Stockholm, Sweden — Lennart Nilsson turns 90 on the 24th of August and can look back on an unrivalled career as a photojournalist. He is unique as an educator with a camera, he has been called “a renaissance man in the twentieth century” and he has been compared with the universal genius Leonardo da Vinci.

In the 1960s, Lennart Nilsson was employed at Life Magazine and broke new ground on the border between the scientific and the artistic with his story about how a child is born.

In 1965 his cover story for Life became an all-time bestseller and his book A Child is Born was published that same year, a book that has since been translated into more than 20 languages (the latest being Chinese), has been published in five editions – 1965, 1976, 1990, 2003 and 2009 – and has sold millions of copies.

And that sensational cover story, “Drama of Life Before Birth,” which we’ve all been part of but which none of us remember, was just the beginning of Lennart Nilsson’s tireless exploration of the human body and the miracle of life.

Since then he has continued to surprise and amaze us by using his own ideas and new technology – custom built cameras, tiny fibre optics and advanced microscopy.

Lennart Nilsson’s exploration of the unknown began in the Swedish countryside, in an ordinary anthill, and continued with his adventures under water, which resulted in two books – Myror and Life in the Sea which were both published in 1959.

Lennart Nilsson sees his biggest challenge as being able to explain the unexplainable and to make the invisible visible – his latest work having involved viruses, Particles in the air and bacteria in a bee’s honey stomach. And he usually says that it takes three things to succeed: patience, patience and patience.

- Time doesn’t matter, it’s the result that’s important!

Lennart Nilsson is just as curious about the wonders of nature today as he was when he was 15 years old and got his first close-up look at cells through his newly purchased microscope.

Lennart Nilsson was also in a class of his own as a press photographer during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1945 he followed a midwife who had delivered 1,500 children in the Swedish mountains, a story that was to become his first but by no means his last to gain wide publication overseas.

In 1947 he told the tale of the Norwegian hunt of polar bears which was also a story that gained a lot of international attention, and “tears and protests were heard in many languages.” The following year Lennart Nilsson spent nine weeks travelling round the French and Belgian Congo on the lookout for all things dangerous and wild. And in Rome he got to visit the home of Ingrid Bergman and the new love of her life, the Italian director Roberto Rossellini. The year was 1950 and the romance caused many headlines – not all of them flattering, but they sold many newspapers. Lennart Nilsson reported dramatic pictures from the great flood disaster in Holland in 1953 and was there when Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjold was appointed as the secretary-general of the UN the same year.

One of Lennart Nilsson’s classic stories was about the Salvation Army. For months he followed the soldiers of the “army of love,” and among other things he was there at the very moment that an alcoholic man was saved. The pictures were widely published in both Swedish and foreign newspapers – and in the book Halleluja, which was published in 1963.

Lennart Nilsson has photographed portraits of many people, both famous and unknown – royalty, authors, actors, scientists and leading businessmen as well as “ordinary people” in a series of work reports.

He has a natural ability when it comes to winning people’s trust and getting close to them.

When Nikita Khrushchev visited Sweden in 1964 there were seven people seated around Tage Erlander’s dinner table at Harpsund – apart from the guest of honour himself there was also the Swedish Prime Minister, the Soviet and Swedish Ministers of Foreign Affairs, two interpreters and Lennart Nilsson. He was introduced as an old friend of Erlander and was up until the wee hours exchanging small talk and toasts with the Soviet dictator.

While the assembled press corps had to make do with photographing Erlander’s “crown prince” in front of the Houses of Parliament in 1964, Lennart Nilsson accompanied Olof Palme home to his house in Vallingby and took pictures of a loving father and his football-playing sons. And when Ingmar Bergman was shooting a film on Faro, Lennart Nilsson succeeded in capturing the director and his entire team in a group photo. Following Bergman during the making of ‘Shame’ was much like following game – “you have to keep your eyes and ears open at all times, nothing can be arranged, just click, look and listen.”

No photographer has moved us with his stories quite like Lennart Nilsson. When the TV news showed pictures of what we have on our teeth – enlarged to 100,000 times the actual size – the Swedish people choked on their evening coffee, and all the toothbrushes in the stores sold out the next day.

His pictures are to be found on money and stamps, in textbooks and encyclopedias, and some of them are currently on their way out into space, aboard NASA’s space probes Voyager I and II, as part of a greeting from planet Earth.

