The Polar Express

                                  What’s the Weather Like Up There?

Summer has finally arrived in the Upper Midwest with thermometer readings in the often uncomfortable range. Southwest  U.S. states have seen midday temperatures hover around 100 ° F.  Death Valley, California , known as the hottest place on Earth, and driest place in North America holds the world record of 134° F. recorded  July 10th, 1913. A Death Valley area, aptly named Furnace Creek, holds the record for the highest ground temperature, once again in July, but in 1972 of a sizzling 201° F.

 There are no plants in the area to shade or soak up the sun and the heat bakes the desert surface. Summer sunshine has arrived and July is living up to it's reputation of high heat and humidity. We waited for it and it has arrived!

--------------

Up at the North Pole , the  heat and sunshine are not quite as intense, but still has influence on summer plant growth and melting ice.The famed Midnight Sun shines twenty-four hours a day for a long period during the Northern summer months north of the Arctic Circle. Imagine our attitude if we were subjected to 24 hour sunshine in July and August  with no relief of cool evenings breezes hre in the U.S.!

--------------

    

In the winter, most of the Arctic is hidden away under snow and ice. Sea ice expands to cover the entire Arctic Ocean, and the arctic lands gain a blanket of snow.
 In the summer, the sea ice retreats to the Central Arctic, opening channels and coastlines to open water.

---------

  The Arctic influences the weather and climate of the entire Northern Hemisphere, and the cool northern region helps to moderate the climate of the rest of the planet. The Arctic has warmed about twice as fast as the rest of the Northern Hemisphere in recent decades. Summer Arctic sea ice has declined by 40%, and snow is melting earlier in spring on the surrounding land. This dramatic change in the climate system is expected to affect weather patterns well beyond the confines of the Arctic. Some scientists have blamed our extreme fire hazards, hot temperatures and wild weather conditions on the unusual jet streams related to these Arctic conditions.

---------

The Arctic may be a forbidding place to travel, but its cold weather and unique climate patterns make it an important place for scientists to study.

  

Glaciologists drill through the ice using instruments that  measure what’s going on. This may sound easy, but there are multiple hurdles that must be overcome. Getting there is the first one. These ice shelves are heavily crevassed—landing 
even a small plane may not be an easy task! These changing conditions, whether man-made or normal cycles of nature are changing our world.  The normal “sea of ice” in places, averages 3 km ( 1.9 miles in thickness) and is constantly flowing to open water.

  Scientists have  reached the conclusion that the deep Arctic Ocean has been flowing for the last 35,000 years during the chill of the last ice-age and warmth of our modern time

----------

 Glacierologists have been noticing changes in an icefield located in the western side of Antarctica known as the Pine Island Glacier. Cracks in the ice field have been recorded by satellites. Recently, a long crack has been noted and photographed.

The crack in the glacier grows.

Pine Island Glacier is a large ice stream flowing west-northwest along the south side of the Hudson Mountains into the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica. Satellite photographs  taken of this glacier  have noted  cracks in the glacier. Recent survey photos have seen the fissure growing. This huge field will soon break away to create a new and separate field of ice.

--------------

 The break has been completed and  a large portion has broken away, becoming a “calf” of the glacier. A new "iceberg" has been born. Icebergs rarely have names, but this one is a good-sized chuck of ice.
   No recent photos of the new "calf" is available, however the newborn iceberg measures about 278 square miles (720 square kilometers) as  seen by  an earth-observing satellite . This enormous slab of ice, about  the size of Chicago is 200 feet thick and now free to roam.  On July 8, 2013, this huge area of the ice shelf broke away from the Pine Island glacier, the longest and fastest flowing glacier in the Antarctic, and is now floating in the Amundsen Sea in the form of a very large iceberg.

