The Other World

You know what I hate most about summers? Isolation. Loneliness when I have chosen it is fine but forced loneliness, no one to talk to or even say hello to, that doesn't feel very nice. At all. And yet I have no idea what to do with it. I'm damaged and I only want relationships if they stay within the limits I've set and if they go forward in a pace that I have said to be okay.

And then there's of course my terrible habit of making criteria (no drunks, or politically right-wings, no men, no ). It seems that most of the people fitting to the description here have their own lives already: (nearly) graduated, have serious boyfriends, possibly engaged or married, possibly with kids and a house and a garden and worries about how much they can pay back the student loan... that's just not me. But then again, I don't fit in the other majority group of people who are content with occasional jobs and are more into partying and getting drunk and going to summer festivals and doing whatever they feel like without worrying about the future. Those people are social by nature.

"Feeling lonely and content at the same time, I believe, is a rare kind of happiness."
-Nightwish: Lagoon-

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Nyyti ry(http://www.nyyti.fi/linkit_ja_artikkelit/artikkelit/yksinaisyys2.htm):

"Ystävyys syntyy kohtaamisesta. On hetkiä, jolloin tunnemme voimakasta sympatiaa ja kiinnostusta, ns. sukulaisuutta tiettyyn henkilöön." Is this true? Wow, not only do I not have a single friend now, I've never had a single friend. Besides, you're not giving any concrete examples.

"Ihminen tarvitsee myös rohkeutta ja itseluottamusta pystyäkseen hakeutumaan uuteen seuraan ja solmimaan ystävyyssuhteita." In other words, I'm a lost cause.

"On tärkeää mennä reippaasti mukaan erilaisiin opiskelijoiden tilaisuuksiin ja tapahtumiin, missä voi tavata erilaisia ja eri sukupuolta olevia ihmisiä." Drinking... my sister has the same thing: drunken people, especially older men, make us anxious. The difference is that it's not an obstacle to her as it is to me.

"Osallistu, harrasta - älä eristäydy neljän seinän sisälle." And what does this mean in practice? Should I go and play bingo with pensioners?

"Yksinäisyys syntyy siitä, että tiedostaa toivovansa ihmissuhdetta, ystävää." One sentence I pretty much agree with.

"Yksinäisyydestä voit keskustella myös Nyytin Yksinäisyys- nettiryhmässä, jossa voit jakaa omia ajatuksiasi tai lukea muiden kirjoituksia."

Click... and this shows up: "Keskustelu nettiryhmissä on kevään osalta päättynyt."

Looks like your loving god's been busy again, martin.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/05/18/nigeria.child.witchcraft/index.html

Children and teens are branded as witches in the southern Christian part of Nigeria. The "true" believers acting as reverends and pastors have found this superstition to be a good way to make money or cause suffering (you know, it probably does give you an immense sense of power to be responsible of someone's life and death) in case the pastor in question has sociopathic tendencies.

But let us not be too swift in our judgements, ye Lord. Of course the child must be possessed by Satan, why else would she have periods?

(via Pharyngula)

Frank Rich has written an article to the New York Times concerning the internal propaganda the US military's top personnel (Rumsfeld included) during Bush jr's war on terror.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/opinion/17rich-5.html?_r=3&ref=opinion

Another paper has a slideshow on the Intelligence briefings given to Bush. An example beneath is just way too informal for me to buy it. Would someone really be stupid enough to think that if the Secretary of Defence gives this kind of glossy paper as an Intelligence briefing he would actually see nothing wrong with it?!

http://www.hs.fi/keskustelu/Huippuyliopistosta+tulossa+luuloyliopisto/thread.jspa?threadID=110008&tstart=0&sourceStart=80&start=0

Professori Kari Uusikylä suuresta suomalaisesta innovaatiohuippuyliopistosta.

Jep, huipuksi ei julistauduta vaan se titteli pitää ansaita. Oxbridgen metodi on juuri päinvastainen kuin mitä Opetusministeriö ajaa: elinkeinoelämä ei sanele mitä näissä todellisissa huippuyliopistoissa tutkitaan ja koska. Aiheiden ei tarvitse olla Cambridgessä mediaseksikkäitä ja sovellettavissa elinkeinoelämän käytettäväksi suoraan paperilta. 0 x 17537 on edelleen 0. Se, että yhdistän kolme 70 ÄO:lla varustettua soittamaan nokkahuilua ei tee porukasta uutta Mozartia.

