The Dharma Derivative

Profound and mysterious observations about the universe, its inherent contradictions and fermented Swedish fish.

[thedharmaderivative]

Bond Briefs: ”Dr No” – The Birth of 007

So, while waiting for the latest addition that seems to be postponed again and again, for reasons legitimate but still saddening – why not start out revisiting the very first one? From time …

[thedharmaderivative]

Greatness, Gambits and Gore Galore – My Favourite TV Shows of 2020

While the world at large seemed to stop in its tracks off and on… There never seemed to be a lack of TV dramas, serialized at least, to choose from. Someone predicted this would be the year of less…

[thedharmaderivative]

NPR Music's 25 Favorite Albums Of 2020 (So Far)

How can it be possible that we're only halfway through the year? Here are 25 albums from 2020's first six months that are worth holding onto for the next six, and beyond.

[thedharmaderivative]

What makes a gathering a ‘superspreader’ event?

How can a two-hour choir practice lead to 53 Covid-19 infections? We ask an expert.

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Taiz 2010 – The Story So Far

Special Report for potential Non-Swedish Readers Approximately ten weeks ago I left the Swedish winter (unusually cold then, and still is, I’ve been told) for the Middle East. The Turkish Air…

Something I published roughly ten years ago.

[thedharmaderivative]

Nine things you need to know about Yemen right now - United Nations OCHA

As Ramadan approaches, people in Yemen, who are stuck in the world’s worst crisis, face the double threat of COVID-19 and having life-saving aid being cut back.

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Better Late Than Never – My Favourite Films of 2019

It’s late, I know. As an excuse I spent three weeks around Christmas and New Year in Mexico with my wife and her family and didn’t get around to do a whole lot of writing and compiling in general. …

[thedharmaderivative]

Spies, Drugs and Seriously Disturbed Characters – My Top 20 TV Shows of the Decade

The Walking Dead. Mad Men. Not included. So, there. For some reason I’m still stuck somewhere in the third season of TWD and just barely got around to watch a few episodes of MM. Maybe I will do so…

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(via Remember This? A Movie Trailer Like No Other...)

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”Contagion” – Compulsory Viewing or the Last Film You Would Want to Watch Right Now?

– Try not touching your face… Did you by any chance get that advice lately? Here in Sweden, we certainly have. Problem is… You can’t help it. We do it a lot more often than we are aware of. First t…

[mapsontheweb]

Beginning of the National anthems in Europe

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Coronavirus situation, March 21, 2020

[nasa]

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.‎ Pause for a moment and take in the vastness and beauty of our home planet captured from the vantage point of space. On this spaceship we call Earth, we are all in this together. 💙 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

[thedharmaderivative]

Spies, Drugs and Seriously Disturbed Characters – My Top 20 TV Shows of the Decade

The Walking Dead. Mad Men. Not included. So, there. For some reason I’m still stuck somewhere in the third season of TWD and just barely got around to watch a few episodes of MM. Maybe I will do something about that later. Still, there is so much. Too much. To watch. Here’s what stuck with me more than most of all the stuff out there. Some stories are apparently finished while others are still being told. The final verdict on some of these epics might change for the better – or worse. But, for now, this is it. 

[thedharmaderivative]

No Marvel Included – My 40 Favourite Films of the Decade

Fully aware of everything I haven’t seen, these are what I consider my 40 favourite films (all categories included), released in the decade now coming to an end. An era seemingly defined by the superhero genre, which, I might add, is not represented here. Now you know. It’s not that I can’t enjoy a Marvel or DC adventure now and then, but – how many of them are truly great cinema? SPOILER ALERT 2: a few filmmakers have stood out more than others in these last ten years; Nolan. Villeneuve. Garland. Cuarón. It will show. Also, I will emphasize the difficulty in ranking these films in a particular order. The difference in quality and impact between number one and, say, 20, is not really huge. These are all works of art and storytelling that I deeply appreciate for somewhat varying reasons. 

[mapsontheweb]

Better population density map of Sweden.

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