IStori

Cinema for Human Rights, Vilnius 1-8 July

2009-07-30T14:19:00.006+03:00

An international group of supporters of Khadijat and Malik Gataev as well as of their children have organized the film festival in Vilnius to raise public awareness in Lithuania for human rights and to remind politicians of Lithuania about the obligation to comply to the norms of the membership in the European Union.

Pirjo Honkasalo is going to screen “Three Rooms of Melancholia”, and other directors present will be Aki Kaurismäki (Finland), Arto Halonen (Finland), Andrey Nekrasov (Russia), Nikolay Olejnikov (Russia) and Linda Jablonska (Czechia).

The chair of the Subcommittee on the Human Rights at the European Parliament, MEP Heidi Hautala (Finland) will also attend the festival.

Background:

In June 2009 Khadijat and Malik Gataev were sentenced to 10 months jail.

The time has come to stand up not only for the freedom of Khadijat and Malik but for their good name. The case as a whole has totally lacked transparency. Also, the security police of Lithuania has harrassed and threatened those -- like some of the foster children -- who have expressed support for gataevs and who have been willing to testify for them in court.

Before their arrest in Kaunas in October 2008, the Gataevs ran two orphanages, one in Grozny, Chechnya, and one in Kaunas. The work of Khadijat and Malik Gataev has been documented in various ways:

* Anna Politkovskaya wrote about “Rodnaya Semya” orphanage which became home for more than sixty children.

* Khadijat Gatayeva and some of the orphans appear in the prize-winning documentary film “Three Rooms of Melancholia”, directed by Pirjo Honkasalo.

* Gatayeva is the central figure in the book “The Angel of Grozny” by the Norwegian journalist, Åsne Seierstad.

* Recently killed Natalya Estemirova, a Chechen human rights defender and a journalist, was one of those who didn't turn away from Khadijat and Malik at the time of an odd investigation and the consequent court trial that lacked transparency. One of the last Estemirova's articles published in the Novaya Gazeta was about the abduction of Gatayev's foster son, Malik Utsaev, in Grozny. He disappeared in Chechnya at the same time when his parents were arrested in Kaunas.

Khadijat and Malik Gataev had rescued orphans from the ruins of Grozny since the first war broke out in Chechnya. They took custody of the first children in 1996 when hostilities ceased. Khadijat was raised in an orphanage herself. It was her main motivation to take care of the children abandoned by the war.

The festival will support the work of Khadijat and Malik Gataev, and pay homage to Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova.

* * * * *

Please find the program of the festival in here.

The Angel of Grozny Arrested. Orphans Suffering.

2009-03-09T21:42:00.007+02:00

Arrests.

Threats.

Raided offices and confiscated computers.

A closed court case with activities surrounding it strongly implying there is no way the accused will be treated fairly. The police and the authorities not respecting the rule of law.

And all this has to do with Chechnya again, though surprisingly not in Russia but in the European Union.

The following is written for the European Court by the Lithuanian Human Rights workers. Best of luck to you and your case!

As for the kids in the orphanages... No-one has been able to create a healthy and stable future for them. That is just tragic. And totally unjust.

Please see Åsne Seierstad telling here who Mrs Gataeva really is: The Angel Of Grozny.

I also recommend this heartbreaking review in the New York Times website.

* * * * *

"Malik and Khadizhat Gataev were arrested in Kaunas, Lithuania on 15 October 2008. Until their arrest, the couple ran two large orphanages for children from Chechnya, one in Grozny, Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, and one in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Khadizhat Gataeva has been featured in many journalistic accounts, in a film like “Three Rooms of Melancholia” by Finnish director Pirjo Honkasalo) and a recent book by Åsne Seierstad, The Angel of Grozny. Gataeva has been collecting orphans from the streets of Grozny and elsewhere since the first war broke out in Chechnya.

Mrs. Gataeva first established an orphanage in a refugee camp in Ingushetia, with help from foreign sponsors, and later moved back to Grozny. The husband Malik Gataev has been residing in Lithuania for the past decade and, until his arrest, he was running another orphanage there. Mrs Gataeva kept alternating from Chechnya to Lithuania.

The arrest of Mr and Mrs Gataev was carried out by the Lithuanian State Security Department (SSD), even if the nature of charge against the Gataev - extortion of money from their adult children (out of 17 children of the orphanage eight are young adults) - demands involvement of Criminal Police. The extortion charge brought against the Gataev does not fall under the authority of State Security Department whose main tasks are intelligence, counterintelligence, protection of state secrets, anti-terrorist activities and protection of national economy and strategic objects.

The State Security has been heavily involved in the Gataev case ever since the arrest of Mr and Mrs Gataev and has been cooperating closely with Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office. The first private lawyer, who started working on the case in October 2008, dropped it shortly after his wife was ‘warned’ that she would lose the job if her husband continued working on the case.

The SSD initially blocked any access to the orphanage and kept it under strict surveillance. Evidence at our disposal indicates that the adult children of the orphanage were subjected to psychological pressure by the State Security Department and forced to report and cooperate with its agents, which in the end resulted in some of them testifying against their foster parents. Importantly, testimonies of some of the adult children were recorded on video prior to the trial. The prosecutor applied a measure of the Lithuanian Criminal Code that permits questioning of witnesses under the age of 18 prior to court proceedings, not to cause a psychological trauma or other serious consequences. However, all witnesses whose testimonies were recorded are over 18.

We also possess evidence that the Prosecutor in charge of the case and SSD are currently putting pressure on the adult children of the orphanage who are considered to be victims in the case but want to provide positive testimonies in defence of their foster parents. Last week, after one of the adult children, Denis Volkovskii, expressed his wish to provide positive evidence in person during the second hearing in the case at Kaunas City District Court on 24 February 2009, SSD agents summoned him to the SSD Kaunas office on 25 February where he was questioned for six hours by 6-7 SSD employees. During the questioning session, the agents threatened to imprison the Chechen youth for two years if he refused to provide evidence against his foster parents, or deport him from Lithuania. They also suggested that the best option for the young man would be to leave Lithuania till the court trial was over. After the questioning he was diagnosed with a psychological trauma and started undergoing medical treatment.

Prosecutor Nomeda Oškutyte and two employees of SSD had also visited the orphanage on 13 Jan 2009, after the first court hearing in the Gataev case took place. The prosecutor and VSD agents asked the young adults how they had found out about the court hearing. In an attempt of intimidation, the prosecutor vaguely threatened to detain some of the young.

SSD has also been putting constant pressure on the friends and supporters of the Gataev family who showed interest in their arrest and tried to help them and the children of the orphanage. Thus some of the Gataev friends and acquaintances were detained for short periods and harassed by SSD agents.

Most recently, on 2 February 2009, Prosecutor Oškutyte with two law enforcement agents arrived at the office of a translation company in Kaunas that belongs to Gataev family friend sand supporter Gintautas Bukauskas. Law enforcement agents raided the office and confiscated two desktop computers and all the available files of documents, thus effectively depriving Mr and Mrs Bukauskas from the means to run their business and earn income. The prosecutor remarked that the company of Mr Bukauskas had been 'very active' in the Gataev case and that he had obtained a lot of testimony letters from the acquaintances of Malik and Khadizhat Gataev to be presented at the court. The prosecutor also told Mrs Bukauskas that if she does not want her husband detained for two weeks, he should better stay away from the Gataev case."

Pam Am witnessing the jolly British and some short-tempered Frankfurters

2009-03-05T16:42:00.013+02:00

As I have so wonderful friends in Frankfurt I must post this one here.

(Please find the original source, Teknik 360, here. Thanks, TN!)

* * *

The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one’s gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them.

So it was with some amusement that we, a Pan Am 747, listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, call sign Speedbird 206.

Speedbird 206: ”Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway.”

Ground: ”Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven.”

The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.

Ground: ”Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?”

Speedbird 206: ”Stand by, Ground, I’m looking up our gate location now.”!

Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): ”Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?”

Speedbird 206 (coolly): ”Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark, and I didn’t land.”

Lex Nokia - You should all be worried

2009-03-04T11:17:00.028+02:00

Despite of numerous appeals, demonstrations and strong critisism among the specialists and media (in Finland and abroad), today the Finnish Parliament will put the so called Lex Nokia to the vote in the plenary session.

EDIT: The Government porposal was approved some time ago in a 96-56 vote, with 47 parlamentarians absent.

"Lex Nokia", because the whole idea of the law, let alone big parts of the text itself, has been put together by the reps of the Nokia company.

Also in the Finnish media some high-raking officials in the Finnish ministries have leaked that the Nokia lobbyists have pushed really hard: they have threatened the company would leave Finland if the law is not approved. This is a major scandal already.

And if the law is approved, it will be an even bigger scandal. EDIT: It has been. Unbelievable.

* * *

SO: what is it, actually? The EDRI (European Digital Rights) site calls it "Snooping law and says raison d'être for the bill officially is that it would allow employers to investigate the log data of employees' e-mails, if the company has reason to suspect that corporate secrets are leaking out of the company or that the employer's communication networks are being misused. The employer would not be allowed to read the content of the messages themselves, however. The bill has been dubbed "Lex Nokia" because it was sparked in 2006 by an announcement by prosecutor Jukka Haavisto that Nokia had been illegally monitoring contact information of its employees' e-mail in 2000 to 2001.

Please bear in mind that the "company" mentioned above does not mean just a business, ie. not just enterprises with employers and employees, BUT just anyone running a collective or communal internet service. The controlling party running the net services in question can be a hospital, school, university, library...

Second most important thing: snooping does not just mean the log data of e-mails, it refers also to the log data of the employee's/ web user's/ customer's/ student's/ patient's/ recident's web traffic: which sites is s/he visiting most frequently?

Some company could use it to prevent secret business inventions to be sold to other parties, yes, but it could be used for other, much gloomier purposes.

The controller could find out - even by interpreting the log data - if the employee/ web user/ customer/ student/ patient/ recident is
* an extremist (defined by the government)
* a dissident (defined by the both government and himself)
* homosexual
* practising some strange religion/ a Satanist/ the only Cristian among Satanists
* a native speaker of urdu
* someone who's homeland is Tibet/ in Caucasus/ not where the others think it is
* whatever,

the information in some context could be harmful, even damaging for the web user, and perhaps for others, too.

If only the controller should wish to use it, like sell it forward, give it under pressure to other parties, or store the information carelessly. There are possibilities.

* * *

If this law is approved, Finland will be moving towards the kind of future all dictators & unfair and perhaps even unstable societies without freedom of expression would love. EDIT: Hello, Putin, Il Jong, Gazprom, Shell, Monsanto, the Turkmen Kreml, Lukashenka, and all your friends: These air-heads in Finland have smoothened your way. Now come here and get a copy of the text. You can do what you do legally.

Kurt Vonnegut, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick. They knew what was really going to happen.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, he wrote about what had happened when the society had all the means of controlling its subjects (not "citizens").

* * *

The Lex Nokia law has got blessing from Constitutional Law Committee.

Therefore, the legislative proposal is presented to Parliament in the pleanary session. Today.

If the Parliament is to approve this law, it will be sent to the President of the Republic for ratification.

Strange. The law is so compilicated the Constitution should be re-written. According to the website of the Parliament of Finland a bill regarding the Constitution must first be approved by a simple majority of votes on its second reading. The bill is then left in abeyance until after the next general election. The newly elected Parliament continues discussion of the bill and must approve the bill by a two-thirds majority of votes in order for it to become law. However, a bill regarding the Constitution need not wait until after the next general elections if it is declared urgent by a five-sixths majority of votes.

I don't understand how this proposal has moved even this far. But hopefully not any further from here.

See the anti-ad in You Tube. The text "SUOMEN PERUSTUSLAKI" on the cover of the book means "the Constitution of Finland".

(The ones who understand Finnish, please see the site of Electronic Frontier Finland and the FAQ.)

Philip K. Dick (1928–1982), one of the greatest science fiction writers in the world. On the right. The manuscipts of Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report were based on his novels and short stories.

Two Buildings in Tallinn

2009-02-25T22:48:00.012+02:00

Before I leave for Tallinn day after tomorrow, I want to show two buildings one will remember eternally. (Last Christmas I gave you my heart... NO, it happened earlier, but I took these photos last Christmas. And I can hardly wait to get to Tallinn again! A visit in every two months is a must, but visiting more often is my wish.)

Soviet-style film theater, Kino Soprus. A real treasure. Opened in 1955. Still with a high-standard independent program. Vana-Posti 8, in the Old Town.

A business office house in business-office-house-trees! Pärnu Mnt, I think. Or was it Tarttu Mnt? Don't worry, I'll check this out.

The Murder Investigations = Total Failure

2009-02-25T22:00:00.006+02:00

Lavrenti Beriya (1899–1953). Originally Georgian. At the highest times of his glory Stalin's right hand, head of the KGB. After getting rid of his predecessor Yezhov (killing him in Lubyanka, the KGB prison in Moscow), Beriya was responsible for the deportations from the Baltic states, among other things.

Politkovskaya's assassination is still badly investigated and therefore, of course, the murderer unpunished.

But, like almost everybody who have been following this, I am very sure the murderer has been indentified by both the Kremlin and the KGB.

According to the rumours I have heard a number of times, the guy in the baseball cap, the one who really pulled the trigger, has been living in Belgium for quite some time already.

Oh sorry comrades, the agency is FSB nowadays.

Statement issued by Russian Union of Journalists

Monday, 23 February 2009

The trial of those involved in the murder of Novaya gazeta commentator Anna Politkovskaya has ended in total failure. The jury unanimously acquitted all the accused and they were freed right there in the courtroom.

Despite everything, the hearings were made open to the media and public and once again this gave us vivid evidence of the defects of our law enforcement system, which requires urgent reform. And still we can see one positive outcome. It did not prove possible, by convicting minor figures, to evade the most important question: Who ordered the killing of our comrade and colleague, and why did they do so.

The investigation will be renewed and so it is of fundamental importance that all those who obstructed the investigators in their work, shielding the guilty and concealing vital information, are named without delay. The Russian authorities must realise that it is essential that they display political will. The collapse of such a trial is a national disgrace and they will not be able to shift the blame to the investigators, who did not do their job, still less to the jurors.

A Sledgehammer Response: No Stupid Medleys at Oscars

2009-02-15T11:50:00.006+02:00

So. As for the players of progressive rock, a minute is nothing, Gabriel should have been offered enough time for a 75 minute solo.

No, really, just kidding. The lame 65 secs must be an offending offer. Please read the following piece of news from the Independent.

Gone in 65 seconds: Gabriel quits Oscars

Musician furious at decision to shorten his performance to a little over a minute
By Guy Adams in Los Angeles

There's a week to go, but this year's Oscars have already spawned their first major celebrity hissy-fit. Peter Gabriel, the laid-back king of progressive rock, has abruptly withdrawn from next Sunday's awards show after his performance there was shortened to just 65 seconds.

The former Genesis singer had expected, in keeping with tradition, to have several minutes in the spotlight to perform his song "Down to Earth". Composed by Gabriel for the computer-animated film Wall-E, it is shortlisted for an Academy Award in the best original song category.

But in an attempt to revitalise ratings, the event's organisers decided to jazz up this year's ceremony by blending all three of the nominated tracks together in a short, sharp medley.

As a result, Gabriel announced yesterday that he was refusing to participate. He said in a video posted on his website: "Songwriters, even though they're a small part of the whole film-making process, we still work bloody hard, and I think deserve a place in the ceremony. So I think ... I'm an old fart and it's not going to do me a lot of harm to make a little protest. For some of the other artists, it wouldn't be so easy."

* * *

...and the story as a whole is in here.

Hey, don't give up.
cos you have friends
Dont give up
Youre not beaten yet
Dont give up
I know you can make it good

Kids Snooping in Russia

2009-02-08T20:11:00.006+02:00

Another Russian revealing dirty secrets believed to be in danger is Anna Bukovskaya.

I have met several activists of "The Other Russia", the political opposition, and they have all said they phone calls are being listened to, and they are being followed. But I have not realised also kids can act as agents.

Nashi Activist Tells of Snooping for Kremlin

06 February 2009 By Natalya Krainova / Staff Writer

Undercover pro-Kremlin agents have worked in opposition groups across Russia to provide the presidential administration with information on opposition activists and rallies, a self-described handler said Thursday.

Anna Bukovskaya, a St. Petersburg activist with the pro-Kremlin Nashi youth group, said she coordinated a group of 30 young people who infiltrated branches of the banned National Bolshevik Party, Youth Yabloko and United Civil Front in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh and six other cities.

The agents informed Bukovskaya, who passed the information to senior Nashi official Dmitry Golubyatnikov, who in turn contacted "Surkov's people" in the Kremlin, Bukovskaya told The Moscow Times. Vladislav Surkov is President Dmitry Medvedev's first deputy chief of staff.

The agents provided information on planned and past events together with pictures and personal information on activists and leaders, including their contact numbers, Bukovskaya said by telephone from St. Petersburg.

They were paid 20,000 rubles ($550) per month, while she received 40,000 rubles per month, she said.

The story as whole is in here, in the Moscow Times website.

Changes with Music

2009-02-08T18:26:00.011+02:00

München (Munich)

Obama has certainly started with Big Changes. And Joe Biden, now travelling in Munich, is seemingly backing up the President and moving forward with the new American agenda. According to a news release from Russia, "European media reported that Biden may voice Obama’s idea on a radical – up to 80% – slashing of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals." Gosh.

Many are still sceptical, of course, wondering if Obama can really change things -- will he be able to, is he a puppet or with a mind of his own? And so on.

It is too early to have all the answers, and even I am not naive enough to think every example of the ignorant Bush administration could change for the better at once. For example, the USA seems to be willing to make NATO even stonger and more powerful, and the talks about the threats of terrorism are very much alive - and I find the both of these things quite strange.

But after the latest news on Obama's actions, I'd judge a lot is changing, and the changes have been good.

* * * *

By the way, I rarely recommend this news agency, but now I make an exception, since that was here in the ITAR-TASS site. Putin, be aware!

* * * * *

At the end of his speech Biden whacked Russia, and then with diplomacy he softened the statement:

"We will not agree with Russia on everything. For example, the United States will not -- will not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. We will not recognize any nation having a sphere of influence. It will remain our view that sovereign states have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own alliances. But the United States and Russia can disagree and still work together where our interests coincide. And they coincide in many places."

And not agreeing with Russia is a good start.

* * * * *

For all the music lovers, here comes the Bush speech once again.

Remember when he said the fact that there was no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has been "a significant disappointment"?

I still find it hard to understand how stupid that man has been. As well as the ones who voted for him.

Photo Thursday - Valokuvatorstai, 117: Many

2009-01-31T22:59:00.011+02:00

If you came from Facebook and now look for a meme, "25 Things About Me", please find it two posts downwards, so keep scrolling.

* * * * *

In Photo Thursday the challenge #117 was the word "moni", many.

My response was shot with camera phone. Basic Nokia with 2.0 Megapixel camera, nothing fancy.

Did you realise there are many different magazines on window painting; two of them called Fensterbilder imported from Germany?

Window painting!? My goodness.

You – yes, YOU – Are Being Cheated. Nuclear Waste Dumping and Pirates.

2009-01-31T21:29:00.018+02:00

You came from Facebook and look for a meme, "25 Things About Me"? It is the post before this one, so please keep scrolling downwards.

* * * * *

The world is full of lies. BIG ones, too.

Huge lies, created by governments and super powers. Let's take a look at some of the old ones before proceeding to the newest.

* The beginning of "the War to End All Wars", World War I, was based on a lie: an archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to throne of Austria-Hungary was assasinated with his wife in Sarajevo. And then Austria-Hungary declared a war on Russia, despite of the fact that is was the Serbian Military Intelligence who were behind the murder. And soon after the French mobilisation, Germany declared war on France. What, why? According to British historian Jonathan Glover all this escalating so far was based on intentinally false presumptions. Each one of the countries involved thought the others will lose, and that the war will be over quickly, and the war was very much wanted.

* The "War Against Terrorism" was based a big fat lie. Nuclear weapons in Iraq? (George W. was "disappointed" when none was found.) And who were behing the 9/11 attacs? I don't know about the mysterious conspiracy theories of the buildings being bombed from the inside, but the official explanation given by the Bush administration was based on a conspiracy theory par excellence: Al-quaida + Axis Of Evil + Afganistan + Pakistan + Osama bin-Laden...

* The Second War against Chechnya was based on a cruel lie: Putin used the bombings of apartment buildings in Moscow and Ryazan as an excuse to start bombing Groznyi. Later a lot of evidence was found on the fact that the bombs were set by the Russian Security Service, FSB.

* Who killed Kennedy? Marilyn Monroe? Politkovskaya? Litvinenko? I don't know. (But what I do know is that Politkovskaya, Litvinenko and Kennedy did NOT commit a suicide.)

