| Taco Bell, fold the corners in well |
[Mar. 22nd, 2021|06:45 pm]
Karl-Johan
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A fellow filker noted that they worked at Taco Bell and sang work shanties there. Taco Bell and sailors' songs combined into something unholy here, based on my infamous poem on Tumblr and Evert Taube's lullaby Byssan lull, based on Fiskeskärsmelodin.
||: Taco Bell, fold the corners in well
Three people are coming down the road :||
The first with missing eye
The second with red hair
The third is lying in the gutter
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/84090.html. Please comment there. |
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| Glimmering Nymph |
[Feb. 15th, 2021|09:17 pm]
Karl-Johan
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| [ | Tags | | | filk | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Fredmans epistel 72 | ] |
It was a long time since I last wrote here, and even longer since I posted a new filk song.
But it's time for Bellman, and in English! It even connects with the old Filk Tradition of doing relatively straight adaptions of Scandinavian ballads (see also: Mary O'Meara and A Flower and a Hufflepuff).
One of Bellman's most enduring songs is Fredman's Epistle n:o 72 (Youtube), commonly known by its opening words "Glimmande nymf". There is a translation to English by Paul Britten Austin, available on Spotify, but like many of his translations I think it removes too much of the gutter nature in Bellman.
Because this is very much a song about physical love and sex, and so it fit very well with the relentlessly smutty urban fantasy series Good Intentions by Elliott Kay. Then I realised that the events in the first version of epistle 72, written 19 years earlier (Youtube), and which is far more bawdy and comic, fit perfectly to a specific scene in the first book. Technically the song is thus a big spoiler, but the scene pretty much flies past and doesn't really play a big role in the larger narrative.
( Glimmering nymph: smoldering eyesCollapse )
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/83916.html. Please comment there. |
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| Vaccine rollout |
[Dec. 19th, 2020|09:24 am]
Karl-Johan
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With the new Covid vaccines available in limited numbers, I've been mulling a bit on the principles used for distribution. That health care personnel should get first dibs is a given for me, but this article shows that the same questions can arise within that group as well: Stanford apologizes after doctors protest vaccine plan that put frontline workers at back of line
There are at least three different principles that I can see guide the vaccine rollout for health care personnel:
- People most exposed to the vaccine, e.g. those working in Covid wards. But since they are also the most exposed, other protective equipment and procedures can be used there, and no vaccine is 100% effective in any case. You will still need the protective equipment and procedures.
- People who work with at-risk patients, e.g. like elderly care. But it takes more than a month for full effect for the vaccines that I know of (ten days for partial immunity to appear, then a second dose after a month, and another ten days for full effect), and it protects risk groups but doesn't do much to limit general spread in society.
- People with lots of general contacts, e.g. primary care staff, pharmacy clerks, emergency care personnel, and so on. The goal here is to protect a group that has lots of contacts with other people, and thus runs both a high risk of unknowingly being exposed to and exposing others to the virus.
It's similar to the thinking I had for the general rollout, where a Swedish study of occupation and risk gave bus and taxi drivers a four to five times higher risk of contracting Covid than the general population. The goal here is to not only protect individual people, but to limit spread in society as quickly as possible.
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/83471.html. Please comment there. |
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| Sjung aldrig denna sång för mej |
[Nov. 26th, 2020|11:42 am]
Karl-Johan
|
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png) thette and H complained about earworms at dinner yesterday. That led to me writing the following:
Sjung aldrig denna sång för mej
Den fastnar i min hjärna
Den tar sej in som glittersprej
Det finns ej sätt att värna
Och sjung sen ej en Argo-scen
Ej Rick, stor rymd, ej styrmannen
Nej sjung aldrig denna sång för mej
Och håll nu klaffen, lyss på vad jag säger dej
Och sjung aldrig denna sång för mej!
(Ttto "Never Set the Cat on Fire")
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/83209.html. Please comment there. |
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| Guest at Consonance |
[Jan. 19th, 2020|05:09 pm]
Karl-Johan
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Apparently I haven't mentioned it here.
I'm the Interfilk guest at Consonance, March 20–22 in San Jose. I will arrive to SFO on Tuesday March 17, to have a few days to play tourist and acclimatise, and then leave again on Tuesday March 24.
