Tuesday, October 31, 2006

 

Pit Stop Oslo

Hey!
Arrived from Berlin yesterday evening. It was an excellent long weekend.
Have many photos I want to post but I will only upload one small one 'cause of the slow internet connection I've got.



This photo is showing me and Øystein at Rodrigo and Anna's place just before we leave for this private theme party down town. Haha, great fun.

OK, can one ever be ready for Russia? Hmm.. I don't think so.
Have a nice week!
Cheers

Sunday, October 22, 2006

 

Grand Theft Bike

AARRRRRGH!!!!!

Who the hell would want to take my bike???!!!

It's gone...

I can't believe it...

It was hid behind a big SUV out of sight from the street...

Three theories:
1. A drug addict walks around peoples houses to see if there are some bikes that can take him to town.
2. One of those money collecters came to my door, but instead of asking for money he/she took my bike. (That means it is the medics without borders fault.) Probably not.
3. Most likely; someone from work was pissed off by the fact that I was leading the most days by bike to work competition. Shame on you!

Argh... black clouds are gathering above my head.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

 

Yesterday

OK, you might think I'm starting every post with a beatles song title, but no, I really mean yesterday.

Yesterday was a really crappy day.

Went home from work around seven. Tired and hungry as hell.
Took the elevator for a change.


Down in the basement garage. This is my CEO.


Thought I'd make a pizza when I got home. Thought I had enough wheat flour. Nope. Had to use oatmeal. Didn't look good.


Then I found out that my can opener was in my car down at work. All I had was this english pipe wrench. Not good at all. Made a tiny hole after 10 minutes. Got it all out.


This will never work.


But it did. Mmm!


Even though it ended well, I'm afraid I lost a star in the michelin guide.

At work today. Feel I have to get ahead in order to take my vacation next thursday.
I can't wait! Berlin, Russia and Statfjord A!

Friday, October 20, 2006

 

I am the walrus

Sorry, yet another off topic title, but it is taken from a very nice beatles song.

Wednesday: Met some people from work after taekwon-do practise. Was only supposed to have two beers and then go home. After all it was 1000 in the evening. But no, I was home at 0200. Drunk.
Thursday: Woke up at 0918. Shit! Got to work in 20 minutes. First time I've overslept and come in late after I started (we have core time at work from 09-15).
It was a painful day. Had to take a brake from 1530 to 1900 to play indoor hockey. Managed to twist my ankle, but fortunately not as bad as one and a half year ago. Went back to work. Went home at 2100.
Friday: I can still walk, but my foot's kind of stiff. Think it'll be OK. Had a meeting with one bank today. Wanted to ask for a loan. Scheduled a meeting with two other banks as well while I was at it.
Hmmm... Looks like I kiss my own apartment good bye for now. I couldn't get more than 1.2... Looks like I have to get a girlfriend and move in with her. That was, according to the banks, the best solution.... Maybe it is.
Anyways; because of my mid day excursions I have to work late. WANT TO GO HOME! Blah...

I'm all alone in the office landscape now... I'll go and get another cup of coffee and maybe sing a song.

Hope everyone will have a nice weekend.
Cheers

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

 

Weekend in Haugesund

Hi there! Was supposed to post this yesterday, but until 15 minutes ago the statoil citrix server was down.

First I want to say that this makes me very sad:
Chinese military shoot people on their way to the Dalai Lama

Sunday morning. What happened friday and saturday can be summerized as Alle tiders spill, PES, football/Soccer and Alcohol.
Woke up kind of early, kind of mystical view out the window.


Then I saw this cool flower that had sprung out.


Sunday equals matchday! Me, Asbjørn and Håvard. FK Haugesund - Hødd: 1-0, an excellent match! FK Haugesund seem to avoid relegation from first division.


Afterwards it was time for our own match. "Haugesund" Vs. Karmøy. I played goalkeeper for "Haugesund" although I live in Karmøy when I'm at home.... It all worked out.
We lost 2-4. I could probably have kept two of them out, but no.. let's say it's a team effort.
Me stretching my taekwon-do-legs :-P


The team minus one:


Thomas' brother Morten felt he got in too good shape during the match :-p


The burns I got on my knees from playing on the artificial grass was so bad I was still bleeding yesterday evening, colouring my white taekwon-do suit red... and I had to struggle to open my jaw this morning after Asbjørn cleared the ball into it... :-D Nothing says good game more than pain :-p

OK, have to work.
Cheers!

Friday, October 13, 2006

 

Berlin, Germany!

Yey!
Me and Øystein are going to Berlin friday 27th of October!

Schöne Frauen, Bier und Bratwurst!

Time for weekend!
Bye!

Thursday, October 12, 2006

 

FYI, for those who might be interested,

- Deeply affected by tragedy
Document Owner: Atle Teigland Created: 12 Oct 06 11:25 CET


Group Union Convenor in Aker Kvaerner, Atle Teigland, is upset to see individuals outside of the company try to profile their own interests in the wake of the tragic accident.