---------

A new iceberg "calf"

June is always a transition period for Arctic sea ice . Arctic ice-cover floats atop a vast ocean . “As the parent Pine Island Glacier retreats and flows out to sea, it develops and drops icebergs as part of a natural and cyclical process”, according to Angelika Humbert  a glaciologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute,. “But, the way the ice breaks, or “calves,” is still somewhat mysterious. Glaciers are constantly in motion,” she said. “Their ice is exposed to permanent tensions and the calving of icebergs is still largely unresearched.”

While the arctic ice appears to be lessening, the new edges of the gigantic ice cover are subject to lesser pressure  and the calving process continues.

 ---------------

 While we, here in the North American Midwest are craving ice in our beverages, Mother Nature is doing her part in the "Great Up North”.

 Her offerings are larger than we can even imagine while the polar flow continues.

Excuse Me, Miss...

"Excuse Me, Miss..."

Summer is here and all those vacation plans are being put into action. Highways are full of  campers and tourists on their way to their summer destinations. Airline terminals are very busy with people waiting to pass security checkpoints and  baggage requirements.

 One overseas European flight  had some very unexpected problems for their passengers when they were not served food, water, and not even given blankets on a recently launched long-haul flight to New York  A 16-year-old spent his Oslo to New York flight freezing since he only had cash and no credit card with him to pay the $5 fee charged by the carrier for renting a blanket according to a newspaper Aftenposten report. That followed another report of  Scandinavian crew members taking back a cup of coffee from a Thai woman after they found she only had cash and a local credit card with her. The woman was also unable to buy food or water on the 12-hour flight.. Only a handful of budget airlnes operate long haul routes and passengers are sometimes surprised when they are required to pay for services usually offered free of charge.

------------------

The airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Europe's third-largest budget airline, has apologized for the oversight.
"This is totally unacceptable. Norwegian must ensure its passengers are treated well and we apologize deeply," company spokesman Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen said.
"We are the first to admit that we have had some start-up problems on the long-haul flights.". Norwegian is going to review its policy of only accepting credit card payments and will improve its communication with customers. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, commercially branded “Norwegian”, is a low-cost airline listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Norwegian is the second largest airline in Scandinavia and third largest low cost carrier in Europe.

 -----------------------

Bjorn Kjos (pictured) is one of the founders of Norwegian Air Shuttle and a plane-owner. He previously served as a pilot in the Norwegian Air Force, later becoming a lawyer. Like many Scandinavians, he has penned a thriller in his spare time. Kjos is well-known in his home country as the man who brought low-cost flying to one of Europe’s most expensive countries.
Last year, the airline he co-founded and runs,(NAS), placed the biggest aircraft order Europe has yet seen. It will buy 222 Boeings and Airbuses for around $10 billion, aiming to compete with Ryanair and easyJet, Europe’s champions of cheap aviation.By purchasing more-efficient planes, emissions are reduced and passengers are offered new and more comfortable aircraft.

------------------

 S-GoNorwegian was founded in 1993 with headquarters  in Fornebu, Norway. In June 2013,

Norwegian was voted Europe’s best low-cost carrier of the year by the renowned SkyTrax World Airline Awards. Norwegian offers better leg room than most competitors, in-flight WiFi, world-class punctuality and a fleet of 75 aircraft with an average age of only 4.6 years.  Norwegian has a clear goal of reducing emissions per flown passenger by 30% in the period 2008 – 2015.

--------------------

American travelers using the skyways also are having difficulties.

Airport terminals in the USA have seen many changes in recent times and ticketbuyers have been frustrated by restrictions, ticketprices and altered flight schedules. Airlines offer specials to lure travelers and some are almost too good to believe

---------------

One US traveler received a letter in the mail that looked like good news and the logo of the famous air service appeared to be authentic.He was informed that he’d won “ Two roundtrip tickets worth $1,298" postmarked at the city where this service is based. But while it all looked authentic, he was  skeptical. The notice went on to state:

“I am pleased to inform you that you have qualified for an award of two roundtrip airline tickets. Congratulations. These tickets are valid for travel anywhere in the Continental U.S. The retail value of this award is up to $1,298.00. Certain restrictions apply.We have attempted to contacting you several times without success. This is our last attempt. If we do not hear from you soon, we may need to issue the ticket vouchers to the alternate”.
Further investigation found variations between the logo and that of an existing company as well as minor changes in the real company’s name. The offer was a scam.

