Finland, Finland, Finland - come in y'all..! ;) [Archive] - Page 2

FinnFreak

02-13-2006, 10:31am

Helsingin Sanomat - Monday 13.2.2006

Chat-show host sends fans into near-hysteria at Helsinki Airport

Conan O'Brien seeks sauna inspector position for his Halonen endorsement

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135218726616.jpeg
The size of the crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of Conan O'Brien left the
organisers open-mouthed. Police estimated that around 2,000 people packed
in front of the VIP terminal at Helsinki-Vantaa International, but there were
no problems or injuries in the crush.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135218726618.jpeg
O'Brien's opening words to the press in Finnish
had been written out phonetically on a cue-card.
He completed the task manfully, and certainly
rather better than he has mangled the first name
of Tarja Halonen in his programmes. The Finnish
presidential elections - and Conan's support for
his "double" - have been a regular feature of the
Late Night shows since the autumn.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135218726620.jpeg
The TV-star briefly signed autographs for fans at the airport.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135218724647.jpeg
Conan O'Brien rewarded the throng of fans who had stood in the cold outside by
appearing for around ten minutes outside the VIP terminal at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
He had to climb on a workman's stepladder to make himself seen.

American comic and talk-show host Conan O'Brien made landfall in Finland on Saturday, starting a five-day visit that has been trumpeted for days on end on his Late Night With Conan O'Brien. The show is aired on NBC and relayed - at a few days' delay - to Finnish audiences via the teens & young adults cable/digital entertainment channel, subTV.

The comedian's arrival at the VIP terminal at Helsinki-Vantaa International was witnessed by around a hundred journalists and an enthusiastic crowd of a couple of thousand outside, most of them teenagers.

O'Brien began his press briefing with a few words in passable Finnish, read off a phonetic cue-card, expressing his delight at being welcomed to our "beautiful country".

He quickly got into his stride, and announced he would be requesting a return favour from President Tarja Halonen, whom he claims he helped to win re-election by his endorsement and energetic campaigning on her behalf in his TV-show, where he used mock advertisements highlighting his supposed resemblance to the red-headed Finnish leader.

Following the U.S. pattern of cabinet and ministerial appointments for services rendered, O'Brien said he had his eyes on the position of sauna inspector, and that he would be taking this up with Halonen when the lookalikes meet in person on Tuesday.

"I'd like to be the inspector of saunas", he quipped. "Mostly women's saunas, but also men's, if they are under 30 and good-looking."

A few moments before, he had walked into the packed VIP terminal to face the journalists. The terminal had been temporarily re-named "Conan O'Brien International Airport" in his honour.

"Thank you, thank you", he said to the room, displaying all the gestures of a visiting statesman. However, behind the role-playing one could see that the star was nervous and clearly astonished at the reception he had encountered. Close up, he could be seen blushing.

The journalists included an NBC camera and sound crew. Material for O'Brien's show in the States is to be shot during his five-day visit, but no actual programmes will be taped here. The visit has been made possible as the Late Night slot is off-air for the duration of the Winter Olympics.

During the visit, apart from the 20-minute audience with Tarja Halonen slated for Tuesday, O'Brien has planned to tour some of Finland with his camera crew, including a possible visit to Lapland. Later on Tuesday the talk-show host will pick up a Telvis Award for being "The most surprising and entertaining TV personality in Finland" during 2005. He will also present the award for best female TV performer.

O'Brien again brought up the subject of his uncanny resemblance to Tarja Halonen, joking that one after another he would begin to resemble other prominent Finns, until he looked like anyone who was anyone in this neck of the woods.

The similarity gag was taken a step further with a young O'Brien lookalike in attendance. The comic's personal manager went and jotted down the details of 15-year-old Viktor Wikström for possible future engagements.

"Hey, you're better looking than me", said O'Brien.

"Absolutely", replied Wickström.

Outside the terminal, a crowd of around 2,000 fans, most of them teenagers, had turned out to welcome their hero. The advance warnings of the visit on the TV show and on websites had been heeded: the first arrivals had shown up at 11:00, four hours and more before the O'Brien entourage was scheduled to land.

They remained good-natured despite having to stand in the cold for several hours, until 16:30, when the star popped his head outside to wave to them. He had to climb on a rather rickety-looking stepladder to be seen above the heads, and this time he dropped the showbiz pretence and appeared genuinely touched by the warmth of the reception.

Girls screamed, boys shouted, and some of the hardier specimens even ripped off their shirts.

Another short appearance, and it was all over, and the crowd and their banners dispersed into the afternoon, probably to catch up on the Winter Olympics from Torino or watch themselves on the evening news.

There is no doubt the turnout surprised the organisers as much as it did Conan O'Brien. "There hasn't been anything like this seen at the airport since Paul Anka", said one police officer, referring to the teen idol's visit in the 1950s.

Then again, the policeman might have added the names of such luminaries as Ryan O'Neal (in the guise of "Rodney Harrington" from Peyton Place), William Conrad (the creator of the role of overweight detective "Frank Cannon" in the long-running TV series of that name), teen heart-throb David Hasselhoff of Knight Rider and Baywatch fame, practically the entire cast of the CBS daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful (believe it or not, eight girls were christened "Brooke" and six were christened "Taylor" in Finland between 1980 and 1999), Ken "Wiseguy" Wahl, whose visit in 1988 caused headlines in all the wrong ways, Monica Lewinsky, busty topless model Samantha Fox, and, most recently, ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman, who attended the 2005 Wife-Carrying World Championships and even turned out for a Finnish basketball team.

These and many others have often been ferried around Finland to be goggled at by the locals, particularly during the Midsummer weekend.

Finland is ultimately just another entry-stamp in Conan O'Brien's passport: he has filmed past segments for his show in Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, and Australia. His 2004 Canadian road-trip - and the off-colour jokes it spawned about the hosts, particularly among the Québecois - led eventually to a tongue-in-cheek "grovelling apology" from the talk-show host.

It remains to be seen how Finland will fare at Conan's hands when he gets home. You can invite a comedian here, but it's a lot harder to tell him what's funny and what is not.

Still, we're used to it. The country has emerged more or less unscathed from the mosquito-swatting, wife-carrying, sauna-sitting, mobile phone-tossing, tango-dancing, air guitar-playing coverage it has routinely received in past years - and hey, let's face it, the news items could have been a lot worse.

Ultimately another Irish wit was probably right on the money 115 years ago, when he noted that: "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Chat-show+host+sends+fans+into+near-hysteria+at+Helsinki+airport/1135218742446

John - :biglaugh:

FinnFreak

02-14-2006, 9:18am

Iltasanomat & Iltalehti - 14.02.2006

Conan Met Santa Claus

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/02/14/4102210_vi.jpg
Conan O'Brien and Santa Claus at the Arctic Circle

Conan O'Brien flew in full speed yesterday with the 3 hour schedule drawn by the people in Lapland. He told he wanted to see the reindeer, taste the snow and meet people.

The man himself drove a snowmobile from the hotel to a reindeer farm.

There the star banged the Lapp drum to accompany the joiku song performance by the Samí artist Niiles-Jouni Aikio.

"He felt like a pro, who could pull off a show without a script. However, the joiku sounded more like a North American Indian song", Aikio analyzed the performance.

Conan was also taught the mating call of a male reindeer.

O'Brien wore a pair of antlers and ran back and forth, while the reindeer escaped in panic. He was also educated about the effects of reindeer antler powder to male virile power.

For dinner he had fried reindeer and unripened cheese cake with marmalade.

O'Brienin's gripes over the fact, that Santa Claus didn't visit New York last Christmas because of the dangerousness of the city was brought up at the Arctic Circle. Santa and Conan shook hands, and acknowledged, that the relationship between the nations were in order.

To make up for last Christmas, O'Brien received two presents for his two-year-old daughter Neve and four-month-old Becket.

...nothing in the news about his meeting with President Halonen yet..? :really:

...wait... yes there is:

http://img.mtv3.fi/mn_kuvat/subtv/muut/minisaittien_sisalto/conan/363961.jpg

Today O'Brien was seen on 2 TV morning shows... seemed a bit tired, but was able to throw a few jokes about spending the Valentine's Day with President Halonen. - "My wife is very jealous."

After a 20 minute meeting with President Halonen, Conan and his crew assembled at the MTV3 studios in Helsinki, and after some equipment adjustments they have a live via satellite connection to the Tonight Show. Conan had to disappointedly report, that he didn't get a cabinet post, but otherwise the talks went on well.

"We talked about how amazingly much we looked alike... and I gave Tarja some tips on how to make her hair resemble mine a bit more."

Tonight Conan will attend the annual Telvis gala, a television award show, which will be shown live on TV tonight. Conan will give out the best female performer's award and he himself will receive a special award for "The Most Colorful Performance of the Year". Conan promised he will even handle the after-party... we'll see... he's beginning to sound like a Finn already...

John - :funny:

Big Swede

02-14-2006, 1:09pm

http://laaja.org/conan/IMG_2807_800.JPG
John - :p

And this picture have what to do with the topic? :huh: :uhh: :scowl:

:p

aFinn

02-14-2006, 6:37pm

And this picture have what to do with the topic? :huh: :uhh: :scowl:

:phttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/Finn55/misc/swedensucks.gif

:p

Big Swede

02-15-2006, 12:13am

Mmmkaay! ok I admit that I doesn´t follow this issue that properly Gosh! how Conan sucking up to the Finns nowdays to get more wievers! :shocked: Even with cheap tricks like this
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/Finn55/misc/swedensucks.gif
That´s like giving candy to a child! ;) :funny:

FinnFreak

02-15-2006, 2:56am

...who doesn't like candy..? ;)

CNN - Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Madame President, it's that talk show host

Conan O'Brien finally meets Finnish president

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/14/people.conan.obrien.ap/story.conan.ap.jpg
Conan O'Brien has his long-awaited
meeting with Finnish president Tarja
Halonen.

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- Conan O'Brien finally met his match.

The "Late Night" jokester, who ran a mock ad campaign endorsing the re-election of Finnish President Tarja Halonen -- because of her strong resemblance to him, red hair and all -- had a face-to-similar-face meeting with her Tuesday at the presidential palace in downtown Helsinki.

O'Brien handed the Nordic country's first female president a box of chocolates in the shape of a red heart as they posed for photographers before their 15-minute meeting. Halonen gave him Finnish troll dolls to take home.

Last year, O'Brien caused a political stir when, based on their resemblance, he endorsed the 62-year-old Halonen for a second six-year term -- which she won last month. His mock ads not only backed Halonen but also attacked her opponents.

O'Brien, who had earlier jokingly demanded a six-hour audience, said he wasn't disappointed.

"Someone like me knows he's lucky to get 15 minutes," O'Brien said, adding that the meeting was "very, very nice."

"It's not every day I get to meet the president of a country," O'Brien said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

On his arrival Saturday, O'Brien quipped that he expected to be rewarded for endorsing Halonen with a Cabinet position as inspector of saunas, "mostly women's saunas," but the issue was not discussed in the meeting.

"I was hoping very much to get a Cabinet position because I very much need the money, but she has invited me to come and visit her with my family," O'Brien said.

On Saturday, some 2,000 fans waited hours in subfreezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of the quirky, self-deprecating TV host, whose show is unusually popular in this taciturn nation of 5 million on the northern fringe of Europe.

Finns are very aware of their image abroad, and when O'Brien poked fun at the small country, he was overwhelmed by cards and mail. Finns started appearing in the New York audience of his NBC show.

The program airs on a Finnish cable channel, with a few days delay, and every time he mentions Finland or Halonen, local media report it prominently.

The president's spokeswoman said Halonen had wanted to thank O'Brien for making Finland better known, and the two had agreed they "might, indeed, resemble each other."

"When O'Brien said he looked more like his mother than his father, the president sent her greetings," spokeswoman Maria Romantschuk said.

"I think she (Halonen) was pleased and quite relieved to hear that," O'Brien said.

O'Brien said his wife was not too happy about his Valentine's Day meeting with Tarja, calling her by her first name as many Finns do.

"She was so jealous, she said she would spend her Valentine's Day with President Bush," he quipped.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/14/people.conan.obrien.ap/index.html

John - :p

FinnFreak

02-15-2006, 7:21am

- Conan O'Brien's final day in Finland -

http://img.mtv3.fi/mn_kuvat/subtv/muut/minisaittien_sisalto/conan/363964.jpg
Conan talking to MSNBC and Katie Couric via satellite on the Today show (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8004316/)

...on Tuesday evening, during the annual MTV3 Telvis Award Show, Conan received his award:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/FinnFreak/conan_mtv3_telvis_awards.jpg

“We’ve been here for three days. Never in my life have I experienced such kindness, such generosity, from anybody anywhere. You have a fantastic country, and it means so much to our people that work on our show. So I accept this award on the behalf of everyone on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart - from your President to the people in the street. You’re some of the nicest people that I’ve ever met and I thank you very much, we’re proud to be in this country. Thank you.”

...the pleasure was all ours... :]

...later on, Conan got to present the award for the best female performer: Krisse Salminen - and he got to witness some of her stand-up comedy...

http://www.manari.fi/kuvat/artistit/krisse.jpg

Krisse: "...You're from England, aren't you..?"

Conan: ...close enough...*laughing*

Krisse: "...Did you know, that I didn't even have a show last year at all, because I had a child..?"

Conan: Well, congratula...

Krisse: "...STILL I got this reward. Shows just how big a star I AM..!"

:p

...and Conan *was* at the after-party... as the guest of honour, again he thanked for the friendliness shown towards him, and stayed at the party quite late too... and headed back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep before the flight back to New York... he needs a vacation now..! :funny:

Thanks Conan, these last days have been great fun & we wait with terrified interest to see what jokes you're going to make about us on your show..! :D:up:

...and there's gonna be more...

LISÄÄ CONANIA SUBILTA JA MAIKKARILTA!

http://img.mtv3.fi/mn_kuvat/subtv/ohjelmakortit/ohjelmakortitkevat2006/363531.jpg

Mika Tommolan tekemä 10-minuuttinen Conan-pätkä "Conanin kannoilla" nähdään heti tuoreeltaan subilla

pe 17.2. klo 19.20 - 19.30

la 18.2. klo 19.50 - 20.00

su 19.2. klo 20.50 - 21.00

Mika Tommola kiersi amerikkalaisen tv-tähden Conan O'Brienin perässä koko tämän Suomen vierailun ajan. Koosteessa nähdään reissun parhaat palat.

Lisäksi MTV3:n 45 minuuttia esittää koosteen Conanin Suomen vierailusta keskiviikkona 15.2. klo 20.05 alkaen.

...I'm gonna get sick from all this laughing...

...I'm already turning green...

John - :biglaugh:

aFinn

02-15-2006, 8:41am

Mmmkaay! ok I admit that I doesn´t follow this issue that properly Gosh! how Conan sucking up to the Finns nowdays to get more wievers! :shocked: Even with cheap tricks like this

That´s like giving candy to a child! ;) :funny::funny: :funny: Yep, us Finns are easy :p

Well, actually this whole thing probably started from that episode, it was from a long time ago, back when Conan was doing "Conan hates my homeland" -series. He got a considerable amount of cards from Finland, and then as a result did that "trick" :p

FinnFreak

02-15-2006, 8:47am

:funny: :funny: Yep, us Finns are easy :p

Well, actually this whole thing probably started from that episode, it was from a long time ago, back when Conan was doing "Conan hates my homeland" -series. He got a considerable amount of cards from Finland, and then as a result did that "trick" :p

...remember how that postcard was signed..? ;)

Perkele, from Finland

John - :p

FinnFreak

02-15-2006, 9:03am

The New York Times - February 13, 2006

A Trip to Conelandia, Also Known as Finland

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/02/13/arts/Conan583.jpg
Conan O'Brien and fans at the Helsinki-Vantaa, make that Conan O'Brien, International Airport in Finland

By JOHANNA LEMOLA

VANTAA, Finland, Feb. 12 — Conan O'Brien greeted Finland on Saturday by kissing the ground at the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, renamed after him for the occasion, as Mr. O'Brien, the host of NBC's "Late Night" talk show, began a long-awaited visit here.

Prompted by a physical resemblance Mr. O'Brien supposedly has to President Tarja Halonen of Finland, "Late Night" had run a series of mock campaign ads about the recent presidential race in Finland. Ms. Halonen, the incumbent, narrowly defeated her challenger, Sauli Niinisto, on Jan. 29. On his show, Mr. O'Brien endorsed Ms. Halonen.

Mr. O'Brien's show, with Finnish subtitles, is seen here on Subtv, a cable and digital channel, three days after its initial broadcast in the United States. It is shown at 10:45 p.m. and repeated at 4:45 p.m. the next day. A spokeswoman for Subtv said that the audience for the late-night broadcast had increased significantly recently.

Signs saying "Welcome to Conelandia" awaited Mr. O'Brien at the airport's V.I.P. lounge. Outside, a tightly packed crowd of an estimated 2,000 people — many of them frenzied teenagers — chanted his name and waved banners, one of which declared, "Tarja is our president but Conan is our king."

"We are breaking into new territory of a late-night show, where we are exerting an influence in the politics of another country," Mr. O'Brien joked in an interview. He also said he was impressed by the very intense reception his show had received in Finland.

"Our joke is 'Gone mad with power,' " Mr. O'Brien said. He told some 80 reporters gathering at the airport that, "Power is sexy. It's an aphrodisiac." He said that he would be interested in a cabinet position in Finland as the inspector of saunas (mostly women's).

Mr. O'Brien said he had no ambitions to conquer other countries. "This whole thing grew organically, with one happy coincidence leading to another, first with the physical resemblance and then with the presidential election," he said.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/02/13/arts/Conan2184.jpg
President Tarja Halonen, whom
Mr. O'Brien is said to resemble.

Mr. O'Brien opened the news conference at the airport, renamed Conan O'Brien International Airport for the day, with a lengthy statement in Finnish, a language unfamiliar to him, in which he thanked the Finnish people for following his show. "I like moments like that." he said later. "It was an out-of-the-body experience."

Mr. O'Brien said that he was unsure exactly what he hoped to accomplish during his five days in Finland. But, he added, "I see this as an opportunity to create my own kind of travel show."

Mr. O'Brien said he planned to meet with fans and sample Finnish foods like reindeer steak. The trip may also include a visit to Lapland.

He is scheduled to meet with President Halonen on Tuesday at the presidential palace in Helsinki. In a ceremony to be broadcast live in Finland that evening, Mr. O'Brien is to be presented with the Finnish television award, Telvis, granted by Finland's oldest television magazine based on a public vote. Mr. O'Brien's award is "for the most surprising and entertaining TV personality."

Coverage of Mr. O'Brien's trip will be seen in the United States when "Late Night" resumes its regular schedule after NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics ends.

Mr. O'Brien warned the press that intense devotion to his show could be dangerous. Referring to the size of Finland, a nation of five million people, and the large crowd at the airport, he said, "With so many here, I am afraid the country will tip."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/13/arts/television/13cona.html?_r=1

John - :p

FinnFreak

02-15-2006, 9:11am

CNN - February 15, 2006

Around The World [TRANSCRIPT]

ID Me

- I'm a country located in Northern Europe.

- I border Sweden, Norway, Russia and the Baltic Sea.

- My capital city is Helsinki.

Finland is just a little smaller than the U.S. state of Montana!

Finland has a brand new president. And a certain American talk show host finds that very entertaining. Deanna Morawski explains why, and brings us some other international headlines in her "Around the World" report.

A special get-together in Finland has Finnish voters and late-night talk show fans seeing double - sort of. American talk show host Conan O'Brien finally met his match - Finnish President Tarja Halonen who bears a strong resemblance to him. Because of their physical similarities, the late-night comedian ran a mock ad campaign endorsing Halonen for a second term - which she won last month. After a brief meeting Tuesday, O'Brien didn't get that cabinet post he wanted - inspector of saunas - but Halonen did give him some Finnish troll dolls to take home. That's what's happening around the world. For CNN Student News, I'm Deanna Morawski.

heh, this same story has been published in over 100 newspapers in North America...

John - :p

Troll

02-15-2006, 10:11am

Keep these articles coming.

FinnFreak

02-15-2006, 10:17am

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - Wednesday 15.2.2006

President Halonen presents Moomin characters to talk-show host Conan O'Brien

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135218771775.jpeg
Conan O'Brien once against expressed his astonishment at the likeness between
himself and President Tarja Halonen. The talk-show host and comedian met Halonen
briefly on Tuesday during his five-day visit to Finland.

American talk-show host and comic Conan O'Brien left Helsinki's Presidential Palace on Tuesday enriched by an audience with the President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, a few Moomin character soft toys, and some delicious film material for his future TV shows.

Once again O'Brien's film crew shot footage of the comic being astonished at his supposed resemblance to the red-headed Finnish leader. Only this time, the leader was standing right next to him.

The President's press secretary Maria Romantschuk confirmed the resemblance theme was covered more widely during the 20-minute discussion between the two. Halonen asked O'Brien whether he bore more likeness to his father or his mother. She also inquired about O'Brien's two young children. The comic became a father for the second time last November.

As a souvenir from his visit, O'Brien received three Moomin character soft toys - Moominmamma, Moomintroll, and Snork Maiden - to take home with him.

Even for a showman such as O'Brien, coming face to face with a head of state was a trying experience. Press secretary Romantschuk confirmed the TV star was seemingly nervous before the audience. In the end everything went smoothly, and O'Brien told the President of his experiences in Finland.

Halonen, in turn, thanked him for the publicity that her country has received through O'Brien's TV programme. She also confirmed that she has seen some of the shows.

O'Brien returns today to the United States. His regular late-night show is currently off-air, as NBC have blanket coverage of the Olympics in Torino.

The programme returns at the end of the month, and it is very likely that some of the material filmed in the past few days will find its way onto the screen.

The star also received an audience with another internationally-known Finnish personality, but it is not known what he and Santa Claus had to say to each other in Lapland, or whether - under the beard - there is a resemblance between the two.

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/President+Halonen+presents+Moomin+characters+to+ta lk-show+host+Conan+OBrien/1135218775463

John - ;)

FinnFreak

02-16-2006, 7:46am

Conan O'Brien at the U.S. Embassy Helsinki

Photo Gallery

http://helsinki.usembassy.gov/images/conan1.jpg
Conan OBrien (left) with Chargé d'Affaires Amy Hyatt (center)

http://helsinki.usembassy.gov/images/conan2.jpg
Conan OBrien (left) with Chargé d'Affaires Amy Hyatt (center)

http://helsinki.usembassy.gov/images/conan3.jpg
Conan O'Brien wearing a Finnish-American flag pin

http://helsinki.usembassy.gov/images/conan4.jpg
Conan O'Brien with the U.S. Embassy Helsinki baseball cap and moose

http://helsinki.usembassy.gov/events/conan_photos.htm

John - :D

Troll

02-16-2006, 10:08am

Great pics of Conan.

FinnFreak

02-21-2006, 9:13am

STT - 20.2.2006 at 9:12

Martti Ahtisaari says not interested in top UN job

http://www.presidentti.fi/fin/henkilot/ent.ahf.gif

Martti Ahtisaari is not interested in the post of the UN secretary general, the former Finnish president was quoted as saying in the Sunday issue of Helsingin Sanomat, Finland's biggest daily.

Kofi Annan's tenure will end at the end of the year.

"I have said that good Lord, surely I have done quite enough for Finland already and even put in a decent effort for mankind as well," Mr Ahtisaari told the paper.

Mr Ahtisaari, credited with successfully mediating a peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement, is to start leading talks about the future of Kosovo in Vienna on Monday.

John - :)

FinnFreak

02-21-2006, 9:18am

STT - 21.2.2006 at 13:56

Finnish North Pole expedition flies to Canada

http://www.pohjoisnapa.fi/kuvat/gif/logo_vaalea.gif

The North Pole expedition of the Airborne Ranger Club of Finland is to fly to Canada on Wednesday. The seven-man expedition is unsupported, that is, nothing is delivered to the expedition during the two-month voyage.

Further, the expedition will cover the projected route of about 850 kilometres on skis, unassisted by engine power or draught animals.

The expedition will carry out preparations in Resolute Bay, an Inuit village, and will be flown to Ward Hunt island, a thousand kilometres north, in early March. They will set course for the geographical North Pole on 5 March.

An Airborne Ranger Club expedition skied to the magnetic North Pole in 2003 and another skied across Greenland in 1999.

http://www.pohjoisnapa.fi/Default.aspx

John - :)

FinnFreak

02-21-2006, 9:50am

Upcoming concerts this summer:

http://www.queensryche.com/right-top.jpg

Queensrÿche - Operation: mindcrime II (release date: 04-04-2006)

Queensrÿche (http://www.queensryche.com) 06-06-2006
Kulttuuritalo (http://www.kulttuuritalo.fi) Helsinki
Finland

Within Temptation (http://www.within-temptation.com) 16-06-2006
Provinssirock Festival (http://www.provinssirock.fi)
Seinäjoki
Finland

John - :D

Troll

02-21-2006, 10:04am

FinnFreak

02-24-2006, 7:36am

YLE-STT-DPA - 23.02.2006, klo 21.49

Media ryöpytti amerikkalaiskiekkoilijoita

Suomelle puolivälierissä hävinneet Yhdysvaltain jääkiekon olympiajoukkueen pelaajat saivat olla torstaina yhdestä asiasta kiitollisia. He eivät olleet ehtineet vielä kotimaahansa, jossa sanomalehtien urheilukolumnistit ja sähköisten viestimien jääkiekkokommentaattorit haukkuivat heidät lyttyyn.

- Tämä olympialaisten emämunaus on juuri sellainen kylmä isku, jota amerikkalainen jääkiekkoilu on kaivannut jo vuosikymmenen ajan, kommentoi sanomalehti San Francisco Chronicle, jonka mukaan tappio Suomelle osoitti lajin suurta kriisiä.

Yhdysvalloissa kiekkokiinnostus ehti hiipua jo NHL:n työsulkukauden aikana ja jääminen välieräpelien ulkopuolelle Torinon kisoissa alleviivasi mielenkiinnon hiipumista. Vielä neljä vuotta sitten amerikkalaiset taistelivat kotikisoissaan kultamitalista, mutta hävisivät loppuottelun Kanadalle.

- Kuinka kauan Yhdysvaltain kiekkoliitto uskoi selviytyvänsä sen sukupolven pelaajilla, jotka saivat innoituksensa vuoden 1980 olympiavoitosta ja mahtavan Neuvostoliiton kaatamisesta, San Francisco Chronicle kysyi.

New York Daily News -lehden mukaan Torinossa pelannut joukkue oli vanha, hidas ja pienikokoinen. Se oli kaikkea tuota jo ennen kuin se asteli jäälle Suomea vastaan. Pelin lopputulos vain korosti tosiasioita.

Olympiavoittoa puolustanut Kanada sai oman maansa tiedotusvälineissä enemmän sympatiaa kuin USA:n joukkue, vaikka sekin putosi jatkosta kärsittyään tappion Venäjälle.

- Ehkä unelma olympiavoitosta nousee taas Vancouverin 2010 kisoihin mennessä, Toronto Sun raportoi.

Joukkueen manageri Wayne Gretzky ei kuitenkaan välttynyt kritiikiltä. Hänen pelaajavalintojaan arvosteltiin jo ennen olympiaturnausta, ja sama linja jatkui.

- Gretzkyn olisi pitänyt kuunnella arvostelijoita, Vancouver Sun -lehti muistutti.

Pelaajavalinnat olivat pitkään julkisessa puntarissa, sillä toisin kuin Suomessa, kanadalaiset julkistivat jo olympiaehdokkaiden nimilistan ennen joulukuun valintoja.

http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/ImgLib/3/115/0224_halonen_m.jpg
Finland's president Tarja Halonen autograp-
hed a poster with other celebrities at a
Finnish reception at the Winter Olympics
in Turin, Italy, on February 23.

http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/ImgLib/3/115/0223_curling_m.jpg
Finland's Markku Uusipaavalniemi (middle)
with team mates during the men's curling
semifinal against Great Britain at the
Turin Winter Olympics on February 22.
Finland won the game 4-3 to secure a
place in the final against Canada.

John - :p

FinnFreak

02-24-2006, 7:45am

Finnish women vs. American women

By Phil Schwarzmann

Stereotyping an entire nation of women, then comparing them to the stereotypes of another nation is a pretty difficult and probably dangerous thing to do. But let's give it a shot…

Let's see, stereotypes of Finnish women… well, they're strong, both physically and mentally. They're quiet and generally reserved. They're not religious but have strong values and ethics (many Americans think you must be religious to have values and ethics). They're practical and thrifty. They may take a while to get to know well, they'll take things slow. They're humble, honest and sincere. They have a high self-esteem, independent and don't need to be told "I love you" ten times a day.

Stereotypes of American women - Hmmm… they too are strong. They're more loud and outgoing. They're more religious and the ones who aren't religious are still surrounded by religious people and that rubs off on them. The words "practical" and "thrifty" aren't often in an American girl's vocabulary. They play mind games and hard-to-get and rarely say what they really mean. They have high self-confidence but can be very depedent and needy, saying "I love you" ten times a day isn't enough.

What's great about American girls is that they'll let you know at dinner on the first date that they're completely whack (the ones that are). They like to get that right out in the open so they don't waste either of your time. …So they're considerate. If they've tried to kill themselves or they're take a lot of pills or they have a way-too-close relationship with their parents or they psycho or they list "taking naps" as one of their hobbies (always a warning signal for problems ahead) or they're skinny and think they're fat …they'll let you know about this stuff during the appetizer.

The stereotypical American woman is NOT the woman you see on those stupid "reality" TV shows. I think way too many outsiders watch American TV and gather all their stereotypes about Americans from these shows. Finns might get embarrassed when an outsider sees Matti Nykänen but I cringe everytime I hear something like, "Today's rose ceremony is probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life." …until next week's rose ceremony.

Finnish couples seem to get serious way too early though - I remember this is one of the first big surprises when I moved to Finland. Couples moving in with each other at such a young age, that can't be healthy overall for relationships. (Of course, I'm one to talk, my girlfriend and I moved in with each other after only being with each other for something like 28 days, but those 28 days were spread over a 10 month time frame)

It seems as if economic concerns were the biggest reasons why couples moved in together at such a young age and after knowing each other for such a short amount of time. It's honestly way too difficult for a young person to support themselves independently in Finland. Unemployment is high amongst young people in Finland and cost of living is sky high. Couples move in for economic reasons rather than love for one another.

Finnish women have a low self-confidence but a high self-esteem while American women have just the opposite, a high self-confidence but low self-esteem. Finnish women tend to be strong on the inside but appear weak and kind fragile on the outside. American women are good at putting on this mask that they're strong but on the inside it can be quite different.

But blah, these are all just stereotypes. Didn't your mother teach you not to stereotype people?

http://ovimagazine.com/archives/issue-10/illiterate/philschwarzmann/12/

John - ;)

FinnFreak

02-27-2006, 10:34am

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/sport/story/0,2789,784762,00.html

John - :biglaugh:

canoilers

02-27-2006, 10:42am

Thats too funny. Thank you sir.

FinnFreak

02-27-2006, 10:48am

What's the difference between Great Britain and Finland in the Winter Olympics..?

...just guess...

John - ;)

canoilers

02-27-2006, 11:00am

:dunno: One's British and the other Finnish. :p

FinnFreak

02-27-2006, 11:05am

heh... the other team has once won gold in hockey... :p

...in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 1936...

John - :funny:

canoilers

02-27-2006, 11:07am

:funny: Thats right too, I forgot all about that. Hey look at it this way, we've only won it once in the last 50 years.

FinnFreak

02-27-2006, 12:10pm

Finland for Thought - 27.2.2006

2006 Winter Olympics Population per Medals

This should make Finland feel a little better about their Winter Olympics results…

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/02/2006_olympics_medals_per_ca2.gif

6 Comments »

- Wait, am I saying that wrong? Should it be like “capita per medals”?

- I think it should.

- Capita per medals

- Medals per capita

- Syökää hyvät ihmiset makkaraa

- Haha! In your face, Sweden!

:)

John - :p

canoilers

02-27-2006, 12:15pm

Intresting thank you for sharing this. :D Woohoo we're the only country with more that 20 million in the top 10. :D

Big Swede

02-27-2006, 12:53pm

- Haha! In your face, Sweden!

John - :p

You just had to keep searching until you found something that could make you superior. :funny: :funny:

FinnFreak

02-27-2006, 12:58pm

STT/Iltalehti - 27.2.2006

Finaali keräsi 2,4 miljoonaa tv-katsojaa

(The Olympic Hockey Finals between Finland and Sweden got 2.4 million Finnish TV viewers - over 100,000 viewers more than the 2005 Independance Day Gala, got last year - the most viewed program on Finnish TV)

Suomen jääkiekkomaajoukkueen loppuottelu Ruotsia vastaan Torinon talviolympialaisissa houkutteli valtavan tv-yleisön.

http://www.iltalehti.fi/osastot/kisaextra/vaantoSH_ki.jpg
Suomen ja Ruotsin välinen vääntö peittosi viime vuoden seuratuimman lähetyksen,
Linnan juhlat, yli sadalla tuhannella silmäparilla.

Alustavien tietojen mukaan Yleisradion lähetystä seurasi parhaimmillaan jopa noin 2,4 miljoonaa katsojaa.

Katsojamäärä on kotimaisessa vertailussa erittäin suuri, sillä viime vuoden katsotuinta televisiolähetystä, Linnan juhlia, seurasi keskimäärin 2,27 miljoonaa katsojaa.

- Ilman muuta voi sanoa, että loppuottelua katsoi yli kaksi miljoonaa ihmistä. Tosin tarkemmat tiedot saadaan käyttöön vasta myöhemmin, TV-toimialan tutkija Juha Kytömäki sanoi.

Viime vuoden katsotuin urheilulähetys mäkihypyn maailmancupin Itävallan Bischofshofenin osakilpailusta keräsi 1,39 miljoonaa katsojaa vastaanottimien äärelle.

- Seitsemän tunnin lähetystä seurasi keskimäärin 1,2 miljoonaa katsojaa, mutta se on laskettu koko lähetykselle. Loppuottelun päättyessä lähetystä seurasi arvion mukaan yli 2,4 miljoonaa katsojaa, Kytömäki sanoi.

John - :)

FinnFreak

02-27-2006, 1:10pm

:)

...a few pictures from Helsinki, Finland:

http://www.iltalehti.fi/osastot/kuvagalleria/img/yleinen/3652.jpg
10,000 fans viewed the game at the Helsinki Market Square

http://kuvat2.iltasanomat.fi/iltasanomat/iGallup/23579-hopeaajuhlitaan.jpg
...and thousands waited for the team to return from Torino...

Click Here to see video (http://media.almamedia.fi/id/74434.wmv)

http://kuvat2.iltasanomat.fi/iltasanomat/iGallup/23585-galleria_leijonat.jpg
...and they did - at 3 AM...

http://kuvat2.iltasanomat.fi/iltasanomat/iGallup/23586-galleria_teemuselanne.jpg
...Teemu Selänne - a happy silver medal winner...

John - ;)

FinnFreak

02-27-2006, 1:16pm

You just had to keep searching until you found something that could make you superior. :funny: :funny:

No. Not superior - uplifting figures & moments...

John - ;)

Troll

02-27-2006, 1:57pm

Thanks for the pics.

Myyde

02-27-2006, 3:52pm

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/sport/story/0,2789,784762,00.html

John - :biglaugh:
:biglaugh: Well, atleast that tastes delicious, much better than those olympic gold medals. :p

heh... the other team has once won gold in hockey... :p

...in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 1936...

John - :funny:
Suolaa haavoihin, Saat...!! :evil: :funny:

Finland for Thought - 27.2.2006

2006 Winter Olympics Population per Medals

This should make Finland feel a little better about their Winter Olympics results…

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/02/2006_olympics_medals_per_ca2.gif

- Syökää hyvät ihmiset makkaraa

- Haha! In your face, Sweden!

:)

John - :p

:funny: Thanks for that... :bow:

canoilers

02-27-2006, 8:37pm

:biglaugh: Well, atleast that tastes delicious, much better than those olympic medals. :p
(CRUCH) Hey! Wheres the chocolate? Stupid things solid gold. :p

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 4:56am

STT - 28.2.2006 at 11:20

Dead birds found dead in Finland's Kotka test negative for H5N1

Birds found dead in Kotka in eastern Finland have tested negative for the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the National Veterinary and Food Research Institute of Finland (Eela) told the Finnish News Agency (STT) on Tuesday.

The birds were sent for testing on Monday. Of the total of 22 dead animals - 21 ducks and one crow - 13 were tested.

Christine Ek-Kommonen, a specialist veterinary surgeon at Eela, said the animals were being screened for other diseases, such as salmonellosis.

:funny:

"Kotkasta ei löytynyt lintuinfluenssaa" = "Avian influenza not found in Kotka"

...and what's so funny about the title..?

- The town name: Kotka. (it's Eagle in Finnish)

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 5:03am

Finland for Thought - 28.2.2006

Last natural blond is likely to be born in Finland during 2202

http://www.aftonbladet.se/noje/9909/22/linda.jpg

Cavegirls were first blondes to have fun (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2058688,00.html)

According to the study, north European women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes at the end of the Ice Age to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males.

The study argues that blond hair originated in the region because of food shortages 10,000-11,000 years ago. Until then, humans had the dark brown hair and dark eyes that still dominate in the rest of the world.

[…]Lighter hair colours, which started as rare mutations, became popular for breeding and numbers increased dramatically, according to the research, published under the aegis of the University of St Andrews.

[…]A study by the World Health Organisation found that natural blonds are likely to be extinct within 200 years because there are too few people carrying the blond gene. According to the WHO study, the last natural blond is likely to be born in Finland during 2202.

John - ;)

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 5:09am

According to the study, north European women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes at the end of the Ice Age to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males.

...now who says the fight is over..?

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 5:33am

;)

...yep: Tanja Karpela (Finland's Minister of Culture) in the headlines... again... getting some angry remarks from other female Parliament Members - for wearing too trendy pants... :funny:

Iltalehti - 28.2.2006 23:38

Voi Tanja, mitkä housut!

Ministeri Karpela esiintyi eduskunnassa teinihousuissa.

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/03/01/karpelanhousutHM_uu.jpg
Tanja Karpela käytti täysistunnossa nuorten suosimia reisitaskuhousuja.

Kulttuuriministeri Tanja Karpela (kesk) hätkähdytti eilen eduskunnan täysistunnossa rennolla pukeutumisellaan. Ministerillä oli jalassaan useimmiten vapaa-ajan vaatteena käytetyt reisitaskuhousut.

Kansanedustajakollegat pitävät asuvalintaa erikoisena.

- En havainnut itse asiaa istunnossa, mutta eihän se asialliselta pukeutumiselta tunnu. Varsinkin, kun on kyse ministeristä, taidokkaasta tyylistään tunnettu Leena Harkimo (kok) ihmettelee.

Samaa mieltä on Suvi Lindén (kok).

- Reisitaskuhousut eivät ole täysistuntoon sopivaa pukeutumista, muuten kyllä. Miehiltä edellytetään pukua, joten naistenkin on syytä pukeutua asiallisesti.

Asiallista ja arvokasta

Eduskunnan ohjesäännön mukaan edustajien pukeutumisen tulee olla asiallista ja arvokasta.

Ensimmäinen varapuhemies Sirkka-Liisa Anttila sanoo, että sopimatonta pukeutumista esiintyy istunnoissa silloin tällöin. Harkimo antaa esimerkin:

- Toisinaan näkee esimerkiksi farmarihousuja, jotka eivät mielestäni sovi saliin, vaikka ne olisivat kuinka juhlavia tai koristeltuja.

...go Tanja..! :D:up:

John - ;)

canoilers

03-01-2006, 6:34am

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 7:14am

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 7:20am

STT/Iltalehti - 28.02.2006

Finnish culture minister backs internet filters to protect children

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/03/01/tanjakarpelaTM_uu.jpg

The Finnish culture minister, Tanja Karpela (centre) said Tuesday that internet filters and blocks could help parents control what their children view in cyberspace.