The photographer whose motto is that nothing is impossible has been richly rewarded during the years for his photographic, journalistic and scientific ambitions.

Lennart Nilsson is an honorary doctor of both medicine and philosophy, he has been given the title of professor and has received gold medals from the government, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He was the first recipient of the Hasselblad Award in 1980, has received the title Master of Photography and has won the World Press Photo and three Emmy Awards, the TV world’s Oscar, for his films. And just in time for his own 75th birthday the “Lennart Nilsson Award” was instituted in 1997, an international award for a photographer who works in the spirit of Lennart Nilsson.

Image Courtesy of  Erik Collin (Centennium) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Susan Benn from the Julian Assange Defense Fund addressed the awaiting crowd and press outside the Ecuador embassy in London in a press release statement from Julian Assange on Friday June 29 at 16:00 BST. Wiki leaks founder Julian Assange has been under house arrest for 570 days now.

According to Miss Benn, Metropolitan Police served Mr Assange with a notice on Thursday, June 28, that he should surrender himself to the Belgravia Police Station by 11:30 on the morning of June 29. Assange has refused to abide by the serving notice of Metropolitan police.

Benn said that this is not a sign of disrespect to police, “under both international and domestic UK law asylum assessments take priority over extradition claims.” In the US and UK, asylum law states that a fugitive seeking political asylum cannot be extradited from the country he is seeking protection in while his application for asylum is being processed by official authorities. He can remain in the country indefinitely while he waits to hear about the status of his asylum claim and can only be removed once his claim and appeal have been rejected by authorities.

Assange applied for political asylum in UK in 2010, but on June 12, Britain’s Supreme Court made a decision to extradite him back to Sweden to face sex and rape charges. His appeal to reopen his extradition case was rejected by the court on June 14. After the court decision, Assange surprised many on June 19 by breaching his bail conditions and entering diplomatic territory of Ecuadorian embassy at Knights Bridge in London to seek political asylum under the UN Human Rights declaration.

There is a mounting pressure on Assange to face charges in Sweden. Earlier in the week, avid supporter and British socialite Jemima Khan urged him to face Swedish court. Australian Jemima Khan is among few names that contributed towards his hefty bail money of £240,000.

Estranged Australian Assange faces issues that are of serious nature and compromise his liberty and the safety of those involved in his wiki leaks stint operation. Assange is wanted by Swedish court over rape, sexual molestation, and coercion charges. Like in the UK and Assange’s homeland Australia, Sweden is also a signatory to US international extradition treaty. Under the treaty, Assange could face extradition from all these countries to face espionage charges in America.

According to Miss Benn, “the US department of justice admitted yesterday that its investigation into WikiLeaks proceeds. It is only a matter of time before US authorities begin extradition proceedings against Julian and other leading members of WikiLeaks on various charges including conspiracy to commit espionage.”

Assange fears that if sent to Sweden to face rape charges, he will be extradited to the U.S., where a grand jury investigation has been opened up against him. Once in the U.S., Assange could possibly face the death penalty over publishing leaked wiki cables in 2010.

Benn said “United States has subjected Julian Assange’s alleged source in this matter, the young soldier Bradley Manning, to conditions amounting to torture.”

Bradley Manning was arrested by the U.S. army in Iraq in May 2010. He is currently awaiting a trial that will begin in September 2012. After his arrest, Manning was placed in solitary confinement in military prison in Quantico, Virginia. Manning’s plight, inhuman treatment and torture have already been highlighted by several Human Rights organizations across the world. According to Amnesty International, “His conditions at Quantico have been a breach of international standards for humane treatment of an untried prisoner.” According to Wikileaks Stratfor emails that the U.S. has issued, a secret closed indictment compels British and Swedish governments to ship Assange to America.

Miss Benn elaborated, “So it is clear that there is a legal process in place which will result in taking Julian to the US, which if allowed to succeed would violate his basic rights.”

Benn said, “Julian will remain in the Embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while evidence for this application is being assembled and processed.”

There is ongoing protest outside Ecuadorian embassy by Assange’s supporters.

Image Courtesy of  dutourdumonde / Shutterstock.com

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Julian Assange’s worst nightmare has finally come true. According to the London Police Station, Julian Assange has received a letter to report to London’s Belgravia police station this coming Friday at 11:30 p.m. Sam Jones, a reporter for ‘The Guardian,’ reported, “Assange has been seeking political asylum (where an individual seeks refuge in another country after not feeling safe in their own country, and if the country in which they are seeking refuge, approves of them being there) inside Ecuador’s embassy in London since last week” as he tries to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning about alleged sex offenses.”

