Flying

Yesterday we went with my boss to Jyväskylä to talk with our coders. The plane was owned and operated by Aero which is a partner of Finnair. Interesting. The plane was a ATR72 which I will not set my foot in anymore unless I'm under gunpoint. The ears are still ringing from the noise in the cabin.

It's been a few days since the last post. For some reason Firefox would not connect to google sites which uses Ajax at all. It would just show an white screen. Thinking I was hit with the https problem which affected the 1.5.0.6 version I tried all tricks I had up my sleeve to fix it. Finally gave up and had to shutdown the computer to check out if the battery was affected by the exploding batteries sold by Sony. No it was not. Tried google and it worked. Guess firefow just needed a reboot.

For some reason I've grown very tired. I know I get up very early but still. Hard to stay awake in the evenings. Even not I just want to go to sleep. Need to take a walk tomorrow after the laundry.

Fall

The time of darkness is upon us once more. For some reason the summer always seem to pass very fast. Suddenly you can notice that hey, it's warm, the days are longer and brighter but you really don't pay attention to it (except in the night when it can be too bright outside and not getting any sleep - atleast I'm one of those). Then suddenly you're turning on lights and lamps inhouse because it is so dark. Nature is retreating and displaying its own firework for us to wonder and look at. Fall must be on of the more nicer seasons. Going from a bright, green and warm world towards and dark, rainy and cold season with streetlamps reflecting in the pavement the light in puddles or dark forests damp with rain, where not a sound can heard. What is more nice then to curl up in the sofa under a blanket, drink something warn whilst listening to the thundering roar of the storms raging outside whilst reading a book in the candle light. Or to do the exact opposite. Go out to the sea and feel the storm against your face and the water drops splashing against your face from the rain and the storming sea. In it lies a cruel coldness that is part of life, the cold grip of Nature after her caressing gift of summer. She gives and she takes. It is part of the natural cycle of life and time. Soon all will be sleeping under the cold white blanket only to wake up to a new season of life.

It's been a few days since the last posts, largly to me being quite busy. On Thursday evening I went to Turku to attent Introduction of IS which turns out to be an interesting course. Got on the evening bus home, being home around midnight. Got 6 hours of sleep, packed my bag and went to work. Went from work directly to Turku and attended another course called Education technology which I hope will be usefull at work. Already gave me some ideas for training sessions. Spent the night in Turku at my cousines place and almost suffocated as she has two dogs and I'm allergic. Zyrtech didn't help. The next morning back to class and at around noon I left with the old RPG players to Helsinki. We arrived to my apparment at around two and we had something to eat and talked alot until around two in morning when they went back to Turku.

Now I'm just feeling tired. Good that there will be no more trips to Turku for a month until the next meeting with the teachers and students for discussions. Next week Jyväskylä is calling. Markus said he would come and visit next weekend which would be nice. Haven't seen him for ages.

IRC

IRC .. I really care .. No. For some people it seems to be The Largest Thing in their life. For me? It used to be but then I was blessed with this insight one day when I realized that it is the same bullshit repeating itself each day. So now it mostly is running in the behind and I collect links from different channels and forward them if I find them interesting or funny.

But back the to the people for whom it is The Largest Thing in life. I remember one channel where for some reason one person got the Idea that it was her home and no one would take it away. Interesting notion. Others have used the same channel as an Ego boost and then they've become very angry and disappointed when they've realised that no, they are not the Center of the universe. They are in fact ordinary misguided persons.

The fun starts when you combine irc with blogs. Just like above. The references I made are so generic that no one is really targeted. No channel, no names, no personal identification. But what if I added small pieces of information to what I've written? Maybe not here but in other posts. Frequent readers (thank god this blog doesn't have them) may start to connect the pieces together, and although not all blog readers are on irc the damage may already have been done. So is blogging really an even larger Ego Boost than irc is? When writing to the blog you are in control. You can put things and issues in whatever light you want if you are a skilled person. Ofcourse blogs are the extreme subjective source of information. Anything that has been referenced to blogs should be considered ultra non objective information. On the other hand, is there objective information? So do bloggers know their responsibility? What is said on irc stays on irc? Or does the conversation continue on the blog where persons can be attacked at will? For some the later may be true. Others are I guess more socially responsible so that they know what is correct and what is not.