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/83052.html. Please comment there. |
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| Down at the Old Worldcon |
[Nov. 19th, 2019|10:31 pm]
Karl-Johan
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On November 19th 1915, Joe Hill was murdered by the State of Utah for the crime of filking.
When I sat down to write something for this year, I knew I wanted to bring something from my experiences of the Dublin Worldcon. Not necessarily the con itself, but to bring in a theme of Swedish filk, where fandom isn't a great and wondrous thing, but where we together work to make it so. I then found Joe Hill's Down in the Old Dark Mills. As is my wont lately, I have borrowed liberally from both the original song—Down by the Old Mill Stream (Youtube)—and Joe Hill's lyrics.
( How well do I remember…Collapse )
I guess my new lyrics went a different direction than I first intended, but I still think the theme of the new and the old fandom is something worthwhile.
All my Joe Hill filks.
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/82798.html. Please comment there. |
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| Poop Eyrie |
[Aug. 19th, 2019|12:49 am]
Karl-Johan
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The space exploration panels at Dublin 2019 turned out to have a specific theme, and when Saturday's filk circle ended up with three new songs written during the con, I could do no worse. These two elements combined to this filk sacrilege, which caused bedlamhouse to call me a very very bad person.
( Cosmos glares, and suns do flareCollapse )
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/82685.html. Please comment there. |
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| Two Good Omens filks |
[Jun. 27th, 2019|06:47 pm]
Karl-Johan
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Continued discussion with thette yesterday about Good Omens and Common Metre led to the following two songs being written, usable with any CM melody.
Ineffable Husbands
My husbands were ineffable
and camp it was their sign
They went through fire without fear
convinced that this is fine
A sword it is a useful tool
to lighten up the way
to slay the lion chasing you
and rebel, as they say
The International Express Man
He was unarmed, but touch'd by none
as he walk'd through the room
he pass'd the strife and pass'd the guns
and brought the sword of doom
He tugg'd the sleeve of Sable's arm
and ask'd for his receipt
and Famine he turn'd on his charm
receiving scales so neat
By river Uck a sinking swan
is given Chalky's stare
And the brave delivery man
the crown gave in his care
Now nearly finish'd with the route
a message still was key
"I love you" written he walk'd out
Said simply "Come and See"
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/82217.html. Please comment there. |
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| The Justice League Moustache |
[Jun. 25th, 2019|02:55 pm]
Karl-Johan
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It should be readily apparent that the most famous song involving a moustache should be rewritten to cover the most famous moustache in Hollywood, or perhaps the most famous absence of a moustache.
( When it's time for reshootsCollapse )
The original version is the French "Les Moustaches", written by Gérard Gustin and Maurice Tézé, and presented by Sacha Distel (Youtube). However, I encountered the song in Swedish translation at Club Sunkit, a club specialising in strange, obscure, and forgotten music. Several Swedish bands in the late 60s and early 70s covered the song, and Sunkit gave the song a renaissance in the early 2000s with the cover by Thore Callmars Orkester (Youtube). And the moustache in this song is of course Henry Cavill's one in the Justice League movie.
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/82051.html. Please comment there. |
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| It Hurts |
[Jun. 11th, 2019|11:10 pm]
Karl-Johan
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Well, that didn't take long.
Because of course Crowley of Good Omens needs a Eurovision Song Contest filk, here is the English version of "Jag är ond", though it's not really a translation, more a new and separate filking of the "It Hurts" (Youtube), performed by Lena Ph at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest.
( Nobody but me, could know the way I feelCollapse )
Yes, the chorus has only changed a single line.
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/81712.html. Please comment there. |
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| Jag är ond |
[Jun. 11th, 2019|08:24 pm]
Karl-Johan
|
![[personal profile]](https://imgprx.livejournal.net/7170f078764ebad9d34e62b7a5e8171f3e19e196318cafda2da6fcf8d1bdbaa7/P2WlxyVijxKggGtt98peVkMdsf-ah7h0yFmVCbZBitHe5BHQgcnrB1ghT056GQJiv05e0zTaZg1RFEYV0g0o-lRBm3nIevQ:mjxJCxQ_S1L3ZxZVg_6TYA) thette has fallen hard for Good Omens, and is currently re-watching it with our daughter. Then hearing it in the background combined with Lena Philipsson's Swedish entry to the 2004 Eurovison Song Contest: Det gör ont (Youtube).
