Happy New Year, everybody!
Friday, December 31, 2004
Argh again
175 people were killed and about 350 injured in a nightclub fire in Buenos Aires that started from fireworks.
My sincere condolences to everyone involved.
I keep getting the same cynical thought all the time: would it be in bad taste to burn a candle in memory of people who have just burned to death? Not that I am going to in any case.
My sincere condolences to everyone involved.
I keep getting the same cynical thought all the time: would it be in bad taste to burn a candle in memory of people who have just burned to death? Not that I am going to in any case.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Don't buy X! Help the victims instead!
Yesterday I imagined that "don't buy fireworks, donate the money to the tsunami victims instead"-conversation existed only among my friends, but apparently this is some larger campaign. Aside from the obvious point that most of the people saying that are people who don't like the fireworks to begin with, one weird thing that I noticed on both sides of the conversation is that a lot of people seem to believe that sacrificing something they really care about is somehow more noble. WTF is with that? One would think that anyone in their right mind would sacrifice the things that they least cared about.
Also, there seems to be some weird "light a candle" campaign. What's the point in this? I mean, people who like candles will probably light them anyway, and why would the rest of us do so? How exactly does this help some poor bugger in Sri Lanka?
Also, there seems to be some weird "light a candle" campaign. What's the point in this? I mean, people who like candles will probably light them anyway, and why would the rest of us do so? How exactly does this help some poor bugger in Sri Lanka?
Emergency aid for foreigners, again
Not content with asking various questions in my blog, I asked the Powers That Be. The American Powers That Be said that they do indeed provide help to legal permanent residents of the USA should they lose their Green Card, Reentry Permit or suchlike, and recommended that I read the fine manual. I reread their (State Department's) fine manual and did not find the information there, although I later found it in USCIS's fine manual.
The Finnish Powers That Be haven't answered yet, but it's no rush, they have better things to do right now.
The Finnish Powers That Be haven't answered yet, but it's no rush, they have better things to do right now.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Emergency aid for foreigners?
When a big disaster happens, or even a small one, all the countries immediately set up some kind of emergency aid for their own citizens who happen to be in the area. I am talking mostly about giving out documents to people who have lost theirs and arranging for getting the people home. Funnily enough their webpages and other information never seems to contain any instructions for foreigners who are living in their country. Or, for that matter, for their own citizens who are living abroad.
What is happening now to Americans living in Finland (if any) who happened to lose their documents in the recent tsunami? What about Finns living in the US? What would I have had to do if I were there? Would for example Finnish authorities have issued me some document allowing me to travel back to Finland? Or would they have demanded that I first get a similar document from the US? Or would they have been really bureaucratic and demanded that I get a real US passport before I am admitted back to Finland? Would they have let me on a flight arranged by them?
In general, do any Western countries provide any consular help to their residents who are not their citizens?
What is happening now to Americans living in Finland (if any) who happened to lose their documents in the recent tsunami? What about Finns living in the US? What would I have had to do if I were there? Would for example Finnish authorities have issued me some document allowing me to travel back to Finland? Or would they have demanded that I first get a similar document from the US? Or would they have been really bureaucratic and demanded that I get a real US passport before I am admitted back to Finland? Would they have let me on a flight arranged by them?
In general, do any Western countries provide any consular help to their residents who are not their citizens?
Ill-wishing assholes
There was a huge earthquake in the Indian Ocean two days ago, followed by a tsunami. The death toll is 33000, and still rising.
I understand that the death of 33000 total strangers halfway around the world arouses sympathy in some people and doesn't in others. What I don't understand is the creatures that crawl out of the woodwork after every major catastrophe to explain to others how it was a good thing.
I've seen quite a few of them now. Their reasoning for why it was a good thing, in the order of frequency:
1. It's good that there will be fewer people on earth, since the planet is overpopulated.
2. Tourists are bad people (don't ask me why, but I suppose that this is because tourists can afford to be somewhere warm right now and the speaker either doesn't have the time or the money. Or else the speaker is in fact a tourist and does not like to see other tourists around.).
3. It's good that Indians are dead, since they are taking Our Jobs.
I notice people like this after every disaster, and I can never stop wondering why the people who believe that overpopulation should be solved by killing people off never start out by killing themselves and giving the rest of us a good example. Maybe, or course, I never see them kill themselves because they have in fact already done it and are therefore dead, but seriously - has anyone ever heard of anyone killing him/herself in order to relieve the overpopulation?
My advice to almost everyone who is gloating over this tragedy (people who have lost personal enemies are excused as surely cannot avoid just a little bit of gloating): please consume excrement and expire. Now!
I understand that the death of 33000 total strangers halfway around the world arouses sympathy in some people and doesn't in others. What I don't understand is the creatures that crawl out of the woodwork after every major catastrophe to explain to others how it was a good thing.
I've seen quite a few of them now. Their reasoning for why it was a good thing, in the order of frequency:
1. It's good that there will be fewer people on earth, since the planet is overpopulated.
2. Tourists are bad people (don't ask me why, but I suppose that this is because tourists can afford to be somewhere warm right now and the speaker either doesn't have the time or the money. Or else the speaker is in fact a tourist and does not like to see other tourists around.).