I've been following one blog for quite a number of years now. I know that I've gotten my fair share of blame in the blog and although certain things that have been said about me in it are blatant lies I've never wanted to correct them. Others have also gotten their fair share of blame and they have been quite heavily accused and slandered in it. Why wouldn't I want to remove them? Let them be there as a sign of the persons juvenality and immaturity. Once it is on the net it is there from the day it was written to the end humanity. That is their legacy. This is mine.

On Thursday I'll start a new course called Introduction to Information Systems. 10 credits. Psyched about the course. As I am about the Teaching technology course that starts on Friday. Unfortunatly I'll have to skip the second day classes on Saturday when the RPG people comes over to check out the appartment. Oh well, there is always another lecture.

Snusnu

I've mentioned Snusnu in the posts here. Who is Snusnu? Snusnu is Snusnu. Why is Snusnu Snusnu? Well. We talked about Futurama once and the episode with the Amazon women :) Death by snu-snu. Snusnu camef from that. What is Snusnu? Snusnu for me is the worlds most kindest person who I can call and talk to about things on my mind and I will get an honest answer. Snusnu takes care of me when I have a hard time. Without Snusnu I would be lost.

Snusnu was here today. We talked. I liked it. I like when Snusnu is here. Makes me calm. Some people are like that.

I got three roses from my grandmother when she visited me two weekends ago. Sadly I had to leave for Sweden and when I came back they had bloomed and after the weekend they were dead. What a pity. I would have liked to look at them a little bit more. I've never understood roses until now. Some people say that roses have a nice smell. Maybe. I just like the way they look. Somehow those three roses in the vase were just .. perfect. Estetically very pleasing. I should get some roses so that I have something to enjoy.


Last weekend at my grandmothers place in the archipelago it was quite a cold night so the sea turned into this very beautiful fog which rose up. Combined with the sun which was shining from a blue sky and the outline of the threes just created a very nice and pleasing view. I had to take three pictures. Sadly one of the pictures was ruined by a phoneline which runs along the road. Oh well. Sometimes the scenery just talks for itself.

During my parents party I noticed an old clock. An grandfathers clock which wasn't running. I guess that was to keep the sanity of the guests. It was however very fitting for the occasion. Some say that when you get older you start to see things from another point of view. The best years of your life is not when you're 20, 30, 40 or 50. It is when you turn 60 and you're having your retirement years ahead. I'm 33. Do I feel old? No. Do I feel childish? At times. Which certainly can be seen at work sometimes. It is lucky that I work with people that understand humor and that at times there needs to be humor as otherwise there would be no "fun" in the work which you do. Am I scared of the future? Yes. When my cousins were here visiting we talked alot about the older generation, my grandmother and my grandfather (which I never got a chance to remember, I did probably see him but can't remeber it) and my older cousin said that you don't grow up until your parents have died and you are left alone so to say. This scares me a little bit as when my parents are gone all family I will have left is my sister and her family. Maybe this will happen tomorrow or in 20-30 years. Maybe I will have another perspective of life then and be more grown up than now. I hope not.

If Snusnu was here Snusnu would say "Stop worrying. You think too much.". I know, I've heard it before =)

Thank you Snusnu.

Flu

Came home from a very taxating weekend. My parents had their 60th birthday celebration and I was expected to attend. Left on Friday to the archipelago with the bus which took around 3 hours. My sister had just gotten there so we gave the presents (there was not one present but a lot of small ones) which included Tolu, packaging tape, business card for my mother (with the title Worlds best mother, printed by Damien, thank you, it made her extremly happy), a new mail box etc etc etc.

The festivities started on Saturday with around 50 invited guests with a three course dinner followed by coffee and cake. After this we all moved on to the sauna where the rest of the party took place. The last left at two in the morning but we ended up at my grandmothers neighbours for drinks. We got home after three.

Now my nose is running, I'm tired for not getting enough sleep (woke up at nine with the temp inside being something closer to 30 as the heating was on) and had a hell of a hangover.

