Watch spectacular footage of humpback whales playing under the Aurora Borealis

A Norwegian photographer captured the most amazing footage of a group of humpback whales, playing under the Northern Lights off the coast of Kvaløya (Whale Island) near the city of Tromsø.

 

Harald Albrigtsen works as a photographer for the Norwegian state broadcaster NRK and often spends time capturing the Northern Lights on film in his home town of Tromsø.

One night he really got particularly lucky as he came across a group of humpback whales, playing in the light of the Aurora Borealis. He told NRK about the experience.

"On my journey, I suddenly came across a group of humpback whales that were playing in the Northern Lights. I went back the next day to see if I could come closer."

"After a few hours I had almost given up, but then they showed up again."

According to the Local, Albrigtsen used a new Sony A7 camera, which can capture images in extremely low light conditions, allowing him to capture the Northern Lights while also shooting moving objects.

"Many may be getting tired of standard Northern Lights photography. Now, there is an opportunity to capture living beings under the Northern Lights. The possibilities for creating new images are greater." 

"It was a great feeling when I saw that I had managed to capture the whales under the Northern Lights for two days in a row. I didn't even know if they were in focus." 

Watch the amazing footage in the video included below - you can even hear the whales as they play.


Image: Screen capture from YouTube video

Norway finds flu vaccination has very limited effect

A study run in Norway with the latest flu vaccine has shown that it has only a very limited effect in preventing or curing flu symptoms in healthy adults.  Experts are saying, if you are a healthy, wholesome adult you do not need a flu vaccination, so, before you rush out to get that flu jab, consider the following.

The study was carried out by Cochrane Collaboration and examined the flu vaccination studies carried out on 90 people. Of 71 people who received the vaccine, only one case of the flu was actually prevented.  There was apparently no effect of the number of sick days among those patients, or their hospital admissions.

According to Allan Randrup Thomsen, professor of virology at the Department of International Health at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, “This is a well-known observation.”

Chief physician Tyra Krause from the State Serum Institute in Denmark is also not surprised by the results saying, “It is not surprising, because young and healthy people don't have a high risk of a serious flu. That is why we recommend the vaccine only to the risk groups.”

Key risk groups for the flu are older people from 65 years and above, the chronically ill, pregnant women and overweight persons.  These groups have the greatest chance of suffering serious complications from the flu, some of which could, reportedly, be fatal.

On the other hand, many patients, otherwise young and healthy, have suffered severe side-effects just after receiving a flu jab. 

Norwegian sources:
Forskning.no
The Local

Photo: In the Public Domain

Police investigate horrific screams in Oslo, find frustrated chess player

Police in Oslo were swift in responding to an emergency call, after horrific screams were heard coming from an apartment in the city.  Neighbors were sure someone was being murdered.

On arrival, police found one lone chess player, frustrated by his performance at the game and howling his head off.Apparently the chess player doesn't have much luck playing against his computer.

The Oslo police tweeted about the situation after the incident saying, “We’re at the place. Just a chess-player frustrated by constantly losing against his own PC.”

Norwegian source: Osloby
Animated gif: CC-by-SA Haabet

Spoof video: 'Who wants to be a Volunteer?' ... in Africa

The Norwegian student organization, SAIH, has released a funny parody video about young people, volunteering to help in Africa.  

This is a spoof take on the stereotypical associations people make with Africa, up to and even including charity and aid organizations.

How many people do you know think Africa is one big country with a lot of separate states?  This is one of the stereotypes the African continent suffers on a regular basis.

There are definitely some South African accents in there, so, while the description didn't mention it, the video was probably made in South Africa. For everyone that remembers "Who wants to be a Millionaire," you can now enjoy "Who wants to be a Volunteer," below...

SAIH leader, Jørn Wichne Pedersen, said: “We wish to combat stereotypical and negative communication as used by other aid organizations' videos.”

The video is a nominee for Norway's Rusty Radiator Awards, where winners are due to be announced on December 2nd, in Oslo.

Pedersen said: “The goal of the award is to promote more creativity and innovation within aid assistance communication.”

