The prerunner to this website was started in 2001 or 2002, I am not sure which, while I was still in Angola. It was then a website on Angola written in Norwegian. As I left Angola in 2003, I started this website, which also included a section on Anarchism. As time has passed, the website has expanded biologically (except for the spring of 2004 when a few adjustments were made to the design and internal navigation) to represent my different interests - a newsletter, the library, a blog and many subsections have been added. The files and folders of the website, the scripts and the design, it had all become very untidy: the summer of 2006, therefore, the website was completely redesigned and reorganized once again.

When I started Bjornthegreat.com, I started by adapting information from my previous website to build the Angola section. I wrote something like a mission statement, which was on my Angola index page until the summer 2006 version was released:

"Angola is a beautiful country located on the west coast of Africa. I lived here for three years, which made a great impression on me. I will try to publish some pictures & information here. Information about this country, which sadly was destroyed by a terrible war, is hard to find, and very inaccurate. I will be updating and adding information as often as suitable, and links will be made below."

That was the beginning of Bjornthegreat.com, judge for yourself where it has come.

About me, my interest in Angola is largely a result of three years as an expatriate in Luanda, a time I truly enjoyed. During the last of those three years, I also got an interest in Anarchism as a political idea. This came as I was struggling to make gunpowder and did a search on the internet, which brought me to 'The Anarchist Cookbook'. Fascinated by what I read, I continued doing research on anarchism and found a lot of material. Soon I came to respect, but not believe in, anarchism and anarchist ideals. By now my interest in anarchism is less about violence and gun powder than freedom.

Since this is about me as a person (rather than me as a webmaster), I should perhaps mention some of the other things I do. When inside and not studying or working on my website I usually either read - both literature and popular science - or listen to music. Within literature I find that I usually enjoy fairly modern works the most - say, those written since WWII (Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt' and Carrol's books about Alice in Wonderland are the exceptions). Particularly, my interest is drawn to works about the Africa and post-colonial world - for example Coetzee and Conrad.

When I listen to music, I primarily enjoy the experimental rock from the very late 1960's - early Pink Floyd, early Deep Purple, Captain Beefheart, Love, The Doors and Traffic, for example. Occasionally, I also try to make sense of contemporary popular music - Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, Oasis, Muse, and a variety of Norwegian bands. Music, as I see it, provides both relaxation and good opportunities for reflection.

Except for that, I have profound belief in the Human Rights Declaration and especially the 2nd article: '... without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.' I am also of a political understanding which favours freedom and the possibility for every person to create something. I see this freedom as much more important than the total equality in a society. Perhaps this is because I was born in Norway, a country that (traditionally) has favored equality to freedom.

By religion I believe myself to be an atheist: I believe in no superior being nor anything such as spirits, ghosts or the paranormal. I still don't reject the idea that there is a lot in the universe that we cannot explain and a lot on earth that we do not know of. I also believe in the powers of each individual and how every person can make his or her own luck and help others in seeking theirs. This is no more supernatural than our given ability to interact.

My political and ideological opinions are a little vague. I do, however, belong to a capitalist/laissez-faire understanding. Although I understand and respect the principles of socialism, I see the creation of wealth and not the distribution of it as the main problem in economics and politics.

When it comes to sports, I have a few interests. I do extreme unicycling, a sport which demands agility, balance and self-control. I also run long distance, sea-kayak, climb and enjoy skiing and off-road biking. Over all, I believe that sports should challenge a person mentally as well as physically and offer a person the freedom and excitement needed in life.

Since this is about me, I would also like to mention that I am proud to carry my (about) fourty years old Certina DS-2 Automatic, a wristwatch which I am very found of. I also always wear a necklace which I bought my last full day in Africa, a day I will never forget.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my website, I hope you found something of interest. Also, I would be very happy to receive mails with questions or comments that you might have. Please send these to bjorn[at]bjornthegreat.com. Oh, and by the way, friend me on facebook!