More e-mail from the Student Union conserning the university's new structure. It provides all the possibility to comment on the structure proposition for two next weeks. There's just one *little* disclaimer at the end of them message:
"Johtosääntöluonnosta ei toimiteta lausuntokierrokselle enää erikseen ennen sen käsittelemistä uudessa hallituksessa. Tavoitteena on, että uusi johtosääntö hyväksytään lokakuun aikana."
Okay. Then why the fuck even bother to ask anyone's opinion about it if you've already decided to ignore them?
"Business-oriented university". Well isn't that just THE most original thing you ever heard? Come on; all universities in this state are business-oriented from now on thanks to the university reform.
The more I think about it, the less point I see in continuing studying here. These people (VYY in the lead) are doing everything they can to make all degrees worthless. In a few years all Masters degrees undoubtedly will be. They demean all other fields than those that are directly useful to the business field until they get what they want: all other fields are merged into business faculty, thus serving the one field needful. Anything beyond serving them is useless and will not be tolerated. You can see this attitude in the "we are sore losers" "statement" (to what is not overtly named but it clearly refers to the fact that their suggestion of merging all faculty to serve business faculty was not used to create the new university structure) that arrived on my university mail today. It's very clear they think way too much of themselves and are no SOOOOOO offended their "brilliant" structure suggestion was turned down, but "luckily" they continue to promote this nonetheless (and before long, they will get it through once all those whining humanists are mellowed).
So it follows, that the more I think about this, the less motivation I find to graduating. Why continue with my current thesis topic; why bother wasting so much time and energy; why even bother to get the topic to meet my high quality requirements when the little reward that is to be gotten from it (specialisation on a new field, a good grade, appreciation even) when the university's authorities do everything in their legal power to make any degree (a good one or a poor one, doesn't matter) equally worthless in a few years?
Why waste another year here at all if (and 'since') this is what will eventually happen? Since eventually my degree will be a worthelss piece of paper from a university for losers that couldn't get anywhere else? It doesn't matter that I did choose to come here, not to the other places I was accepted to; since the profile of the university in the Finnish higher education field will be that of losers, no outsider will bother to know if one actually wanted to go there, they just assume I am like all the others, like the image/profile this university so much wants to promote.
The only reason I can think of to stay, for now, is the depression. If there were jobs, I would like to take a year off and see what happens. But since there are none... my only options are either to be unemployed and (since summer jobs don't increase the allowance) try to live on a minimum allowance from Kela after a long battle, or to be statistically good and be a student. The latter seems a little better. But since the degree will be worthless... well, why bother keeping up my standards? Why bother sticking to my principle of only allowing a grade of 4 or 5 from a course? Why bother trying to make a good thesis; all that matters is that I pass the courses and pass the thesis.
1) Know where to look: student clubs and sci-fi conventions are good, bible study groups are baaaaaad.
2) Try the dating websites: be careful when questionnaires have a question asking your religious zealotry status or your caste.
3) Be social but don't pounce
4) Look like...
a: Hugh Laurie
b: Adam Savage
c: Jamie Hyneman
5) Have somethings to talk about other than atheism: newspapers are good for providing the hot topics, sports (even if you only did fencing...).
6) Always carry atheist goodies: atheist classic books (The God Delusion, God Is Not Great, The End of Faith, Breaking the Spell...); symbols that say nothing (and cannot thus be offensive) to outsiders, such as a large red letter 'A', or an FSM bumber sticker, or the Darwin fish.
7) Gauge the other person's degree of atheism: this can be done by using certain words and seeing their effect. If words such as 'secular', 'agnostic' or 'humanist' make the other seem like a replica of Munch's 'Scream', you probably don't wan't to use Code Red Word - PZ Myers. Instead it is highly recommended to take evasive action.
8) Don't assume you know anything else just because the other is an atheist.
9) Don't discount someone just because their theists.
10) Be ready to duel because the atheist you like is probably seeing someone: at this point fencing skill may prove useful.