For extradition cases, being court ordered via letter to attend a court hearing is considered the first step of the extraditing process. Assange is facing court orders to be extradited back to Sweden after he was found of accusations of raping a woman and molesting another while attending a lecture in Stockholm back in August of 2010.

Assange, the Wikileaks website founder, “published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed governments and international businesses, denies all allegations, saying the sex was consensual and the allegations against him are politically motivated,” according to The Guardian.

As of recently, a letter has been signed by leading political figures in the United States including that of Michael Moore, Oliver Stone, Noam Chomsky and Danny Glover. In addition to the letter that was sent to the embassy in Ecuador, a petition of over 4,000 American signatures arrived there as well, in hopes of Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa approving Assange’s political asylum to stay in Ecuador.

According to Reporter Sam Jones, “The letter, which has been posted online, states that its signatories believe Assange has good reason to fear extradition from the UK to Sweden, “as there is a strong likelihood that once in Sweden, he would be imprisoned, and then likely extradited to the United States.”

If Assange is extradited to the United States, and is found guilty of his allegations, he will face the death penalty, according to the Espionage Act.

One of the individuals who signed the petition also wrote a letter to President Correa stating, “Because this is a clear case of an attack on press freedom and on the public’s right to know important truths about US foreign policy, and because the threat to his health and wellbeing is serious, we urge you to grant Mr Assange political asylum.”

Thus far, Assange has not received any charges from the country of Sweden.

Image Courtesy of  acidpolly

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Two major archaeological finds have been made in recent weeks. One of the finds, in Sweden, has revealed new information about how Stone Age man lived. The second discovery will provide researchers with information about Elizabethan theater and the great Shakespeare himself.

Stone Age Fishing

The first was found by marine archeologists from Sodertorn University in Stockholm, Sweden. They have discovered the world’s oldest wooden fishing equipment. The discovery was made off the southern coast of Sweden and the eastern coast of Skane County. The remains of the devices were found on the Baltic sea floor at a depth of 5-12 meters (16.5-40 feet).

Seven basket traps, made out of finger-width sized hazel sticks, were found. The baskets appear to be stationary traps that are similar to examples found around the world. Only one of the baskets has been carbon-dated but it appears to be around 9000 years old. According to what Johan Ronnby, a professor of marine archeology at Sodertom University College, told Sveriges Radio, “[the basket trap] is the world’s oldest find of fishing equipment.”

Archaeologists believe that the sticks were woven or tied together with rope to create a fence-like structure. These traps were then placed in the river to guide fish into containers.

The area of the discovery used to be a part of the Verke River 9000 years ago, but the region is now underwater. Some food leftovers and other waste were discovered with the basket traps and it believed this waste was thrown into the river by residents of a nearby community. No settlement has been found by the researchers.

These discoveries were made as a part of a larger research project by MARIS Maritime Archaeology Institute at Sodertorn that has been dubbed the Landscapes Lost project. The project began in 2011 and has been surveying the post-glacial river mouth of the Verke river as well as the archipelago region near Blekinge in southern Sweden.

The eighth millennium BC, when these baskets are believed to have been used, is the period when many researchers believe that Stone Age mankind started developing agriculture and began construction on its earliest cities.

Shakespeare’s Curtain Call

The Museum of London Archaeology announced that remains of Shakespeare’s Curtain Theater have been discovered in East London. So far the graveled yard, patrons stood on to watch the shows, and some of the foundational walls of the gallery and yard have been unearthed.

According to a spokesperson from Plough Yard Developments the discovery was a pleasant surprise, “Although the Curtain was known to have been in the area, its exact location was a mystery.” The company is hoping to make the preserved remains of the Curtain the centerpiece of their upcoming housing and shopping project in the area.

The theater site was found on Hewett Street in East London and was built outside the city walls in the 1500s.

The theater opened in 1577 and was named for the nearby street called Curtain Close. It was used by Shakespeare’s Lord Chamberlain’s Men between 1597 to 1599. The original performances of Romeo and Juliet and Henry V were shown in the Curtain although many mistakenly believe that they were performed in the Globe. When in Henry V the title character refers to the theater as “the wooden O” he is referring to the Curtain, not the Globe. The theater was dismantled in the seventeenth century which is why its location has been lost for so long.