"Society must protect itself from criminal material. Further, children and young people must be protected from harmful material," Ms Karpela said.

According to a report by the Ministry of Education, filters and blocks have been installed in the computers of about 100 municipalities. Such programs are also widely used by public libraries.

There are 431 municipalities in Finland.

John - ;)

canoilers

03-01-2006, 7:33am

:funny: - buahahaa... :p

yep - Tanja sure knows how to bring up socially significant topics... ;)

Today's Iltalehti online votes: Are those pants appropriate in the Finnish Parliament?

YES: 63 %

NO: 37 %

9837 votes

John - :pSee here we have real issue's, like the fact our P.M. only gave his kids a hand shake instead of a hug before sending them off to school. :p

canoilers

03-01-2006, 7:37am

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 7:45am

STT - 1.3.2006 at 13:05

In inauguration speech, Finnish president warns of widening inequality

http://img.mtv3.fi/mn_kuvat/mtv3/uutiset/kotimaa/poliitikot/66671.jpg

Finnish President Tarja Halonen began her second six-year term on Wednesday by emphasising the importance of social fairness and shared responsibility.

She said in her inauguration speech in Parliament that thanks to the two core values, Finland of today was wealthier and more competitive than ever before.

"Yet we also have our problems. Income differentials are again growing, and new poverty has emerged in Finland. The pay for a full-time job is not enough to support a family," she said.

"Women still earn about 80 per cent of what men earn on average. There are problems with the system of welfare services, and employees have difficulty coping at work. Social inequality takes many forms."

President Halonen added that welfare society, while a generally accepted objective, was not being attained in the lives of all people.

"We have regional and social inequality, and this clashes with the Finns' sense of what is right. Things do not need to be like this. The welfare of citizens and the international competitiveness of our country are not mutually exclusive; they are mutually complementary and mutually supportive."

Paavo Lipponen (soc dem), the Speaker of Parliament, said as he welcomed President Halonen to the rostrum that she was only the fourth head of state to serve two successive terms.

The complete Inauguration speech: suomi (http://www.tpk.fi/netcomm/news/ShowArticle.asp?intNWSAID=48430&StrParent=Yes&intIGID=9&LAN=FI&contlan=&Thread=&intThreadPosition=0&intShowBack=1&strReturnURL2=) | svenska (http://www.tpk.fi/netcomm/news/ShowArticle.asp?intNWSAID=48430&intSubArtID=20195&intIGID=9&LAN=FI&contlan=&Thread=&intThreadPosition=0&intShowBack=1&strReturnURL2=) | English (http://www.tpk.fi/netcomm/news/ShowArticle.asp?intNWSAID=48430&intSubArtID=20196&intIGID=9&LAN=FI&contlan=&Thread=&intThreadPosition=0&intShowBack=1&strReturnURL2=)

John - :)

canoilers

03-01-2006, 8:55am

Thats pretty much how it is here too, thank you John. :D

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 9:01am

:funny: - buahahaa... :p

yep - Tanja sure knows how to bring up socially significant topics... ;)

Today's Iltalehti online votes: Are those pants appropriate in the Finnish Parliament?

YES: 63 %

NO: 37 %

9837 votes

John - :p

...right now it's 11752 votes & 408 comments..?

...man, do we have spare time on our hands...

John - :p

canoilers

03-01-2006, 9:13am

Me no I'm too busy here. :p

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 9:22am

I'm gonna have to get that paper today - just for the article about Tanja Karpela's pants... :p

...my future grandkids will be amazed about "the good old days"...

John - :p

canoilers

03-01-2006, 9:28am

You can tell them all about the pants that changed the world. :p

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 9:38am

Exactly.

...and to be able to do so, I need some printed evidence... otherwise by tomorrow I'd think this was all created by my feverish imagination...

John - :p

canoilers

03-01-2006, 9:48am

Now why would they think a fuss about pants was made up. :p

Troll

03-01-2006, 10:06am

Some interesting articles John.

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 10:08am

...you can bet your pants they are.

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-01-2006, 11:43am

Finland for Thought / STT - 1.3.2006

Bill Clinton to lecture in Finland

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/bill_clinton_finland.jpg

Former American president Bill Clinton, 59, is the keynote speaker in a seminar on the future challenges of leadership to be held in the Finnish city of Tampere on 9 May, Finnish consultancy firm Trainer's House said in a statement Wednesday.

Trainer's House is one the organisers of the event.

A seminar ticket costs 790 euros, not including VAT.

3 Comments:

- My Butt Itches

- Scratch it

- Great! I was trying to think of something original to do for my friend’s stag night.

John - :p

canoilers

03-01-2006, 11:48am

He's coming here for a dinner too. That guys everywhere these days.

FinnFreak

03-02-2006, 5:27am

Iltalehti - 2.3.2006 10:07

Tre Kronor vaarassa menettää olympiakullan

Tre Kronor saattaa joutua luopumaan olympiakullastaan sponsoririkkomuksen vuoksi, kertoo Svenska Dagbladet (http://www.svd.se/dynamiskt/sport/did_11981037.asp).

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/03/02/kansikatastrofiTM_410_et.gif
PILVIÄ TAIVAALLA. Tre Kronorin sponsorisotkusta noussut kohu himmentää
länsinaapurimme mitalijuhlia.

Ruotsin olympiajoukkueen Tre Kronorin kotiinpaluujuhlat saattavat johtaa olympiakullan menetykseen.

Ruotsin jääkiekkoliitto ei halunnut osallistua Ruotsin olympiakomitean järjestämiin juhliin Arlandassa, vaan halusi järjestää omat juhlat Tukholman Medborgarplatsenilla.

Tv-lähetysten aikana näytettiin jääkiekkoliiton sponsoreita. Tämä rikkoo Kansainvälisen olympiakomitean säännöksiä, joita urheilijoiden on KOK:n mukaan noudatettava 1. maaliskuuta saakka.

Ruotsin olympiakomitea harkitsee haastavansa Ruotsin jääkiekkoliiton sponsorisäännösten rikkomisesta.

"Kovin rangaistus joukkueen hylkääminen"

- Kovin rangaistus saattaa olla joukkueen hylkääminen, sanoo Ruotsin olympiakomitean juridinen asiamies Björn Rosengren.

Ruotsin jääkiekkoliitto tulkitsee sääntöjä eri tavalla kuin olympiakomitea. Liiton mukaan olympiakisoja koskevat säännöt eivät päde kisojen päättymisen jälkeen.

Kulta on uhattuna vain, jos asia joutuu Kansainvälisen olympiakomitean päätettäväksi.

Rosengren uskoo ja toivoo, että Ruotsin olympiakomitea ja jääkiekkoliitto pystyvät sopimaan asiasta keskenään, eikä se päädy Kansainvälisen olympiakomitean pöydälle.

http://kuvat2.iltasanomat.fi/iltasanomat/iDoc/1136184-trekulta.jpg

:uhh:

...oops..? :p

The Local - News from Sweden in English - 2nd March 2006 10:23 CET

Swedish hockey heroes "could lose Olympic gold"

Just four days after the Swedish ice hockey team's stunning achievement in the Winter Olympics, the sweet smell of success has been overshadowed by a bitter dispute which could result in the team's disqualification.

The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC) is threatening to sue the Swedish Ice Hockey Association over the celebrations in Stockholm's Medborgarplatsen which, says the SOC, broke sponsorship regulations.

"This is a serious infringement," said the SOC's chairman Stefan Lindeberg to Svenska Dagbladet.

The SOC says that the triumphant hockey team was still under its Olympic obligations. But at the Medborgarplatsen party, where 25,000 fans turned up to cheer on the gold medal winners, the sponsors of the Swedish Olympic team were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, the logos of Svenska Spel and Norwegian bank DnB NOR, sponsors of the Swedish national hockey team, were shown.

"I was dismayed when I saw that the hockey association's own sponsors were on view there, despite the fact that that broke the rules," said Lindeberg.

According to the SOC, the Olympic sponsors were to have been on display in connection with team members until March 1st.

Now the SOC is threatening legal action against Swedish Ice Hockey Association - but the consequences could be more than financial, says the committee's lawyer, Björn Rosengren.

If the matter cannot be resolved internally, it will be dealt with by the International Olympic Committee. And according to their regulations, the team could have its gold medal taken away.

"The ultimate consequence of the Hockey Association's actions at the welcoming party is that the team is disqualified," Rosengren told SvD.

But the Swedish Ice Hockey Association says it has done nothing wrong.

"Since it was a tribute to the hockey team it was natural for us to show our partners," said the Hockey Association's chairman Christer Englund.

"Even if the International Olympic Committee has such rules we as an association haven't signed any agreement. We are only under the obligations of the IOC's rules during the Olympics themselves."

Englund said that the Hockey Association is not prepared to compensate the Swedish Olympic Committee for any lost sponsorship revenue.

He added that he doubted that the Olympic organisation would actually go so far as to sue one of its own sporting associations. But the hockey team's decision to breeze through the official Olympic homecoming at Arlanda airport in favour of the party at Medborgarplatsen has soured relations with the other athletes.

"The hockey association has shown no respect for the other associations," said Annette Norberg, gold medal winner in the curling, to Aftonbladet.

"I think their actions were small-minded," she said.

http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=3172&date=20060302&PHPSESSID=56e748ae6b9e22f9a44d594dd712916e

John - ;)

canoilers

03-02-2006, 6:27am

Wow the games not over yet, this is starting to remind me of an election someplace. :p

Troll

03-02-2006, 10:02am

That is interesting John.

FinnFreak

03-03-2006, 9:55am

Sattuiko kukaan muu näkemään 7 uutisissa eilen sen pommiuutisen Pakistanista..? ;)

"...räjähdyksessä menehtyi neljä ihmistä. Ja yksi amerikkalainen."

:shocked:

:biglaugh:

John - :p

Big Swede

03-03-2006, 12:41pm

I heard something on radio today that the Swedish Ice Hockey Association should pay about 1,000,000 SEK (roughly 100,000 €) as a fee and then the problem should be solved...
I only listened with half an ear so I cant promise anything. :p

FinnFreak

03-06-2006, 2:35am

...that should settle the authority question then...

John - ;)

FinnFreak

03-06-2006, 7:31am

NBC Universal - March 2, 2006

CONAN O'BRIEN DEBUTS FINLAND FOOTAGE MARCH 10

Show Devotes Entire Hour To Air Footage of O'Brien's "State Visit" to Finland

http://www.sydes.net/jokes/pictures/s/sweden_sucks.jpg
It wasn't the striking resemblance with our president that won us over...

NEW YORK -- March 2, 2006 -- After making headlines worldwide for his February visit to Finland and his meeting with look-alike President Tarja Halonen, Conan O'Brien is devoting his entire March 10 episode to show his Finnish travelogue.

A studio audience will join O'Brien as he presents his coverage of his visit.

"Late Night," is wildly popular in the Nordic nation and became somewhat of a political player in the country's current presidential race, specifically due to O'Brien's striking resemblance to Finnish President Halonen. The show aired mock campaign ads endorsing her and has seen an increased number of Finns in the studio audience.

From landing at the Helsinki airport, O'Brien was greeted like a visiting head of state by hundreds of reporters and thousands of avid fans (some with banners reading "Tarja Is Our President But Conan Is Our King"). Over his four-day visit, O'Brien toured around Helsinki meeting fans, taking in the local custom (the sauna) and local culture - an underwear exhibit in the Helsinki's Tennis Palace Art Museum.

In addition, O'Brien and crew winged north to Lapland to take in the wintry splendor of Finland's Arctic Circle territory, visiting native Laplanders' reindeer farms (reindeer outnumber people in Lapland), dog sledding camps, and Santa Claus' reputed home.

In addition, O'Brien met with myriad Finnish media figures. From appearing with Arto Nyberg ("the Finnish Larry King"), to being followed by the Finnish tabloid press and sitting for an interview with two ten-year-old boys, every public appearance by Conan was covered in all its surreal detail by the "Late Night" crews. In addition, "Late Night" goes backstage at the Telvis Awards ("the Finnish Emmys") where O'Brien will receive a special award at the Telvis Awards in Helsinki - the Varipilkku Award - "for the most surprising and most entertaining TV personality in Finland."

Finally, the footage will showcase the main focus of the trip: O'Brien's private Valentine's Day meeting with at the Presidential Palace with his doppelganger, President Tarja Halonen. The "Late Night" crew captures a new "Helsinki Accord," of sorts.

"Late Night with Conan O'Brien" is from NBC Studios in association with Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels and Jeff Ross are the executive producers. Mike Sweeney is head writer.

http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20060302000000-conanobriendebuts.html

...go ahead Conan... do your worst..!

...in Finland: Wednesday 15th March 2006, on SubTV at 22.45

John - :D:up:

FinnFreak

03-07-2006, 8:36am

A sneak peek:

Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Conan Travels to Finland!

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/conan_finland_0.jpg

on Finland Friday: Conan finds out all the Sauna secrets...

Click Here (http://www.nbc.com/Video/videos/conan_finland.shtml)

John - :biglaugh:

FinnFreak

03-07-2006, 9:08am

http://virtual.finland.fi/news/images/banners/kicksled.gif

http://www.multia.fi/potkut/ylakuva.gif

Kicksled World Championships
Multia 11.-12.3.2006.

Welcome to the 19 th Kicksled World Championships in
Multia 11.-12.3.2006

Look 2005 World Championships (http://www.multia.fi/potkut/Potkukelkka%20mm.mpg)

Diary of organizinig team (http://www.kicksled2006.peipporinne.fi/)

Whispers of the kicksledging history

In the year 1987 the entrepreneurs in Multia had an extreme idea dealing with a certain traditional way of moving: to create World Championships in Kicksledging. In the years of success the competition got thousands of people, participants from Finland and all over the world and a great audience. One of the top moments was certainly introducing the kicksledging for a Recognised sports in the Olympic Games of Lillehammer in 1994. Multia Team, the organizations in Multia and the all finnish actives in kicksledging have done remarkable work for developing this special kind of sports. The tradition continues. Every year the inhabitants of this small and persistent village build up their power to arrange the games all over again.

Todays acts and actions

The games have now returned ” back home”. The entrepreneurs in Multia have taken the main responsibility of organizing the event, after a few years break. The Championships take places on the ice of lake Sinervä and Sinervä school area in the middle of Multia municipality. We here in Multia want to offer a relaxed and speedy Kicksledging weekend – a weekend worth coming even from longer distances.

Easy – Multia is a naturally beautiful municipality with unique and original people in the heart of Finland on the crossing of good roads with no rush hours. It’s easy to get here and easy to be here!

Fun – Our job is to provide a full, all-rounded program.
The job of our quests is simply to enjoy and have fun!

Worthwhile – Experience the full speed of a professional KickSpark or kick with an original KickSledge. Choose your category to be a Worldchamp, alone or within a team. Try the limits of your durability on the Marathon. Have fun, fool around on the Challenge relay. Make a relaxing picnic out of the Kick Tour. Feel the gentle flames on the Torch Kick. Kicksledging is a splendidly sliding and freshly energetic way of moving, also in between the games!

Will you accept our sporty challenge? Shall we meet here in Multia in March 2006?
We all are waiting for you already!

Best regards

Susanna Lehmonen

Your Hostess

http://www.multia.fi/potkut/mm2003_06.jpg http://www.multia.fi/potkut/mm2003_12.jpg http://www.multia.fi/potkut/mm2003_20.jpg

http://www.multia.fi/potkut/eng/main_page.htm

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-08-2006, 9:30am

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/images/CONAN_MAIN_Finland_04.jpg

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_1.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_24.jpg
First, Conan checks out his crew's (the working class) hotel room... and a pose with the Helsinki Cathedral...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_3.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_4.jpg
The Helsinki University in the background & then Conan is off to Lapland...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_5.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_6.jpg
Snowmobiles are useful means of transportation to reach a reindeer farm...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_7.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_8.jpg
Yep, that's a reindeer alright..! - it's 12 o'clock & that's as high as the sun gets at this time of the year...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_9.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_10.jpg
Dog sleighing in Lapland is quite a different experience compared to an award show in Helsinki...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_11.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_12.jpg
...just a few thousand of fans greeting Conan at the airport... the Finns are shy people after all, you know...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_13.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_14.jpg
Looks like reindeer sausages and meatballs... and antler powder in a handy container... Conan, have you warned your wife..? ;)

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_15.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_16.jpg
The frozen Baltic sea & more fans getting some autographs...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_17.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_18.jpg
The Telvis award show and... hmm... looks like the lingerie show..?

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_19.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_20.jpg
What..?!? People walk right by without recognizing him..? Well, at least the Sauna Seura guys posed with him...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_21.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_22.jpg
...is Helsinki cool..? for sure it's COLD..! - But the people are warm & ready to share the precious body heat... :p

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_23.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_2.jpg
Arto Nyberg's TV show... I think I'm going to fall asleep... YIKES..! outside again - on a sightseeing boat...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_25.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_26.jpg
Hands up, who wants to be the first to ride the snowmobile...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_27.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_28.jpg
The Sámi people in Lapland are kinda short, but very musical by nature... Conan gets to bang a shaman drum & chant along...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_29.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_30.jpg
Conan acts stupidly towards the reindeer, who run away from him in horror & then gets told off by the tribe's eldest...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_31.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_33.jpg
Conan is genuinely sorry for what he did & to make him feel a bit better, he gets to make friends with a puppy...

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_32.jpg http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/photos/images/finland_34.jpg
Playing in the snow like this can freeze your butt - perhaps some nice new dry & warm underware would be nice..? ;)

John - :p

Troll

03-08-2006, 10:04am

Thanks for the pics John.

FinnFreak

03-09-2006, 5:52am

Helsingin Sanomat - Thursday 9.3.2006

Finnish Chief of Defence expresses concern about political development in Russia

Admiral Kaskeala less worried about reported military buildup

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219062318.jpeg

Finland's Chief of Defence, Admiral Juhani Kaskeala, says that there is more reason to be concerned about political developments in Russia than over reports that Russia has been increasing its military presence near Finnish borders. Kaskeala made his comments during a visit to the United States, where he has been following an international crisis management exercise.

YLE Television News reported last week, Finland has been so concerned about Russia's greater military presence near Finland, that there are plans to send President Tarja Halonen on a hasty visit to Washington.

According to the report, the purpose of the visit would be to seek US help in striking a balance against stronger Russian military strength.

Kaskeala feels that there is a "powerful dose of exaggeration" involved. He recognises that Russia has started to invest more in the development of its military forces after a great collapse, and that even small changes seem big when the starting point is so low.

Reports that units of Russia's air force and other military units have been moved closer to the Finnish border are news to Kaskeala, even though the Finnish Defence Forces is capable of following and predicting these kinds of military changes

However, political will and how the armed forces are used can, in Kaskeala's view, change "overnight", and he feels political development in Russia really is a cause for concern.

"All strings are getting to be in the hands of President Vladimir Putin, and there does not seem to be any counterforce that would question this in the Duma or anywhere else. This is not the promising development toward democracy that we have also hoped for", Kaskeala said.

He adds that Russian air bases have been merged, because the number of military planes has decreased. Space rockets have been launched in Plesetski for a long time. More activities have been moved there, because the former main base of Baikonur is in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

Russia is testing submarines in the Baltic Sea, but they are not its own submarines, but rather vessels that have been sold to China and India. "Russia has only three operative submarines of its own in the Baltic sea", Kaskeala says.

He did not want to comment directly on a possible visit to the USA by President Halonen, or the reasons or goals of such a visit. However, he did note that the scenarios of threats facing Finland have not changed, and the most recent government defence report from 2004 has not become obsolete.

The report emphasises transatlantic cooperation and the importance of the USA in European security structures.

"Our reference group is the EU, but there is certainly nothing wrong for Finland to have friends behind the Atlantic as well", he said.

Such friends would seem to exist at the large US naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, where Kaskeala is observing the Multinational Experiment 4 crisis management exercise.

Taking part in the exercise are ten Finns and 35 Swedish soldiers. The purpose is to use the massive data processing capacity of the US military to simulate a crisis in Afghanistan - a country where there is currently a considerable crisis even without simulation.

A good example of this was the February riot in Mainama, where a Norwegian-Finnish military group stood up against a five-hour siege of local people without resorting to violence.

According to Kaskeala, the commander of the group, Lieutenant-Colonel Jari Vaara is seen as something of a hero among experts in the field. His actions were even praised at a NATO defence ministers' meeting.

The American hosts of the present exercise have conceded to Kaskeala that there are differences in approach between the Americans and the Finns. If there is a significant threat in a village in a crisis area, the American way of dealing with it is to send jet fighters to bomb the village.

The Finns took a coffee break, spoke to local people, and offered help in developing the village. The result was more lasting.

Defence Minister Seppo Kääriäinen (Centre) commented on reports of Admiral Kaskeala's statements on Russia, emphasising that relations between Russia and Finland are in good shape, and should be kept that way.

He also would not criticise Kaskeala for taking an unusually outspoken stand on politics.

"Everyone answers for his own words and takes his position into consideration. I am not flustered by this. Finland has freedom of speech", Kääriäinen said.

John - :smirk:

Troll

03-09-2006, 10:17am

aFinn

03-10-2006, 4:28pm

:shocked:

7.11.2005 15:36

Lordista Suomen euroviisuedustaja?

Suomen edustajaksi vuoden 2006 euroviisuihin Ateenaan hakee aiempaa värikkäämpi poppoo. Ehdokkaiden skaala ulottuu aina perinteisestä iskelmästä maskiheviin.

John - :pOMG, they chose Lordi to be our representative in the Eurovision song contest. Which hole can I crawl into? :uhh:

FinnFreak

03-12-2006, 10:18am

...GWAR fans will be happy... :p

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/lordi.jpg

heh... we're gonna get zero points... again... - but this time: with style..! :funny:

"Hard Rock Hallelujah"..?

John - :biglaugh:

Big Swede

03-12-2006, 12:55pm

:funny: :funny: :funny:

And then maybe Poodles (http://www.poodles.nu/) will represent Sweden and we can be the runner-up.... from the bottom of the list. :rolleyes:

Troll

03-13-2006, 9:58am

http://www.dailysixer.com/conanfag.shtml

FinnFreak

03-13-2006, 10:24am

...poor Fors Fagerström will hear about this forever..! :biglaugh:

...this bit from Newsweek:

March 13, 2006 issue

This Friday, Conan O'Brien airs his fantastic Finnish jaunt, where he hobnobbed with his look-alike, Finnish President Tarja Halonen. He spoke with NEWSWEEK's Nicki Gostin.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Sections/Newsweek/Components/Photos/Mag/060313_Issue/060304_ConanFinn_hsmall.widec.jpg
Sweet Victory: O'Brien hands a Valentine's Day present
to Finland's President Tarja Halonen in Helsinki

How did this all start?

It was completely organic—we couldn't have made it up. We started to notice a lot of Finns in the audience and I started making jokes—you know, "I'm a giant in Finland." Then an audience member said, "Are you aware that you look just like the Finnish president?" We decided to do a split screen and I've never gotten a laugh like that. Then it turned out she was in the middle of an election, so we started making ads for her. I had no idea what her politics were, but I like that she looks like me.

It's not a compliment for a woman to be told she looks like a man.

Maybe I look like a woman. That's the angle I was pulling to get in the Presidential Palace, that in my country I have long been considered a very attractive woman.

Do you think you helped her win?

She ended up winning by 3 percent. I either helped her to win or almost caused her to lose.

You actually got to meet her.

The whole thing was choreographed like a state visit. I felt like I had gone into a weird 1960s Peter Sellers movie. The strangest moment was walking out afterwards and the crowd erupted into cheers as if I was Chamberlain coming back with a peace pact.

Did you eat reindeer meat?

Yeah, I had reindeer tongue. Which basically means I got to second base with a reindeer.

Who's more Irish-looking, you or Teddy Kennedy?

Teddy. Right now he's got that Mardi Gras-float head that all Irishmen prize. Mine will puff out as the years go by.

:funny:

...and more about Lordi:

Lordi to represent Finland in Athens

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219105294.jpeg
Members of the monster-heavy group Lordi do not allow any pictures without their
masks on. The heavy make-up is part of the group's theatrical style. This is Lordi
himself, the band's vocalist and composer/lyricist.

The monster-heavy band Lordi with its 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' will represent Finland in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Athens on May 18th to 20th.

Lordi's song gathered over 67,000 phone and SMS votes, accounting for over 42 percent of all the votes in Friday night’s national final, which was held in Turku and televised by YLE.

Tomi Metsäketo’s Italian-language Eternamente Maria finished second, after receiving 29 percent of the votes, and Annika Eklund’s Shanghain valot ("Shanghai Lights”) was third with slightly over 12 percent of all votes.

The total number of votes cast in the final round, when six of the original twelve entries fought it out, was around 160,000.

A more extensive piece on Lordi will appear among our weekly articles on Tuesday.

John - :biglaugh:

Troll

03-13-2006, 10:56am

Thanks for that John.

FinnFreak

03-14-2006, 5:04am

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 4.3.2006

Take a tour of Helsinki's funkiest and most glamorous toilets

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219012892.jpeg
The door of the toilet at the Kola
restaurant at Helsinginkatu 13 has
a doorbell that can be used by
those in the queue.

By Tuomo Väliaho

An outhouse is a favourite place for many city dwellers. Some of us are reminded of where grandmother lived in the countryside. For others, a visit to the privy at the summer cottage is a sure sign that summer is finally here.

It is also possible to get into the spirit of things in Helsinki - without leaving the centre of the city. In the yard of the Ruiskumestari building of the Helsinki City Museum there is a genuine Kruunuhaka outhouse.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219012894.jpeg
Urban outhouse atmosphere is available at Kristianinkatu 12 in Kruunuhaka.
Much water has been passed at this fixture, which is over a century old.

Not even the most die-hard Helsinki resident need suffer withdrawal symptoms while doing his business. The outhouse is built of brick, and covered in plaster. Surrounded by apartment buildings, the sound of traffic is all around.

Four outhouses stand next to each other.

"One of them is available for those visiting the building, when the museum is open. There is little use for it. The museum is small, and people do not spend hours on end there", says Marjukka Sihvola.

"The outhouse dates back to 1905. At that time there was still debate whether or not to build water closets or dry privies for Helsinki. At one time, water closets were banned, and those who built one faced a fine."

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219012888.jpeg
Bob's Bar, Ullanlinnankatu 5 has a toilet
with a rugged look. The ceiling has a
relief version of The Last Supper.

There are many strange toilets in Helsinki - one only need look around a bit to find them. These include historical curiosities, such as a restaurant set up inside a former public convenience, or the porno-themed wallpaper of the Koko Theatre.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219012896.jpeg
The toilets at the Koko Theatre on
Unioninkatu 45 might get a PG-17
rating in the USA. The premises
used to be a soft-porn cinema.

"This used to be the Alfa Romeo cinema, where porn films were shown. When we refurbished the building as a theatre, we found rolls of film, photographs, and posters underneath the stage. Most of them went to the Finnish Film Archives, but we kept some of them", says theatre director Anna Veijalainen.

The wallpaper of the men's toilet is simple antique pornography. On the women's side there are pictures from other films, as well as of performances in the theatre. There are even photos of the Bader-Meinhof terrorists.

There is no actual hard-core porn on the walls.

"There is some innocence in the pictures. Bottoms bounce in flowery meadows, and that is just pretty", Veijalainen smiles.

Toilets are places where the genders remain segregated.

It is not the done thing to barge in through the wrong door - although sometimes in restaurants, women might trespass on the men' side.

As a result, many toilet oddities will be unfamiliar to those of the other gender. Few men know that there is the sound of birdsong in the women's toilet of the restaurant Kosmos, or that the advertising agency that paid for the ladies' toilets of the Kom Theatre engraved the following sentence on the WC-seat: "What all kinds of s**t we end up sponsoring".

Correspondingly, few women have seen the luscious lips of the urinals of the men's room in the Stockholm Diskotek.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219012890.jpeg
The urinals at Stockholm Diskotek, Yrjönkatu 31, are either enticing, or
frightening. The idea was from Bangkok, and the fixtures themselves were
imported from The Netherlands.

Toilet wall graffiti has been seen as a part of urban culture, although owners of toilets do not necessarily like the idea. The restaurant Kuurna is an exception, however, offering customers chalk for the purpose.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219012886.jpeg
Kilroy was here - and so were many others, in the men's room at the restaurant
Kuurna at Meritullinkatu 6. The chalk graffiti is part of the interior. "It is not as
boring to sit, when you have something to read. It also works as a feedback box",
says Antto Melasniemi, one of the owners.

"Everyone writes on the walls anyway, so we have made it a bit easier", says Antto Melasniemi, one of the owners.

"It is not as boring to sit, when you have something to read. It also works as a feedback box."

John - :p

canoilers

03-14-2006, 8:37am

I don't know if I could pee in the lips one, that seem a little weird for me.

Troll

03-14-2006, 9:54am

Some interesting toliets their John.

canoilers

03-14-2006, 8:47pm

John and his posting of Jon's, I think John's gone to the Jon. :p

FinnFreak

03-15-2006, 2:40am

...doesn't everyone..?

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-15-2006, 3:21am

Helsingin Sanomat - 12.3.2006

Lordi to carry Finnish Eurovision greetings to Athens

Rovaniemi's monster-heavy band took 42% of popular vote in Eurovision poll

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219109545.jpeg
Mr Lordi wielded his battle-axe and brought home the points in Turku, despite
having to perform while running a temperature.

By Pirkko Kotirinta

"There's never been an outfit like this at the Eurovision shindig, certainly not representing Finland. I reckon we've got a shot at placing at least higher up the table than the Finnish entry does on average", argues Mr Lordi, a.k.a. Tomi Putaansuu, frontman of Lordi, the band that won the Finnish Eurovision qualifiers in Turku on Friday night.

He was speaking of Lordi's prospects for the Eurovision finals in Athens while the band made their way from Turku to a gig in Helsinki.

"Hey, we've at least got fans in different parts of Europe. That can't be bad for our chances."

Lordi, who hail originally from Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle, parlayed their heavy number Hard Rock Hallelujah into a ticket to represent Finland in Athens on May 18th to 20th. The Finnish finals were held late on Friday night in Turku.

The excitement at the finals went right down to the wire: when the regional phone-in votes had been totted up, Lordi and Tomi Metsäketo's Eternamente Maria were running neck and neck - each had 35 percent of the votes given.

SMS votes were the clincher, and they dropped clearly more in favour of the heavy mob than Metsäketo's pretty ditty in Italian.

Lordi received a total of 67,369 of the roughly 160,000 votes in the second round or 42.2%, while Metsäketo had to be content with 45,431 votes (28.5%). Third place went to Annika Eklund and Shanghain valot (Shanghai Lights), with 19,565 votes and around 12.3%. Six entries made it through to the second round.

In this 40th year of Finnish participation in the annual song contest, the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) decided to throw caution to the winds and to rely solely on audience voting in the final selection: no expert panel was used as was the case last year.

The choice of artists to take part in the invited semi-final competitions (in which each artist or band presented two numbers) that would determine the dozen finalist songs was in the hands of record companies.

Lordi was one of the strong ante-post favourites to win. The band was advertised on TV before the event, and on its website forum the board-members encouraged fellow-fans to take part in taking Eurovision by storm: "Change the world, be on the side of the good guys and vote Lordi into the Eurovision finals... and tell dozens of your friends to do the same The time for change is TODAY!!"

The other heavy outfit in the finals, Kilpi, also supported Lordi and vice versa. Kilpi eventually finished in 6th spot.

Lordi have been around the block a bit. They have turned out their visually-striking theatrical version of 1980s heavy since 1992, and have been gigging abroad on a regular basis since 2002.

The band has also opened for the popular Finnish "opera metal" outfit Nightwish in Germany and Sweden.

Last year Lordi toured their strongest fan-base of Germany, and also played gigs in Spain, Switzerland, and France.

Lordi's first album Get Heavy was released in 2002. It has since sold more than 42,000 copies hereabouts, and has gone platinum.

Their third CD release The Arockalypse went into stores on March 1st this year.

Tomi Putaansuu, 32, is Lordi's composer and lyricist, and also handles the band's vocals. He not only composed Hard Rock Hallelujah and supplied the lyrics, but also provided the current arrangement.

The other members of the five-piece are Amen (guitars), Ox (bass), Kita (drums), and Awa (keyboards).

They have not gone public with their real names, and Putaansuu had originally intended to follow their example. "But in the first big press interview four years back it was wheedled out of me and then the game was up in that respect", the front-man sighed on Saturday.

Mr. Lordi himself spent around a quarter of an hour on the decision of whether or not to go for the Eurovision gig, after the record company called up and asked the band to take part.

The other members took rather longer to be persuaded: "The opinions were pretty much 50/50 for and against the idea. Some felt that getting involved with Eurovision was absolutely the last thing we should do. For me, I don't figure we have anything to lose or anything to be ashamed of."

In Finland at least, Lordi have not given any interviews in their extravagant stage get-ups, and the band members do not appear in public without their monster masks.

How the hell are you going to do the necessary press conference routine in Athens?

"Ah, now there's been a bit of a misunderstanding here. The way it goes is that I don't give any TV-interviews in Finland, because basically it would sound so lame", says Putaansuu in his broad Rovaniemi dialect. "I mean, it would take all the credibility out of the monster routine."

But in English, things are bit different. Interviews are granted, but only in full make-up. "Without our masks, Lordi do not exist."

The business of "getting the facepaint on" takes around three hours for Mr. Lordi himself.

The most challenging thing is not so much heat as relative humidity. If the air is very damp and humid, the glues and resins tend not to stick too well.

Putaansuu, who was singing in Turku despite running a temperature, is hoping that when it comes to Athens he will at least be able to perform in good health. "And we are taking the line that we don't make any compromises for the show. We're serious about our music."

The YLE Eurovision message-boards rapidly gathered posters for and against the selection on Friday night and into Saturday.

"Finland's going to bag last place yet again", wrote one unbeliever, and "It's shocking how low the Eurovision people can sink", declared another. "Congratulations, Lordi. Could this be Finland's big chance at last?" hoped a third.

Kjell Ekholm, who represents YLE on the Eurovision international delegation, is naturally hopeful, yet again.

"We got a call from Sveriges Radio [the Swedish public broadcaster and YLE's opposite number across the water] first thing on Saturday morning, congratulating us. They said that this time Finland will make it into the final", enthused Ekholm.

The reference to "the final" is a reminder that Finland will have to compete in a semi-final round against 23 other countries on May 18th, and the top ten will go forward to the final on the 20th, along with 14 other pre-qualified song-entries, from countries that did well last year, or - like the UK, Germany, and France, who all finished at the very bottom of the pile in 2005 - from countries that are simply too big to be excluded without hurting the audience ratings.

Despite their rich Eurovision heritage, the Swedes, too, will be having to battle against the other mortals in the semi-final this time, having bombed in Ukraine last May.

"Now it is time for revenge. We may have lost the ice hockey gold medals to the Swedes, but we'll take them in Athens", blusters Ekholm.

Sweden is choosing its champion for the fight next Saturday.

* * *

COMMENT: No need to worry about getting noticed

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1076152916693.jpeg
Look out Athens! Lordi take no prisoners...

By Pirkko Kotirinta

Many things have been tried in the course of Finland's pathetic Eurovision history, but monster-heavy is clearly a new departure.

There is every chance that Finland could - in the shape of a warty-faced dude in a full suit of armour and bat-wings, accompanied by his chums from the grim far north - emulate the media success of the Israeli transsexual who won in 1998. Eurovision has seen a lot in its 50-year history, but it ain't seen nothing like this yet.

"What we want to bring out from Finland at Eurovision is the winter darkness of kaamos, the cold, reindeer meat, and blood pancakes", say Lordi on their website.

The cold may be a bit of a stretch, as the band-members move around in their full-body gear in the warmth of mid-May in Athens.

One thing is a complete given, however: at the Athens Eurovision Song Contest, there is no way the carefully masked and made-up theatrical rockers are going to go unnoticed.

Whether getting noticed will launch them from the relative obscurity of the semi-final to the real deal on the Saturday night remains to be seen. This is the second time the annual contest has been held in two stages.

My own SMS message at the Finnish final was sent on behalf of Shanghai Lights.

Sorry, Lordi, but there it is.

Composed and arranged by Kerkko Koskinen, with words from Kyösti Salokorpi and presented by Annika Eklund, the song - with some Bond borrowings and an oriental flavour - was a decent enough piece, and it would have been very interesting to see how it might have made out in the finals.

If it had done alright, then it would have been on the strength of its musical credentials.

If Lordi do well in Athens, then it will be through being "something completely different".

* * *

...personally I think, that landslide of votes comes from the fact, that the younger generation has totally lost all interest in the Eurovision Song Contest... however, taking into account how Nightwish won the popular vote in 2000 in the Finnish finals, but were then replaced by the ruling of an unannounced expert panel - it's pretty obvious to say, that this time around: it was payback time for the rock fans...

...and instead of remaining apathetic, I find it at times promising, that many are willing to shake those foundations...

...and it's all good entertainment...

John - :cool::up:

FinnFreak

03-15-2006, 7:12am

:D

Suomi-show tänään klo 22.45

http://kuvat2.iltasanomat.fi/iltasanomat/iDoc/1141626-conanilta.jpg

Conan O'Brienin kauan odotettu Suomi-spesiaali nähdään vihdoin Suomessa tänään.

Ohjelman esittää Subtv alkaen kello 22.45.

Ohjelma uusitaan huomenna kello 16.45.

...and here's some comments from:

MAUREEN RYAN
The Watcher
http://www.chicagotribune.com/extras/blog_pics/mo_ryan_blog.jpg
A Chicago Tribune Web log

March 12, 2006

Comedy gold from a cold climate: Conan in Finland

No doubt many of you are still talking about the big TV event of the weekend.

I'm talking, of course, about Conan O'Brien's trip to Finland.

On Friday's edition of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," the talk-show host finally broadcast footage of his recent visit to the frosty Baltic nation, which he's been talking up ever since someone pointed out how much he resembles the country's female president, Tarja Halonen.

The one-hour broadcast showing the highlights of O'Brien's trip to Finland was nothing short of hilarious.

Personally, I've found it a little hard to warm to O'Brien: He always seemed like a guy doing a studied riff on classic talk shows, rather than just a guy trying to entertain with a talk show. Though undeniably funny at times, he's often been a little too supercilious for my taste. And let's face it, his celebrity interviews still can be really stilted and awkward.

But the Finland special reinforced the idea that O'Brien is at his best -- and comes across the true heir to David Letterman -- when he leaves the studied riffs and celebrity stuff behind and acts as a wandering, self-deprecating host and improv comedian. O'Brien's visit to a traditional sauna left me in stitches (he found much humor in the idea of naked Finnish men finishing their sauna sessions with a hearty helping of sausage), as did his interview by two Finnish boys who didn't speak a word of English.

"Do you have to be a funny-looking old man to get a talk show in America?" they asked through a translator.

After a relentless grilling from the two boys, O'Brien pretended to crack: "Your show has all the charm of the Nuremberg trials," O'Brien muttered in reply one of their questions.

His visit to a Finnish fan who'd written to him recalled the glorious, goofiest years of "Late Night with David Letterman." (Longtime Letterman fans might recall a similar stunt from long ago in which Letterman visited an unsuspecting fan who'd written to him.) O'Brien hung out in the girl's sloppy, student-y room, drank a soda and spent a while on the phone trying to smooth out a riff between the girl and one of her friends. He then staged a reconciliation between the girls -- a meeting that he revealed as fake within seconds of it happening.

The final few minutes of the show depicted O'Brien's visit with President Halonen; if it was a bit anti-climactic, it didn't matter. Everything that aired prior to that meeting was good, old-fashioned, late-night comedy gold.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in three years, when O'Brien is set to take over "The Tonight Show" from Jay Leno. O'Brien's really most comfortable in Letterman mode -- being a noodge, riffing off people's discomfort, mining awkward situations for comedy and viewing everything from a very dry, sarcastic point of view.