And being a dyke isn't helping. How the fuck do people find their partners or even long-time girlfriends? Have you people picked them up in a bar, or just been disgustingly lucky to encounter one in a straight context?
Splenetic
Oh, the disappointment! THE DISAPPOINTMENT!!!
I've been awake all night thinking this will be a good start for a new week, and that once I stay up all night I get to go to the library and other places... I was just standing in front of my open window, watching my neighbour back her car to the road and set off to work, thinking it's such a nice Monday morning... or is it? Is it Monday? Quickly to the phone... and the disappointment when it tells me it's Sunday.
A Sunday. A fucking Sunday, prkle!!! Another 24 hours to pass in drowsy passivity and dis-appoint-ment!!!
What the fuck were they thinking?! Next we'll probably have to endure The Ketchup Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFzyYYZsxGc). They at least have female singers... Or how 'bout Macarena...
Why won't this fucking heat and sunshine give a rest already?! It's subtropical in my bedroom and that very much fucks up my sleeping rhythm gained with hard work and self-control! And outside I have to be careful with the sunshine not to burn and shed my bloody skin! Makes me feel like I'm some malformed vampire, goddamit! Just cut it out already and give some rain and clouds!
Kun ei ole muutakaan sanottavaa... paitsi että täytyy löytää jostain TSH:n I- ja III- osan Extended-versiot. Ei 9 ja rapiat puoli tuntia riitä tämän todellisuuden unohtamiseen! 11 ja puoli tuntia... kuulostaa kahta tuntia paremmalta! Tahtoo pois tästä maailmasta, jonnekin mikä ei ole pelkkää loputonta harmaan eri sävyjä, jotain jossa on selvät hyvä ja paha ja hyvä voittaa ja kaikilla on hyvä olla. Haluan haltioita ja noitia ja puhuvia puita perkele!
Minä olen...
( ) hätäillyt tämän listan täytön kanssa
( ) polttanut tupakan
( ) polttanut sikarin
( ) ollut humalassa
( ) kuherrellut samaa sukupuolta olevan kanssa
(x) ollut rakastunut
( ) tullut jätetyksi
( ) jättänyt
( ) saanut potkut
(x) saanut nyrkistä
(x) karannut kotoota
(x) tuntenut tunteita jotakuta kohtaan, jolla ei ole tuntenut samoin
(x) ollut arestissa
( ) kuherrellut muukalaisen kanssa
( ) ollut sokkotreffeillä
(x) valehdellut kaverille
(x) ollut rakastunut opettajaan
(x) lintsannut
( ) harrastanut seksiä työkaverin kanssa
( ) nähnyt jonkun kuolevan
(x) lentänyt
( ) oksentanut baarissa
( ) sytyttänyt itseni tuleen (... jonka jälkeen varmasti täyttelisikin tällaisia listoja...)
( ) syönyt sushia
(x) ollut väkivaltaisesti käyttäytyvä
( ) ottanut korjaussarjaa (oletan tämän olevan eufemismi tiettyjen genitaalialueelle...)
(x) rakastunut juuri nyt
(x) maannut selällään ja nähnyt pilven lentävän ohi
(x) tehnyt lumienkelin
(x) hypännyt vesilätäkköön
(x) leikkinyt alasti
(x) hypännyt lehtikasaan
( ) ajanut reellä
(x) huijannut pelissä
(x) ollut yksin
(x) nukahtanut koulussa/töissä
( ) käyttänyt väärää henkilöllisyyttä
(x) katsonut auringonlaskua
(x) soittanut bändissä
(x) nähnyt käärmeen
( ) nukkunut tähtien alla
(x) ollut kutitettavana
(x) tullut väärinymmärretyksi
( ) silittänyt delfiiniä
( ) voittanut kilpailun
( ) joutunut erotetuksi koulusta
( ) ollut auto-onnettomuudessa
(x) saanut krampin
(x) tuntenut itseni ulkopuoliseksi
(x) syönyt kokonaisen jäätelöpaketin illan aikana
(x) inhonnut ulkonäköäni
( ) ollut todistajana rikoksessa
(x) kyseenalaistanut ajatukseni
( ) ollut riippuvainen post-it lapuista
(x) ollut eksyksissä
( ) ollut toisella puolella maapalloa
(x) uinut meressä
(x) tuntenut että kuolema lähestyy
(x) itkenyt itseni uneen
( ) leikkinyt polee ja rofee (anteeksi kuinka?)