3. It's good that Indians are dead, since they are taking Our Jobs.
I notice people like this after every disaster, and I can never stop wondering why the people who believe that overpopulation should be solved by killing people off never start out by killing themselves and giving the rest of us a good example. Maybe, or course, I never see them kill themselves because they have in fact already done it and are therefore dead, but seriously - has anyone ever heard of anyone killing him/herself in order to relieve the overpopulation?
My advice to almost everyone who is gloating over this tragedy (people who have lost personal enemies are excused as surely cannot avoid just a little bit of gloating): please consume excrement and expire. Now!
Contacts and Thaana script
Got new contacts today. They are supposed to be able to be worn while working on the computer. And hey, they work! What's more important, they are a bit stronger than the old ones, and it makes a whole lot of difference.
Tried to read a Maldivian newspaper and nmost of it turned out to be in Thaana script, which looks very cool. I did not even know that Divehi is written in it, never even heard about it before.
Tried to read a Maldivian newspaper and nmost of it turned out to be in Thaana script, which looks very cool. I did not even know that Divehi is written in it, never even heard about it before.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Fuck the revolution!
Russia approved new public holidays, and the Great October Revolution Day won't be a holiday anymore. Well, better late than never, I'd say. It sure did take them a long time.
Now if they would only remove that rotting (or, more likely, plastic) carcass from the Mausoleum and bury it in a rural toilet where it belongs, I would be almost ready to believe that Russia might become a civilized country in a couple of centuries.
Unfortunately they kept the Defender of Fatherland Day, previously the Soviet Army day. This is an awfully socially awkward holiday: a lot of people celebrate it as a men's day, congratulate all men and give them gifts (March 8 is the Women's day), and on the other hand a lot of men get pissed off if you try to congratulate them on that day, pointing out that they have nothing to do with the Army and the Fatherland, and don't want to have anything to do with it either. Difficult...
Now if they would only remove that rotting (or, more likely, plastic) carcass from the Mausoleum and bury it in a rural toilet where it belongs, I would be almost ready to believe that Russia might become a civilized country in a couple of centuries.
Unfortunately they kept the Defender of Fatherland Day, previously the Soviet Army day. This is an awfully socially awkward holiday: a lot of people celebrate it as a men's day, congratulate all men and give them gifts (March 8 is the Women's day), and on the other hand a lot of men get pissed off if you try to congratulate them on that day, pointing out that they have nothing to do with the Army and the Fatherland, and don't want to have anything to do with it either. Difficult...
Christmas
Had a very nice Christmas in a very good company, and afterwards had a feeling like I am never eating anything again, but now I feel like I am ready for lunch.
It's funny how Christmas ham tastes good, even though I don't like ham in general. I don't think it has anything to do with the holiday itself, it's just a different kind of ham. Used to have a different name for it in Russian, too.
I am feeling very well-behaved too, because we had a conversation about blood pressure and I managed not to mention under which circumstances I was measuring my blood pressure lately.
It's funny how Christmas ham tastes good, even though I don't like ham in general. I don't think it has anything to do with the holiday itself, it's just a different kind of ham. Used to have a different name for it in Russian, too.
I am feeling very well-behaved too, because we had a conversation about blood pressure and I managed not to mention under which circumstances I was measuring my blood pressure lately.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Merry Christmas, infidels
Enjoy your ham or turkey or riisipuuro, and even ohrapuuro if you are so inclined.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Gaah
Yesterday was a big storm, so big that the computer booted itself. Gaah.
I am at work, nobody else it. The Great Infidel Holiday is just around the corner, and the Great Infidel Panic has started, with people running around stores like crazy. It's kind of fun to watch. I want a tree, too, but don't have anywhere to put it in. Looking forward to the Great Infidel Holiday celebration tomorrow.
Am in an exceptionally bad mood now, I don't know why but suspect work stress. I have a lot of stuff to do today, but still would rather be in bed drinking hot chocolate with rum and reading some nice book. Probably gonna work tomorrow, too.
I am at work, nobody else it. The Great Infidel Holiday is just around the corner, and the Great Infidel Panic has started, with people running around stores like crazy. It's kind of fun to watch. I want a tree, too, but don't have anywhere to put it in. Looking forward to the Great Infidel Holiday celebration tomorrow.
Am in an exceptionally bad mood now, I don't know why but suspect work stress. I have a lot of stuff to do today, but still would rather be in bed drinking hot chocolate with rum and reading some nice book. Probably gonna work tomorrow, too.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Blood pressure during an orgasm
For a long time already I have been wondering what an orgasm does to a person's blood pressure, and always wanted to find it out experimentally. The only problem is, it's hard to measure your blood pressure while having sex or masturbating, because there are other things then that distract you from the noble path of scientific inquiry.
This morning I finally tried. I have a blood pressure meter that works just by pressing a button and keeping your wrist somewhere below your heart. The problem is, it doesn't show how the pressure rises and falls, but just measures it at some particular moment. First of all, it's difficult to time the orgasm to that moment, and second, I am not really sure what the moment it.