What on earth will O'Brien do with "The Tonight Show," which Leno has turned into a sometimes repellent bastion of aggressively populist, even obnoxiously lowbrow, humor? Yikes. Though NBC sees O'Brien as its leading late-night hope (or appears to, anyway), it would make more sense for him to take over Letterman's "Late Show" slot on CBS. If O'Brien inherited Letterman's show, the NBC host probably wouldn't have to defang himself -- much.

In any case, in the short term, there are three conclusions to be drawn from O'Brien's Finland special:

O'Brien should wear his hair brushed back from his forehead. Several times his hair was mussed in that way while he was out and about in the frigid Finnish weather, and the resulting look was much more flattering than his usual hideous hairdo. It's pretty ridiculous that in 13 years as a TV host, the man has not found a hairstyle that works.

The Finns like their umlauts. Really, there ought to be a limit: No word should have more than two umlauts, but as on-screen translations during Conan's interview by the two boys revealed, words with three umlauts are not uncommon. Really, Finns, show some restraint!

NBC should put the entire Finland episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on iTunes (iTunes currently has a few downloads from O'Brien's show available, but as of Sunday, the Finland show wasn't among them). It's worth paying $2 for, really.

UPDATE: According to NBC.com, Conan's Finland episode will be available on iTunes Tuesday. Thanks to reader Lou for the heads up.

:uhh: ...jassåå... :huh: ...ja mikähän tällä tädillä on hätänä, kun pitää toisten ääkkösmerkistöä mollata..? :really: ...mokomaki pössöö...

John - :p

aFinn

03-15-2006, 12:29pm

...personally I think, that landslide of votes comes from the fact, that the younger generation has totally lost all interest in the Eurovision Song Contest... however, taking into account how Nightwish won the popular vote in 2000 in the Finnish finals, but were then replaced by the ruling of an unannounced expert panel - it's pretty obvious to say, that this time around: it was payback time for the rock fans...

...and instead of remaining apathetic, I find it at times promising, that many are willing to shake those foundations...

...and it's all good entertainment...

John - :cool::up:You're only the second person I know who is in favour of them, the other 98 I have spoken with are opposed and ashamed of this result.

FinnFreak

03-16-2006, 3:02am

You're only the second person I know who is in favour of them, the other 98 I have spoken with are opposed and ashamed of this result.
heh...

...we could go on with same old path:

...traditional melancholic and/or pseudo perky Finnish nonsense presented by established always-play-it-safe-boring-to-the-core artsts, who will never get noticed outside our borders...

OR:

...we take a chance - offer a Finnish blend of rock, with a touch of extreme overdone theatrics & for once do something, that hasn't been attempted before.

We will rise to new heights - or come down like a lead balloon... and get laughed at in the process...

...either way: we get noticed.

...in other words... we can not lose...

John - ;)

canoilers

03-16-2006, 3:06am

Win/win gotta like that. :D

aFinn

03-16-2006, 6:32am

come down like a lead balloon... and get laughed at in the process...
...either way: we get noticed.
John - ;)Wow, you'd rather get laughed at instead of going unnoticed? You're a pioneer among Finns :p

canoilers

03-16-2006, 7:21am

Maybe he just thinks of it as laughing with him. :p

FinnFreak

03-16-2006, 7:37am

Wow, you'd rather get laughed at instead of going unnoticed? You're a pioneer among Finns :p
No pain - no gain (...and what do we have to lose..? - our image..? WHAT IMAGE..?!?) :funny:

...actually I see the group Lordi as a parody of self-seriousness and being too sensitive about your image... :p

...and the winds of change are blowing throughout the land... today we're laughing more at ourselves than ever before... ;)

...just look at the reception Conan O'Brien got in Helsinki: the fans weren't THAT seriously wanting to see/meet Conan - rather they were enthusiastic about joining in on the joke... creating a huge event, that would make the whole world smile... :)

I liked Conan's Finland special they showed yesterday evening. It was funny. On one hand, I'm a bit dissappointed he didn't joke about us in his usual over the top wacky fashion, rather he showed us in a flattering way... now that's a real friend. We'll be happy to have him back anytime. :]

...I'm not writing off being serious about image awareness completely... it's keeping the emotions in a balance (believing 100% in what you are doing) what counts; it doesn't really matter if it's a deadly serious performance or out-of-this-world craziness...

...if it lacks that soul - it shows... and we lose again.

:uhh: (...did anyone get the point I'm after with this..? ...because I'm not too sure myself...) :really:

...maybe I'm just good at posting pictures of toilets... :p

John - :biglaugh:

canoilers

03-16-2006, 7:44am

Be proud young man! Maybe we should just call you the John of Johns, and with my humour I can be the Sean of Johns. :p

Hey I can call my toilet Sean's John, think that would upset Puffy.

aFinn

03-16-2006, 7:46am

No pain - no gain

:uhh: (...did anyone get the point I'm after with this..? ...because I'm not too sure myself...) :really:
...maybe I'm just good at posting pictures of toilets... :p
John - :biglaugh:Painful gain? :uhh:

:funny: ...I might have understood some, not quite sure though, perhaps one day I'll know :uhh: :p

canoilers

03-16-2006, 7:47am

Wow, you expect to live that long.

aFinn

03-16-2006, 7:50am

Wow, you expect to live that long.:biglaugh:

Gotta have faith ..err..Shania :p

canoilers

03-16-2006, 7:51am

Thats the good medicine, and you don't even need a perscription. :D

FinnFreak

03-16-2006, 8:13am

heh... I just posted this to the Conan O'Brien discussion board:

Topic: How about a Finnish celebrity on Conan's show?

Guys, let's get serious for a moment.

We need to get a Finnish band on that show, that once and for all will give an accurate picture of what the music scene in Finland has to offer.

Lordi

www.lordi.org

:p

John - :D

canoilers

03-16-2006, 9:26am

You really must not like them, I mean you never talk about them.

FinnFreak

03-17-2006, 4:13am

heh...

...I saw their new video for "Hard Rock Hallelujah" just this morning, before leaving for the office...

...the song's not that bad at all... though their visual image is... well... you know... :p

...which gave me another frightening thought:

IF they would happen to WIN (extremely unlikely)...

...would they be invited to the Independence Day Ball at the Presidential palace..?!? :shocked:

John - :biglaugh:

FinnFreak

03-17-2006, 7:23am

;)

Keväällä 2006 YLE Live keskiviikkoisin ja sunnuntaisin

Tulossa mm.

19.3. Yle Live: Parasta kantria 2005 TV2 22:50 - 00:20

http://www.yle.fi/live/kuvat06/kantria.jpg

Kantrin megajuhlassa New Yorkissa marraskuussa esiintyivät mm. Keith Urban, Lee Ann Womack ja Gretchen Wilson sekä duettopareina Willie Nelson/Paul Simon, Bon Jovi/Jennifer Nettles ja Dolly Parton/Elton John.

John - ;)

aFinn

03-17-2006, 8:42am

FinnFreak

03-17-2006, 8:44am

STT - 17.3.2006

Finland more popular than ever with exchange students

Finland's popularity as a destination for the European Union's university exchange programme, Erasmus, is still increasing, according to statistics published by the European Commission Thursday.

Finland hosted 5,351 Erasmus students in 2004-2005, an increase of over 400 on the previous year.

Finland is a very popular destination country on the EU level. For example Denmark, which has a population comparable to Finland's, attracted 3,880 students.

Finnish university students were also active in going on student exchange in EU countries. In 2004-2005 there were 3,932 outgoing Finnish students, approximately the same number as the previous year.

* * *

Finland For Thought - today

President Halonen believed Bush’s WMD claim

Bush replied with, “And I believed she was Conan O’Brien’s mom!!”…

President Halonen admitted an interview that she had been among those who had been starry-eyed enough to accept the weapons of mass destruction theory spun by the US and its allies prior to the Iraq war.

“US concerns appeared credible and I fully backed the idea that one should find out whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.”

“But equally gullible is the notion that as soon as one deposes a tyrant, democracy will replace him.”

John - ;)

FinnFreak

03-17-2006, 8:53am

Ah, thanks! A while ago I tried looking for info when CMA Awards would be broadcast here, it's usually been around new year, looks like a "bit" of a delay this year :uhh:

...I've got a theory... ;)

[phone rings]

Hello..? Yes, this is the Finnish Broadcasting Company Channel 2... aha... CBS Television... yes... what..? You've got the CMA 2005 show for how much..? WOW. Let's see... is Shania performing..? NO..?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME..?!? Call back, when the price has fallen to 25%. Bye.

[hangs up]

John - :p

canoilers

03-17-2006, 7:40pm

canoilers

03-17-2006, 7:41pm

FinnFreak

03-22-2006, 9:06am

STT - 22.3.2006

Finnish defence ministry picks Linux

http://riccistreet.net/dwares/plaza/kenyon/Linux.gif

Security was the key consideration when Finland's Ministry of Defence chose home-grown Linux as its new computer operating system.

The ministry said Tuesday that trouble-free and secure running of an operating system was critical for the ministry's operations and decision making.

Antti Nummiranta, the ministry's information technology planner, said Linux would replace the old Unix system, no longer able to serve the ministry's computing needs.

Linux, an open-source software development, began life in the early 1990s as a hobby of Linus Torvalds, a Finnish university student.

John - :)

Troll

03-22-2006, 2:13pm

Thanks for the info.

FinnFreak

03-23-2006, 7:52am

Toronto Star - Thu, March 23, 2006

Music sets the tone

Finnish group Värttinä's style meets requirement to tell archaic tale in songs for modern ears

http://www.thestar.com/images/thestar/img/060321_lotr_varttina_300.jpg
Members of Värttinä, one of the most well-known
European roots groups in North America, have put
their regular schedule on hold for what they describe
as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Together with
A.R. Rahman, they’ve helped to create the music for
the stage production opening.

by JOHN TERAUDS, CLASSICAL MUSIC WRITER

Songs of victory and defeat, of derring-do and love — every culture has them.

So it's natural that J.R.R. Tolkien, the consummate master of detail in creating the universe of The Lord of the Rings, worked at finding a sung voice for his characters as well.

As medieval Northern Europeans regaled themselves around a roaring fire with songs, so do the inhabitants of Middle-earth.

They even play instruments. There are violins, harps and woodwinds for the dwarves. There's even a fiddle-playing cat in "Frodo's Song at Bree."

Howard Shore did a masterful job of integrating Tolkien's intentions when he composed the soundtrack for Peter Jackson's films, striking a balance between Hollywood's needs for epic scale and the intimacy of the story's personal struggles.

Whether or not Jackson's movies did justice to the actual style of music Tolkien had in mind for Gondor or the Shire, it worked for audiences in movie theatres.

But what about the new music-filled theatrical production, which must meet a different set of demands?

Stage music has to convey character, mood and dialogue in a short space of time — while also taking into account the different vocal abilities of each actor.

As Lord of the Rings orchestrator and musical supervisor Christopher Nightingale has pointed out in numerous interviews, the musical's creative team wanted to ensure a sound and feel of authenticity in the final result.

Enter Värttinä (pronounced VAR-tin), one of the most well-known European roots music groups in North America.

Nightingale and lyricist Shaun McKenna sat down to listen to dozens of different performers and groups before they found the sound and feel they were looking for.

For Toronto's world premiere of the Lord of the Rings stage musical, this veteran Finnish band offered the best promise of embodying Middle-earth music.

Together with Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman, Värttinä (which means "spindle" in Finnish) has been part of a long and arduous collaboration for the show. Besides satisfying Middle-earth purists, the music also has to appeal to the ears of pop- and rock-loving visitors to a Western big-city theatre.

"It started more than three years ago," says Janne Lappalainen, one of Värttinä's founding members. "Chris Nightingale was going through different kinds of world music and he came up with our album Miero. There was one particular track he felt had some special quality to it."

Lappalainen recounts how Nightingale sent the group an email asking if it would be interested in working on a musical. "We had no idea about the size of the whole production."

He says the band members, who were about to record a new album, were open to the idea. Nightingale flew out to Finland to see Värttinä perform, "and that's when it all started."

In retrospect, Värttinä appears to have been a natural choice.

The group has been around in one form or another for a bit more than 20 years. Its signature style starts with centuries-old folk songs from the Finnish region of Karelia, which shares a border with northwestern Russia, and transforms them into a kinetic mix of sound and rhythm.

The vocals are performed by three women in a hard-edged style that recalls the Bulgarian voices that became popular a decade-and-a-half ago. The accompaniment is all-acoustic, adopting pop and rock influences with percussion, saxophone, bouzouki, guitar, bass, fiddle and accordion in ever-shifting combinations.

The group's past compositions cover a wide spectrum of moods. Their most recent work is best described as a multi-layered tapestry of repeating melodic fragments with a complex rhythmic underpinning.

It's a sound with an immediate, visceral appeal, much like the best Celtic music (or early Ashley MacIsaac, for that matter).

A reviewer on the Pitchfork music website described the sound on the earlier album Iki as "party music of Nordic war gods."

London's Daily Telegraph describes Värttinä this way, referring to Miero:

"Backed by swirling fiddles and accordions and remorseless pounding drums, their exultant, semi-polyphonic singing is at once strident and alluring in a way that would make them perfect adolescent fantasy material if they didn't happen to be foreign and folk ..."

By "adolescent fantasy material," the Telegraph's writer is referring to Mari Kaasinen, Johanna Virtanen and Susan Aho, the three singers. Once Toronto audiences have become acquainted with their sound (and their long-haired good looks), the fact that they are "foreign and folk" may not matter.

Besides, the post-Lord of the Rings Värttinä may never be the same again.

Lappalainen says he and the rest of the band have put their regular schedule on hold for the Toronto musical. It's a break they've welcomed. "This one special thing, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime," he says.

The bouzouki and saxophone player, who is also Värttinä's chief arranger and composer, says that working on something different every few years has become one of the band's trademarks.

"It's kind of natural evolution that happens over the years," says Lappalainen. "I've been with the band for 22 years now. I wouldn't be in the band if the music always stayed the same."

Sounding very much like a roots musician, he adds: "As we are growing up and growing older, our whole perspective toward life and music changes, so the music has to follow, so we can be honest to ourselves. It's important for us that the music we do be from our hearts. It's not something you think, `Oh this is marketable, this is something that could sell.' It's not about that."

Despite such a non-commercial attitude, Värttinä remains a best-selling band in Finland and in many other parts of Europe.

Värttinä took a short break from the Lord of the Rings rehearsals last month to launch an album — the band's 10th studio effort — at a music conference in Cannes, France. But that's the group's only public engagement for a while.

Lappalainen hopes the group will be able to perform in Toronto.: "We definitely want to come here and play our own shows."

But it may be a while before Värttinä is back to touring..

"We also have the premiere coming in London next year, so we'll start rehearsing there in the autumn," says Lappalainen.

"During the summer, there will be a Lord of the Rings album coming, so we have to record that."

It sounds like Middle-earth and Värttinä are bound together by music.

With a bit of luck, it will be a bond that Toronto audiences will confirm as a happy one.

Middle-earth is counting on it.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1142941149236&call_pageid=970599119419

John - ;)

FinnFreak

03-24-2006, 5:10am

Helsingin Sanomat

Lording it over Eurovision

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219198502.jpeg
Finland's answer to Europop. We've given the
world mobile phones, racing drivers, classical
conductors, and now monster-Disney-heavy.

By Juha Akkanen

It is once again that time of the year when the Eurovision Song Contest stirs the public pot: has the right song been picked to represent Finland in Athens, and where will the Finnish entry place in the final, if it places at all?

This time around there have been shrieks of horror at the monstrous apparition that is being sent from the land of the polar bears to make Greek blood run cold and destroy the Finnish good name.

Since I have only heard a few seconds of the track that won the Finnish qualifying event, and not even that much of the candidates that lost to it, I can say with confidence: things will go at least as well in Athens as they have always gone previously.

As a rule, Finland has managed to secure a result in these affairs that would be a source of pride only to present-day Finnish cross-country skiers of the male variety.

The tactics adopted are perfectly right: when stodgy attempts at playing by the rules have not produced much more than a few points and a place in the basement, then why not go for broke with something completely off-the-wall.

The rest of Europe will get a good belly-laugh, whereas in the past the Finnish entry has more often than not been received with a mixture of pity and awkward fidgety embarrassment.

Another good thing about the chosen piece is that at least there are now no advance pressures. That is, unless some daft Finn goes and tries once more to cajole some praise out of his European colleagues.

The Finns still do not seem to have grasped that your standard European will commend our efforts out of sheer politeness. If some foreigner characterises the performance as "interesting", what he actually means is that it was "weird".

The choice this time around is much the same as Finland's previous Eurovision entries, in the sense that there is precious little melody and it is hard to make out the words. This time the artists also manage to look just as good as the piece sounds.

Back in the days when the Eurovision show was still a song contest, the average European taste was best appealed to either by those slightly wistful French chansons that look back warmly on love long gone, by melodic Irish ballads, or then by light, frothy numbers where the lyrics are utter gobbledy-gook, like the Dutch Ding-A-Dong, Lulu's Boom-Bang-a-Bang, or Sweden's post-Abba triumph in 1984, Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley.

The Finns do not seem to be able to carry off these genres with any degree of aplomb. On many occasions, the song sent to market has been an overly artistic concoction that would appeal to a couple of dozen listeners at best.

We have admittedly done marginally better in the stupid lyrics department: Pylly vasten pyllyä pum pum (the legendary "Let your hip go hippety, pump pump"), Tom Tom Tom, and Tipi-Tii [which actually collected maximum points from the UK jury in 1962] all come to mind.

In this nonsense-rhyme category there is one Finnish song that has done well in competition, but in the wrong competition. Sammy Babitzin's Daa-da, Daa-da would undoubtedly have been a hot number in the European arena. Of course, there would have been the slight caveat that juries from NATO countries might have suspected that the lyrics were espousing the eternal friendship of the Soviet peoples.

The concept of "just a soupcon of melancholy" does not fit into the Finnish emotional range, however hard we might try.

If one is feeling blue, then the standard practice is to wallow so deep in the slough of despond that no sane Central European would listen to that sort of whining, even out of politeness or human compassion. And in fairness, no Finn would, at least not sober.

It is fortunate that Elämän valttikortit has not - I guess - ever been a candidate for the Eurovision Song Contest. Europeans would not have recognised this morbid Finnish anthem of despair about how someone squandered away "the Royal Flush of life" for the dark parody it was originally meant to be. And, of course, the Finns didn't get the joke, either.

Which is why it sold by the truckload hereabouts.

John - :D

Big Swede

03-26-2006, 4:57am

heh...

...I saw their new video for "Hard Rock Hallelujah" just this morning, before leaving for the office...

...the song's not that bad at all... though their visual image is... well... you know... :p

John - :biglaugh:

I haven´t seen the video yet, but Swedish radio P3 plays "Hard Rock Hallelujah" once in a while. :up:
I have to say that the song aren´t exacly as "heavy" as the guys themself, it´s more like Bon Jovi with a bad throat, :p but I still think it´s really cool thing for the finns to do when they choose this song. :cool:

FinnFreak

03-27-2006, 4:01am

Helsingin sanomat - Monday 27.3.2006

Finnish-fuelled "Lord of the Rings" is magnificent stage spectacle

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219267130.jpeg
Brent Carver appears as Gandalf in the musical
theatre version of The Lord of the Rings

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219267245.jpeg
Members of the Finnish folk band Värttinä on their way to the première in Toronto

The much-anticipated musical theatre version of The Lord of the Rings made its formal début in a gala première in Toronto on Thursday evening, and the reactions of the audience suggested that the massive production would not be leaving town very soon. During the most impressive scenes the audience broke into spontaneous applause, and there were moments accompanied by gasps of astonishment.

From the Finnish point of view Toronto's The Lord of the Rings production is particularly interesting, with its strong Karelian-tinged songs composed by the Finnish folk group Värttinä.

The post-show gala was held at a local luxury hotel where the guests were entertained by the Finnish band, who also played a significant role in producing the music for the stage adaptation, together with the Indian composer A. R. Rahman.

The British-Canadian team has created a hybrid fantasy spectacle inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's famous trilogy. It is neither a play nor a musical as such, but something between the two. The performance is rich in circus elements and special effects. The enormous revolving stage of the Princess of Wales Theatre alone is impressive.

The star of the show is Canadian-born Michael Therriault in the role of Gollum.

Just as in Tolkien's original work, music has a greater role in the stage adaption than it had in Peter Jackson's highly successful film trilogy. The "Finnish connection" is not altogether a coincidence: Tolkien often referred to his own personal debt to the myths of the Finnish national epic Kalevala.

It remains to be seen whether the critical response to the production meets the apparent audience enthusiasm. The work is to be put on in the West End in London from 2007, and there are also plans for a possible Broadway run.

The New York Times - March 26, 2006

From Finland, Wearing Large Tutus

By JACK ANDERSON

FINLAND, though internationally known for its music, architecture and design, has been keeping cultural secrets from America. Contemporary dance, for one.

Tero Saarinen has toured Europe extensively with his own company and choreographed for troupes like the Netherlands Dance Theater, the Lyon Opera Ballet in France and the Batsheva Dance Company in Israel. When the Tero Saarinen Company presented "Westward Ho!" as part of a showcase of Finnish culture at Gould Hall in 1998, Anna Kisselgoff wrote in The New York Times that the troupe, then new, "should return soon."

But only now is it doing so, coming to the Joyce Theater, with a triple-bill of "Westward Ho!," "Wavelengths" and "Hunt." In July, it will also present "Borrowed Light," with live music by the Boston Camerata, at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts.

Other Finnish choreographers have been arousing interest of late. Productions by Jorma Elo, Virpi Pahkinen and Kenneth Kvarnstrom were part of "Stockholm/59° North," a program of Scandinavian choreography performed by dancers from the Royal Swedish Ballet last summer at Jacob's Pillow. And the New York City Ballet offers a premiere by Mr. Elo on June 16.

But the prominent Finnish choreographer Jorma Uotinen is almost totally unfamiliar to Americans. And few outside Finland are aware that Finnish modern dance goes back as far as 1911, when Maggie Gripenberg, an admirer of Isadora Duncan, created a sensation by dancing barefoot at her Helsinki debut. Her influence remained strong for decades, and interest in contemporary dance continues to grow in Finland.

Mr. Saarinen, 41, has theories why Finnish dance has not caught America's attention.

"We are reluctant to promote ourselves," he said, speaking fluent English in a recent telephone interview from Toronto, where his company was dancing. "Finland's geographical isolation has fostered a sense of emotional isolation. It's also usually easier to tour Europe than to travel to America."

Finland's often austere realm of solid stone, dense forests and cold water may have influenced the Finnish temperament.

"We don't speak much," Mr. Saarinen said. "Although we can be very jolly among foreigners, we are often severe when we are by ourselves. Yet our avoidance of speech may be one reason why we become fine dancers."

Mr. Saarinen founded his group in 1998 and called it Company Toothpick. "I thought it would be nice to have a name with a twinkle in its eye," he said. "Then the company grew and the name no longer sounded appropriate." So in 2002 it became the Tero Saarinen Company.

"Westward Ho!," also dating from 1998, is the group's calling card, Mr. Saarinen said. Suggesting that dances should be more than "theatrical fast food," he seemed pleased that audiences still relish this study of three men engaged in a stoic struggle.

Mr. Saarinen originally thought of setting "Wavelengths," a 2000 duet about male-female relationships, to Ravel's "Bolero." Instead, he had Riku Niemi, a Finnish composer, create a new score for him, which, as Mr. Saarinen put it, "follows the emotional arc of 'Bolero.' "

The most unusual presentation at the Joyce is "Hunt," a 2002 solo, which Mr. Saarinen dances to Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." That tumultuous composition could easily overwhelm a soloist. Yet several choreographers have devised solos to it, notably Molissa Fenley, whose "State of Darkness" (1988) transformed Stravinsky's sacrificial maiden into a bold female warrior.

In Mr. Saarinen's solo, he becomes both hunter and hunted. While he dances, Marita Liulia, a multimedia artist, floods his costume with streams of images showing him dancing. The choreography touches upon many themes: among them, a dancer's realization of growing old ("a kind of 'Dying Swan' idea," Mr. Saarinen said), masculine and feminine polarities and the problems of preserving personal identity in a technological age.

"Borrowed Light," the 2004 production he is staging at the Pillow, was inspired in part by the Shakers, the austere 18th-century religious sect. Shaker songs, performed by the Boston Camerata, serve as accompaniment, and singers and dancers intermingle.

Seen in Helsinki last summer, "Borrowed Light" was impressive for its juxtapositions of light and heavy movements and for the way Mikki Kunttu, the designer, sometimes pierced the stage with light and at other times blurred the space. The title refers to the way Shaker houses, to maximize working time indoors, had windows that let light penetrate far into the rooms.

Light matters to Mr. Saarinen. He praised Mr. Kunttu, who has lighted his productions since the troupe's founding, for "using light like an architect."

"Light's important in Finland — how we use it, how we react to it. Because of our geographical location, we spend half the year almost entirely under artificial light. Then we have almost 24 hours of real light daily. That must affect our mentality somehow."

Mr. Saarinen, who knows Finland's lights and darks, was born in Pori, a city on the west coast: "the middle of nowhere," he termed it. Asked if he is related to the Saarinen family of distinguished architects, he replied, "Unfortunately not." His mother was a seamstress; his father worked for the local newspaper.

"My father was also a sports freak," Mr. Saarinen said. "He wanted me to try just about every sport there was."

A dance school opened in Pori when Mr. Saarinen was 16, and given the physicality of the art, his parents encouraged him to take jazz- and folk-dance classes: "It was love at first sight," he said.

Impressed by his ability, a visiting teacher from the well-regarded Finnish National Ballet suggested that he attend the company's school in Helsinki. Mr. Saarinen responded eagerly to the training, joined the National Ballet in 1985 and soon became a soloist.

But because his curiosity about dance forms remained insatiable, he left in 1992 for Japan, where he studied the experimental and often grotesque modern style known as Butoh. Among his teachers was Kazuo Ohno, a Butoh master who imbued him with a reverence for tradition. "I am dancing on top of my ancestors," Mr. Saarinen quoted him as saying.

Mr. Saarinen spent a brief time in Nepal studying traditional dance. "That really taught me I have fingers and toes," he said. "Fingers and toes sometimes seem dead in ballet."

Mr. Saarinen lives alone in Helsinki. "My company is my family," he said. And dance remains as strong a passion for him as it was when, back in his student days, he said, "I would stretch out in the snow, stare up at the stars and say to myself over and over, 'I want to dance, I want to dance.' "

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-27-2006, 8:03am

Iltalehti

Vanhanen haastaa Ilta-Sanomat oikeuteen?

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/03/27/vanhanenoikeusHM_uu.jpg

Pääministeri Matti Vanhanen (kesk) harkitsee oikeustoimia Ilta-Sanomia kohtaan.
Henkilökohtaisten tekstiviestien sisällön julkaisu oli pääministerille liikaa.

...kännykällä tämä poika se tyttöjen kimppuun... kännykällä, sano... :p

STT - 27.3.2006 at 10:12

Finnish PM mulls suing tabloid Ilta-Sanomat

Matti Vanhanen (centre), the prime minister of Finland, said Sunday he was considering taking legal action against tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, which on Saturday ran a story about private text messages sent by Mr Vanhanen.

"I intend to contact the prosecutor on Monday morning to discuss how they view the matter: is the protection of the secrecy of messages afforded by the constitution and special statutes valid for a person holding the office of prime minister or are exceptions allowed. This has become a question of principle for me," Mr Vanhanen writes in an entry posted on his website on Sunday.

Mr Vanhanen added that although he had in the past refrained from commenting on claims expressed by the press about his private life, Ilta-Sanomat had ventured a step too far.

Ilta-Sanomat writes about the text messages in a way that betrays that the paper had detailed information about them, Mr Vanhanen writes, adding that the tabloid printed the contents of the messages almost verbatim.

Mr Vanhanen underscores that the secrecy of communication, be it in the form of a letter, a telephone conversation or other confidential message, is inviolable. Further, special statutes are very specific on the matter: text messages are considered on a par with letters, phone calls and emails, Mr Vanhanen points out.

"Also chapter 38 of the penal code deals with the matter. It also considers the possibility of somebody attempting to acquire information about the contents of a text message."

Mr Vanhanen said he had attempted to contact Ilta-Sanomat but had not received any reply, expression of regret or apology.

"Apparently the paper believes it had a right to act the way it did."

Mr Vanhanen's special aide told the Finnish News Agency (STT) on Sunday that the prime minister did not wish to comment further at this stage.

STT - 27.3.2006 at 15:01

Finnish PM says not to sue Ilta-Sanomat

Matti Vanhanen (centre) said on Monday that he would not sue Ilta-Sanomat, a tabloid, for printing the contents of private text messages.

In an entry posted on his website on Sunday, Mr Vanhanen said he would consult legal experts on what had become "a question of principle".

John - :biglaugh:

FinnFreak

03-27-2006, 8:29am

The Boston Globe - March 23, 2006

A marketplace-driven sport makes strides in the US

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2006/03/23/1143093548_5025.jpg
Laura Biron pointed the way while Nordic walking with Brenda Stermer
and Chad Couto, carrying Maya Fried, in Stowe, Vt.

By Sasha Talcott

STOWE, Vt. -- When a Finnish ski-pole maker wanted to sell more poles, it didn't pray for snow: It created a new fitness activity in which people use their ski poles to walk year-round on perfectly dry trails, even on city streets.

Now the company, Exel Oyj, has its eye on spreading Nordic walking to a whole new market -- the United States -- and it has set up shop in Vermont to make it happen.

Devotees of the sport, which uses specially modified poles, swear Nordic walking burns more calories than regular walking, and uses more muscle groups.

Some powerful companies are betting it can succeed. Reebok is selling a special Nordic walking shoe, while L.L. Bean is featuring the sport on the cover of its 2006 women's spring clothing catalogue. (For shoppers curious about the photo of the happy-looking woman holding poles, L.L. Bean tells them, ''Did you know that you can get more mileage from your walking workout by adding Nordic poles?")

Once Exel introduced Nordic walking to Europe in the 1990s, it became an overnight craze -- 5 million Europeans are now Nordic walkers, according to an industry group. Other companies took notice and are convinced that it will soon gain popularity here.

''We saw the Nordic walking craze just taking over parts of Europe," said Scot Balentine, L.L. Bean's product developer for winter and summer sports. ''A lot of people were getting out and doing it. We think this activity will really resonate."

In Stowe, a spa called the Stoweflake Mountain Resort has taken the lead in luring newcomers to Nordic walking. One recent Saturday morning, a group of four women, dressed in tight-fitting black pants and fleece, showed up for the spa's Nordic walking class, where all levels are encouraged to join. They picked up a pair of poles, then hit the trail.

The basic body motion is intuitive: Plant the pole with your right arm, while stepping forward with your left leg, then the reverse.

But there are endless variations. ''You can run with them," said Chad Couto, the spa's fitness director. ''People run marathons with these things." Later in the class, he showed the women some other possibilities: Nordic skipping, Nordic bounding (similar to a walk, but with a little hop), and Nordic shuffling. All can be used in interval training on hills.

A regular in the class, Laura Fried, brought her 3-year-old daughter, Maya, along for the walk, and even outfitted her with special turquoise ''Nordic walker junior" poles. Fried first discovered the sport last summer when she showed up for a yoga class at the spa, but the fitness instructors persuaded her to try Nordic walking instead.

''The first time I was completely out of breath," she said. ''We went up hills, and my triceps really hurt. But I kept coming back, and built up the stamina. It's incredible."

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/03/23/a_marketplace_driven_sport_makes_strides_in_the_us/

John - :p

manmangler

03-28-2006, 2:50am

I haven´t seen the video yet, but Swedish radio P3 plays "Hard Rock Hallelujah" once in a while. :up:
I have to say that the song aren´t exacly as "heavy" as the guys themself, it´s more like Bon Jovi with a bad throat, :p but I still think it´s really cool thing for the finns to do when they choose this song. :cool:

Some think that not so Cool (http://www.paskedi.gr/UserPages/NewsLetterPreview.aspx?ID=59) :eek:

FinnFreak

03-28-2006, 3:04am

;)

Some think that not so Cool (http://www.paskedi.gr/UserPages/NewsLetterPreview.aspx?ID=59) :eek:

:uhh: ...where they get the "evil & satanic", is beyond me... :really:

...one of the guy's stage name is "Amen" & another one works with a church... and if my memory serves me correctly, they've got a song that even ridicules the devil (yep: "Devil Is A Loser")... so, there you go...

:huh:

...I bet there's probably a site somewhere claiming the very same about Carola Häggkvist...

John - :p

canoilers

03-28-2006, 4:58am

Some people just see what the want too see without seeing the facts. Thats way it is, goes for everything.

FinnFreak

03-28-2006, 5:17am

;)

...the Germans look promising:

http://www.eurovision.tv/images/imagegallery/07_germany_texas_2006_IV_1.jpg
Germany - Texas Lightning after winning the German Final

...as does Portugal:

http://www.eurovision.tv/images/imagegallery/07_portugal_2006_2.jpg
Portugal - Nonstop for Portugal

(I first thought they were the Pussycat Dolls) :p

...and how about Spain:

http://www.eurovision.tv/images/imagegallery/07_spain_2006_III_1.jpg
Spain - Las Ketchup - the official catalogue picture

...I could've sworn there were only 3 girls in Las Ketchup..? :really:

http://www.eurovision.tv/english/index.htm

...this is going to be fun..!

John - :D

FinnFreak

03-28-2006, 7:36am

...and the most hilarious quote so far this week, goes to:

Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen:

"I've been a client of hers for years"

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219316531.jpeg
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen discussed his privacy in a press conference at
the Aurinkorinne Comprehensive School in Kuopio on Monday.

STT - Tuesday 28.3.2006

Prime Minister Vanhanen backs down from legal action against tabloid

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen decided on Monday to back down from legal action against the late-edition tabloid Ilta-Sanomat for violation of privacy.

On Saturday, the paper reported extensively on SMS messages Vanhanen sent to a woman. The Prime Minister was especially annoyed that Ilta-Sanomat quoted the content of the messages almost verbatim. Moreover, the tabloid claimed that Vanhanen would have sent amorous text messages to several women.

After consulting legal experts, Vanhanen said that the case involved violation of communication privacy. He noted, however, that as prime minister his possibilities to sue the paper would be insufficient.

Still on Sunday, the Prime Minister and Centre Party Chairman wrote on his weblog that he was considering taking legal action against Ilta-Sanomat. The process could have lasted for up to two years, said Vanhanen.

Vanhanen was deeply offended by the explanation of Ilta-Sanomat that "the citizens have the right to know how the Prime Minister uses SMS messages to get female company".

The Prime Minister said that his personal life has been publicly aired throughout the three years he has been in office. Previously, the Prime Minister has refrained from reacting to what has been written about his private life in the press, "even though the reports have contained a pack of lies and wrong information".

Ari-Matti Nuutila, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Turku, denies that communications privacy has been violated in this case, as the content of the message was obtained through legal means. Furthermore, the Prime Minister does not enjoy such protection of privacy that it would be illegal to write about his private life.

John - :biglaugh:

Big Swede

03-28-2006, 1:42pm

;)
they've got a song that even ridicules the devil (yep: "Devil Is A Loser")... so, there you go...

:huh:

Have you tried to play it backwards? :funny: :funny:

...I bet there's probably a site somewhere claiming the very same about Carola Häggkvist...

I can do it right here right now if you wan´t to? :p (Let´s say I´m NOT a big fan of Carola nowdays) :rolleyes:

And honetsly, I believe Carola is much closer to the devil than Lordi. :p Have you seen any interviews with Carola lately? She behaves really wierd and say many very stupid things... :nono:

aFinn

03-28-2006, 3:46pm

Spain - Las Ketchup
...I could've sworn there were only 3 girls in Las Ketchup..? :really:
Well, at least there were three :p

Aserejé, ja deje tejebe tude jebere
Sebiunouba majabi an de bugui an de buididipí .....

FinnFreak

03-29-2006, 2:06am

Aserejé, ja deje tejebe tude jebere
Sebiunouba majabi an de bugui an de buididipí .....

...now, I wonder what THAT would sound played backwards... :p

"...íqibibiud eb na iugud... mustard sucks... aduonuides eredej..."

John - :D

FinnFreak

03-30-2006, 7:01am

Contactmusic.com - 30/03/2006

FONDA OUT TO REVERSE HOLLYWOOD SURGERY TREND

http://images.contactmusic.com/images/artist/janefondaap.jpg http://kuvat2.iltasanomat.fi/iltasanomat/iDoc/1150777-fonda.jpg

Actress JANE FONDA is on a one-woman crusade to reverse Hollywood's plastic surgery trend. The movie veteran, who admits to a one-time boob job, is sick of seeing unnatural-looking women on the streets of Tinseltown and she wants to encourage them to embrace the ageing process. She says, "I'm going to try and organise other women in my profession and my friends to say no to the duck lips and getting rid of the wrinkles. "I've just travelled through Sweden and Finland, looking at faces that were real... as opposed to, in Hollywood, (where) everybody is starting to looking alike. "Somebody's got to give a face to getting old."

http://contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/fonda%20out%20to%20reverse%20hollywood%20surgery%2 0trend_30_03_2006

:funny: - ...we look really old..?!? - :biglaugh: - ok...

John - :p

aFinn

03-30-2006, 3:25pm

...now, I wonder what THAT would sound played backwards... :p
"...íqibibiud eb na iugud... mustard sucks... aduonuides eredej..."
:funny: :funny:

"I've just travelled through Sweden and Finland, looking at faces that were real... as opposed to, in Hollywood, (where) everybody is starting to looking alike. "Somebody's got to give a face to getting old."O---key :uhh:

...So was she taken through all the retirement homes of Scandinavia or something? :huh:

:p

Myyde

03-30-2006, 4:49pm

Little bit old info, but whattheheck...

Here is few lists what Finns want to listen on radio, :huh: most played artists 2004... :smirk:
1st list is from commercial radio stations(overall result)...few good names there. :up:
2nd list is from local radio stations...well, #1 is what it is, but next 3 are really good. :great:
3rd list is from nation-wide radio stations...WHAAAT...that doesn`t look too good!!!!:weird: :uhh:

SOITETUIMMAT ESITTÄJÄT KAUPALLISISSA RADIOISSA 2004 (KOKONAISTULOS)

1. Madonna
2. Celine Dion
3. Anastacia
4. Robbie Williams
5. Anna Eriksson
6. Neljä Ruusua
7. Eppu Normaali
8. Britney Spears
9. J. Karjalainen
10. Mamba
11. Elvis Presley
12. Kari Tapio
13. Bryan Adams
14. Tina Turner
15. Bruce Springsteen

SOITETUIMMAT ESITTÄJÄT PAIKALLISRADIOISSA 2004

1. Madonna
2. Celine Dion
3. Anna Eriksson
4. Shania Twain
5. Kari Tapio
6. Tina Turner
7. Bruce Springsteen
8. Whitney Houston
9. Robbie Williams
10. Bryan Adams
11. Anastacia
12. Britney Spears
13. Elvis Presley
14. J. Karjalainen
15. The Eagles

SOITETUIMMAT ESITTÄJÄT VALTAKUNNALLISISSA/PUOLIVALTAKUNNALLISISSA RADIOISSA 2004

1. Neljä Ruusua
2. The Rasmus
3. Anastacia
4. Eppu Normaali
5. Egotrippi
6. Robbie Williams
7. Jonna Tervomaa
8. Maroon 5
9. Celine Dion
10. Dido
11. J. Karjalainen
12. Tiktak
13. Mamba
14. Bon Jovi
15. Yö
http://www.gramex.fi/index.php?mid=527

FinnFreak

03-31-2006, 2:22am

yesh - the local radio stations roool..! :cool::up:

John - :D

FinnFreak

03-31-2006, 4:30am

The Washington Post - Sunday, March 26, 2006; Page W10

The Finnish Line

Sub-zero temperatures. Sunlight for just five hours a day. Centuries of Russian aggression.

The people of Finland have a word for their renowned fortitude and resilience.

Could an outsider get in on their secret?

