Lassen

A Christian Story

2009-12-30T13:51:00.000+02:00

A Jewish father was concerned about his son who was about a year away from his Bar Mitzvah but was sorely lacking in his knowledge of the Jewish faith. To remedy this, he sent his son to Israel to experience his heritage.

A year later the young man returned home. "Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our Fathers," the son said. "It was wonderful and enlightening; however, I must confess that whael I converted to Christianity."

"Oi vey," replied the father, "vhat have I done?" So in the tradition of the patriarchs, he went to his best friend and sought his advice and solace.

"It is amazing that you should come to me," stated his friend, "I, too, sent my son to Israel, and he returned a Christian."

So in the tradition of the patriarchs they went to the Rabbi.

"It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi, "I, too, sent my son to Israel, and he returned a Christian. What is happening to our sons?" "Brothers, we must take this to the Lord," said the Rabbi.

They fell to their knees and began to wail and pour out their hearts to the Almighty. As they prayed, the clouds opened, and a mighty voice stated, "Amazing that you should come to Me. I, too, sent My Son to Israel...."

A Management Course

2009-12-04T13:34:00.001+02:00

Lesson One:
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?"
The eagle answered: "Sure, why not".
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson Two:
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."
"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull." They're packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day he reached the second branch and, finally, after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Management Lesson:
Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson Three:
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He laid there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.
Management Lesson:

(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

This ends the three minute management course.

Next Year 40th Anniversary

2009-12-04T13:31:00.002+02:00

Self explanatory

Teaching Math

2009-10-27T09:53:00.000+03:00

Teaching Math in 1950:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1960:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1970:
A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M". The set "C", the cost of production contains 20 fewer points than set "M". Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" of profits?

Teaching Math in 1980:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

Teaching Math in 1990:
By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question? How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees? There are no wrong answers.

Teaching Math in 2000:
By laying off 402 of its loggers, a company improves its stock price from $80 to $100. How much capital gain per share does the CEO make by exercising his stock options at $80. Assume capital gains are no longer taxed, because this encourages investment.

Teaching Math in 2005:
A company outsources all of its loggers. They save on benefits and when demand for their product is down the logging work force can easily be cut back. The average logger employed by the company earned $50,000, had 3 weeks vacation, received a nice retirement plan and medical insurance. The contracted logger charges $50 an hour. Was outsourcing a good move?

Teaching Math in 2009:
A logging company exports its wood-finishing jobs to its Indonesian subsidiary and lays off the corresponding half of its US workers (the higher-paid half). It clear-cuts 95 % of the forest, leaving the rest for the spotted owl, and lays off all its remaining US workers. It tells the workers that the spotted owl is responsible for the absence of fellable trees and lobbies Congress for exemption from the Endangered Species Act. Congress instead exempts the company from all federal regulation. What is the return on investment of the lobbying costs?

Job Application

2009-09-16T16:46:00.000+03:00

They say this is an actual job application a 17 year old boy submitted at a McDonald's fast-food establishment in Florida... And they hired him because he was so honest…

NAME: N.N.
SEX: Not yet. Still waiting for the right person.
DESIRED POSITION: Company's President or Vice President. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying here in the first place.
DESIRED SALARY: $185,000 a year plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.
EDUCATION: Yes.
LAST POSITION HELD: Target for middle management hostility.
SALARY: Less than I'm worth.
MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.
REASON FOR LEAVING: It sucked.
HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK: Any.
PREFERRED HOURS: 1:30-3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?: Yes, but they're better suited to a more intimate environment.
MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?: If I had one, would I be here?
DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 LBS?: Of what?
DO YOU HAVE A CAR?: I think the more appropriate question here would be "Do you have a car that runs?"
HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?: I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearing house Sweepstakes.
DO YOU SMOKE?: On the job no, on my breaks yes.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?: Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy dumb sexy blonde super model who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.
DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?: Yes. Absolutely.
SIGN HERE: Aries.

Thought of The Day 55

2009-09-16T05:07:00.001+03:00

Philosopher: A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.

Useful Work Tips

2009-09-11T17:12:00.004+03:00

Here are some useful phrases you can use when in the workplace:

If you don”t know what it is, call it an “issue”…

If you don”t know how it works, call it a “process”…

If you don”t know whether its worth doing, call it an “option”…

If you don”t know how it could possibly be done call it a “challenge” or an “exciting opportunity”…

If you want to confuse people, ask them about “customers”…

If you don”t know how to do something, “empower” someone else to do it for you…

If you can”t take decisions, “create space” for others to operate…

If you need a decision, call a “workshop” to “network” and “ground the issue”, followed by an “awayday” to “position the elephant in the room” and achieve “buy-in”…

Never criticize or boast, call it “information sharing”…

Never call something a failure or mistake, its a “positive learning experience”…

Never argue, have an “adult conversation”…

Liquidity

2009-07-26T22:03:00.002+03:00

Definition: Liquidity is when you look at your retirement funds and wet your pants.