I have probably measured it at the wrong moments, but I mostly got the same 120-something/70-something measurements that I get without masturbation. Only once did I get 124/93.
During one of the measurements I got a work-related phone call from one of the customers who was looking for Kaius but could not find his number. Masturbating furiously, measuring the blood pressure and answering work-related phone calls at the same time - now that's what I call multitasking. That's what I call calling at a very wrong time, too.
This morning I finally tried. I have a blood pressure meter that works just by pressing a button and keeping your wrist somewhere below your heart. The problem is, it doesn't show how the pressure rises and falls, but just measures it at some particular moment. First of all, it's difficult to time the orgasm to that moment, and second, I am not really sure what the moment it.
I have probably measured it at the wrong moments, but I mostly got the same 120-something/70-something measurements that I get without masturbation. Only once did I get 124/93.
During one of the measurements I got a work-related phone call from one of the customers who was looking for Kaius but could not find his number. Masturbating furiously, measuring the blood pressure and answering work-related phone calls at the same time - now that's what I call multitasking. That's what I call calling at a very wrong time, too.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Buying an ADSL modem
I gotta buy an ADSL modem, does anyone have any advice? It gotta be cheap and work with Linux and not be incompatible with Saunalahti. Can be internal or external.
Sensation radiating in nerves
Why is it always so difficult to find answers to simple questions about human anatomy on the net? Let's see if some nice reader can answer these:
1. Why and how does sensation sometimes radiate along a nerve? I mean when you irritate a certain point along the nerve and you can feel it along the whole nerve. I can sort of understand how sensation radiates down - you pinch a nerve in one place and somehow screw up the data that it is carrying upstream - but how does it radiate up? I can irritate some points between my fingers and feel the nerve all the way to the neck.
2. All the site I found talk about radiating pain, and sometime this weekend when I mentioned that a pleasant sensation can be radiated this way people looked like they didn't know what I was talking about. Is pleasant sensation radiating along nerves somehow rare? I find most of the sensations radiating along the nerves of my arms quite pleasant - it's a very sharp shot of pleasure, stronger than an orgasm but much shorter and more difficult to attain - and have spent many boring lectures and meetings in my life trying to find and stimulate the right points. The points are not always sensitive to stimulation, but once stimulated properly it becomes quite easy to repeat the sensation fairly often during the next few hours. Does anyone know what I am talking about? I find it hard to believe that I am the only one doing that.
The places where I usually find these points are on the inside of the arm above the elbow, and also between the second and the third and the third and the fourth fingers, more towards the back of the hand than towards the front. These seem to be situated on the same nerves, on maybe just on the nerves that are very close to each other.
1. Why and how does sensation sometimes radiate along a nerve? I mean when you irritate a certain point along the nerve and you can feel it along the whole nerve. I can sort of understand how sensation radiates down - you pinch a nerve in one place and somehow screw up the data that it is carrying upstream - but how does it radiate up? I can irritate some points between my fingers and feel the nerve all the way to the neck.
2. All the site I found talk about radiating pain, and sometime this weekend when I mentioned that a pleasant sensation can be radiated this way people looked like they didn't know what I was talking about. Is pleasant sensation radiating along nerves somehow rare? I find most of the sensations radiating along the nerves of my arms quite pleasant - it's a very sharp shot of pleasure, stronger than an orgasm but much shorter and more difficult to attain - and have spent many boring lectures and meetings in my life trying to find and stimulate the right points. The points are not always sensitive to stimulation, but once stimulated properly it becomes quite easy to repeat the sensation fairly often during the next few hours. Does anyone know what I am talking about? I find it hard to believe that I am the only one doing that.
The places where I usually find these points are on the inside of the arm above the elbow, and also between the second and the third and the third and the fourth fingers, more towards the back of the hand than towards the front. These seem to be situated on the same nerves, on maybe just on the nerves that are very close to each other.
The weekend
Spent a very nice evening with girls at Kristiina's place Saturday night. Ate all their blue cheese. Bad, bad me.
Killeri's kittens have grown big and now have eyes and ears like real cats.
Went bowling yesterday and even won one game. Had an RPG session where everyone brought sweet stuff.
Finished reading Vanha Koira. Want more!
Killeri's kittens have grown big and now have eyes and ears like real cats.
Went bowling yesterday and even won one game. Had an RPG session where everyone brought sweet stuff.
Finished reading Vanha Koira. Want more!
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Pikkujoulut and the rest of the workday
Calories: too many to count, alcohol units 12, hours spent in a strategy meeting 3.5, impure thoughts 254, of which during the strategy meeting 86, number of total strangers in a bar wanted to have sex with 2, number of total strangers in a bar actually had sex with 0, new words learned 1 ("synergy"), lines of code written 15 or so, cups of tea drunk 1 but going to compensate right now.