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/03/24/PH2006032400737.jpg (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2006/03/24/GA2006032400733_metaRefresher.htm?startat=1','cwga llery_win','toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no, status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,co pyhistory=no,width=730,height=670,left=0,top=0,scr eenX=0,screenY=0)
Enter Photogallery (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2006/03/24/GA2006032400733_metaRefresher.htm?startat=1','cwga llery_win','toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no, status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,co pyhistory=no,width=730,height=670,left=0,top=0,scr eenX=0,screenY=0)

By Bill Thomas

It's a typical midwinter morning in Helsinki -- dark, dreary and freezing cold. After spending the night at a friend's house, I'm huddled with a group of commuters on the island of Suomenlinna, waiting for the downtown ferry. Known as "the Gibraltar of the North" for its historic military fortifications, Suomenlinna is home to hundreds of hardy suburbanites, and, in the frigid winter months, can be a merciless test of endurance. The boat ride into the city is a half-hour pleasure trip during the short Finnish summer, but this morning's voyage across icebound Helsinki harbor could be tough going -- at least for me. Insufficiently layered against the elements, I've got the feeling that nature, in all its Nordic wrath, is about to dish out some especially harsh treatment. When I mention this to the guy next to me, he looks up from his thermal coffee mug and smiles in a very Finnish way that says, Deal with it.

Finland in late January is no place for complainers.

The slightest rumor of snow can send Washingtonians into a panic. Finns see winter weather differently, not as something to be afraid of but to be faced up to, managed and enjoyed. Soon the 80-foot ferry is crashing through slabs of ice as big as king-size mattresses. Every time it lurches forward I nearly fall out of my seat. Meanwhile, other passengers are on their second cup of coffee -- Finns claim to lead Europe in per capita consumption -- and calmly reading the paper.

Nothing, I'm suddenly reminded, could be more fundamentally Finnish. In the five years since my last visit I'd almost forgotten about sisu, a Finnish word for something that's hard to translate. The equivalent in English might be "determination." Sisu, however, implies a trait much deeper in the Finnish character, so deep, in fact, that it's best observed in the dead of winter, when added reserves are needed just to make it from one five-hour day to the next.

Blammm. Ice smashing under us makes the cabin sound like a giant steel drum. Crrrunch. Kabammm. Nobody on board, with the exception of me, even flinches.

How do they do it? Where do Finns find the strength to exist in conditions like these? And how can I get some? I'll be here for the next three days before heading to Moscow on business, but without a little sisu of my own, I'm not sure I can last.

Like bungee jumping or joining the Marines, traveling to Finland in winter gives visitors a chance to see what they're made of, to measure their ability to withstand everything from darkness at noon to Arctic blizzards against that of some of the most durable human beings on earth.

I don't know if I'm up to it, but there's only one way to find out. When we dock, I'm going to work on my "inner Finn," assuming that's where sisu comes from. But where do I start?

RICHARD STITES, A HISTORY PROFESSOR at Georgetown University, has been visiting Finland for 26 years. As long as I've known him he's been talking about getting "into the zone," Finnish style. He has to know something about sisu.

"I've spent every summer in Helsinki -- and five winters," he says proudly when we meet in his office at Helsinki University's Slavonic Library. Stites, the author of several books on Russian history, considers Finland his second home.

I can see that the five winters are supposed to impress me, which they do. I'm not out to break any records, I tell him, yet that many winters must have required a certain amount of sisu.

"Absolutely!" he says. "Without it, you can't survive."

To understand sisu, Stites explains, it's important to know about Finnish history, which includes lots of wars, invasions and foreign occupation. Finns aren't just the victims of severe weather. They haven't been treated that well by next-door neighbors Sweden and Russia, either. Sisu, Stites says, has sustained Finns through all of their long struggles.

Best known in the past for hosting East-West summit conferences, Finland in the last 15 years has snapped out of its Cold War identity crisis. "Finnish officials used to spend a great deal of effort trying to placate the Russians," says Stites. The government, in deference to the Kremlin, even had a policy of returning Soviet defectors.

The collapse of communism changed that, finally giving Finns a chance to be themselves -- confident, resourceful and quietly cutting-edge. Nowhere are the results more apparent than in Helsinki. The quaint seaport city has to be one of the most pedestrian-friendly capitals in Europe; just about everything is within easy walking distance, or a short tram ride, of everything else. Part of what makes exploring the city so interesting is watching Finns demonstrate their winter resilience. It doesn't take long to see how the Finnish economy, rated among the most competitive in the world, has turned Helsinki into a techno-metropolis where software companies such as Linux and cell phone giant Nokia have made interconnectivity a way of life. The Internet is so pervasive in Finland it could be a public utility.

Despite the telecommunications boom, Finns continue to keep a cautious eye on Russia, and the vast Russian collection at the Slavonic Library indicates that little has escaped their attention. But this afternoon Stites would rather recuperate than work on his next book.

"Krapula," he sighs.

That's Finnish for "hangover," a word I added to my own limited vocabulary the first time I was here. Last night, Stites was out drinking with some colleagues. One of the advantages of early winter sunsets -- not that the sun makes that many appearances this time of year -- is that Finnish bar life starts at 3 in the afternoon.

"There's a whole culture of krapula in this country," says Stites. "Finns understand that sisu needs help in the winter, and krapula is the price. You would never show up for work in the U.S. and tell people about your hangover. In Finland, everyone understands."

Still, as with most things Finnish, there are limits. Just because downtown Helsinki has few, if any, stop signs doesn't mean drivers aren't expected to stop. What makes them? I once asked a cabbie. "Community pressure," he replied.

Russians like to joke that Finland is a big village. It could be. There's a feeling of small-town togetherness throughout the country. You can see it in Finnish history, too. Centuries ago, with the advancing Mongols right behind them, ancestors of the modern-day Finns began moving westward from their homeland in the Ural Mountains, eventually settling in the fens and forests of northern Europe. The Finnish people have had to be tough and well organized to live in this part of the world, qualities celebrated in "Kalevala," an epic poem filled with accounts of hardship and courage that could be the closest thing the nation has to a mission statement.

When I bring up the Sports Institute of Finland, where sisu training, I'm told, is part of the conditioning program, Stites is skeptical. Sisu can't be taught, he says. It's something that develops over time by direct exposure to sisu-producing situations.

Aren't there any shortcuts?

"Yeah, there are," he says with a laugh.

That's how he got his headache.

Buses for Vierumaki, where the sports institute is located, leave Helsinki four times a day, and I decide to make the 80-mile trip the following morning. If sisu can be learned, maybe I can take a crash course.

A light snow is falling as the bus leaves the crowded Helsinki station. On our way out of the city past czarist-era buildings and daring new architecture, often on the same block, we drive up narrow streets lined with pastel houses that could have been airlifted from the Caribbean. The bright tropical colors are intended to ward off the winter doldrums.

English is spoken by nearly everyone in Helsinki, but once out of town I have to fall back on my rudimentary Finnish and assorted hand gestures, neither of which help very much after I get off the bus in Heinola, 20 miles from my destination.

"Is this the way to Vierumaki?" I ask a woman standing at the bus shelter. She smiles.

"Vierumaki?"

More smiles.

"No English," says a salesman in an antiques shop across the street. I get the same response in a music store and a beauty salon. Back at the shelter, no one speaks English, although when I ask about Vierumaki, one man in a fur hat gives my arm a friendly squeeze and announces, "Arnold Schwarzenegger!" So I must be headed in the right direction, and I grab the next bus.

When we stop at the edge of a pine forest, a passenger whose English is surprisingly good says the sports institute is a short walk down the road. Forty-five minutes later I'm still walking. For Finns distance is more of a gauge of willpower than actual mileage -- in other words, a sisumeter. And mine is on empty when I flag down a Saab, the first car I've seen since I got off the bus. The driver assures me the institute is only a few more kilometers.

Under similar circumstances in any other country, it would be common courtesy to be given a lift. In Finland, it's not that simple. If I ask for a ride, I'm admitting I'm out of sisu. If I'm offered one, it confirms the same thing.

I let my fingers hang for a few seconds on the lowered car window. The heat feels good. What's strange is that it feels just as good knowing what I have to do. As the Saab disappears in a swirl of wind and snow, there's no telling how much farther I have to walk. But you don't build up sisu by following the path of least resistance.

The institute, when it finally comes into view, is a welcome sight. Timo Vuorimaa and Tommy Ekblom, two track coaches, are waiting for me beside a potted palm in the lobby of the administration building.

"We're fairly unique for this far north," says Vuorimaa. The sprawling complex is both a year-round fitness resort and a practice facility for Finnish Olympic teams. The golf course is buried under two feet of snow, but the indoor tennis courts, swimming pools and riding stables are open; so is a training center where sisu is tested.

Vuorimaa proposes lunch, and on the way to the cafeteria we stop at a statue of the institute's founder, Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala.

This looks like a man with sisu. Ekblom agrees. Pihkala's nickname, he says, means "grindstone" in Finnish.

Over herring and rye crackers washed down by several rounds of coffee, I learn that Pihkala also is the father of Finnish baseball. The sports-minded Finn traveled to the United States early in the last century, got hooked on the national pastime and brought it back to Finland, where it's called pesäpallo.

Curious to know how the Finnish version compares to the American game, Ekblom draws a pesapallo playing field on a napkin. Pihkala obviously took some liberties with the traditional baseball diamond. First base is where third base should be; second base is where first base belongs; and third base is in left field. The terminology is different, too. A strike is known as "a wound," and when you're out, "you're dead."

Ekblom suspects the emergency-room expressions may have something to do with the Finnish siege mentality. Pesapallo, he says, is a rural game in Finland, played during the spring and summer months in small towns, where fans yell and scream and drink lots of beer. He's happy to hear that's what fans in America do, too.

Baseball season seems a long way off as we trudge through the snow to the training center, and I'm handed over to Matti Heikkilä, head of physiological testing.

According to Heikkilä, Finns are physical fitness nuts. At an early age, children are introduced to rock climbing, hiking and other activities that many will pursue throughout their lives. Like health care and education, athletics are seen as a necessary component of Finnish life. Every February there's a one-week national holiday when Finns of all ages take part in a 50-mile ski race. Thousands participate, and, in a countrywide demonstration of sisu, most cross the finish line.

Given the interest in endurance sports, it makes sense that Finnish trainers would know something about how to prepare. Heikkilä says sisu plays a definite role, but then so do dedication, commitment and all the other qualities coaches everywhere talk about.

Right now he's putting a group of business executives through their paces. Companies in Finland regularly allow their employees time away from the office to take part in three-day workout retreats. Six men and women are riding stationary bikes, while Heikkilä sits behind a computer monitoring their vital signs. Later, he has them scheduled for gym exercises and outdoor activities. This time of year most people hit the golf course, which has been converted to a Nordic ski track. At the end of the program each person will get a complete record of his or her progress.

When I tell Heikkilä that, earlier in the day, I walked all the way from the bus stop, he nods without comment. Finns frown on bragging about personal accomplishments, and an hour's walk in a snowstorm, by Finnish standards, doesn't qualify as an accomplishment anyway.

Sisu requires constant work, Heikkilä says, especially in the winter. That's the real test. Finnish winters, while they may help people increase their sisu, can also have the opposite effect of wearing them down. Unfortunately, many younger Finns have gotten fat and lazy, he laments. "Life is too easy. They're losing their sisu. That's for sure." Not a problem for Heikkilä, who works on his sisu every chance he gets, often at his cottage in southern Finland, where he and his wife like to take scorching saunas followed in winter by a low-centigrade skinny-dip.

"You ought to try it," he says, warning that I should be careful. The wrong combination of hot and cold could ruin my vacation. I'm glad he reminds me. With all the sisu-enhancing sit-ups and squat thrusts he wants me to do, I forget I'm on one.

BACK IN HELSINKI, IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT -- maybe the ultimate -- step. After taking Heikkilä's advice and getting in touch with the Finnish Sauna Society, I hop a tram in front of the Swedish Theater in the center of downtown. Finns are preoccupied with their national identity. This country is Nordic, they proclaim, not Scandinavian, even if Swedish is the second official language, as well as an occasional nuisance. I once saw "Pulp Fiction" in Helsinki, and the Finnish and Swedish subtitles took up half the screen.

On a night like tonight, nothing in Finland says more about national identity than a sauna; there are more than 2 million saunas in the country, or roughly one for every two of Finland's 5.5 million people. It's not only snowing, there's also an Arctic cold front blowing in, the kind of cold that numbs the extremities and puts survival instincts on high alert. When I arrive at the society's rustic lodge at the end of an ice-covered road, Seppo Pukkila, my host for the evening, is waiting. Pukkila used to live in Chicago, he says, adding with a note of civic pride that Helsinki is colder. We strip, shower and head for one of three smoke saunas. An old Finnish tradition, a smoke sauna takes half a day to prepare. A wood fire is started in the morning to heat the sauna room, and after the smoke clears hours later it's ready to use.

"We call this one 'purgatory,'" Pukkila says, grinning.

The minute I open the door I'm hit with a blast of hot air that takes my breath away. The room has the smell of woodsy aftershave. In the dim light I can make out the shadowy figures of three naked men sitting on elevated benches. (Female members have the facilities to themselves on Mondays and Thursdays.) Pukkila introduces me, and the conversation switches to English. When he brings up my search for sisu, everyone says that I've come to the right place.

Two minutes in purgatory is all I can take.

Pukkila leads the way to the back porch, crowded with more naked guys of various ages, shapes and sizes, each steamed to a bright red. There are bankers, mechanics, artists and bureaucrats, men from all walks of Finnish life, bound together by a common devotion to toasting, then freezing, their buns off.

It's snowing and cold, but the heat from the sauna will keep us warm for the next few minutes, says Pukkila. More than enough time for what he ominously calls "phase two."

We proceed nude to the end of the society's pier, where a ladder disappears into the slushy Baltic Sea six feet below. Pukkila goes first. The idea is to climb down the ladder and, when the water is chin high, let go.

"Don't stop," cautions Pukkila. "Go straight in. It's the only way."

Stepping into the sea is like a shot of Novocain. The effect quickly spreads up my legs and back, then down my arms. When I'm up to my neck, I slip into the dark water, churned to the consistency of a Slurpee by a little wave-making machine under the pier. It's hard to tell if my nervous system is shutting down or revving up. In any case I can't feel a thing, except snowflakes hitting my forehead, until Pukkila taps me on the shoulder 15 seconds later, signaling it's time to go.

After another round trip from the sauna to the sea, Pukkila says he has to leave for a meeting. That means I'm on my own. During my fifth and final visit to purgatory I stay for almost three minutes, my personal best. At the end of the pier, it no longer seems strange to be naked and climbing into the freezing water. As I'm congratulating myself, I hear a sudden splash behind me and turn to see a big brown duck. I've never been eye to eye with a duck in its natural habitat. The two of us share a moment bobbing in the ice-cold sea before I have to get out.

I think I feel my inner Finn stirring.

Wrapped in a towel and enjoying a beer and sausage by a roaring fireplace in the rec room, I tell a society veteran about my encounter with the duck.

"Oh, that one," he says. "He drops in from time to time. We should make him pay dues."

ON MY LAST NIGHT IN HELSINKI, I get together with Stites and some of his friends at the Cafe Strindberg on the Esplanade, the city's main thoroughfare. Stites is in his usual jovial mood, and before long has the group of half a dozen people laughing at his recap of my sisu quest.

"This sisu stuff is somewhat overrated," declares Geoff White, a Brit who's been living in Helsinki for years. Stites disagrees. "Finnish women have a lot of sisu," he insists. "They hold the country together."

As an example someone mentions "The Cuckoo," a recent Russian film set in World War II. The movie is about an earthy Lapp woman, living alone in her empty village until a wounded Russian soldier and a Finnish army deserter show up. She nurses the Russian back to health and puts the cynical Finn to work. It soon becomes clear that the woman is far more adept at most things than the soldiers, whom she feeds, clothes and invites into her hut one at a time on an as-needed basis.

White concedes that Finnish women can be formidable, but they also have "a soft side," he says, suggesting I see for myself at the Miss Finland Contest. The contest is being held that night at Helsinki's largest casino, the Grand Hotel, near the railroad station.

Outside there are television trucks and a line of people waiting to get in. By the time I make it inside, the ballroom is full, and the only place to find a seat is at the bar, where White and his Russian girlfriend, Ludmilla, are watching the pageant on a big-screen TV. This year's event, I learn, has been marred by scandal. Instead of the usual 10 finalists, there are only nine. One was dropped the day before for conduct unbecoming a potential Miss Finland. She reportedly had a criminal record and had posed for pornographic pictures.

"You might expect something like that to happen in Sweden, but not here," says a Finnish woman providing me with simultaneous translation.

Tonight is the evening gown portion of the competition, when finalists also have to answer questions. One is asked to name the last book she read, to which she replies, 'One Hundred Years of Solitude', the ideal tome for this time of year in Finland.

White and Ludmilla are soon bored and leave to gamble, but I want to see who wins. That honor goes to a knockout from the Helsinki area. There's much excitement when the judges' decision is announced and the winner is crowned.

Later, as contestants file out of the ballroom, some of them stop at the bar. I tell a blue-eyed blonde I recognize as a runner-up that she should have won and offer to buy her a drink. But she has one already.

"What will you do?" I ask, meaning what will she do with her life now that someone else has become Miss Finland.

She flashes the same gleaming smile I just saw on television, tosses back her golden hair and says, "I'm going ice fishing with my mother."

Now that's sisu.

Bill Thomas is co-author of Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia. He will be fielding questions and comments about this article Monday at 1 p.m. at washingtonpost.com/liveonline.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032201943.html

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-31-2006, 6:15am

...ermm... hmm... that's a bit what "sisu" is, but not nearly enough... :uhh:

...this is what Wikipedia has to say about the word:

Sisu is a Finnish term that could be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, acting rationally in the face of adversity. The equivalent in English is "to have guts", and indeed, the word derives from sisus, which means something inner or interior. However, sisu has a long-term element in it; it is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain the same. To anthropologists, it is an appropriate invention for a cold northern land, dotted by thousands of lakes, and long under threat of being overwhelmed, militarily, linguistically and otherwise, by more powerful neighbours. Similar concepts exist among other cold-weather peoples, such as the Inuit and Chukchi.

Due to its cultural significance, Sisu is a common element of brand names in Finland. For example, there are Sisu trucks, a brand of strong-tasting candy manufactured by Leaf and a metapolitical nationalist organisation Suomen Sisu. Sisu is also a name of mountain discovered by mountain-climber Veikka Gustafsson in the Antarctic.

Foreign users of the term include Sisu, a Canadian company that makes vitamin and mineral supplements; SISU, the educational association of the Swedish National Sports Confederation; and Sisu Medical Solutions, an American non-profit company providing IT support.

The term is commonly used in everyday speech to describe stoic toughness. It is widely understood in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is home to a large concentration of Finnish-Americans. For instance: Even after cutting his hand open and getting 12 stitches, he didn't shed a tear. Wow! He's got sisu! By analogy, the term has picked up new meanings. Depending on context, "sisu" can refer to spunk, attitude, self-confidence, and so on. However, sisu is not bravery, nor strength, and needs to be distinguished from courage, especially when talking about the military. In contrast, sisu is an ability to finish the task and get things done, as defined by Roman Schatz in his book From Finland with Love (2005).

In Finland, there's a well-known saying that the Finnish culture can be condensed in three s's: "sisu, sauna and Sibelius". Also three s's in "sisu, sauna and salmiakki. (The Finnish name of Finland, Suomi, also starts with an s).

"...alussa oli suo, kuokka ja Jussi..."

...ja siihe se kai olis jäänykki, jossei olis ollu tuata sisua...

John - :p

FinnFreak

03-31-2006, 7:31am

;)

Post Magazine - Live Discussion with Post Magazine writers

Bill Thomas
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, March 27, 2006; 1:00 PM

"Like bungee jumping or joining the Marines, traveling to Finland in winter gives visitors a chance to see what they're made of, to measure their ability to withstand everything from darkness at noon to Arctic blizzards against that of some of the most durable human beings on earth."

So wrote Bill Thomas in Sunday's Washington Post Magazine Spring Travel Issue. . Thomas was online Monday, March 27, at 1 p.m. ET to field questions and comments about the story and the renowned fortitude and resilience of the Finnish people.

Bill Thomas is co-author of "Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia."

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: As as mother of Sisu (my 3 y. old son) I highly appreciated your wonderful article about Finnish sisu. No need to say, my Sisu has lots of sisu too.

Best regards,

Sari Helin

Bill Thomas: Washington, DC: Thanks. A boy named "Sisu." Sounds like the Finnish version of a Johnny Cash song.

_______________________

Maple, Wisc.: As much as I admire the Finns (I'm fully related to them) those who live with the challenges of the climate in our own country in the northern tier of states are about as impressive, wouldn't you agree?

Bill Thomas: Maple, Wisc: Where is Maple, Wisconsin? I admire anyone who can put up with extreme cold, though I perfer palm trees and sandy beaches.

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Helsinki, Finland: Thank you Sir for your quite accurate and funny article. To survive the dark winter months and `krapular3auna or `purgatoryCéth an icy dip you do get rather close to what SISU is all about.

With best wishes and welcome back,

Paula

PS. You are SO much more courageous than Conan (OË©en)

Bill Thomas: Hello, Helsinki: Looking forward to a return trip to Finland this summer. I liked Conan O'Brien's dream job -official women's sauna inspector. But I don't think he fully understood the working conditions.

_______________________

Arlington, Va: There are two sides to the "sisu" coin. That fierce determination or "guts" as its closest english translation can also be stubborness prevailing against common sense - like the Finn shoveling the sidewalk during the blizzard. Did any of your acquaintances talk much about this less flattering aspect of sisu? (I was in Finland for a week in summer 2002 and fell in love with the people, their spirit and the whole country.)

Bill Thomas: Arlington, Va: If geography is destiny, the Finns seem to be in the right place. Stubborness is part of the package, though Finns woulod probably call it determination.

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md: First of all, loved the article. What a tribute to personal perserverance. I am a big admirer of the Scandinavian culture.Second, did you ever look at the other side though? It's my understanding that Scandinavians have a very high rate of depression and alchoholism. Did you see eveidence of this during your trip? I know it wasn't the main focus of the article, but I'm just curious.

Bill Thomas: Silver Spring: I was trying to look on the bright side. But I can see how the harsh climate might be a problem. Isn't that why saunas were invented?

_______________________

Mclean, Va: Bill,

started reading your article about helsinki becasue my good friend richard stites was in helsinki .. and there he was!

how is 'richik' doing? when i stayed with him in helsinki in 1996, he set me up with a russian woman, who became my wife. it's a great story.

Bill Thomas: McLean: Stites is a real romantic. He's is back in Washington. I ran into him a few months ago.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: I have heard that Finland is one of the most wired countries in the world. Did you find Internet access everywhere you went?

Bill Thomas: Arlington: Wired is right. Even little kids have cell phones.

_______________________

Fredericksburg, Va: I love Finland! Sisu is what sets Finland apart. It is not just determination or stubborness but also a fundemental understanding that one can prevail and/or survive just about anything if you set your mind to it. It should be noted that the Finnish Armed Personnel Carrier Combat vehicle is called the Sisu.

Bill Thomas: Fredericksburg: I share your feelings about the Finnish people. Look at everything they've accomplished - and all of it while living in a Jack London adventure.

_______________________

Arlington (2) Va: But don't you think it ironic that the Finns - so famous for being tight-lipped all have cell phones? Do the Finns get how funny this is? They don't talk (the stero-type) but all have cell phones?

Bill Thomas: Arlington: For people who don't seem to talk much, they do spend a lot of time on their cell phones.

_______________________

Formerly in Finland: As an American who used to live in Finland well north of Helsinki, I was prepared for the weather, prepared for the darkness, etc. However, I was not prepared for an attitude that I think you captured perfectly when you did not get a ride to the institute - Finns will not offer a helping hand, and look at you oddly if you ask for one. I injured my back pretty badly, and the expectation that I would continue with the physical aspects of my job rather astounded me. I'm no wimp and continued working, but having cracked vertebrae really hurt. Even more routine things, like not opening a door for someone with their hands full, etc., bothered me. However, I had not linked this lack of helpfulness to sisu until you described it as such, which actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

Bill Thomas: Fromerly in Finland: Finns expect people to put up with discomfort and would probably find it laughable that schools and businesses in Washington close at the slightest mention of snow. I can't explain the reaction to your back problem, though.

_______________________

Bethesda, Md.: What are the Finnish saunas like? What is their tradition of going from warm to jumping into cold water or into the snow, or getting slapped to get the cirulation going? I would fear that stuff like that would stop my heart. What are they really like?

Bill Thomas: Bethesda: Finnish style saunas are amazing, like a trip to the tropics in the middle of winter. The extreme heat and extreme cold (along with getting smacked by tree branches) are supposed to shock the body into good health, although for guys jumping into icy water at 30 below does produce some shrinkage.

_______________________

Washington, DC: What is email address forSports Institute of Finland?

Second - when I visited "Purgatory" sauna the Finns said they get sisu by inhaling steam from the wood fire inside sauna. Did you hear that?

Bernard Burt

Author

100 Best Spas of the World

The Globe Pequot Press.

Bill Thomas: Washington: Check out the Finnish Sauna Society's web site. A smoke sauna is a pretty elaborate affair. The temperature, I was told, got up to 250 degrees, and when water was tossed onto the stove it sent a blast of humidity into air that made it feel like breathing fire.

_______________________

Arlington, Va: "Sisu" is also the name of one of those Finnish icebreakers that keeps the harbor open. It was the name given to the first ever of those large ships and its successor is still in Helsinki harbor.

Bill Thomas: Arlington: Speaking of the Finnish ice breaking fleet, I believe it's possible to book passage. Imagine going on an two-week ice-crushing vacation on board the "Sisu."

_______________________

Austin, Tex: I visited friends who serve in the US Foreign Service while they were stationed in Helsinki. One visit was in February, 1998, and there was a heat wave -- temperatures reached freezing. I was told "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing." I am left to assume this declaration is of Finnish origin -- a perspective that would result from sisu.

Bill Thomas: Austin: I've got to remember that - "no bad weather, only bad clothing." That should be Finland's motto.

_______________________

Hancock, Mich: Hi Mr. Thomas - can't let you get away today without greetings from Hancock, MI, home of Finlandia University, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (talk about cold winters).

I'm not a Finlander, but being surrounded by them (lots of them) so I can with certain confiedence that, along with saunas and long-distance running, Finlanders have a strong national pride in the arts -- eg, their arts/crafts movement and classical music. Care to comment on the fine arts in Finland?

Bill Thomas: Hancock: Finnish architecture is world famous, and you can see lots of it in America. Dulles Airport outside Washington and the St Louis Arch were designed by a Finn. A Finn conducts the LA Symphony. Until Finland switched to Euros, Sibelius used to be on the Finnish ten mark note. Walking around Helsinki, which I recommend for anyone interested in design, is like a trip through a building museum.

_______________________

Arlington, Va: Just a comment: The Finnish sauna is the most wonderful place! The feeling after taking a sauna is impossible to describe: a total feeling of being born again, adn, the world seems to be a much more tolerable a place than it was before you went in. And one gets really-really clean! the finnnish women do not sport such a pretty skin for nothing.On another note: I once dates a Finn. There were no half-shades, either yes or no. It was rough but simple, and no reason to twist my brain over the "what did he really say" question.And: Finns are no way wimps and do not think much of the people who are. One must be able to live the life as it comes at you. In rural areas, the women go to sauna, give birth, and come back to the main house to finish chores. what must get done is getting done.

I truly like the peoples from that region.

Bill Thomas: Arlington: You said it all. Finns let you know where you stand. Period. And Finnish women are particularly refreshing in that respect. It's yes or no, as you put it. Take a look at a Russian movie called The Cuckoo that explores this subject in great detail

_______________________

Arlington, Va: Do the Finns say the sauna is a way to recover from "krapula"?

Bill Thomas: Arlington: It's one of the ways. A spicy bowl of pea soup is another.

_______________________

Bill Thomas: Great questions. Sorry I couldn't get to all of them. As they say in Finland, Hey-hey.

_______________________
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/24/DI2006032400830.html?sub=AR

Man, that was funny.

John - ;)

aFinn

03-31-2006, 8:21am

Arlington (2) Va: But don't you think it ironic that the Finns - so famous for being tight-lipped all have cell phones? Do the Finns get how funny this is? They don't talk (the stero-type) but all have cell phones?:funny: :funny:

Very interesting article, and discussion :D:up:

FinnFreak

03-31-2006, 8:32am

...a few things that the writer didn't get quite right:

IF there are no signs at an intersection, you yield to the vehicles coming from the right - it's a rule, NOT community pressure.

...and what the heck is "a spicy bowl of pea soup"..?!? :huh: HOT - yes, but spicy it is NOT.

hmm... has any Finn submitted the recipe of Finnish Hernerokka to the STC yet..? :p

:really: ...and NO mention of Koskenkorva..?!? (our Tonic of Life) :p

...and sauna isn't really the ideal cure for krapula (hangover)... and the actual cure is no secret... everybody knows the trick...

John - ;)

aFinn

03-31-2006, 8:57am

...and what the heck is "a spicy bowl of pea soup"..?!? :huh: No idea :uhh:

the St Louis Arch were designed by a Finn.And what an impressive sight it is. I tried taking a pic of it when I was next to it, but all I could fit into the pic at a time was a very, very small part

Finns expect people to put up with discomfort and would probably find it laughable that schools and businesses in Washington close at the slightest mention of snow. Indeed. But wouldn't it be much more fun if we closed everything too everytime we had a little snow flurry? :p

FinnFreak

03-31-2006, 9:16am

But wouldn't it be much more fun if we closed everything too everytime we had a little snow flurry? :p

höö - the country would go bankrupt in no time. :p

Strange, that he didn't mention our banking system - that's what usually makes people outside Scandinavia go: :shocked: - whaaaat..?!?

John - :p

aFinn

03-31-2006, 9:21am

höö - the country would go bankrupt in no time. :p:p
...But I sure would have appriciated it last Friday...walking home in a ridiculously thick wet snow flurry. I could hardly see anything, it was so thick :eek:

Strange, that he didn't mention our banking system - that's what usually makes people outside Scandinavia go: :shocked: - whaaaat..?!? What's so strange about it? :huh:

03-31-2006, 2:09pm

03-31-2006, 3:21pm

Ok, I've finished Bill Thomas' article from the Washington Post. Once I got going, it was more enjoyable than I expected. Either that, or I have more sisu than I remembered. Liked his droll but persistent sense of humor, which helped digest the information.

Russians like to joke that Finland is a big village. It could be. There's a feeling of small-town togetherness throughout the country. You can see it in Finnish history, too. Centuries ago, with the advancing Mongols right behind them, ancestors of the modern-day Finns began moving westward from their homeland in the Ural Mountains, eventually settling in the fens and forests of northern Europe. The Finnish people have had to be tough and well organized to live in this part of the world, qualities celebrated in "Kalevala," an epic poem filled with accounts of hardship and courage that could be the closest thing the nation has to a mission statement.

Fascinating! So the Finnish genestock came from the Urals. 1/4 of my Dad's genestock is from Northeast Europe/Northwest Asia.

Under similar circumstances in any other country, it would be common courtesy to be given a lift. In Finland, it's not that simple. If I ask for a ride, I'm admitting I'm out of sisu. If I'm offered one, it confirms the same thing.

That's interesting. Independence was valued in a similar manner where I grew up. Wow! I had sisu even without need of crapola! Well, I guess I do indulge in a different form of 'Red Storm Rising (blood sugar rising)' namely sweets.

According to Heikkilä, Finns are physical fitness nuts.

Yeah I found that out first hand up in Timmins, Ontario last August during the ST fan convention. While I was out doing a leisurely 2-3 mile jog early one morning, I discovered Marika was outside long before me, and passed by me in nearly the same spot, at least twice. :shocked:

When I tell Heikkilä that, earlier in the day, I walked all the way from the bus stop, he nods without comment. Finns frown on bragging about personal accomplishments, and an hour's walk in a snowstorm, by Finnish standards, doesn't qualify as an accomplishment anyway.

Oop! Have I been committing a social indescretion by my candid compliments about Finns I know?

aFinn

04-02-2006, 8:30am

I only made it through the first few sentences before my aging eyes or concentration started to "go south" on me, and I scrolled down to see how long the article was.You of all people? :shocked:

While I was out doing a leisurely 2-3 mile jog early one morning, I discovered Marika was outside long before meYou forget time difference, it was very easy for me to wake up "early" in Canadian time, it was well past midday in Finland :p

Oop! Have I been committing a social indescretion by my candid compliments about Finns I know?You can compliment others freely (something Finns don't do enough), or state your own accomplishments in a matter-of-fact way, but when someone is bragging what they've done, it's frowned upon here for sure. There's a huge difference in that aspect to Finns and many other cultures.

04-03-2006, 12:35am

You of all people? :shocked:

Yes. I shouldn't complain, when I'm more guilty of the same thing than most people.

This morning, I read the "Forward" by Norman G Dyhrenfurth, to "Americans On Everest." His writing is so good. He gets right to the point. Subject, verb, object; repeat 3 time, add a couple adjectives and the 3 sentences not only complete the whole paragraph, they blast your mind open immediately to the author's idea, project you in advance to where he's going, then surprise you by surpassing even that. Wish I could write like that.

You forget time difference, it was very easy for me to wake up "early" in Canadian time, it was well past midday in Finland :p

Yes, you're right again. Forgetting is my 2nd most favorite pastime. Sleeping is #1.

You can compliment others freely (something Finns don't do enough), or state your own accomplishments in a matter-of-fact way, but when someone is bragging what they've done, it's frowned upon here for sure. There's a huge difference in that aspect to Finns and many other cultures.
Well, at least I got that one partly right. Sounds similar to my own family preferences.

FinnFreak

04-03-2006, 3:33am

The Philadelphia Inquirer - Tue, Mar. 28, 2006

Finnish mezzo-soprano displays all her strengths

http://www.monicagroop.com/pics/alkuun.jpg

By David Patrick Stearns, Inquirer Music Critic

Finnish mezzo-soprano Monica Groop is a recitalist with so many strengths you wouldn't know where to start if all roads didn't lead to a single place: not her intelligence, not her performance savvy or quality of voice, but her artistry.

From moment one in her Sunday Kimmel Center recital, presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, her priorities were apparent - even though that moment involved some modest Mozart songs. Thanks to sterling preparation and a combination of thought and care for the material at hand, her performance was seamless. You never saw her mental wheels turning. Only occasionally did you feel the physical mechanics that went into what she was doing, and that's because she is not a demure recitalist. She gave you the full effect of her plush, operatic mezzo with its subtle but palpable metallic edge.

If the recital never surpassed the quality of the first half's Mozart, Schubert and Ravel (the winning Five Popular Greek Songs), you'd have left very happy. But the second half's lineup of Scandinavian songs by Grieg and Sibelius went beyond that.

Though her voice was the vehicle of what she was expressing, she seemed not to think about it at all, the voice becoming the complete servant of her musical storytelling. That's a treasurable quality encountered only infrequently outside of Maria Callas videos. And the Grieg and Sibelius songs gave Groop stories that are both horrific and calming, alternately expressed with peripheral suggestion and full-frontal attack.

The former approach was heard in Grieg's "By Gjaetle Brook," a late-period song that finds the composer going well beyond the folksy charm of his more popular early works. The song is a dialogue between a river and a heartsick protagonist, who longs for the purity and rest of death by drowning, but will never say so directly. In a feat of dramatic control, Groop created a slowly building emotional trajectory that projected depth of meaning without letting tragedy peek through to the surface.

The Finnish Sibelius reminded you that he arose from a culture not far from that which spawned Sweden's August Strindberg and Ingmar Bergman. "The Girl Came From a Meeting With Her Lover," for example, has the jilted protagonist dictating her own epitaph as she expires from self-laceration. Brutality wasn't downplayed in the least as Groop hit you with a wall of vocal sound too penetrating to forget anytime soon.

Many singers claim their recitals are an equal collaboration between voice and pianist, but Groop is serious about it. Pianist Rudolf Jansen, who flew in from Amsterdam for Sunday's date, truly achieved feats of interplay in interpretations that were as much his as they were hers.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/14200990.htm

John - ;)

FinnFreak

04-05-2006, 5:56am

Jumala loi aasi ja sanos hänel: "Sää oles aasi. Sää tees tyät aamust ehtosse ja kannas painavi tavaroit selässäs. Sää syäs ruaho ekkä ol kovi älykäs. Sää eläs 50 vuat".

Siihe aasi vastas: "50 vuatt semmost elämä o iha liia pitk, älä an mul enemmä ku 20 vuat". Ja nii toteutus.

Sit Jumala loi koira ja sanos hänel: "Sää olek koir. Sää vartiois ihmiste omasuut. Sää oles ihmiste uskolline ystävä. Sää syös sen minkä ihmine sul jättä ja sää eläs 25 vuat".

Koira vastas: "Herra, 25 vuat semmost elämä o liia pitk. Ol hyvä, älä an mul enemmä ku 10 vuot". Ja nii toteutus.

Sit Jumala loi apina ja sanos: "Sää oles apina. Sää heilahras puust puuhu ja käyttäyrys ku mikäki pelle. Sää oles hauska ja simmotti sää elä 20 vuat".

Apina sano: "Herra, 20 vuat pelle elämä o liia pitkä. Ol hyvä äläkä anna mul enemmä ku 10 vuat". Ja niin toteutus.

Lopuks jumala loi miähe ja sanos hänel: "Sää oles miäs, maa ainova rationaaline elävä. Sää käytäs älykkyyttäs alistama muut olenno. Sää hallitte koko maat ja eläs 20 vuat".

Siihe mies vastas: "Herra, olla mies vaa 20 vuat o liia vähä. Ol hyvä ja an mul nee 30 vuat mikkä aasi jätti, 15 vuat koiralt ja 10 vuatta apinalt".

Ja nii Jumala hualehti siit, et miäs elä miähenä 20 vuat. Sit hää mene naimissi ja tekke 30 vuat aamust ehtosse töit ja kantta painavi tavaroi ku aasi. Sit hänel o kakari ja elä 15 vuat ku koir, hää vartioi talo ja syä mitä perhe jättä. Sit, vanhemmal iäl, hää elä viel 10 vuat ku apina, käyttäyty ku mikäki pelle ja huvitta lapselapsias.

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-05-2006, 6:52am

;)

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - PEOPLE - Wednesday 5.4.2006

Three-minute Man

"I'm just a director of music videos, after all"

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219405996.jpeg
Antti Jokinen had a dream and realised it. He is now among the premier music
video directors in Hollywood.

By Jouni K. Kemppainen

Another dead-loss phone call. That's number three.

Hi, this is Antti Jokinen. If you would like to leave your...

And however much one leaves nice messages on the machine after the beep, there is not a peep from the director himself.

Hmph. I might have guessed it would pan out like this. The guy's gone to the States and the **** has gone to his head. Snotty, and arrogant with it. I mean, even on the answering machine it's all in English.

Hollywood does that to you - it is undeniably the capital city of the poseurs and the arrogant. And when you get a name in hype circles and get to hang out with these megastar types, things back home in the little pine-and-lakes republic lose their fascination.

And Antti Jokinen has landed up in the company of some pretty major stars. He has directed music videos for the likes of Will Smith, Eminem, Missy Elliott, Celine Dion. No real wonder, then, if the lanky boy from Nurmijärvi has got a bit puffed up and all.

And in Finland, well according to the tabloids about the only thing he does back here is go out partying in the Helsinki watering-holes-du-jour with your moviemaker-names and other middle-aged slimeballs. Oh, and he's got himself this celeb fiancée here, Sara La Fountain.

I wonder if he's already started talking like Andy McCoy, and if he can even speak the lingo any...

The phone rings. The caller is Antti Jokinen.

"Hi. Look, I'm dreadfully sorry that it's been so difficult to get through. Thing is, I just don't know how to use this phone. I haven't sussed how you pick up the messages so you can listen to them. I really am sorry about this."