Shakespeare enthusiasts around the world are excited about what information this theater will provide about Elizabethan theater. London will also likely include the Curtain in its Shakespeare festival that it is planning for this summer during the summer Olympics.

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According to a report put out by the European Central Bank on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, none of the eight countries that are waiting to join the euro currency are ready. Most countries in the group have only been waiting since 2004 or 2007 but Sweden has been waiting since 1995.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Sweden are the eight countries that are members of the European Union but are not a part of the Eurozone – meaning they are not using the euro as their currency. Seventeen countries are currently using the euro, including Greece, although there have been discussions that it may have to leave the Eurozone. Currently the United Kingdom and Denmark are not using the euro either – instead they are using the pound sterling and krone respectively – but the decision to not use the euro was theirs, not the European Central Bank’s.

The United Kingdom opted out of the euro by negotiating an exception within the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. Joining the euro was heavily opposed by most of the United Kingdom, although its close neighbor, the Republic of Ireland, has adopted the euro. Denmark was able to opt out of the euro as one of the four conditions of the Edinburgh Agreement in 1992.

The European Central Bank must report on the progress of these eight countries every two years. So far it appears as if only Latvia will be able to join the euro currency by the next assessment in 2014. According to the bank, “in none of the eight countries examined, [is] the legal framework fully compatible with all requirements for the adoption of the euro.” They also claimed, “incompatibilities remain regarding central bank independence” in all of the countries.

Additionally Latvia and Lithuania are the only two countries of the eight currently taking part in the exchange rate mechanism II for more than two years which is required to be a part of the Eurozone.

Many of the countries’ economies are doing better than current eurozone countries. Seven of the eight countries – the exception being Hungary – have a debt-to-GDP ratio under 60% which is the Eurozone limit. Currently Greece’s ratio of debt-to-GDP is 165.3% and Italy, Ireland, and Portugal had ratios last year above 100%.

According to a statement from Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland earlier this May, Poland is still interested in joining the Eurozone even though the euro has been damaged by the current debt crisis.

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Co-hosts Ukraine upset the form book as they defeated Group D underdogs Sweden in Kyiv. Two goals from the nations hero Andriy Shevchenko were enough to come back to snatch three points after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden what had been a deserved lead.

The fast paced tempo of the game fitted with the raucous atmosphere around the stadium as the Ukrainians did their best to spur their team on. Ukraine were probably the least fancied team in Group D coming into the tournament, but they set their stall out well and challenged underdogs Sweden in every department. The fluid passing between Sweden’s frontline of Ibrahimovic, Toivonen and Rosenberg caused Ukraine issues and Seb Larsson was pulling the strings in midfield, but there were no clear chances for either side until home favourite Andriy Shevchenko found himself through on goal but didn’t catch his shot properly and missed the target.

The atmosphere was certainly aiding the sides approach towards the match, Ukraine were flowing forward and Yarmolenko was only denied by a superb defensive block from Olof Mellberg, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s header brushed the post at the other end.

But as the crowd began to calm down a little, so did the game. It wasn’t the most exciting start but the game had become stretched towards the break with both teams creating chances and both producing good football. The second half started in similar fashion with plenty of attacking football, Rosenberg had a shot blocked before Ibrahimovic finally put Sweden ahead with a close range finish. But Ukraine used this as inspiration and just five minutes the stadium erupted when Shevchenko headed home to level things up.

The stadium didn’t have a chance to quiet down when Shevchenko headed home a second from a corner, Mikael Lustig may have felt he would have kept it out had he not moved from the near post as Shevchenko connected with the ball. Sweden were rocking after being dominant but now found themselves 2-1 down and playing against a rocking atmosphere in the middle Kyiv.

Erik Hamren introduced Anders Svensson to try and get a grip of a midfield which was beginning to become overrun by a rejuvenated Ukraine and all the momentum was with the hosts. Hamren made another throw of the dice soon after bringing on the experienced Christian Wilhelmsson for Seb Larsson. Things had gone from looking comfortable to desperate for the Swedes, Rasmus Elm tried his luck from distance but the effort just about summed up Sweden’s mood after looking good for victory after scoring the opener.

Hamren wasn’t waiting any longer to go all out for it and immediately made his final substitution, bringing on ex-Bolton striker Johan Elmander for Rosenberg. If Sweden were going to get back into it, then it seemed goal scorer Ibrahimovic would be the man to do it. Elmander’s nice little knock down found the AC Milan striker and his rocket shot stung the palms of Pyatov but the ball found its way to safety.