Friday, December 17, 2004
2046 (maybe spoilers)
Saw 2046 yesterday. Like it usually happens when I watch Wong Kar-Wai's movies, on one hand I got a feeling that this is totally not my thing and that I don't understand it at all, and on the other hand I am glad I went to see it and will go to see his next movie as well.
I found it profoundly disturbing that the characters were speaking different languages to each other, for example there were long and seemingly natural-looking dialogues where one party was speaking Cantonese and the other Mandarin. I wonder whether it's just the version that was released in the West, or whether the China and Hong Kong versions also have these two-language dialogues.
The cast is not quite as starry as they advertise: they got lots of Chinese stars but some just for a moment. There is two seconds on Chang Chen, five seconds of Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, and a little bit more Gong Li and Carina Lau Ka Ling. Tony Leung Chiu Wai is there most of the time though, although he is wearing the most horrible moustache in the history of motion picture, and Zhang Ziyi and Faye Wong have decent-sized roles. All the cast gives a rather good performance, too.
The futuristic stuff should have been left out. The rest of it was nice.
I found it profoundly disturbing that the characters were speaking different languages to each other, for example there were long and seemingly natural-looking dialogues where one party was speaking Cantonese and the other Mandarin. I wonder whether it's just the version that was released in the West, or whether the China and Hong Kong versions also have these two-language dialogues.
The cast is not quite as starry as they advertise: they got lots of Chinese stars but some just for a moment. There is two seconds on Chang Chen, five seconds of Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, and a little bit more Gong Li and Carina Lau Ka Ling. Tony Leung Chiu Wai is there most of the time though, although he is wearing the most horrible moustache in the history of motion picture, and Zhang Ziyi and Faye Wong have decent-sized roles. All the cast gives a rather good performance, too.
The futuristic stuff should have been left out. The rest of it was nice.
A mole without anaesthesia
Went to remove a mole yesterday, and they did it without any anaesthesia. Then they said they'd do it I said "eek", but they explained that anaesthesia will hurt more the mole removal itself. And they were right, too, it hurt less that many anaesthetic injections that I had. Go figure.
Note to self: poisoning
Note to self: when poisoning my political rivals or any other people I happen to disapprove of I shall not use dioxin or any other poison that would make my victim look like Freddy Krueger's greenish brother and make it possible for doctors thousands of miles away to diagnose the poisoning through looking at his/her pictures on TV.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Finally a residence permit
Got a letter from the police today to come collect my passport. Heh, did not even take six months. Got a somewhat weird residence permit with a reference to a nonexistent item in a paragraph in the law that should not concern me in any way, and an unlimited work permit (meaning that can do any kind of work). That, mind you, two and a half weeks after they told me that I am not allowed to take that modeling job without an extra work permit application.
The ways of police are mysterious.
The ways of police are mysterious.
Bloody stupid terrorists
Holy shit! Somebody hijacked a bus with hostages in order to be flown into Russia, as opposed to out of there.
Wrong direction, morons! Not to mention the wrong vehicle.
What next? People coming to a bank with a pistol and demanding that the bank take their money?
Reminds me of my old neighbor who, when her son went to work in Kiev, told him: "Dear, Ukraine is a place where Jews come from, not a place they should go to".
Wrong direction, morons! Not to mention the wrong vehicle.
What next? People coming to a bank with a pistol and demanding that the bank take their money?
Reminds me of my old neighbor who, when her son went to work in Kiev, told him: "Dear, Ukraine is a place where Jews come from, not a place they should go to".
Huono päivä, huono
En osaa mitään vitun kiinalaisia merkkejä, ja näköjään sen lisäksi koko Euroopassa poliisit ovat pitäneet jonkinlaista p2p-vastaiskupäivää. Waretanpa sen kunniaksi jotain kivaa, keitän rommikaakaota ja menen nukkumaan.
Bugger
The Chinese test is in six and a half hours, and I still don't remember a quarter of the characters I should. Probably should call it quits, go to bed and see well-deserved nighmares about the characters.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
The cure for computer constipation found
The computer tried to die on me again today, but ifdown eth0 cured it without any need to boot. Weird but nice to know.
Another story
Finished writing a new story. Same characters (well, some of them) as in the previous one, sex, drugs, violence, minor explosions. Same quality of writing, too, I am afraid.
Aina jonkun tytär (spoilers) and ADSL
Went to see Aina jonkun tytär (Always somebody's daughter) yesterday. It was a lot of fun, and to my rather pleasant surprise there was a lot of Somalis in the audience too (the play is about a Somali girl who gets pregnant with the help of a Finnish boy). The actors spoke mostly Finnish, and some English, French and Somalian, with no translation. Too bad - I would have liked to understand the Somalian part too.
It has a happy end, of course, where the guy gets to convert to Islam and marry the girl. Somehow they left out the bit where they explain to him that membership in Islam is forever and apostasy is punished by death. Or maybe I am just being a mean bitch.
Finally got to sleep normally without a headache.
This morning I got up all fucked in the head and decided to switch to Saunalahti ADSL. I think the last bit was that Welho again sent me an ad "Switch from Welho Pro to Welho 3M! Get less bandwidth for more money!"