Jokinen explains that he has nothing against the idea of doing a story for the paper. At least not if he doesn't have to pose for photos with his fiancée and if the idea is to write about making music videos.

"It comes as a surprise to many that it's real work, you know."

A meeting is arranged without difficulty, the very next day. And there will be a chance to follow the making of a video, too, just as soon as a suitable project happens along. For instance there are plans afoot for a Rolling Stones shoot...

Ah-ha. Thought so. The guy is late. I reckon right now he is probably...

Piip-piip-piip. It's an SMS message. From Antti Jokinen. Sorry. I'll be a bit late.

A quarter of an hour later, a tall man strides in. He explains in a friendly tone that he had to take his son somewhere in the car, and the traffic was backed up. It is September, and Jokinen says he is spending some time in Finland, because his son has just started school. At moments like this it is good to have a father around.

Jokinen sits down and sighs contentedly as he runs his eyes over the Kosmos menu. "Aahh. Proper food. Sara is always taking me to these places were the portion is two twigs neatly crossed on the plate. I can't stand the stuff!" he says, and orders up a Wiener schnitzel and mashed potatoes.

Hmmm. A decent enough choice, for a West Coast buffoon.

Right from the start, Jokinen sets out what is worrying him about this whole article enterprise. "Don't please go giving the sort of picture that the music video business would be somehow fancier than it is. The end product gets glorified, but the making of it is a very everyday thing."

He wants to make it quite clear that music videos are just a part of pop culture, and that is what he makes in three-minute bites for the music channels. Most of the videos sink rapidly into the fast-flowing and fast-forgotten stream of programming, where most of the material is pretty dire.

"Yes, of course, I hope I could make the sort of videos that would stand out from the mainstream", he says. "But there's really no point in my trying to pass myself off as some kind of innovative visionary type. If they want a traditional video and the price is right, then I'll do it. I don't regard myself as any yoga guru or anything."

And Jokinen's modesty just goes on giving.

"It would be nice to kid myself that I would be in the sort of position where I could change the field of popular culture. But unfortunately what I have to give is not enough for that on any real scale. I'm just a director of music videos, after all."

Come again? Just? Just a music video director? It's only five whole years since Jokinen got a shot at his dream and was able to make his first music video in the States. And now he says he's just a music video director.

"I can remember well when I saw my first video on the screen in the States. It was pretty crap. Your standard dance video, but at the time it felt good. Who-hoo! In America! They're showing my video! Like, a video *I* made!"

This epiphany happened in the SoHo Grand Hotel on West Broadway, where Jokinen usually stays when he is in New York City. The artist in question was Toya, a singer who doesn't really get on the radar in Europe, but who is popular in the U.S. The most dramatic thing about the video was the opening credit text down below: "Director: Antti J.".

Jokinen estimates that there are something like 30,000 music video directors in Hollywood. All the same, around 60 of them make around 70 per cent of all the videos shown on MTV. And Jokinen has clawed his way up to be one of those 60.

For example, the most expensive music video made in 2005 was Missy Elliott's Teary Eyed. "Director: Antti J."

"If I had started to rationalise my chances in this business five years back, I'd have run out of oxygen real quick. There's me heading off from Helsinki to the States and I've got this showreel with me, and there is not a single face in there that anyone is going to recognise!" Jokinen explains things energetically, passionately. His pace is such that some of the words just fly past.

So, if it was like that, how on earth did he succeed?

Back in upper secondary school, a good few years earlier, he was more or less the same as all the other long-haired boys from Nurmijärvi: he listened to that brand of heavy metal forever associated with the Finnish boondocks, and he hung out in the café of a Nurmijärvi gas station.

To be totally accurate, there was one slight difference. His father was the well-known YLE sports journalist and commentator Juha Jokinen, whose voice at least was familiar from countless whispered Wimbledon broadcasts.

Another small difference was that Jokinen Jr. played basketball for the Finnish 1st Division side Hyvinkään Tahko. This talent was later to have quite some significance in the realisation of his dreams.

"It was the sort of dream that I couldn't really tell the others about. I mean, if I'd said to the guys in Nurmijärvi that ‘You know, one of these days, f'*ck it, I'm going to be living in the States and making music videos for MTV, you'll see', then right there and then I'd have got a knuckle sandwich. ‘Funny ha-ha, Jokinen. Yeah, right. Now go back to your little seat by the jukebox and the fruit machine, Antti'."

Jokinen did go to America, first as a student at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, where he got a basketball scholarship. He had to get a scholarship, because there was no way otherwise he would have been able to meet the colossal tuition and other fees. Jokinen was the first person in the university's history to have studied arts subjects on a sports scholarship.

The studying was easy. A large section of the other undergraduates were rich brats whose parents had parked them in college largely by way of arranging daycare for them. All the same, the film school was a good place for Jokinen, even if on the first studio visit he was handed a brush and told to clean the place up.

His studies lasted three and a half years. Jokinen directed a short called Handful of Sand, based on the poems of Doors vocalist and rock icon Jim Morrison. It won a student prize at the North Carolina Film Festival. People from MTV in New York saw it, and they took an interest in the director.

And so the 24-year-old Jokinen moved to New York in 1992 and started to work for MTV as an assistant producer. The swinging music channel turned out to be a hard, hard place.

There was a lot of work and it paid a pittance. Barely enough to stay alive on. MTV takes young people onto its roster, sucks them dry in a couple of years - and spits them out again.

Well. That sounds fair.

"No, no, it was fair really, since everyone knew the rules. Even if they are exploiting you, it doesn't take much to ask yourself if there is anything in it for you when your CV reads that you've worked for MTV."

Jokinen was involved in the making of two programme slots, Wake on the Wild Side! and MTV Rocks.

When he'd been working there for eight months, he got back to Finland for a summer vacation. In the previous two and a half years he had visited Finland only once. His sense of homesickness was terrible and everything back here felt and tasted good.

Jokinen reached a decision. He rang the offices in New York and announced: "I quit".

But the TV crowd in Finland were not exactly jumping through hoops at the arrival of this young man who had done film school in the States and had worked for MTV. The response was brusque: Oh yes? But what have you done in Finland, then?

If Finnish television did not welcome him with open arms, the basketball fraternity did.

"The real motor over the last few minutes was 25-year-old Antti Jokinen, making his first appearance in a Finnish Championship game. The 196-cm Jokinen was on court for nearly 23 minutes and scored 15 points and took several rebounds at both ends...", wrote Helsingin Sanomat on its sports pages on 27th September, 1993.

Antti Jokinen more or less earned a living playing for Tapiolan Honka in the premier Finnish League, but he also did work for the daily sports digest on YLE's TV1, and he even directed a couple of documentaries and TV series. One of these was quite successful, a series called Tähtilampun alla, written by Kata Kärkkäinen and produced by Solar Films, a company that Jokinen himself had set up with Markus Selin and Taina Saikkonen.

One of the documentaries was about bio-terrorism. This also helped him to move forward. The famous Swedish music video director Jonas Åkerlund saw the piece and invited Jokinen to come and work for his company, making videos.

At this point Jokinen breaks off from his flow and looks worried: "Err... I don't know if any of this stuff is at all interesting."

Yes, sure it is, but maybe it would be a good idea to stop for a bit and look at one of the videos.

Antti Jokinen fires up his notebook PC and brings up the 2004 video to Word Up! by the California alternative metal band Korn.

This is one of Jokinen's successes. It was also not particularly easy. "This project packed in quite a lot of the difficulties of the music video business", he explains, and clicks the video into action.

The picture is of a sun-bleached desert and a town that looks like it might be in Mexico. The first sounds are of metallic percussion feedback, and then a guitar and bass line thuds in, just as a small dog appears, loping towards the retreating camera...

The beginnings of this venture were less than smooth. Korn were one of the biggest rock acts around, worldwide.

They were shortly to set off on a world tour and had a compilation album coming out. The record company wanted a video with which the band - which had acquired the "too old" label - could get themselves back on the MTV playlists.

Jokinen listened to the song over and over in his car, dozens of times, as he always does. He looked at photos of the musicians, and he came up with an idea: if the music as such fits the channel, but the band has image problems, then don't show the band.

There is, however, an obvious snag to this idea.

It is rather difficult to go and tell a bunch of rock stars that ‘we're going to make this video without showing you old wrinklies at all'.

Jokinen opened a bottle of wine and stared some more at the pictures of the band-members. In some bizarre manner, the vocalist's features reminded him of a chihuahua. Whoa. What if we were to have the dogs coming into town to party?

Jokinen then drank some more wine and figured out that the trick would be to use digital imaging and plant the musicians' faces onto the dogs.

And the location would have to be as raw and rugged as the band itself. In other words, it would have to be Tijuana.

Jokinen drank three bottles of wine as he drafted a screenplay for the piece. The idea seemed a tremendous one. First thing next morning he mailed off the script and storyboard, but already by mid-afternoon he was having serious second thoughts. Huh? Dogs with human faces - what a ****ty idea THAT was!

The band, however, thought the treatment was fantastic.

Preparations got under way. The first thing was to cast the dogs. It was necessary to find a suitable dog to represent each of the five band-members, and the choices had to be approved by the artists themselves. Some had to be changed, when some of the musicians were of the opinion that the suggested hound was not fitted to portray them onscreen.

In three weeks, the dogs had been trained, the sets built, and head-braces acquired for the stars. It had to be possible to shoot their faces from different angles in such a way that they remained completely motionless.

Two days before shooting was scheduled to begin, Jokinen got a call from his agent. MTV had taken a closer look at the manuscript and announced that the video would not be shown on the channel because it was in breach of their sexism rules. MTV is forbidden to show bodies without heads in its videos. It would be hard not to break this rule on this occasion.

Then, just as he was digesting this one, Jokinen got another call to say that the band had had an argument during their world tour. The word was that they would not be coming to Tijuana.

Jokinen drank a few shots of tequila, spent a restless night, and decided to stick with his dog idea but to go through the shoot in such a way that the band-members themselves would not be required.

In the morning he called together the production crew. He told 40 people that the plans were being scrapped and remade from the ground up.

In the end, everything nevertheless went remarkably well. The video winds up with the human-faced dogs partying in a striptease bar. The original intention was to shoot the scene at 8 a.m. in the morning, but when the crew arrived, the bar was not empty. There were 400 people inside and the joint was jumping.

It was quite impossible to get the people out, so the scene was filmed in such a way that the dogs and the actors appeared in among the party animals.

A couple of weeks after shooting was completed, Antti Jokinen flew to Chicago with his head-brace contraption to immobilise the musicians' faces for the trick video inserts.

All's well that ends well: MTV agreed to take the video into its programming and then the channel did both Korn and Antti Jokinen a huge favour.

At the beginning of the [PG-rated] video was a warning that it contained sex and alcohol use.

"It was the best advert you could ever come up with!"

"Hey, guess what, I'm going to do Will Smith's new video"

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219405989.jpeg
A selection of stills from videos by Antti Jokinen, or Antti J. From top left,
clockwise, the artists are Will Smith, City High, Finnish band Nightwish,
Wyclef Jean, Korn (from Word Up!), and Missy Elliott.

Antti Jokinen closes the laptop and carries on with his life-story where he left off. It was approaching the turn of the millennium and his breakthrough was just around the corner.

He had directed videos in Finland and in England, and he had become a father. The child's mother was the top Finnish fashion model Nina Kurkinen. The romance between these two Finnish successes had flared up in Paris, as is only right and proper for a story like this.

The Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund had given Jokinen a helping hand by showing a video portfolio of his work around to the right people in the right places in Hollywood.

Jokinen decided the time had come to move to Los Angeles. He first signed himself up with a good agent, but even after listing, there was no work to be had, not anywhere.

This did not stop him from writing video scripts and treatments the entire time. In the space of a year he amassed around 900 pages of screenplays for videos, none of which ever went into production.

"Everybody could see that I had a different kind of visual look. But things always fell apart on the fact that my showreel didn't have a single face in it that was recognisable to the Americans. A couple of times it got even worse - they actually tried to buy the scripts off me, which was kind of embarrassing. What do you mean? You don't want the extension of the script? Like, ME?"

After a year of knocking on doors, Jokinen got to make his first video, Toya's mix of R&B and hip-hop I do!. Jokinen took no salary for the gig, but put the money back into production.

It didn't help. Another six months passed without work.

Eventually he got a break. A band called City High saw a video that Jokinen had directed in Britain featuring Grace Jones, and their interest was aroused. In the end Jokinen got to direct their video, which had a healthy budget of USD 550,000.

Jokinen had a strategy all prepared. "Cool as you like, I looked at the names on the crew lists for all my favourite videos and hired them. The entire production team was the best you could find anywhere."

Jokinen is not kidding. For a start, the cinematographer he enlisted was Daniel Pearl, a veteran of countless videos, who was on the camera crew of the video of Michael Jackson's 1983 hit Billie Jean and has since worked with artists as varied as U2, Boyz II Men, Bob Dylan, and Will Smith.

City High's Caramel became a big single hit.

With that, things started to happen. Shaggy wanted to do a video with Jokinen, then Beyonce (and Missy Elliott) sought his services.

The very first American Idols TV-competition was decided, and the first three videos by the winner Kelly Clarkson fell into his lap. Suddenly Antti J. had four American #1 hits in the same year.

"I've wondered after the fact whether it was that the pieces sort of simply fell into place like that. Naturally I convinced myself that it was all about me being quite good at this game", says Jokinen and laughs, long and hard.

Now from not being able to get his phone calls answered, Jokinen was suddenly in huge demand. He said "Yes" to nearly all enquiries.

"In the United States, it works so that if you have this good milch-cow, then around it it is possible to build a complete apparatus so that the cow can concentrate solely on producing milk. The only thing wrong with all this is that by the closing stages of the worst hype, the quality of my work was going down like the proverbial cow's tail."

At its most frenzied, Antti J. directed four videos in a month. Then again, he had no shortage of ideas: those 900 pages of scripts in the desk-drawer.

A day on the job could go such that in the early morning the agent would deliver a new song to the location. The morning would be spent in filming another video, and around lunchtime the agent would call up and ask if the draft idea for the new song was ready yet. Hey, but I've been shooting all morning, Jokinen would reply defensively. Well, work on the writing during the breaks between takes, responds the agent.

A couple of years ago, Jokinen had had enough of the cement-mixer whirl.

"I deliberately slammed on the brakes. I started to concentrate on the content side of things and to turn towards projects that interested me personally. Well, sort of. I mean, even last year I was doing one and a half videos a month."

Antti Jokinen is amiable, with a nice dash of self-irony, and he is considerate to those around him.

There are no diva gestures, no posing, he doesn't big himself up in any way, or brag about the life he leads.

It is almost as though he has spent five Teflon-coated years in Hollywood without picking up any trace of the local behaviour patterns.

"What has kept my feet on the ground is that I have such strong roots in Finland", Jokinen observes.

He follows this up with a delicious example: the singer and movie star Will Smith got in touch and said that he would like to do a video with him.

Jokinen was incredibly excited about this. He immediately called up his best friend in Lahti and said: ‘Hey, guess what, I'm going to do Will Smith's new video'.

The voice at the other end answered laconically: ‘Oh yeah? His last film was total crap, you know.'

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219406003.jpeg
Antti Jokinen lives in Los Angeles, because his workplace is Hollywood.

Jokinen himself does find traces of divaship from his past. "I think at the beginning, when things started getting crazy, I was guilty of some fancy footwork", he says, looking rather abashed about it.

"But I guess it is only human. People listen to you the whole time. They put you up on a pedestal. There's someone at your side all the time telling you how fantastic you are, and the salary coming in is more than you've ever dreamed of."

He confesses that there was a period when no hotel room or suite was really quite comfortable enough for him. And though he had always flown economy, those five or ten additional centimetres of legroom in the first-class cabin started to feel like the most important centimetres in the world.

"Although, when I look back on it, I think there were only two first-class trips."

Well, what about the wild parties? The sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll stuff?

"Drugs are everywhere you go in Hollywood. But those who are working, they are like in a factory. There's no time to go running around to parties."

And the competition in Hollywood is every bit as cut-throat as it is claimed to be. The challengers are standing behind your back on the location, waiting.

They might be lowly production assistants, whose role on the set is that of a gofer, doing things like carrying toilet paper to the artists' trailers. But behind this they all have a fine education to be a director, a producer, or a sound engineer.

And they are just waiting - waiting for someone further up the food-chain to screw up.

It is almost impossible to get honest, sincere feedback. Jokinen sounds exasperated and almost jealous when he tells how some of the rap artists choose their assistants.

The rappers still often come straight from the ghettos. When they have signed a record deal, and while the ink is still wet, they quit their dope-dealing activities and go into the music biz.

"And they bring their friends along with them. ‘Hey, you can be my manager, and you can be my personal assistant'. Even the managers of big stars can be friends from childhood, like in the case of Missy Elliott or Will Smith."

It takes all sorts to make Hollywood go round, but there is only one Finnish music video director there: Antti Jokinen.

"How much nicer it would have been to work there with some Finnish guys around me", says Jokinen.

In the early stages of his Hollywood career he did try to seek out Finnish directors and camera people whom he could have helped along in the business.

"It always broke down. I made sure that the right people got to see the tapes. And then I would say to the Finnish guys that now it's up to you. And they'd always call me back a month or so later, and ask if I'd heard anything."

A worried frown crosses Jokinen's face. "This doesn't all sound awfully dumb, does it?"

Jokinen seems genuinely modest despite it all, but the artists he works with certainly know how to carry off the diva role.

One female artist whom Jokinen was filming saw an ear-ring in a picture in Vogue, and said she wanted one just like that for the video shoot.

The problem with this was that the only place they were on sale was in Paris.

And so an assistant went to the shop in Paris and bought the ear-ring. Then she jetted back to L.A. with it. At the airport there was another assistant waiting, who carried the ear-ring down to the location in Mexico. The star took a look at the ear-ring, announced it wasn't big enough, and tossed it over her shoulder onto the floor.

At another shoot, Jokinen noticed that a string of horses had appeared in the studio carpark. It turned out that the big female star wanted to spend her leisure-time in the company of horses. Since no suitable stables could be found locally, the horses had been flown in specially.

"But after saying all that, generally you get on perfectly fine with the professional ones. Those people who are really successful, they know how the money-flows move. You don't have any problems with them."

Jokinen adds that one group who were a chapter to themselves were the boy-band Westlife, for whom he directed four videos.

The boys would use a stopwatch to ensure that each of the members had his face in shot for precisely the same amount of time.

For several hours now, Antti Jokinen has been drumming into me the fact that music videos are not art. They are pop culture, a part of the passing stream of disposable programming. They are usually made only for one thing: to make money.

The exceptions are rare, and now he wants to show me one.

It is Wyclef Jean's Wish You Were Here, a cover of the old Pink Floyd tune, and it dates from 2001.

This was Jokinen's third direction assignment in the States. He still regards it as one of the best things he has done.

Wyclef Jean, rapper, producer, and member of The Fugees, wanted to dedicate the video to his recently deceased father, who had spent his entire life as a ghetto pastor.

Jokinen decided that the video should be shot in the authentic milieu where Wyclef Jean himself grew up, on the mean streets of Newark, New Jersey.

The video goes along the same streets that the old preacher had walked, and we meet the same people - the drug-dealers, the car thieves, the pimps, the small storeowners, gang-members, kids playing basketball. Steel mesh fences form a backdrop to several scenes, until the singer and a small boy behind the fence are united.

The vocals and the acoustic guitar accompaniment flow peacefully. The images are soft and in their way quite beautiful; the cutting and framing is relaxed.

Jokinen watches the screen with a wistful look on his face.

"They don't make stuff like that any more. Fortunately this video came early in my career. It gives me the faith that one day I'll make a proper documentary like this."

The interviews are done, but in the following weeks and months Antti Jokinen is concerned about the Kuukausiliite article.

He would really like to show off his work in practice. But what would be a suitable video to watch being made?

From this end, the Rolling Stones sounds like a pretty good bet.

September 27th (SMS message): "I'm in London. Back home tonight. I'll call you then. Stones unfortunately put off for now. They're not making a video right now. But I'll fill you in tonight."

29th September (SMS): "I'll know more tomorrow. I'm probably going to take on a car commercial next. It'll be shot in L.A. and in New Zealand. Sorry for the hassle."

25th October (SMS): "The Stones thing unfortunately seems to be dead and buried for now. I'm in Finland and going back on Monday to shoot Toni Braxton's video in L.A. Back in Finland at Xmas."

15th December (SMS): "Hi. Sorry, was shooting yesterday. I haven't really directed anything that would be suitable for your cover picture thing. Tues and Wed I was directing the U.S. band Train, and at the weekend I've got Rage Against the Machine. Then a meeting in L.A. Right now, January's still a bit vague."

15th January (SMS): "The next three months at least I'll be working with Warner on this film of mine, and if it goes well, then longer. Sorry, but I'm sure you understand the situation."

24th February (E-Mail): "Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Moving into movies has been in the plans for some time already, and I have had offers from some studios, but I've been looking for something right. If there are werewolves crawling all over it by page 15 of the script, then I've just tossed the thing out.

The idea isn't to make a Hollywood picture for the sake of it, but I'd really like to do something personal. This movie is only still in the development stage. All the same, when the subject, the money, and the schedule all come together and I can get down to it, I think it is going to feel as though I've had a chance to drink a glass of water after walking through a desert. No, maybe make that a jug of beer instead.

Can you send me a copy of the piece when it's done? Thanks."

March 18th (E-Mail): "Wow. Jeez. Thanks for the article. I made a few small changes where the facts were a bit wrong, and I filled in the bits you asked me to, but otherwise I didn't touch the text.

All in all, a pretty positive experience, and let's have a beer when I'm next around."

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print in the April issue of the monthly magazine Kuukausiliite

Note: Several of Antti J.'s videos, including the Korn Word Up! video mentioned in this article, can be found from the YouTube site, and the Wyclef Jean Wish You Were Here video is also available out there if you know where to look, for example from megaupload.com.

...mielenkiintoisia näkökantoja...

John - ;)

aFinn

04-05-2006, 7:45am

Write in Google:
"worst music video ever"

or direct link:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8610362188397291938

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

FinnFreak

04-05-2006, 8:08am

Write in Google:
"worst music video ever"

or direct link:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8610362188397291938

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

:shocked: - ...and as one already thought that original song/video is at the bottom of the barrel... :eek:

:nervous: ...somebody reminds you that there's a version in English as well..?!? :nervous:

:biglaugh: ...ei perkele..!!! :biglaugh:

John - :p

aFinn

04-05-2006, 8:15am

:shocked: - ...and as one already thought that original song/video is at the bottom of the barrel... :eek:

:nervous: ...somebody reminds you that there's a version in English as well..?!? :nervous:I was having a hard time watching this, was laughing so much :funny: Incredible "moves" by the dancers :biglaugh:

I got an e-mail telling about this video :p Ah the office life and funny e-mails, sometimes they really are good :p

Myyde

04-05-2006, 8:55am

Jokinen seems genuinely modest despite it all, but the artists he works with certainly know how to carry off the diva role.

One female artist whom Jokinen was filming saw an ear-ring in a picture in Vogue, and said she wanted one just like that for the video shoot.

The problem with this was that the only place they were on sale was in Paris.

And so an assistant went to the shop in Paris and bought the ear-ring. Then she jetted back to L.A. with it. At the airport there was another assistant waiting, who carried the ear-ring down to the location in Mexico. The star took a look at the ear-ring, announced it wasn't big enough, and tossed it over her shoulder onto the floor.

At another shoot, Jokinen noticed that a string of horses had appeared in the studio carpark. It turned out that the big female star wanted to spend her leisure-time in the company of horses. Since no suitable stables could be found locally, the horses had been flown in specially.

"But after saying all that, generally you get on perfectly fine with the professional ones. Those people who are really successful, they know how the money-flows move. You don't have any problems with them."

Just wondering, is Shania this "ear-ring diva"? Mexico, Ka-Ching, Antti J... :nervous:

Well, that horse thing is quite obvious, Diva Shania. :huh:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8610362188397291938

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
:funny:

Thanks for the link. :up:

Lets see if Antti J. reaches this level some day, he has still lot to learn. Not easy to top that.:p

FinnFreak

04-05-2006, 10:00am

Just wondering, is Shania this "ear-ring diva"? Mexico, Ka-Ching, Antti J... :nervous:

Well, that horse thing is quite obvious, Diva Shania. :huh:

The horse thing is obvious: he even mentioned Shania by name in a TV interview with that one... :huh: the earring one I've never heared before, and his tone has changed quite a bit from the first interview, where he complimented Shania... but that was during the Üp! video - later on he got frustrated about Ka-Ching!'s storyboard changes, which resulted in 3 different videos combined into one... he has even mentioned, how he dosn't like the way that video turned out at all... :dunno:

...oh, those bleeding heart artists...

John - :p

Troll

04-05-2006, 10:04am

Write in Google:
"worst music video ever"

or direct link:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8610362188397291938

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

That is a bad video.

FinnFreak

04-05-2006, 10:16am

That is a bad video.

...the devil's real name is Ilkka Lipsanen... :devil:

...I'm seriously considering deleting this thread... :uhh:

...or placing it under quarantine... :huh:

...let's face it: it's contaminated..! :really:

John - :p

Myyde

04-05-2006, 10:46am

The horse thing is obvious: he even mentioned Shania by name in a TV interview with that one... :huh: the earring one I've never heared before, and his tone has changed quite a bit from the first interview, where he complimented Shania... but that was during the Üp! video - later on he got frustrated about Ka-Ching!'s storyboard changes, which resulted in 3 different videos combined into one... he has even mentioned, how he dosn't like the way that video turned out at all... :dunno:

...oh, those bleeding heart artists...

John - :p

Yeah, and it was even mentioned in some article. Remember that?...very difficult to translate, eh? ;) :p
Well, it`s always easy to make these stories, especially if you don`t use names, who knows is that true or not or just a story. :smirk:

...the devil's real name is Ilkka Lipsanen... :devil:

...I'm seriously considering deleting this thread... :uhh:

...or placing it under quarantine... :huh:

...let's face it: it's contaminated..! :really:

John - :p

Hö!:shocked: Iso D jyrää.:p

FinnFreak

04-06-2006, 4:06am

Hö!:shocked: Iso D jyrää.:p

jååpa jåå...

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-06-2006, 5:45am

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - CULTURE - Thursday 6.4.2006

Finnish gross-out TV show The Dudesons to have US version in summer

Movie to premiere before that

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219416033.jpeg
Dudesons Jarno Laasela (left), Jukka Hildén, and Jarppi Leppälä will be seen
inflicting humiliation and bodily harm on each other on a US cable TV channel
next summer.

The Dudesons TV Show, a Finnish-made comedy programme with a format similar to that of Jackass, is to get cable television distribution in the United States.

The cable channel Spike TV has agreed to show eight episodes of the programme. The contract also has an option for more broadcasts.

Spike, which is part of MTV Networks, is accessible in about 90 million US households. The main target audience are men aged 18 to 34. The channel shows such popular police series as CSI and Shield.

The Dudesons (or Duudsons as they are known in Finnish) will not disclose the exact amount of money that they are getting from the deal, which is nevertheless believed to be the highest ever for a Finnish TV export.

Previously, the only Finnish TV programme to get any significant US distribution has been the police detective series Raid, which was shown last year on a local Washington station, with about four million potential viewers.

"The price is such that I would never have dreamed of it as a little kid playing in my sandbox. It is at least ten times the size of Finnish TV budgets", says Jukka Hildén of the Dudesons team.

The new TV series will be in English. The prime-time episodes will include old footage that has been broadcast on Finnish television, but new material will also be included.

The first episode will be broadcast on July 6th, a month after the US premiere of The Dudesons Movie.

Hildén feels that Spike is a more appropriate channel for The Dudesons than the parent channel MTV, whose target audience is younger, and which therefore imposes tighter censorship on the content.

http://www.extremeduudsonit.com

:uhh: - idiots.

John - :p

Myyde

04-06-2006, 6:06am

jååpa jåå...

John - :p
:funny:

Aha, ei näköjää, ei sitte... :p

FinnFreak

04-06-2006, 6:37am

:funny:

Aha, ei näköjää, ei sitte... :p
No ei. Kaada ittelles vaan. :p

...here's another interesting news item, that people have been talking about:

HELSINGIN SANOMAT INTERNATIONAL EDITION - FOREIGN - Thursday 6.4.2006

Swedish diplomat proposes Finland's President Tarja Halonen as UN Secretary-General

Veteran Swedish diplomat Pierre Schori has proposed that Finnish President Tarja Halonen should replace Kofi Annan as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

In a piece on the op-ed pages of the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, Schori said that the UN needs to have a woman at the helm. He also lists a number of women whom he sees as potential candidates.

"Nevertheless, my own favourite is Tarja Halonen, a president, a resident of the Nordic region, and a fighter for human rights", Schori wrote. He added that he agrees with Kofi Annan, who has said that "the time is right for a woman Secretary-General".

Pierre Schori is a veteran figure in Sweden’s Social Democratic Party, who matured into politics under Prime Minister Olof Palme. He has served in the Swedish Parliament, and had a ministerial post in the first government of Prime Minister Göran Persson. He also served one term in the European Parliament.

In 2000 Schori was named the Swedish Ambassador to the UN, and now he works as the Special Ambassador for Secretary General Annan in Ivory Coast.

Speculation about a new Secretary-General for the UN is now in full swing. According to the traditional practice of rotation, the next Secretary-General should come from Asia. However, as Schori sees it, now would be the right time to seek out a competent woman for the post, if the geographical criteria do not work out for some reason or another.

In addition to Halonen, Schori mentions a number of other possible women for the post, including New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Canadian Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour, former Irish President Mary Robinson, and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Bruntland.

John - :)

Myyde

04-06-2006, 9:41am

No ei. Kaada ittelles vaan. :p

John - :)

Hö! Oisit ny vähä jeesannu, rupiaa oleen maha niin täynnä kaikista noista Euroviisuherkuista,(kiitti vaa linkistä):music: että ei taia enää mahtua yhtää isoa D:tä. On taas sen verra maagista tavaraa tuolla veisuissa, että tsiisus sentää. :shocked:

FinnFreak

04-06-2006, 9:44am

Euroveisut..? :funny:

...nice touch...

John - :D

Myyde

04-06-2006, 10:01am

Euroveisut..? :funny:

...nice touch...

John - :D

No kyllähän tuo skaba pikkuhiljaa rupeaa kuulostamaan yhtä tylsältä ku virrenveisuu, ni miksei sit nimiki ois senmukanen. :uhh:

Mitäs tuolla nyt on? Kaksi kappaletta mitä pystyy kuuntelee ja kattomaa samanaikasesti, aika hyvi.:p Mielenkiintone show vaihteeks luvassa...

FinnFreak

04-10-2006, 6:05am

;)

HELSINGIN SANOMAT INTERNATIONAL EDITION - CONSUMER

The truth about bras

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219397645.jpeg
This billboard at a Helsinki bus stop advertising a
sale on bras by a Swedish-owned lingerie company
turned heads in Helsinki a few weeks back. The
company behind the ad ran into problems at home,
when Stockholm's transit authority ordered them
to be removed from hoardings on city's Tunnelbana
stations. It was apparently the text and not the
image that was considered politically incorrect.

By Anna-Stina Nykänen

The household magazine Kodin kuvalehti had a great story about bras. There was a picture of four normal Finnish women posing without shirts, their stomachs bare: ordinary women - no photo models!

One of them had very large breasts, the other had really small ones, one was breastfeeding, and one had undergone a mastectomy. Wow!

It seemed like a daring thing to do. After all, it is still quite radical to show normal women in pictures just for the sake of their bodies. The sight made my hair stand on end.

All of the women looked really good. They were calm and satisfied. They gave their own names, ages, and opinions - in the way that anonymous models do not.

Really great.

For once it was shown how different women really are, and I do not mean just the breasts - I mean ideals as well.

The large-breasted woman wondered why anyone would want large breasts. For her they were literally a pain in the neck.

At least when I was young I thought that all women wanted big ones. The bigger, the better, I thought.

Now I think I know where to draw the line: normal working women do not want breasts to steal all attention. Perhaps this is why many female executives want to be thin?

It is also interesting how the same woman can have such different breasts at different times of her life. The woman with the small breasts had a C-cup before she lost weight, and her breasts also went down to an A-cup. A considerable change.

A friend of mine says that she had no breasts at all before her children were born. Then they stayed big. But with age, her breasts changed again completely. They became flatter and longer. They were her third breasts, she says.

For some people breasts are naturally mismatched. How is one supposed to find a bra in that situation? The fact is that buying bras is ridiculously difficult.

Contrary to what is suggested by advertising and fashion stories, the most difficult aspect of choosing a bra is not whether or not to get a romantic or stunning one. One often has to make do with the only one that fits, no matter how ugly it looks.

A bra is not just an ornament. It is a necessity, without which many will not get by. The enthusiasm for burning bras has collapsed since the 1970s, since this fact was admitted to be true. Nowadays freedom is expressed by allowing bras to be seen. Even my mother, who is in her seventies, feels that there is nothing wrong with having a beautiful bra show through a thin blouse.

So they can also be an ornament, if it works otherwise.

I feel that every woman has the right to have a good bra. Bad ones are terrible - worse than shoes that are constantly chafing.

It is hard for a man to imagine how bothersome it is to try to hold a serious conversation, while constantly feeling the shoulder strap of the bra slip downwards. How is one supposed to fix it in a subtle manner? You can't just reach under your collar without completely losing credibility.

Perhaps rich women have their own bras made to order, as wealthy men do with their shoes. When will the My Left Foot movement be joined by My Left Breast?

Women usually remember their first bra - where they got it and with whom. Did a mother try to impose it on her daughter, or did the daughter have to beg for one? Did others already have one? They remember what it looked like, and if it was fashionable. Was it a source of derision, or envy?

Nowadays some people are worried when mothers buy something akin to a bra for a very young daughter.

The problem is not that a child does not yet have breasts - perish the thought. The problem is that buying the first bra has traditionally been an important ritual in growing up to womanhood, and it is not good to try to turn a child into a woman before she is ready for it.

Many adult women use bras even though there is little for them to contain. A bra is part of being a woman, no matter what it holds.

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 31.3.2006 in the weekly supplement Nyt

John - :)

FinnFreak

04-10-2006, 7:21am

:sad:

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - FOREIGN - Monday 10.4.2006

Finnish investigators angered by new report on Estonia sinking

Head of disaster inquiry blasts "inappropriate" behaviour of Estonian prosecutor

The sinking of the passenger-car ferry Estonia more than a decade ago is again the focus of controversy. A fresh Estonian report sharply criticises the work of the international Estonia Commission. The new report revives the previously discredited explosion theory.

In one of the worst peacetime disasters in maritime history, the Estonia sank in the Gulf of Finland while en route from Tallinn to Stockholm on the night of September 28th, 1994. Of the 989 people on board, 852 died. Most of the victims were Swedish and Estonian citizens. There were ten Finns among the dead.

The Finnish members of the international commission, Tuomo Karppinen, the head of the Accident Investigation Board, and his predecessor Kari Lehtola have taken issue with actions taken by Estonian prosecutor Margus Kurm when preparing the report. Both Karppinen and Lehtola have lodged a complaint about Kurm’s actions to the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki.

Karppinen says that the behaviour of Kurm, who chaired the Estonian investigation commission, has been inappropriate. "The Estonian prosecutor came to interrogate us, and raised the same issues that have been twirled around for nearly ten years, as if we had been hiding facts", Karppinen says.

Estonia began to re-examine the accident a year ago, when the country’s government set up a commission to investigate reports that the ship would have been carrying war materiel. The report was made public this week.

Tuomo Karppinen says that the report is a collection of old claims about a leak and an explosion, and about conflicting statements.

"The most serious allegations have been disproved many times. These theories simply do not lead anywhere", Karppinen says.

"On the other hand, there is no shortage of contradictory statements; a total of 137 people were rescued from the ship, and the situation was appalling in every way", Karppinen notes.

Karppinen stands firmly behind the findings of the Estonia Commission. In his view, the final conclusions have not been shaken, even though the report has been re-examined many times.

The commission found that the bow of the Estonia was too weak: on the fateful night, strong waves beating against the bow door visor caused it to break. When it fell, the visor tore open the watertight ramp. Water then surged onto the car deck, causing the ship to sink.

In the investigation, the explosion theory was taken seriously, and investigators looked for traces of an explosion.

The German Meyer Shipyard, which built the Estonia, focused on the explosion theory in its own report. A team of divers led by the American Gregg Bemis Jr. and the German filmmaker Jutta Rabe took samples from the ship’s bow to seek confirmation of the explosion theory, but a respected German research institute found no signs of such an event.

John - :sad:

FinnFreak

04-10-2006, 8:16am

:smirk:

STT - 10.4.2006

No one hurt during Finland´s week of collapsing roofs

The Accident Investigation Board of Finland (AIBF) is looking into a number of collapsed roof incidents that have taken place over the past week. The worst accident happened in Haapajärvi in the Oulu region on Saturday. The roof of a large store failed under heavy snow, causing millions of euros of damage. Luckily, no one was hurt as the building was evacuated before the collapse.

Later on Saturday, a sporting arena in Jyväskylä was evacuated after roofing sheets started to give way.

nooo... we got more of that white stuff fallin' from the skies this morning...

John - :uhh:

FinnFreak

04-10-2006, 8:34am

www.pohjalainen.fi - 10.04.2006

Seksin myynti - vapaaehtoista toimintaa?

EDUSKUNNASSA ON käsiteltävänä hallituksen seksin oston kriminalisoinnista. Ruotsissa seksin osto kiellettiin jo vuonna 1999 ainoana maana Euroopan Unionissa. Ruotsin kokemusten pohjalta perustellaan keskusteluissa sekä kieltoa että kieltämättä jättämistä.

Olen seksin oston kriminalisoinnin kannalla, koska prostituutioon liittyy ihmisarvoa polkevaa törkeää rikollisuutta. Merkittävä osa paritusrikollisuudesta on yhteydessä kansainvälisiin rikollisjärjestöihin ja siten seksin ostajat ylläpitävät ja rahoittavat järjestäytynyttä rikollisuutta. Yhteiskunnan on selkeästi osoitettava, ettei tällaista toimintaa voida hyväksyä.

LAINSÄÄDÄNTÖ EI pelkästään heijastele vallitsevia asenteita, vaan sillä voidaan vaikuttaa asenteisiin ja ohjata ihmisten käyttäytymistä toivottuun suuntaan. Vuosisatoja ihmiset toistivat sananlaskua "joka vitsaa säästää se lastaan vihaa". Tänään tuntuu käsittämättömältä se, että vielä vanhempiemme lapsuudessa lapsen lyömistä pidettiin lähes välttämättömänä, jotta lapsi oppii erottamaan sallitun ja kielletyn.

Samanlainen kehitys on tapahtunut ihmisten asenteissa tupakointiin.

Tupakoitsijoiden mielihalut eivät voi ohittaa kanssaihmisten oikeutta savuttomaan ilmaan. Olen vakuuttunut siitä, että seksin oston kriminalisointi tulee vaikuttamaan asenteisiin ja käyttäytymiseen.

Seksin ostoa kieltävää lakia on vastustettu sillä, ettei se lopeta prostituutiota ja lain noudattamisen valvonta on vaikeaa. Tällä perusteella voitaisiin vastustaa lähes kaikkia kriminalisointeja. Pahoinpitely on kriminalisoitu, ja siitä huolimatta perheväkivaltaa esiintyy, ja huomattava osa väkivaltateoista jää selvittämättä. Tuskin kukaan kuitenkaan on valmis ehdottamaan, että pahoinpitely tulisi poistaa rikoslaista.

On hyvä, että ongelmista keskustellaan ja pohditaan viranomaisten kouluttamista paremmin torjumaan prostituutioon liittyvää rikollisuutta. Lainsäädäntöä eteenpäin vietäessä on syytä suhtautua vakavasti Ruotsissa esitettyihin arvioihin siitä, että kriminalisoiminen on lisännyt prostituoituihin kohdistuvan väkivallan, painostuksen ja muiden rikosten riskiä. Samoin Ruotsin poliisi arvioi paritus- ja ihmiskaupparikosten tutkimisen vaikeutuneen. Toisaalta ruotsalaisten suhtautuminen prostituutioon on myös muuttunut kielteisemmäksi.