Ukraine looked tired but the fans were still out in voice to give Shevchenko a huge round of applause as he made way for Artem Milevsky with ten minutes to go. Wilhelmsson had given Sweden a different dimension and looked lively against a tiring Ukraine defence, but the back four stood tall and kept on denying Sweden any clear cut chances at goal.

The crowd soon went from noisy to nervy as the game hit the final five minutes and that tension had passed on to the Ukraine players who were now hanging on to their lead as Sweden threw everything at the co-hosts. Sweden did have one huge chance to get a draw when some neat work between Ibrahimovic and Elmander saw the former blaze wide and high when in on goal. Swedish fans probably would have been celebrating a goal if the roles had been reversed and the fans sensed Sweden’s chances may have gone.

Deep into stoppage time there was still one more draw of breath from the Ukraine fans when Olof Mellberg found himself in on goal and his lob over Pyatov seemed to take an age to finally land on the roof of the net. It was the last action of an entertaining match with will live long in the memory of Ukrainian fans and Ukrainian football.

Image Courtesy of  KENCKOphotography / Shutterstock.com

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The 57^th annual Eurovision song contest occurred earlier this month in Baku, Azerbaijan. Like every year, the 2012 competition was a predictably showy camp-fest that featured prominent artists from a host of European countries competing within the realm of song and dance. The elected winner was Swedish songstress Loreen whose capoeira inspired act brought Sweden the honor of hosting the competition next year.

Despite the escapist themes of many Eurovision submissions, however, the event does not take place in a vacuum. This year, the financial crisis of the European economy had a noticeable impact on the purely European song contest.

Rambo Amadeus, the Montenegrin entry and a popular musical satirist, brought the economic situation to the fore with his song “Euro Nero” whose chorus features lyrics such as “give me chance to refinance” and “monetary break dance.” While the middle-aged performer and his symbolic trojan horse did not make it to the final stage of the competition, his witty rapping hinted at some of the considerations that would constitute the majority of the scandal surrounding the show as a whole.

In its preamble to the broadcast of the annual show, the international media doggedly introduced and reintroduced the question of who, should they win, would be fiscally capable of hosting Eurovision next year and whether this would effect the quality of contestants. One of the greatest conspiracy theories leading up to the competition was the rumor that the Spanish contestant, Pastora Soler, had been instructed to lose. The Herald Sun reports that Soler allegedly said “I think it is not the moment, neither for Spain nor for the Spanish public, to win Eurovision.” This claim was later denied by the singer herself.

Many felt that the participation of Eleftheria Eleftheriou for Greece, the country that has perhaps been most affected by the devaluing of the Euro, demonstrated a lack of economic responsibility on the part of the country’s politicians. Others argued that this was a necessary boost to Greek moral. Still others felt that the voting aspect of Eurovision would be used as an opportunity for countries to ally themselves. In particular, many believed that Greece might use Eurovision to influence Germany’s decision to spearhead an economic bailout.

Post-Eurovision, it is clear that the motivation for individual country’s voting was vastly more complicated than had been suspected. While many countries, including Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland, did vote along the lines of natural economic and political alliances, both Greece and Germany awarded each other zero points. Far from their original hypotheses of mutual understanding expressed through song approval, theorists now view the peculiar voting habits of this pair of countries as a kind of complicit revenge tactic or, as Charles Robinson explains in the Wall Street Journal, a form of “protest”.

Fortunately, Sweden, the eventual winner, appears to be fully capable of hosting Eurovision 2013 and has managed to escape relatively unscathed from the political furore that has surrounded some of its compatriot countries. What social changes might occur between then and now to reshape the complexion of this contest remains to be seen.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.eurovision.tv

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Sweden has recently begun moving away from paper money, favoring instead money of the electronic kind.  Not to say the country has completely eliminated the need for physical money, but bank notes and coins make up a meager 3 percent of the Swedish economy, contrasting with a 7 percent average for the rest of Europe and 7 percent for the United States.

In major cities, public modes of transport have stopped taking cold, hard cash.  Tickets are instead bought in advance or with a text message from a cell phone.  These businesses are not alone.  Many other businesses now accept only cards, and a few banks no longer handle physical money in any way, preferring to profit from electronic transactions.

Even churches have made the jump, with many now accepting cards when worshipers make donations. Many have expressed concern at the technological jump.  Those that prefer coins and bills are worried about the complexities that appear with such an economy.