---------------

Consumer complaints against U.S. airlines rose sharply in 2012, even as the carriers claimed a better record of on-time arrivals and luggage handling. Those findings, from a recent report released  highlight the struggle to find ways to make money and maintain services for traveling public .The study highlighted the growing incidences of “bumping,” when a passenger shows up at the airport and finds out his seat has been sold to someone else.

-----------------

 

Rising fuel prices along with maintainance problems and consolidation was increased  by a  controversial  recently-passed budget law. This federally passed law became known as the" 2013 Sequestration " relating to budget cuts in federal spending that took effect March 1, 2013. Due to this act, the aviation industry has been forced to make many changes.The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that represents the controllers and other workers, had predicted “a negative impact on the efficiency and capacity of the National Airspace System, as well as the nation’s fragile economy.” Airlines and airports across the country are struggling due to this recent federal  action recently passed by Congress that called for “across-the-board” federal budget cuts.

 -----------------

An airline analyst says it makes sense that people are going to be unhappy with the airlines today.

“As the industry continues to consolidate, capacity is  reduced, seats are packed closer and closer together and load factors get higher and higher. The travel experience becomes punishing,” says Robert Mann of R.W. Mann  Company, an airline industry analysis and consulting company. “Add fees for services previously considered part of the bargain and you have the recipe for discontent". According to USA Today ”FAA has  released figures  predicting that U.S. air travel will increase up to 1.3 billion passengers per year by 2031, up from the 737.4 million expected to fly in the U.S. this year .

Despite all the  hustle and crowded conditions in our skies and on our ground. Enjoy  the summer! It's a short season!

 

Where Is Everyone?

             Where Is Everyone?

Sverre Jerell just got into town and he told his taxi driver to take him to his hotel. As Sverre looked around, he asked the taxi driver “Where is everyone?”. Not very many people were out in the streets and the promenade was empty. His driver replied that most of the residence had left and he would be leaving  very soon. The cab driver went on  to say that the economy was very bad, jobs were hard to find and no one got along with their neighbors, and were leaving.

 Sverre Jerell was on a mission to Norway’s northernmost city, Kirkenes. Kirkenes is located on The Bering Strait overlooking the water to territory controlled by the Soviet Union. Any tourist falling asleep while traveling on the Hurtigruten might wake up at the last port of the  northern route called Krikenes.The original name of the peninsula was Piselvnes, but this was changed to Kirkenes (meaning "church headland") after the Kirkenes Church was built in 1862.

Norway  Advisor  Jerell

Kirkenes on the Northern  Bering Straits

The year was 1992, and Jerell, acting as an advisor to his Norwegian foreign minister came to see if improved relations between the Norwegians and the Russians could be established. He had a plan to aid the area.

 

 -------------------

This area was invaded and prized by the German invaders in WWII as an excellent seaport , supply center and landing site for German fighter planes. Norwegian underground partisans were very harshly treated by the Nazis until the end of the war when the Soviet Union became the new occupying force. They, in turn,had little respect for the Norwegians and tensions continued. During this time, the Norwegian government was subsidizing and encouraging the Kirkenes residents to remain and work, but when the cold war ended, and the Soviet Union collapsed, the subsidies were discontinued and the Norwegian residents began to leave.

-------------------
When the Cold War ended, the new Russian leaders  began overtures to surrounding countries. The Bering Strait area was a rich land of minerals, they needed trade, and talks began. Sverre Jerell represented the Norwegian government and was instrumental in founding a meeting of northern nations who, in 1993, met and signed the first  Kirkenes Declaration of international agreement between the USSR and its satellite countries and the Norway-USA. Conditions began to improve.