Lets see if I can scare up an English version later on, she says it deserves to be spread more.
( Och alla omkring dom märker ingentingCollapse )
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/81516.html. Please comment there. |
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| The Holly and the Ivy |
[Jun. 11th, 2019|12:31 pm]
Karl-Johan
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I discovered the English carol "The Holly and the Ivy" thanks to Heather Dale's album Perpetual Gift. The similar phonetics with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy then had a natural outcome after a dive into various fan wikis.
( The Holly and the Ivy, Are both from Arkham goneCollapse )
Note that my set of lyrics fit poorly with Heather's way of singing at times, other versions are easier to follow along with, if you don't already know the tune. And if you want to sing "Harley" instead of "Holly", feel free to go ahead.
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/81234.html. Please comment there. |
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| Sam och Dean, välkomna |
[Apr. 30th, 2019|06:09 pm]
Karl-Johan
|
Another filk written for one of thette's fandoms, in this case Supernatural, that I apparently never came around to post here. On the other hand, it is entirely fitting for today, as the base song, Sköna maj, välkommen (Youtube) is a classic piece during the Swedish Walpurgis night celebration.
( Sam och Dean, välkomnaCollapse )
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/81134.html. Please comment there. |
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| Song from Utanmyra |
[Apr. 12th, 2019|06:29 pm]
Karl-Johan
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I haven't written much lately, and those songs I did write were a bit varied in quality or were quite narrow in their topics. But here is an English translation of a Swedish folk song and jazz standard: Visa från Utanmyra (notation), with modern lyrics by Björn Lindroth, written in 1963 and most famously recorded by Monica Zetterlund (Youtube).
Content warning: the song is about rape and rape culture.
( Only one time I saw that manCollapse )
Right now my translation has focused on faithfulness to the original, and I'd be happy to receive comments, both on singability and the appropriateness of some of the lyrics.
The tune itself is known from the 18th century, as Olof von Dalin wrote a set of lyrics to the tune then. That one is wholly unrelated to Lindroth's text.
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/80862.html. Please comment there. |
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| A Flower and a Hufflepuff, presented |
[Jan. 15th, 2019|07:45 am]
Karl-Johan
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The marvellous Moss Bliss presented my "A Flower and a Hufflepuff" at the recent GAFilk, and it was recorded!
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/80475.html. Please comment there. |
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| Eddan, omtolkad |
[Dec. 23rd, 2018|10:46 am]
Karl-Johan
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För några månader sedan visade thette mig ett tumblr-inlägg kring Oden och Loke. Jag tyckte att dikten där saknade den äkta norröna knarrigheten, så jag skrev ett alternativ på ljodahattr.
Solen sken
skönt gyllene
dagen Tor föddes
På trottoaren
vid Taco Bell
där låg Loke
Nu har den lilla versen blivit översatt till engelska och isländska, blivit ristad i trä som runor, finns att köpa i illumination via Etsy och har närmare 300.000 interaktioner på Tumblr.