The Student volunteer organization SAIH was set up in 1961 and has member groups across Norway.  The organization is funded by voluntary donations from approximately 130,000 students each year.  Seventy percent of the funds raised are used overseas with partners in Africa and South America.

Norwegian man finds $16,000 in old safe at recycling plant

It's the stuff of dreams. John Erik Tvietdal, 22, works at a recycling facility in Norway as an excavator operator.  A locked safe was dumped at the site and just for fun at the end of his shift, Tveitdal decided to open it.  What he found was amazing.

He joked to his colleague, "Suppose there is a million in there," never dreaming there would be any money in a safe someone had thrown away.

He placed the safe on the ground and beat down on it with the arm of his excavator. When he eventually managed to rip off the front door of the safe he got a huge surprise. Inside were six bags full of cash.

"I felt I was in heaven and I thought I must be dreaming," he told the local media. "I stood there with 117,000 kroner [around $16,000] in my hand and thought that right there I had a holiday in the tropics and a hot tub for the wife and me, but instead I ran straight to the boss and gave him the money."

Rather unfortunately for Tveitdal, his company Norsk Gjenvinning Group, traced the owner of the safe and gave them back the money.    It can only be hoped that they gave the poor guy a decent reward for his efforts.

Incidentally the company was asked what would have happened if Tveitdal didn't open the safe.  Apparently it would have gone through a major fragmentation mill which would have divided it up into pieces, completely destroying all that lovely loot.

Meanwhile Tveitdal told VG that it is rare to see a safe at the recycling plant, but he will always open them in the future, just in case.

Norwegian source
The Local

Norwegian fisherman finds adult toy in fish's stomach

A fisherman in Norway made a surprising (and quite funny) find the other day. Not something you would normally find in a cod's stomach.

Bjørn Frilund, 64, was in the process of gutting a large cod that he had caught when he noticed a big lump in its stomach. On cutting into the fish he at first found two, half-digested herrings. No problem there. But on continuing, he then he pulled out a large, bright orange vibrator.

Frilund has been fishing in the waters surrounding his home town of Eidsbygda in western Norway, for a long time, but this is apparently the first time he has come across a fish that has swallowed an adult toy.

"I was astonished," he told The Local. "It was totally unexpected. I had never seen anything like this before."

According to Frilund, the fish probably mistook the vibrator for a cephalopod, which apparently is a type of octopus.

"Fish eat all kinds of different things," he said. "And the dildo looks like what the fish eat. We have a kind of multicolored octopus in Norway, maybe the cod thought this was one of these and ate it."

However he said that it was still amazing that the fish found the darn thing. He is of the opinion that the vibrator, which still had a little motor on the end of it, had been thrown from a boat perhaps by "a frustrated woman on a cruise" in the Barents Sea.

"The chances of winning the lottery are probably greater," he said.

So there you go. Always something new happening in Norway!

Norway TV broadcasting will warm up your feet

For those feeling chilly this winter, Norway is broadcasting a 12-hour prime-time show on local TV of a burning fireplace. Tune in, zone out and put your feet up to get warm. 

Apparently the show will not only feature a burning fire, however, but will also be accompanied by commentary by "firewood specialists" along with cultural news and expert advice, according to Reuters.

Rune Moeklebust, a producer for state broadcaster NRK, told the media, "We'll talk about the very nerdy subjects like burning, slicing and stacking the wood, but we'll also have cultural segments with music and poems."

"It will be very slow but noble television," he added. Apparently this is not the first time that NRK has actually set a world record for broadcasting the longest, continuous TV program. 

Two years ago they apparently broadcast 134 hours of a cruise ship sailing up the Norwegian coast on its way to the Arctic. It was so popular, that apparently at one stage 60% of the population was watching the show. It seems that long calming sequences of images has become the network's trademark and Norwegians like it.

Another hit was an eight-hour train journey across Norway, which the locals liked so much, it was actually repeated.