USEIN ESITETÄÄN osan prostituoiduista harjoittavan toimintaa vapaaehtoisesti tai mielellään. Jokainen voi miettiä, onko itsensä myyminen rinnastettavissa hyvinvointipalveluihin. Haluaako edes seksin ostaja, että hänen äitinsä, vaimonsa, siskonsa, tyttärensä tai veljensä hankkisivat elantonsa prostituoituna?

Tuskin.

Seksin ostajan logiikan mukaan oman lähipiirin ihmiset ovat eri kastia kuin itseään kauppaavat seksityöläiset. He eivät kuulu meihin, vaan ovat niitä muita. Tätä käsitystä vahvistaa se, että monet Suomessa toimivat prostituoidut ovat ulkomaalaisia.

Keskusrikospoliisin mukaan kaikkiaan Suomessa vierailee vuosittain varovaisesti arvioiden 10 000 - 15 000 prostituoitua lähialueiltamme. Toiminta on saatettu järjestää niin, että prostituoidut tulevat Suomeen esimerkiksi viikon mittaiseksi ajaksi kerrallaan.

Suomalaisten keskuudessa esiintyy käsitys, jonka mukaan venäläiset ja virolaiset naiset ovat arvomaailmaltaan erilaisia kuin me ja että prostituutio olisi suorastaan toivoammatti näissä maissa.

En usko näihin väitteisiin. Todennäköisempää on, että maidemme välillä oleva elintasokuilu aiheuttaa sen, että köyhempi ajautuu paremman elintason toivossa myymään itseään ja rikkaamman maan kansalainen katsoo oikeudekseen käyttää tätä tilannetta hyväkseen. Yhteiskunnassa on jotain pahasti vialla, jos prostituutio elannon hankkimisen keinona on jollekulle houkutteleva.

AVAINKYSYMYKSEKSI PROSTITUUTION kiellosta keskustellessa tulisi muodostua se, elävätkö prostituoidut ihmiset elämää, jota ovat toivoneet?
Prostituution hyväksyminen on luopumista paremman maailman tavoittelemisesta. Kun yksilölle on tarjolla muita mahdollisuuksia, hän harvoin päätyy prostituoiduksi. Anna Kontulan tutkimusten mukaan on viitteitä, että viime aikoina venäläisprostituutio on vähentynyt huomattavasti.

Kun kohonnut elintaso tuo muita vaihtoehtoja, prostituutiohalukkuus vähenee. Kontula tosin esittää haastattelujensa pohjalta myös, että prostituoidut kertovat seikkailunhalun, henkilökohtaisten seksuaalisten mieltymysten ja itsenäisyyden olevan tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttaisivat prostituoiduksi ryhtymiseen. Mutta ei näytä oikein siltä, että taloudellisten syiden poissa ollessa nämä syyt sittenkään riittäisivät.

Toisekseen voi kysyä, kuinka merkittävä onkaan ihmisten halu selittää toimintansa aina parhain päin ja ennen kaikkea vapaaehtoisena, itsenäisenä ratkaisuna. Kontula toteaa, että prostituoidun on itse todistettava itselleen toimintansa mielekkyys ja oikeutus. Jos prostituution kanssa on niin, että iso osa sitä harjoittavista ryhtyy siihen taloudellisen pakon vuoksi tehden henkilökohtaisen uhrauksen, ei liene paikallaan, että yhteiskunta hyväksyy tällaista toimintaa.

PAHINTA PROSTITUUTIOSSA on, että rikollisjärjestöjen usein ulkomailta käsin pyörittämä paritustoiminta on todella raakaa bisnestä. Muutama viikko sitten ilmeni tapaus, jossa kehitysvammainen nuori nainen Virosta oli houkuteltu Suomeen väärillä lupauksilla. Hän oli joutunut vasten tahtoaan seksiorjan asemaan. Lehtitietojen mukaan hän oli löydettäessä ollut äärimmäisen peloissaan.

Mitä ajattelivat ne miehet, jotka olivat tämän tytön "asiakkaita"? Minun mielestäni heitä ei voida pitää kuluttajina, vaan rikollisina.

Keskusteluissa on pidetty naurettavana seksin oston kieltämistä, jos myyntiä ei samalla kielletä. Seksin ostaja ja myyjä ovat kuitenkin eriarvoisessa asemassa, koska suuri osa myyjistä on jollakin tavoin vaihtoehdottomassa elämäntilanteessa. He tarvitsevat apua eikä rankaiseminen mielestäni ole varsinaista hädänalaisen auttamista.

Sen sijaan en pidä seksuaaliviettiä niin pakottavana, ettei ostajilla olisi vaihtoehtoja toiminnalleen. Eihän Suomessa onneksi hyväksytä sitä, että seksin halu olisi peruste loukata toisen ihmisen koskemattomuutta.

Tanja Karpela / Kirjoittaja on kulttuuriministeri

:uhh: ...kokolailla aukottomia argumentteja.

Pieni huomautus: koko tekstin viidentenä sanana pitäisi kait olla 'esitys'..?

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-10-2006, 10:51am

NewsRoom Finland - Images in the news - 10.04.2006

http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/ImgLib/3/115/0410_virpojat_m.jpg
Young girls dressed up as old ladies (or
witches) carrying baskets and bunches
of decorated willow twigs were ringing
door bells across Finland and hoping to
be given chocolate Easter eggs in an
annual ritual on Palm Sunday, April 9.

:huh: ...up here, they go around next Saturday...

Marika, you got your chocolate yesterday, then..? :p

John - ;)

FinnFreak

04-11-2006, 6:10am

STT - 11.4.2006

Finland's Kotipizza opens first outlet in China

Finnish takeaway food group Kotipizza has opened its first outlet in China, it said in a statement Tuesday.

The Suzhou shop is to serve as a bridgehead for a wider Chinese expansion plan, to be unveiled within about one year.

"We have prepared for a long pilot phase, but believe in the success of our concept here as well," said in the statement Rabbe Grönblom, the founder of the group.

Kotipizza is planning opening three to five outlets in Russia this year to complement the existing one in St Petersburg.

"The situation and product mix of our St Petersburg shop, opened last spring, have proved correct. Also logistics has functioned well," added Mr Grönblom.

www.kotipizza.fi

STT - 11.4.2006

Wärtsilä wins EUR 100 mln power station order in California

Finnish engineering group Wärtsilä said in a statement Tuesday it had been selected to supply a gas-fired power station for Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) in the US.

The deal is pending approval by the California Public Utility Commission and the California Energy Commission. The 163-megawatt station is scheduled to go online by mid-2009.

The news sent the price of Wärtsilä's share to a rise on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. At 11.04am (GMT+3), the more traded B series shares were fetching 32.70 euros, up by 2.60 euros from Monday's close.

http://www.wartsila.com/en,press,0,,200631018535470,,,.htm

:D:up: - woohoo..! - that's more money coming into our town..!

John - ;)

FinnFreak

04-11-2006, 6:29am

The Finnish Guide To Disco Dancing (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4133225865837148162&q=finnish+disco+dance&pl=true)

John - :biglaugh:

Troll

04-11-2006, 10:34am

The Finnish Guide To Disco Dancing (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4133225865837148162&q=finnish+disco+dance&pl=true)

John - :biglaugh:

That is interesting John.

FinnFreak

04-11-2006, 10:35am

:shocked: - and who would've believed, that The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, would *steal* a great idea from Conan O'Brien..?

List of people Rob Corddry hates - from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/daily_show_finnish.jpg

...wait..! :huh: ...Conan *did* snatch the job from under Jon Stewart 's nose... :uhh:

...is this intentional..? :really: - payback time..?!?

hmm... gotta start watching Jon's show a bit more closely... on Comedy Central (and on Canal Plus in Finland) ;)

...actually, the next time Shania's planning to do a talk show, she should do The Daily Show. Really. It's THAT good.

I'd just *LOVE* to see them going into an in-depth discussion about country music and the music industry... :p

...just to show you guys how good he is - here's a snippet when he was a guest on Larry King Live:

KING: Charlotte, North Carolina, hello.

CALLER: Hi. I just have to tell you, Jon, you are the smartest, funniest man on TV and I just go to sleep every night with a smile on my face.

STEWART: I'm sitting right next to Larry.

CALLER: My question is, does your wife find you hilarious.

KING: Good question.

STEWART: You know, living with someone for ten years, the magic of my hilarity wears off.

KING: She doesn't laugh?

STEWART: No, she does. She's got a great sense of humor. But you know how it is. It's regular life. We don't sit and do spiel at the table. I say how is Maggie. We talk. But I hope she thinks I'm pleasant to be around.

KING: Is she out for the awards, your wife?

STEWART: No. She's going to come out right before the show but I'm out -- she's back home.

KING: How's the new baby?

STEWART: Great. Doing -- she's great. Doesn't say a lot.

KING: And does Nathan Thomas who is 19 months old --

STEWART: He's 19, almost 20 months.

KING: Does he like having a little sister?

STEWART: He likes her very much unless -- there's only one thing he doesn't really like and that's if Tracy or I touches her. Or goes near her. Or mentions her name. Or thinks about the baby. Other than that, I think he's bearing up very, very well. He loves her. He calls her Ghee (ph) and gets very excited. You know what's interesting he is very excited and will run in her room but doesn't know what to do once he gets in there. Then he looks at her and it's little and he doesn't know what to do.

KING: And it's some difference from boys to girls, let me tell you.

STEWART: Is that right?

KING: Night and day.

STEWART: What would be the difference?

KING: Just ain't the same.

STEWART: So you're suggesting that boys are different than girls?

KING: I am suggesting that. As babies.

STEWART: Interesting. Interesting. Are you suggesting maybe one has I don't know, a penis? And the other perhaps not so much?

KING: That's one of the things.

STEWART: Interesting.

http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0603/04/lkl.01.html

No more CNN or BBC for me - Jon Stewart provides us with all the information on current events we need. And more.

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-12-2006, 5:12am

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - COLUMN - Wednesday 12.4.2006

The travails of Prime Minister Vanhanen

http://re2.mm-a1.yimg.com/image/108167734

By Juha Akkanen

I actually feel sorry for Matti Vanhanen The man is too good to be the Prime Minister - at least with respect to the everyday issues of the government.

The government partners have nothing ill to say of the conciliatory Prime Minister. There is more negative commentary from his own sourpusses, who are ready to fight, if for no other reason than to stay warm.

On the basis of the evidence of the past nearly three years, it is nevertheless starting to feel that Vanhanen could not have become Prime Minister in any manner other than what happened: someone had to be found to replace Anneli Jäätteenmäki.

The Presidential election campaign showed it again. Vanhanen lacks the charisma, fire, and the ability to get people excited.

In small circles he is a good listener. He is clear in what he says and occasionally he is even a fluent conversationalist, even though he is no comic wit. However, in situations in which he has to perform, we see a dry lecturer who reads monotonously from papers. It is as if the centre-left government had a civil servant as its Prime Minister.

In less than a year, Vanhanen's public image as a calm and secure family man has collapsed completely.

The only way that his image could sink any further would be if he were found in questionable circumstances dressed in women's underwear with an orange in his mouth and a plastic bag on his head.

It makes no difference whom the Prime Minister dates, as long as he takes care of his work. However, in social interaction Vanhanen could learn something from some more experienced fellow party member - as long as it is not Paavo Väyrynen. Now the Prime Minister is behaving like an adolescent kid with the girls.

It would be best to warn the Prime Minister that wooing women by e-mail does not work any better than an SMS message.

Telecommunications operators and IT wizards could develop a new service: a message that self-destructs in half a minute after it is opened. It would save many men from embarrassment. Copying or forwarding the message would naturally be made impossible.

Vanhanen has one significant advantage on his side. As I recall, he was chosen the sexiest man in Finland in a vote arranged by a women's magazine.

I believe that the same happened with Paavo Lipponen when he was Prime Minister. In that case, others who want to will be able to do it as well. Sorry, Eero Heinäluoma, next spring it's MY turn.

If power can make a big grouch sexy, why couldn't it do the same for a slightly smaller grouch?

Here in the south, which is supposedly hostile to the Centre Party, people laugh at Vanhanen's antics. How would it be in the smaller cores of the Centre Party, in Ostrobothnia? After all, people don't laugh very much in that part of the country anyway.

If nothing else helps, Vanhanen might pull a Berlusconi and promise to remain celibate until the election.

This would be a greater sacrifice for him than for the 69-year-old Silvio Berlusconi.

Although it seems that Berlusconi has modified his words already - the one time that what he said might have sounded credible.

Here in the south, which is supposedly hostile to the Centre Party, people laugh at Vanhanen's antics. How would it be in the smaller cores of the Centre Party, in Ostrobothnia? After all, people don't laugh very much in that part of the country anyway.

Actually, as Vanhanen *is* from the south (Nurmijärvi), us Ostrobothnians (even Centre Party) find his recent moves very amusing... :smirk:

...and over here we laugh quite a bit at you southerners - in fact, pretty much anything happening inside Kehä III makes us howl with laughter... like the way you guys drive when the winter's first snow falls... :biglaugh: (Helsinki aka idiot magnet)

...you guys didn't know that there's really a Finland beyond the wolf-border..?

heh.

John - :p

aFinn

04-12-2006, 1:12pm

like the way you guys drive when the winter's first snow falls... :biglaugh: (Helsinki aka idiot magnet)Doesn't have to be first snow. Any snow storm creates a chaos. It's like abroad and not in Finland :uhh:

FinnFreak

04-13-2006, 3:06am

Helsinki ≠Finland

...at least, it doesn't give an accurate picture... a bit like visiting New York or Toronto for the first time & then claiming, that NOW one knows what the country is like...

...I lived in Helsinki for two years after high school... NEVER again, do I want to live there...

John - :smirk:

aFinn

04-18-2006, 11:43am

Big Swede

04-18-2006, 12:14pm

What I don't understand is why they distribute 2 sets of phone books here, just got a set published by Eniro, and a couple months ago got one by Fonecta. This is crazy and wasting valuable nature resources :scowl:

Only two!? We usually get several, one "official" and a few other, it have become better nowdays though, usually 3 now.

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 5:30am

Ooooh, a Helsinki basher :shocked: :p

What I don't understand is why they distribute 2 sets of phone books here, just got a set published by Eniro, and a couple months ago got one by Fonecta. This is crazy and wasting valuable nature resources :scowl:

The only reason IMO to go to Helsinki is the concerts. ;)

Oh yeah... and it's a nifty place to keep all the politicians out of my sight..! :p

ONLY 2 phone books..? :huh: - I think we've got 4 or 5...

One from the local phone company, those directory companies mentioned above & a couple more...

John - :dunno:

aFinn

04-19-2006, 5:47am

2 sets of 3 books, and then of course different directories, I don't count them as official ones.

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 6:03am

Suomi elää metsästä.

...I think the Finnish paper manufacturing industry is a secret owner of those directory companies...

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 8:22am

International Herald Tribune - TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2006

Monster band has Finland fretting over face it shows

http://www.headbanger.hu/be/htdocs/updir/lordi.jpg

By Dan Bilefsky

HELSINKI They have eight-foot retractable latex Satan wings, sing hits like "Chainsaw Buffet," and blow up slabs of smoking meat on stage. So the heavy-metal band Lordi expected a reaction when it was chosen to represent Finland at Eurovision, the European song competition that launched Abba and Celine Dion.

But the Finnish monster band did not imagine its selection would inspire a national identity crisis.

First, Finnish religious leaders warned that the Freddie Kruger look-a- likes could inspire Satanic worship. Then critics called for President Tarja Halonen to use her constitutional powers to veto the band and nominate a traditional Finnish folk singer instead. Rumors even circulated that the five members of Lordi were KGB agents sent by Vladimir Putin to destabilize Finland before a Russian coup and that explained why they refused to take off their freakish masks in public.

The backlash migrated to Greece, winner of last year's Eurovision and site of the next contest, in Athens in August. An anti-Lordi movement called Hellenes urged the Finnish government to "say 'no' to this evil group." One young Finn calling himself Suomi (Finland in Finnish) wrote to a newspaper blog saying: "If Lordi wins Eurovision, I am leaving the country."

The lead singer, Lordi, a former film student who goes by the name Tomi Putaansuu when not wielding a blood- spurting electric chainsaw, is philosophical about the uproar.

The affair, he says, has exposed the insecurity of a young country whose language is spoken by only six million people worldwide and whose sense of identity has been dented by being part of the Swedish kingdom and the Russian empire until gaining independence in 1917. Most Finns, he adds, would rather be known for Santa Claus than heavily made-up monster mutants.

"In Finland, we have no Eiffel Tower, few real famous artists, it is freezing cold and we suffer from low self-esteem," said Lordi, who has horns protruding from his face mask and sports black fingernails 15 centimeters, or 6 inches, long.

As he stuck out his tongue menacingly, his red demon eyes glaring, Lordi was surrounded by Kita, an alien- man-beast predator who plays flame- spitting drums from inside a cage; Awa, a blood-splattered ghost who howls back-up; Ox, a zombie bull who plays bass; and Amen, a mummy in a rubber loincloth who plays guitar.

Dragging on a cigarette, Lordi added, "Finns nearly choked on their cereal when they realized we were the face Finland would be showing to the world."

Often derided as a showcase of kitsch, Eurovision is one of the most watched television programs in the world. It pits pop groups from all over Europe and the Middle East against one another, with the winner decided by popular vote by more than 600 million television spectators.

It is not the first time the contest, which premiered in 1956, has spawned discontent. Last year's Ukrainian entry song was rewritten after being deemed too political because it celebrated the Orange Revolution. When Dana International, an Israeli transsexual won in 1998 with her hit song "Diva," rabbis accused her of flouting the values of the Jewish state.

But not everyone in the country views the monster squad as un-Finnish. Some Finns say Lordi is right at home, and that its use of flaming dragon-encrusted swords and exploding baby dolls express the warrior spirit of the Vikings.

Alex Nieminen, a Finnish ad executive, says the band harks back to the Hakkapeliittas, a legendary Finnish cavalry unit that fought as part of the Swedish Army in the 17th century. He argues that the slasher-film wannabes embody Finnish self-assertion after decades of isolation.

"Lordi represents a rebellion by Finns who are saying, 'Hey, we are not all the Nokia-wielding people the government would like you to think we are,'thin" Nieminen says.

Lordi won the right to go to Athens with its Kiss-inspired anthem "Hard Rock Hallelujah," with its English-language lyrics, "Wings on my back/I got horns on my head/my fangs are sharp/ and my eyes are red."

The Finns' fascination for Lordi may reflect their eternal hope after coming in last at Eurovision eight times. Some Finns rank that on a level with national humiliations like the nation's appeasement of the Soviet Union or losing in hockey to Sweden.

Finns attribute their losing streak to the fact that contestants have typically sung in their mother tongue, a difficult Uralic language in which words with three umlauts are not uncommon.

"Finland, zero points" has become a source of deep embarrassment in the nation's psyche," says Ilkka Mattila, the country's leading music critic. "So Lordi's success must be understood as a vote by people who feel we have nothing to lose."

Finns are so uncomfortable with themselves, says a Finnish European Parliament member, Alexander Stubb, that when they meet you for the first time, they stare at their own feet. Then, after 10 years of friendship, they stare at your feet.

But there is little risk anyone, Finnish or otherwise, will stare at Lordi's furry platform demon boots, he adds, noting that Lordi could embarrass Finland when it takes over the European Union presidency in July.

Timo Soini, head of the party of "Ordinary Finns," a traditionalist party from rural Finland, says Lordi has attracted criticism because Finns are so thin-skinned about how others perceive them.

"Finns are suspicious when they see someone new come to play in their sandbox," he explains. "And that is particularly the case when that someone looks like a monster."

While other young boys in Lapland were playing hockey, Lordi played with his toy Barbie doll and began experimenting with makeup. In film school he became obsessed with horror films and the heavy metal bands Kiss and Twisted Sister. Like his fellow metal heads, Lordi hoped that transgression would sell big. But he says it took 10 years to get a record deal because Finnish labels were so turned off by the band's appearance.

Under their masks, the band members are quintessential Finns. Awa, the ghost, is a soft-spoken blond who wears glasses and studied classical music. Even Lordi himself, who sports a black leather jacket when not donning his reptile lapels, says his music is closer to gospel than Satan. After all, one of the band's hit songs is, "The devil is a loser."

"Even if we lose the contest, we have already won," Lordi says. "Many Finns would rather have sent someone boring and acceptable than to be represented by freaks like us."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/17/news/finn.php

:huh: ...points..? :really: Who cares about points..?!? :cool::up: - This is ROCK..!

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 8:40am

What to do this summer in Finland..?

...sounds like a lot of fun, eh..? ;)

Matchmaking Festival (www.hakupaalla.com)
Kurikka, 9 to 10 June

Wife Carrying World Championships (www.sonkajarvi.fi/?deptid=14952)
Sonkajärvi, 30 June to 2 July

Sex Festival (www.seksifestivaalit.com)
Kutemajärvi, 30 June to 1 July

Aquajogging World Championships (www.petajavesi.fi/vesijuoksu/index.htm)
Petäjävesi, 30 June to 1 July

Salmon Spin Casting Contest and Vendace Market (www.kesalahti.fi/ohjelmat/lohi.html)
Kesälahti, 1 to 2 July

Festival of ”Twangy Guitar” Music (www.rautalankaa.com)
Nastola, 1 July

Hay-mowing world championships (www.liminka.fi)
Liminka, 1 July

Cross-border Finnish-Swedish Wedding Celebrations (www.pello.fi)
Pello, 1 to 2 July

Witch Trials (www.ruovesi.fi)
Ruovesi, 5 to 9 July

Swamp Soccer World Championships (www.suopotkupallo.fi)
Hyrynsalmi, 14 to 16 July

Floorball (bandyball) Finnish championships (www.saunalahti.fi/leipyry/suosahly/2006/)
Leivonmäki, 22 July

Kissing Competition (www.ruovesi.fi/kulttuuri/)
Visuvesi, 22 to 23 July

Dances, Strongest Man Competition and Finnish Championships in Pea Eating (www.juva.fi)
Metsäkansa, 29 July

Turncoat Week (www.orimattila.fi)
Orimattila, 30 July to 5 August

Sauna World Championships (www.heinola.fi)
Heinola, 4 to 5 August

World Championships in crowbar walking (www.forssanseutu.fi)
Tammela, 18 August

Mobile phone throwing world championships (www.savonlinnafestivals.com)
Savonlinna, 19 August

Finnish Championships in rock music football
Seinäjoki, 19 to 20 August

Finnish Championships in Berry Picking (www.plaza.kojillismaa.fi)
Suomussalmi, 2 September

The 11th Air Guitar World Championships (www.omvf.net/2005/ilmakitara.php)
Oulu, 6th to 10th September

According to a traditional Finnish saying: "Life is smiling like a herring in a pint of sour milk!"

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 10:26am

Virtual Finland (http://virtual.finland.fi)

Finland's parliament: pioneer of gender equality

In 1906 Finland's national assembly, the Eduskunta, became the first parliament in the world to adopt full gender equality.
It earned that distinction by granting equally to men and women the right not only to vote but also to stand for election.

To honour the centenary, Virtual Finland offers three articles by Salla Korpela that portray Finland as a model of democratic governance:

Finland's parliament: genuine gender parity (http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=49226)

When everyone got the vote (http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=49374)

Portrait of a Finnish MP (http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=49378)

John - :)

Troll

04-19-2006, 10:38am

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 11:06am

Some interesting sounding stuff

...the events - or the traditional Finnish saying..?

John - :p

manmangler

04-19-2006, 12:54pm

The only reason IMO to go to Helsinki is the concerts. ;)

Same here.

Except I go sometimes raid Helsinki Musicstores and Games Workshop store. With credits card there is no need for that anymore.

What is best in Helsinki

Roadsign to Tampere (Insert any other city to here)

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 1:11pm

What is best in Helsinki

Roadsign to Tampere (Insert any other city to here):funny:

Tampere (http://www.tampere.fi/english/tampereinbrief/index.html) (Nääsville - Finland's Country Music Capitol) is nice..! :cool::up: - We go there all the time.

John - :D

manmangler

04-19-2006, 1:31pm

:funny:

Tampere (http://www.tampere.fi/english/tampereinbrief/index.html) (Nääsville - Finland's Country Music Capitol) is nice..! :cool::up: - We go there all the time.

John - :D
Yep

I shocked, there was no hi-res picture of Pyynikki park :shocked: . I go walking there in summer. (Nothing to do with chicks and sun) :D

Even I must say that
Turku have better "views" in summertime.

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 1:42pm

...here's a pic taken from the Pyynikki ridge during winter:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~ojn/6mpix/preview/pyynikinharju_kajo.jpg

John - ;)

FinnFreak

04-19-2006, 1:45pm

Troll

04-19-2006, 2:23pm

Cool pic John.

manmangler

04-19-2006, 2:36pm

:uhh: - "views"... :huh: ...in Turku (http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2&nodeid=23)... :really: hmm... ok... heh, I know what you mean... ;)

Click Here (http://www.keskiaikaisetmarkkinat.fi/indexeng.html)

John - :p

Cool pic but not those view I was talking

:funny: Something tells me that you are not allowed to watch certain views.

MEDIEVAL MARKET is great in Turku. Must see it again sometimes.

FinnFreak

04-20-2006, 3:29am

Cool pic but not those view I was talking
I know... ;)

:funny: Something tells me that you are not allowed to watch certain views.

:p - heh, I'm NOT blind - but also: I'm not stupid - I know what's good for me... :funny:

MEDIEVAL MARKET is great in Turku. Must see it again sometimes.

yep, for a town founded in 1229 - it's surprisingly modern and historical, both at the same time...

John - :)

FinnFreak

04-24-2006, 8:06am

:uhh: ...20 years after Chernobyl... and where are all the super heroes..? :huh:

...and we get headlines like this:

STT - 24.4.2006

Nuclear power gains popularity in Finland

Popular support for a sixth nuclear power station has increased markedly over the past year.

According to a Gallup Finland survey printed in the Sunday edition of Helsingin Sanomat, three-fifths of Finns support, at least to some extent, the construction of a sixth nuclear power station in addition to the fifth, which has still not been completed.

Never before has surveyed support for further nuclear power been as high as this. A year ago, a clear minority - 42 per cent - were for building a sixth nuclear power station.

Also the Minister of Justice Leena Luhtanen (soc dem) is in favour of constructing a sixths nuclear power station. In the Sunday edition of Keskisuomalainen, a provincial daily, Ms Luhtanen said that the government should send a clear message that it supports building new nuclear power capacity.

Ms Luhtanen considered it important that self sufficiency was looked after in electricity and energy production. Increasing dependence on Russian electricity was something to be avoided, according to Ms Luhtanen, as Russia needs all its electricity capacity itself.

Tarja Cronberg, the chairman of the Green League, was also worried about depending too much on energy from Russia. Ms Cronberg, interviewed in the Saturday edition of Kaleva, stated her opposition to the much debated undersea power cable from Russia to Finland as it would make Finland too reliant on Russian electricity.

Ms Cronberg also said that nuclear power issue will no longer be an absolute obstacle for the Greens entering the government. However, Ms Cronberg said that in government negotiations her party would try to minimise the adoption of nuclear power. Instead, the Greens want to focus on promoting renewable energy sources and bioenergy.

...and the greens finally got the message... amazing...

John - :smirk:

aFinn

04-24-2006, 10:04am

http://www.yle.fi/news/id32851.html

Nine Injured in Espoo Building Site Explosion
Published 24.04.2006, 10.21 (updated 24.04.2006, 12.37)

Up to nine people were injured, one seriously, after an explosion at a construction site at Friisilä in Espoo.

The accident took place on a home construction site around 8.30 a.m. Officials say preliminary information suggests the explosion occurred when a crane dropped a large rock on explosives.

Reports suggest about 30 kg. of dynamite exploded. The blast was heard over a wide area and sent thick smoke into the vicinity. Many windows were shattered nearby.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and took the injured to hospital. Police sealed off the area and investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosion.

************

I believe the number of injured is now 10, 3 of them are children. Many families who live nearby cannot go to their homes, building inspectors need to investigate if their houses are safe to return to.
This blast was heard and felt more than 10 kilometres away, and the office building where I am at is about 2 miles away. The whole building shook briefly when the blast happened. :nervous:

FinnFreak

04-24-2006, 10:21am

STT - 24.4.2006 at 14:48

Large explosion injures many at construction yard in Espoo, Finland

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/04/24/friisilanrajahdys_uu.jpg

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219632105.jpeg

A large explosion occurred Monday at a construction yard in Espoo, Finland. According to the Espoo police, ten people have been injured in the accident. One person was injured severely, while the injuries of the others are not critical.

A preliminary report suggested that the explosion occurred when a large rock fell from a crane onto the back of a lorry holding some 30 kilograms of dynamite.

The explosion spread a number of detonators into the vicinity of the construction yard. The authorities have warned the public not to touch them until the area has been cleared.

"Inhabitants have been evacuated around a one hundred meter radius from the explosion site and transported to a rescue centre that was started up in a nearby fast food restaurant," said Heikki Paajanen, a rescue director from the West Uusimaa rescue coordination centre, in an interview by the Finnish News Agency (STT).

Several fire engines and rescue vehicles have been sent to the scene of the accident.

The explosion, which occurred at 8.30 am (GMT+3) in Friisilä, Espoo, was heard several kilometres away and shattered windows in nearby houses.

John - :sad:

Troll

04-24-2006, 11:06am

Thanks for the articles John. Let us hope everthing will be alright.

aFinn

04-24-2006, 2:35pm

ten people have been injured in the accident. One person was injured severely, while the injuries of the others are not critical.
The lorry driver who was badly hurt was saved by a young man from a nearby house. His condition is stable at the moment, according to latest news. Thankfully.

This kind of sad and dangerous incident must surely mean that construction site safety will be better in the future.

FinnFreak

04-25-2006, 2:28am

FinnFreak

04-25-2006, 3:04am

:shocked:

The story printed previously in the IHT about Lordi... is now in the New York Times...

Finland Squirms as Its Latest Export Steps Into Spotlight

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/04/24/world/24finn.xlarge1.jpg

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/24/world/europe/24finn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

John - :biglaugh:

FinnFreak

04-25-2006, 9:36am

;)

...but they're getting creative with the titles:

Lordi: Not your father's Finnish Eurovision entry

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/tarja_looks_like_lordi.jpg

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0604240185apr24,1,6508713.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true

John - :p

FinnFreak

04-25-2006, 10:08am

:shocked:

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - HOME - Tuesday 25.4.2006

Kyrönjoki River surrounding homes in Ostrobothnia

Packed ice pushes rising water over riverbank

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219640816.jpeg
So far the Kyrönjoki River has caused
most of the threats, and officials from
the Regional Environment Centre are
monitoring the situation closely.

Flooding is an annual spring occurrence
in low-lying Ostrobothnia.

The Kyrönjoki River beat the flood fighters on Monday. In Mustasaari near Vaasa, the packed ice formed an ice dam spreading over an area of three kilometres. The rising water overflowed its banks in the afternoon, and within some hours, the water surrounded a house and several cottages, and as a precaution, several residents had to be evacuated. Moreover, some local roads had to be closed because of the rising water.

http://www.vbl.fi/bilder/2006/0425/stor/MH_060424a_29.JPG

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219640818.jpeg
In Koivulahti near Vaasa the roads were covered by water on Monday.

Engineer Kari Syvänen from the West Finland Regional Environment Centre notes that as the riverbank cannot be heightened there is not much to be done. The only means available to fight the floods are to use the pumps of the Rescue Department as well as to build certain protective structures, including plastic sheeting and sandbags.

In the course of the evening, the residents tried to protect their houses. The only way to get back to the car was by boat.

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219640814.jpeg
In order to prevent his sauna from floating
away, Svante Betlehem fastened the
building to a tree.

Svante and Nina Betlehem were brave enough to wade the flooding water on the road to their cottage. While the cottage was being washed by water from three sides, Svante Betlehem managed to climb onto the roof and fasten the sauna-building to a tree to prevent it from possibly drifting off downstream. The boathouse was practically up to the eaves in water, and the sauna itself had around a foot of water on the floor. The couple were obliged to make their retreat through the one remaining route out, via the forest, as the road had become completely impassible without swimming.

Ice dams have been pestering flood fighters in recent days. So far the Kyrönjoki River has caused most of the threats, and officials from the Regional Environment Centre are monitoring the situation closely.

On Sunday, the floods were believed to have abated when the surface of the Kyrönjoki River started getting down in Ilmajoki, close to the city of Seinäjoki. By Monday night, it had come down by one metre already. However, the flowing waters have continued rising in Ylistaro, further down the river. According to Martti Kujanpää from the West Finland Regional Environment Centre, this is caused by ice dams.

On Monday evening, the ice dam clogging the Kolpinkoski rapids in Vähäkyrö had not broken up yet. Furthermore, in the Lapväärtinjoki River ice dams had to be detonated to prevent the centre of the Lapväärtti municipality from flooding. Similar steps have been taken also in several other municipalities in Ostrobothnia.

...should've guessed that ice is going to be extra problematic this spring... :uhh:

...luckily it doesn't affect us much: Vaasa lies on higher ground...

John - :smirk:

FinnFreak

04-26-2006, 5:02am

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - CULTURE - Wednesday 26.4.2006

Rock piece by The Rasmus overtakes Sibelius in foreign music royalties

Teosto releases figures for 2004

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135219637202.jpeg
"This is really something. Nevertheless, I do not believe that In the Shadows will
be played 100 years from now, like the Violin Concerto and the symphonies are
being played now", says The Rasmus vocalist Lauri Ylönen.

In the Shadows, a rock piece by the Finnish band The Rasmus wrote in a hotel room in Vaasa ( :] ) after a concert, has overtaken the works of composer Jean Sibelius on the list of Finnish compositions earning royalties abroad. Until now Sibelius’ Violin Concerto and his Second Symphony have been the only pieces to have reached number one on the list put out by the Finnish Composers’ Copyright Society - Teosto.

The new figures are from the Teosto annual report for 2004. In the Shadows was released in the Nordic Countries in February 2003, but it was not until a later release in 2004 that it became a worldwide hit.

The Teosto figures place the pieces in question in order of the number of royalty payments they earn - not the sums of money involved.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the million-seller In the Shadows was played more around the world than Freestyler by Bomfunk MC’s, Sandstorm by Darude, or Join Me (In Death) by HIM.

According to the 2001 figures, Sandstorm finished second, and Freestyler was third, right after the Violin Concerto.

The Teosto list includes radio broadcasts, concerts, and other public performances that entitle the artist to a royalty. The copyright organisations of each respective country first collect money from radio stations, for instance, and pass it on to Teosto, which pays its clients - in this case, the writers and record company of The Rasmus.

In concerts, In the Shadows is performed exclusively by The Rasmus, whereas Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is played by hundreds of symphony orchestras each year.

However, In the Shadows got more radio airplay in 2004 than the Sibelius piece. On the other hand, In The Shadows has to be played about ten times on the radio before it gets the same amount of air time as one performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto.

The performance royalties have no direct connection with record sales abroad.

However, no individual Sibelius recording has attained the sales figures that the In the Shadows single, which sold over a million copies, the album Dead Letters, which sold more than 1.5 million copies, or the group’s latest album, Hide from the Sun, which has sold a "mere" 400,000 copies.

Pohjalainen - Pääkirjoitus - Vaasassa keskiviikkona 26.huhtikuuta 2006

The Rasmus jätti Sibeliuksen varjoon

SUOMALAISEN ROCK-YHTYEEN The Rasmuksen hitti In the Shadows on ensimmäinen suomalaissävellys, joka on kerännyt enemmän esityskorvauksia ulkomailta kuin tähän saakka ykkösenä olleet kansallissäveltäjämme Jean Sibeliuksen viulukonsertto tai toinen sinfonia (Helsingin Sanomat 25.4.).

Saavutus on huikea. Sibelius luetaan edelleen musiikin mahtimiehiin, ja hänen tuotantonsa on hyvin arvostettua kansainvälisesti. Nyt The Rasmus lyö hänet sekä esityskorvausten määrässä että levymyynnissä. In the Shadows-single on myynyt tähän mennessä mahtavat 1,5 miljoonaa kappaletta.

SUOMESSA ESIINTYY edelleen taipumusta vähätellä populäärimusiikkia. Kulttuurieliitti katsoo herkästi, että oikean Suomi-kuvan kannalta Sibelius ja Karita Mattila ovat perustellumpia kuin The Rasmus tai vaikkapa HIM.

Tuosta asenteesta pitää vihdoinkin päästä eroon. Olipa musiikki mitä tyylilajia tahansa, suomalaiset kykenevät kilpailemaan kansainvälisesti. Siitä on syytä olla ylpeä. Tämä pitäisi muistaa myös niiden, jotka jo ennakkoon ovat tuominneet Lordin euroviisumenestyksen kehnoksi.

Rokkareiden puolustukseksi on luettava myös se, etteivät he vaadi kalliita konserttitaloja, kuten oopperatalo Helsingissä, jotka vaappuvat alusta asti konkurssin partaalla ja nielevät veronmaksajien varoja paljon yli sen mitä kohtuus sallisi.

VAASALLE THE RASMUKSEN menestyksellä on erityisen suuri merkitys. In the Shadows syntyi täällä.

Toivottavasti hitin nimi ei kuitenkaan kuvaa Vaasan asemaa Suomessa ja maailmassa.

:D:up: - ROCK ON..!

Teosto, Finnish Composers' Copyright Society

Teosto was established in 1928 to administer the copyright of Finnish creators of music.

Through the reciprocal representation contracts made with foreign copyright societies, Teosto also represents foreign copyright owners in Finland, and vice versa, foreign copyright societies represent Finnish copyright holders in their territories.

The copyright owners Teosto represents are: composers, lyric writers, arrangers and music publishers.

Teosto is a non-profit, non-governmental association.

Annual Report 2004 (pdf) (http://www.teosto.fi/Teosto/Webpages.nsf/0/b4392d6beebc4db0c2257030002d6788/$FILE/Annual%20Report%202004.pdf!Open&)

Vuosikertomus 2005 (pdf) (http://www.teosto.fi/teosto/webpages.nsf/0/314925e26455c19ec2256e30004db2de/$FILE/Toimintakertomus_2006.pdf!Open&cat1=Yleist%C3%A4&cat2=4C9D992DD0EE7751C2256E300040F418&cat3=314925E26455C19EC2256E30004DB2DE)

Copyright

Under the Finnish Copyright Act, a person who has created an artistic work has the exclusive right to control the work by making copies of it and by making it available to the public. A work is made available to the public, for example, when it is performed in public or when copies of it are distributed to the public.

The copyright owner's permit is therefore always required when a copyright work is publicly used. The user must also pay compensation for the use of the work.

John - :)

FinnFreak

04-27-2006, 10:15am

:shocked:

Iltalehti - 27.4.2006

Finland threatens to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest

YLE is opposed to the exorbitant prices for Lordi's pyrotechnics

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/04/27/4442825_uu.jpg
The protechnics are an essential part of Lordi's stage show

Finland threatens to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Athens, Greece next month, if the contest organization does not reduce the prices for the protechnics, which have reached astronomical proportions. The Finnish Eurovision delegation director and Finnish Broadcasting Company's Entertainment division head Juhani Talasranta has given an ultimatum to the Eurovision Song Contest's Swedish leader, Svante Stockselius.

- The Athens Contest organization has given the pyrotechnics exclusively to a German company, who have raised the prices to the skies. In Lordi's "Hard Rock Hallelujah", pyrotechnics plays an essential part in the stage performance, but YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) is NOT going to pay tens of thousands of Euros for it, Talasranta states.

Finland has announced shortly and clearly of the consequences, if the prices are not lowered appreciably.

- Finland will withdraw from the contest, if those costs don't come down. We don't want to be petty about it, but some reasonableness please, Talasranta roars.

Finland and YLE have given the Athens contest organization a week to lower the prices.