It has a happy end, of course, where the guy gets to convert to Islam and marry the girl. Somehow they left out the bit where they explain to him that membership in Islam is forever and apostasy is punished by death. Or maybe I am just being a mean bitch.
Finally got to sleep normally without a headache.
This morning I got up all fucked in the head and decided to switch to Saunalahti ADSL. I think the last bit was that Welho again sent me an ad "Switch from Welho Pro to Welho 3M! Get less bandwidth for more money!"
Monday, December 13, 2004
Weird headache
Had a headache for more than a week. Not very bad, but unusual - the last one like that was probably five years ago.
A weird thing - I suspect that doing a certain kind of puzzles for too long gives me a headache. It somehow goes against my idea of how a human body is supposed to work, but coincides too often to be a coincidence. These are, unfortunately, the puzzles I find the most addictive.
Also I have always suspected that those mild but long headaches accompanied by a pulsing blood vessel on my temple have something to do with blood pressure. Yesterday measured the blood pressure when the headache was at its worst, and it was 120/78, so there goes that theory.
A weird thing - I suspect that doing a certain kind of puzzles for too long gives me a headache. It somehow goes against my idea of how a human body is supposed to work, but coincides too often to be a coincidence. These are, unfortunately, the puzzles I find the most addictive.
Also I have always suspected that those mild but long headaches accompanied by a pulsing blood vessel on my temple have something to do with blood pressure. Yesterday measured the blood pressure when the headache was at its worst, and it was 120/78, so there goes that theory.
More on gods
Hope I did not hurt any other mourners' feelings with my last post, but I think it needed to said.
In general I think that if there really were a Judgement Day when all the people who have ever lived come before the Lord for judgement, they'd judge him rather harshly, and for a good reason, too, and he'd get a bloody good thrashing.
In general I think that if there really were a Judgement Day when all the people who have ever lived come before the Lord for judgement, they'd judge him rather harshly, and for a good reason, too, and he'd get a bloody good thrashing.
The funeral
The funeral was on Saturday. It was the first Christian funeral that I'd ever been to, and a lot of things were new to me, but it somehow doesn't feel right to go into details now. Maybe later.
One thing I wonder about, though, is the religion and how it fits into all this. Friends told me that Lutheran funerals generally contain a lot of talk about god. Merciful god, no less.
I am not a Christian, and not a very good Jew, either. Probably I don't understand something about religion, or maybe even anything. But can anyone explain to me how the concept of a merciful god fits in with a 26-year-old person suddenly dying just like that and leaving her husband and parents and friends behind? Or anyone dying, for that matter? I mean, I understand that some people want to believe in a merciful god in general, but aren't funerals as such a pretty obvious evidence that god/gods, if exist, are not particularly merciful?
I am glad I don't really believe in a god, but if I did the prayer would sound like that:
"Dear Lord,
If you are so fucking merciful then put Chuan back here where she belongs right now, alive and well with her family and friends. While you are at it I have a long list of other people who should be made alive and well again, too.
If you don't give her back to us, then I am coming to the day of final judgement with a baseball bat, and then we'll see about mercy."
One thing I wonder about, though, is the religion and how it fits into all this. Friends told me that Lutheran funerals generally contain a lot of talk about god. Merciful god, no less.
I am not a Christian, and not a very good Jew, either. Probably I don't understand something about religion, or maybe even anything. But can anyone explain to me how the concept of a merciful god fits in with a 26-year-old person suddenly dying just like that and leaving her husband and parents and friends behind? Or anyone dying, for that matter? I mean, I understand that some people want to believe in a merciful god in general, but aren't funerals as such a pretty obvious evidence that god/gods, if exist, are not particularly merciful?
I am glad I don't really believe in a god, but if I did the prayer would sound like that:
"Dear Lord,
If you are so fucking merciful then put Chuan back here where she belongs right now, alive and well with her family and friends. While you are at it I have a long list of other people who should be made alive and well again, too.
If you don't give her back to us, then I am coming to the day of final judgement with a baseball bat, and then we'll see about mercy."
Friday, December 10, 2004
A lovely ad
I found a lovely article, and the page has a lovely ad there, too. Their ads probably change every once in a while, so I don't know how long it is gonna be there, but it says "Linux Reference Center. Sponsored by: Microsoft." And that's on LinuxToday page.
The article itself is quite fun and is about software patents.
The article itself is quite fun and is about software patents.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Terrorism news
The parents of an American teenager killed in a Hamas attack in Israel eight years ago got awarded $156 million by court, to be paid by a few US-based "charities" that have funded Hamas. They are not likely to see a lot of that money since the charities only have a few million and that money is frozen by the US government already, but the decision will affect a lot of these so-called charities.
The Dutch have banned the terror groups on EU blacklist. They haven't been banned before - only their assets could be freezed, but the members could not be punished. The mind boggles.
The Dutch have banned the terror groups on EU blacklist. They haven't been banned before - only their assets could be freezed, but the members could not be punished. The mind boggles.