The latest show idea was apparently inspired by the success of a book, written by firewood celebrity Lars Mytting. The book is titled "Hel Ved", meaning "strong character" in English. However, "ved" apparently also means "firewood". Reportedly the book has sold approximately 130,000 copies in its first year after publication, which is not bad going, considering Norway's population of only 5 million people.

Getting back to the show, Moeklebust said, "People in Norway have a spiritual relationship with fire. Fire is the reason we're here, if there was no firewood, we couldn't live in Norway, we'd freeze." 

Asked how he thought the show might do in the TV ratings, Moeklebust said, "More people will tune in than on a normal Friday night." 

Gawker had something funny, and somehow appropriate, to say about the whole idea:

Staring at fire was originally developed as an entertainment property by cavemen, and had an impressive, multi-millennia run as the number-one method of entertainment during primetime hours across several demographics before being superseded by television.

What do you think? Could you sit in a stupor watching a burning fireplace on the little screen for hours on end?

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/343923

European Union wins Nobel Peace Prize with praise, shock & humor

The EU, a 27-nation organization, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its historic role in "uniting the continent" and its contributions “to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.'' 

As Europe continues to struggle with the current economic crisis, bail outs and people going hungry and without employment, the EU wins the Nobel Peace Prize 2012.

This has caused a heated debate and even, apparently, some laughter, over the validity of this prize.

Possibly those suffering from the austerity measures being harshly imposed in some European countries, including Spain, Greece and Italy, would tend to disagree on the "democracy" and "human rights" aspects of the prize awarded to the EU.

The unanimous decision was made by a five-person panel chaired by Thorbjoern Jagland, Council of Europe Secretary-General, who is a strong advocate of the EU in Norway. According to Jagland, “The EU helped transform Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace.”

“It is a message to Europe to secure what they have achieved . . . and not let the continent go into disintegration again because it means the emergence of extremism and nationalism,” he added.

The predecessor of the EU was the European Coal and Steel Community, which helped to rebuild a continent, decimated by two World Wars. Possibly it would have been more suitable for the prize to be awarded at that stage, when the organization was actually doing some good for it's people?

Martin Callanan, leader of the Conservatives and Reformists Party in the European Parliament said, “The Nobel committee is a little late for an April fools joke. Twenty years ago this prize would have been sycophantic but maybe more justified. Today it is downright out of touch.”

Ironically, Norway, the Nobel Peace Prize’s host nation, refused to take up membership in the EU in 1972 and again in 1994. Speaking to local news service NRK, Heming Olaussen, leader of Norway’s anti-EU membership organization, described the awarding of the Nobel Peace prize to the EU as “absurd.” 

The Globe and Mail has a full list of reactions to the announcement ranging from shock to comedy.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain's UK Independence Party, allegedly said: "This goes to show the Norwegians really do have a sense of humor. The EU may be getting the booby prize for peace because it sure hasn’t created prosperity."

However, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK said, "The European Union is in the middle of one of its worst crises, but perhaps it is precisely now the peace and stabilization project deserves a hand from the 'no' country Norway?"

President of the EU Parliament, Martin Schulz, reportedly said he was “deeply touched and honored” by the prize.

European Commission president, José Manuel Barroso, said he was honored by the decision.“It is a great honor for all 500m citizens of Europe, for all the member states, and for all the European institutions,” Barroso said at a news conference. 

“Through its transformative power, the EU was able, starting with six countries, to reunite almost all the European continent.”

Apparently the last time an organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was 13 years ago, when French charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) garnered the award, which was probably amply deserved by them.

The last time the Nobel Committee caused a bit of controversy and raised eyebrows, was by granting the prize to a newly inaugurated US President Barack Obama, in 2009. He apparently received the award “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” It was certainly not for his later plans to remotely kill civilian women and children with drones, sign bills for the indefinite detention of US citizens without need of a warrant, keep good old Gitmo going, etc.

As part of the award, the European Union will receive the princely sum of $1.2 million from the Nobel Committee on December 10. Regrettably, this is not quite enough to bail out even one of its poor and struggling member nations.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/334717#ixzz295UPjJvD