According to the YLE website, YLE is accusing the Greek Organizers for drawing up an unskilful contract, that allows the German pyrotechnics company LunatX to ask for a triple price of 38 000 Euros, when the usual price would fall between 13 000 and 16 000 Euros. The pyrotechnics are the band's and record label's financial responsibility, but YLE wants to protect the performers' interests in situations like these. The European Broadcastion Union has admitted that the flaw in the contract is obvious and the asked prices are unreasonable. The EBU will look into this matter.

...and who says politics has nothing to do with the Eurovision Song Contest..?

John - ;)

Troll

04-27-2006, 10:20am

That is interesting John.

FinnFreak

04-27-2006, 10:28am

;)

Linnanmäki amusement park opens for season tomorrow

It's one of a kind in the world...

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/04/27/4440769_uu.jpg http://www.linnanmaki.fi/easydata/customers/linnanmaki2006/files/palsila_kuvat6_04/rolle_vaaka.jpg
A new ferris wheel, Rolle the clown & all at Linnanmäki welcomes people of all ages to come on in & have lots of fun..!

Every visitor works for the benefit of children

The Children's Day Foundation collects funds for child welfare work. For this purpose, the Foundation maintains and develops the Linnanmäki amusement park, where people of all ages can enjoy good times and have fun together.

Linnanmäki amusement park was founded in 1950 by six child welfare organisations. In 1956 these organisations - The Central Union for Child Welfare in Finland (http://www.lskl.fi/), Barnavårdsföreningen i Finland (http://www.bvif.fi/) (The Finnish Children's Welfare Association), The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters in Finland (http://www.ensijaturvakotienliitto.fi/), The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (http://www.mll.fi/), Parasta Lapsille ry (http://www.parastalapsille.fi/) and Save the Children Finland (http://www.pela.fi/) - jointly established the Children's Day Foundation

On its first opening day, 27 May 1950, the amusement park resembled a shanty-town put together in a rush; it had been built in only some six weeks after signing the lease contract. Nevertheless, Linnanmäki offered just about all the attractions you could expect to find in an amusement park: those in need of speed could take an exciting ride on the Vauhtihirviöt (Speed Monsters) track, whereas the Chair Swing and Radio-controlled Cars offered fun in a bit more gentle way. The Circus tent featured international circus artists, while smaller stands presented puppet theatre or Musta teatteri (Black Theatre) shows. There were game tents where visitors could try their luck at shooting, the Wheel of Fortune or string-pulling. Various stands and coffee houses offered snacks. This was a good foundation to build on, improve and expand.

In August 1950, Ghost Train was added to the ride offering, and the Wooden Roller Coaster construction was completed by summer 1951. Today, after four partial renovations, the Wooden Roller Coaster remains the most popular ride in Linnanmäki. A special pride of the amusement park, the Children"s Carousel that is over a hundred years old today, arrived in the park in 1954.

The amusement park has undergone renovations and improvements every year. Over the past 50 plus years, enormous development has taken place in games, restaurants, shops, shows, park areas and, above all, rides. New tracks, towers, carousels and water-splashing rides have been introduced every year. The development has also changed the nature of the amusement park. In its early years, the main attractions of the park were circus artists and special treats such as candy floss and wafers, which were quite rare in Finland at the time. Today, the focus has increasingly shifted to rides and novelties on the one hand, and the relaxing atmosphere enhanced by lush plantation on the other hand.

Today, the Children's Day Foundation runs all the amusement park activities, but in the early decades several attractions - rides, games, stands and coffee houses - were rented out to external organisations. At first, Linnanmäki was primarily a place for young adults and grown-ups, but today it is a paradise for children and the number one class-trip destination in Finland. With the Leikkilinna Museum and Sea Life, Linnanmäki now offers something to see all year round.

Although a lot has changed, one thing has remained the same: the original atmosphere of fun in a fairy tale-like spirit, which you can only experience in Linnanmäki.

Every year, the Children's Day Foundation distributes some of its annual revenue to its founder organisations. In 2004, that sum totalled EUR 2.5 million.

The Children's Day Foundation wants to thank every amusement park visitor for supporting the important work for the welfare of Finnish children.

Amusement park for the children

Linnanmäki is a real children's wonderland; a magic park with trails leading the little visitors from wild rides to more leisurely but triumphant experiences at the gaming arcade, and, tempted by the delicious smell, on to the snack stands.

A day at the amusement park will be a great memory of the summer - and there's always room for one more. Linnanmäki is a must-do thing at least once a summer!

Amusement park for the adults

Can you still smell the popcorn and feel your hair flowing in the wind during a roller coaster ride? Linnanmäki is without a question an amusement park for the adults, too. Adults can relive the nostalgic moments and enjoy the excellent restaurant services, theatre performances, and watch the various shows performed at the amusement park.

Fun Season 2006 at Linnanmäki

The 57th Linnanmäki fun season begins on 28 April 2006 at 4 p.m. and lasts a record period of 135 days. The amusement park is open from 28 April to 3 September and on the weekends from 8 to 10 and 15 to 17 September. During this season the park will welcome its 50 millionth visitor. Entrance to Linnanmäki will be free of charge throughout the season, and a lot of free-of-charge entertainment will be provided for visitors of all ages.

www.linnanmaki.fi

John - ;)

FinnFreak

04-27-2006, 12:46pm

The Finnish TUSKA OPEN AIR METAL FESTIVAL announces, that in the case the Greek / Germans / European Broadcasting Union are unable/-willing to lower the price on the needed pyrotechnics for Lordi's show - they are ready to give the first 5000 Euros to pay the bill. Other Finnish music organizations are expected to join in to ensure that "Lordi's show will go on".

http://www.tuska-festival.fi

John - :)

FinnFreak

04-28-2006, 7:32am

YLE24 - 28.04.2006

No Drop in Illegal Internet Downloading in Finland

Over half of all Finnish young people illegally download music, films and games from the internet despite recently tightened copyright laws.

According to a survey carried out by the YLE Uutismixi programme, 59% of ninth graders download music from the net without payment. Some 38% download films and TV series. Games are regularly downloaded by 26% of those surveyed.

Finnish musicians, game producers and film industry employees lose millions of euros annually due to pirate copying. The survey revealed that tougher legislation outlawing the copying of illegally downloaded material is not having the desired effect.

All Finnish high schools were sent an information pack outlining the new law in February.

Some 1,000 ninth graders from over 20 schools took part in the survey.

:uhh: hmmm...

...and why would the teenagers, who only see the prosperous, glamorous side of the industry, think that they are doing any harm to it at all..? :huh:

...I haven't seen that information pack, but I would expect, that as everything in Finland: it's way too subtle in it's approach & the reader/listener falls asleep before reaching the points that matter the most...

Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys

"There are two issues here. First is the creative issue. When I decide not to release a piece of MY WORK, there is always a good reason for it. I created it, I should have the final say on whether it should be released or not. The other, of course, is obvious. It's the financial issue. I would never expect to hire anyone and not pay them for their services. When people buy counterfeits, the artist and the creator are not getting paid for their work. It's as simple as that. If my fans feel that I am unable to decide what work of mine should be released and feel that I do not have the right to make a living doing it, then why bother?

The bottom line is the fan who is saying, "Oh man you're the greatest," is in reality stealing from you and your family, and more importantly not respecting your judgment on what you think is appropriate to bear your name."

John - :smirk:

aFinn

04-28-2006, 7:47am

Hard Rock Bye-Bye to Lordi! Hallelujah!

FinnFreak

04-28-2006, 7:57am

...you sound almost like a 'Texas Lightning' fan...

John - :p

Big Swede

04-29-2006, 4:22am

Lordi was interviewed at Morgonpasset, P3 Swedish radio earlier this week, they said some qiute funny things about Carola, or more what they would like to do with Carola, lol.

Who is the girl in the video to Hard Rock Hallelujah? Is she famous in Finland, or maybe she isn´t finnish at all?

FinnFreak

05-02-2006, 3:47am

Lordi was interviewed at Morgonpasset, P3 Swedish radio earlier this week, they said some qiute funny things about Carola, or more what they would like to do with Carola, lol.
...sing a duet with her..? ;)

Who is the girl in the video to Hard Rock Hallelujah? Is she famous in Finland, or maybe she isn´t finnish at all?

http://www.monsterdiscohell.com/gfx/julkaisut/hrhvideo/behindthescenes/hrhvideo15.jpg

She's Finnish.

John - ;)

Troll

05-02-2006, 10:17am

...sing a duet with her..? ;)

http://www.monsterdiscohell.com/gfx/julkaisut/hrhvideo/behindthescenes/hrhvideo15.jpg

She's Finnish.

John - ;)

She is pretty. :up:

Big Swede

05-02-2006, 12:50pm

...sing a duet with her..? ;)

Well, maybe that too. :p

She's Finnish.

Ok, she has somehow "Finnish" looks so I figured she was a finn. :p

She is also very cute despite the heavy makeup. ;)

FinnFreak

05-03-2006, 2:19am

She is also very cute despite the heavy makeup. ;)

Funny, eh..? - Despite how much they attempt to use cosmetics, they just can't hide the cuteness...

John - :p

FinnFreak

05-03-2006, 3:36am

Eurovision Record Book & doteurovision 2006 Poll (http://www.doteurovision.com/poll/index.php)

Get out your crystal balls. This year, doteurovision and the Eurovision Record Book are teaming up to host a poll and attempt to predict the outcome of the 51st Eurovision Song Contest. Scroll down for the 'Qualification Heat Poll'.

The first poll is now up and running and is more for fun. You can vote on any of the songs that feature in both the semi-final and final, awading 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 point. On 19 May, things get more serious! The poll will adjust when the line up for the final is known and then we will be calling on you to predict the result and help us all decide where to place those last minute bets!

Throughout the days leading up to the semi-final and final, doteurovision will be bringing you photos and reports from Athens and you'll be able to see how artists are being received during the rehearsals, so there's no excuse for getting it wrong!

To make it more interesting, there will be a bumper Eurovision prize pack of CDs and books and stuff for whoever comes the closest overall in terms of predicting the actual final result.... so voting for your favourite may not put you in the running for a prize!!

So join in now, you will need to register to vote, to try to cut down the usual attempts by people to flood the poll. We can also see the IP addresses of everyone who votes, so we will delete votes where we feel that attempts are being made to flood the poll!

You can vote for your own country, after all this is a prediction poll rather than a popularity one!

We are also now running a poll to predict the ten qualifiers from the show that takes place on 18 May. Again we want you to log in and vote for the songs on offer. Giving 12 to the song you think stands the best chance of getting through, then ten for the second, eight for the third and so on. There is no prize in this contest, but if there is a tie for the overall winner, we will consider who came closest in the qualifier prediction game too.

Click here for the qualification heat poll (http://www.doteurovision.com/poll/semi.php)
Click here to see the current result (http://www.doteurovision.com/poll/semi2.php?action=view_pred)

Qualification Heat Poll

So far 88 voters have voted as follows:

01. Belgium - Je T'adore 454
02. Russia - Never Let You Go 404
03. Sweden - Invincible 390
04. Iceland - Congratulations 324
05. Bosnia and Herzegovina - Lejla 308
06. Cyprus - Why Angels Cry 291
07. FYR Macedonia - Ninanajna 277
08. Turkey - Superstar 269
09. Finland - Hard Rock Hallelujah 236
10. Slovenia - Mr. Nobody 200
11. Ukraine - Show Me Your Love 194
12. Andorra - Sense Tu 194
13. Netherlands - Amambanda 193
14. Bulgaria - Let Me Cry 181
15. Estonia - Through My Window 169
16. Armenia - Without Your Love 164
17. Poland - Follow My Heart 160
18. Ireland - Every Song is a Cry for Love 154
19. Albania - Zjarr e Ftohtë 144
20. Monaco - La Coco-Dance 133
21. Portugal - Coisas de Nada 131
22. Belarus - Ma 122
23. Lithuania - We Are the Winners 70

:shocked: - ...Lordi is in the top 10..?!? :biglaugh: - !!!

John - :p

FinnFreak

05-03-2006, 3:54am

:rolleyes:

The Guardian - Sunday April 30, 2006

Extreme Finland:

If you can't stand the heat...

... get out of the sauna. But then you won't win the Sauna World Championships, as a scorched Joshua Davis discovered

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Travel/Pix/pictures/2006/05/02/sauna2360.jpg
Sweating it out in a Finnish sauna.

I am sitting half-naked and shivering wet on an outdoor stage in Heinola, a sleepy town in southern Finland. A crowd of hundreds cheers and takes pictures. On either side of me sit five other barely-clad men, all of whom are shivering uncontrollably despite the balmy summer weather. We have spent the past half-hour lowering our body temperature by bathing in ice water. The Swede next to me is nearly hypothermic - his lips have turned blue - and he can barely understand the referee, who is trying to explain to us that we are about to enter a 210F sauna. Whoever stays in the longest, wins. This is the Sauna World Championships and those are the rules.

Extreme sauna-ing is a brutal sport and I have to admit that I'm not particularly pleased to be a contestant. But, for better or for worse, this is my family vacation and I've got no choice but to go through with it. We've come all the way from California to compete. My brother was in the first round - he lasted three minutes and six seconds - and he's now hoarsely shouting encouragements at me. His skin is glowing red. My mum and stepdad are also in the crowd - our family traces its roots back to Finland and we thought that this would be an excellent way to explore our Finnish identity and bond as a family.

Choosing the right family vacation can be difficult but I can see now that this was a particularly bad idea. Previous contestants had been dragged barely breathing out of the sauna by black-clad sauna wranglers. Paramedics anxiously pace behind the stage and large Finnish women with hoses wait to douse those who've gotten too hot. Every 30 seconds, a litre of water is dropped on the sauna rocks so that anyone inside is essentially parboiled. Some view it as an opportunity to confront death.

The referee indicates our group is up next. We stand like condemned criminals and slowly shuffle towards the sauna door. It's a nice octagonal sauna sitting on the side of the stage. Large windows look out on the crowd and windshield wipers clear the glass periodically so that the audience will have a view unobstructed by steam. The door is pulled quickly open and a blast of warm air rolls across my body. I smile for the cameras and step across the threshold into the heat.

Contrary to appearances, I don't have a death wish. It's just the opposite. Over the past few years, my life has been transformed for the better by unusual contests and I hoped that the sauna world championship would also help me. It started in the Southern Californian desert three years ago. At the time, I was in and out of work as a data entry clerk at a local phone company. I typed numbers into a computer. It was not what I wanted out of life.

On a road trip through the desert, I stopped at a diner and saw a flier for the National Arm Wrestling Championship. My wife had been on my case to do something with my life. I felt trapped because I had yet to find anything I was good at. But then it suddenly occurred to me that maybe I was a world-class arm wrestler. Sure, I've always been skinny. But I had never arm wrestled before so how could I know that this wasn't my calling in life? I had failed in everything else so I was looking for new challenges.

Amazingly, I came fourth in the United States in the lightweight division (out of four). More amazingly, it qualified me for the world arm wrestling championship in Poland, where I competed as part of Team USA. Suddenly, I felt like I could do much more than I thought I was capable of and I started to explore the possibilities. I retired from arm wrestling after placing 17th in the world (without ever winning a match, it has to be said) and became a professional matador in Spain. I also took up sumo wrestling and became the lightest man to ever wrestle at the US Sumo Open. I took part in 'retrorunning' contests (that's running backwards) in India and Italy. At the end of every day, I wrote notes about how my life was changing and now those notes are being published. I quit my job as a data entry clerk for good (I hope).

Before, I worked in a small cubicle. Now all I wanted was to travel and see the world. My mum really wanted to go on a cruise around Australia, but my stepdad suggested we go to Finland for the sauna championship. It seemed like it would be a far more exciting adventure.

I enter the sauna with two Finns, a Belarussian, a Lithuanian and Anders Mellert, the hypothermic Swede. Mellert is the Swedish national sauna champion - he lasted 16 minutes at 212 degrees a few months ago. One of his supporters told me that he had been stabbed 15 times when he was a teenager. He then pulled the knife out of himself and killed his assailant with it. Needless to say, he has a high pain threshold.

I'm seated next to him and am surprised at first. It doesn't feel that hot. Then the first blast of steam hits and I suddenly feel like I have sunburn. Thirty seconds later, the next blast comes and the air becomes dense and superheated. When I try to breathe in, my tongue sizzles. My lungs rebel and refuse to cooperate. It feels like knives are being drawn across my shoulders - the sweat rolling down my back is like blood.

It is a peculiar way to experience Finland. We haven't done any of the typical tourist things - no tours, no museums, no castles. We came straight to Heinola, which is a sleepy, unexciting town on the edge of a lake. But this is exciting. This is life and death. As the organisers like to say, it is the hottest event of the summer.

For me, it is the end of a journey. I have competed in some of the world's wildest competitions in order to answer questions about my life. What should I do for a living? When will I be ready to have children? Will my mum ever stop annoying me? By running backwards, sumo wrestling, fighting bulls, and arm wrestling, I've been able to answer those questions. Now, in the sauna, I realise I'm done. I'm ready to stop taking so many risks. I see with life-threatening clarity that I've had a good life, and that despite my mum's insistence on package vacations, she's been a great mum. The sauna has crisped away all my needless sarcasm. I just don't know if I'll survive to tell her that.

I stand up and move towards the sauna door but the pain is overwhelming. I start to black out. The more I move, the more boiling air runs across my already scorched shoulders. Even though it is only five feet to the door, it's five feet of exponentially more agony. I feel the darkness pushing in on all sides of my vision.

The sauna door flies open and I catapult forward, landing in the arms of a wrangler. The announcer gleefully points out that I only lasted three minutes and one second. Even though I'm out, the pain doesn't stop. Tears well up, mix with my sweat, and dribble off my nose while the audience cheers and claps. Still, I'm thinking, I'm going to be OK. I suffer first-degree burns over most of my torso but the sauna has clarified things for me. Once again, competition has helped me see my life more clearly. I realise two things. First, I never need to see things that clearly again. And second, we should have gone on that cruise to Australia.

The Underdog by Joshua Davis is published next week by Bantam.

Essentials

The Sauna World Championships have been held in Heinola, southern Finland, since 1999 and this year's event takes place on Friday and Saturday, 4 and 5 August. Tickets cost €10. To find out more, go to www.heinola.net, but if you want to enter, email Riku Jaro, the 'Sauna Master' at riku.jaro@ohjelma-akseli.com. Heinola is about 100 miles from Helsinki, served by Finnair and British Airways and a similar distance from Tampere, served by Ryanair.

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/activities/extremesports/story/0,,1764418,00.html

John - :p

FinnFreak

05-05-2006, 3:43am

STT - 4.5.2006

Kvarken Council rekindles idea of Gulf of Bothnia tunnel or bridge

http://www.verkkouutiset.fi/gif2/merenkurkku.jpg

The Kvarken* Council, a cross-border cooperation body, on Thursday ordered its transport working group to look into the possibilities of linking the Finnish and Swedish coasts of the Gulf of Bothnia with a bridge or a tunnel.

A study produced by the council at the end of the 1990s argued that the technical prerequisites for such a link existed.

Lennart Holmlund, the chairman of the council, said Thursday that the matter concerned the EU as well as Finland and Sweden.

At its narrowest point, the Gulf of Bothnia is about 70km wide.

:rolleyes:

yeah... the closest town to Vaasa isn't Seinäjoki - it's Umeå, in Sweden...

* Kvarken (alt. Quarken, swe. Kvarken, fin. Merenkurkku, or North Kvarken as opposed to South Kvarken) is the narrow region in the Gulf of Bothnia separating the Bothnian Bay (the inner part of the gulf) from the Bothnian Sea. The distance from Swedish mainland to Finnish mainland is around 80 km while the distance between the outmost islands is only 25 km. The water depth in the Kvarken region is only around 25 meters. The region also has an exceptional rate of land rising at about 1 cm a year.

On the Finnish side of Kvarken, there is a large archipelago with most of the small islands inhabited. The archipelago is smaller on the Swedish side of the region with much steeper shores. The Kvarken region was historically also important for the delivery of postal mail as the sea was completely frozen from the Swedish to the Finnish coast. This route was then used very frequently under the Swedish rule for delivery of postal mail. The region, with its close proximity to Sweden, played an important role in the Finnish wars against the Soviet Union (Russia).

In the group of islands in the "middle" of the Kvarken region, called swe. Valsörarna -- fin. Valassaaret, is a 36 meter high lighthouse designed by Gustave Eiffel. The lighthouse is now automated as most lighthouses are in Finland.

There have been proposals for a bridge across the strait, at a cost of about 1-1.5 billion Euros. There are islands in the strait, and the sum of the lengths of the probably three bridge parts would be about 40 km. The Swedish minister of finance has said it is an interesting thought, but still this idea is decades from completion. There is a debate in the coastal cities on both sides, like Umeå and Vaasa. The official view from the Swedish and Finnish governments is that it is much too expensive.

...and you wouldn't believe how much they've spent on these studies for decades...

John - :smirk:

FinnFreak

05-08-2006, 7:21am

STT - 8.5.2006

Helsinki swimming stadium re-opens with webcam

Helsinki's outdoor swimming stadium, part of the Olympic Stadium complex, opened for the summer season on Monday.

In a new service this year, visitors can check the weather conditions online at:

http://testbed.vaisala.com/banner/vaisalawthr.php?id=uimastadion

The webcam image is updated every five minutes.

The swimming stadium welcomes swimmers and sunbathers between 6.30am and 8pm Monday to Saturday and 9am-8pm Sundays. Admission is three euros for adults and 1.50 for pensioners, national servicemen and the disabled. Admission is free for war veterans and pre-school children.

John - :cool:

Troll

05-08-2006, 10:07am

Looks like a cool place John.

FinnFreak

05-08-2006, 10:11am

Yep, that's where they held the Helsinki Olympic Games' swimming competitions...

...back in 1952...

John - ;)

canoilers

05-09-2006, 4:34am

...sing a duet with her..? ;)

http://www.monsterdiscohell.com/gfx/julkaisut/hrhvideo/behindthescenes/hrhvideo15.jpg

She's Finnish.

John - ;)HOLLY SHHH.....er I mean smokes. I think I'm moving to Finland, like right now this instance. I have got to meet that woman, yeah she might be beautiful and stuff. Like whoaaaaaaa dude......

canoilers

05-09-2006, 4:44am

Yes, the regulations are quite clear, how explosives are supposed to be handled on a construction site, but mostly it takes some severe incidents to wake people up from their false impression of security: when one thinks that nothing can possibly go wrong - is the moment when reality usually kicks in...

This was a combination of sloppiness and overlooking of security regulations.

Sad. Very sad.

John - :smirk:You don't need to tell me about that, thats all part of our trade. Sometimes it can be the push, alot of things go wrong when people are pressured into maybe overlooking some safety factors. There is always time for safety, everyone has the right to home to their families after a hard days work.

I'm glad nobody died, hopefully it can stay that way. I wish everyone the best and hope everyone recovers. Wow and its so close to the day of mourning, thats a day when remeber all the people who have died on the job. My heart goes out too all the people who were hurt and their families.

canoilers

05-09-2006, 4:47am

canoilers

05-09-2006, 5:14am

Speaking of Finland I'm watching Conan from there right now. :D

canoilers

05-09-2006, 5:17am

I bet after being to the artic circle Toronto didn't seem as cold. :p

FinnFreak

05-09-2006, 5:20am

canoilers

05-09-2006, 5:36am

...too bad Conan didn't take Triumph, the insult comic dog, with him to Finland... :sad:

...when Triumph was in Quebec, he definitely crossed a few lines with the French speaking population... ;)

John - :pAre you kidding it made a sound like stuming a guitar when he crossed those lines. :p He did get around Finland much more than he did in Canada. He didn't do any dog sleding here, or go too the Artic Circle here. It was probably nice not too hear Leafs every 5 seconds from the people in the audience too. :p Man that was kinda annoying, it was for me atleast.

FinnFreak

05-09-2006, 7:36am

...Finland is sooooo small... :p

btw - here's what Helsinki REALLY looks like... ;)

http://www.greetings.fi/images/greetingsc022.jpg (http://www.greetings.fi/pages/greetingsa01.htm)

Click the images & send electronic greeting cards

John - :p

canoilers

05-09-2006, 7:42am

Is it me or does Finland look alot like chipped paint. You guys must be high all the time from all that paint. :p

FinnFreak

05-09-2006, 7:48am

Click that image to see the next one... and the next one... and the next one...

click... click... click...

John - :p

canoilers

05-09-2006, 7:54am

I hope this isn't what your tourist agencies are using, but man your homless are well dressed.

FinnFreak

05-09-2006, 8:39am

http://eurovision.lordi.org/template/html/default/img/main_top.jpg

The Palm Beach Post - Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Lordi, lordi, lordi! Look at what’s happened to rock-n-roll

By Frank Cerabino

Time for a pop culture quiz

Who are these …. things?

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-blogs/palmbeach/cerabino/media/lordi.jpg

a) New York City’s sewer inspectors

b) The board of directors at AARP

c) The people who grade Florida’s FCAT exams

d) The Finnish rock band Lordi

The answer is d). The band, Lordi, is representing FInland this year in annual Eurovision song contest, which is sort of a blend between the World Cup and American Idol. Countries that are part of the European Broadcasting Union send a single act to perform one song in competition with other national entries. Winners are selected by voting from the hundred of millions of viewers who tune in to the show.

The pride of the nation

The televised contest of 24 songs (all of them originals) is broadcast from the winning country in the previous year. It has been running since 1956, and this year it will be held in Greece, with the finals on May 20.

The entry for Finland will be the extremely heavy metal band called Lordi, who won the national contest for Eurovision and will be performing its song, Hard Rock Hallelujah. The band is a visual as well as listening experience, with its members looking more like horror movie villains than musicians.

Here’s their lead singer, Lordi, in full regalia:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-blogs/palmbeach/cerabino/media/lordi%20lead%20singer.jpg

It’s a different look from the 1988 winner of Eurovision, the Swiss entry, Celine Dion:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-blogs/palmbeach/cerabino/media/celine_dion.jpg

Naturally, people in Finland are a little uncomfortable that their country will be represented by rockers who look like this …

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-blogs/palmbeach/cerabino/media/lordi%20bass%20player.jpg

They were probably hoping for something more along the lines of Sweden’s Abba, which won Eurovision in 1974 with its song, Waterloo.

http://www.raffem.com/images/Abba2/waterloo.jpg

Praise the Lordi

Lordi has a loyal following in Finland and elsewhere in Europe. The band’s play-acting includes fake names such as Ox, a drummer who plays in a cage and a guitarist in a rubber loincloth.

“We have the same aesthetic as horror films,” the lead singer Lordi was quoted in the Eurovision Web page. “The scarier the film, the more fun it is. And rock music should be all about fun.”

Everything but the kitchen Helsinki

But the band has created some trepidation back in Finland, including calls for the country’s president Tarja Holonen to use her power to deny the band a slot in the international contest.

They’ve been accused of everything from being Satan worshipers to be being secret KGB agents from Russia sent to destabilze Finland.

But in the end, they might be just a bunch of rockers who know that a gimmick never hurts.

Even if that gimmick includes blowing up meat on stage, performing with 8-foot wings, and coming up with songs entitled Chainsaw Buffet

It’s just showbiz, babe

Lordi is merely a more sinister version of the already-kitchy costume band, Kiss.

Gene Simmons from Kiss …

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-blogs/palmbeach/cerabino/media/kiss.JPG

Tomi Putaansuu from Lordi:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-blogs/palmbeach/cerabino/media/lordi%20mike.jpg

In the tradition of Finland’s other big homegrown costumed act

Besides, Finland’ s most enduring dress-up act, has always been all about hard-to-believe performances, outrageous props and his over-the-top attire, which has been central to his playlist of tunes.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-blogs/palmbeach/cerabino/media/santa%20claus.jpg

Ho, ho, ho, dude.

:p

National Post - Monday, May 08, 2006

Who shall reign as overlord of the Eurovision contest?

By Sean Carrie

In one memorable episode of the regrettably short-lived British-Irish sitcom Father Ted, Father Ted, Father Dougal and their song My Lovely Horse are selected as Ireland's entry in the Eurosong competition. Horse's music and lyrics (featuring such evocative imagery as: "Where are you going/With your fetlocks blowing/In the wind?") aren't exactly high art, but that's not what Eurosong calls for, standing in, as it does, for the annual carnival of schmaltz known as the Eurovision Song Contest.

Via a televised competition among the ostensible cream of the continent's crooners, Eurovision has, for 50 years now, been mainlining treacle into the music world's brachial artery. In doing so, the contest has for better or worse (OK, largely for worse) shone a spotlight on such eventual megastars as ABBA and Celine Dion (trilling for the Swiss). Because of Eurovision's reach and influence, denizens of a number of countries apparently take the contest extremely seriously; the Finns, for one, are currently agonizing over the fact that their entry is a death-metal band called Lordi -- one whose lead singer refers to himself as "the unholy overlord of tremors" and "the ******* son of a thousand megalomaniacs." And, in 1998, Israel was in a froth over being represented by a transvestite.

But for many others, the contest is appreciated largely for its camp value. Britons, for their part, see Eurovision with a far sight more irony than do many of their cross-Channel brethren. There, the contest is viewed as so predictable that its results are a popular subject for drinking games (drain your glass if a singer makes a peace sign!). It's also a popular subject for British bookies, and the 2.5-to-1 odds-on favourite when the candidates take the stage later this month in Athens is 49-year-old Greek warbler Anna Vissi and her song Everything. (The lyrics are priceless.) Next up, at 5 to 1, is Sweden's Carola and Evighet, and close on her heels, at 6-to-1, is Romania's Mihai Traistariu, whose Tornero sounds for all the world like Ricky Martin-meets-Haddaway. Britain's entry, an anthemic bit of white-as-white-can-be hip hop called Teenage Life by Daz Sampson, is a longer shot at 14 to 1. And as for Lordi, the Finnish "on-treaders?" Helsinki may be dismayed to hear that their Hard Rock Hallelujah is given a mere one-in-33 chance of holding Europe's heart in its twisted grip.

:huh: - who cares..?!? :dunno:

http://www.aamulehti.fi/verkkohelmi/lehdet/uusi/lordi2003.jpg

:p - ...this is about having some serious fun..!

John - :biglaugh:

canoilers

05-09-2006, 8:50am

Cool articles and thank you for sharing them. :D

Troll

05-09-2006, 10:08am

Thanks for the interesting pics John.

FinnFreak

05-10-2006, 9:05am

HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - FOREIGN - Wednesday 10.5.2006

Bill Clinton discussed the major grievances and shortcomings worldwide
at Turning Point seminar held at Tampere Hall, in Finland on Tuesday

http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135218343794.jpeg

The former President of the United States Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker at the Turning Point seminar held at the Tampere Hall conference venue on Tuesday. Clinton's speech met all expectations, even though it was delivered to a considerably smaller audience than might have been anticipated.

Tampere Hall can accommodate almost 2,000 people, but only around 700 attended the event.

On Tuesday, it was not immediately clear how many of the crowd had actually paid EUR 790 for his or her ticket. Even free and subsidised tickets were handed out.

The seminar was organised by Jari Sarasvuo, who also spoke for an hour before anybody had a chance to even see Bill Clinton.

As the opening speaker of the seminar, Sarasvuo spoke out against poverty. Empathetically, he spoke in favour of the global economy while noting that development aid should be given to women, as "men tend to drink, gamble, or to start tribal wars".

The star of the event Bill Clinton surprised all who were aware of his reputation.

Calmly and precisely, he discussed the major grievances and shortcomings worldwide. While there was hardly any human failing or complaint that Clinton would not have covered at some juncture, the actual theme of his speech was climate change and global warming.

Furthermore, Clinton discussed social policies in European and African countries, as well as in the Middle East.

The master diplomat mentioned also both the Darfur and Rwanda 1994 genocides, while not mentioning how the United States under his leadership had refused to intervene in the Rwanda conflict.

Clintonist slogans which sound good when spoken, but less so when written down, were also heard.

In an onstage interview with Editor-in-chief Juhani Pekkala of Taloussanomat, a daily newspaper focusing on economic and business affairs, the former President answered a few well-worn and pre-selected questions. Clinton mentioned his discussions with the Russian leaders Boris Jeltsin and Vladimir Putin. "I have tried to tell both Jeltsin and Putin that Russia ought to define its own national worth according to the criteria of the present - not past - century. For example, the use of energy as an tool of extortion is not one of today's methods."

Bill Clinton (b. 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, who served two terms in the White House. His domestic achievements included the economic recovery of the United States. Internationally, his priorities included the promotion of peace talks in the Middle East. A serious setback to his career was the impeachment trial in 1998, following allegations that he had lied during grand jury testimony regarding his relationship with a young female White House intern. The acquittal of Clinton in 1999 came as no great surprise to anybody.

After leaving the White House in 2001, Clinton established a foundation, and has since toured the world engaging in a career as a public speaker on a variety of issues such as poverty and AIDS. His wife is the Democrat Senator for New York Hillary Rodham Clinton.

John - :)

canoilers

05-10-2006, 9:16am

That guy is everywhere these days, he was in Edmonton not that long ago either. Thanks for the article John. :D

FinnFreak

05-10-2006, 9:42am

;)

eurovision.lordi.org - 09.05.2006

FINNS UNITE TO PAY FOR LORDI’S EUROVISION EXPLOSIVES

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/05/10/4493148_vi.jpg

Finland’s entry to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Hard Rock Hallelujah by the monster rock group Lordi, is set to make a big bang––thanks to the Finnish general public, who mounted a spontaneous grassroots campaign to finance the pyrotechnics required for Lordi’s stage show.

Fire and explosions have always been a big part of the Lordi experience and the band had planned to highlight its performance at the Eurovision final in Athens on May 20 with particularly elaborate pyrotechnics. So elaborate, in fact, that it turned out that the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) could not foot the bill alone. There was even a possibility that Lordi would have to cancel their trip to Athens altogether.

However, Lordi’s many Finnish supporters would not let that happen. As soon as the news broke that Lordi’s Eurovision show was in jeopardy, dozens of Finnish organizations and even private citizens volunteered to pay for the missing explosives. Among the contributors were two of Finland’s largest heavy metal festivals, Tuska Open Air (http://www.tuska-festival.fi) and Sauna Open Air (http://www.sauna-open-air.fi).

“No one actually asked anyone to send their money”, says Kimmo Valtanen, managing director of Sony BMG Finland, Lordi’s record company. “But people did anyway. That is another example of the kind of popular support that this Eurovision campaign has enjoyed. It’s as if the whole of Finland will be with Lordi in Athens.”

The band's latest album, The Arockalypse, released in March 2006 has now reached gold sales.

http://eurovision.lordi.org/main.site?action=news/view&id=12&ngid=1

http://www.votelordi.org/

John - :p

FinnFreak

05-16-2006, 4:36am

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/shes_famous_in_finland.jpg

http://www.cafepress.com/globalcafe/1267134

John - :p

FinnFreak

05-16-2006, 5:59am

Eurovision Song Contest Press Conference Highlights 12 May 2006

Finland

http://www.vampster.com/images/gallery2/lordi_01.jpg
Mr. Lordi

“What masks? What make-up? This is how we actually look,” said Finnish rocker Mr. Lordi, when asked how long it takes him to prepare. “No, it’s actually prosthetic make-up and it takes about 3 hours for me to get ready. The face alone takes me two hours. I had to get up at 5am today. There are easier ways to rock and roll.”

“I think we can do well,” he said. “The Finnish people liked us – or 42% of them did. It’s like horror movies. Some people like them, some people don’t. But Lordi will never appear on stage without make-up. I think there should always be something to look at. I hate paying to see a rock band and then seeing them on stage wearing t-shirts and jeans. I want my money back.”

“Am I married? No. Do I have kids? No,” he said. “I don’t believe that children should have children and in my head I’m a 15 year old. I have three dogs and a tarantula. That’s enough. I used to have kids but I ate them for breakfast.”

John - :p

canoilers

05-16-2006, 6:22am

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/shes_famous_in_finland.jpg

http://www.cafepress.com/globalcafe/1267134

John - :pDoes that make her made in the USA like the shirt too. :p

FinnFreak

05-16-2006, 6:40am

Yes: she *is* American. (but *that* shirt came from Finland)

John - ;)

canoilers

05-16-2006, 8:07am

I guess thats FANTASTIC or FINNTASTIC, or however you want to look at that.

FinnFreak

05-16-2006, 8:20am

;)

Btw. does it read “Vinland”?
No, it doesn’t. The second derivative (the mathematically oriented will get this) obscures the F somewhat.

John - :funny:

Troll

05-16-2006, 10:19am

http://www.finlandforthought.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/shes_famous_in_finland.jpg

http://www.cafepress.com/globalcafe/1267134

John - :p

She is pretty.

05-16-2006, 2:04pm

She is pretty.
Yes, but you must have younger eyes than mine. I had to throw some light on the subject to find what was
in the shadows.
http://rjam2.net/Forums/shes_famous_in_finland.jpg

FinnFreak

05-17-2006, 9:49am

...I've heared that above picture was taken with a mobile phone... not too bad... ;)

...and now back to business...

Iltalehti - 17.05.2006

Lordi-yhtyeen Amen: Torilla tavataan!

- Lätkäkulta tulee Latviasta, euroviisuvoitto Ateenasta, uskoo Suomen viisuedustaja Lordin kitaristi Amen.

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2006/05/17/amenTM_vi.jpg
Amen luottaa niin sekä Lordiin että Leijoniin

Amen uskoo bändinsä menevän Eurovision laulukilpailun torstain semifinaalista jatkoon heittämällä. Lordi ja Suomen edustuskappale Hard Rock Hallelujah ovat saaneet Ateenassa vielä enemmän huomiota osakseen kuin Amen viikko sitten matkalle lähtiessään olisi osannut edes kuvitella.

- Olin varautunut siihen, että olemme täällä melkoisen mielenkiinnon kohteena, mutta tämä on silti ylittänyt kakki odotukset. Tämä on ihan että... huh huh. Hyvä tutina ja mahtava tunnelma, Amen kiteyttää.

Poika kotiin

Amen uhoaa, että "torilla tavataan" sunnuntaina. Juhla kattaa Amenin suunnitelmissa sekä voiton Eurovision laulukilpailun finaalissa Ateenassa että Latviasta Suomeen matkustavan jääkiekon MM-kisojen kultamitalin.

- Kunhan lätkäpelaajat hoitavat pojan kotiin Latviasta, niin me tuomme oman poikamme Ateenasta. Siis kyllä: "Torilla tavataan", Amen innostuu.

Pisteitä lupailtu "ties mistä"

- Meille on jo lupailtu pisteitä Saksasta, Itävallasta, Islannista ja ties mistä muualtakin.

- Ja esimerkiksi brittien Daily Sport -lehdessä oli kuulemma juuri ollut rinnakkain kaksi valokuvaa, joista toisessa komeilee Victoria Beckham ja toisessa yksi meidän monstereistamme. Hirviön alla lukee, että "tältäkö Victoria Beckham näyttää ilman meikkiä", Amen kertoo.

Monsterit eivät kestä kuumaa

Ateenassa on viikon aikana lämpöä riittänyt. Lordi-ryhmän veikeälle maski- ja pukeutumispolitiikalle helle ei välttämättä tarjoa parhaita mahdollisia olosuhteita.

- Onneksi nämä kisat ovat jo toukokuussa. Ateenan keskikesän kuumuudessa alkaisi putoilla monstereita lavalta, Amen naureskelee.

- Meillä on sellaiset kuteet, että ne ovat kuumalla kelillä todella kuumat ja kylmässä sitten taas todella kylmät. Teimme kerran Lapissa kuvauksia 35 asteen pakkasessa. Siinä oli jo jäätyminen lähellä, Amen muistaa.

Tapasivat Carolan

Lordin kanssakilpailijat ovat Ateenan auringon tavoin ottaneet hirviöveljeskunnan lämmöllä vastaan.