...and here is the newest example of the immoral ignorance I have heard in today's Europe and Africa:

Johann Hari, the Independent starts his excellent article with the following lines: "Who imagined that in 2009, the world's governments would be declaring a new War on Pirates? As you read this, the British Royal Navy – backed by the ships of more than two dozen nations, from the US to China – is sailing into Somalian waters to take on men we still picture as parrot-on-the-shoulder pantomime villains. They will soon be fighting Somalian ships and even chasing the pirates onto land, into one of the most broken countries on earth. But behind the arrr-me-hearties oddness of this tale, there is an untold scandal. The people our governments are labelling as "one of the great menaces of our times" have an extraordinary story to tell – and some justice on their side."

And the beef in brief:

* The ugliest forces in the Western world are stealing the food supply on Somalia and dumping nuclear waste in their seas.

Mr Hari continuing: "Yes: nuclear waste. As soon as the government was gone, mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean. The coastal population began to sicken. At first they suffered strange rashes, nausea and malformed babies. Then, after the 2005 tsunami, hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, and more than 300 died.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy to Somalia, tells me: "Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury – you name it." Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia to "dispose" of cheaply."

Please read the Hari's article as a whole in here (this link taking you into the Huffington Post site).. And thanks, dear TN, for noticing this.

What I am afraid of, is that soon someone is using the Somali pirates as an excuse of the war against Africa. Or are we there yet?

World War I recruiting poster.

25 Things About Me. (A meme)

2009-01-31T12:36:00.024+02:00

This crazy meme was sent to me in Facebook, but from now on I'll try to write more of my blog and less Facebook stuff, so here we go.

"You are supposed to write a note with 25 random things about yourself. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you."

I'll try to keep this trivial, non-political and light-hearted but sincere. No whining about Putin, Bush, climate change and human rights this time. (But trust me; more posts on those coming up!)

1. Those are my eyes.

2. I just dyed my hair a bit darker, so I guess my hair colour is now "dark blonde". And I guess my original hair colour is a very Nordic "Messy Darkish Blondish": I get blonder stripes easily in summer because I swim outside whenvever I get an opportunity, and I have hints of red pigment, too. But here are the News: I have huge stripes of grey above my left ear.

3. I am a Helsinki girl. My grandparents lived here, too. Most of my relatives live here. I love travelling, but I have never actually wanted to move elsewhere.

4. Of all forms of arts, music and literature are the most precious to me.

5. I like music which is composed and played skillfully. Soul, jazz, "classic" progressive rock... "Complicated" music, like Mr HP put it. When driving I usually listen to Groove FM and sing all the soul classics so dear to me. At home it is nice to listen to classical music, but in the car I get a headache if I listen to classical piano.

6. When I was 17 I borrowed the ID of a friend of mine, because I had to get to Tavastia, the number One rock club in Helsinki, to see Pekka Pohjola's gig. The bouncers were, and still are, well-known of the fact no minor can sneak in. The music was excellent! (And my classmate had a driver's licence, so she did not need the papers. Well, neither did she want to see Pekkis, either.) For me, that one was only the first of many Pohjola gigs, I tried to be in Tavastia every time he played there.

7. I cried last November when I was in Berlin and heard Pohjola had passed away.

8. I cried at the Pohjola Tribute gig 14 January.

9. Enough of all this crying: I laugh a lot. I enjoy being with friends who make me laugh and who enjoy laughing. For example, the gang with which we travel to Football events are like that. I love telling and hearing jokes. I am constantly trying to learn new ones and pass the oldies forward!

10. I can't draw. Not at all. Or maybe I could if I really tried, but I am not interested.

11. I can't cook anything fancy. Or maybe I could if I really tried, but I am not interested.

12. I am really, really good at baking! The sweet buns I make are most delicious. I can do cakes, too. And bread. With freshly baked, hot bread the best topping is real butter.

13. I love jams. Cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant jam, and marmalades... I have to have several in the fridge all the time. And I can't picture pancakes without my favourite: apple jam!

14. I have never been in the USA. And neither in the Southern America. Been to nowhere in America! But I'd very much love to go.

15. The most famous person by whom I have been kissed is Francis Ford Coppola.

16. I hate warm milk in most of its forms. Except that sometimes I like drinking a cup of hot chocolate, but it must be self-made with lots and lots of cocoa (so that I can't taste and smell the milk).

17. Usually I don't like soups, because very often there is warm milk in them. Though I do like Russian-style selyanka (which I have in Estonia all the time) and bortsch.

18. I love pickled cucumber, made in Russian style, but I do not like the sugary, Nordic versions of those. I hate the Felix crap.

19. When I was a kid my mom took me to cinema every other weekend. When I was 5 my favourite film was "Sleeping Beauty" because the dress of the Princess changed colour in the final scene.

20. I stopped being religious at the age nine when I saw a film on the life of Jesus. (To tell ou the truth, I don't think I was religiuos before, but I migh have thought there could be something like a God somehere.) In this film the Son of the God was so human, so likeable, so wonderful guy. I even read the Bible after seeing that film - and immediately realised I truly am interested in history and fairy tales, but the God is not speaking to me, because there is no god. No God could make his beautiful, loving son suffer like that! And much later I learned this breath-taking film was directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini.

21. I fell in love with mr HP when he told me one of his favourite directors is Pasolini.

22. One of my favourite directors is Francois Truffaut. One of my favourite actors is Juliette Binoche. Other good ones: Jeanne Moreau, Monica Vitti, Gerard Depardieu, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Al Pacino, Monty Clift, Ava Gardner, Tauno Palo. And Liz Talor! And John Wayne. I love everything with John Wayne. Actors everyone else seems to love, but whom I don't find particularly good: Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner (and he is not a good director, either).

23. I love the French language. Sometime I want to see some French film just because I enjoy listening to that beautiful language so much. I am refreshing my own language skills in a funny but very productive way: I sing French children's songs. With this.

24. I get bored easily, if I have to wait or just sit or stand still for a long time. That's why I always have a book or two with me everywhere I go. Or three. (And that's why I never carry too small a hand bag!) Should I forget those, I write myself. I aways carry a note book or two with me. Or three.

25. I wish I could be a bit more Buddhist and deeply understand how the inner strength is everything you really have. How happiness, confidence, beauty and peace do not come from outside, but they are resting inside you all the time. A lot of work required here.

* * * * *

I'll "tag" more of You in Facebook. Here I forward the challenge to Timo Virtala, Mane the Mean, Tiina Kaarela, Sedis, Oderazzi, Halo Efekti (Except that she has already done this!) and of course, Vaiheinen.

I was tagged by PG, who will be informed through Facebook as well.

FC!

2009-01-16T21:33:00.006+02:00

You know what is to happen after 3 days 2 hours 25 minutes 47 seconds have passed? Or now it's 3 days 2 hours 19 minutes 25 sec. And now it's 3 days 2 hours 16 min 36 sec. And now--

It's the ...

Go, Obama, go! I wish you best of luck. May the force be with you.

Bloggers from the Other Side the Wall

2009-01-13T21:30:00.013+02:00

Famous but anonymous artist "Banksy" drew on the Apartheid Wall.

Independent press, reporters, human rights activists, investigatiors and observers are not allowed by the Israeli administration to enter Gaza. The medical aid -- for the hundreds of injured or half-dead -- is given by too few professionals, lacking medicine and equipment.

Yet there are ways how we can dig into the news and reports spreading from the closed city. Bloggers among those.

These few contacts were distributed by Finnish peace activists. I have read them with great curiousity and sympathy, and I highly recommend you do the same.

Notes from Palestine
* Two bloggers representing MECA, the Middle East Children's Alliance + other contributors. Well-written, edited and most interesting.

"In my house we can't get basic needs. No food. No bread. No fuel. No future. Yesterday, my father went to the bakery at 5 AM. He waited 5 hours to get one loaf of bread, which is not enough for my family because there are 11 of us. So today it was my turn. I went to all the bakeries -- all were closed.
There is no safe place we can go. We cannot communicate with our relatives and friends -- networks are down as missiles rain on our homes, mosques and even hospitals."

Moments of Gaza
* Several bloggers. Well-written and very interesting.

"What the Palestinians in Gaza are getting used to on a daily basis are things like these:
...the smell of gunpowder in the air
...the sound of ambulances here and there
...the sound of fighter jets and helicopters in the sky
...the trembling, terrorizing sound of bombs far and near
...the sounds of baby cries
...the the news of people dead, injured, lost or homeless
This is what we're getting on a daiy, but even hourly basis...for the past 2 weeks. To me, this is not life. This is death in the making."

Sabbah's Blog
* Shocking photos, be aware! But also live-feed, accurate figures and news footage.

"If such a massive genocide of a trapped civilian population by air, sea, and land was committed by any other nation the world would launch a massive investigation into this crime against humanity and hold the leaders of such a nation accountable in the International Court of Justice. In a just world Israel would be charged with crimes against humanity as was Serbia and Rwanda."

Life must go on in Gaza and Sderot
* Tear down this wall!

"This blog is written by 2 friends. One lives in Sajaia refugee camp in Gaza and the other lives in Sderot, a small town near Gaza on the Israeli side. -- Many have been killed and many have been injured. The media coverage on both sides has been extremely biased. Our Blog is written by 2 real people living and communicating on both sides of the border."
"We have said from the beginning that violence will bring more violence.
I hope the world will understand that’s there people want to live safe with dignity and peace. I hope I will have the chance to write you again."

From Gaza, with Love
* Heartbreaking agony. Must be sincere, but yet it's more then a bit unclear at times. Worth reading, still.

"Women, health, children and human rights in Occupied Palestine. A blog by Dr. Mona El-Farra."

***

This wall was supposed to stay there for couple of hundreds of years! At least! But strange things happen if the world just decides to change for good. (Or some millions of Berliners just want to be living together inhabiting the same soil, instead of being half-neighbours.) And this wall has its foundations in the aftermath of the WWII, too.

Hey you, President, listen

2009-01-12T21:57:00.018+02:00

This was then: Chevron named oil tanker the "Condoleezza Rice". Rice, as well as Dick Cheney, used to work for Chevron oil company before the Bush administration started needing their talents. (Ever wondered why the harder limits for CO2 emissions have not been on their agenda?)

And here we go again. You lame duck, mr. president Bush, were referring to Iraq: "Not having weapons of mass destruction was a significant disappointment. I don't know if you want to call those mistakes or not, but they were -- things didn't go according to plan, let's put it that way."

A SIGNIFICANT DISAPPOINTMENT? Were you, stupid blood-hungry cheater, "disappointed" because they did not have any nuclear weapons in one of the poorest dictatorships in the world? Well how stupid is that. Or did you plan that Iraq could/would/should have nuclear weapons, if you now regret things did not go as planned?

Actually it does not matter at all what you just said in your last press conference as a president of the US. Goes without saying that before starting your ugly war you knew quite perfectly well they do not have anything of the sort, as that was what Hans Blix and other UN investigators told you.

(I just can't get it: how could someone say, even in his dreams, that not finding a nuclear horror has been disappointing?)

But there is a disappointment all right: You and your politics have been the biggest disappointments for the whole world, and the negative consequences will excist for a long long time.

So, thanks for nothing, and do no waste time with leaving the office asap.

Thus spoke IStori (like already years ago).

Photo Thursday - Valokuvatorstai: Smooth Way

2009-01-09T22:26:00.009+02:00

The topic of the Photo Thursday (Valokuvatorstai) of this week was a line written by Vexi Salmi for a late (Finnish) pop musician Irwin Goodman: "Silirimpsis, sileä tie". (Could be something like "Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep, smooth way". But this is a very loose and over-creative translation!)

I have had difficulties to decide on which one of these two ways is smoother, so I have two photos with which I respond to the challenge. The first one being a nail studio:

"Tulevaisuus on kynsissäsi. Silirimpsis, sileä tie."
"The Future's On Your Nails. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Smooth Way Ahead."

* * * * *

I had to take this one very quickly, because there was a young man being interviewed and I was being watched from the inside. So excuse me but this one is a bit blurred, please double-click it so it gets bigger. The company in question is headhunting waiters and cooks; mainly staff for restaurants and catering services.

"Yhtä henkeä haetaan, hälle silirimpsis, sileä tie."
"One Person Needed. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Smooth Way Ahead."

Auld Lang Syne!

2009-01-07T22:18:00.019+02:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

– Robert Burns, in 1788

(See the end of this post for the rest & link.)

"When will Santa come?", Miss Funnybunny kept asking, with a demanding tone in her voice. Every day, several times a day. Starting in mid-November.

Before Christmas of 2008 I was very tired. The whole autumn had very rapidly moved forward to the most hectic pre-Christmas time, and I felt I am dragging myself somewhere behind. I was working all the time, and being seemingly active, but my mind was occupied in other things: A new writing project had started to haunt me. Miss Funnybunny had grown, got cleverer, really thus funnier, but still with little toddler's tantrums, and she required more and more of my attention after work.

And I wished I could have a holiday.

Finally: It was Christmas! Even though I am not at all religious, I understand the value of peace and quietness, and making the "holy" days more preecious with decorations and presents. At least for a few days.

Ministry for Foreign Affairs with its Christmas decorations on the other side of the bay.

... and a window from where we can take a look at it.

My feet resting when I am watching Titanic. Never seen it before, and I got my chance when Mr HP and Miss Funnybunny went to visit grandparents in the countryside for a couple of days. Me leaving home in the middle of the most beautiful and peaceful time at home? Never! With some wine and chocolate even a film as predictable and boring with not-so-good actors (except the villain = the guy who is to marry Rose) as Titanic was bearable. And with "predictable" I do not refer to the fact that the ship finally did sink. (Boy, was I waiting for that.)

After the holy days: New Year's Eve at friends' house, at a most stylish love birds' nest in Töölö. With Miss F, Mr HP and a bunch of jolly people. (Although we did not experience the very beginning of the year 2009 here, we were watching the great fireworks near the Cathedral of Uspenski.

Finally, Listen to the happy politicians singing and sing yourself with the SPECIALISTS, ie. Scotts! Plus there seemed to be a person from England, too. I also highly recommend you read the praising, tearful comments below the video: "Obama should do the same in the US senate"...

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
For auld lang syne!

(And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.)
Please see the poem and song as a whole in the Wikipedia site.

Berlin at the end of Nov 08

2009-01-06T21:59:00.011+02:00

Hello, Franz Biberkopf, here we come! (The main character in Alfred Döblin's Berlin Alexanderplatz)

In the Berlin web site they say that

"some call it wild, colorful, and full of surprises, while others find it a little too hectic and gruff. Berlin is intriguing because it is so versatile and so multi-faceted. Differences are more extreme, conflicts more tangible, and problems larger than they are elsewhere. Yet even Berlin’s contradictions are part of its appeal."

Maybe that's why I had to organise a trip there. I have been there twice: once travelling through East Berlin in 1988, to Chechoslovakia and further down to Budapest, and in 1991 when I participated an international Nuclear Phase-out Conference (the real name of which I fail to remember). The most memorable moment then was a Buddhist ceremony on the minefield in the midle of the wall area. I think it was somewhere near the Potzdamer Plaz and Reichstag.

Seeing the area(s) now, there is absolutely no way I could tell.

Culture! Among several museums we managed to visit the main building of Faculty of Arts. Why? Because we needed to walk through it to the Jewish monument.

... which is right here. Very still, very moving.

And walking through it was not as easy as it seemed at first.

Books were burning, as everything else, under the WWII.

Ku'damm and its festive decorations.

The splendid life of the Finnish publishing editors does not require sparkling wine only.

Mr HP and I had to visit this place, too. First time in Berlin, for MR HP, it was. And at the Checkpoint I was thinking about the Len Deighton books.

Time to go back to Tegel ad take a plane to Helsinki sweet Helsinki. Editors would have wanted to edit this sign a bit.

We saw none of these guys at the airport.

"I want to go in". Félicitations!

2008-11-11T13:16:00.012+02:00

So, you have let your hair grow? Stylish, as You always are. Congrats, Atiq!

* * * * *

"Soon they'll socialise the car industry," Mr HP commented this morning. He was puzzled, and slightly amused, too, I must admit. It is his birthday today, so into our bed he received coffee, newspaper and buns (proudly baked by me) with whipped cream.

While enjoying the warmest congratulations from Miss Funnybunny and me, with self-made cards and a poem (mine!) he was digging into the deep and crushing crisis of car industry in USA. (But good for the environment? Well, perhaps, if they build any alternative means of transportation. But that's what the big country is lacking at the moment.)

Then, just to make him laugh and forget the recession for a sec – an entrepreneur as he is (but in the hard business of literature, so he's not a car salesman!) – I told him the joke M.U. e-mailed me yesterday (THANKS again, dearest M!):

"One sunny day in 2009,

an old man sitting on a park bench opposite the White House, got up, crossed Pennsylvania Avenue and said to the U.S. Marine standing guard, 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.' The Marine replied, 'Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here.''Okay,' said the old man and walked away.

The following day, the same man walked over to the White House and said to the same Marine, 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.' The Marine replied, 'Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here.' 'Okay,' said the old man again and walked away.

The third day, the same man walked over to the White House and said to the very same Marine, 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.'

The Marine, understandably annoyed, looked at the man and replied, 'Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?'

The old man said, 'Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it.'

The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, 'See you tomorrow.'"

* * *

And last but not least, I would like to congratulate the newest winner of the most valuable literature prize in France, Prix Goncourt: Atiq Rahimi!

Your books on Afganistan and the wars the nation has suffered from have made me a huge impression. I can hardly wait for the next one!

It was lovely to work with You years ago. The war fabricated by the CIA or George W. or whoever, against "the axis of evil" – one strong member of which was supposingly Afganistan – had just started and everywhere You had to comment on the desperate situation of the Afgans.

But yet, we did have a good time in Central Finland, partying until dawn with a bunch of literature maniacs. It was a literature happening in Urjala, in the nostalgic landscapes of the most important Finnish classics.

Félicitations, cher Atiq!

In an interview Rahimi comments on his book Earth and Ashes: "I wrote the novel in 1996, when the Taliban had just come to power. I thought, "Why? Why this violence? Why so much destruction?" During the Soviet war, there was a lot of vengeance, much catastrophe. The Taliban came from this catastrophe. It is important to know where this came from. Also, I wanted to show the three generations of Afghanistan. Dastaguir, the old man, represents Afghanistan's past, its traditions, its customs, its honor. This is the older generation. His son is the present, my generation. He works in a mine; he is the mujahideen generation, the chaos. Yassin, the grandson, is the future. He is deaf, handicapped by war. It is always true that communication between generations does not exist. My generation, the generation of Mujahideen and Communist, has no communication with the past or future."

* * * * *

Happy Birthday to those of You who celebrate this very day: the twins Ode and Hannu, Antti V, and especially Petteri = 40 years!!!! Congrats for the degree to Ira!

Oh, say can you see

2008-11-05T09:06:00.017+02:00

Congrats, USA! And thanks for showing there is hope for the future.

Dear Barack. Now start working for peace and human rights outside the USA, too. (Comes with the job as the World Leader. And you know, you and President Hu Jintao are the guys the aliens want to address to when right after their arrival they say to the first earthlings they meet "take us to your leader".)

In your country, reduce greenhouse gasses IMMEDIATELY (and encourage President Hu Jintao to do likewise), do not be slaves of oil and nuclear industries (like us Finns), build up the economy with green energy and sustainable development... (By the way, does anyone talk about "sustainable development any more, or is it too 1980's?)

Yeah, there's a lot to be done.

I wish I knew how the Kremlin will react! They must be dumbfounded: "What happened?", Putin is screaming. "A black guy? Why couldn't they organise the elections like we do in Russia: tell people who is the only candidate to vote for? But in the USA people actually voted, like, the citizens themselves went to cast their votes? How ridiculous. How could they allow this to happen? What is this sh*t – democracy, what's that?"

You've come a long way, baby! I remember I actually cried at the end of the Roots Tv series. And again when I read the book. This still is one of the best historical half-biografies I have ever read.

Yes yes yes you can!

2008-11-04T15:05:00.012+02:00

Hello, Charleston! Hello, West Virginia! It is so good to be here. In the last debate, John McCain felt the need to declare that he's not President Bush. And just yesterday, John McCain actually went so far as to try to compare Barack Obama to George W. Bush. As my granddaughter says: Hello? John McCain is now attacking the Bush budget and fiscal policies. Folks, this is as crazy as the Sundance Kid attacking Butch Cassidy!
– Joe Biden in Charleston a week ago

I feel sorry for Newman & Redford. How terrible to be compared with McCain & Bush.

In the debate this week, my opponent felt the need to inform me that he's not President Bush. And in fairness, I don't blame Senator McCain for all of President Bush's mistakes. After all, he's only voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time.
– Barack Obama in St Louis a week ago

Go for Obama!

thumbsupfingerscrossedmeditationmeditation
thumbsupfingerscrossedmeditationmeditation
thumbsupfingerscrossedmeditationmeditation
thumbsupfingerscrossedmeditationmeditation
thumbsupfingerscrossedmeditationmeditation

I'm so excited!