Sanity

2009-07-24T13:10:00.000+03:00

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness... Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you...

Welcome

2009-07-22T11:55:00.005+03:00

Some Strange Things We Do

2009-07-16T11:51:00.001+03:00

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

I Think

2009-07-14T10:06:00.001+03:00

I'm not a complete idiot -- Some parts are certainly missing...

Haven't Gone Anywhere

2009-07-14T09:54:00.001+03:00

Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

Thought of The Day 54

2009-07-13T09:04:00.003+03:00

Being 'over the hill' is much better than being under it!

Thought of The Day 53

2009-07-09T10:27:00.001+03:00

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

Aina ei ole helppoa

2009-06-17T12:21:00.003+03:00

On todella tärkeätä, että pitää siitä, mitä tekee!Vai mitä? Silloin hyväksyy pienet vastoinkäymisetkin.

Midsommer In Finland

2009-06-17T11:46:00.010+03:00

Almost only in Finland there is a great feast in the Midsommer. Some people in Sweden know what we are talking about, but that's it. I guess Finland is geografically one of the countries which has to use every opportunity to celebrate summer, in case we have one. At least, if we do not have a fine weather, we have a lot of light. Actually in Juhannus (The Midsummer Feast) in the northern parts of Finland the sun never gets down! Nor do the Finns, at least the younger ones... But you who do not realize that this is it: after the midsummer the days are getting shorter again. On Friday nobody goes to work beause it is Juhannus.

Midsummer is the celebration of the most luminous time of the year. In Finland it is also the Flag Day and according to the official rules, flags are raised at six in the evening on Midsummer's Eve and lowered at 21 hours on the evening of the following day. Midsummer is surely the most delightful of Finland's public holidays.
It is called the festival of "Nightless Night" because in the northern part of Finland, that is above the Arctic Circle, the sun does not go down behind the horizon at all!
The festival is celebrated on the Saturday that falls between 20th June and 26th June. Many of the customs associated with Midsummer's Day derive from the pre-Christian and pan-European festival of light and fertility that marked the summer solstice. The burning of the Midsummer kokko (bonfire), originally a tradition linked, in the north and east of the country, with beliefs concerning fertility, cleansing and the banishing of evil spirits, has in the 20th century spread throughout Finland. It has become the central element in the programme of commercial Midsummer festivities, along with music and dance.

Homes are decorated with flowers and birch branches. A Midsummer pole, reminiscent of an ornamental sailing mast, is part of the Finland-Swedish tradition of southern Finland and Ahvenanmaa (also called Aweland...)
Everybody who has the slightest possibility travel to the countryside and towns are really deserted. Everything is closed and the tourists who do not perhaps know about this tradition think that a Neutron Bomb must have hit the streets.
It's a Finnish tradition to drink a lot during the festival, many people don't go to sleep at all during Midsummer Night because it is so bright. The statistics for the number of people drowned and otherwise killed in accidents are morbidly counted every year.

Here you can listen to our National Anthem and see some pictures from Finland.
We love Juhannus!

And In Any Case

2009-05-28T15:21:00.004+03:00

Things tend to be getting better!

Hi, I'm back. Again.

2009-05-28T15:07:00.001+03:00

Totuuksia

2009-04-01T06:58:00.004+03:00

Niin se on!

Persoonallisuustesti

2009-03-02T13:35:00.002+02:00

Moi, tein hauskan testin,klikkaamalla otsikkoa voit tehdä sen itsekin!

Seuraava kaavio kuvaa vastausteni sijoittumista
Ekstrovertti ------------*-------- Introvertti
Käytännöllinen ------------*-------- Intuitiivinen
Ajattelija ------------*-------- Tuntija
Impulsiivinen --------*------------ Harkitsija