Fine as long as you are upset about it
I notice that in conversations about the morality and/or legality of abortion people who think that abortion is a decision best left to the woman herself often like to state that abortion is a hard decision for a woman, and somehow end up sounding like this is an argument in favor of their position.
WTF is that about? One can be for abortion, or against it, or find it immoral but believe it should be legal, or find it moral for people who do it, but not for oneself, or whatever. In any case, how does the fact of women agonizing over an abortion decision make it better? If a fetus is just a clump of cells to you, why would you want anyone to agonize over it? And if you think it is a murder that should still be legal, does the suffering of the murderer somehow make it better?
In any case it's not true in all cases, or not necessarily even most. There are women who find the decision difficult and cry over it, and there are women who call to make an abortion appointment as soon as they find out about being pregnant, and celebrate the abortion immediately afterwards. From my part I can promise my readers not to agonize over an abortion if I ever should happen to have one.
I have talked about it with Seanna and she pointed out one more thing: murderers are considered, both by law and our society's morals, to be more immoral if they have thought the murder over than if they have committed it on impulse; pregnant women, on the other hand, are considered less immoral if they gave a lot of thought to abortion before coming to a decision than if they dial the doctor's number as soon as they find out they are pregnant.
I've always found the premeditated vs. impulsive murder thing weird anyway. To me it's just discrimination against people who generally think about everything they do. Especially since IMO people whose impulse control is so poor that they murder others on impulse are more dangerous to others than the ones who first think it over.
WTF is that about? One can be for abortion, or against it, or find it immoral but believe it should be legal, or find it moral for people who do it, but not for oneself, or whatever. In any case, how does the fact of women agonizing over an abortion decision make it better? If a fetus is just a clump of cells to you, why would you want anyone to agonize over it? And if you think it is a murder that should still be legal, does the suffering of the murderer somehow make it better?
In any case it's not true in all cases, or not necessarily even most. There are women who find the decision difficult and cry over it, and there are women who call to make an abortion appointment as soon as they find out about being pregnant, and celebrate the abortion immediately afterwards. From my part I can promise my readers not to agonize over an abortion if I ever should happen to have one.
I have talked about it with Seanna and she pointed out one more thing: murderers are considered, both by law and our society's morals, to be more immoral if they have thought the murder over than if they have committed it on impulse; pregnant women, on the other hand, are considered less immoral if they gave a lot of thought to abortion before coming to a decision than if they dial the doctor's number as soon as they find out they are pregnant.
I've always found the premeditated vs. impulsive murder thing weird anyway. To me it's just discrimination against people who generally think about everything they do. Especially since IMO people whose impulse control is so poor that they murder others on impulse are more dangerous to others than the ones who first think it over.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Spam
Got 15 spams in an account from which I never posted anything in any public forum. Twelve "TOP quality software" and three "You need Vicodin?".
Is incitement to killing spammers illegal in Finland?
Is incitement to killing spammers illegal in Finland?
Exploding lamps
The bulbs in my ceiling lamp tend to explode. I don't know why. If anyone can explain it to me, please do so.
Bulbs burn out every once in a while, and sometimes they do explode in the process, is the sense of the glass part being torn apart from the metal part. It is, however, usually rare. But for some reason the five bulbs in my ceiling lamp tend to burn out every couple of months, and usually explode in the process. No other lamps in the house do that, and I don't think the bulbs themselves are the problem - I have changed the brand a couple of times and they still explode.
Bulbs burn out every once in a while, and sometimes they do explode in the process, is the sense of the glass part being torn apart from the metal part. It is, however, usually rare. But for some reason the five bulbs in my ceiling lamp tend to burn out every couple of months, and usually explode in the process. No other lamps in the house do that, and I don't think the bulbs themselves are the problem - I have changed the brand a couple of times and they still explode.
Hung over
Had a very nice evening with Seanna yesterday, with sushi and cognac, and hot chocolate with rum, but am a bit more hung over than should be. I have noticed earlier that alcohol and large amounts of rice is not a very good combination for me, I don't know why.
Missed the lecture in the morning as could not be bothered to get up, went straight to work and right into an ex tempore schedule meeting where they immediately scared me by mentioning one of the customers. Luckily Kaius is sympathetic to the hungover people and has bestowed a few cookies upon me to cure my sad condition, and then came Mio and suggested I have a little bit of cider. A little bit of cider is a good thing as am definitely in no condition for a big bit of cider.
The head is quite ok now, but the stomach is still saying "murr". Rather loudly, too. Poor coworkers, wherever the hell they are.
Missed the lecture in the morning as could not be bothered to get up, went straight to work and right into an ex tempore schedule meeting where they immediately scared me by mentioning one of the customers. Luckily Kaius is sympathetic to the hungover people and has bestowed a few cookies upon me to cure my sad condition, and then came Mio and suggested I have a little bit of cider. A little bit of cider is a good thing as am definitely in no condition for a big bit of cider.
The head is quite ok now, but the stomach is still saying "murr". Rather loudly, too. Poor coworkers, wherever the hell they are.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Christmas
A couple of weeks ago I went out on Saturday during the daytime and realized that the stores are full of people. "What the hell is going on?" - I thought, and then realized that it is Christmas again. The Great Infidel Holiday.