Men den första versen ledde till idén med att tolka Asarna i det moderna nattlivet, så nu har jag skrivit några till:
Vid Bifrosts bro
bor Heimdall
Gör Gjallarhornet redo
Hör gräset gro
Genom väggen
Tar gröna hissen
Iduns äpplen
Ökar i värde
Utav hennes omsorg
Om styrka och smak
Ser Asarna an:
Nu jäser det
Odens öga
Är i Mimers brunn:
Ser allt som sker
För vishet pant
Till Vaners gisslan
Då ser han dubbelt
Till Tryms gille
For Tor med Loke
Som bister brud och tärna
Fort och fast
Han fattade Mjölner
Och hammarn i huvet
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/80228.html. Please comment there. |
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| Properly describing fandoms |
[Dec. 16th, 2018|12:09 am]
Karl-Johan
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In order to describe different fandoms easily and succinctly, I propose the following terminology:
My fandom is passionate
Your fandom is enthusiastic
Their fandom is strident
My fandom is caring
Your fandom is supporting
Their fandom is toxic
My fandom is quirky
Your fandom is weird
Their fandom is freaky
My fandom is transformative
Your fandom use tropes
Their fandom does copyright piracy
My fandom is refined
Your fandom is small
Their fandom doesn't matter
My fandom is inclusive
Your fandom is large
Their fandom has sold out
My fandom is innovative
Your fandom is new
Their fandom is just a flash in the pan
My fandom has traditions
Your fandom is old
Their fandom is passé
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/80066.html. Please comment there. |
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| Hugo nominations |
[Dec. 14th, 2018|02:13 pm]
Karl-Johan
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Back when EPH was discussed for reworking the way Hugo nominations would work, I wrote Grokking E Pluribus Hugo. Back then, a meme ran around that it was better to nominate fewer works in one category in order to not dilute your voting power as a nominator, and it seems to still be running around among some people as they talk about their eligible works.
That is an incorrect assumption. As a voter and nominator for the Hugos, it is in your best interest to nominate as many works as you find worthy as you can.
I will illustrate it using two cases. The first is that if every single nominator in a Hugo category nominates only a single work, EPH will default back to a simple first past the post selection with six finalists—exactly the system that we had before EPH, but with much less input!
The second is more complex. Assume that an author has published two eligible works in a category: A and B. There are 500 people who are fans of the author and likes all they have written, but half of them like A a little better and half like B a little better. They would be happy if either turned up on the ballot, and really happy if both turned up. There are also 100 people who really like A but didn't care for B for some reason, or didn't get around to reading it yet.
We also assume that all other works on the ballots of these 600 people have been eliminated, or they only voted for the specific author. (Huge simplification, I know.)
Under the meme that one should not dilute the nomination, everyone of these 500 people who liked A and B will nominate either A or B, and we split it in half. Then A gets 350 nominators and 350 points, while B gets 250 nominator and 250 points. But if the 500 nominated both, then A gets 600 nominators and 350 points (500 / 2 + 100), while B gets 500 nominations and 250 points. And if B gets eliminated, then A has 600 nominators and 600 points.
Now, the points are used to select candidates for elimination, but the actual decision on which work is eliminated is done by the raw number of nominators. Looked at it that way, both A and B stand a much higher chance of not being eliminated if selected as a candidate for elimination, and if B is eliminated then A stands a much higher chance of becoming a finalist.
The general advice regarding Hugo nominations is thus: nominate all the worthy works that you would like to see on the final ballot!
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/79799.html. Please comment there. |
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| Three Legends of Tomorrow Filks |
[Dec. 11th, 2018|08:17 am]
Karl-Johan
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thette has been much more into TV series than books for a while now, and one of her favourites lately has been Legends of Tomorrow, which she appreciates partly through its sheer campiness. Then she showed me the ending of the season 3 finale with Beebo, leading to no less than three songs about that cuddly giant bear.
( Beebo cuddlesCollapse )
That song didn't quite capture the sheer camp and silliness of the scene, so I wrote another one.
( En vänlig nalles blåa fotCollapse )
But thette and I had recently talked about "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, which led to yet another one, more closely based on the Swedish parody "Brolin" by Spirella Girls (Youtube), about a woman whose husband ends up following the then football world championships rather than caring about her.
( BeeboCollapse )
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/79493.html. Please comment there. |
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| We Want Much More Captain Marvel |
[Dec. 6th, 2018|11:09 pm]
Karl-Johan
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Back in the 80s in Sweden, local music was lousy with earworms. One of middling ones was "Vi vill ha mera" (Youtube) by Kenneth and the Knutters.
Then kate_nepveu mentioned the catchphrase "higher further faster" for the upcoming Captain Marvel movie, and how it left out the concluding "more". And the phrase and the song smashed together in my head.
( You can find peopleCollapse )
(In filk parlance, this can be viewed as a follower to "We Want Rey" by The PDX Broadsides.)
Crossposted from https://kjn.dreamwidth.org/79111.html. Please comment there. |
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