Vastaustesi perusteella seuraava luonnehdinta kuvaa persoonallisuuttani
Olet rauhallinen, luova ja huomaavainen henkilö. Saatat usein vaikuttaa ujolta, varautuneelta tai viileältä. Sinulla on harvinainen kyky omistautua syvästi sekä ihmisille että asioille. Ihmistyyppisi ohjaa käyttäytymistään vahvoilla sisäisillä arvoilla, eikä niinkään logiikalla tai järkisyillä. Jos sinut pakotetaan toimimaan faktojen ja logiikan tasolla, sinusta syntyy vaikutelma toiselta planeetalta tulleesta olennosta. Sovellut ammatteihin, joissa voi ihmisten kanssa soveltaa empatiaa ja keskustelua. Kaltaisesi ihmiset ovat usein uskonnollisia, hengellisiä tai filosofisia, ja näkevätkin oman elämänsä matkana tai tehtävänä. Järkeilyyn taipuvaiset ihmiset saattavat pitää sinua mystikkona tai haihattelijana. Ihmistyyppisi elämää leimaa usein puolison, ”sielunkumppanin” etsintä. Etsit kaiken aikaa tasapainoa, koska kaipaat yhtä aikaa rauhaa ja yksityisyyttä, sekä kontaktia toisiin ihmisiin. Tästä syystä sinulla on taipumus vaipua alakuloisuuteen.

Mamman Muistotilaisuus

2009-02-22T14:04:00.003+02:00

Tyttärentyttäret laulamassa.

Valentinus

2009-02-13T14:50:00.003+02:00

Happy Valentine's Day

For Dog Owners Only

2009-02-03T10:27:00.001+02:00

Just like our dog Ronja...

Beautiful, yet strange music

2008-11-27T15:24:00.004+02:00

Mielenkiintoisin laulu pitkään aikaan. Kuuntele.

As long as there's hope there is hope!

2008-11-03T14:36:00.003+02:00

Remember this!

C'est la vie?

2008-10-24T12:47:00.004+03:00

What do you think?

My man

2008-10-16T15:32:00.005+03:00

Hei,
sometimes you just feel that this is the guy I could change places with. Or maybe not. Because he is dead. But you know. At least after having listened to this: Maybe you would?!

REACH

2008-08-25T12:39:00.007+03:00

The six and a half months course at The University of Helsinki is over and so is the project work which was a part of it. For over a half of a year I was studying Environmental Chemistry. If you would like to get any further information about the REACH or need help, feel free to contact me. I am kind of an expert with it.

A Reasonable Piece of Advice

2008-08-15T13:17:00.003+03:00

Who needs fights? Sometimes you have to stand tall, sometimes maybe not...

Summer Is Gone?

2008-08-05T09:57:00.003+03:00

So in Finland we had last week the most beautiful weather. And all of the sudden, this week it's gone. Cold and wet like in the autumn. Best start to plan next year's holidays...

So It Is Summer

2008-06-25T13:09:00.003+03:00

And I can't fit into my summer clothes.

I wonder if this really is the explanation...

REACH - what should I do?

2008-06-23T14:39:00.004+03:00

Below I explain it in Finnish, but in the rare case that somebody does not understand Finnish, please, if you have any problem(s) with the REACH legislation, just contact me and I'll help you or give you the information about who to call.

REACH -miten toimia?