In the Heart Of Darkness

2008-11-02T10:45:00.018+02:00

A good friend said the other day he does not like the saying "one gets what one deserves", especially when brutal, unfair violence is sort of accepted with this saying: A husband killing his wife becauce "the bitch deserved it", or others saying "she deserved it because she did not leave him". A kid being tortured because she deserved it - she must pay for the sins of earlier generations, or maybe she was born in the wrong culture, and so on.

So many people get totally what they do not deserve: they are suffering from violence, torture, just anything a human being can imagine and even worse.

And we, in the rich Europe, get a lot of what we certainly are not worth of. "Goods", as they are called, even when they do good for no-one, or "products". Whatever you call the well-designed jars and boxes, filled with something that will soon be crap anyway.

These gloomy thoughts took over my mind as I am now under this weekend working at the stupidest fair I have ever been in. Anyone with a bit of sanity would become crazy here. This is all about women's "products for good life".

Cheating and crap, I say. Like over-priced cosmetics; "natural vitamins" (but get them from food and all of them are "natural"), "energy" or "balanced" treatments that promise much but most likely do not deliver (except money for the salesmen); memberships for gyms, the shortest term to get committed to being a year (now that is a clever business con. They sell memberships for lazy but hopeful and easily agitated people, and they can sell much more than actually would ever fit into their fitness dumps). And so on. Get the ugly picture.

I am here with The Books, of course. And I wish I was at home, playing with Funnybunny (who is briefly visiting her grandparents, and that's a really good thing, anyway).

* * * * *

A couple of days before I came across this mind-blowing piece in the Independent:

The deadliest war since Adolf Hitler marched across Europe is starting again – and you are almost certainly carrying a blood-soaked chunk of the slaughter in your pocket. When we glance at the holocaust in Congo, with 5.4 million dead, the clichés of Africa reporting tumble out: this is a "tribal conflict" in "the Heart of Darkness". It isn't. The United Nations investigation found it was a war led by "armies of business" to seize the metals that make our 21st-century society zing and bling. The war in Congo is a war about you.

So, is it because You are worth it? Read Johann Hari's article How We Fuel Africa's Bloodiest War and make up your mind.¨

The Congo River, the flow of which is the biggest after Amazon.

Please find more about the exciting rainforests and peoples - like Pygmies - of Congo here.

Please Please Please!

2008-10-30T10:42:00.011+02:00

Xenophobic concervatives were the winners of the municipal elections in Finland, getting 5,4% of the votes – but they started from zero.

And I am happily thinking it is not impossible to leave this country some day.

As even the moon is guarded by the Americans, should McCain win there is no place where to escape this ultimate stupidity and arrogant ignorance so typical of concervative right-win politicians in the USA.

Let's help the people of the USA and push Obama's campaign. I give you, my fellow Europeans, some useful tips:

* Whenever you meet with an American who seems religious Christian, conservative, and you know, Republican-minded, tell him you wish McCain won and McCain is widely supported by your fellow Finns/Swedes/Russians/Nigerians. (I don't know about Sweden and Nigeria, but in Finland there are only few supporters of McCain. In Russia this most likely applies, though.)

=> knowing about the support from foreign countries there is no chance he would vote for McCain.

And you don't need to worry about some foreign newspaper revealing the real truth, because concervative Americans don't read foreign newspapers. Actually, they seldom travel anywhere. So it is not likely you'd met any. Ok, this was not a good piece of advice, but lousy.

Denali National Park in Alaska

* But this is a good one: Sisters, let your hair down, add some curls or cut it short. If you have longer hair, wear it in messy-looking style Heather Locklear used to have in 1990's, as if suggesting you have had sex only a minute ago. (This hairstyle is still awfully popular in Sweden, especially among ladies in their 50s.)

=> even in remote corners of Northern Lapland DO NOT get mixed with fans of Sarah Palin and thus channel positive energy into her camp of heavily armed religious lunatics.

=> But if you actually meet a supporter of hers, tie your hair up on your head and tell her you adore Sarah Palin, and when Alaska is transformed into a huge oil field the Russian oligarks (and smaller players now buying houses by the big lakes in eastern Finland) will quickly build their datchas in Alaska as well, since for them the Northern USA feels even more like home, at the same time being the country of their dreams. (And boy, aren't they religious, too. And when it comes to Palin's beloved hobby hunting I bet some Russkie oligarks would love to join the team.)

* * *

I just have to end this post by saying Please, Please, Please: go for Obama, please. Yes you can!

"It Should Be All Over". Please Don't Blow It This Time!

2008-10-29T10:59:00.011+02:00

After a lengthy period of hectic duties; bookfairs in Turku, Frankfurt and Helsinki, travelling, organising, even partying (haha something easy, too!), I am doing my best in trying to recover and get back to normal.

Just as if I knew what the so-called normal is.

* * *

(President of the United States, David Palmer would be happy with the latest developments in the USA election circus.)

* * *

Normal? Besides being with Miss Funnybunny. She has suddenly become big enough to really start missing her mom and dad. And she quite bluntly tells us that. Which makes leaving her, even for a couple of days, more and more difficult. As it should, I know. Fortunately she likes being with the ones she has stayed with (THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH!), so we don't really need to worry about her. Just miss her.

I finally got a new laptop, so I can do some top-quality blogging at home, too. Or in a hotel, like the following weeekend, when I am working at a - surprise, surprise - fair, in Tampere, central Finland. (It's not a book fair this time, but something totally else. Since I'm more than a bit embarrassed of being lured to go there, I will not get into more details about this now.)

Miss Funnybunny will be first coming with me, and after a day leaving with her dad to see the grandparents, so I will not have to suffer from the ugliest guilty feeling. That's pretty helpful.

* * *

The US election polls are making the world anxious. Despite the predictions anything can happen. The unpredictable and the unpredictably horribly stupid has happened before.

"Mark Steel: I'm frozen with fear – could Obama still lose the election?

The Republicans have had the worst campaign possible. It should be all over.

I'm still cacking myself. I know all the commentators are saying Obama's already won but I find myself scouring the internet for reassuring polls, and there'll be an article from Nevada quoting a truck driver that's supporting McCain, and I'm like a hypochondriac that's discovered a lump, frozen with fear and convinced this means the Republicans will win and reintroduce slavery and make it illegal for any creature to evolve.

Because it ought to be utterly totally wrapped up, as the Republicans have had the worst campaign that could ever be possible. The candidate looked like there couldn't possibly be anyone in the country more idiotic, but he scoured the continent, found someone who was and made her his deputy. Then a disastrous economic crisis began weeks before the election while they're in charge, then their own side started deserting to Obama, they've been caught spending half the economy on dresses, but they're STILL only a few per cent behind. ...

Scary, isn't it? But please, please, dear Americans, please don't blow it this time.

(You can read about Mark Steel's heartache in the Independent of today, linked here.)

"She Is Still With Us"

2008-10-07T16:19:00.007+03:00

Sorry for silence. Miss Funnybunny accidentally broke my laptop, and I have been far too busy to write this at work. (The insurance will cover a new one - I have just beeen to busy to buy the new one!)

But no time for silence. Today is marked as the second anniversary of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya. Therefore I must publish the following reminder written by my dear friend Oksana Chelysheva.

* * * *

On the second anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya's murder I feel like speaking up on those who are still alive. This year I felt more inclined to commemorate her on her birthday and to raise other people's fates on her death day.
Anna Politkovskaya is one of them as here assassins fail to erase her voice, her views and her deeds as well as her charm from her friends' memory.

For me personally Anna is one of those few who will never cease to exist. She is still alive as she is with us in her articles, in her small granddaughter who was named after her. Even the hatred of those who are hiding their shadows behind statements on Anna's "insignificance" and "damaging Putin's Russia's positive image" can't destroy the voice of Anna.
At the same time, I can't accept this kind of post-mortal symbolism of the person who often felt too lonely and even marginalized being called "too passionate", "too radical", "too much involved" and not very "diplomatic" unlike a huge crowd of those who prefer to balance the circumstances rather than call on their changing.
She was often listened to without being heard. And it is also the responsibility of those who could have done a lot more to stop Russia's sliding first to autocracy and now to despotism by just calling the developments in Putin's Russia by their real names…

Anna wanted to live, to enjoy life as fully as such a bright person could, to continue her often desperate attempts to help out those who didn't have public recognition of the level she had.

Their number is increasing rapidly. More and more people are being killed without any hope that their deaths would be ever investigated and the guilty would be ever brought to account. People are being taken into custody under falsified charges. They are more and more often subjected to enforced psychiatric treatment. They are being labeled as supporters of terrorism and traitors of Russian like it happened to terrorism survivors from the Voice of Beslan and Nord-Ost public associations.

Magomed Evloev, the owner of an independent Ingush website, was killed while in police custody on 31 August 2008. The murder is crying for impartial investigation, to ensure that the circumstances under which he died are brought to light and that those who are responsible for his death are charged and tried in accordance with the law. Nevertheless, the outrageous extrajudicial execution perpetrated at day light is declared to be "a death caused by accident". On October 6, life of another Ingush opposition leader was attempted. The car in which Akhmed Kotiev was driving was fired at. Fortunately, the bullets have missed this time.

On 25 July 2008, human rights defender Zurab Tsechoev, working for the human rights organization MASHR (peace) in Ingushetia, was taken away from his home in Troitskaia, Ingushetia by armed men, thought to be federal law enforcement officials. A couple of hours later he was found on a roadside near Magas, the capital of Ingushetia, with serious injuries. He had to be hospitalized. Is there any hope that the perpetrators of this act against Zurab Tsechoev would be ever identified and brought to justice? Much depends on what kind of response the authorities of Russia will get from the international community and whether this response would be limited to some mild rhetoric and expressions of concerns.

Late on 1 August 2008, an arson attack was allegedly made on the flat of human rights defender Dmitrii Kraiukhin from the town of Orel in the Central Russian Federal District. The arsonists had also allegedly tried to block the entrance door. Luckily, Dmitrii Kraiukhin was reportedly not in the flat, but his relatives who were, were able to alert the fire brigade in time. So far, to Amnesty International's knowledge, no criminal investigation into this case has been undertaken, as the authorities allegedly considered the damage too insignificant to warrant a criminal investigation. However, this is not an isolated incident as far as threats to Dmitrii Kraiukhin are concerned.

On 14 August 2008, unknown assailants threw a brick through the window of the flat in Nizhnii Novgorod where human rights activist Stanislav Dmitrievskii lives. Luckily, nobody was hurt. At the same time, the entrance of his apartment building was covered with abusive language and threats against Stanislav Dmitrievskii. Actually, it was all painted with swastikas. A criminal investigation into this attack has been opened. However, I don't believe that it would bring any results. There have been several cases initiated into death threats that both Stanislav and I have received in the last three years. All to no avail. I have heard various investigators telling me, "You do understand… the circumstances. We would not be able to identify those who are behind the threats".

They won't be able because they don't want to. Because they are afraid to get their own voice. Because they are not masters of themselves, in their words. Because they are ready to implement whatever kind of order as they are just loyal serfs of their master.

And it is in your hands to influence them. They should be under moral pressure from all people of good will. They should know that they will never be accepted and welcome outside Russia for their readiness and willingness to be on orders.

They should know that even their property bought in Finland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Montenegro or Czech Republic and Slovakia would not make them your neighbors. They should know that not everything could be purchased, no matter how wealthy they are. They should be aware that you have honour and dignity and that you are ready to stand up for them. They should be denounced and put to shame.

Oksana Chelysheva

Footage: Yevloev speaking. Suomenlinna, Helsinki, 2008.

2008-09-01T10:44:00.006+03:00

Magomed Yevloev, the Ingushetian lawyer who fought for constitutional rights for his people, was killed yesterday in Nazran by the local police forces.

He visited Suomenlinna, Helsinki last summer. Please see the footage on You Tube, linked also here.

Statement on Yevloev

2008-09-01T10:30:00.004+03:00

Statement on the killing of Magomed Yevloev

Finnish-Russian Civic Forum, 31.08.2008

The Finnish-Russian Civic Forum is shocked to hear about the killing today of Magomed Yevloev, the publisher of the Ingushetiya.ru website.
Yevloev's main contribution was to defend legality and the constitutional rights of all citizens of his republic. He stood away from the wave of violence raging in Ingushetiya. He was a man of peace in a region plagued by relentless and uncontrollable conflict.

Yevloev did not consider himself a dissident but said that it was only his duty to report events as truthfully as possible. Due to his extraordinary courage, Ingushetians were able to tell the world how flawed the election to the Russian State Duma in Ingushetiya had been.

We remember Magomed Yevloev as a friend after he participated in the second Finnish-Russian Civic Forum in Helsinki in June 2008, speaking to the public and the press about the problems of censorship in today's Russia.

We send our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of
Magomed Yevloev.

Helsinki, 31 August 2008

Finnish-Russian Civic Forum

Magomed Yevloev dead

2008-08-31T16:28:00.013+03:00

According to the information I have recently received, Magomed Yevloev was killed this morning in Nazran, Ingushetia. Yevloev was a lawyer and publisher of the website "ingushetia.ru".

Yevloev was detained by the police at the airport in Nazran, and he was later delivered to the hospital - again by the police, it seems - where a wound in his head resulted to his death. According to the hospital he had been shot.

Mr. Yevloev visited us, the FinRosForum meeting last summer in Suomenlinna (Sveaborg), Helsinki. I will add a quote from him into IStori soon after I have watched his speech with my fellow Forum guys. EDIT: the footage is here.

Please see the Kasparov website for the news (in Russian).

* * * * *

This little princess is Anna Stepanovna Mazepa (later: Mrs Politkovskaya), age four, in New York where his father was an ambassador of the CCCP.

Yesterday it would have been Anna's 50th birthday.

Yes they can nominate him!

2008-08-28T15:27:00.010+03:00

I have a dream! Even though I am not a Finnish Social Democrat, well-known for their new campaign made out of wishes that must come true if they are to continue among the hard-core achievers in the Finnish politics.

A Historic Moment. I can feel the winds of change.

Reuters today, in the Independent:

To shouts of "Yes we can," Democrats nominated Barack Obama yesterday as their presidential candidate in a historic first for a black American.

The following points belong to Obama's goals (quoted from his website, under the title of Foreign Policy):

# Strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Obama will crack down on nuclear proliferation by strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that countries like North Korea and Iran that break the rules will automatically face strong international sanctions.

# Toward a Nuclear Free World: Obama will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and pursue it. Obama will always maintain a strong deterrent as long as nuclear weapons exist. But he will take several steps down the long road toward eliminating nuclear weapons. He will stop the development of new nuclear weapons; work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles off hair trigger alert; seek dramatic reductions in U.S. and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons and material; and set a goal to expand the U.S.-Russian ban on intermediate-range missiles so that the agreement is global.

I wonder how Russia will take all this. I wonder. A black candidate reducing nuclear stockpiles. The Nashi kids must be dumbfounded, too.

I am afraid the Cold War is alive and well, and it is the Eastern block strenghtening it, this time.

A missile seeking sunshine in its silo.

Ruhnu (Runö)

2008-08-26T11:48:00.018+03:00

This summer's Estonia Flower tour (Blomsterresan) headed as far as to Ruhnu, an island of 64 inhabitants in the middle of the Gulf of Riga. The surface of the island is 11,9 km², length 5,5 km and width 3,5 km.

It was excellent. We were 30 Finns, the majority of us (all but Mr HP, Miss Funnybunny and me) Swedish speaking Finns. Swedish as their mother tongue, Finnish as nationality.

Workers, unite!

One of us had to leave from the Tallinn harbour back to Helsinki with a helicopter and continue to Moscow, and to Georgia from there. The newest war in Caucasus broke just when we had arrived in Estonia.

So, from Tallinn, we 29 people drove by bus to the Munalaia harbour near Pärnu and took a small ship to Ruhnu. According to the information given by the captain the ship is not to leave the harbour if the wind becomes faster than 15 m/sec. But, as we think the case was, in the middle of the sea the wind was much heavier than the limit.

But I think we all would have become seasick anyway.

As we all did. So what. Recovery starts quickly, just when one has jumped onto earth. It took only three hours to get to Ruhnu, and - if you don't count the wind - the weather was mild, warm, almost sunny, and the water (= the Baltic splashing all over us) was warm, too.

Mr HP and Miss Funnybunny relax on the deck.

Our house. Our little family lived downstairs, with another couple next door, and four people upstairs. We all lived in cottages like this. loooks like from the Lord of the Rings, doesn't it? "Shire" I mean.

Our Swimming Society swam at 7 in the morning. As we did in Pärnu, and had shots of brandy afterwards. "Must celebrate the End of the Season", as our President explained.

Limo rand (Limo beach), Ruhnu.

Friendly fox, pal of Miss Funnybunny's.

A tromb is arriving. Luckily we sailed to the opposite direction.

Before being back in the North, we still had some important things to do:

firstly, to see a garden...

then, to enjoy nightlife on board (Tallinn -> Helsinki).

Last and least, the Sveaborg (Suomenlinna) fortress very near home sweet home, in Helsinki, Finland (despite the Swedish flag of the ship).

Strange Assault In Nizhny Novgorod. Stanislav Dimitrievsky targeted again.

2008-08-14T16:15:00.008+03:00

Dear Readers

The Following has been was sent to me by Oksana Chelysheva, a Russian journalist and Human Rights specialist. She is currently living in Helsinki under the Writer in Exile program of the Finnish PEN. I publish this with Chelysheva's agreement, and please feel free to quote or forward the text (or this link).

She feels safer, and so do the members of the movement in Nizhny, knowing the news on assault are actively spreading in the West.

The photo was taken by me, IStori, a year ago in Helsinki, when Dimitrievsky was visiting the Finnish Human Rights and Peace movements.

"On 14 August at 4.20 am unidentified people assaulted the flat where Stanislaw Dmitrievskiy, the chair of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, and his family live. The flat is located on the first floor of a five-storied apartment building.

Assaulters smashed the window pane of the living room with a silicate brick. The brick smashed the outside pane. The inside pane sustained the blow. Thus, the brick fell down outside the flat. The brick was painted red, with swastikas and numerous insulting and threatening graffiti.

There were the following inscriptions on the entry door, "Dmitrievskiy vermin traitor of Russia ap.24 Believe it!" Swastika followed them. There was an inscription on the kitchen window pane, "Get away!" and a swastika. The inscription on the side part of the door (next to the code key) stated, "Dmitrievskiy is a whore". There was another insulting inscription below the kitchen window on the wall of the house.

Dmitrievsky's neighbors claim that they spotted two suspicious people. They explained that they were woken up by barking of the dog that the residents of the apartment building have been taking care of. As they thought that those might be car thieves, they looked out and threatened that they would shoot at them from an air-rifle. As it was still very dark, they could discern only the silhouettes of the two people dressed in sport suit, one of them having luminescent pigment on the side stripes.

Dmitrievskiy immediately called the police. The patrol police arrived in some forty minutes and the investigators came to the site of the accident only at around 7 am. They only scraped off some paint to examine it and took the brick with them as evidence. In their words, the case will be investigated by a local policeman. The photo footage of all the inscriptions and the site was carried out by the Nijny Novgorod Committee against Torture.

We connect the assault with the coming publication of the research into the international criminal law that the staff of the organization has been working on for the last a year and a half as well as the open letter to Vladimir Lukin, the Russian ombudsman, with regard to the armed conflict with Georgia."

Oksana Chelysheva

Finncon 2008

2008-08-13T11:45:00.011+03:00

M. John Harrison. Farah Mendlesohn. Charles Vess. And Cheryl Morgan, in Finland again! She has written an excellent report on the con, please see this entry in her blog. (And THANKS, Cheryl, for you beautiful words!)

Lots of splendid presentations, 7000 participants, anime fans in strange costumes, discussions, signings, scifi fandom dressed in black as usual, cat ears, meeting friends – old and new ones – in beer sessions in bars or in the countryside with or without sauna...

And the sunny city of Tampere. What more could you ask for in a literary get-together?

M. John Harrison in the Lenin Museum, Tampere. The only Lenin museum in the world.

Petri Hiltunen analyzing War. Definitely.

M. John Harrison, Edward James and Charles Vess waiting for their turn to go to sauna. Ladies went first.

Mr and Mrs Guest of Honor. And guess what it is behind them, a small hut down the hill? Sauna, of course.

The Finnish Sauna

2008-08-13T11:25:00.007+03:00

Wherever I spend my weekends or holidays in Finland, I never fail to go to sauna, and I always swim, if there's just some water nearby. (Usually there is.)

"In the sauna wear your birthday suit. Nakedness is natural. Sweating makes swimsuits uncomfortable.

There are no exact rules of behaviour but the ritual is meant to be relaxing. Hurry and noise are out of the question and so is reckless competition about who stands heat best.

It is a good idea to begin with a wash or shower; a seat towel for the hot room is also useful.

The temperature should be 80-90°C; ten minutes at a time will be enough. Air humidity is regulated by ladling small doses of water onto the stove stones. Warming up and cooling off can be repeated as many times as feels good. Whisking adds to the pleasure."