Eniten tässä riipii edelleen se saatanan tekijänoikeuslain muutos. Miten helvetissä tutkijat ovatkin olleet niin hiljaa?!

A father was worried about his 14-year-old son's sex life and decided to get him a prostitute:

http://www.uusisuomi.fi/ulkomaat/60356-teinipoikansa-seksielamasta-huolissaan-ollut-isa-tarjosi-lahjaksi-prostituoidun

Basic Finns (Perussuomalaiset) have decided to "tighten the criteria" (read: make guidelines) for the membership of the party:

http://www.uusisuomi.fi/kotimaa/60345-halla-aho-ja-kumppanit-saikayttivat-perussuomalaiset-tiukentavat-jasenvaatimuksiaan

The silver lining of a dark cloud:

http://www.kotimaa.fi/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8493&Itemid=38

New York will be drowned by a magnificent sea of fire. Too bad the reverend witholds some quite relevant chronological information as to when this is supposed to happen. Jehova's must be thrilled since their whole religion is based on waiting the Rapture and wrathful angels to punish us heathens:

http://www.kotimaa.fi/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8615&Itemid=38

Okay, fine, I give up. I admit, I'm lonely. Happy?

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Studying for an Italian exam and proof-reading a Master's Thesis in English simultaneously is a bit tricky. In Italian almost all nouns get a definite article (il tavolo, l'uomo, la luna), and this messes up my sense of English articles and I try to fit in 'the' everywhere and then remind myself that the English language article rules are teeny weeny more difficult than those in Italian.

Bored and in need of a second profession in case the academic world flunks with this capitalistic approach to doing science. Hence, I ended up playing with the usual AVO (ammatinvalintaohjelma) by MOL. This time I answered the questions from the point of view
of getting propositions for a profession that is more practical and faster to get. Here are my results based on the ones I had specific abilities for (and then the minus list, too). First column has the profession, next one the features of the profession and the third one my interest in that type of job.

Plus

Arkeologi ***/ ***
Asianajaja */ *
Copywriter **/ *
Kielenkääntäjä ****/ ***
Kieltenopettaja */ *
Kirjailija **/ **
Kriitikko ***/ *
Kulttuurisihteeri */ *
Luotsi */ *
Tiedottaja */ *
Toimittaja */ *
Torninosturinkuljettaja ***/ ***
Tulkki */ *
Tullitarkastaja **/ *
Tuomari */ **
Yrityslakimies ****/ *
Äidinkielenopettaja */ *

Minus

Askartelunohjaaja **/ *
Diakoniatyöntekijä */ *
Elokuvaaja */ *
Ensihoitaja */ *
Erityisopettaja */ *
Fysioterapeutti */ *
Graafinen suunnittelija */ *
Hieroja **/ *
Kehitysvammahoitaja */ *
Kehitysvammaohjaaja */ *
Keramiikka- ja lasitaiteilija */ *
Kuvaamataidon opettaja */ *
Kuvanveistäjä */ *
Lastenhoitaja **/ *
Lastentarhanopettaja */ *
Laulaja, kevyt musiikki */ *
Laulaja, taidemusiikki */ *
Lavastaja *7 *
Lähihoitaja, perushoitaja **/ *
Mielenterveyshoitaja **/ *
Musiikinopettaja */ *
Muusikko */ *
Myyntiedustaja */ *
Nuoriso-ohjaaja **/ *
Näyttelijä */ *
Pappi */ *
Pianonvirittäjä */ ****
Piirtäjä */ *
Psykologi **/ **
Puheterapeutti **/ *
Ravitsemusterapeutti */ **
Sairaanhoitaja */ *
Savenvalaja **/ *
Sosiaaliohjaaja */ *
Sosiaalityöntekijä **/ *
Taidemaalari */ *
Tanssitaiteilija */ *
Tekstiilitaiteilija */ *
Tekstiilityön opettaja */ *
Teollinen muotoilija */ *
Toimintaterapeutti */ *
Vartija (vankila) **/ *

The mystery:

Luokanopettaja */ */ + –

Okay, so let's see which one's are left when I take out the ones combining one-one or one-two stars for the features and my interest from the 'Plus' category.

