the Clintons and the Democratic Party don’t get, don’t want to get, or God knows what. Sure, a lot of Donald Trump supporters are just as loony as their candidate, but many mirror the same disenfranchisement felt by Bernie Sanders supporters, and Trump’s directness and plain speaking appeals to them, and they believe (wrongly) that he can or will try to help them. It’s easy to

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-10110218404067893312015-09-09T12:52:00.000+02:002015-09-10T00:11:38.102+02:00

There has been criticism of the Black Lives Matter campaign that its focus on black lives only implies white lives don't matter. This is an obvious and probably intentional misreading of the Black Lives Matter message, but there is a context where the criticism may make sense. In terms of police brutality, of course black lives matter and of course there is an experience of being black (or a

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-65962295370942852262014-03-30T22:54:00.000+02:002014-07-03T22:04:59.300+02:00

For years my college catalog carried a black and white photo of two people "traying" down a hill in the winter snow. (Do students still do this – slide down hills on serving trays?) In the picture, snow is flying and you can almost hear the students’ glee as they skid wildly down the slope. Every time I saw that picture I felt envy and anger. How could those people be so happy and be

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-19521833422563618952013-12-10T21:15:00.000+01:002013-12-10T21:15:34.078+01:00

Som introvert är jag inte bra på småprat. Jag skulle göra nästan vad som helst än att vara med på ett av alla dessa mingel- eller nätverksbyggarmöten. Men eftersom ”kontakter” är så viktiga för företagare fortsätter jag att delta. Men det kunde genom några få enkla åtgärder från arrangörerna bli mycket lättare för oss lite blyga: Namnskyltar Man kan hata eller älska dem, men de fyller sitt

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-90314785505276896662013-12-10T20:49:00.000+01:002013-12-10T22:17:01.801+01:00

As an introvert, I’m not big on small talk. In fact, I’d rather go to Hell and back – actually, I’ve been there; it’s a small town in Norway just east of Trondheim – than attend a business mingle or networking event. But in the business world, “contacts” are everything; so I endure. Yet organizers of networking events can do a few simple things to make them a little less painful for us shy types

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-54349928112617233152013-10-12T00:03:00.000+02:002014-04-10T17:35:42.683+02:00

My brother is dead. His body was found in his residence on May 12 and cremated shortly thereafter. But we just found out. That’s because my brother had a mental illness and lived on the margin of society. He was 59 years-old. I heard the news from a sister, who heard it from our other brother, who heard it from our mother, who heard it from a stranger on the phone who had called to say they

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-39470488429184911212012-11-07T13:00:00.000+01:002012-11-07T13:42:09.876+01:00

As my daughter read on Twitter, à la "Lilo and Stitch": "Obama rhymes with Ohana. Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind."

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-21067301538426740252012-11-04T17:18:00.001+01:002015-04-17T12:45:22.891+02:00

A couple months ago, Fox “News” pundits pooh-poohed a survey about poverty in the United States, expressing amazement that, according to the survey, something like 90% of all poor people own a refrigerator. Fox’s rationale? If someone owns a refrigerator, how can they be poor? A couple days ago, conservatives were at it again: Romney economic adviser Kevin Hassett in a Wall Street Journal

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-67998873221437435422012-10-23T12:44:00.000+02:002012-10-25T12:17:36.054+02:00

I was making dinner and handed the onion chopper to my teenage daughter who was sitting at the table doing schoolwork. “Would you chop this, please?” She accepted the chopper. “What are we having?” “Lasagna,” I said, aware that that she doesn’t like it. She suddenly stopped chopping. “I can’t support that.” I laughed. Her reply epitomized the current political and social culture of

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-60674542095278756242012-07-06T22:53:00.001+02:002012-07-08T19:32:31.430+02:00

When you read about the ridiculous amounts of money being channeled by PACs and billionaires into the 2012 election – all sanctioned by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision – it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged.  How can a candidate without big money ever hope to win an election? Then I think about Quaide Williams. Quaide is a U.S. citizen who lives in Germany. Two

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-13377645790074144842012-05-24T22:32:00.000+02:002012-07-07T12:53:36.104+02:00

I was cleaning the other day and ran across two journals I had started when my children were young. I had intended to write down memorable things they said and did as they grew up, but I didn’t get very far. Not surprisingly, “life” intervened and I had made only a few entries in each notebook. But one item caught my eye. My eldest daughter had told me, “I want to be poor when I grow up so I can

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-36150596242644335262012-05-10T16:20:00.000+02:002012-05-10T16:28:55.193+02:00

It's official: Västmanland county (landstinget Västmanland) has the highest number of patient complaints of all counties in Sweden. Go, Västmanland! Read more in VLT.