- We are all deeply affected by this tragedy. It is difficult to put words on the feelings you have when you lose colleagues both from Aker Kvaerner and from a subcontractor. That is why I am upset to see some people use this tragic accident to profile their own interests. It is unacceptable that a group that calls themselves an employee union, behaves in this way,” says Employee representative, Atle Teigland.

- What kind of responses or signals have you gotten from employees regarding safety on Atlantic Airways?

- As representatives for the employees, if we had gotten information that implied that it was in any way, irresponsible of Aker Kvaerner to use these planes, we would have stopped the employees from flying immediately.

- Some of Aker Kvaerner’s employees have criticized the safety of the planes in the media. Can you comment on this?

- Focus on safety is a part of the culture of Aker Kvaerner. Our HSE policy and our routines challenge and encourage employee to report all incidents. These practices are important in order for us to have a good picture of the safety aspects in all areas of our operations.

- Is it your opinion that flight safety is well-taken care of?

- I think the answer is obvious, when our employees, our employee representatives and our management use planes to transport employees back and forth from projects.

- Are Aker Kvaerner’s routines and procedures for reporting near accidents and undesirable happenings good enough?

- We are always striving to improve. It is a part of Aker Kvaerner’s culture.

- When employees report incidents, are they heard and taken seriously?

- With the strong safety focus we have in our companies, it would surprise me very much if we didn’t catch all the signals, undesirable events and dangerous situations --but there is always room for improvement.

- What can Aker Kvaerner learn from this tragic plane accident?

- It is too early to conclude the cause of the accident and therefore, it is too early to determine which actions we must eventually take.

- A broad review of Atlantic Airways with a strong focus on safety was conducted before we signed the agreement with them in 2004. In addition, the official Aviation control authorities inspected the company and the planes. After the accident, Aker Kvaerner has checked with the Civil Aviation Authorities both in Norway, and once again in Denmark, and their response is that it is safe to fly with Atlantic.

- Right now our complete attention is directed toward taking care of those affected by the accident. We will follow closely with the Aviation Commissions investigation, the results and conclusion. If some information is uncovered that indicates that there is a safety risk in using these planes, we will take immediate action, says Teigland, Group Union Convenor in Aker Kvaerner.

________________________________________

Letter from the CEO
Document Owner: Martinus Brandal Created: 11 Oct 06 18:22 CET


Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday was a tragic day for all of us. All 16 people on board the plane that slid off the runway and caught fire at Stord Airport in Norway were on the job for Aker Kvaerner.

Four of the people on board are missing and believed to be dead, 2 of whom were directly employed by Aker Kvaerner. Thankfully 12 people were safely rescued and taken care of.

Word of the accident at Stord reached me when we arrived at Hammerfest Airport at approximately 9 AM. My thoughts went immediately to the families of the victims, and the pain they must be experiencing.

A few hours later, Simen Lieungh (EVP, FDE), Stian Vemmestad (Pres., AKST) and I arrived at Aker Kvaerner Stord. Together with Tore Engevik (President, AKEL) and Kristian Pedersen (Emp. Rep.) we met the crisis team at Aker Kvaerner Stord. Witnessing such an occurrence so close hand had a strong effect on all of us.

We then visited the hospitals at Stord and in Bergen where the injured were brought. Most of them suffered from burn and smoke injuries, but their condition was described to us by the hospital as stable. We met with them and some of their families. Some of the injured were in intensive care, while we witnessed with relief 4 of the injured being discharged from the hospital. It was a very moving experience for all of us.

Today, and in the weeks to come, we are following up those that lost their loved ones, the survivors and their families, making sure that they receive any support that we can provide for them at this difficult time. We are, or course, offering to take care of transport and accommodations for them to the accident site, as well as the hospital and any other practical assistance that they might need.

A minute of silence was observed in Aker Kvaerner worldwide today in honour of those that died. In addition, on Thursday, October 12, commemorative services will be held at the Ormen Lange site, Stord, in Stavanger and at the corporate offices in Lysaker.

All of us were shocked by the events of yesterday. I understand that many feel the need to discuss what happened. We will continue to operate crisis centres at Stord and in Stavanger. In our other offices we encourage you to talk to your colleagues and take it up with your local manager if you feel the need for further assistance.

I get feedback from employees who are concerned about the safety of flying. Let me be clear. We don’t compromise when it comes to safety. We have people on hundreds of flights worldwide every day, and we want to be confident that both the airlines and the airplanes Aker Kvaerner employees use are safe.

Safety has been the focus since the start of our relationship with Atlantic Airways in 2004. Part of the broad evaluation we did before engaging its services was focused on safety. In addition to the evaluations we performed ourselves, we also contracted external aviation specialists for the review process. The Civil Aviation Authorities in Denmark have inspected and approved Atlantic Airways and its planes – with no remarks on safety. Safety has also been the focus in our normal contact with Atlantic. During our collaboration, we have experienced that feedback and concerns from our employees have been dealt with by the airline.