The coming week will be busy busy busy but I hope I can manage it. Now it is sleep time for me.

Home sweet home

Finally back home. The trip was exellent from a job point of view. From personal fun point of view? No. Did meet some really nice and interesting people who did their best to influence coming changes.

Arrived in Västerås on Monday evening after having been waiting for the bus at the airport for over an hour. Never again. Next time I'll try the train. The hotel, a five star hotel was .. like any other hotel. Don't really know why they have a five star rating. After check-in I hit the bed and fell asleep. Before falling asleep I noticed that the sheets had holes in them. Five star indeed.

In the morning I had a fast breakfast as the place was packed. Afterwards I took a brisk walk to the meeting place in the center of the city. The whole day was spent in the same meeting with a break now and then as people were mostly (towards the end of the day) starting to fall asleep (jet lag and stuff). But I got what I came for so I was happy and had a shit load of feedback from the pilot users.

We had two hours before the evening dinner so I hit a bookstore and bought some books for the children which they will be getting for christmas and birthdays. The dinner place turned out to be the same as the last time which was nice as the food in the place is good and the service excellent. Got back to the hotel around midnight while the others continued to another bar.

Got up at 6.15 and hit the shower and after a more fulfilling breakfast this time (as the place was almost empty) I went to the morning meeting to see what must be one of the most conservative units the company. Nothing was good and their way ruled the earth. Sigh. Oh well. After the meetings I went back to the previous day group and ended up at the factory looking at robots doing this and that. They had a cool robot which picked apart wooden boxes and placed the parts neatly in a pile to a certain height and they it started over. Nice.

The rest of the day was mostly off so I did some work while I had a chance. Then it was a cab to the airport and home. Tried to get cigaretts for Snusnu but they were only for outside EU destination travelers so I skipped that. Bought him some candy instead. Tried to get him a small bottle of Absolut vodka (2ml?) but I ended having to drink it myself because as the cashier lady expressed it "It is the rule". Right-o.

Blue1 is to say the least an interesting company. For some reason they fly faster than I can remember all the other airlines doing to and from Stockholm to Helsinki. The trip goes something like this: After the plane has taken off and the fasten seatbelts sign is turned off a stewardes comes along, showes a bun into your face and pours some hot coffee in your lap which is followed by an annoucement to the cabin personel to prepare for crashing at the destination airport. I meen, 45 minutes. When did it become this fast?

Now. I'm. Hitting. Bed.

Truth?

What is the truth? To quote Babylon 5: "Truth is a like a triple edge sword". There is my truth (or view), there is another persons truth (or view), and then there is what really happened. This becomes important when considering what happened yesterday in Helsinki when the Smash Asem march was about to start. From what I've read, the police stopped the march before it even started because of two things:

1) No one could be reach from the organisers of the march to discuss the route which didn't suite the police
2) Smash Asem had said that they would cause atleast some disruption to the daily life of the citizens of Helsinki

Because of the two above the police surrounded the marchers and cornerd them into the Kiasma square where they were taken away from the encampment one by one after they were photographed and their ID's checked.

Granted, some of the marchers had their faces covered which by Finnish law is forbidden in a march. Thus their actions were against the law and they had it coming. But what of the rest of the persons who were trapped? How much of their actions was a result of the police deciding to stop the march and trap the marchers? Older persons can keep their cool but understandable, younger persons temper and feelings are quite fast so it should not come as a suprise that there were reactions to the police actions.

A more interesting question is the police action that took place, that is the cornering of the marchers to prevent disruption in the city. Should crime be prevented? Yes. Should voicing ones opinion be silenced beforehand? No. Even the President said that in a democrazy everyone has the right to march and voice ones opinion, as long as it goes without destruction of property and damage to people.

So. What would have happened had the march been allowed to proceed? This we will not know. And never will know. However it has left a bad taste in quite a few peoples mouths. The Left partys youth organisation has called for an investigation into the police actions as has the Green partys youth organisations as well as some of the representatives of the parlament. Most likely nothing will come out of it but it will have changed the was marches are performed and opinions voiced in Finland.