These pictures are from a summer cottage in the middle of the lake Päijänne.

1. Approach the sauna.

"The basic sauna ritual is the same as it always was: warming up, sweating, taking löyly vapour and whisking, washing and cooling off. Cooling off nowadays often includes swimming. Many people like to cool off in the open air, and there are also brave ones who want to roll in the snow or take a dip in the sea or lake through a hole in the ice."

2. Take your clothes off and get in. (If you feel very dirty you might want to swim at first too, like I usually do.)

3. Go swimming. Then go back to sauna. Then swim again. And go back. And so on.

"Sauna bathing does not only clean the body but also purifies the mind. The bather's frame of mind after a leisurely relaxed sauna ritual could be best described as euphoric. It is like a rebirth; all unpleasant feelings fall away and you feel at peace with the whole world. This is what Finns mean by the care of the soul received in the sauna."

4. Admire the view, as it must be late evening or night when you finish with the bathing.

5. Tomorrow it will be a new day! Start heating the sauna (starting time depending on the type of sauna: sauna with a chimney, smoke sauna, or sauna for continuos heating), so it'll be ready in the evening again.

The quotes with facts are from the site of the Finnish Sauna Society.

Empty Desperation of Modern Life

2008-07-29T14:39:00.005+03:00

Garfield minus Garfield?

It looks a little scary. But whoever got this idea, I admit the person is a genious, and Garfield strips just got better this way.

"Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness in a quiet American suburb."

Spying geeks

2008-07-23T10:49:00.010+03:00

Hallå, hallååååå!?

In the Geeks are sexy website (thanks, TN!) there is a headline saying World’s oldest blogger dies at 108 years old.

EDIT: This article is hilarious! The writer does not respect much the skills of senior citizens: "It’s amazing to me that someone that old was persuaded to start a blog in the first place or that she even understands how the internet works. My grandmother who is 82 doesn’t understand computers or the internet at all."

Well, if you say you understand how the internet works, I suspect you are a liar. Knowing how it works does not lead to understanding. And, you don't really have to understand the net to become a blogger, like you don't have to know how to build a computer to become a writer. (Not anymore you don't, when the civilisation has Apple computers to enjoy with. Do you remember the time when Word Perfect was used, with PC's? Oh those horrendous memories.)

But was she the oldest? Perhaps I am 109 and a little offended for being left out. You would not know, really.

So far there is no law obliging bloggers to reveal one's real indentity. Yet. Seen what's going on in Sweden? In Sweden there is now a law that instructs all telephone and Internet operators to deliver a copy of all phone and Internet communication crossing Swedish borders to the Swedish intelligence service FRA.

Please read the article titled "Sweden is listening to all internet and phone conversations" in iNorden site.

Soon I'll create fake fingerprints for myself, just for fun.

* * * * *

See The Life Of Riley to expand you understanding of the internet, oh no, sorry, of life.

The Next Killer?

2008-07-21T12:14:00.011+03:00

This time birds are not to blame, but tourists.

It's not just the nuclear armageddons or the dreadful causes of climate change I am so afraid of.

I wasn't this easily shaken earlier. Years ago I was thinking about travelling all over the world working in refugee camps and disaster zones.

After having a baby, every headline with words like "killer" makes me sick with anxiety.

The dream of travelling all over the world is changing into buying an interrail ticket with my dear little Miss Funnybunny. Needless to say, I do not wish her to see many disaster areas.

* * *

Black Swans. I'm also thinking about them right now. After telling you, with photos, how to use the Finnish Sauna properly - some light-hearted stuff in the middle of all this agony, you see - I'll be posting about Black Swans. You know what they are? A hint: Not birds.

* * *

World warned over killer flu pandemic

By Ben Russell, Political Correspondent, Independent
Monday, 21 July 2008

The world is failing to guard against the inevitable spread of a devastating flu pandemic which could kill 50 million people and wreak massive disruption around the globe, the Government has warned.

In evidence to a House of Lords committee, ministers said that early warning systems for spotting emerging diseases were "poorly co-ordinated" and lacked "vision" and "clarity". They said that more needed to be done to improve detection and surveillance for potential pandemics and called for urgent improvement in rapid-response strategies.

The Government's evidence appeared in a highly critical report from the Lords Intergovernmental Organisations Committee, which attacked the World Health Organisation (WHO) as "dysfunctional" and criticised the international response to the threat of an outbreak of disease which could sweep across the globe.

The Government said: "While there has not been a pandemic since 1968, another one is inevitable." Ministers said it would could kill between two and 50 million people worldwide and that such an outbreak would leave up to 75,000 people dead in Britain and cause "massive" disruption.

Please read the rest at the Independent site.

Be Kind Rewind & Sweding films

2008-07-14T12:55:00.014+03:00

Who 'ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!

I did see Be Kind Rewind. It was good! Heartwarming story of how to make life more bearable. Go and see.

The genuine major theme was Sweding films. Sweding? "You take what you like and you remake something from scratch using whatever you can get your hands on."

Okay, the plot in brief. No destructive spoilers here, I promise:

New Jersey. Current time. Two guys, Mike and Jerry, seemingly looking for trouble, help in a video rental store. Suddenly a strange electromagnetic phenomenon, caused by Jerry (as excellent Jack Black as ever) and the powerplant nearby, empty all the VHS tapes. In order not to dissapoint some - unfortunately very few - customers the guys are obliged to start re-making the films that have vanished.

Those "Sweded" (see the web site) ones are only 20 minutes, but hey, they are so much better than the originals. (Who would like to watch Ghostbusters anyway? Driving Miss Daisy? Rush Hour II? The Lion King? No idea. But I'd love to see any of these Sweded.) The Sweded films, but of course, become more popular than the originals. But not at all surprisingly the guys are soon in trouble again. In BIG trouble.

To make history they must Swede the history of the beloved hero of the main character's, Fats Waller, as well as the history their own with the history of the whole neighbourhood.

* * *

"Use the weapons at hand." This is what Francis Ford Coppola said in Sodankylä, in Midnight Sun Film Festivals, 2002. Never argue saying you can't do some work of art because you lack some equipment.

See: someone has Sweded Be Kind Rewind! You will hear this lovely tune at the end of the film.

* * *

Vaiheinen was there, too. Which films you are going to have Sweded first? (Give me a camera!) My list goes like this: Apocalypse. Now. (Imagine the pyrotechniques!) Jurassic Park. La Dolce Vita. The Searchers. And ALL Empress Sissi films, but instead of the usual 20 min they can be only five minutes each. And Terminator II! (I want to do both the evil robot and Linda Hamilton.)

Mike and Jerry Sweded Last Tango In Paris. How 'bout that.

A scene in the first version of Apocalypse. Now. before it was Sweded.

"Where are they taking us?"

2008-07-13T12:51:00.008+03:00

Strong leaders with intellectual missions and great understanding of the future?
Thanks, M.U. for mailing me this link!

Look at the West's leaders - and be afraid

By Charles Moore, the Telegraph.

I don't lose sleep over nuclear or environmental Armageddon. It takes something much smaller to frighten me. This week, it was a photograph of the G8 leaders at their summit in Hokkaido.

IStori: But I do. I lose sleep over thinking about the big RBMK type Leningrad reactors in Sosnvyi Bor, Russia. I tend to stay awake thinking if Miss Funnybunny will ever be able to visit Amsterdam or whether it will be under water when she has reached adulthood.

Back to the Telegraph.

Charles Moore: It was not a physical thing. True, the attempt to make Silvio Berlusconi look younger has had the strange side-effect of making him look dead. True, Nicolas Sarkozy, perhaps distracted by his love for Carla Bruni, seemed quite alarming.

IStori: I tried to take a look at this family photo in the web but the quality was not good enough and the world leaders were the sice of flies. What's wrong with Berlusconi's appearance? The same surgeon Janice Dickinson and Lara Flynn Boyle are using?

Charles Moore: It was simply the thought that these people are in charge of our civilisation. Twenty years ago, the line-up included Reagan, Kohl, Mitterrand and Mrs Thatcher. Today, we have in George W. Bush a president who has literally and metaphorically used up his country's credit in the world. Angela Merkel runs Germany with decency but impotence. Mr Sarkozy is a walking dictionary definition of the word "mountebank". And then there is Mr Brown.

IStori: Why is Mrs Thatcher so respected nowadays? George W. has been just a joke for years.

Charles Moore: What do these leaders want? What do they believe? Where are they taking us? Do they understand what is happening?

IStori: Power. Having powerful friends is everything. The destruction, cultural poverty and future with even bigger problems. No.

Charles Moore: One of the essential gifts of leadership is to explain the state of the world truthfully, and then to say something about how it might be improved. In the 1980s, such leadership was provided.

IStori: Hah! See my previous post. And read the rest of this article in the Telegraph site.

Films. Afganistan, Afganistan, and Paris.

2008-07-13T11:40:00.012+03:00

Congressman Charlie Wilson from TEXAS (!!!!!) and AK 47 in Afganistan.

We did see the Kite Runner, MR HP and I. It was quite ok. I usually like everything that has something to do with the end of the Cold War, The Soviet Union, Russia, Central Asia, 1970's and 80's... You get the idea.

This one lacked one big thing: showing the enormous guilt the main character must have been feeling. Or if he was not. I'll check out and read the book.

* * * * *

I rented two films yesterday. The first one I watched was an American political film, supposing explaining the cold war era, but it was not explaining much, neither was it artistic, peculiarly interesting or original.

Surprisingly I did not mind its strong right-wing ideology, hating both communism and the Russians in general. I forgive that now; the destruction and demolition of people and culture carried out by the Red Army in the film in Afganistan was outrageous, and you know what: in the 80's fear and hatred were as much hand in hand as today, but now the western hatred of communism has been equally wrongly changed into hatred of Islamic cultures, and with the American haters there are the racists groups in Russia, too), and it must be allowed to be filmed in documentary fiction, or how would one call that genre.

BUT. Instead of answering anything, it raised more questions (Iran-Contras? Who did train the Mujahedeen? The strong role of Pakistan that led into more trouble in 2001? The Taliban after the war?), which could have been a good sign, but in this case I think the most interesting questions were not included in the film at all, or were just small jokes in witty, well-written conversations.

And neither the manuscript not the actors were ok. (Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts! Mercy, mercy me. But luckily the CIA agent Gust Avrakotos is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Very good, he was!)

What a pity, since Charlie Wilson's War was based on a true story, and I could not help feeling I'd like to hear the guy himself talk about those times, the US Congress and his visits to Afganistan.

I pretty much agree with this comment in the Guardian, not read by me before this morning:

If popular art of this kind reflects what a nation has come to understand about its behaviour in the recent past, this film shows an America that has learned nothing from events, except that the principle that "My enemy's enemy is my friend" is not always a sound basis for decision-making. True, the film derives its energy and interest from America's current dilemmas in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it has, in the end, little to say, directly or obliquely, about them.

Looking back at the 1980s, what is striking is that both America and Russia thought they were struggling with each other, while what was really happening was that both states were trying and failing to cope with powerful new forces in the non-western world. Those forces were taking on the more marked ethnic and religious guises which are very familiar to us today. ... (Pls read the rest in here, the Guardian site.)

***

I miss Paris. That's what I noticed again and again when watching the other rental film. But this film was not good, despite the fact the actors were very god, my favourite being Anne Parillaud.

Reading carefully the back cover texts, I was not expecting this film to be a romantic comedy. I am not at all a fan of romantic comedies. But unfortunately it turned out, at times, to be something of the sort.

Bof.

***

But this evening: Be Kind Rewind.

Movies!

2008-07-10T11:07:00.009+03:00

Kabul in The Kite Runner.

My Mom has come back from her summer cottage to Helsinki for a few days. The not-so-beautiful, a bit cold (unusually cold) and windy days of this, still early summer (even though this summer will soon be over...) made the Asikkala archipelago in Lake Päijänne seem boring and not very appealing week by week. So, what she really needs is to see Miss Funnybunny again! (Read IStori backwards: we have been at the Midsummer nights film festivals, in Vienna, and in Mr HP's country home. Among other places. Granny has received several postcards from Funnybunny, with confessions like "Dear Granny, I love You so. You are so dear to me. I will always love you." As an assistant of Miss Funnybunny typing the kinds of texts has been my duty.)

So this - granny visiting - means Mr HP and I get to go to the movies.

We are to see The Kite Runner this evening.

Tomorrov afternoon Mr HP and Funnybunny will leave for the Finnish countryside for a few days. Without me. I am to do some important organising here. (Organising work, home, life. Putting things in order, giving up working on stuff that will never work for me. Starting a new project.) And I am going to see some films. My list for three-four days goes:

* No Country For Old Men.
You'd better see the trailer. Javier Bardem said at the Oscar party he will eternally thank the Coen bros for that terrible hairstyle - the style helping him to win the Oscar, he thought. And that way he will never have his hair again, he swore. (Not seen the film? See the trailer, see the trailer.)

* Be Kind Rewind.
Jack Black was great in The School Of Rock. Yes, really!!!!

* Once.
I still have a soft spot for musicals. And Dublin. Ireland. (Never been there, though.)

Maybe later these, too:

* Muumi ja vaarallinen juhannus (Momin and a Dangerous Midsummer). Miss Funnybunny has already noticed this one, and she'd love to see it. (Next week, she will.) She watches Momin films at home as often as possible (read: every evening).

* Sex And The City.
But of course! LH has already promised to join me.

* Indiana Jones, the newest.
You should have seen Mr HP's face when I suggested this. He looked at me as if I had asked whether he'd like to join Bollywood dancing class: "never in my lifetime" sort of face.

I don't blame him. After the ones I listed, with enchanting, talented and personal actors I am not sure I can watch anyone as dull as Harrison Ford.

Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz do not seem to skip their workout routines.

The Finnish Countryside

2008-07-06T15:10:00.006+03:00

Despite of my over-booked summer schedules consisting of work, humanitarian duties, festivals, travels, parties and celebrations, I was able to get here for a longer weekend.

Clever Mr HP had a slightly longer country holiday with miss Funnybunny.

The front yard. Needs more flowers, and there's plenty behind the fence.

Miss Funnybunny's gazebo.

...and one of the five corners of it.

Sauna by the river.

Lauhanvuori national park.

Vienna Report, part I: Downtown Wien

2008-07-06T14:03:00.010+03:00

We are the Champions! We did it again! (Last time in 1998 with a slightly different team. Slightly.)

Birthday Celebrations. Football Euro Cup 2008. The Third Man. Mauthausen (Gusen) Concentration Camp.

Those were the overall themes of our recent visit to Vienna. We were ten happy Finns, four of us children between 3, sorry, 4 and 17.

* * * * *

The Third Man, Opening narrator:
I never knew the old Vienna before the war with its Strauss music, its glamour and easy charm. Constantinople suited me better. I really got to know it in the classic period of the black market. We'd run anything if people wanted it enough and whom had the money to pay. Of course a situation like that does tempt amateurs but, well, umm, you know they can't stay the course like a professional.

Now the city is divided into four zones, you know, each occupied by a power: the American, the British, the Russian and the French. But the centre of the city that's international policed by an international patrol. One member of each of the four powers. Wonderful! What a hope they had! All strangers to the place and none of them could speak the same language. Except a sort of smattering of German.

Good fellows on the whole, did their best you know. Vienna doesn't really look any worse than a lot of other European cities. Bombed about a bit.

Oh, I was going to tell you, wait, I was going to tell you about Holly Martins, an American. Came all the way here to visit a friend of his. The name was Lime, Harry Lime. Now Martins was broke and Lime had offered him, some sort, I don't know, some sort of job.

Anyway, there he was, poor chap. Happy as a lark and without a cent.

Anna Schmidt: You know, you ought to get yourself a girl.

Popescue:
That's a nice girl, that. But she ought to go careful in Vienna. Everybody ought to go careful in a city like this.

A monument respecting the Austrian victims in concentration camps. Mr HP, Miss Funnybunny and I have visited Salaspils near Riga, too. (Cheerfull travellers as we are.)

Harry Lime: What did you want me to do? Be reasonable. You didn't expect me to give myself up... 'It's a far, far better thing that I do.' The old limelight. The fall of the curtain. Oh, Holly, you and I aren't heroes. The world doesn't make any heroes outside of your stories.

The Final scene on The Third Man is taking place near this spot, the Schwedenplatz.

Really cool disco in Karlsplatz, the park nearest to our place.

The dragons helped when it was too hot hot hot.

Vienna Report, part II: Funny stuff

2008-07-06T13:33:00.007+03:00

Prater, Vienna. A surprisingly cheap pleace to enjoy afternoon, and very few people were into the same treat. Miss Funnybunny and I tested several machines and ice-crean stands.

Football Euro Cup has decorated the Ferris Wheel.

Harry Lime, in the cabin of the Ferris Wheel, Prater: Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long, Holly.

Martins: Have you ever seen any of your victims?
Harry Lime: You know, I never feel comfortable on these sort of things. Victims? Don't be melodramatic. Look down there. Tell me. Would you really feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever? If I offered you twenty thousand pounds for every dot that stopped, would you really, old man, tell me to keep my money, or would you calculate how many dots you could afford to spare? Free of income tax, old man. Free of income tax - the only way you can save money nowadays.

Our corridor. We had rented the place in the 4th floor of this beautiful building in the beginning of Favoritenstrasse.

..and next door there was this beautiful church. Outside it looked small and modest. Just a plain door in a plain old building, no special decorations. But the inside... like a treasure castle.

Vienna Report, part III: The Match. Hrvatska - Türkiye

2008-07-06T12:47:00.005+03:00

Ernst-Happel. June 2008. Turkey-Croatia Quarter Final.

As a beautiful act of loyalty – respecting the international fraternity, and love for the whole mankind – I sang the national anthems of the both teams! Which was not that difficult since the words ran on the huge screens in karaoke style.

The Croatian cheer went Hrva-Hrva-Hrva! Hrvatska!

Vienna Report, part IV: KZ Mauthausen (Concentration Camp)

2008-07-06T11:26:00.010+03:00

These pictures tell more than thousand words, so I comment on (some of) wthem only briefly. Please see the official pages of Gusen /Mauthausen, too. These are quite informative pages, too.

We took a train from Vienna to a small village of St. Valentin, in the district of Amstetten in Lower Austria. We had lunch in a beautiful little beergarten of a hotel near the railwaystation, and took a taxi from there to Mauthausen. The distance being too long for a stroll.

The weather was hot (for us Finns, especially): +32 C, in sunshine almost unbearable. Mr HP and I kept giving Miss Funnybunny water, but we did not complain. For the prisoners it was unbearable constantly.

The camp is on the hill in the middle of a beautiful landscape and Autsian villages. Only 20 km from Linz, and near Vienna as well. The Donau valley begins from around here.

In these barracks there are now museums and exhibitions.

"Steinbruch and Todestiege". The rocks used by Speer for the Congress Hall in Nuremberg (Nürnberg) came from here. (See IStori post of Oct 2007.)

Between the memorial monument and the farmhouse in distance there lies the quarry, and behind it, the river Donau is flowing towards Vienna. The "Todestige", "Steps Of Death" lied up from the quarry. Many prisoners died on the steps carrying the rocks.

These look scary, don't they? But people have right to live next to a concentration camp.

Linz. Hitler's favourite town. Very industrialised nowadays. In the middle of it there was a spectacular cathedral, and we heard there is an Old Town, too, but we did not have time to visit it.

In Vienna!

2008-06-19T23:12:00.009+03:00

Dear Friends

IStori is now visiting Vienna. If you'd like to spot me on TV, bear in mind that I'll be in the audience of the Hrvatska (Croatia) – Turkey game on Friday the 20th.

On Sat we will celebrate several birthday anniversaries! The "we" equals 10 people from Finland in two flats of quite handsome sizes with several bedrooms. Rented them year ago. Needless to say, Miss Funnybunny and Mr HP are here, too.

Updates coming up, but in the meantime: if you wish to see very good photos on Midnight Sun Film Festival (the best film festival on earth), please see the recent posts of Sedis!!!!!

Talk to you soon!

IStori

The Prater amusement park can be very exciting.

"It was not at all like we were told by the officials."

2008-06-09T15:49:00.010+03:00

As my memory card reader does not work, I had to put some photos taken with my telephone. Not good, but that'll do for now.

Ella Kesayeva and Oleg Kozlovsky. Kesayeva's stories on what really happened in Beslan were mind-blowing. I have wondered how these women who were there, who lost a child or children there, how do they cope? And I still do wonder that. (In 2004, in the Beslan school attack 365 people died, half of them children.)

Svetlana Gavrilina and Valentin Gefter. Soldiers' Mothers Committee and Memorial. Among other posts.

Hard talk is hard to listen to. But so so very interesting.

Andrey Babitsky´s (2nd from the right) team getting ready.

From Beslan to Helsinki, Groznyi to Paris. Finrosforum 2008

2008-06-09T15:36:00.006+03:00

Bob Amsterdam. Again.