( ) laulanut karaokea
( ) maksanut ruuan pelkillä kolikoilla
(x) tehnyt jotain itselleni mitä ei [ehkä] olisi pitänyt tehdä
(x) ollut tappelussa
(x) pyydystänyt lumihiutaleen kielellä
(x) tanssinut sateessa
( ) kirjoittanut kirjeen tontulle
( ) katsonyt auringonlaskua jonkun kanssa, josta välitän
(x) puhaltanut kuplia
( ) tehnyt nuotion rantaan
( ) pilannut juhlat
( ) rullaluistellut
( ) saanut toiveen toteutumaan
( ) harrastanut seksiä apinan kanssa
( ) toivonut veljeä
( ) syönyt kissan-/koiranruokaa
( ) sanonut muukalaiselle että tykkään hänestä
( ) suudellut peiliä
( ) laulanut suihkussa
(x) unelmoinut että olisin kihloissa jonkun kanssa
( ) ottanut jotakuta kädestä kiinni
( ) jäänyt kielestä kiinni metalliin
( ) pussannut kalaa
(x) istunut katolla
( ) meinannut kuolla nauruun
(x) valvonut koko yön
(x) ollut käymättä suihkussa viikkoon
(x) poiminut ja syönyt omenan suoraan puusta
(x) kiivennyt puuhun
(x) omistanut puumajan
( ) käyttänyt rumia/erikoisia vaatteita koulussa kuullakseni mitä muuta sanoo
( ) pelannut pelkuria
( ) tullut heitetyksi mereen vaatteet päällä
( ) kuullut muukailaiselta että olen himottava
( ) murtanut jalan
( ) murtanut käden
( ) pyydystänyt kalan ja syönyt sen
( ) pyydystänyt perhosen
(x) nauranut niin paljon että kyyneleet on valunut
(x) luntannut kokeessa
( ) omistanut Britney Spearsin levyn
(x) unohtanut jonkun nimen
(x) nukkunut alastomana
(x) tehnyt jotain laitonta
( ) ajanut liian lujaa
( ) juonut maitoa suoraan purkista
(x) muokannut tätä listaa (lisäsin sen "ehkä"n jossain aiemmassa kysymyksessä)
( ) ollut rakastunut poikaan
(x) ollut rakastunut tyttöön
( ) leikkinyt pyromaania
( ) ollut riippuvainen taskulampun pattereista (miltä planeetalta nämä kysymykset on oikein revitty???)
(x) syönyt lihapullia ja perunamuussia
(x) tuntenyt itseni ilkeäksi
(x) maistanut kuusenneulasta
(x) vaeltanut metsässä
( ) kylpenyt alasti kaksin
( ) kaatanut joulukuusen
(x) joutunut lyödyksi
(x) jutellut muukalaisen kanssa yli viisi minuuttia
( ) harrastanut seksiä Ikean sängyssä
( ) harrastanut seksiä Ikean sängyssä Ikeassa
Didn't think it would be this complex. Nice to know that all the bureaucrats have such an obvious compassion to all those mourning relatives, just look at the list below:
MUISTILISTA
- ennen hautajaisia (yleistä)
* suruliputus kuollinpäivänä kotona ja työpaikalla
* kuolemasta ilmoittaminen rekisteriviranomaisille (automaattisesti sairaalasta)
* hautauslupa (käytännössä hautaustoimiston tehtävä vainajaa noudettaessa)
* kuolinilmoitus lehteen (kts. Kuolinilmoitus-osio)
* ilmoitus Postiin postin ohjaamiseksi lähiomaisille
* ilmoitus pankkiin pankkivarallisuuden oikean käytön varmistamiseksi ja tilien lopettamiseksi
* ilmoitus Kelalle ja vakuutusyhtiölle
- ennen hautajaisia (itse tilaisuuteen liittyvät asiat)
* muistotilaisuuden tilojen varaus
* hautajaisiin kutsuminen
* hautaustavasta ja hautapaikasta sopiminen (kts. Hautaustapa-osio)
* arkun valinta (kts. Hautaustapa-osio)
* siirtokuljetuksesta sopiminen (vainajan katsominen ja saattaminen saattohetkeen turhia)
* muistotilaisuustarjoilusta ja henkilömäärästä sopiminen (kts. Muistotilaisuus-osio)
* kukkien tilaaminen (kts. Muistotilaisuus)
* video-/valokuvauksesta sopiminen
* hautamuistomerkkiin liittyvät asiat (kts. Hautakivi-osio)
- hautajaisten jälkeen