The young and others may have a good grasp on technology, but for the elderly in rural parts, these new methods present all sorts of problems.  Many do not even have credit cards, and most of those that do, do not understand how to withdraw money or use their card in many transactions.

This move to digital money, however, has undeniable benefits.  There is now much less room for shadow economic activities, like concealing profits when tax season comes in Sweden, especially when compared with the rest of Europe. In Italy, Prime Minister Mario Monti has moved towards limiting cash transactions to payments of up to one thousand pounds.

Another beneficial effect is a reduced number of robberies in cash-holding organizations. The number of bank robberies went from 110 in 2008 to 16 in 2011, the lowest since data began to be recorded 30 years ago. Robberies of security transports have also lessened.

Not that this switch has not caused any problems. Cyber-crime is on the rise, with the number of reported crimes up from 3,304 in 2000, to the astronomical 20,000 in 2011.

Oscar Swartz, the creator of Sweden’s first Internet provider, Banhof, thinks that a digital economy also complicates matters of privacy, due to electronic trails resulting from transactions.  “One should be able to send money and donate money to different organizations without being traced every time,” he says.

It is unlikely, however, that physical money will be completely phased out anytime soon.  A much more likely possibility is that it will slowly play less of a role in the economy, though not disappearing completely anytime soon.

Sweden was ranked number one in the Global Information Technology Report, first shown at the World Economic Forum in January, for the second time in a row. The Economist Intelligence Unit listed Sweden first in 2010, in its most recent digital economy rankings. These rankings track how much countries have integrated information and communication technologies within their economies.

In 1661 Sweden was the first European country to introduce bank notes to its people, a move that very much helped all countries move forward.  Now, as the country phases them out, could they be on the right track once more?

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The first Plantagon Greenhouse breaks ground. A new type of greenhouse for vertical farming, an international Centre of Excellence for Urban Agriculture, a demo-plant for Swedish clean-tech and a climate-smart way to use excess heating and CO2 from industries. The potential is tremendous and ambitions high for the new greenhouse being built in Linkoping, Sweden, near the regional energy company, Tekniska Verken. Not least, it will be a new landmark for the people in Linkoping to enjoy.

Representatives from Linkoping city, Plantagon and Tekniska Verken gathered for a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. Once the drafting stage is complete, construction of the greenhouse will take an estimated 12-16 months.

“I am immensely proud that Linkoping is the chosen site for the first vertical greenhouse. We will be the first city in the world to test the new technology and the systems involved to develop sustainable agricultural solutions for future cities,” says Paul Lindvall, Mayor of Linkoping.

“We are full of praise for Plantagon’s exciting project launching in Linkoping. Our ambition is to support the project with smart ideas for sustainable energy systems,” says Anders Jonsson, CEO of Tekniska Verken.

“This is a historic day for Plantagon. This ceremony marks the realization of the vision of creating functional sustainable solutions for the growing cities of today and tomorrow, where we can grow food in the cities in a resource-smart way, making use of the special conditions of the city,” says Hans Hassle, CEO of Plantagon.

The Plantagon greenhouse, developed together with Sweco, is designed for vertical agriculture of vegetables in urban areas. In cooperation with several partners, Plantagon plans to develop integrated solutions for energy, excess heat, waste, CO2 and water.

“With this greenhouse we’re developing and fine-tuning the technical systems required for vertical farming in urban areas, together with several well-known Swedish partner companies. We want to gather expertise in the field, and our long-term objective is to create an international Center of Excellence for Urban Agriculture here in Linkoping,” says Hans Hassle.

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Not where they wanted to be of course, but someone must finish 3^rd in this beautifully played Women’s World Cup.  Sweden ranked fifth coming in, expected to make it further then they did, especially after beaten the U.S team the last 2 times they played each other.  France on the other hand laid an egg against the U.S team in the pivotal semifinal game.

This game although not for the cup itself is very important; no team wants to leave any tournament losing 2 games in a row…especially the way these two teams lost.  This is an opportunity to leave things on the highest note possible at this point and try to salvage what they can.

The game is tamed in the beginning as both teams feel each other out and the players seam focus; the French defenders are a little shaky after allowing the most goals in the tournament.  I expected more from Georges, but she hasn’t played at a high level.  Neither of these keepers has showed enough in order to place any confidence in them, the French goal keeper has played horribly up to this point, but hasn’t been tested much within the first 20 minutes of this third place game.