----------------



Norway's Prime Minister Stoltenberg

 It is now June, 2013. A decade has past and the Council has reconvened to celebrate the successful venture. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg played host to celebrations in Kirkenes, June 3rd and 4th to mark the 20th anniversary of international cooperation. The Barents cooperation has been important for building confidence and promoting stability in the northernmost areas of Norway. In connection with the celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary, a new Kirkenes Declaration was adopted, focusing on economic growth and sound environmental management across borders in the High North country.


Barents Summit Members, June 2013

 The Barents Euro-Arctic Region members are pictured,celebrating 20 years since the signing of the original Kirkenes Declaration. On stage are the prime ministers of Russia, Norway, Finland and Iceland, the foreign ministers of Sweden and Denmark, the vice president of the EU Commission and representatives from several observer states as they  met and signed the Kirkenes Declaration to “contribute to stability and progress” in the Barents Region.

-----------------

Stoltenberg and Russian Medvedev

The Russian Prime Minister  proposed creating joint funding projects in the Barents Euro-Arctic region “We have a good opportunity to implement joint programs and initiatives, including state and private partnerships. The emphasis on cooperation must be shifted toward specific projects,” Medvedev said Tuesday.

------------------

Aile Javo, Sami Council President

When the new Kirkenes Declaration opened, Sami Council President Aile Javo was not  in attendance. Javo chose not to attend the Barents Summit, saying  "The new Kirkenes Declaration talks a lot about improving involvement of indigenous people in the Council, but doesn’t provide details of how this will be accomplished".."They're saying they want to strengthen indigenous participation in Barents cooperation, but they, of course, need to follow up with money so it's not just nice words on paper." The council addressed the Sami's concerns and pledged to give the Sami community a bigger voice in upcoming developements.

----------------

A bilingual library in Kirkenes

Jerell originally was on a mission to establish organized representation of civil society in the Arctic countries. Cooperation between civil society groups have traditionally been one of the cornerstones in regional cooperation across the borders in the Barents Region.The past twenty years has seen several changes in attitudes and cooperation. Students from all countries are now able to travel and study  in neighboring country's schools. A library in Kirkenes is pictured with a sign in both Russian and Norwegian.

 --------------

Finnish Prime Minister Katainen

 "There are extreme opportunities for all of us," said Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen during the Summit in Kirkenes, Norway. "Today the region is facing both positive and negative implications of global warming and increased global demands for minerals, oil and gas," Katainen went on to say "This is why the Barents cooperation continues to be of upmost relevance even today."

So, apparently, enemies can become friends.

The only town in Norway where East meets West.

Kirkenes, Norway.

There's Trouble in Sweden

There’s trouble in Sweden!

There is an old saying that “There’s trouble in Denmark”, but this time, the troubles are in Sweden.

Sweden is a sparsely populated country, characterized by its long coastline, extensive forests,  numerous lakes and one of the world’s northernmost countries. Due to Sweden having arguably the highest standard of living in the world, this Scandinavian country offers residents a good life — from the cradle to the grave.

So, what could be the problem? Sweden has been transformed from a nation of moderate emigration of World War I  survivors to being  flooded later from  people displaced after World War II. In 2009, emigration reached its highest level since records began, with 102,280 people migrating to Sweden.

-----------------

  

Sweden has probably the most generous immigration, asylum and welfare policies in the world. Sweden's healthcare system is socialized and every resident of the country has access to a universal healthcare program  mostly supported through regional and local taxes. It is government funded, and will provide care to anyone who needs it regardless of their ability to pay.  Education is free from six years of age to university age, and most health care and pension benefits are paid for by employer and income taxes.The country had a reputation for generosity and an especially welcoming attitude, but now something is clearly going wrong.

----------------  

The difficulty is that Sweden has always been perceived as a high-spending country, with generous provisions for education and social help and that’s where the problems begin! In a country with a reputation for openness, tolerance and a model welfare state,  rioting has exposed a fault-line between a well-off majority and a minority who are often young people with immigrant backgrounds , who are poorly educated, cannot find work and feel pushed to the edge of society.  Swedish youth unemployment stands at 25.1 percent, about triple the level of overall joblessness, and much of that youth unemployment is concentrated around immigrants.