Arkeologi ***/ ***
Kielenkääntäjä ****/ ***
Kirjailija **/ **
Kriitikko ***/ *
Torninosturinkuljettaja ***/ ***
Yrityslakimies ****/ *

Well, fuck me sidesways...! Okay, ditch the translator, I already do that and because of its uncertain nature I need another one. An archeologist? Too long education for that and would require travelling and meeting people. An author? Easier said than done; I don't have enough imagination for that, there's no point in writing a book even if I did get it published if it doesn't bring anything new. Plus, it's freelancing as well. Next! A critic? I suppose that doesn't really
require other education than the one field you're supposed to criticise. And since I have no musical knowledge other than that of the common consumer, nor any literature studies, nor art studies (or interest in that, anyway), this one goes, too. A lawyer? Education takes too long, though I wouldn't mind the paycheck. This leaves only one: the mysterious "torninosturikuljettaja". Let's find more about that. Not in harbours but on construction
sites. I have to admit, working 70 metres above the ground does sound fascinating! But the profession is dying as "ajoneuvonosturinkuljettaja" is taking over. Education: talonrakennusalan ammattitutkinto given in Forssa.

So. Does this come down to doing a job that I have abilities for but no interest? Is that what working really is; that only a few do the job they can and like? And the majority settles for what they can do even if they hate it? Or do something they can't do that well nor have interest on it? Is that it? Is that the trick I should have learned by now?

A pharmacist (features 3 stars, interest 4 stars but no capabilities)? A cleaner with same figures as the pharmacist? "Informaatikko" (what's that?) same 3-4-no interest combination? An engineer with 3-3 and no interest? An accountant with 3-4-none? "Kuvaussihteeri" with 3-4-none? "Laborantti" 2-4-none? "Lennonjohtaja" (!) 3-4-none? A mathematician with the familiar 3-4-none combination? A programmer with 3-4-none?
"Painopinnan valmistaja" (???) with 3-4-none? "Palkanlaskija" with 3-4-none? A post office worker with 3-4-none? "Puhelinvaihteenhoitaja" with 3-4-none... ei helvetti...! "Toimistosihteeri" 3-4-none? "Vakuutusvirkailija" with 2-4-none? No wait.. a webmaster with 3 stars for features and the unique five (5!!!) for interest but no interest? "Verovirkailija" 2-4-none.. not in this lifetime, pal; I'd rather be on the other end deciding which things are taxed how hardly.

Fuck it.

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Kosmista keskisormea tälle.

Russia could have tried to act like a civilised world yesterday. They chose not to under erligious and dogmatic prejudice. At least the Netherlands showed to have moral backbone.

HYÖTYKASVIKSI BRYSSELIIN, NUMEROLLA 231!!!

MEP candidate for the Green Party, Jyrki Kasvi, has shown to be pretty fast in his movements: he has made history by organising an elections evening at Second Life! The 80 persons limit of his lecture hall was met early and people were actually left out. Beneath is Kasvi's avatar Jyrki Wexhome (via Kasvi.org).

Also, listen to YLE discussion between Kasvi and Christian Democrat (this if nothing else proves that there are many many different democracies...) MEP candidate Sari Essayah on morals and values. Listen to the discussion here: http://lotta.yle.fi/rsweb2.nsf/sivut/paivanjuttu?opendocument&pageid=Content09591763A66. On the right side panel next to the article you can listen to other politicians from opposing sides to debate on other values, such as ethnic minorities (Kiba Lumberg vs. Ummaya Abu-Hanna), business (Arja Alho vs. Risto E.J. Penttilä) and EU's influence (Timo Soini vs. Eija-Riitta Korhola).

You can hear the usual bullshit given by Christian right-wing in Essayah's speech, too; all the same arguments and comparisons and metaphors (homosexuality compared to paedopfilia and zoophilia; one can't be good without a god, or in Essayah's mind THE god; the basis for everything must be the vague abstract Christian core values, which are... yeah, what?). Luckily Kasvi knows what he's doing and is able to deliver it without having to talk on the other, unlike Essayah. The perfect example of this is the ending: Essayah apparently just cannot bear the idea that Kasvi gets the last word.

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It would appear I'm voting for Kasvi. This is so not happening...