Sadly. The truth is always the first casualty.

Glas of wine sir?

A few days since the last update. Been busy at work with the project. Getting home around six in the evening after a long day with a lot of meetings (some necessary, some completly unnecessary) takes a lot of energy. Something I had forgotten whilst being on vacation. Next week to Sweden on a business trip. If it anything compared to Ireland and the 20h day there then I'm as dead as I was when I returned from Ireland.

It is funny how some people seems to go through their whole life without having the option to be wrong or mistaken. If they are then they just bullshit until no one wants to argue anymore. You know when you've seen and talked to such a person. On the leadership cource we talked about difficult team members. Difficult is an understatement. The only thing to do is to say "Cut the bullshit" so many times until the person really understands that you're not going to play his game and that bullshitting will get him nowhere. I can understand why people put up with persons like that but what I do not understand is why they submit to the rein of terror. The talk we had with a few and selected team members after the last team meeting in the sauna, half drunk, was pretty .. interesting. A lot of opinions were voiced of certain persons. I am sure that certain persons will also get to know what was said during that time.

Tomorrow I think I'll take my camera and hit the streets in the center to see if I can get a few pictures of some demonstrations and perhaps even a few police officers :)

First day at work

It took the better part of the day to go through all the 1500 messages that had arrived during the four weeks that I was away from work. Most of them could be ignored right out like reminders. Some phone calls to clarify some issues and a bit of shock from seeing an work estimate. Man. But the project is moving forward which is good. Now to spread the gospel and Word to the rest of the suppliers :) Nice to be back.

The morning proved to be interesting. As I was eating the breakfast and watching the morning news I heard banging and shouting from the stairs. I thought it was someone that had started to repair something and paid no more attention to it. When I left I thought I heard someone crying and when I got to the second floor I saw a lot of clothes spread out and some bamboo drapes along the hall and at the backdoor sat a guy crying. Apparently he had had a smaller outbreak. As I continued towards the first floor and the frontdoor I was ready to pull out the phone to call the police to come and pick him up as I saw that there were already two men at the frontdoor with one talking on the phone explaining the situation. With my super deductive skills I deduced that he talked to the police and as I was waiting for the bus on the bus stop I saw that a police car came up to the house. Welcome to Kallio :)

Crash and burn

Haa haa. Made it to work .. not. Came to Pasila and I was ready to have a stroke. Made it to Haaga and I turned around. Tomorrow I'll follow the damn railroad. Less uphills. Less downhills.

Bed is calling. Have to get up at 7.

War paint

Today was a big day. I completed the second project I had in mind for the vacation. That is, I painted the door frame to the toilet which I didn't have time to do when the toilet was remade. The first project was to organize all the papers that I have had on the desk for, oh, say, three of four months. Yes, I know. But why do it today when you can do it tomorrow?

On Friday I went on a longer walk instead of going biking. The
scenery was just .. perfect. It was so nice to see the ocean and feel the wind against the face. Got some excellent pictures. I had to send the picture of the left to Tatu (which accidentally called me in the morning and I had to discuss some work related issues) and ask when TE is going to invite us to go and sail on the open sea :-)

The harbor was bustling with people and some nice cruise ships that were visiting Helsinki. The Silver Whisper was definitly a ship that I would like to spend some time on. What could be more beautiful than to get up from the bed and look out from a large window to the open sea? Or what could be more calmer than that? As I said to Snusnu in an SMS I sent him when we were out on Oorbit looking at the fireworks, I feel calm and relaxed on the sea.

Today I actually went and took a walk around Töölön lahti. Sad that I forgot my camera so no pictures from today. Would have gotten a few nice shots but I guess sometimes it is better to just let the scenery speak for itself at that specific moment than try to capture it with the camera. Atleast for me. I'm no pro at taking pictures so maybe it was for the better.

Tomorrow I'll take the bike and do a trial run to work and see how the route that I thought about looks like. It should be easier than the others that I've thought about. The only thingie that I'm a bit worried about is Pasila and the morning rush with all those people waiting for the busses at the railwaystation. Gaah!