--------------------

     Youth unemployment is especially high in immigrant neighborhoods, and unemployed youth are rebelling. A spree of destruction has seen masked youths vandalize schools, libraries and police stations, setting cars alight and hurling stones at police and firefighters. It was sparked by the fatal police shooting earlier this month of a 69-year man, reported by local media to be a Portuguese immigrant  suspected of wielding a large knife in a Stockholm suburb of Husby.

---------------

More than 80% of the 12,000  inhabitants  in Husby are from an immigrant background, and most are from Turkey, the Middle East and Somalia.One recent government study showed up to a third of young people aged 16 to 29 in some of the most deprived areas of Sweden's big cities neither study nor have a job. Police in Stockholm called in
reinforcements  after youths set cars and a school ablaze in a fifth night of rioting, the worst to hit Sweden for years.

-----------------

 

While Thursday was slightly calmer than the four nights before, about 30 cars were torched and eight people, mostly in their early 20s, were detained, police said. Young people who are jobless and lack a good education — those who feel excluded by society, feel that they don’t have a great future ahead of them and  are filled with rage against the established society. They feel they are subject to a wide-spread sense of discrimination.

One form of discrimination often discussed in Sweden is referred to as “customer discrimination”. Many entry-level jobs for young people exist within services. According to these youth “ If you don’t speak Swedish with a perfect Stockholm dialect, because you come from a marginalized immigrant neighborhood, or for that matter from a rural part of Sweden, your ability to sell services or work in retail is lower than that of others, all else being equal. When employers have lots of applicants to choose from, they often eliminate those who don’t have the right dialect”.

-----------------

 

I. Reepalu, a Swedish Social Democrat

Ilmar Reepalu,  the Mayor of Malmo, Sweden’s third largest city, reports..
“Sweden needs lots of immigrants, because, otherwise, we can’t keep up our welfare system. We, as most parts of Europe, have too few people. Within the coming 20 years, we will have a lack of labor force, so we need more people coming to Sweden. We don’t have enough kids from ourselves.”
MP Kent Ekeroth disputing the argument that immigration keeps Sweden’s welfare system afloat, asked
“What kind of immigrants do we take in? It’s people from Somalia who have done nothing but herd sheep their whole life and we expect them to benefit our society? It’s ridiculous.”

 -------------

A Swedish convert to Muslim

There has been an "Islamophobic" backlash. Scandinavia’s largest mosque happens to be in Malmo.This photo is of  a Swedish resident who has converted to Islam as she attends  a Royal Swedish wedding.

 Reports of attacks to one helpline have increased greatly since recent atrocities, allegedly carried out by Islamic fanatics.The influx has mostly come from war-torn countries such as Iraq, Somalia, former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Syria.

--------------------

At the last report, there are estimated to be 350,000 Muslim Swedes, making it one of Sweden's biggest minorities.

While the general public in Sweden has a  negative attitude toward these foreign new-comers, there are government officials who feel that Sweden needs to accept these new immigrants.
Aje Carlbom, a social anthropologist at Malmo University, said " The government needs to accept that immigrants arriving without an adequate education were likely to remain unemployed".

-----------

In part, because of Sweden's reputation as an equitable society, news of the protests has come as something of a surprise. The reputation, however, seems to be out of date. In recent years, the country's economics and demographics have shifted to be more in line with the rest of Europe.

Immigration is an issue in many countries. However, the focus is currently on Sweden.

Have You Received Your Invitation?

It's been a long, hard winter!

The winter season has finally come to an end. Spring has arrived and the month of May is heating up with activities! I've been watching the mailbox for all the invitations to arrive and I'm ready to go. There are several very interesting social activities that really should not be missed!