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-90528925798417228182012-04-02T14:52:00.006+02:002012-07-07T12:55:29.437+02:00

(To read this article in English, click Doctors never make mistakes.) I december fick jag dagskirurgi (inne på morgonen och hemma på eftermiddagen) för att förbättra ett ärr som jag fick på grund av bortopererande av livmodern för två år sedan. Innan den senaste operationen ringde jag till Socialstyrelsen för att kolla om det fanns prickningar mot läkaren som skulle utföra operationen. Den

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-37988115235138291652012-03-27T14:10:00.002+02:002012-03-28T09:59:12.507+02:00

"We clean ears on Thursday only." Children on Tuesday. Bones on Monday. Joints on Wednesday. Fevers on Friday, but only until 15.00. If your problem does not fall on the scheduled day, fuck off. Or go to the ER. Västmanland health care at its finest.

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-9666317316315250782012-03-11T18:36:00.006+01:002012-07-07T12:56:30.893+02:00

With the recent IPO of Facebook shares and construction of a Facebook data center in northern Sweden, it looks as if Facebook is here to stay. But I can’t say I’m staying with Facebook. It’s getting too commercial and too intrusive for my taste. As an American who lives abroad, it’s a great way to stay in touch with far-flung family and friends. I enjoy my daily dose of friendly chatter. But

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-65038732267563262532012-01-25T17:15:00.008+01:002012-07-07T12:57:25.945+02:00

I recently switched health clinics. Yesterday I visited my new clinic for the first time. On a wall in the waiting room were the happy, smiling faces of the staff, identified by first name – “Jakob,” “Kristine,” “Marie,” “Samir,” “Erik”, etc. – and job title – doctor, administrative assistant, doctor, doctor, nurse, etc. Self-reference by first name only is supposed to convey friendliness and

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-37559985832633281932012-01-17T12:17:00.024+01:002012-07-07T12:58:25.906+02:00

(To read this article in Swedish, click Läkare är inte ofelbara.) I had day surgery (in and out the same day) in December to repair a scar from a hysterectomy about two years ago. Before this most recent surgery, I called Socialstyrelsen (National Board of Health and Welfare) to check the record of the doctor who would be doing the operation. I was told there had been a patient complaint

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-34605154301637440792011-10-18T00:43:00.016+02:002012-01-23T17:00:12.499+01:00

We were on vacation in Rome this past weekend. The hotel clerk suggested if we were planning any daytrips, Saturday would be a good time to get out of town. A demonstration had been planned and travel within the city would be chaotic because of blocked off streets. “What are they protesting?” I asked. Berlusconi, banks, and the general economic situation, he replied. “Berlusconi?” I thought. “

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-2041484974711623862011-10-12T17:37:00.009+02:002012-11-12T16:12:58.173+01:00

It was getting toward the end of lunch and I wanted ice cream. But I decided against it. I was eager to get out of the lunchroom and out on the playground before “they” came. They usually came down after everyone else had eaten and we usually didn’t see them, but sometimes we did because we were sixth graders and the last group to eat. Although we tried not to, we stared in morbid

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-81563857565710888392011-09-20T16:43:00.012+02:002015-02-10T11:19:16.970+01:00

In July, Republican congressman Allen West claimed Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was not a “Lady” because she criticized his position on debt ceiling legislation after he had left the House floor (click here). Marilyn French, we need you. I was 28 years old and had just returned to my apartment in the city after a long bike ride in the country. As I unloaded my

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-3526172457277064052011-09-05T21:15:00.006+02:002012-01-17T15:02:07.632+01:00

Doctor's appointment at county hospital in Västerås this morning. After fifteen minute wait, nurse told me they were running late - no apology, no explanation, no estimate how much longer I'd have to wait. After 40 minutes, I walked. It's nice to know there are some things you can always count on.

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-12658899358704018922011-08-08T15:44:00.007+02:002014-06-12T12:11:27.661+02:00

It was a bright summer day in Minnesota and my friend Lynn had asked me to join her for a barbecue at her friends’ home. It was a casual gathering of ten or eleven people who didn’t know each other well, so the mood was open and friendly with lots of free-ranging talk. As we sat at the table eating, one of the guests asked, “Does anyone mind if I tell a racist joke?” Abrupt silence. Rule

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-66493439363381844912011-07-18T12:45:00.010+02:002011-11-07T23:17:33.849+01:00

I have Lyme disease/borrelia so I went to the doctor for an antibiotic. Because I’m allergic to penicillin, the doctor prescribed something else. That’s when a new round of Swedish health care fun and games began. I decided to pick up the prescription in the afternoon when I was town. When I arrived at the pharmacy, the pharmacist checked her computer: “Hmmm…we don’t have that medication in stock

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305321922721921295.post-90894726565007107912011-06-30T20:57:00.003+02:002011-08-04T21:03:16.429+02:00

It’s summer, and the weather is hot and sticky. As I walked past my daughter sunbathing in the yard, I recalled hot summer days of my own childhood. We lived in what would today be called an exurb. It was the 1960s, and air conditioning was still a novelty. So on those extra shimmery days, there was not much to do except sweat and pray for a thunder storm to cool things down. We didn’t have a

Claris Parnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07785435985145579734noreply@blogger.com0