Andrei Babitsky.

Anzor Maskhadov, son of the late President of Itchkeria, Aslan Maskhadov.

Ella Kesayeva, from Mothers of Beslan.

Yuri Schmidt, the lawyer of Nikitin and Pasko. (Who were here last year, by the way.)

Whoa –– what a team!

They are here now.

* * * * *

FINROSFORUM 2008 | Speaker Bios

ROBERT AMSTERDAM (Роберт Амстердам) is Partner at Amsterdam & Peroff, a law firm based in Toronto and London, representing the jailed businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former major shareholder of the YUKOS oil company. Mr Amsterdam is a vocal critic of the policies of the present Russian government, and comments regularly on events in Russia on his blog at www.robertamsterdam.com.

VALENTINA ANUFRIEVA (Валентина Ануфриева) is Vice-Chair of Izvatas, an inter-regional association of the indigenous people of the northern part of Russia's Komi Republic. She has been an active campaigner for the rights of the local people to determine their own future amid growing pressure from the oil and gas industry and the local administration. More information at www.izvatas.ru.

ANDREY BABITSKY (Андрей Бабицкий) is a long-time correspondent for Radio Liberty's Russian service, Radio Svoboda, now based in Prague. He has extensive experience in reporting on the ongoing crisis in the North Caucasus, especially Chechnya, both during and after major combat operations. More on Mr Babitsky's kidnapping and subsequent release in 2000 at www.rferl.org/specials/russia/babitsky.

RUSLAN BADALOV (Руслан Бадалов) is Chair of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation (CCNS), based in the capital of the neighbouring Republic of Ingushetiya, Nazran. Mr Badalov and his organisation has been targeted by the authorities under the draconian legislation against "extremist" activities, and there have been several attempts to close down the organisation. More information at CCNS's website at www.savechechny.narod.ru.

OKSANA CHELYSHEVA (Оксана Челышева) is Deputy Executive Director of the Nizhny Novgorod-based Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, which was refused registration in Russia. The society has since been registered in Helsinki. The organisation is active in protecting the rights of Russia's Chechen minority and promoting interethnic dialogue. Ms Chelysheva's activities span across the wide spectrum of human rights work in today's Russia.

ANDREY DMITRIEV (Андрей Дмитриев) is the Co-coordinator of the opposition's Other Russia coalition (www.theotherrussia.ru) in St Petersburg. He is the former leader of the now banned National Bolshevik Party (NBP) in St Petersburg. Mr Dmitriev has been active in organising the Marches of Dissent in St Petersburg. He is Editor-in-Chief of the St Petersburg-based news agency, APN Severo-Zapad (www.apn-spb.ru).

NIKOLAY DONSKOV (Николай Донсков) is head of the North-West Russian bureau of the independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, in St Petersburg. Prior to this, he served as Editor-in-Chief of Novaya Gazeta's St Petersburg edition. The newspaper has written extensively on government corruption, the war in Chechnya, the curtailment of civic freedoms, and other major issues facing Russia today. More information at www.novayagazeta.spb.ru.

VALENTIN FERAPOSHKIN (Валентин Ферапошкин) is a journalist working for the newspaper, The Caucasian Knot ("Кавказский узел"), and a member of the Committee of Anti-War Action (www.voinenet.ru) and the Memorial Foundation (www.memo.ru) in Moscow. Mr Feraposhkin is one of the founders of a new organisation, Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners. More information at www.kavkaz-uzel.ru.

SVETLANA GAVRILINA (Светлана Гаврилина) is Press Secretary of the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers (www.ucsmr.ru) in St Petersburg. She is an active member of the St Petersburg-based regionalist movement, Ingria (www.ingria.info), which campaigns for regional autonomy and promotes interethnic dialogue. Ms Gavrilina is a former journalist at the local newspaper, Nevskoe Vremya, apparently ousted for her reporting on the Orange Revolution in Kiev.

VALENTIN GEFTER (Валентин Гефтер) is Director General of the Institute of Human Rights in Moscow. The institute's President is Sergey Kovalev, veteran anti-war and human rights activist. In addition, Mr Gefter is a member of the supervisory council of the human rights centre, Memorial. More information at www.hrights.ru.

YELENA GRISHINA (Елена Гришина) is Director of the human rights information centre, Centre of Public Information (CPI), and Editor of the monthly Chronicle of the Moscow Helsinki Group (www.mhg.ru). She is now head of a joint project of the CPI and the Russian Union of Journalists (www.ruj.ru) to promote cooperation between journalists and NGOs.

ARTO HALONEN (Арто Халонен) is a documentary film director based in Helsinki. His latest works include "Shadow of the Holy Book", a harsh look at the collusion of corporate capitalism with the government of Turkmenistan, one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. The film sparked an important debate about the relationship between business and democracy. More information at www.artfilmsproduction.com.

HEIDI HAUTALA (Хейди Хаутала) is Chair of the Finnish-Russian Civic Forum. She is a Member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the Greens, and a former Member of the European Parliament. Ms Hautala is Chair of the Committee of Legal Affairs of the Finnish Parliament. She was the Greens' candidate in the Finnish presidential elections in 2000 and 2006. More information at www.heidihautala.net.

ANDRES HEINAPUU (Андрес Хейнапуу) is Coordinator for Estonia of the Consultative Committee of Finno-Ugric Peoples. He was founder and director of the Informationi Centre of Finno-Ugric Peoples, based in Tallinn, Estonia. He is an expert on the situation of the Finno-Ugric minorities in the Russian Federation. More information at www.fennougria.ee.

YURI IGNATYEV (Юрий Игнатьев) is Vice-Chair and Board Member of the Mari national organisation, Mari Ushem, based in Yoshkar-Ola, capital of Russia's Republic of Mari El. Mari Ushem, the largest NGO of ethnic Maris, was established in 1917. The organisation has faced severe harassment by the local authorities since the election of Leonid Markelov as the republic's President.

TARJA KANTOLA (Тарья Кантола) is head of international affairs at the Finnish service sector union, Service Union United (www.pam.fi), Chair of the International Solidarity Foundation (www.solidaarisuus.fi), and Chair of the Finnish Refugee Council (www.pakolaisapu.fi). In addition, Ms Kantola serves as a deputy of the Helsinki Cty Council. More information at www.tarjakantola.fi.

ELLA KESAEVA (Элла Кесаева) is Co-Chair of the Voice of Beslan, which represents the relatives of the victims of the school hostage crisis in Beslan, North Ossetia, in 2004. The organisation has criticised the authorities for their failure to properly investigate the facts surrounding the events in Beslan. Ms Kesaeva and her colleagues have faced continuous intimidation and several court cases have been brought against them. More information at www.golosbeslana.ru.

PÄIVI KESKITALO (Пэйви Кескитало) is lawyer at the Refugee Advice Centre in Helsinki. The Centre is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1988 by other Finnish NGOs. The Centre provides legal aid and advice to asylum seekers, refugees, and other foreigners in Finland. More information at www.pakolaisneuvonta.fi.

TIMO KIRAVUO (Тимо Киравуо) teaches Information Security and Data Communication at the Helsinki University of Technology. He has experience in building data security systems, including those used to block free access to information. More information at www.tml.tkk.fi/~kiravuo.

ANDREY KOLOMOISKY (Андрей Коломойский) is a journalist at the Vyborg-based daily, Vyborgskie Vedomosti (www.vyborg-press.ru), specialising in political and cultural affairs, civic rights, and freedom of speech. In 2005, Mr Kolomoisky received the Danish Cultural Institute's prize, "Free Press in Russia". In Soviet times, he took an active part in St Petersburg's underground press ("samizdat").

OLGA KONSKAYA (Ольга Конская) is a film actress, producer, and playwright at Dreamscanner Productions in St Petersburg. Together with Andrey Nekrasov, she authored the prize-winning documentary, "Rebellion: The Litvinenko Case", which recounts the fate of the former KGB officer, Alexander Litvinenko, who was murdered in London in 2006. More information at www.dreamscanner.com.

ALEXEY KOZLOV (Алексей Козлов), PhD, is Co-Chair of GROZA (Green Alternative) and member of the Expert Council to the Ombudsman of the Russian Federation. His expertees covers problems related to racism and xenophobia, freedom of assembly and association. Mr Kozlov is co-editor of Resist.ru. His blog: http://global-evil.livejournal.com/.

OLEG KOZLOVSKY (Олег Козловский) is the Moscow Coordinator of the opposition youth movement, Oborona (www.oborona.org), in Moscow. Oborona is an active participant and organiser of the united opposition's Marches of Dissent. In late 2007, Mr Kozlovsky was illegally drafted into the Russian Army. Following an international campaign in his support, he was finally released after 75 days in captivity. More information at www.kozlovsky.ru.

HENRIK LAX (Генрик Лакс) is a Finnish Member of the European Parliament, representing the Swedish People's Party (www.sfp.fi). He is a member of the European Parliament's delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice, and Home Affairs. More information at www.henriklax.nu.

JUKKA MALLINEN (Юкка Маллинен) is Chair of the Finnish PEN society (www.pen.kaapeli.fi) and Deputy Chair of the Finnish-Russian Civic Forum. He was Chair of the Finnish Institute in St Petersburg in the 1990s. Mr Mallinen studied literature at Moscow State University. He has translated several works of Russian prose and poetry. His most recent work is "Varastettua ilmaa - Vapaamuotoisia ja -mielisiä esseitä Venäjästä" ("Stolen Air - Essays on Russia Free in Form and Mind").

ANZOR MASKHADOV (Анзор Масхадов) is Chair of the Chechen Diaspora in Norway. He is the son of the late President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Aslan Maskhadov. Anzor Maskhadov enjoys the respect and reverence of the entire Chechen diaspora, and has first-hand knowledge of the plight of Chechen refugees forced to leave their homeland. More information at www.chechnya.no.

ANDREY NEKRASOV (Андрей Некрасов) is a Russian film-maker and playwright from St Petersburg, most famous for his two films, "Disbelief" and "Rebellion: The Litvinenko Case". The latter, on the fate of the former KGB officer, Alexander Litvinenko, was screened at the 60th Film Festival in Cannes in May 2007. More information at www.dreamscanner.com.

PEKKA NISKANEN (Пекка Нисканен) is a contemporary artist who has worked many years in visual arts, producing various works with texts, film, and video. At present, Mr Niskanen is directing a documentary, "Virtual War", which sets out to describe the way wars and conflicts spill into the internet. The film documents the establishment of a "Virtual Chechnya" within the Second Life community. More information at www.illume.fi.

BURAK ÖZTAŞ (Бурак Озташ) is a member of the sizable Chechen minority in Turkey. His interest in the Chechen culture and the plight of his people has led him to work as a volunteer at the refugee centre in Bialystok, Eastern Poland, temporary residence to several hundred Chechen refugees. Mr Öztaş studies International Law at Istanbul University. More information at www.jedenswiat.org.pl.

KERKKO PAANANEN (Керкко Паананен) is Board Member and Secretary of the Finnish-Russian Civic Forum. He works as an Information Analyst at Esmerk Oy (www.esmerk.fi), where he is the trade union representative of the Finnish Media Union (www.viestintaliitto.fi). In addition, Mr Paananen is a personnel representative at Finnish media group Sanoma's European Works Council. His blog: http://kerkko.paananen.fi/.

OLEG PANFILOV (Олег Панфилов) is Director of the Centre of Journalism in Extreme Situations (CJES) in Moscow. He has worked as a journalist since 1974. Until 2004, Mr Panfilov presented the weekly radio programme, "Power and the Press", on Radio Liberty's Russian service. More information at www.cjes.ru. Oleg Panfilov's blog: http://oleg-panfilov.livejournal.com/.

ILYA PERESEDOV (Илья Переседов) is a teacher, journalist, internet commentator. Mr Peresedov graduated from the St Petersburg Institute of Theology and Philosophy in 2003. At present, he is writing his Ph.D dissertation on the social-philosophical analysis of the internet at the Russian State University for the Humanities (www.rsuh.ru). Ilya Peresedov's blog: http://peresedov.livejournal.com/.

ARVI PERTTU (Арви Пертту) is a writer and translator born in Petrozavodsk, capital of Russia's Republic of Karelia. For the past five years, he has lived and worked in Lappeenranta, Finland. Mr Perttu has worked in several periodicals in Karelia and translated various works of literature to and from Russian. Arvi Perttu's blog: http://arviperttu.vuodatus.net/.

ANDYU PETRYAN (Андю Петрянь) is a St Petersburg-based activist working to preserve the language and culture of the Erzya people in Russia's Republic of Mordovia. He has administered several internet sites dedicated to the Erzyan culture, including Erzyan Zhurnal (www.erzia.org). He is member of the Russian Association of Finno-Ugric Journalists (RAFUZh) and the Russian Union of Journalists. Mr Petryan's blog: http://erzianj-jurnal.livejournal.com/.

ANDREY PIVOVAROV (Андрей Пивоваров) is Chair of the St Petersburg branch of the Popular Democratic Union of Russia (www.nardemsoyuz.ru), led by former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. Mr Pivovarov characterises himself as a conservative democrat. His party has some 2,200 members in St Petersburg.

IGOR SAZHIN (Игорь Сажин) is Chair of the human rights commission, Memorial, in Russia's Komi Republic and member of the international human rights organisation, Memorial. The mission of Komi Memorial is to protect human rights and promote the establishment of institutions capable of supervising the actions of the state. More information at www.memorial-komi.org.

YURI SHMIDT (Юрий Шмидт) is Founder and Chair of the Russian Lawyers Committee for Human Rights in St Petersburg. He is one of Russia's most eminent lawyers and a long-time advocate of human rights. At present, he is member of the legal team defending Mikhail Khodorkovsky, jailed former shareholder of the YUKOS oil company. Mr Shmidt's biography at Lentapedia: www.lenta.ru/lib/14161540.

ALEXEY SOCHNEV (Алексей Сочнев) is Editor of Kasparov.ru, the website of Garry Kasparov, leader of the United Civic Front. In addition, he is a moderator of the LiveJournal community of the March of Dissent, one of the main channels of information on opposition activities. Many opposition websites in Russia have come under increasing pressure in recent years. Mr Sochnev has witnessed first-hand many of these attacks. His blog: http://alex-dars.livejournal.com/.

MIKAEL STORSJÖ (Мкиаэль Стуршё) is a Finnish entrepreneur, journalist, and civic activist. He is Board Member of the Finnish-Russian Civic Forum and Electronic Frontier Finland (www.effi.org). Mr Storsjö is a vocal advocate of the right of the Chechen people to decide their own fate and an ardent critic of the ruling regime in Russia.

TAUNO TIUSANEN (Тауно Тиусанен) is Professor of International Operations and Transition Economies at Lappeenranta University of Technology (www.lut.fi). His research areas include foreign direct investments in transitional economies, investment climate in transitional economies, and the eastern enlargement of the European Union. Prof. Tiusanen is one of the foremost experts on the Russian economy in Finland.

MAYRBEK VACHAGAEV (Майрбек Вачагаев) is former chief of staff and press secretary of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and former general representative of Chechnya in Russia. He is now working for a doctorate at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, France. Mr Vachagaev is author of the book, “Chechnya in the 19th Century Caucasian Wars.”

MAGOMED YEVLOEV (Магомед Евлоев) is owner of the main opposition website in the North Caucasian republic of Ingushetia, Ingushetiya.ru. The site has come under constant attack by the republican authorities. In the latest move, a court in Moscow ordered the closure of the website under legislation intended to counter "extremism". Mr Yevloev has vowed to keep the website running. The security situation in Ingushetia has severely deteriorated during the presidency of Kremlin appointee Murat Zyazikov.

KONSTANTIN ZAMYATIN (Константин Замятин), originally from the Republic of Udmurtia, is a long-time expert on the situation of the Finno-Ugric minorities of the Russian Federation. He has served as Coordinator of the Youth Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples (www.mafun.org) in Estonia and has worked at the Fenno-Ugria Foundation in Tallinn. Mr Zamyatin has studied extensively linguistic and minority rights. His paper on state nationality policy and human rights: http://www.suri.ee/papers/lund.html.

Oslo Report. Part II

2008-06-09T12:15:00.006+03:00

Rosie Whitehouse (left) had a successful career at the BBC World Service until she became a mum. She then spent five years as a housewife in the war-torn Balkans married to the correspondent of The Economist. Back in London she continued developing her ironing skills as she built a new career as a freelance journalist. Rosie has written on parenting and family issues for a wide range of newspapers and magazines and is the author of Are We There Yet? Travels With My Frontline Family. Rosie lives in England with her husband the frontline reporter Tim Judah and their five children.

Firstly, I'm sorry my friends, for the delay, as I have not been able to update my blog. Secondly, I'm even more sorry for the fact that I have not been able to include the photo report II, since I have been too busy to replace my broken memory card reader. So I do not have new photos here.

The meeting I participated in Oslo was all in all the best happening in the field of non-fiction literature I have ever experienced. I came home full of ideas, thanks to both the excellent program with many encouraging speakers, and the wonderful international team of guests.

Dear Oslo guys, I will send you lots of photos! And let's have those reunions we discussed, the first one taking place in Frankfurt, and the second in Calcutta, India. And to New York, right after that.

Iris from Munich, Germany, with the brochure of the Nobel museum.

Oslo Report. Part I

2008-05-21T17:57:00.007+03:00

Approaching. The Turku Archipelago and the most polluted sea in the World, the Baltic.

A Must-See. Not because you must, meaning should, but because all (my) routes seem to circulate this: The Royal Castle. (Don't ask me who live in this. I always fail to remember names of the Royals – except Diana.)

One of the main streets and blooming trees.

That's the guy we can thank for annual excitement (and the surprise of giving the main prize for Al Gore!): Alfred Nobel.

Aschehoug Villa. Nice. If I will have a second life after this one, I would very much like to become a Norwegian publisher.

...and part of the Villa from the inside.

Interesting crossroads. There is a fountain in the middle of tram tracks! (Thanks, Iris, for pointing that out.)

Look, It's Winston! Norwegians wanted to build a statue of Churchill after the war. Interesting.

Tram and part of the harbour. Right outside the Nobel Peace Center. I will go there soon.

Travel book store Nomaden. Very impressive. They do not sell only travel guides and books, but also various kinds of gear: clothes, backbags, ooth bris covers, disposable urinals for men, women and kids...

...and sleeping bags, made of silk. Ever seen these, anyone?

On Ignorance

2008-05-18T10:53:00.010+03:00

A scandal in Finland: The Parliamentarians (especially representing the Center Party and Coalition) are not interested in who has financed their campaigns (before the last elections).

Needless to say, they have not published the sources of the money flow. According to the Finnish legislation, they should give public the name of the briber, sorry, the name of the benevolent person or company, if the sum exceeds 1 700 euros, but according to the same law, since there is no punishment for an MP for not making it public, "what's the point?", they seem to be thinking.

"Not interested", not even when that have received thousands of euros from the "private sector", who of course, "have a right" to spend their money "however they wish.

That's crap. Not the right to spend, but the lack of eagerness for knowing. Of course they are both interested and very eager to know. (What if they received money from porn industry or drug trade?)

And later on these bought politicians will enthusiastically support the wishes of the certain "private sector".

Among these ignorant servants of the public is our Prime minister Vanhanen.

* * * * *

Another thing, this one being from Helsingin Sanomat, too:

"Citizens of Finland, Sweden, and Estonia are very worried about the state of the Baltic Sea. According to a poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat and conducted by Suomen Gallup, 94% of Finns, 91% of Estonians, and 83% of Swedes see pollution of the sea as a problem that urgently needs to be addressed.

In Finland and Sweden about 40% of respondents feel that the problem is extremely serious, and are calling for immediate action on the matter. More than a third of Estonians feel the same way."

But when some Moscovites were interviewed – well, they do live far from the sea, but nonetheless – they seemed to be most worried of the fact that the Baltic is so cold.

Having a life. Fake monks.

2008-05-11T20:36:00.014+03:00

I have now finished with a huge writing task. (Let's see how that will do...) I will start having a life again.

Now here comes a short list of things occupying my mind, and what we have been discussing with Mr HP. (Sorting these out would perhaps put things in some kind of an order in my mind.)

1) Mothers' Day. The best day during the year, besides my birthday, which is looooong ahead... We rode 15 kilometres by bike to the recreational area of Pirkkola in the Central Park of Helsinki, and back, and swam in the Pirkkola pools. Lovelylovelylovely.

I really feel it in my thighs – yesterday I rode Icelandic horses again, at Mintzun tallit. We were nine people, and went to a two hour ride in the woods, sort of. (Very industrial woods, but for me, living in the centre of Southern Helsinki, it'll do.) With saddle, this time. (Tomorrow I will add here a photo of the horse I rode, Aira.)

2) Burma. How will the suffering get the aid? Who are to blame of the ongoing humanitarian crimes of not letting the aid be recieved or distributed further: The junta of Myanmar, or China, or both?

3) Tibet and China. There are rumours the Chinese military orchestrated the monks' protests themselves. Not surprising. But is it really so?