* kiittäminen osanotosta
* mahdollisen testamentin tiedoksianto kaikille perillisille
* perunkirjoitus viimeistään kolme (3) kuukautta kuolemasta
* perunkirjoituksen jättäminen verotoimistoon viimeistään yksi (1) kuukausi perunkirjoituksesta
I'm writing these things, as in everything to do with my funeral and under my control, down and make a second copy to give to my sister once I've asked her if she'll do it (and once she's recovered form the shock of my designing my own funeral at 23...). I also had to put an addition to make one thing abundantly clear and to prevent a certain feature from the funeral. It would appear I'd make a good lawyer..
Lisähuomautus: hautajaiseni ovat siviilihautajaiset, toisin sanoen kokonaan uskonnottomat hautajaiset. Mikäli paikalle ilmestyy pappi suorittamaan siunauksen ennalta suunnitellusti, tai pappi suorittaa siunauksen jonkun paikalla olevan pyynnöstä sitä ennalta suunnittelematta, hän syyllistyy virkarikokseen (Kirkkojärjestys § 23). Mikäli joku haluaa uskonnollisia elementtejä sisältävän muistotilaisuuden järjestää, se tapahtuu suunnittelemastani tilaisuudesta erillään ajallisesti ja paikallisesti, ja ehdottomasti ilman tuhkieni läsnäoloa.
----
Now I just have to do the rest:
*the obituaries (the preliminary one, the actual one prior to the funeral, the actual one after the funeral) and settle the newspapers they'll go
* the actual seremony and all that comes along with it: the menu (I want no fancy foods, I want good normal home-made food), the casket (important and in jeopardy of being tampered with by my mother keeping up appearances and being bothered by what other people might think of the cheapest casket... like I give a fuck.. I just want it to be simple, ecological and without any symbols of any kind.... why spend a lot of money to something that'll burn up soon), the music (VEEERY IMPORTANT!!! NO HYMNS, JUST A CERTAIN CAREFULLY CHOSEN ONES AND SIA'S 'BREATHE ME' TO GO), the texts read at the funeral and by whom (passages from my favourite books, perhaps... the poem that'll be in the obituaries, of course, a passage from Thoreau's 'Walden'), the urn (with the same requirements as with the casket) etc.
* the method of burial (cremation; I need to find out, however, if the cremation could be performed before the memorial service to prevent the casket issue, since no casket would ever be seen by anyone); the place of burial (do I need to physically have my ashes buried or can I just have a spot for the headstone in a cemetary without the ashes?); if they can be separated, where do I want my ashes to go (the sea, of course, but I suppose I should be a little more specific about that... :D) etc.
* the headstone and the payment of the spot, where the spot will be (the Lutheran graveyard or the freethinker's cemetary in the middle of nowhere... I have to pay so much 'yhteisövero' to finance the church so they can go fuck themselves about not being able to bury me there if I want to, goddamit!)
* a will... is a hand-written text signed by me enough or does that include the fucking bureaucracy, too..
Dying is expensive. I think I have to consult a funeral director at some point to find answers to these things.
----
Everlasting honour for the one who recognises the statue below. Hint: it can be found at a graveyard in Rome.