Every year I decide to stay out of the way of infidels and let them shop in peace by themselves, but every year the chocolate sales are way too intersting to miss. Well, at least I manage to stay away from stores other than those that sell food, drink and books.
Christmas looks a bit stressful from an outsider's point of view, but I like it precisely because it is not my holiday and I don't have to do anything at all. Let other people worry about gifts and cards and parties and suchlike. I never do anything, and people just invite me over and feed me some exotic infidel food, such as ham or perunalaatikko. They usually don't expect me to do anything except maybe bring booze or bake something chocolatey.
The only Christmas setback that I've had was at the Aspekti party, when I realized that you can't trust Christians (or at least that one particular Christian) to make a proper Christmas rice pudding anymore. This is depressing, because I got accustommed to that stuff. I guess I will just have to buy rice and milk and make some Christmas pudding like a good Jew.
Every year I decide to stay out of the way of infidels and let them shop in peace by themselves, but every year the chocolate sales are way too intersting to miss. Well, at least I manage to stay away from stores other than those that sell food, drink and books.
Christmas looks a bit stressful from an outsider's point of view, but I like it precisely because it is not my holiday and I don't have to do anything at all. Let other people worry about gifts and cards and parties and suchlike. I never do anything, and people just invite me over and feed me some exotic infidel food, such as ham or perunalaatikko. They usually don't expect me to do anything except maybe bring booze or bake something chocolatey.
The only Christmas setback that I've had was at the Aspekti party, when I realized that you can't trust Christians (or at least that one particular Christian) to make a proper Christmas rice pudding anymore. This is depressing, because I got accustommed to that stuff. I guess I will just have to buy rice and milk and make some Christmas pudding like a good Jew.
Paranoia strikes again
I went to a pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test. Gonna take it in a few days.
It's a bug in my head, I know. Sometimes - every once in a few months - I feel a very strong desire to buy a pregnancy test, and feel quite restless until I do. Even though I realize that a 33-year-old woman who has an IUD, is on the pill, and is currently having her period is very unlikely to be pregnant.
One day I'll be sterilized, but I don't think the madness will end there. I am wondering until what age will I buy the tests. 60? 70?
I am sure this is some kind of a minor brain chemistry problem, but in the current state of medical science it's a lot cheaper and safer to indulge into this particular sort of madness than to try to cure it, so there.
I am thinking with horror about menopause and the time when pills are dangerous and periods are rare. By the time I am 50 I am probably sterilized, still have an IUD and go totally ballistic every time I miss a period, which is most of the time by then.
The hormone IUD, BTW, is not a good method for the paranoid.
It's a bug in my head, I know. Sometimes - every once in a few months - I feel a very strong desire to buy a pregnancy test, and feel quite restless until I do. Even though I realize that a 33-year-old woman who has an IUD, is on the pill, and is currently having her period is very unlikely to be pregnant.
One day I'll be sterilized, but I don't think the madness will end there. I am wondering until what age will I buy the tests. 60? 70?
I am sure this is some kind of a minor brain chemistry problem, but in the current state of medical science it's a lot cheaper and safer to indulge into this particular sort of madness than to try to cure it, so there.
I am thinking with horror about menopause and the time when pills are dangerous and periods are rare. By the time I am 50 I am probably sterilized, still have an IUD and go totally ballistic every time I miss a period, which is most of the time by then.
The hormone IUD, BTW, is not a good method for the paranoid.
Islamic eschatology
Where do Moslem women go after they die? Are they provided 72 male virgins each? Maybe even 72 male non-Moslem virgins?
Hanukkah
Grr. Just checked out the calendar and it is today after all. Gotta drink hot chocolate with rum or something.
The rest of the weekend
Yesterday finally went to Killeri's place to see the kittens. They were awfully cute, even smaller than in the pictures, and had flat faces as if they ran into something, and funny little ears. They already know how to say "meow", but it's not a very impressive meow but more like the sound that I make when I cannot find my teacup in the morning.
In the evening we went to a party. It was a great party, but now I have a hangover.
Kikka made chocolate thingies. Gotta ask her about them.
In the evening we went to a party. It was a great party, but now I have a hangover.
Kikka made chocolate thingies. Gotta ask her about them.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Saturday
It was un-fucking-believably slippery! I was dumb enough to go to Hakaniemen tori and then found myself unable to walk. Don't know how I got out of there.
Went to a bookstore to get Ville's book, Vanha Koira, and while I was looking for it three other books sort of jumped into my hand. I bought the four books and escaped.
Went to a party in the evening. The party was very good, and even the few strange people who were there were nice and not scary at all. The ice on the way there and back was scary, though.
Went to a bookstore to get Ville's book, Vanha Koira, and while I was looking for it three other books sort of jumped into my hand. I bought the four books and escaped.
Went to a party in the evening. The party was very good, and even the few strange people who were there were nice and not scary at all. The ice on the way there and back was scary, though.