If it is, I will have no more Olympic spirit left. And I usually love watching the games, no matter how dirty the biggest sports business is..! Nothing can bet the pleasure of watching top boxing or weigh lifting or canoeing or gymnastics or almost whaver there is on, between 3 and 5 am, you know. (You do know, do you...)

The picture below is spreading over the net, so here's my contribution:

The Chinese military police being disguised, changing into the fake gowns of the Tibetan monks before the so-called riots.

* * * * *

His Holiness Dalai Lama, on political pursuits for freedom:

For thousands of years people have been led to believe that only an authoritarian organization employing rigid disciplinary methods could govern human society. However, because people have an innate desire for freedom, the forces of liberty and oppression have been in continuous conflict throughout history. Today, it is clear which is winning. The emergence of peoples' power movements, overthrowing dictatorships of left and right, has shown indisputably that the human race can neither tolerate nor function properly under tyranny.

Please read the rest of Buddhism and Democracy on his website.

Night and Day

2008-04-29T16:35:00.010+03:00

I just decided to tell you two things you could not live without knowing:

1) There are HUGE bunnies in Germany. Someone has suggested them to be sent to North Korea. I found this story when I googled "North Korea" today looking for a picture for the piece I put together, concerning May day politics. (I did not choose the monster rabbits pictured there, but for IStori, on the other hand, they are most suitable.)

2) The most expensive gadget in the world is a watch that does not tell the time. (Thanks for the hint, M.U.!)

Luxury watch that doesn't tell the time sells out
By Nick Pisa in Rome

A £150,000 watch that doesn’t even tell the time has sold out within hours of going on sale. The crocodile skin strap accessory, called “Day & Night”, is encrusted with sapphires and made from steel salvaged from the wreck of the Titanic. ISTORI: And you Swiss think that's supposed to be lucky material?

Its face is divided into two sections - a dark half to signify night and a lighter half to signify the day.

A limited number were made by Swiss manufacturers Romain Jerome and they sold out within 48 hours after being presented at a watch exhibition. The Brazilian footballer, Ronaldo, was given the first one. ISTORI: From whom did you get it – some fan of Inter Milan? (Ronaldo is playing with AC Milan.) --

They describe the timepiece as a “world unique - a watch that does not tell the time”.

“With no display for the hours, minutes or seconds the Day & Night offers a new way of measuring time, splitting the universe of time into two fundamentally opposing sections: day versus night.

“A new interpretation of time, an avant-garde approach that is different and even disturbing.”

Chief executive Yvan Arpa, said: “Anyone can buy a watch that shows time, but only a discerning customer can buy one that doesn’t.”

Postman always rings. And sings.

2008-04-19T10:18:00.009+03:00

This is a tribute the British culture and a present for Funnybunny. I have just had my two morning cups of coffee, read the paper and now checking out the news on web. We are still lazily in bed, Miss Funnybunny happily leaning on my shoulder, singing along the Postman Pat theme song.

A day could not begin in a more enjoyable way!

Ladies and gentlemen:
Postman Pat with Jess the Cat. *** Postimies Pate ja Jessi-kissa.

EDIT: How many times does a postman ring? See yourselves, the answer being most visible in the Finnish version.

...and this is a treasure. The same in Norwegian: "Postmann Pat med sin svarte-vite katt..." It works in a Scandinavian language, too, I must say. Edit: But the pictures lack all the other characters but Pat and Jess. Whysdat? Not in DDR...

London Book Fair 2008. Photo report.

2008-04-18T20:49:00.018+03:00

So, here is the report I promised. Knowing there is a number of colleagues waiting for this, it's about time.

Should you like to see a bigger photo, please doubleclick the pic. (Or that's what you shoud do with Mac; I'm not sure if it works likewise with PC.)

But, before looking at these, you should read the short written report, which is just before this post under the title "Signs of an acceleration".

Landing soon. On an early morning flight from Helsinki.

Queensway tube station, the entrance just on my left hand side. Bayswater Road on the right, Queensway crossing. Kensington Park on the right on the other side of the Bayswater Road. Our hotel was a block away from this meeting point. Good neighbourhood with silent streets full of little hotels and some lively main streets, like Queensway, with shops, cafes, pubs, and reasonably cheap ethnic restaurants. My favourites: Lebanese, Persian and Thai kitchen. All those can be experiensed on Queensway. I am usually staying in Bayswater and have never regretted. (Two years before we were in Bloomsbury, a bit north from the Russell Square, and that was not a nice area late in the evening. Or at night, really.)

Earls Court. The fever pitch of book industry for these three days.

PEN Cafe. Take a look at the walls with important quotes. (Doubleclick, doubleclick, doubleclick.) I was so proud to be a PEN active.

... and I was not the only one interested in Freedom Of Speech.

* * * * *

Stinkies? How funny. I like the window decoration of this children's toy shop.

Apples being on their way – or cherries? Having spring around, aren't we.

A nice street in South Kensington, or "Ken". That's what I learned from a London-based Rankin novel.

Residence of the Finnish Ambassador. One of the most expensive addresses in the world, Kensington Palace Gardens. (After the collapse of the West European banking we predicted with M.U. it might not be that high-priced any longer.)

Eros on Piccadilly Circus. Managed to get downtown, too!

* * * * *

Last year I was very angry with Boris Berezovsky. And as usual, took some photos of very warm London. Go though this link to the short update on LBF 2007.

"Signs of an acceleration"?

2008-04-17T22:10:00.022+03:00

I mean quite simply that I have begun to crack all over like an old jug – that my poor body, singular, unlovely, buffeted by too much history, subjected to drainage above and drainage below, mutilated by doors, brained by spittoons, has started coming apart at the seams. In short, I am literally disintegrating, slowly for the moment, although there are signs of an acceleration.

No, I'm not that bad. This was written by Salman Rushdie in his 1980's Booker Prize-winning Midnight's Children.

* * * * *

After arriving in London we immediately left for the biggest store belonging to the Waterstone's chain, but didn't take the quickest route. Walked from the Oxford Circus tube station instead. That gave us both an excuse and opportunity for some window-shopping on Regent Street. (And not just "window", sorry.)

There we bought some books – we are not supposed to buy any. Especially not me. But I just did not have anything to read, like I often tell Mr HP.

And then we admired some stationery. Sounds strange? Oh, business is business is business.

Mr HP noticed soon there is another book shop we should visit. "Kind of a small one". Hatchard's.

Founded in 1797. An official supplier of the Royal Family. Yeah right.

How the books were piled in very central positions, and they were signed, this made a great impression. Big names like Donna Leon, Jeffrey Archer... Not necessarily my cup of tea, but hey: signed.

I saw there was someone signing in the back and told Mr HP we must go and see an author in action. Besides me, no other audience around, by the way. Absolutely no-one around besides an agent, a PR woman, the shopkeeper, or some rep of very high level, and seemingly, a grandchild of the author.

After taking two steps towards the author's direction I came back, took a book, ran back and kindly asked Mr Salman Rushdie to sign one for me as well. So he did. As a result of this encounter I bought his newest, The Enchantress of Florence.

* * * * *

Now I regret I left my camera at work, so I can't download the photos I took. But the rest in brief:

I had breakfast with Tony Wood who works at the New Left Review. Invited him to Helsinki. I hope he'll come.

At the fair I saw friends and/or business acquaintances from Nigeria, Norway, France, Sweden, England, Scotland, Estonia, Turkey, USA, Canada and – well, Finland. Including some Finns who live in the UK now.

EDIT: At the fair Mr HP and I did some real work. Involving book trade and industry. Arts and crafts. Rights and agreements. But I won't bore you with the details now.

In the evening we visited the Finnish embassy, or actually, the Ambassador's residence and attended the reception for the literary community from the Nordic countries. The Residence is in Kensington Palace gardens. Nice neighbourhood, I dare to admit.

Afterwards I needed to catch up with a friend who works for Söderstöm's, a Finnish company publishing in Swedish.

I managed to listen to some discussions organised by the English PEN. There was even a "PEN Literary Cafe" for discussions on Freedom of Speech. Always full but with some luck and patience there was room.

That's enough for a three-day visit.

* * * * *

... Calling To The Faraway Towns..."

2008-04-13T22:36:00.008+03:00

I'm going here.

And here, as it was recommended by him.

And I am already thinking about visiting some sites worth seeing, belonging to this, too.

And will be meeting people in here, too, hopefully from other Nordic Countries as well – a Nordic Reception as it is.

In my iPod I have this, too. As usual.

An update en route, look forward to that.

"I am calling you, president Bush..."

2008-04-07T08:40:00.010+03:00

The following has also been published in Herald Tribune, titled as "Confront to Kremlin".

Because this is so very important, and as I am very, very busy now with a lot of writing for my work, I just add this here.

I can't help thinking it is so sad to appeal to Bush, the great inventor and launcher of the stupidities like "the Axis Of Evil" and "War Against Terrorism", since he handed those total bullshit-like definements to Putin like gifts on a plate. Very useful for Putin's equally stupid rhetorics against Chechnya, they were.

* * * * *

(Oksana Chelysheva's text beginning from here.)

As President George W. Bush prepares to meet with President Vladimir Putin and President-elect Dimitry Medvedev in Sochi on Sunday (6 April), I hope he will remember the pledge he made in his second inaugural address in 2005. In that memorable speech, he promised that the United States would not ignore oppression and that it would stand with those who stand for liberty.

Thousands of Russians like myself have been speaking out and standing up for liberty and paying a heavy price. Some of us, like Anna Politkovskaya, have paid the ultimate price. The rest of us have suffered threats, defamation in the media, physical assault, fabricated prosecution and interference or obstruction of our work.

We hope that Bush will not excuse our oppressors, who act in the name of Putin.

There used to be a time when reforms announced in Russia promised to empower citizens and take Russia on a democratic path. Many people inside Russia and abroad wanted to believe it.

What reality do we face now? Freedom of speech in Russia has been curtailed to the size of a poppy seed. The Kremlin has allowed the existence of a few independent media outlets as a cover for its systematic destruction of free journalism. Political prisoners are becoming a common reality: Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the Yukos prisoners; scientists accused of espionage; Muslims, many of whom have been accused of supporting extremism only because they practice their religion; people in Russian cities who dare to take to the streets in hope that their voices will be heard. They are being beaten up by baton-wielding police. They are being taken into custody. They are being charged with absurd accusations of assaulting the police force. They are being subjected to enforced psychiatric treatment.

The last two election campaigns in Russia, both parliamentary and presidential, were nothing but a mockery. The main purpose of our elections has been to secure the authoritarian regime that is being created in Russia.

The situation in my home town of Nizhny Novgorod, the third biggest city in Russia, located some 300 miles from Moscow, is a perfect example of the real face of the Kremlin. It started with persecution of our small human right group, the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society that was closed down in January 2007. It continued with breaking up peaceful protests during the Marches of Dissent in March. The authorities deployed 20,000 police and military troops against an expected 2,000 protesters.

In August 2007, the police raided the offices of our new Russian organization, the Foundation to Promote Tolerance, and the Nizhny Novgorod edition of the newspaper, Novaya Gazeta and confiscated all the computers. In October 2007, they disrupted our attempt to hold a meeting in memory of Anna Politkovskaya. They even detained foreign guests who dared to come to the city.

The repression continues. On March 20, the police carried out simultaneous searches in the homes of some 20 residents of Nizhny Novgorod and the region as well as in the office of the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation to Promote Tolerance. They have again confiscated all equipment, including cell phones and DVD players, claiming that they are combating extremism.

Dozens of grave crimes against the peaceful citizens of our country have remained anonymous and unaccounted for.

We are guilty of electing a president who, in the words of a group representing the victims of the 2004 Beslan tragedy, solves his problems by using tanks, flame-throwers and gas.

But it is not our fault that the political elite of the world gives uncritical support to our president. I hope that Bush will not join them.

A few weeks ago, I was in Prague meeting with Vaclav Havel and dissidents from around the world. Havel understands that those who stand up for liberty in Putin's Russia are engaged in the same struggle as dissidents in Cuba, Burma, Iran, or North Korea, countries that Bush has found easy to criticize in public for their violations of human rights. Will he do less for us when he visits Russia?

We are committed to human rights and non-violence. We stand for liberty, but we suffer oppression from our government. Unfortunately, the Russian authorities seem determined to make an example of us, presumably to intimidate others who share our views so that they think twice before speaking out.

I am calling on you, President Bush, not to avert your eyes from the many Russian citizens in Grozny, Nasran, Beslan, Volgodonsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Murmansk, and Saint Petersburg who feel neglected and ignored in both their protests and suffering. Please stand with us as you meet with our oppressor.

Oksana Chelysheva, a Russian journalist, is the director of the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation for the Promotion of Tolerance and a spokeswoman for the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society.

I'm waiting. Please hurry up now.

2008-04-01T11:39:00.015+03:00

The building of Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland is the white one (actually, it's yellow), on the island of Katajanokka, Helsinki. The painter of this picture must be standing on Tervasaari.(Tjärholmen in Swedish, Tar island).

I proudly state I have not sent 200 sms to any stripper. (Unlike Mr Ilkka Kanerva, who is soon to resign as a Minister for Foreign Affairs, see here.)

So I am most willing to start as the newest Minister for Foreign Affairs.

I have travelled and know a fact or two about these businesses. (... not too many more, but hey, nobody's perfect.)

Like Mr Kanerva, I also love sports, especially football. I would boycott the Opening Ceremony of the next Olympics (unless Dalai Lama would tell me not to), but would enthusiatically attend the Football cups, both the European and the World Cup, and even African Cup and Copa Americana, should you so wish.

I'd also like to meet with Dalai Lama, my utmost political hero (alive).

Dear head of state Matti Vanhanen, please do ask me quickly, I am a very busy woman.

"As a simple monk..."

2008-03-29T22:42:00.016+02:00

His Holiness Dalai Lama has a very good website of his own on www.dalailama.com. On 28 March he appealed to the Chinese for stopping the violence in Tibet. But before jumping to it I'd like to make a point of him writing on how to achieve nothing more or less than the World Peace.

He is reminding the mankind we should take responsibility. In the beginning of his essay about Peace, "A Human Approach" he is wondering what has gone wrong – and just telling the scientific concept is not doing much good in this field (either):

Science and technology have worked wonders in many fields, but the basic human problems remain. There is unprecedented literacy, yet this universal education does not seem to have fostered goodness, but only mental restlessness and discontent instead. There is no doubt about the increase in our material progress and technology, but somehow this is not sufficient as we have not yet succeeded in bringing about peace and happiness or in overcoming suffering.

* * * * *
An Appeal to the Chinese People (28 March, 2008)

Today, I extend heartfelt greetings to my Chinese brothers and sisters around the world, particularly to those in the People’s Republic of China. In the light of the recent developments in Tibet, I would like to share with you my thoughts concerning relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples, and make a personal appeal to all of you.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in the recent tragic events in Tibet. I am aware that some Chinese have also died. I feel for the victims and their families and pray for them. The recent unrest has clearly demonstrated the gravity of the situation in Tibet and the urgent need to seek a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution through dialogue. Even at this juncture I have expressed my willingness to the Chinese authorities to work together to bring about peace and stability.

Chinese brothers and sisters, I assure you I have no desire to seek Tibet’s separation. Nor do I have any wish to drive a wedge between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. On the contrary my commitment has always been to find a genuine solution to the problem of Tibet that ensures the long-term interests of both Chinese and Tibetans. My primary concern, as I have repeated time and again, is to ensure the survival of the Tibetan people’s distinctive culture, language and identity. As a simple monk who strives to live his daily life according to Buddhist precepts, I assure you of the sincerity of my personal motivation.

-- [Then His Holiness wrote about China conquering Tibet, and the recent history of the exile of the Tibetan people.]

This year, the Chinese people are proudly and eagerly awaiting the opening of the Olympic Games. I have, from the start, supported Beijing’s being awarded the opportunity to host the Games. My position remains unchanged. China has the world’s largest population, a long history and an extremely rich civilization. Today, due to her impressive economic progress, she is emerging as a great power. This is certainly to be welcomed. But China also needs to earn the respect and esteem of the global community through the establishment of an open and harmonious society based on the principles of transparency, freedom, and the rule of law. For example, to this day victims of the Tiananmen Square tragedy that adversely affected the lives of so many Chinese citizens have received neither just redress nor any official response. Similarly, when thousands of ordinary Chinese in rural areas suffer injustice at the hands of exploitative and corrupt local officials, their legitimate complaints are either ignored or met with aggression. I express these concerns both as a fellow human being and as someone who is prepared to consider himself a member of the large family that is the People’s Republic of China. In this respect, I appreciate and support President Hu Jintao’s policy of creating a “harmonious society”, but this can only arise on the basis of mutual trust and an atmosphere of freedom, including freedom of speech and the rule of law. I strongly believe that if these values are embraced, many important problems relating to minority nationalities can be resolved, such as the issue of Tibet, as well as Eastern Turkistan, and Inner Mongolia, where the native people now constitute only 20% of a total population of 24 million.
--
Chinese brothers and sisters – wherever you may be – with deep concern I appeal to you to help dispel the misunderstandings between our two communities. Moreover, I appeal to you to help us find a peaceful, lasting solution to the problem of Tibet through dialogue in the spirit of understanding and accommodation.

With my prayers,

The Dalai Lama

* * * * *

Please see the website of His Holiness and read more of his texts. You want some mind-training? Excellent, please try here. He is also webcasting, here.

* * * *

The following link is to the website of Tibet Foundation, www.tibet-foundation.org. You can also provide the Tibetan children with school meals through this site.

What an insult!

2008-03-26T22:29:00.007+02:00

This is hilarious. I mentioned this the other day:

On 21 March 2008, some members of the banned National Bolshevik Party (NBP) made a snowman outside the regional prosecutor’s office in Nizhny Novgorod.

The nine opposition activists hung a sign on the snowman reading “The Biggest Extremist”.

The chief of local police came out and tore the sign, saying the opposition activists had “insulted the snowman”. The police then arrested five of the activists. Local NBP activists will file a formal complaint for unlawful detention against the chief of police.

I think it was the police who insulted the snowman, don't you agree? And soon at least prosecutors are busy with work.

According to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, Article 1,
everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels, and

Article 6.b provides that everyone has the right, individually and in association with others [...] freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Unfortunately snowmen do not have these rights – no, in Russia they certainly don't.

Freeze!

2008-03-21T23:14:00.006+02:00

All of these people here are part of the demo. Life outside them is moving on, but they are out of it for five minutes.

On Thursday, 19 March, there was a new kind of demonstration in the centre of Helsinki. New to us, at least. People "froze", stood completely still in various positions, by Mannerheimintie, in a very busy spot, but so loosely others not being part of this work of art were able to walk by and between the frozen men, women and kids.

See the video I shot:

* * *

Two journalists from Dagestan have been killed, with extreme violence, torture. Both were famous correspondents, specialised in Caucasus.

Tension is escalating in Nizhny Novgorod. Human rights activists there are afraid there will be some kind of a juridical show, putting them as examples for the rest of the country: "See, if you raise your voice you'll be put to the camp, too".

This does not look good.

Snowman causing arrests in Nizhny Novgorod

2008-03-21T20:33:00.005+02:00

Let me introduce you my pal "Frosty". I will carry him outside the Soviet Embassy tonight.

(Based on an update from Nizhny Novgorod. You can also look for more updates on the web site of Finnish-Russian Civic Forum, www.finsrosforum.fi.)

Today, on 21 March 2008, members of the banned National Bolshevik Party (NBP) made a snowman outside the regional prosecutor’s office in Nizhny Novgorod. The nine opposition activists hung a sign on the snowman reading “The Biggest Extremist”.

The chief of local police came out and tore up the sign, saying the opposition activists had “insulted the snowman”. The police then arrested five of the activists. Local NBP activists will file a formal complaint for unlawful detention against the chief of police.

Yesterday, police in Nizhny Novgorod and neighbouring Arzamas raided the homes of 17 NBP activists in connection with a criminal investigation under Article 282 (”Extremism”) of the Criminal Code. The police also raided the offices of the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation to Promote Tolerance.

Update on Nizhny. The police harassing human rights activists.

2008-03-20T13:32:00.010+02:00

Dear Readers

The following text is an update written by Oksana Chelysheva. Please also take a look at the previous post on IStori.

More about this in Russian on the Kasparov website, kasparov.ru.

*******

This morning, on March 20, 2008, a new wave of searches were carried out by the police in Nizhny Novgorod city and Arzamas town located in the region.

The police raided the offices of the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation for the Promotion of Tolerance. Then they confiscated all the computers at the offices. Afterwards the office was closed and sealed.

The police have also confiscated a mobile phone of Stanislaw (Stas) Dmitrievsky, a member of the board of the Foundation and the chair of the Finland-registered Russian-Chechen Friendship Society.

