Month: February 2025

Odd Swedish names

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

Ok, I know that English has quite a lot of funny names such as Dick and Willy, but Sweden also has its fair share.

Here come the top 10 hysterical and odd names that people in Sweden actually have.

  • 1. Gun. A popular name of over 18000 women in Sweden. Not bad for a pacifist country
  • 2. Jerker. Seriously. A man’s name, and also the name of a piece of furniture at IKEA.
  • 3. Saga. Ugly when pronounced in English, this name for a woman actually means ‘fairy tale’.
  • 4. Odd. An odd one this. A name owned currently by 735 men in Sweden.
  • 5. Even. Interestingly, the name Even also exists. Odd and Even would make a well-balanced coupled wouldn’t they?
  • 6. Love. It’s true. You could fall in love with a Swedish boy called Love.
  • 7. Ninni. A name of a Swedish woman. Although it means ‘an idiot’ in English, I assume all Ninnis in Sweden are not stupid.
  • 8. Knut. An unfortunate name that, at best, gets pronounced as nut, and at worst gets the letters mixed up to mean something altogether more rude
  • 9. Tintin. Yeah, it’s true. There are many people in Sweden, both male and female, who have this name. Over 500 to be more precise.
  • 10. Titti. This has to be the queen of all unfortunate Swedish names. 1024 women in Sweden currently bear this name with pride.

    • Sweden – a peaceful society awash with violence

    Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

    Yesterday in the town of Örebro in Sweden, 10 people were killed in a despicable school shooting. While this kind of attack is rare in Sweden, it follows a rapidly escalating period of terrible bombings, gang shootings and other hate crimes in society. In 2025, so far, there has been at least one crime of this type reported on the news every day.

    Politicians, police and the population in general are devastated. It seems like authorities have lost control, and it is not easy to fix, as it has been going on a long time. However, it is resolvable – with the right strategies and the right investments.

    I was curious on how AI might solve the problem, so I asked the question. And this is what I got. Definitely food for thought, and many good suggestions for concrete action.

    Stopping a wave of shootings and bombings requires a multi-layered approach that addresses both immediate threats and the deeper causes of violence. Here are some key strategies:

    1. Immediate Security Measures

    • Increase Law Enforcement Presence: Deploy more police in high-risk areas to deter attacks.

    • Improve Intelligence Gathering: Strengthen surveillance, monitoring of extremist groups, and cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

    • Gun and Explosive Control: Tighten regulations on firearms, ammunition, and bomb-making materials.

    2. Addressing Root Causes

    • Social and Economic Programs: Address poverty, unemployment, and lack of opportunities that may push individuals toward violence.

    • Education and Awareness: Promote education programs that counter radicalization and teach conflict resolution.

    • Mental Health Support: Provide access to counseling and mental health services to identify and assist individuals at risk.

    • De-radicalization Programs: Engage with communities to rehabilitate individuals influenced by extremist ideologies.

    3. Political and Legal Reforms

    • Strengthen Laws Against Violence: Enforce strict penalties for illegal weapons possession, terrorist activities, and hate crimes.

    • Promote Dialogue and Mediation: Encourage political and community leaders to engage in discussions that prevent extremism and violence.

    • Fight Corruption: Ensure law enforcement and government agencies operate transparently to maintain public trust.

    4. Long-Term Cultural Shifts

    • Promote Nonviolence and Tolerance: Through media, education, and religious institutions, promote peaceful coexistence.

    • Strengthen Community Bonds: Encourage local communities to work together in preventing violence.

    • Regulate Social Media Misinformation: Work with tech companies to prevent the spread of extremist propaganda.

    A society that combines strong security measures with social reforms and long-term cultural changes has the best chance of stopping a wave of shootings and bombings.