The Aspekti party
There was Aspekti's pikkujoulut on Friday. Too few people and too little booze, but I am still glad I went there. The department got a new futuristic entrance, an underground tunnel and an elevator now.
These parties have deteriorated since the time when I was young. The department was in a better place then, and had more money, too. But I think one of the main reasons these parties have deteriorated is that nowadays they are announced only a few days before they happen.
There was a lot of nice young people there, and it would have been nice to talk to them more, but they ran away pretty early to go to the smelly Kaisla. What happened to bringing your own booze to the parties? Sheesh, the young generation...
These parties have deteriorated since the time when I was young. The department was in a better place then, and had more money, too. But I think one of the main reasons these parties have deteriorated is that nowadays they are announced only a few days before they happen.
There was a lot of nice young people there, and it would have been nice to talk to them more, but they ran away pretty early to go to the smelly Kaisla. What happened to bringing your own booze to the parties? Sheesh, the young generation...
Hanukkah, too
Shit! It's Hanukkah and nobody told me!
How come am the last Jew in the world to find out about any Jewish holidays?
How come am the last Jew in the world to find out about any Jewish holidays?
Independence day
Happy Independence day, Finland.
Good thing you got out of Russia when you did. Russia sucks.
Good thing you got out of Russia when you did. Russia sucks.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Morning visitor
Some bugger woke me up in the morning in order to check my electricity meter. Would a note on the door saying "No visitors before noon without a prior appointment. All violators will be raped with an umbrella" constitute an illegal threat?
In any case don't have an umbrella as it has mysteriously disappeared in the northern wilderness last summer.
Got a call from a tv-lupa checker. Wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I have checked my tv-lupa (oops, tv-maksu, or tv-vero, whatever) register during the "rekisterit auki"-events last week?
The register event was interesting in the sense that it was interesting to see how little info they keep, if they really keep so little. Tv-lupa register only has the times when I had a tv-lupa, not any info on their attempts to contact me; the credit history only says "no problems" - apparently they don't keep info on the loans that one has taken and then successfully paid back.
In any case don't have an umbrella as it has mysteriously disappeared in the northern wilderness last summer.
Got a call from a tv-lupa checker. Wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I have checked my tv-lupa (oops, tv-maksu, or tv-vero, whatever) register during the "rekisterit auki"-events last week?
The register event was interesting in the sense that it was interesting to see how little info they keep, if they really keep so little. Tv-lupa register only has the times when I had a tv-lupa, not any info on their attempts to contact me; the credit history only says "no problems" - apparently they don't keep info on the loans that one has taken and then successfully paid back.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Exceptionally good lovers
In my writing I came to a point when one of the characters is wondering whether there are men who are exceptionally good in bed, and now I am starting to wonder about it myself.
I am talking about the technique, of course. It is self-evident to me that there are men who are exceptionally well-loved by a particular woman, exceptionally beautiful or in some other way exceptionally desirable, but are there any who are exceptionally skillful?
In the literature you often read about men who are unusually good in bed. In real life I can maybe point out (not publicly, perverts!) the best 25% of my sex partners, but the difference in technical skills among them is negligible. What makes them better than others from my point of view is good compatibility with me in such matters as rhythm and duration of the intercourse, ability to listen to and follow instructions, and a little bit of skill that can be easily taught.
This leaves me wondering whether unusually skillful men are an urban legend invented by writers, or do they really exist?
I am talking about the technique, of course. It is self-evident to me that there are men who are exceptionally well-loved by a particular woman, exceptionally beautiful or in some other way exceptionally desirable, but are there any who are exceptionally skillful?
In the literature you often read about men who are unusually good in bed. In real life I can maybe point out (not publicly, perverts!) the best 25% of my sex partners, but the difference in technical skills among them is negligible. What makes them better than others from my point of view is good compatibility with me in such matters as rhythm and duration of the intercourse, ability to listen to and follow instructions, and a little bit of skill that can be easily taught.
This leaves me wondering whether unusually skillful men are an urban legend invented by writers, or do they really exist?
Little kittens
Killeri's cat Zenya gave birth to two kittens last night. If I am good I'll get to see them this weekend. If Killeri is good he is gonna put the pictures up somewhere.
Ahdistaa
Yksi kaveri kuoli tänään, tai oikeastaan sain tietää siitä vasta tänään. Ihan noin vaan otti ja kuoli - ei ollut sairaana eikä joutunut mihinkään onnettomuuteen. Oli vain kotona, ja sitten kuoli. Ahdistaa ja ei voi käsittää miten ihminen voi kuolla noin vaan. Enkä oikeastaan vielä pysty uskomaan siihen että se ihan oikeasti kuoli.
En hän edes ollut mitenkään hirveän läheinen kaveri mulle, mutta hän oli tosi mukava ja herttainen ihminen, ja sen lisäksi toisen tosi mukavan ja herttaisen ihmisen vaimo.
En hän edes ollut mitenkään hirveän läheinen kaveri mulle, mutta hän oli tosi mukava ja herttainen ihminen, ja sen lisäksi toisen tosi mukavan ja herttaisen ihmisen vaimo.
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