While watching this game, it is clear that these teams are here for a reason…they are not as technical or tactical as the Japanese team, nor are they as balanced and strong as the U.S team.

The game remained stagnant up until the 29^th minute when a beautiful ball split the two back defenders from France and Schelin placed the ball over the goalkeeper to put the Swedes up 1.  During the same play, the goal keeper was taken off the field and Necib was also taken out after her knee was causing her problems after a collision several minutes before.   Schelin has definitely outplayed these French defenders this half.  The French team has responded very well to the goal but have no goal to show for their efforts.

This half comes to an end with a blown opportunity from the Swedes.  The Swedes are somewhat in control, although, this game is far from over; their opponents can’t seem to get much going even after having some good shots on goal.

We are now in the second half; France starts strong looking to even things up.  We have our second goal of this game with France tying the game in 56^th minute; interestingly enough, the goal was a brilliant shot by Thomis who replaced Necib in the first half after her knee troubles.  The game is nearing the stretch run in which, one of these teams must do something extraordinary.

Sweden’s luck failed them in the 63rdminute with a great chance on goal; Thomis has taken control of this game and is leaving her mark out there…she has changed the pace and had a great chance against the keeper shortly after Sweden’s unfortunate crossbar incident.

Things took a turn toward controversy in the 67^th minute with an unfortunate red card given to Swedish player Oqvist.  She was caught retaliating while being tangled on the floor with French player Bompastor.  The red card was unmerited but the referee made the decision and they must deal with it (of course an American referee at that)

Now the Swedes must find a way to play and win with 10 players.

This bronze medal game is going to come down to the last minutes, its only right given what we’ve seen this tournament.  The pivotal goal comes in the 82^nd minutes and I know I’ve said this several times but, this goal is the best goal of the tournament.  The goal was scored by Swedish player Marie Hammarstrom after performing a gorgeous set of moves which she finished off with a laser shot…the goal keeper could have done better but the goal itself was more than brilliant.

2-1 and the match is over, Sweden has won a well deserved 3^rd place match and their celebration officially begins.  only one game remains for the cup between the U.S team and Japan; history tells us who should win but in the world cup, the victor is not determined by history-we will see if how things unfold but it should be a great game to watch.

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After the devastation in Japan, it is somewhat surprising that this team has reached this stage and have done as well as they have.  Maybe we shouldn’t be surprise though, they have use this devastation as a rallying point; in fact this team is incredible to watch and we will see if they can continue their good play as of late.

Today, they play Sweden for a chance to face the U.S team, who dispatched the ineffective French team earlier this afternoon.  The match is on the verge of starting in what should be a great game…you wouldn’t think the Japanese team would match up well against the bigger Swedish players-but speed is on their side and they can play freely as they did last weekend playing against the expected winners; the Germans.  They should not have won that game and if they make it, they probably shouldn’t beat the U.S either; but that is why they play the games.

The pressure is on and they will have to play a great defensive game against an attacking team like the Swedes.  Watching the smaller Japanese players is quite interesting, their game is possession oriented and crisp precision passing reminiscent of the men’s Brazilian team.

10 minutes in: Sweden strikes due to a breakdown near the box from the Japanese defender, the Swedish player intercepted the wayward pass and her speed carried her close enough to unleash on the goalkeeper with an excellent left footed shot on goal; the goalkeeper had little to no chance and the Swedes have taken the early lead, now the game officially begins.

This is turning into an incredible game…A great goal by Japan in the 18^th minute… although, it may have been an own goal;  A long run by the Japan’s midfielder who seemed to be alone roaming, until the ball was centered into the box where the crowdedness and confusion took care of the rest.  Own goal or not, this opportunity was all manufactured by the small Japanese player, their speed and perseverance.

Half way through the first half, the great play continues with an incredibly wide open game on both sides with good ball control.  Myama has had several opportunities up until this point and Japan plays keep away in the midfield but their lack of pure scoring has limited their overall effectiveness.  On the other side of things, the Swedish team has somewhat disappeared after their accidental goal.

We go to half time with the Japanese team seemingly in control and we should look to see the same thing in the second half of this match if the Swedes don’t make adjustments.

Play starts again with the Swedes looking to start the action, actually gaining momentum throughout this half.  In an incredible sequence in the 59^th minute, Japan strikes with a beautiful header by Sawa into the empty net left vacant by the Swedish goalkeeper who gambled at the worst possible moment.  The goal was made possible with contributions with several players who seem to be getting better throughout the tournament.  This is Sawa’s 79^th goal after starting her career at 15 years old.