Besides it, since early morning the investigatory committee has been conducting searches in the private flats of some other people associated with the Other Russia movement. Searches are being carried out in flats belonging to Ilya Shamazov, Yury Staroverov, Evgeniy Lygin, Elena Evdokimova, Ekaterina Bunicheva and Igor Voronin in Nizhny Novgorod, and Dmitri Iisusov and Maxim Baganov in Arzamas. These people have been active in the Other Russia movement, and in a most peaceful way. As far as I know, there has been no criminal elements whatsoever in their activities.

Shamazov, Evdokimova and Staroverov are staff members of the Foundation to Promote Tolerance. That is a Russian NGO, established to continue programs of the banned Russian-Chechen Friendship Society.

When the search in Baganov's flat was over, it became known that a criminal case has been opened under article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. Baganov has been summoned to the interrogation at 3.30 pm today. The police has confiscated his passport.

Stas Dmitrievskiy has gone to the Investigatory Committee to clarify the situation with mass searches. When I [Oksana Chelysheva, Istori reminding] managed to reach him after he returned from the regional prosecutor's office to the premises of the Nizhny Novgorod Committee against Torture, Dmitrievskiy gave the following explanation of his visit there.

According to Dmitrievsky, "the motion to search the office of the Foundation to Promote Tolerance was signed by Kozitsyn Vladimir Ivanovich, a chief investigator at the Regional Prosecutor's office. It has become known that an investigatory group has been established at the regional Prosecutor's office. All the confiscated stuff is being taken there. The staff of district prosecutors' offices is involved in these activities."

Stas Dmitrievsky discussed with Kozitsyn. In Stas's opinion, Kozitsyn was trying to pretend he didn't understand what Foundation Stas was speaking about. After long discussion with his chiefs, Kozitsyn agreed to talk to Stas. Stas feels that the prosecutor's office are aware of the likely international scandal.

The Foundation was developing the project initiated by the Russian-Chechen friendship society on application of the international law to the assessment of the war conflict in Chechnya. Kozitsyn has refused to summon Dmitrievskiy for the interrogation.

We have to remind that a number of people associated with the Other Russia in Nizhny Novgorod were interrogated as witnesses on another criminal case on alleged counterfeit software. The case was opened in October 2007 against the Foundation to Promote Tolerance, chaired by me, Oksana Chelysheva. The prosecutors also summoned former staff people who have earlier stopped working with the Foundation.

Oksana Chelysheva

And, she also added this: "we had been followed everywhere by plain-clothed policemen (up to six) for some three days. They were demonstrating their interest to our visits to banks as we had to withdraw money in cash. It is obvious that all the phones are being tapped."

Serious and frightening situation in Nizhny Novgorod

2008-03-20T11:47:00.008+02:00

The police has raided the office of the Human rights activists in Nizny Novgorod. Again. They have also interrogated people closely or not-so-closely connected to the activists, asking questions like where do they get the money etc.

(Needless for me to say, but I will say this anyway: ALL the money – which is not much, by the way – is coming from public sources, like other NGO's.)

Edit: SUPPOSABLY some activists are detained or arrested. Difficult to say yet, as some telephones have been confiscated and many people are out of reach. Those who have reached each other are desperately looking for other colleagues and friends.

The organisations the activists and workers of which are targeted are the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation for Promoting Tolerance and Russian-Chechen Friendship Society.

Members of these organisations are scared. They are also totally unable to work, as the police has sealed the office. No-one can get in.

IStori will publish an update here, once I get more information from the spot.

Do not play with the Omon. This demonstration took pleace in Moscow. But there were marches like this in Nizhny, too. And likewise, Omon stopped everything.

Day before yesterday I asked Oksana Chelysheva, the chair of Foundation for Promoting Tolerance if she thinks Medvedev will be an easier guy compared to Putin. Vice versa, she said: "Medvedev admires Putin. And, Medvedev is even more worried about his status as a leader than Putin. So that makes him scarier. Things will get even worse."

* * * * *

To get more background information, please see the posts I have labeled under the tag "Russia".

"The only lesson we ever learn is that we never learn"

2008-03-19T13:28:00.017+02:00

The Romans conquered Britain, too.

Recently I have

a) been writing like a dog (but I'm not sure if they write. Have never had any. Hopefully they do, and a lot, because otherwise this saying is not at all correct). And also I have

b) tried to cope with Miss Funnybunny's tantrums. She has a strong will, and if Mr HP or I, either one of us is away or even absent-minded, for a longer period of time ("longer period" = one evening), she really seems upset and demanding! But this is what raising a kid is about, I know, I know... I should add I have

c) heard pretty incredible but unfortunately true stories from Russia, and I will update them by posting some of them here, too. Did you know this Medvedev is as bad as Putin, or even worse? So it really seems. But I'll get back to this. And, as usual,

d) visited amazing places in Helsinki (= will tell you more about this, too). Do not miss the fact that I have

e) planned my new trips, bought plane tickets, etc: London in April, Oslo in May, Vienna in June and Frankfurt in October. At least these. This list must include the fact that I have

f) visited Tallinn very briefly. Next time I have to stay there at least for two days and stay overnight, of course. Just because that town is so nice and interesting. The more you see, the more you want to discover. And, soon I will

g) go to a publishing party of a book written by two friends of mine. The book is a quiz on Ice Hockey. The National season is about to end soon, and the Hockey World Cup games will take place in May in Canada. Exciting.

But all the above were just excuses for not having updated this for a week. The text below is the real topic of today's blog post:

Robert Fisk: The only lesson we ever learn is that we never learn

Wednesday, 19 March 2008

Five years on, and still we have not learnt. With each anniversary, the steps crumble beneath our feet, the stones ever more cracked, the sand ever finer. Five years of catastrophe in Iraq and I think of Churchill, who in the end called Palestine a "hell-disaster".

But we have used these parallels before and they have drifted away in the Tigris breeze. Iraq is swamped in blood. Yet what is the state of our remorse? Why, we will have a public inquiry – but not yet! If only inadequacy was our only sin.

Today, we are engaged in a fruitless debate. What went wrong? How did the people – the senatus populusque Romanus of our modern world – not rise up in rebellion when told the lies about weapons of mass destruction, about Saddam's links with Osama bin Laden and 11 September? How did we let it happen? And how come we didn't plan for the aftermath of war?

***

Well, well. I hope Mr Fisk (='fish' in Swedish, by the way) understands I tried to speak up and did not think for a moment the war would solve anything. And I was not against the deadly plot (cooked up by Bush, Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney, etc - Blair?) alone, there were zillions of people marching against the predicted war in several countries.

As a matter of fact, I happened to be protesting in London, too, at the time of the book fair, when the Parliament was making a decision on joining the attack, and thousands of people were shouting and demonstrating outside Whitehall.

As a counteract "against terrorism" war is the most stupid method. As if killing thousands of people – most of whom are civilians – would do any good. Like, to show an example? No way.

See the Body Count.

PLEASE DO read the rest of the article here, on the Independent web site.

Cast a vote. Leg men, be aware.

2008-03-09T20:58:00.011+02:00

Like many of her fellow contestants she says her dream job is any job.

The web voting for Miss Landmine Angola is open until April 3, 2008.

I couldn't help feeling slightly uncomfortable with this at first. Raising awareness and questioning old concepts is great - but organising a beauty contest; is that a new concept? Even if the pageants are far from mainstream beauty queens. Of course I think ladies can be beautiful even without a leg or two. But it does not lead to the conclusion that ladies – in general, anywhere – should be beautiful.

On the website they say this campaign is to

* Question established concepts of physical perfection.
* Challenge old and ingrown concepts of cultural cooperation.
* Celebrate true beauty.
* Replace the passive term 'Victim' with the active term 'Survivor'.
Among other things. There you can also find quite a lot of information on landmines and campaigns against them.

Ok, fine. Go, girls, go!

(I got the hint from Ajatusten Rekolanoja. Thanks!)

Just thinking

2008-03-09T20:29:00.004+02:00

According to the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat, Ria Novosti has run a story on Putin saying "things [under Medvedev's administration] are not going to get any different" - he was referring to relations between Russia and foreign countries.

Excuse me, but how can Putin predict that? He's a fortune-teller or what. Medvedev is the president, isn't he?

Ooops, I forgot the presidency does not count if this pompous little dictator still has an office.

The Russian "elections". Food chain in Kremlin. No, sorry, in Everglades.

2008-03-02T21:13:00.011+02:00

Medvedev and Putin are hitting the road. New positions set for new adventures.

I have been thinking about something cunning to say about the Russian elections, but so far I can't think of or find anything worth posting. Except this:

Putin goes to a restaurant with Medvedev and orders a steak. The waiter asks, "And what about the vegetable?" Putin answers, "The vegetable will have steak too."

Thanks, Time.

* * * * *

But the most interesting piece of news I have so far heard today was two predators fighting, a python and an alligator, and the snake exploded. Really.
(Just a quick teaser.)

Snake bursts after gobbling gator. The predators died in the clash.

An unusual clash between a 6-foot (1.8m) alligator and a 13-foot (3.9m) python has left two of the deadliest predators dead in Florida's swamps.

The Burmese python tried to swallow its fearsome rival whole but then exploded.

The remains of the two giant reptiles were found by astonished rangers in the Everglades National Park.

The rangers say the find suggests that non-native Burmese pythons might even challenge alligators' leading position in the food chain in the swamps.

Read the breathtaking article here on the BBC web site. Thanks, PN, for copying this link as a note in Facebook.

* * * * *

When the nature is teaching us a lesson, be quiet and learn. If Medvedev and Putin challenge each others' positions in the food chain, this might be their future, too.

(But in You Tube you can find an anaconda eating a crocodile. Über-exciting.)

The eating habits of a nation changed. Unbelievable but true.

2008-02-28T11:10:00.013+02:00

This is an incredibly fine change! (See the story below.) Congrats, Britons. For years I have felt so sorry for factory-farmed animals, and along these times I have been very close to becoming vegetarian. Well, what's stopping me, I don't know. I don't like the taste of meat much, except reindeer.

But dear British, please, please, please stop cooking that "Coroner's Chicken" or whatever this disgusting dish is called: chicken with raisins and pineapple sauce. It's such a waste of beautiful birds.

EDIT: The name of the dish is actually "Coronation Chicken". I was close, wasn't I? Here is even a recipe. Poor Queen. (And really; the stuff I have eaten has contained raisins, lots and lots of raisins.)

But if the Britons can quit eating industrially farmed chicken, or even if they can minimize the figures by 35 %, then I belive anything is possible: Soon Russia can become a fair democracy, and in 2009 Obama can win, yes he can! Creme de la creme: the Finnish football team can make it to the next World Cup. (We have already won the Eurovision song contest, so there's not much left to achive.)

* * *
The campaign that changed the eating habits of a nation – Boycott of battery chickens forces supermarkets to think ethically

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Thursday, 28 February 2008

Sales of factory-farmed chickens have slumped since a high-profile campaign raised awareness of the cruelty at the heart of the poultry industry and implored consumers to pay more to improve the animals' welfare.

In a victory for campaigners who have fought to expose the short and brutal lives of broiler birds, shoppers have bought millions more free-range and organic birds while leaving mass-produced chickens on the shelves.

Sales of free-range poultry shot up by 35 per cent last month compared with January 2007, while sales of standard indoor birds fell by 7 per cent, according to a survey of 25,000 shoppers by the market research company TNS.

-- The campaign against mass-produced poultry, of which a quarter have difficulty walking as a result of wading around in their own waste, is to be intensified. Fearnley-Whittingstall intends to produce a new television show on chickens later this year, updating viewers on the campaign and urging more people to join what he hopes will turn into a free-range revolution. "We are going to keep the pressure up and we are going to do everything we can to make sure that this is not a flash in the pan," he said.

...please see the acticle at the Independent site here as a whole.

How to cheat at Italian. Time-saving tips again.

2008-02-25T22:42:00.009+02:00

Who is this guy? A hint: he loved pasta. See the end of this post where he is a more mature gentleman.

Time-saving tips again! I used to give a lot of them two years ago – but I hope you don't remember, as I am a bit embarrassed.

I love good food, made out of good ingredients. But I hate cooking.

YET, even more I hate frozen dinners or ready-made food, especially soups and sauces.

So I do cook, and I suffer and cook.

Where is Mr HP, you ask? To tell you the truth, he does cook quite often. But for one thing; he comes home hours after Miss Funnybunny and me, and we will be starving if we keep waiting for a provider. Another thing is that his menus are slightly limited. For example, they often contain minced meat. Too often. So, we need a refreshing change.

In yesterday's Guardian there were good tips under the title "How To Cheat At Italian". (There have been articles like "How To Cheat At Chinese" and "How To Cheat At French", but those are far, far more difficult and not at all as practical.

* * * * *

How to cheat at Italian

No need to slave over a pasta machine. For Italian like mamma makes, just ask the maestro, Giorgio Locatelli

Sunday February 24, 2008
The Observer

1. Leftover soup tips

When we make soup at home, we always freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays; when they're frozen you pop them out and into a plastic bag and they'll be there waiting when you get home from holiday, or late from work. Remember to cool your leftovers down quickly in the fridge, though.

ISTORI: Very good. And so clever. First into cubes and then the cubes into a plastic bag. Can you believe this!

2. Keep it simple

If you make things easier for yourself then your guests will feel more welcome - when they come over for dinner they don't want to see you tearing your hair out in the kitchen. You'll never go to an Italian person's house and be served show-off food - they'll cook food that they know well. So it's not really cheating to get a little help from a good delicatessen - get some cured meats and some olives and put them out for when people arrive. We wrap cured meat around breadsticks and serve them as part of the antipasti.

ISTORI: Hmmm... I usually, like ALWAYS, do cook food I know well. But now I could wrap cheese over my rye bread stick as my show-off food? And my delicatessen is the Hakaniemi Food Market, of course.

3. Think ahead

Make sure one course is coming from the oven: either a roast or some baked fish, or do a pasta al forno, which you can make the day before. If you do something like lasagne, you'll only need to make the bechamel topping and add some parmesan and put it in the oven. I always make my lasagnes a day or two early - a night in the fridge really intensifies the flavour.

ISTORI: I have not yet figured out what this means and why. Too many difficult words like "al forno" and "bechamel". But once I have solved the codes here I'll follow this, too.

4. Avoid ready-made sauces

Using fresh tomatoes is always best in sauces, but tomatoes are seasonal, and there's nothing wrong with using a ready-made passata. Just avoid ready-made sauces - none of them are any good and they're full of sugar. It's not difficult to make your own - just buy some tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil and warm them up!

ISTORI: I SO agree! Ready-made sauces are all bad, bad, bad. Ketchup being the worst – too much sugar. As for me, only pesto will do. I make good sauces, but to the list of oil, tomatoes and basil I'd add onions and garlic.

5. Shop every day

So often I go to people's houses and see a little bunch of basil suffocating in the fridge. We shouldn't shop once a week just so we can eat rubbish for five days. Your fridge should be empty every night, or at the very least, cook the fresh things in it, and put the finished dish in the fridge.

ISTORI: I don't actually like to shop every day, but luckily the shops are close and I often have to get just a little bit of something almost every day. We have also learned not to buy a lot at once. So – ok.

6. Cook too much

If you make fresh pasta, remember that it freezes brilliantly, including stuffed pasta. Make a kilo and freeze the extra in a single layer on a sheet of greaseproof paper for about six hours, then put it in a plastic bag (with a label telling you the date and what's in it!). Try and keep at least part of the freezer empty for this sort of thing - we always have a clear shelf in ours.

ISTORI: Yep. I always do cook too much. (And then freeze.)

7. Don't buy flavoured oils

Avoid flavoured oils at any cost. They are absolutely pointless. Just get yourself some beautiful olive oil and chop up a couple of garlic cloves and add them to the bottle. Next day you will have garlic olive oil. Or you could use dried rosemary.

ISTORI: "Avoid flavoured oils at any cost." Seriously? WHAT are flavoured oils? So this was an easy one again.

8. Use a slow cooker

Slow cookers are an excellent investment and very safe. You can make foolproof slow-cooked ragu in one. Put two kilos of minced beef, browned, two chopped carrots, a chopped celery stalk, two chopped onions, a bouquet garni, two cloves of garlic, a bottle of red wine, a litre of passata, five tablespoons of olive oil, a litre of water and some salt and pepper (this will serve eight) in the cooker first thing in the morning and then when you get home from work you'll have the best ragu.

ISTORI: I wish I knew what a "slow cooker" is. But once I have found that out I will definitely get one. This ragu sounds delicious, with onions, passata, wine and the rest of the music.

9. Cheat with a lamb shank

Or you could put a shank of lamb in it, with some vegetables and cover it with water and you'll have fantastic meat, vegetables and a perfect stock for risotto.

ISTORI: Hmmm... that one is something difficult again. To have a stock sounds good, but I am not a risotto person.

10. Use a meat thermometer

The other thing I strongly recommend is a meat thermometer. My wife, Plaxy, was a bit sniffy about it to start with, but now she uses it, too, and it's just the most straightforward way to make sure your meat is perfect every time.

ISTORI: If I ever cook meat I promise I most certainly will do it with a meat thermometer. I just have not proceeded so far. If we found some organic-eco-lamb or reindeer somewhere the day might come.

"Believe me when I say to you I hope the Russians love their children too"

2008-02-23T19:22:00.022+02:00

IStori recommends: the newest Q magazine is a "Special Collectors' Issue: 1958–2008 – 50 Years Of GREAT BRITISH MUSIC."

... and back to the USSR! The Russians, this strange, political song from the 1980's has always been considered more or less naive – and that's what it is, naive. Yep. But in the light of recent undemocratic developments in Russia pushing the federation towards even more concentrated oligarchy it might be accurate to remind the world of the fact that, yes, the Russians do love their children, too.

I just wish they loved the children at Caucasus, too.

EDIT: ... and I wish they did not start a war but respected the will of little nations instead. That would not hurt the Kosovar kids either.

And I wish they loved the Nashi kids enough to make them understand they seem more fascist themselves than the Estonians, for example, whom the youngs Putinists are accusing of such behaviour. Well, now it seems there will be no future, EDIT: or no need, for Nashi under the rule of Medvedev. But the kids have been busy this year, too. See the thoughts of Vilhelm Konnander: Vilhelm Konnander's weblog: Police crackdown on Nashi demonstration

You can also listen to the Sting song here.

Russians
by Sting

In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria
Conditioned to respond to all the threats
In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets
Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
It would be such an ignorant thing to do
If the Russians love their children too

How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too

There is no historical precedent
To put the words in the mouth of the President
There's no such thing as a winnable war
It's a lie that we don't believe anymore
Mr. Reagan says we will protect you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too

We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
What might save us, me, and you
Is if the Russians love their children too

* * *

It's not just "Oppenheimer's deadly toy" in the USA I would be worried of. In Murmansk there is a potentially hazardous metropolis of nuclear facilities, weapons and vessels like submarines, ships and even lighthouses. So, the Russian neighbours, please love the children in the Nordic countries, too.

Did you listen to the song? Sorry, but this piece is really jamming one's mind. You'll keep humming and singing this for weeks from now on.

One of my favourite members of Royalty. Actually, my only favourite member of Royalty (Grace Kelly being dead – but Freddie Mercury wants to live forever. And he will.).

Que sera, sera... I knew it! "The Big Bang wasn't the beginning"

2008-02-20T11:58:00.021+02:00

I am worried about some things, like the health and sanity of friends who support Tottenham, and about how Tottenham will play next Sunday when they have the Big Game (but I am a Liverpool supporter, and usually very worried about them, and, by the way, I don't know anyone supporting Chelsea – next Sunday it will be Chelsea–Tottenham),
and I wonder if Miss Funnybunny will live happily and become a good person. Also I worry about catastrophically bad hair days, which I very often have, the future of the earth when nuclear waste is already polluting the seas and soon the atmosphere, and global warming melting the poles and Greenland. And television makes me really worried. The programs, wide – but artistically narrow – range of tv series from hospital crap ("Grey's Anatomy" and all that other baloney based on young people discussing relationships and wondering where they are going – the answer being "absolutely nowhere") to rubbish on police forces ("CSI" – despite the fact that the feature song, by the Who, is the best) and talk shows are so full of nonsense I feel the mankind is ruined. Devastated. Rapidly drowning into an idiot phase.

* * * * *

But there will be a new start and a new one after that, like there always has been!

"the Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning."

This has always been chrystal clear to me.

But finally there's some Cambridge guy who proves me right.

Physicist Neil Turok: Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning
By Brandon Keim

The Big Bang was big, but it wasn't the beginning, Cambridge University mathematical physicist Neil Turok says. He theorizes that the universe is engaged in an eternal cycle of expansion and contraction: There have been many Big Bangs, and there will be many more.

For decades, physicists have accepted the notion that the universe started with the Big Bang, an explosive event at the literal beginning of time. Now, computational physicist Neil Turok is challenging that model -- and some scientists are taking him seriously.

According to Turok, who teaches at Cambridge University, the Big Bang represents just one stage in an infinitely repeated cycle of universal expansion and contraction. Turok theorizes that neither time nor the universe has a beginning or end.