Atlantic Airways uses a plane type called BAE-146. There are approximately 300 of these planes being used by airlines in Europe and elsewhere. Aviation authorities and airlines in general, consider this plane type to be very safe.

After the accident on 10 October, we have been in contact with the Civil Aviation Authorities in both Norway and Denmark. We are also in dialogue with Atlantic Airways. We have received reassurance from both the Civil Aviation Authorities and the airline that it is safe to continue to fly with Atlantic and its planes.

At a time like this we can understand that there might be some of you that are not comfortable flying. We encourage you to take it up with your local manager who will try to assist you in making other arrangements for your travel. Out of respect for the concern many employees may feel, we have decided that Atlantic Airways charter flights will not use Stord Airport until further notice.

In addition to the measures I have mentioned, we will be closely following the investigations now being undertaken by the Civil Aviation Authorities.

Please be assured that I, and the whole management of Aker Kvaerner, have safety as our highest priority.

My thoughts and deepest sympathy goes to the families of those who lost their loved ones, and to those that have been injured in this dreadful accident.

Martinus Brandal
President & CEO
Aker Kværner ASA

___________________________________________



We are having a moment of remembrance tomorrow from 10.00 to 11.30.

 

Bike Madness!

I might want to hide for the next few days... :-p
Some hard core bikers might be mad at me for leading the "days of riding a bike to work" chart :-D Look at the milage... haha. 20 km in 10 days... some of the hard core fellas do 50 km a day...


Anyway, I was thinking of maybe taking a trip to Kjerag this weekend, but I've postponed it as my father left for Oslo before he could put my rucksack, tent and primus for someone to pick up when going to Stavanger.

So, maybe inviting people to stavanger or going to Haugesund will be a good idea?

Indoor hockey tonight! :-D Bought an ice pack in case we have bad accidents as last time. Probably the head of the first aid kit has forgot to buy one this time as well...

Ups.. back to work!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

 

Same Company

We just had a meeting downstairs.
Two of the three people who died in the plane crash was from my company.



We were told we could go home now if we wanted.

 

Life

First thing I heard this morning was that a plane had gone down at the Stord Airport. Maybe colleagues on board.. But they weren't. It was workers on the way to The Ormen Lange Project with a pit stop at this airport.
Something had gone wrong when landing. 13 have are now safe. Three are missing.


Taekwon-do is cancelled this week. Got bored yesterday. Went to see the german movie "das Leben der Anderen" that was about this guy in the Stasi who was surveilling an composer in the DDR. Great movie.

Found out that I need to change something. So I decided to stop buying frozen pizza. That shit is so bad...

Sort of finished moving now. Still don't like it. But maybe I should try to look positive at things.

Friday, October 06, 2006

 

Online!

Hey!
Finished moving, tried the new coffee bar. Nice view on the balkony.
Going to the city to buy a hip-flask so I don't need to buy all the alcohol at the hotel where the autumn party will be.
Then we are going to drink beer at my place before we head to Sola to meet the others.
Have a nice weekend!
Cheers

 

Moving...!

Hey

I'll be moving today.

Hate it.

Will be offline in about three minutes.

Have a nice weekend!

Bye

Thursday, October 05, 2006

 

Animals

Today is Animal day!!

Never knew we had such a day here in Norway.. But we have womens day, fathers day, mothers day, liberation day, constitution day, norwegian lamb stew day and so on... So why not?
Do your animal, beside you or within you, something good today.

It's a whole year until next time.

Time to go back to work.



Wednesday, October 04, 2006

 

The Weekend

This weekend started with me and three colleagues going out to drink at 1500. Not the best idea. I went to bed early that evening.

Woke up at 0700 saturday morning. Ate breakfast, drank coffee, went to work. (OK, I really just went to the place I work to take my car into the company leaders garage and try fixing it...)

On the way to work. Grain silos in the back ground, the town bridge above. The house on the left is the one that got sprayed by a machine gun three weeks ago.


This is a very left dominated part of the city. Good thing.


A poor guy has forgotten his empty bottle trolly in the middle of the street.


Sunday I was a caddy for a friend who played a golf turnament in Stavanger. Guess the reason I don't play golf my self is because of people like the guy closest to the camera. I had two holes in my trousers. Some gave me evil looks...


It was very nice walking around there. Good and relaxing. But would probably be more fun if I actually played myself. But what is this!? A golf car?! What the hell is the point of that??


Went to see Viking against Tromsø sunday evening. Excellent match! Viking won 1-0.


A full stadium, a loud passionate crowd.


Hmm.. two more days and then it is friday. The legendary Autumn Party at work. Looking forward to that.

Have a nice day people!
Cheers

Monday, October 02, 2006

 

FAAN

Faen faen faen faen!!!!!!!

I'm forced to move.

Bye convenience.

Bye good times.

Argh!!!

But at least I wasn't forced to move to Buøy...

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