Minutes later in the 64^th minute, Japan strikes again with an improbable goal with another situation in which the net was unguarded when the eager goalkeeper decided to charge once again; the results would suggest she should remain in goal but her instincts would suggest otherwise.

Great goal and might be goal of the tournament up to this point.  Now up 3-1, there can be no major breakdowns like we saw in the beginning of the match, if they are to hold on to this lead.  The Swedish team seems to have no clue on what to do defensively or offensively against this tactical brilliance by the brave Japanese team.  The U.S should take notice and start preparing for this skillful onslaught.

Kawasumi comes off the field followed by Ono, two players who left their mark on this game; the focus is defense at this point, but the offensive pressure remains and the attack remains relentless.

The match is over and anyone who witnessed this game saw two teams who played at different levels after the first 10 to 15 minutes.  Looking forward to the finals, Japan should have a shot at beating the American team; they are on an emotional journey that would inspire a whole nation.  America looks to continue its dominance against this team which they have beaten 22 out of 23 matches…but maybe were in line for another miracle.

I know I’ll be watching and so will everyone in Japan.

The article Women’s Semifinals: Japan Versus Sweden appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

“My style is a bit schizo but I have a lot of black clothes and a lot of vintage” Lykke Li

Sometimes a song presents on your life in an spontaneous way. Whether you were watching a movie, a show , or you were doing some sport at the gym. In any case what I want to tell you is that there are few songs that stay in our mind. Not only because maybe they came at the right moment, but because they create an atmosphere.

A new song always gives you a feeling of freshness. You can hear the song again and again without getting tired of it and this feeling it’s just amazing. It is the best feeling when you have discover a new song. Therefore I wanted to share an amazing artist that I discovered when I was watching a series named MisFits, and I heard the song Until We Bleed.

The song captured the perfect moment of the scenes, and it just took me once to hear it and it stayed in my mind the rest of the day. I kept mumbling the rhythm that stayed with me even if I didn’t got a clue of what the lyrics where. But that is a good song my fellows! It is not only the melody, but also the rhythm, the beats that make you feel the music inside you.

Well enough of my explanations, I wanted to share something with you and as I told you I discovered this artist. Her name is Lykke Li, she is 25 years old and she comes originally form Sweden.

I have never seen or her about her, but based on my research we can read that she is becoming pretty much an icon in the U.K already. But well for all of you, which have or haven’t discovered her I hope you enjoy this article.

She is a writer and composer. When you hear her music, you will hear a blend of different instruments such as trumpets, saxophones, violins, cellos, synthesizers, which make a perfect combination to integrate electronic, pop, and indie rock music. Her first album, named Youth Novels was released in 2008, when she was just 19 years old. But this year with the release of her second album, Wounded Rhymes her style and music have exploded like a lightning thunder. The album was released in Sweden on March 2011.

Lykee Li shared this words with Pitchfork Media, talking about her song Get Some:

“Get Some” is] just a snapshot, but the album is darker, moodier, and the lyrics are heavier. There’s less atmosphere, more directness. I was 19 when I recorded my first album, and I’ve been exposed to many things during these last few years; all the baby fat is gone. I dove into the craziness and did things that maybe I would think twice about when I get older. And I’m a really restless person; I’m tired of the way I sounded or looked yesterday.

So it’s hard to hang onto this image of me as this young Swedish female in this world. People comment on how you look, it’s so unnecessary. I just wanted people to listen to what I have to say instead of focusing on anything else. And, of course, there are a lot of things I’m angry about in the world”.

She is everything but common, you can see her on stage soon, she will be performing at the Latitude Festival 2011 in the U.K between the 14 and 17 of July 2011 at Henham Park in Suffolk, England.

Her style, fashion, voice and attitude make Lykee Li and interesting musician. She exposes a sweet but also a tough personality.

I leave you with a great list of songs that are featured on her second album for you to hear:

1. “Youth Knows No Pain”

2. “I Follow Rivers”

3. “Love Out of Lust”

4. “Unrequited Love”

5. “Get Some”

6. “Rich Kids Blues”

7. “Sadness Is a Blessing”

8. “I Know Places”

9. “Jerome”

10. “Silent My Song”

The article Lykke Li, Cool Beats, A Schizo Style, Nothing but Amazing appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.