It's a strange idea, though Turok would say it's no stranger than the standard explanation of the Big Bang: a singular point that defies our laws of physics, where all equations go to infinity and "all the properties we normally use to describe the universe and its contents just fail." That inconsistency led Turok to see if the Big Bang could be explained within the framework of string theory, a controversial and so-far untested explanation of the universe as existing in at least 10 dimensions and being formed from one-dimensional building blocks called strings.

The story as a whole at the Wired site.

* * * * *

Buddha, my biggest hero.

Great Drama At the Finnish Parliament. Good Bye, Fish Fingers!

2008-02-18T20:37:00.026+02:00

Eduskuntatalo. The center of the drama over Pieces of Fish.

* * * * *

Fish fingers. Kids' all-time favourites.

But Fish fingers mean also the style of moustache, idolised by some Finnish (luckily male) members of the Parliament.

Let me go through this once again:

1) Some guys working for the Finnish Parliament, including some male MP's, have recently been accused of sexual harassment.

2) This accusation of some men giving hard time to female workers leaked out of the parliament when a memo on assessment of working circumstances was published.

3) Well, as expected, the MP's who were (thought to be) among the worst ones quickly claimed in public they are totally innocent, and that "women just do not understand the local kind of humour". As if in the rural areas they come from (and they come from various parts of Finland) the women there were just idiots.

Older ones also said "women have changed", and they (the men) are "just old-fashioned blokes with an old-fashioned sense of humour".

Denying, and minimizing the act: "it was nothing".

4) Some of these explanations were very embarrassing. Those arrogant men lacked consideration and understanding. Some humble but straight-forward act of claiming "there is a problem and we all must work on solving it" might have looked much better. (I am not saying they would have sincerely ment that. But gee, I would make a perfect PR manager, wouldn't I?))

But no. The crumbling attempts to trying to explain the bad behaviour were as a matter of fact revealing the accused do not even respect neither the case, nor the women behind it. This made most women – including women outside the parliament – think the insensitive men conserned MUST have done what they are accused of, no matter how much verbal effort they put into finding the way out.

5) In public the evening press leaked the female workers of the parliament call that ugly style of moustache "fish fingers".

6) The (still male) MPs who have fish fingers above their upper lip said they are very offended now. VERY offended.

"Fish fingers" finally made it.

...and what had happened today:

7) Little birds sang that the fish fingers on the menu of the lunch bar at the Parliament were now called "Pieces of Fish" instead.

So fish fingers are now banned inside the Finnish parliament.

EDIT: Banned from the menu only, unfortunately.

* * * * *

...ja sama suomeksi: kalapuikot olivat Eduskunnan ruokalistalla "kalan paloja" Huimaa!

Run On By. With Tennessee Stud.

2008-02-18T11:00:00.010+02:00

Is there any such thing as "Burt Bacharach Appreciation Society"? If I find one, I will be close to joining. BB is a bright guiding star for every runner (with iPod). I don't walk, I run on by.

But a huge surprise for me has been how really very very good, how BRILLIANT an artist Johnny Cash was! Have never really thought so, until now.

Remember Tennessee Stud? Was on Jackie Brown, the Best Film of Tarantino's, I think.

A sample of Tennessee Stud, by Jimmy Driftwood. (Sing along, with the link above.)

Me and a gambler we couldn't agree
We got in a fight over Tennessee
We jerked our guns, he fell with a thud
And I got away on the Tennessee stud

Well, I got as lonesome as a man can be
Dreamin' of my girl in Tennessee
The Tennessee stud's green eyes turned blue
'Cause he was a-dreamin' of a sweetheart too

We loped on back across Arkansas
I whipped her brother and I whipped her pa
I found that girl with the golden hair
And she was ridin' on a Tennessee mare...

As for Jackie B., refresh your memories and take a look at "AK-47".

Jackie Brown is based on a novel Rum Punch of Elmore Leonard's. "He loves sports and guns", thus spoke Wikipeadia. But he has quite recently wrotten a guide book, Ten Rules Of Writing. Very interesting.

You can also learn a great deal from his website; there's an FAQ section. How about this:

Q: How do I gen an agent?
A: My advice is to learn how to write and an agent will find you.

There nothing more to add.

Congrats, best of luck, and peace. A new Kosovo is born.

2008-02-18T09:39:00.010+02:00

Kosovar kids.

A field like no other
Heaven above it
Heaven below.

Part of a poem on Kosovo, written Vasko Popa. Earth Erect. Translated from Serbian by John Matthias.

A brief history of Kosovar epics and Serbian poetry linked here. And even if the name of the very poem is "The Battle of Kosovo, please don't give me that crap about "how natural wars and battles are there where people have been fighting each other for centuries".

Google Kosovo and take a look at photos of little kids burned to death etc. There is nothing "natural" in there. Just enourmous pain, shame and disgrace.

Our civilisation must think wars are avoidable, and act accordingly.

Othervise we do not have a civilisation in Europe after all.

* * * * *

Congrats, Kosovo!

Live in peace.

And hopefully Serbia and Russia, as well as we all, will let you do excactly that.

Rap and drumming

2008-02-14T09:29:00.008+02:00

The film has not started yet but Miss Funnybunny is drumming already.

Miss Funnybunny has drumsticks. She got them at the premiere of a film called Risto Räppääjä. (Chris Rapper? Or something...)

Dum-bum-bum. Dum-bum-bum. Dumti-dumti-dumti-dum... Bum-bum-BUM.

Funny how the other day when I was running I started thinking how much I love rhythms, and I think I share this passion with my lttle girl. Then I started wondering if Funnybunny and I should start dancing something. Like tap dancing, flamenco or salsa. Or African dances. Something to do with rhythm and percussions, timbas.

(EDIT: For me, it would be returning to this wonderful hobby combining music and excercising. Since being a teenager I have spent quite a lot of time at dance studios. Even participated a dance-and-riding camp for a week, where we did both flamenco and rode horses, Western style, 2 X 2 h a day!)

Well, now with Funnybunny practising her drumming skills I think we are having more than enough rhythm for a while!

* * *

Risto Räppääjä was a pretty good film, I must say. See the trailer here. And the official site is www.ristorappaaja.fi, also linked here.

Mari Rantasila directing Mimmi Lounela playing Nelli Nuudelipää ("Nell Noodlehead") and Niilo Sipilä playing Risto.

Republicans wanting a change. Troitsky came.

2008-02-05T14:43:00.000+02:00

In every man there is a cowboy.

Republicans for Obama. See. That's so great. Like "United Mice Supporting Hungry Cats". Or perhaps "Schlager Bands For Good Music". Or "Oil Industry For Reducing the Risk Of the Climate Change". (Or... please gimme some more!)

But yet, IStori is wishing the Best Of Luck for changing the political atmosphere and environment in the USA, and for protecting the Tellus atmosphere and environment we have in common.

* * * * *

Russian rock manager, DJ, dissident, Kremlin fighter, ex-editor in chief of Playboy magazine Artemi Troitsky gave a good DJ gig in Helsinki yesterday evening. Whoaa. What a show! We were told the basics of the Soviet & Russian rock scene (there is and has been one - both under- and above the ground), and for sure, we were made to listen to some classics along with a "lecture". But that was fun!

More pics at the Rosebud site, www.rosebud.fi, or here.

* * * * *

Thanks, Ajatusten Rekolanoja for your comment, and for reminding me of Laskiainen, Shrove Tuesday. It seems to be a pancake day almost around the world, but according to the Finnish tradition we are supposed to eat buns with whipped cream and jam.

Miss Funnybunny and I will enjoy either genre of delicacies this evening.

Maybe we could try some fasting, too: no more candies before the Easter. We have had more than our share recently.

Yes You Can!

2008-02-04T09:57:00.000+02:00

Savannah River Site. One of the biggest nuclear weapon facilities and storages in the world. And, a huge waste dump: According to its website, its main task is to "support current and future national security and nuclear materials requirements through tritium processing, waste management and vitrification, special nuclear material storage, reprocessing, research and development, and technology transfer". Wouldn't want to live close.

On the verge of the Supercalifragilistic Tuesday... I think Barack Obama stands a chance here. But should he really become a president? Should he be the Chosen One, should he be given the Briefcase with the Codes & the Button? (As well as become the Ultimate Boss of CTU and Jack Bauer?)

Maybe so. From the distance (= Helsinki!) at least he seems to be the cleverest candidate so far: concerned about climate change, promoting renewables, critisizing the war, among other things.

Him being the President of the USA would be refreshing for the conservative racists, all over the world. And, just think about the comparison between Putin-Medvedjev and Obama. Beautiful.

And how about the War Against Terror? Axis of Evil? Obama does not seem to support that kind of crap talk. (Well, who on earth, with a brain, would?)

Obama is doing a good campaign with celebrities of music, go and see (and listen) for yourself.

* * * * *

Barack Hussein Obama was born here in 1961.

* * * * *

EDIT: What do I have against Clinton, you may ask. Bill hiding in the background? Well, perhaps I don't have so much of anything against her. Would be great to have a female leader in the USA. (Our Tarja would feel very comfortable with her:-) But I wouldn't be her active supporter, either. I remember her husband being more or less a conservative, and not at all trustworthy, so I still think Obama would definitely be my choice – if I could only vote for him...

The Challenge of Ten Blogs

2008-01-30T20:26:00.000+02:00

La Petite Anglaise, herself. She was fired in 2006. That was probably one of the best things ever happened to her! But she did not realise it back then.

I was challenged by Vaiheinen to reveal a list of ten blogs I like. So here we go, the first one being Vaiheinen!

Good friends as excellent bloggers:

Vaiheinen. A dear old friend, with a very serious and clever blog. With those climate change comments & solutions he is kicking ass! And guess who's idea was the name Vaiheinen"? ("Phaser". Star trek. Think!)

A. ja Korvenranta. She is a funny girl with a distressing job, lousy salary, but the nicest boss. She is vegan, does not drink, keeps practising running and does yoga like every night. (It is "night" before 07 am.) And then she is constantly wondering why people think she's strange. But that's kind of cute.

Ajatusten Rekolanoja. The same goes for her, except the rest starting from the drinking part. Has started to study Russian, poor girl.

Oderazzi. Without her I would not know what's going on in Frankfurt, and hey, I need to know what's going on in Frankfurt. She is a good friend and the best hostess I can think of.

Sedis. The King of Karaoke. Fan of the best films.

And, some multinational:

Petite Anglaise. She's the best. Maybe not so deep, and certainly not political... But with style, honesty and feeling.

Naked blog. I love Scotland, and this guy is so clever and funny. And stylish, yes, him & his blog, too. Next time I visit Edinburgh I will say hi, I swear.

La Russophobe. Like a news agency. And I love her courage – she does not seem to mind the ugly sound of not-at-all-politically-correct "phobia" in her blogger name.

Non-working Monkey. A new connection. Seems quite interesting, with rough writing and fun. Quite a respectful number of f-words here and there. And, if I ever visit the French Canada...

David Byrne. If Vaiheinen were more of an artist, he'd be David Byrne!

Or rather, David Byrne is the Vaiheinen in the New York based intellectual underground life.

She's not Tadpole, daughter of La Petite Anglaise, but my darling Miss Funnybunny instead.

Now, I'll send this Challenge forward to everyone reading this, but especially to A. ja Korvenranta, Ajatusten Rekolanoja and Oderazzi. Go, girls, go! And to Sedis, of course!

I'm here... With tons of writing, editing, serious thoughts and bad jokes.

2008-01-24T08:41:00.000+02:00

I have not been able to update my blog as frequently as I'd like to. I have been writing some articles, my book, & lots of other stuff, attending several Litterary Meetings (like the Helsinki Travel Fair, which is a litterary happening, believe it or not), and I have tried to search for solutions how to deal with Miss Funnybunny's tantrums that make our life crazy, but kind of interesting. She is becoming a bigger and bigger lady, day by day. And very intelligent! (I have enjoyed reading La Petite Anglaise, and compared Funnybunny with her Tadpole. Not a bad comparison at all!)

But all these busy things do not lead to the conclusion I have not been thinking about the basic IStori stuff (whateverthatis).

Let me just list the basics I have in my mind right now:

THE THOUGHT: Ruhnama, the Holy Book of Turkmenistan. Written by the late dictator, Saparmurat Niyazov. Readind the holy sh*t is obligatory for the Turkmen (can't even get a drivers' licence without suffering through the book beforehand), and for everyone trying to do serious business with the locals!

THE REASON WHY: I am soon going to see this hilarious documentary, directed by Arto Halonen, soon; In The Shadow Of The Holy Book.

*

THE THOUGHT: Seven suicides in one village, in a short period of time, is too much of course, but also strange.

THE REASON WHY: At times, especially in April, I tend to think about a good friend I lost 23 years ago. And then, after a shock one tends thinks "he must be the last one" and "this should never happen again", but he is not the last one, and it does happen, and it has happened. This sounds like Hillary Clinton, but in addition to parents' efforts it does take a village, and even a state, to raise our children to be good and happy people. But hey, let's do so. Never leave anyone too alone.

*
THE THOUGHT: Paris

THE REASON WHY: Mr HP and I need to get some visions for our new project. I will reveal more about this later! But the best hmmm hmm hmmm... sort of places happen to be in Paris. And I'd like to meet some friends there, too. And take miss Funnybunny with me. And let Shakespeare and Co gently suck me into it's heavenly womb.

*

THE THOUGHT: Auschwitz

THE REASON WHY: Sunday, 27/1, will be the 63rd anniversary of Auschwitch liberation. For me personally, at the moment, this just means a bit more writing to do. But for the mankind, more brain work. Why, oh why? A woman who survived Auschwitz just put it bluntly in a TV documentary, "the way to Auschwitz was paved with silence". I have seen the camps (or how they look about now), a lot of footage on site, and met some survivers, but yet: what actually took place escapes my mind. And, after having miss Funnybunny, killing kids becomes even more unbelievable, impossiple and devastating, as a thought.

*

THE THOUGHT: Oscars

THE REASON WHY: Really difficult to explain this one! The unexpected destiny of Heath Ledger made me think of stupid stuff: "Now he'll be a hero. Like a new James Dean." That's cruel, I know. Sorry. The guy is dead, and he was kind of good actor. Unlike the overrated but yet, for some reason appreciated blank faces Tom Hanks or Leonardo DiCaprio or Kevin Costner...

There was this poll in today's Independent. (My favourite, remember!)

The Academy has announced this year's nominations. What has been its worst decision to date?

And, after seeing the list the decision was soooo difficult: Forrest Gump was total zero (except Gary Sinise as an interesting sortof-best-friend and the cleverest person there was, and even sexiest, even though he did not have legs, but hey, what do you need legs for, all the time?), and so is Costner as both an actor and a director (and probably the pic he directed in 1990 was Dances With Wolves, which was crap...)

Here we go: The Academy has announced this year's nominations. What has been its worst decision to date?

Titanic - Best Picture, 1997
Rocky - Best Picture, 1976
Can You Feel the Love Tonight - Best Original Song (The Lion King), 1994
Braveheart - Best Picture, 1995
Forrest Gump - Best Picture, 1994
Chicago - Best Picture, 2002
Kevin Costner - Best Director, 1990
Judi Dench - Best Supporting Actress (Shakespeare in Love), 1998

I ended up voting "for" Costner.

Vodka Tourists

2008-01-13T21:46:00.000+02:00

Finnish actor and the leading man in the show, Ville Haapasalo is – where? In Helsinki, of course.

I am watching a Finnish documentary on "Vodka Tourists" (Votkaturistit), title referring to the Finns who had a habit of visiting Russia, especially St Petersburg and Viborg, for a weekend (but several times a year) in 70'–80's. And who used to consume vast amounts of vodka. This was suggesting the Finns were living under prohibition.

And they swapped a pair of pantyhose for vodka. And bought vodka. And sex. And more and more vodka.

Well, the topic was most interesting, but this doc barely scratched the surface. They could have found so much, much more...

St Pete is an endless source of good stories.

****

By the way, an interview of and article on our friend Oksana Chelysheva is in this week's Me naiset, a Finnish ladies' weekly. Everybody in Finland, check that out!

Newspapers. Cruise and piggies. Real Life Scheherazade. (IStori's recommendations, part I)

2008-01-07T17:13:00.000+02:00

Nadira Allieva, a certain Uzbek lap-dancer. (See The Guardian link, at the end.)

Newspapers in the web.

Nowadays my absolute favourite one is The Independent. Can't start the day without checking what's new.

Today there were two interesting stories – but these were not as serious as the main articles most often tend to be. (Recently on Pakistan, Darfour, Climate change, gobal poverty...) But interesting, anyway. The main article today was on Bush beginning the Middle East tour. I wonder if there are any security guards around?)

But back to these two interesting ones, of 7 Jan. Edit: Is Tom Cruise a prisoner in his own life? You can read this that way, too. Be aware, and be scared...

"Cruise is second most powerful Scientologist, Morton book claims
By David Langton
Published: 07 January 2008

Tom Cruise has been promoted to second in command of the Church of Scientology, according to an extraordinary new book by Princess Diana's biographer, Andrew Morton.

The Hollywood star is now allegedly consulted by Scientology leader David Miscavige on "every aspect of planning and policy", claims Morton.

The unauthorised Cruise biography makes a number of surprising claims about the actor and his growing interest in the movement.

Among the more outrageous are suggestions that his daughter, Suri, was conceived using frozen sperm from the movement's dead founder L Ron Hubbard and that Scientology leaders ended his marriage with Nicole Kidman because of her devotion to Catholicism.

Morton claims Scientology has all but taken over the 45-year-old actor's life, with its officials allegedly selecting many of the staff at his Hollywood mansion." ...

(Please see the article as a whole in here.)

*****

... And this one is equally interesting, and even far more important to the mankind (yes, really :-) than the first one!

"What are we eating?
Published: 07 January 2008

So you only eat free-range eggs, and spend the extra on organic sausages. But what's life really like for the animals that end up on your plate? And how can you be sure that the meat in your shopping bag is cruelty-free? Rob Sharp investigates.

Pigs

Many a poultry farmer will tell you that "a battery chicken's a happy chicken", a view based on their not altogether erroneous view that relatively unintelligent birds are well suited to intensive conditions.

The same argument can most definitely not be applied to pigs, though. As the most intelligent British farm animal, the porker is also the most abused, in order to satisfy our demand for cheap bacon.

'If we think of it in human terms, in the terms of intelligence that we value, pigs do have high levels of intelligence," says Julia Wrathall, head of the RSPCA Science Group's farm animals department. "They out-do dogs in many intelligence tests. To realise that a pig can be just as clever in the same way that dogs are is a very interesting thing.'" ...

Please see the article as a whole in here.)

*****

The rest of the top 5? Probably, at the moment, at least,

* Le monde diplomatique , and also IN FINNISH!

* The Guardian. Check out the story on Uzbek lap-dancer. Mamma mia. But a beautiful story on today's Real Life Scheherazade.

* Novaya Gazeta. Telling what's going on in Russia; 'nuff said.

* Kommersant. If you read Novaya, you must read this one, too.

*****

Suri Cruise (on the right) with Brooklyn Beckham. (The both of them look so much like their mothers, by the way.)

Better New Year 2008.

2008-01-03T22:43:00.000+02:00

I remember last year 2007 beginning. I was quite frustrated and infuriated because of the so very nasty stuff that had been going on around me – further or closer.

And despite of all that ass kicking I insisted on a year ago, many things did not get any better. Too bad.

The world politics, work on peace and for the environment are in a lousy state (– given all the credit for the active NGO's, but still...), not supported by major governments, and therefore the stability of the earth and people seems more endangered than ever and even getting far worse.

But – you can sigh now – some things have remained the same or have even improved:

1) Miss Funnybunny. She is more spectacular then ever!

These beautiful high-heeled shoes, two sizes too big, came from... well, from Santa I guess, and the 2nd guess is... NOT ME!

2) Friends. As great as ever, and more and more of them year by year. Have even bumped into some very, very old ones!

Suomi! Suomi! Suomi! (Didn't you all know "Suomi" is "Finland" in Finnish.)

3) My secret hobbies, so far only one of which I have found worth boasting; running. (Gee, I love the fact I became a runner. Can you believe it, it sounds so cool.)

But I'll start with figure skating and snow boarding in no time... Exactly like we middle-aged people fancy.

So, where's the snow, for christ's sake?

Sampo found.

2008-01-03T22:24:00.001+02:00

Popol Vuh. An ancient story about men fighting for the right of existing - eternally or not.

The remains of Sampo Feodor Lindfors, who has also been looked for by this blog, have been found.

IStori is sending warmest condolences for those to whom Sampo was dearest.

Helsinki, on Christmas Eve.

2008-01-03T21:50:00.000+02:00

Back to the snowless Christmas, before it really is over...

Some ships do not rest.

The Town hall with Christmas lights.

The Reindeer House are on holiday.

I hope we have everything...