Sports and all

Woohoo. I'm finally writing again. Saying that, I feel like there's very little to celebrate. I've been ill with a cold for a good two and half weeks and it is really starting to piss me off big time. Maybe after the weekend I'll feel better, maybe not. Time will tell.

Anyhow, it's once again time for the winter olympic games and this time in Torino. Being a Finn I guess it must be passed along in the mother's milk that at least to certain extent you just have to be watching sports, and in particular winter sports. Makes sense, if you remind yourself that winters in Finland are rather long and summers, well they usually make an attempt to arrive just to realise that it's already time to go before the fun really begins. This may be a slight overstatement but you get the picture.

Winter, nevertheless, offers a variety of sports possibilities and pastimes. Take skiing for example, Finns have never really been interested in alpine skiing as a competitive sport before the last few years. I'm tempted to blame this on the older generation who simply can not understand that you can call something like that a sport where you are being taken up the slope by machinery and come down using the force of gravity.

Most of us who have tried alpine skiing know that this is not the case but you have to remember that crosscountry skiing is a whole different story altogether. It's said to be one of the most demanding endurance sports there are and for a reason. Last time I was on a pair of x-countries was probably in the army during my national service and that's a shame, for it really is one of the best forms of exercise you can do.

This dichotomy should not prevail and it appears that alpine skiing is finally gaining some respect (not to mention snowboarding, freestyle skiing and, of all mother earth's things, curling!). This is largely thanks to two or three successful skiers who have finally brought Finnish alpine skiing to the top. Today, it appears that first Finnish alpine skiing medal has become reality. I rest my case. Did I forget to mention there are no mountains in Finland?

Now curling, there's a weird 'sport'. I'm not sure if I'm too old-fashioned to call it a sport. Sure, you need good skills to throw the stone accurately and good arms to swipe the ice clean in front of the sliding stone. But a sport?

Hype is currently the closest thing I'd use to describe the interest curling has raised over the last few days. Finland is in the olympic final against Canada and almost 1.7 million people are expected to watch this on telly. Traditionally, only ski jumping or ice hockey get such figures.

Just to create a little more contrast, Canada has one million people curling players whereas Finland has one thousand and yet, they are in the olympic final. Man, something's truly wrong or maybe 'Uusis' really is the coolest man on the planet (Finland skipper). Madness, but hey it's all good albeit I don't see people actually getting fit doing this.

Ok, that does it for the day. I still feel quite ill and fed up with my job but that's a different story so until then, adios.

Confession: Couldn't resist the temptation

Honestly I was not planning to write anything about this, but the hell, I started elsewhere and this space will not be the exception. Amen.

Yes, it is about St. Valentine's Day. Well, this day really does not matter much to me, although the media's influence and the selling of 'The Best Ever Break-Up Songs' and Tesco Value roses, or the Student Union's roses, affect the people's pockets in the island. Mieheni barely looked at me when I told him this morning 'Happy Valentine's Day', and I thought that such would be the most effort I will put into this 'tradition'. Come on, I even had the radio off to avoid hearing to all sorts of stories and songs and things about the day. But few minutes ago, I turned the radion back on.

Indeed, all changed when the first thing that appeared in my computer screen, and I literary mean that it appeared, one email from my father... There is always someone out there who will remind you about those things you bitterly want to forget about; not because you are lonely or unlovable, but because those things have acquired other meanings for you. And because simply, I like to complicate everythinggggg.

Anyway, what my father reminded me, once again, is that it doesn't matter what i think of this day. In his normal casual ways, he described how he, my mother and siblings went to celebrate the day in advance on a Sunday brunch. Yes, they went to the nice buffet place that Nygard likes. Ah, yes, dad also said that he and mom will go today, again, out for brakfast. Later, I received a text message from my boss and friend, reminding me about the date.

So that's it? Shouldn't this insanity stop here? Should I move on with my day and begin working on the outline of the last chapter of my thesis? Or should I be part of this imaginary chain? Yeah, I will be today's prophet, my own of course, but just for today.

So far I have written an email to my siblings, cousin, aunt, uncle and his partner. My grandad, other aunt and mother don't read emails, although they like chatting with me in the msn every now and then. But because the family are the people who most likely would expect me to write them on this day, I decided to write to my best friends and even attach a silly photo of mine, why not?

Lastly, I made my confession here with all the intensions of making you part of the same thing. Whatever happens after this, it will not be my responsibility, but what you decide to make of it. Just as I did.

Future will be great!

This post obviously shouldn't be here, considering the previous post. But here goes anyway, it's too good to give it a miss... and besides, I would not have money to buy this anyway.

I've been expecting for things like this for long and finally, it seems, vision becomes reality (apologies to Nokia's marketing team from whom the sentence is borrowed from).

Beer, the ultimate beverage, and the Japanese. Now, here we have an equation that can't go too badly wrong (unless you're a Japanese having drunk a few too many) if you think about future. The samurai warriors have come up with an ingenious invention that I wish will decorate my living room one day. Just look at it - refridgerator space for six cans of beverage of your choice, and an automatic pouring system delivering the perfect glass with a nice head every time at a push of a button (though I'd like to see it try and pull a perfect pint after a good old shakeup trick).

Ahh, the future will not be too bad after all as technology is coming to meet the social demand of us beer drinkers to the dot. Hence, us beer drinkers need to stick together always. Who knows what's waiting to come out from the pipeline!

Typing's making me thirsty. Hmmm... wonder what I should drink to quench this thirst?

[via Oh Gizmo]

Sad World We Live In

This is a quite accurate depiction of today's world. A British stencil artist Mantis has managed to capture the essence of contrasting worlds in a very touching way. Need or want, you decide?

I've nothing more to say.

[via Gizmodo]