----------------

     

ABBA

First of all, Stockholm Sweden was abuzz with the opening of the ABBA exhibit. Somehow, my invitation didn't arrive in time for the May 9th opening ceremony, but there's still time to see the exhibition.These Swedish members formed a group that became a world-wide  sensation as Singing Superstars of the 1970s. The group had many memorable hits that remained musical favorites long after the group disbanded in 1983. Using the first letter of their first names, they formed the group ABBA. After disbanding, they went their various ways, still keeping their musical talents at work.The Stockholm ABBA museum is expected to  be a popular tourist attraction.
  Swedish politician Kristina Axén Olin said: "As a Stockholmer, this is what you have been missing." Abba's former members issued a statement proclaiming it would be "a fun and swinging museum to visit".

-----------------

And wouldn't you know, someone lost my notice to attend another exhibition that opened April 27th!

Queen Sonja of Norway

Norway's Queen came to the  US to open an exhibition. The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) presented MUNCH-WARHOL , an exhibition featuring two of the 20th century’s most prolific and inventive printmakers.The exhibition will be on view April 27 through July 27, 2013 at Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America.

----------------------

 

Edvard Munch

Organized in honor of the 150th anniversary of Munch’s birth in 1863, the exhibition closely examines  graphic motifs produced by Munch at the turn of the century, including The Scream,  and Self-Portrait with Skeleton Arm ,later revisited by Andy Warhol. Everyone is well-aware of Munch's unhappy and despondent life leading him to express his bizarre imagination in various prints.His most famous work entitled The Scream sold in 2012 for over $119 million, setting a new record.

--------------------

The American Artist Andy Warhol

In a parallel lifestyle, an American artist shared the style of Munch and is also honored at this exhibition.
Andy Warhol was an American artist who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explored the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement that flourished by the 1960s. Born on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Andy Warhol was a successful magazine and ad illustrator who became a leading artist of the 1960s Pop Art movements.In third grade, Warhol had Sydenham's Chorea (also known as St. Vitus' Dance), the nervous system disease that causes involuntary movements of the extremities.  He became a hypochondriac, developing a fear of hospitals and doctors. 

 --------------

It was during the 1960s that Warhol began to make paintings of well-recognizable American objects such as dollar bills, Campbell's Soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles, famous celebrities  and photographs of police dogs attacking civil rights protesters.Warhol's painting of a can of Campbell's soup cost $1,500 while each autographed can sold for $6. Warhol's aim was to bridge the gap between avant-garde artists and the public. This exhibition notes very similar attitudes between these two artists: A pre-occupation of morality, ideals and alienation in life,both person and general..

--------------

“What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you can know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke too....”
- Andy Warhol

------------------

Over in Sweden, there's a celebration concerning a Crown Princess. An anniversary of a baptism!

Crown Princess Estell

Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland (Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary; born 23 February 2012), is the only child of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland. She is the first female in the history of Sweden to be born with a right to inherit the throne that cannot be superseded by the subsequent birth of a male heir. Some very important people are invited to the anniversary party.

-----------------

Her godparents are Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Prince Carl-Philip of Sweden, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, and Anna Westling Söderström, her father's sister King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

------------------

                                 And to top it all off for activities in May, Syttende Mai will be the crowning glory for Norway.once again.

    
This is the Constitution Day of Norway. On May 17th, 1814, the Norwegian Constitution was signed at Eidsvoll, Norway. The day is celebrated throughout the country, with mainly children's parades. The children are  the center of celebration on this day in Norway, as they are the nation's future. This is in the spirit of poet Henrik Wergeland, who was the one who took the initiative to celebrate this day. High School grad students who traditionally wear overall outfits in different colors representing the type of education they have finished have their own celebration.

-----------------------

To commemorate Wergeland's contribution, the "russ"  in Oslo place an oversized hat on his statue near the Norwegian parliament. Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and an official national holiday observed on May 17. A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is its very non-military nature. All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade with marching bands between schools.

--------------------

I can't wait for the mailman! Where are my invitations?

 Happy Syttende Mai!