What the fuck I should be to get respect? Not a linguist or a tranlator, that's for sure. This branch of science is not even titled as "science" by any other branch of science. Another field in the No-No Zone is anything to do with art: studying art, owning a gallery or, -fact forbid!- if you dared to spend your time *creating* art, being an.. ar.. art.. [cold sweat for saying the abomination].. an artist. Literature... it's okay if you sell a lot no matter what you wrote, like Jari Tervo, Arto Paasilinna etc. but even they are regarded a bit like in need of a "real" occupation.
And the real occupations?
¤ a medical doctor; preferably a brain surgeon (never mind that the need for brain surgeons is limited). A heart surgeon goes, too, but only if they're the top of their field. If you're a GP... well, you know, if one isn't even a medical doctor of a specialised field, they must be failures and thus not deserving any respect. An MD who researches AIDS/HIV or cancer, they're respectful. But if you spend you're time for such petty things as the cure for the common cold or -*shivers*- a pain restraint for women in labour... well, I mean, seriously, have you no self-respect, no ambition at all?! And whatever you do: don't be a nurse! That's only for women and since they'll do it anyway as they're grateful for any scraps left for them like malnutritioned dogs, you don't have to pay them enough. If they demand more, they are of course greedy; nursing is a calling and therefore it should actually be free of charge for the society.
¤ a physicist; preferably one disproving solid theories, like Einstein or Newton or the like. If you work at the CERN... well, it's a fancy palce alright, but what' the use of finding out the building blocks of the universe since you can't sell them with good profit to the highest bidder?
¤ a fire-fighter; but only if you are killed on duty while saving a baby from a fiery collapsing building, and just in time you get the child out but the building collapses on you...
¤ a police; but only if you -and you alone, no help from anyone is allowed- catch a serial killer terrorising the well-paid burgeois white-collar economists and their lifestyle.
¤ an inventor; but only if you're invention is to give you an aura of an altruistic, selfless sacrifice á la bona fide, and only if you're a man ("because, you know, women never can invent anything, and even if they did it's something useless like a more efficient and safer domestic applicant, and, you know, we men don't need those since we have women to do every fucking thing for us.. except the fucking HAHAHAHAHAH....")
¤ a judge or a lawyer; everyone hates them but respects them; plus they're well-paid so they must be respected.
¤ a CEO of some male industry
Anything done for one's own interest without the prospect of getting a lot of money as fast as possible is not valued? Why can't it be that people are respected for pursuing their own interests, their attempts to have a satisfying life even if -and in most cases- it doesn't pay you a really fancy mansion, a couple of acres of ground, your own tennis court and a few Lamborghini cars?
And then there are these people -economists- reinforcing this division and telling everyone they're worthless pieces of shit unless they get the fancy mansion et al. by morally questionable pay play. These people also try to push their "values" to people who do not want them, who still have balls to stand up for them and pursue their interests instead of money.
-----
What's the point of graduating from the university, as a Master of Philosophy? It should be a MBA or KTM, no other is worthy of respect or even the trouble of attaining it in the first place. Is it really that it doesn't matter how much you enjoyed or were interested in, say, literature; the sole purpose should be making money, and literature sure ain't doing that? Are all non-economic/non-IT fields really waste of resources? Because, let's face it, the only morale in this world is in making money and gaining your own benefit regardless of the means. Who cares about enjoying anymore? It's all about making money, and humanists don't do that. Recession or not, I'll end up in as an underpaid McDonald's worker. Is graduating really worthy of getting myself a T-shirt saying "Hello! I am a Master of Philosophy. Would you like ketchup with your French fries?"
----
A rather questionable article on the "kylterit vs. humanistit" debate can be found here: http://www.kylteri.fi/arkisto/kylteri203.pdf. Sounds very much like an appeasement attempt. "Beneath the cold, cruel, and utterly selfish exterior is a sensitive human who plays saxophone in the evenings." Well, fuck off Mr. Saxophone; bullshit! Do they really expect that to be even remotely plausible excuse?!