- Ruotsin Carolan olemme tavanneet ja esimerkiksi Hollannin Treble-yhtyeen tytöt. Treblen tytöt ovat meistä aivan innoissaan, siis ihan fiiliksissä. Ja niin ovat olleet monen muunkin maan edustajat, kitaristi kuvailee tilannetta, jossa useat kanssakilpailijat vannovat - eivät niinkään isän tai pojan, vaan - pyhän Lordin nimeen, Amen.

- Ne suhtautuu vähän niinkin, että "tuolta tuo Lordin porukka taas tulee. Lähdetään pois täältä, ei me niille kuitenkaan pärjätä", Amen myhäilee.

Pientä flunssaa ja cocktailkutsuja

Lordille on Ateenassa ehtinyt järjestyä yksi vapaapäivä. Muun ajan ovat täyttäneet harjoitukset, valokuvaussessiot, haastattelut ja cocktailkutsut sun muut juhlallisuudet. Lordi on kuitenkin ehtinyt Ateenassa tehdä yhden keikankin.

- Rokkijätkästä tuntui hyvältä kaiken pippaloinnin keskellä päästä keikalle. Sai ottaa kitaran käteen ja soittaa. Se oli lähinnä kutsuvieraille tarkoitettu esiintyminen, Amen luonnehtii.

- Keikka meni pirun hyvin, mutta hyvin meillä on kulkenut harjoituksissakin. Äänentoistokin on täällä erinomainen. Ainoat ongelmat ovat lievän flunssan aiheuttamat pikkuvaikeudet omissa äänissämme. Ja meidän esityksemme aikana on käytössä pyrotekniikkaa, jollaista ei ennen ole euroviisuissa nähty. Meidän jälkeen lavalle tuleva kilpailija saattaa tuntea olonsa hankalaksi, Amen ennustaa.

quick translation:

...the guys are having lotsa fun & they're confident that they'll be in the finals on Saturday...

;) - well, perhaps a little bit more than that...

heh.

John - :p

05-17-2006, 12:45pm

...I've heared that above picture was taken with a mobile phone... not too bad... ;)

Agreed.

However with looks like that, she probably has the potential to be famous in more places than just Finland.

FinnFreak

05-18-2006, 8:40am

;)

Thursday, May 18, 2006

BBC News

Eurovision hopefuls set for semis

The 51st Eurovision Song Contest is to get under way with 23 countries competing in a semi-final for 10 places in Saturday's main event in Athens.

Fourteen countries, including winners Greece and nine top-scoring nations from last year's contest, already have a place in the final.

France, Germany, Spain and the UK qualify automatically as the four largest countries in the event.

Rapper Daz Sampson will represent the UK with the track Teenage Life.

Public voting in Europe, Turkey and Israel - by phone and text message - will decide Thursday's semi-final and the ultimate winner on Saturday.

Belfast-born singer Brian Kennedy will represent seven-time Eurovision winner Ireland in the semi-final.

Among the more unusual entries he will be up against is Finnish hard rock band Lordi, who perform in masks and medieval-style armour.

In March, Serbia-Montenegro withdrew from the contest following accusations of tactical voting in the selection of the country's entry.

* * *

thesun.co.uk

It's Bat out of Helsinki

By LUCY HAGAN

FINNS ain’t what they used to be in Eurovision — as the Scandinavians field a heavy metal combo led by a giant BAT.

The gruesome group’s frontman sported 8ft wings at a dress rehearsal in Greece yesterday. Bandmates also donned devilish garb to belt out Hard Rock Hallelujah.

Rockers Lordi are known for wielding a blood-spurting chainsaw on stage. Protesters want the “evil” group banned from Saturday’s contest.

Helsinki reckons Lordi can top Finland’s previous best showing — sixth place in 1962 and 1973. Let’s hope UK hopeful Daz Sampson, 32, can give them hell.

* * *

The Guardian

Cult hits

As Saturday's Eurovision song contest final draws closer, our fearless correspondent Karen Fricker is blogging for Culture Vulture from the heart of the maelstrom in Athens itself. Catch up with her daily updates, which begin today, right here. She writes:

Eurovision seen from the inside is a combination of Star Trek convention, Atlantic City floor show and Lourdes. No one implicated will commit to an exact figure - so fraught is the issue - but I'd wager that close to half of the 2000 "journalists" accredited to cover Eurovision this year wouldn't recognise their national equivalent of an NUJ card if it walked up and snogged them.

These faux-hacks are in fact Eurovision fans, committed bachelors who claim affiliation to local freesheets, independent radio or their own websites in order to gain behind-the-scenes access to the cultural tradition that many in Western Europe now revile, but which is the object of so much obsessive desire, the most important day in the festive calendar.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not mocking. Pure devotion is a rare commodity in our cynical world, and Eurovision could easily wither on the vine were it not for the singular love and attention lavished on the contest by its fans. What they want in return are icons and trophies: free stuff from record companies, back-catalogue ephemera peddled by specialists, and - most precious of all -proximity to the singers themselves, who, regardless of their level of fame in the real world, become massive stars in the Eurovision micro-climate. Many Euro-fans consider the ultimate goal of a Eurovision site visit to be a complete set of photos of themselves with the year's competing singers.

But what of this year's great British hope? Euro-fans and Daz Sampson seem, to put it mildly, an unlikely alliance: Daz's whole "Teenage Life" schtick holds two fingers up to the disco-glitzy spectacle that is the contest's lifeblood. But national pride apparently trumps tradition here in Euroland, and so British fans are giving it up for the Dazzster.

"With Daz we finally have a song we don't have to be ashamed of," says Richard Crane, president of the UK branch of the official Eurovision fan club, who has spent most of his time in Athens kitted out as a schoolboy to draw attention to the UK's act. "It's contemporary - younger people can relate to it. The last time we had an act this confident was Katrina in 1997."

Confident understates the matter. "That was a match-winning performance out there," Sampson said on Tuesday, of his own rehearsal several minutes before. "The people's champion is here to win this thing." Has the Queen been in touch, asks a gentleman dressed as a Union Jack. "I've not heard from HRH," replies the Stockport sensation, "but if I win this thing I'm expecting a bloody knighthood."

Daz, his schoolgirl chorus, and his ego are resting up today, as the focus shifts to the poor unfortunates who actually have to qualify for Saturday's extravaganza via tonight's semi-final round. Ten places in the final are at stake amongst 23 competitors: smart money is on Sweden's Carola, who already has one Eurovision victory under her belt and is never seen in public without her wind machine; and the ethnic-tinged ballad Lejla from Bosnia and Herzegovina's Hari Mata Hari ("the nightingale of Sarajevo"), who, refreshingly, actually knows how to sing. Also sure to qualify are Finnish metal-heads Lordi, who, despite claiming in a press conference to eat kittens for breakfast, actually seem like rather nice chaps.

Boos ricocheted off the roof of the Olympic Indoor Hall at last night's dress rehearsal, however, when Iceland's Silvia Night took the stage: the fictional creation of a Reyjavik actress, Night has rankled Euro-insiders with her blatantly attention-grabbing antics, which have included saying the f-word onstage and having her bodyguard eject a journalist from a press conference for looking at her the wrong way. No bloody knighthood for her, that's for sure.

* * *

Metalhammer.co.uk

Vote Lordi

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/media/metalhammer/lordi1501.gif

support metal at the Eurovision Song Contest

Lordi are in the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, this year being held in Athens, Greece. So rare is it that a metal band gets in that we are encouraging you all to vote for Lordi (click here to see what number to text to vote depending on where in the world you are (http://a1679.g.akamai.net/7/1679/9896/v001/esc.download.akamai.com/9896/press_pictures_2006/televoting_numbers_2006.pdf).)

This is what the official Eurovision website says:

"When it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest, Finland is better known for its failures than its successes. There is no doubt, however, that this yearÂ’s Finnish Eurovision entry will go down as one of the most engaging moments in the history of the competition. Win or lose – most probably win – the song 'Hard Rock Hallelujah', performed by Lordi, looks certain to be the one thing that every viewer remembers from the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest in Athens.

'Hard Rock Hallelujah' sounds nothing like most Eurovision entries. As the title promises, the song is melodic hard rock, a genre seldom associated with Eurovision. Lordi – the name applies both to the group and its lead singer – look nothing like typical Eurovision contestants and more like a heavily made-up monster hard rock band along the lines of KISS or Twisted Sister, or a group of characters from a gory 1980s slasher movie.

And yet it looks and sounds like a winning combination. 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' is not only the most rocking Eurovision entry since ABBA’s 'Waterloo' back in 1974, it also has one of the catchiest tunes. And Lordi put on the best show since Björn Ulvaeus rocked his star-shaped guitar 32 years ago: not only does the band put the rock back into the Eurovision, it also puts the fun back into rock.

Hailing from Arctic Lapland, Lordi became a phenomenon in Finland with the platinum-selling debut album 'Get Heavy' in 2002. Since then, the band has scored Finnish hits with the albums 'The Monsterican Dream' (2004) and 'The Arockalypse' (2006). The compilation album 'The Monster Show' has also been released in more than 20 countries.

Enjoying the music of evil-looking creatures isn’t the same as condoning evil, of course. Although some people have misinterpreted Lordi’s fascination with monsters and death, the band is by no means the Devil’s advocate. Lordi has, after all, had a hit in Finland with a song called 'Devil Is A Loser'.

“We have the same aesthetic as horror films,” says Lordi. “The scarier the film, the more fun it is. And rock music should be all about fun.”

Europe, be afraid. Be very afraid."

* * *

Bloomberg.com

Hard Rock to Battle High Heels at Europe's `Super Bowl of Song'

May 18 (Bloomberg) -- The 51st Eurovision Song Contest kicks off in Athens this evening with acts such as Finland's heavy- metal Lordi battling Bosnia's Hari Mata Hari for a place in the final of the world's most-watched televised song contest.

Greece, which won in 2005 with Helena Paparizou singing "My Number One," is the current favorite to take the title again this year, according to William Hill bookmakers. Lordi's "Hard Rock Hallelujah," a song that Finnish religious leaders have said could inspire devil worship, is fifth-favorite to make it through to the final.

The Eurovision Song Contest, which was first held in 1956, has helped start the careers of performers such as Abba and Celine Dion and may give Lordi and the 36 other contestants at least 3 minutes of fame. Last year's final in Ukraine was watched by more than 100 million viewers in 40 countries, three times the number of viewers who tuned in for the final of "American Idol," the biggest hit on U.S. television.

"Eurovision is the granddaddy of all talent shows and the Super Bowl of singing," said Ben Silverman, chief executive officer at Reveille LLC, a TV production company, in a February statement on the Web site of NBC, the U.S. television network. Reveille will produce a U.S. version of the European contest for General Electric Co.'s NBC, according to the statement.

Thirty-seven countries, of which 18 have never won, are competing at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens. About 12,000 people will be in the audience for the semi-final, in which 34 countries take part to win one of the 10 slots for the May 20 final. The shows will be broadcast live in 38 nations.

"Africa, Paprika"

Velcro, spandex and nonsensical lyrics have been Eurovision's staying power. Croatia's Severina will sing "Moja Stikla," or "My High Heel," a song which includes the words: "hop, hop, hop, hop, come on, my chicken" and "red beet, red teet, Africa, paprika."

Severina, who wrote the lyrics herself, is 12th-favorite to win in the final, according to William Hill. Iceland's Silvia Night sings "Congratulations," which includes the lines: "born in Reykjavik in a different league/no damn eurotrashfreak."

Nearly one in three Croatians watched the show last year, according to AGB Nielsen Media Research. The contest, long popular among Scandinavians, has spread to be as popular among viewers and governments in the east of Europe. Abba won the contest in 1974 with "Waterloo," launching the group's career.

"It's the highlight of my year," said Nhan Chiem, an Australian corporate communications manager whose Apple Computer Inc.'s Ipod carries a mix of past Eurovision songs. Chiem will be among the crowd in Athens for the final, the second time he's attended a Eurovision contest.

"Wonderful Charm"

Chiem, who works in London, said he spent a year in Sweden after seeing the country promoted during a Eurovision contest. The appeal of Eurovision is "the wonderful charm of Europe, the different cultures and languages," he says.

With the winner chosen by viewers, the last three contests have been held in Ukraine, Turkey and Estonia. Ireland has won the contest a record seven times. For Ukraine, the show helped raise the country's profile and increase tourism.

"In eastern Europe there is real excitement," said Nhan, who has watched every Eurovision contest since 1983.

The version being developed by NBC in the U.S., aimed at competing with Fox Network's "American Idol," will feature contestants from all U.S. states and the District of Columbia. NBC hasn't said when the show will be broadcast.

Foster Unity

The Eurovision song contest was created by the European Broadcasting Union in 1956 as an attempt to foster unity in a continent divided into east and west after the World War II. It hasn't always worked that way.

Serbia and Montenegro, assured of a place in the Athens final thanks to a good showing last year, had to withdraw after allegations of vote-rigging to allow a band from Montenegro to represent the country. Montenegro will vote on whether to separate from Serbia on May 21, the day after the final.

The withdrawal allowed Croatia, which fought a war with its former Yugoslav partners in the early 1990s, a place in the final.

Lordi elicited some controversy in their native Finland where their rock act, which includes blowing up meat on stage, caused some Finnish religious leaders to warn that the band could inspire Satan worship, the New York Times said April 24.

Tickets to the final sold out in 15 minutes when they went on sale on Feb. 27.

* * *

Telegraph.co.uk

A serious kind of silliness

Songs are not the point at the Eurovision contest, says Neil McCormick. It's high camp that counts

It is, of course, complete and utter rubbish. But that does not stop tens of millions tuning in to watch, vast fortunes being wagered on bets on the outcome and academics drafting treatises analysing the results.

Now in its 50th year, we all know what we can expect from Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest in Athens: over-enthusiastic dance routines, ludicrous cyber-folk costumes, acres of cleavage and a selection of the most common-denominator pop known to man.

"It is supposed to be a song contest, but the costumes and dance routines are more important than the music," says Martin Lee. And he should know, since he employed just such devices to win for Great Britain in 1976 with the Brotherhood of Man. "People used to just stand there and sing. But then Abba wore big hats when they won in 1974, we put the first real dance routine together in '76 and after that things started getting silly," he says.

Actually, critics agree that things started getting silly way before then. Yet arguments that the Eurovision is an outdated hodge-podge of bad taste, bearing no relationship to contemporary pop music, seem irrelevant in the face of its extraordinary success.

Having expanded from its initial base of seven countries in 1956 to incorporate 39 participating nations this year, it is expected to attract about 160 million viewers across Europe, with more tuning in from Australia and South America. Around 11 million will watch in Britain, ensuring its annual position as one of our top 10 entertainment shows.

"With an audience that big, it can't all be about laughing at the performances," says BBC executive producer Dominic Smith. "People get involved doing score charts, phone voting, and having theme parties. We sometimes forget that music is about enjoyment and the Eurovision is arguably the most successful music television show ever."

After decades in which other music programmes conspicuously failed to attract mass audiences, the genius of the Eurovision format has been validated by the recent popularity of programmes imitating its combination of talent contest and freak show, in which the audience participates through voting - most notably Pop Idol and The X Factor. Long viewed with envy by American television bosses, there are plans afoot to create USA-vision, an American interstate song contest.

For the format to work, however, Smith suggests the emphasis has to be on the contest, not the song. "You should be willing to embrace the campness of it. Eurovision went through a bit of a crisis in the 1990s when quite a lot of the delegations wanted it to be a strictly serious music-writing competition, when really they needed more rip-off skirts."

Having survived periodic calls to be overhauled to reflect more high-minded artistic concerns, the contest's popularity is centred on the very tastelessness that once drew criticism. Taking our cue from the gentle irony of long-suffering presenter Terry Wogan, British audiences revel in the annual parade of musical horrors.

This might have something to do with the strength of our recording industry (ensuring we are not dependent on the Eurovision for musical credibility), or perhaps we are just bad losers, since we haven't triumphed since Katrina and the Waves in 1997. Power has shifted eastwards, to the emerging new European nations that see the contest as a means of advertising national identity (almost all of this year's eastern entries manage to squeeze some ethnic instrumentation into the mix).

'There are very good economic reasons for emerging nations to want to do well in the Eurovision," says Smith. "It can really help the profile of your country, as Ireland demonstrated during its Celtic tiger years. When Estonia won in 2001 and went on to host the competition in Tallinn, its economy grew by 13 per cent. We saw the same kind of effect in Latvia the following year."

Intriguingly, reflecting the pan-European spirit imagined by the contest's founders, traditional nationalist antipathies evaporate at the Eurovision, where Cyprus and Greece have a long-established practice of awarding each other maximum points. But it might be a mistake to read the contest's results as if they represented a kind of political vox populi.

While some observers (including Wogan) have suggested Britain's waning popularity can be attributed to a post-Iraq war backlash, it is possible there is a more prosaic explanation for 2003's nul points debacle. Our entrants, Gemini, were genuinely awful.

"We hide behind block voting because we like to make excuses," asserts this year's representative, Daz Sampson. "We think that because we are Great Britain, we should always be among the winners, but since 1997 we have sent absolute rubbish, so how can we expect people to vote for us?"

Statistics might be against him, but as a dedicated Eurovision fan since he first saw it as a six-year-old in 1981, Sampson believes he is the man to reverse our recent decline. "Everybody else in Europe takes it seriously, and I'm certainly taking it seriously. I've got three minutes of wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am to grab people's attention."

But Sampson is looking at some tough competition this year. Finland's Lordi will be the Eurovision's first death-metal band (they look like Kiss crossed with Star Trek aliens). Sylvia Night from Iceland will be singing Congratulations in the style of Geri Spice crossed with Björk at a fashion show for blind exhibitionists. Texas Lightning from Germany will sing No No Never, bluegrass country pop sung in English by a middle-aged Australian blonde backed by stocky German cowboys in ten-gallon hats. And the Netherlands are sending Treble, three blondes sitting on giant bongos playing acoustic guitars. As you do.

May the best rip-off skirt win.

* * *

Plastic.com

Eurosong — Twelve Points?

Singers and bands sing songs, votes are cast, there's a jury and... no, this isn't American Idol. Ladies and gentlemen from both sides of the Atlantic, may I direct your attention to the oldest televised singing contest in existence? The Eurovision Song Contest is a household name in nearly every European country. Every May since 1956, this show draws millions of viewers across Europe. For the first edition, there were only seven countries that took part. Today, there are so many countries from all corners of Europe taking part, they need semi-finals to decide who gets to be shown to millions of European viewers.

How does it work? Every year, public television networks select a candidate song. Songs are performed in front of a live audience (usually a sports arena turned at great cost into a TV studio for the night). After all the songs have been sung, the juries in the various countries give their vote via live feed in a well-oiled decorum: "some country : one point, un point, some other country two points, deux points and so on until the twelve points." The song with the most points wins (and the winning public television networks get the honour of footing the bill the next year).

Over the years, some Eurovision winners have gone back to being nobodies again, while some runner-ups had stellar careers. And of course, the Eurovision Song Contest was the launching pad for ABBA's multi-platinum career. Besides the Swedish quartet, the Eurovision Song Contest has also seen Nana Mouskouri, Sir Cliff Richard, Lulu, Julio Iglesias, Olivia Newton-John, The Shadows, Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Katrina and the Waves, and t.A.T.u. on its scene. This year the show happens in Greece and all eyes are on the candidates from Finland: a metal band called Lordi.

Plastic readers from the American continent, would you like to see your country in a er... Mondiovision Song Constest? For those who gets to see this contest: do you plan to see it or do you have a barbecue conveniently booked for this Saturday?

John - :p

FinnFreak

05-19-2006, 6:40am

;)

Monsters and Critics.com

Surprising entries advance in Eurovision Song Contest

Again this year, Eurovision is producing its fair share of controversy and extreme behaviour.

Among the more unusual and surprising bands to advance to the finals were controversial Finnish heavy metal band Lordi, whose act features gruesome masks, armour and jets of flame.

'We are so satisfied - imagine a band that look's like us can reach the finals in a song festival like this,' said Lordi's lead singer during a press conference.

* * *

dailyrecord.co.uk

FINNISH music tastes are a mystery

The tango, the smouldering dance music from Latin America, is a favourite for those living near the Arctic Circle. But watching TV with the sound off resulted in mystification. The obvious assumption was the guy dressed up with giant bat wings, horror make-up and waving an axe was the latest Dr Who villain. Turns out this is Lordi, Finland's heavy metal - and possibly toxic - entry for the Eurovision song contest. The Iceland contestant, Silvia Night, will also perform a form of vocal wedgie, hauling men up by their pants.

* * *

The Local - News from Sweden in English

Carola breezes through to Eurovision final

The fact that Carola was among the ten artists who made it to the final appeared to have little to do with the quality of song. Seven countries had already been announced before Sweden, among them the Finnish horror-rockers Lordi and a bunch of amusing Lithuanians singing 'We are the winners of Eurovision'.

The semi-finalists who will participate in Saturday's final are Sweden, Ireland, Russia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey and Armenia.

* * *

BBC News

Kennedy reaches Eurovision final

Belfast-born singer Brian Kennedy has made it through to the Eurovision Song Contest final in Athens.

He will sing his own composition, Every Song is a Cry for Love, representing seven-time Eurovision winners Ireland in Saturday's final.

Ireland's Eurovision record has been poor in recent years, with last year's entry being knocked out in the semis.

Kennedy will meet other acts like the UK's Daz Sampson and Finland's masked death metal band Lordi in the final.

The Finnish wild-card entry, whose masks, armour and jets of flame attracted widespread attention before the event, managed to make it through Thursday's semi-final.

The UK did not have to compete in the semi-final, which ended the hopes of 13 countries.

France, Germany, Spain and the UK automatically qualified for the final as the four largest countries in the event.

The biggest shock was the elimination of Belgian singer Kate Ryan, one of the favourites for this year's prize.

But other hotly tipped performers from Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia did make it through.

Rapper Daz Sampson will represent the UK on Saturday with his song Teenage Life.

Hosts Greece and nine top-scoring nations from last year's contest were also already guaranteed places in the final.

Some 23 countries took part in the semi-final, with just 10 final places up for grabs.

The winners and losers were chosen by a public text and phone vote.

Of the underdogs, Lithuania - whose act comprises six men in suits singing "we are the winners of Eurovision" - were surprise qualifiers for the final.

The other qualifiers from Thursday's semi-final were the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, Turkey and Armenia.

But Cyprus, Estonia, Iceland, Slovenia, Albania and Andorra were knocked out.

The Netherlands, Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria, Monaco and Portugal were also unsuccessful in the semi-final.

* * *

ABC NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA

Eurovision 2006 - Deutschland, Deutschland, Deutschland, Oi! Oi! Oi!

The Eurovision song contest is on again this weekend and Novocastrian Miss Jane Comerford will be on stage representing Germany singing out front of country band, Texas Lightning.

This Sunday night, the nation stops to watch the greatest pop contest known to man on SBS Television.

None of this “Amateur Idol” stuff, it’s the real deal, the 2006 Eurovision Song contest, this year hosted in Athens, home of all things tasteful.

This years entries include the local Greek favourite Anna Vissi, occasionally controversial Croatian pop legend Severina Vuckovic, and the awesome heavy rock gods Lordi from Finland, a country that has been in Eurovision for 44 years without a win, 45 after this weekend.

So charge your glasses and toast Texas Lightning as they take on the heavyweights of Euro Pop for the Eurovision song of 2006.

* * *

Bloomberg.com

Finland's Lordi, Sweden's Carola Advance to Eurovision Final

May 19 (Bloomberg) -- Finnish heavy-metal group Lordi, and Bryan Kennedy, representing record seven-time winner Ireland, were among 10 performers who advanced to the finals of the 51st Eurovision Song Contest in Athens.

Sweden's Carola, who won the contest in 1991 and was among pre-show favorites to make it through according to bookmakers William Hill, also progressed. The 10 will join 14 performers who automatically had qualified for the final stage of the world's most-watched televised song contest, to be held tomorrow.

The Eurovision Song Contest was first held in 1956 and has helped start the careers of performers such as Abba and Celine Dion. Last year's final in Ukraine was watched by more than 100 million viewers in 40 countries, three times the number of viewers who tuned in for the final of ``American Idol,'' the biggest hit on U.S. television. Tomorrow's final will be carried live in 38 nations.

Lithuania's entry, LT United, was last night's surprise. Their song -- ``We are the Winners of Eurovision'' -- garnered enough votes to get them to the final. Lithuania has never won the competition, although Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia have.

Armenia, appearing in the competition for the first time, Russia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine, and Turkey took the remaining spots in the finals, in which 24 nations compete.

Host country Greece is the favorite to win this year's competition according to William Hill, followed by Sweden, Romania, Bosnia, and the U.K.'s 32-year-old Daz Sampson, who'll sing ``Teenage Life.'' Tickets to the final sold out in 15 minutes when they went on sale Feb. 27.

* * *

ana.gr

51st Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals held in Athens Thursday

First-time contestant Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Finland, FYROM, Ireland, Lithuania, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine are the 10 countries that qualified in the early hours of Friday for the 51st Eurovision song contest Final on Saturday night, following viewer voting late Thursday among the 23 contestants at the spectacular semi-final held in the indoor basketball venue at Athens' OAKA main Olympic complex.

The 23 countries taking part in Thursday night's semi-final were: Armenia (which is taking part for the first time in the history of the competition), Bulgaria, Slovenia, Andora, Belarus, Albania, Belgium, Ireland, Cyprus, Monaco, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Finland, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden, Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland.

The ten best semi-finalists elected late Thursday night will now compete in Saturday's final with the 14 top songs of last year's Eurovision song contest: Switzerland, Moldova, Israel, Latvia, Norway, Malta, Denmark, Romania, Croatia (which was the first runner up and took the slot following the withdrawal of Serbia-Montenegro), the four major countries which traditionally participate in the competition -- Spain, Germany, France and the United Kingdom -- and 2006 host country Greece, which won the Eurovision song contest in 2005 with "My Number One" performed by Elena Paparizou.

Thursday night's qualifiers were Armenia, with "Without your Love" performed by Andre; Bosnia-Herzegovina, with "Lejla" performed by Hari Mata Hari and his band; Finland, with "Hard Rock Hallelujah" performed by the heavy metal band Lordi; FYROM, with "Ninanajna" performed by Elena Rusteska; Ireland, with the ballad "Every song is a cry for love" performed by Brian Kennedy; Lithuania, with "We are the Winners (of Eurovision)" performed by LT United; Russia, with "Never let you go" performed by Dima; Sweden, with "Invicible" performed by Carola; Turkey, with "Superstar" performed by Sibel Tuzun; and Ukraine, with "Show me your Love" performed by Tina Karol.

The event was hosted by Greece's Eurovision 2004 third-place winner and pop heartthrob Sakis Rouvas ("Shake It") and Greek-American model, reporter and actress Maria Menounos, who will also host the Final on Saturday night.

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The Times

From Hell . . . to Eurovision

Pete Paphides meets this year's surprise package - a Finnish horror rock band

It has to be said that, as self-styled “Viking welcomes” go, the one put together by the combined Scandinavian delegations is pretty tame. Well-scrubbed young TV presenters munch on tiny Nordic nibbles with Eurovision Song Contest entrants who look every bit as Eighties as they do. The proliferation of mullets and turquoise chinos suggests that little has changed in this world since 1984, when the Herreys, from Sweden, took the Euro honours with Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley.

So when Ox — the skull-faced “hellbull” who plays bass with the Finnish heavy rockers Lordi — ambles towards the smorgasbord, your eyes naturally follow his journey. After a couple of seconds spent assessing the fishy profiteroles, he seems to conclude that it would be too fiddly to pick up said snack with his zombie fingers and guide it between his snaggly undead teeth. So he wanders over to a bowl of olives. The character described on Lordi’s official website as “the giant powerhouse on hoofs” realises he can manage olives far better. He simply tilts his head back and, as his bony corpse jaws open, drops them in one by one.

Across the other side of the rooftop terrace at the Hotel Divani in Athens, Lordi himself, the frontman with the most talked- about Eurovision entrants in recent memory, is telling a Dutch journalist that, contrary to reports in the Greek press, he isn’t a Satanist. “Of course, there were some misconceptions about the band because of the music, but if they take their time, they will see that we don’t eat babies for breakfast. If we really lived up to our music, there wouldn’t be a single person alive here.” Two aggrieved pink demon eyes peer out of his glowering prosthetic face towards the other side of the pool, where the Swedish pop starlet Carola Häggkvist is singing her 1983 runner-up song, Främling. “There would be a massacre. Think about it.”

In the surreal world of Eurovision, where an air of Benetton-bright positivity seems mandatory, it’s not difficult to see why Hard Rock Hallelujah, Lordi’s entry in tomorrow night’s contest, has caused consternation. Written especially for Eurovision, the song gives warning of something called “the day of rockoning” and declares that “the saints are crippled/ On this sinners’ night”.

But with a chorus that rocks like an ocean liner in a hurricane, it’s also emerged as one of the surprise favourites to win the contest. Ask Lordi — or Tomi Putaansuu, as his septugenarian parents call him — if he thinks his group will win, and he conspicuously refrains from pledging to harness the power of Beelzebub to vanquish his rivals. “The UK entry (by Daz Sampson) doesn’t do it for me, although I think Anna Vissy’s song for Greece is good,” he says, thoughtfully. “It is a strong power-ballad.

“As for Lordi, being here is already a victory. Whatever happens on the night, this will change things for us.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by the Finnish music writer Anna Mutanen, who says: “Lordi weren’t one of the biggest bands in Finland when this happened. Not like, say, the Rasmus or HIM. I would say they were somewhere in the middle.”

As the band’s tour bus heads for the Finnish embassy, Lordi articulates his exasperation at a Finnish media that has struggled to understand what his band are about. “All the critics are usually putting us down because of the lyrics,” he says, and describes the mixed reaction that greeted their current album The Arockalypse: “They’re like, ‘That is so puerile.’ Or: ‘It doesn’t make sense’.”

That seems a little unfair, I suggest. Take for instance, the couplet: “Who’s your daddy, *****, who’s your daddy/Who puts you in your place?” (Who’s Your Daddy). What’s not to understand? “Exactly! This is entertainment! Or Chainsaw Buffet — that’s me imagining if Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre had a girlfriend and his family invited him out to dinner.”

Unsurprisingly, horror films and a love of rock monoliths such as Kiss and Alice Cooper loom large in Lordi’s universe. Growing up as an only child in Lappish Finland, his fascination with the grotesque extends as far back as he can remember. “I used to watch films like The Evil Dead and think, ‘I want to do that, I want to be that’.”

When he was 7 — he’s 32 now — he began experimenting with his mother’s make-up. “I would draw monsters on paper, so it seemed logical to draw them on my face.”

At the Finnish embassy, Seija — a journalist who knew Lordi when he was plain old Tomi — remembers a “nice, shy boy who was making films even as a teenager”.

“That’s right,” Lordi says when we get back on to the bus. “My parents bought a video camera when I was about 10, and I knew exactly that I wanted to make horror films with it.”

Before finding a way to combine his governing passions — horror and hard rock — Lordi graduated from film school and earned a living drawing storyboards. I tell him that as a 12-year-old I saw An American Werewolf in London, which prompted a mild obsession with Jenny Agutter. He says that he had a similar experience, but developed an arguably more noble kind of obsession with Rick Baker, “the guy who did the special effects. I learnt a lot after buying one of his books.”

When I tell him that I live in the London suburb where Shaun of the Dead was shot, Lordi is touchingly impressed: “Really? Tell me, the Winchester — the bar in the film — was that a real pub?” It’s amazing, but after a while you really do forget that you are talking to the “unholy overlord of tremors”, a “cyberundertaker”. “Look at these,” says the singer, pointing a black, 3in long fingernail at his knees. On each knee there’s a skull that opens and closes its mouth when Lordi walks. Just above them is a switch that makes their eyes glow red. “That was my design,” he beams.

Gazing around at the rest of Lordi, the band, in their frankly restrictive attire, it’s hard not to wonder how they tend to their more pressing physical requirements.

“It’s a little tricky,” concedes Lordi. “If I would have to take a dump, I would need to take off everything.” He pulls up a flap that hangs over the Lycra undergarment covering his legs. “For a leak, though, it’s a matter of taking off the gloves. Someone helps me remove them.”

Whatever Lordi’s detractors have to throw at them (raw meat is their apparent preference), it’s impossible to doubt such cosmetic dedication to the cause. It takes three hours in front of the mirror before Lordi is brought to life. How tedious must that be? “Well, I am quite a lazy person,” comes the self-deprecating explanation. “I’ve been doing this since 1997, so it p***** me off when I start. But after about eight or nine minutes I forget and I remember once again that this is fun.”

The tour bus arrives outside the Underworld, the Athens club where Lordi are due to play a pre-Eurovision set. It’s a low-key gig. Perhaps fearful of courting further controversy, Lordi will opt for water instead of fake blood for his squirty chainsaw. As the group alights from the bus, a large crowd converges around them and stares at them. Doing his bit to subvert democracy in the city where it was born, the band’s German label manager hands out “I vote Lordi” badges.

It might just be wearing furry monster boots in the baking Greek sunshine, but Lordi looks slightly uncomfortable. “In Finland it’s very different,” he explains. “If the Finns see anyone doing anything unusual, they pretend they haven’t seen it.”

He tells the story of a Lordi photo shoot for a Finnish newspaper in which he was required to stand in the middle of Helsinki during rush hour. “Hundreds of people and not one stopped to look. We are not assertive people. We will do anything to avoid causing a scene or being the centre of attention.”

Cometh the hour, cometh the band, cometh the Day Of Rockoning, that will change.

The Eurovision Song Contest, BBC One/Radio 2, tomorrow (8pm). The Arockalypse is released by Drakkar

Eurovision makes you crazy — the proof:

KOJO

When the German teenager Nicole won with A Little Peace in 1982, Finland’s entrant called her a “stupid virgin”.

CETIN ALP AND THE SHORT WAVES

Represented Turkey in 1983 with Opera Opera, which sounded like an idiotic cross between the Divine Comedy and Radiohead. It fared even worse than Denmark’s love song to a washing machine.

PAULO DE CARVALHO

Unbeknown to him, the beginning of E Depois Do Adeus was the signal to launch the military coup in Portugal in 1974.

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HELSINGIN SANOMAT

Finland's monster-heavy band hardrocks into Eurovision final

Lordi makes Finnish Eurovision history

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The refreshingly different performance of the Finnish theatrical hard rock band Lordi qualified for the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday night.

Finland's representative at this year's Eurovision Song Competition in Athens, the heavy-metal band Lordi, made it into the final in yesterday's semi-final round against 22 other countries. The top ten, along with 14 other pre-qualified song-entries, will go forward to the grand final on Saturday night.

The intimidating hard rock band made history by being the first Finnish Eurovision representative to make it through the final after the Contest had been limited to 24 finalists, since the number of participating countries had grown too many.

The band's entry Hard Rock Hallelujah received a thundering ovation in the Olympic Stadium's Indoor Hall, in Athens.

After all telephone and SMS votes from the European viewers had been collected, the ten successful semifinalists were announced. In addition to Finland, also Russia, Ireland, Sweden, Macedonia, Lithuania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine, Turkey, and Armenia all qualified for the final on May 20th.

Neither the number of votes cast nor the ranking of the semifinalists are to be announced.

After the semifinal, Tomi Putaansuu, the vocalist of Lordi, was delighted and wished to thank Lapland and the entire Finland for support. Putaansuu hails originally from Rovaniemi in Lapland.

When asked how he intends to prepare for tomorrow's grand final, Putaansuu said that he would smoke cigarettes and drink Pepsi Max.

The final of the 51st Eurovision Song Contest is to be held in the Olympic Stadium's Indoor Hall in Athens.

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Lordi hyllar Carola: Hon är så sexig

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De finska hårdrockarna gick hem i stugorna, och blev historiska
när de tog Finland vidare från kval för första gången. Något de firade
sent i natt.

ATEN. Finlands sak är vår - och tvärtom.

Under allt smink har skräckrockarna Lordi en mjuk plats i sitt hjärta för Carola.
- Hon är otrolig, hon får vår röst i finalen, säger Lordi till Expressen före den stora efterfesten i natt.
Hårdrocken har tagit sig in i ett finrum där den tidigare aldrig varit välkommen - Lordi tog sig till final i schlager-EM.
I går möttes de hårdsminkade finnarna av jubel och stående ovationer i Aten.

Beundrar Carola

- Vi har skrivit rockhistoria, det här är för alla hårdrocksfans i hela Europa, säger Lordi.
Sedan kvalsystemet infördes har Finland aldrig tidigare tagit sig till final.
- Det betyder att vi har skrivit finsk schlagerhistoria också, säger Lordi.
De finska hårdrockarna har inte gjort någon hemlighet av sin beundran för svenska Carola.
- Så hon kommer få vår röst i finalen, säger Lordi till Expressen.
- Hon är så sexig, hon är sexigare än någonsin. Och hon har den bästa rösten i startfältet. Vad kan man säga, hon är otrolig.
I natt firade de finalplatsen på hotellet. Men efter finalen i morgon blir det hårdrockarfest på riktigt, oavsett hur det går.

Ska skrika ännu högre

Men finländarna har, med sedvanlig självdistans, funderat på några hemliga tricks att ta till för att knipa extrapoäng:
- Vi höjer volymen. Och så skriker vi lite högre. Och så ska vi försöka höja dansfaktorn, säger Lordi och möts, givetvis, av jubel.

Tackar för stödet

Finalplatsen chockade antagligen en stor del av mångmiljonpubliken framför tv-apparaterna - men inte Expressens läsare. Faktum är att Lordi utklassade alla andra konkurrenter - inklusive Carola - när läsarna fick tycka till på expressen.se.
När Lordi får höra om stödet från Sverige blir han rörd.
- Är det sant? Det är väldigt kul att höra, tack så hemskt mycket!

Rösta på din favorit i schlager-semifinalen!
Frågan startades 2006-05-18 19:24
Totalt har 8291 personer svarat på frågan

The readers of the Swedish newspaper Expressen have been voting for thier favorite performers:

Finland - 42%
Sweden - 27&
Bosnia & H. - 6%
Russia - 4%

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Aftonbladet

Monster- succén

Carola och Lordi jublade i natt: Vi är grymt nöjda

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ATEN.
Skönheten och odjuren tog sig till final.
Total monsterkärlek uppstod mellan Carola och Lordi i natt.
- Vi har skrivit Eurovisionhistoria, jublar Mr Lordi.
Det blev nordisk seger i natt.
Sveriges Carola och finska Lordi tog sig till final.
-Jag är lättad, glad och känner mig jättetacksam, jag har verkligen känt svenskarnas support, säger Carola.
Hon har hela tiden varit säker på att gå vidare. Därför tog hon kvalvinsten med stillsam glädje.
- Nu ska jag ladda om som tidigare med mat, andakt och att träffa gänget. Min telefon har sprängts av alla hälsningar.
Desto mer fart var det på Lordi. De har växt som favoriter under veckan i Aten. Olympiahallen exploderade under deras "Hard rock hallelujah".
- Vi är så grymt nöjda. Tänk att ett band som ser ut som oss, sjunger sån musik, kan ta sig vidare till final i en poptävling. Tack alla rockfans i Europa, säger Mr Lordi.
Bandet har satsat stort på sitt framträdande med pyroteknik för ett värde av 350 000.

Skrika högre
- Två heavy metal-festivaler gjorde en insamling och donerade 50 000 kronor var så att vi skulle ha råd att ha det, säger gitarristen Amen.
Nu laddar de om och ska försöka toppa sitt framträdande inför i morgon.
- Kan man höja volymen eller vi kanske kan skrika högre, säger Mr Lordi.

"Carola ser söt ut"
Carola hyllar deras låt "Hard rock hallelujah".
- De har en väldigt melodiös låt som sätter sig. Nu är mitt mål att ta mig bakom deras masker, säger hon och skrattar.
Lordi däremot är inte lika ödmjuka mot "Invincible".
- Hennes låt är ganska basic Eurovision. Carola borde använda oss som band så hon får mer poäng. Men hon ser fortfarande ganska söt ut med all botox. Jag skulle också behöva lite botox, säger basisten Ox.

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John - :D