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

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.

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"

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"

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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)

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.

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?