2008-06-23T14:28:00.009+03:00

REACH - miten toimia?
Rekisteröitäviksi tulevissa aineissa on otettava huomioon myös valmisteiden sisältämät aineet. Selvitys tehdään seuraavasti:
1.Aineiden listaus:
- aineen nimi (kemikaali tai valmisteen sisältämä aine)
- CAS- ja EINECS-numero
- käyttö- tai tuontimäärä vuositasolla (1 -10 t, 10 -100 t, 100 -1000 t, yli 1000 t)
- toimittaja(t)
- haitallisuusluokitus
- käyttötarkoitukset
2.Aineiden jaottelu ryhmiin:
- itse valmistetut tai teetetyt = valmistaja
- itse (EU-alueelle) maahantuodut = maahantuoja
- eristetyt tai kuljetetut välituotteet = valmistaja
- ainoastaan edelleen välitetyt = jakelija
- omassa toiminnassa käytetyt (EU-alueelta hankitut) = jatkokäyttäjä
- CMR- tai PBT-aineet (erityistä huolta aiheuttavat aineet) = kaikki
3.Tarkistus, mitkä aineista ovat vapautetut REACH:stä tai rekisteröinnistä,
Reachin piiriin eivät kuulu mm.:
- kauttakulkuaineet (edellyttäen että niitä ei prosessoida EU:ssa)
- lääkkeet
- elintarvikkeet
- radioaktiiviset aineet
- eristämättömät välituotteet
- jätteet
- puolustusmateriaalit jäsenmaan niin päättäessä
4.Lista aineista, joille yritys joutuu tekemään rekisteröinnin:
- yli 1 t/a valmistetut tai EU-alueelle itse maahantuodut aineet, joita ei ole
vapautettu
- eristetyt tai kuljetetut välituotteet (suppeampi rekisteröinti)
- samaa ainetta rekisteröivät yritykset joutuvat jakamaan tietojaan aineesta ja työkaluna toimii ns. Substance Information Exchange Forum, eli SIEF.
5.Lista lupamenettelyyn päätyvistä aineista;
lupa aineen käyttöön tarvitaan ilman tonnirajaa seuraavien aineryhmien
tapauksessa:
- syöpävaaralliset, perimään vaikuttavat ja lisääntymiseen vaikuttavat (CMR) aineet
- kestävät, biokertyvät ja myrkylliset (PBT)
- hyvin kestävät, hyvin biokertyvät (vPvB) aineet
6.Mitä aineista tiedetään jo nyt:
- yrityksen omat tiedot
- julkiset tiedonlähteet
- jo tehdyt riskinarvioinnit
- muiden omistamat tutkimustulokset
7. Esirekisteröinti:
Kaikki aineet, jotka on tarkoitus rekisteröidä, tulee esirekisteröidä.
Esirekisteröintiaika on 1.6. 2008 – 30.11 2008. Esirekisteröinnissä ilmoitetaan
ainoastaan perustiedot aineesta ja yrityksestä.
8. Rekisteröintiasiakirjan laatiminen:
- rekisteröinti tulee tapahtumaan sähköisesti internetin välityksellä
- rekisteröintitiedot kerätään suoraan REACH-tietokantaan (http://ecb.jrc.it/REACH-IT-INFORMATICS) ja apuna IUCLID5 = International Uniform Chemical Information Database

Niettä siitä vaan (esi)rekisteröimään!

What is IUCLID 5?

2008-06-05T09:43:00.003+03:00

IUCLID is a software application to capture, manage and exchange data on properties of chemicals. IUCLID facilitates the preparation of dossiers containing such data, intended for submission to many government authorities around the world.
IUCLID 5, the latest version of the software uses state of the art technology and implements functional and data requirements set by the new EU chemical legislation, REACH.

REACH-IT

2008-06-04T13:33:00.002+03:00

The REACH-IT portal on the ECHA website (click the title) is the main channel for companies to submit data to ECHA. It currently supports the creation of company accounts. It also supports online entry and submission of pre-registrations for single substances. A pre-registration of several substances in one file (bulk pre-registration) will be available at a later stage.

More about REACH

2008-06-03T13:26:00.003+03:00

REACH, the new EU chemicals regulation, requires that chemical substances on their own, in preparations and those which are intentionally released from articles have to be registered to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The regulation applies to substances manufactured in, or imported to the EU in annual quantities of 1 tonne or more per company, unless the regulation indicates otherwise.

The obligation to register applies from 1 June 2008. The chemicals currently on the EU market which meet the definition of phase-in substances should be pre-registered between 1 June and 1 December 2008. Companies who pre-register their substances can benefit from extended registration deadlines. The deadline depends on the tonnage band and the hazardous properties of the substance.

VACATION

2008-06-02T13:55:00.004+03:00

So, because I'm involved with this REACH procedure (see earlier post), there will be no summer holidays for me this summer.

REACH

2008-06-02T13:28:00.008+03:00

REACH comes from the words Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of CHemical substances.

This relatively new European Union Agency, ECHA or European Chemicals Agency has started with full speed on the first of June in Helsinki. In Europe the new legistlation concerning all chemicals is now in the phase when all existing chemicals have to be pre-registered in order for them to be on the European market after 1.12.2008

Thought of The Day 52

2008-02-11T15:21:00.000+02:00

"Stay is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary."

Louisa May Alcott

Medical Humour 2

2008-01-31T10:36:00.000+02:00

Thought of The Day 51

2008-01-30T17:20:00.000+02:00

"The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." - Thomas Edison

C'est La Vie

2008-01-30T10:59:00.000+02:00

What can I say?

Thought of The Day 50

2008-01-24T14:51:00.001+02:00

This is already my 50th Thought of The Day. So I thought it should somehow represent me. And I found this. I could not agree more.
"You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing." - Michael Pritchard
So, if you don't feel like laughing, let's have a smile at least!

Kirjoitusvihreitä 2

2008-01-24T14:43:00.000+02:00

Jos menee oikein huonosti, niin ei muuta kuin rinteeseen!

Kirotusvirheitä

2008-01-24T14:40:00.000+02:00

Ei ole pitkä harjoittelu mennyt hukkaan. Lopultakin siitä hyötyy jotain...

Thought of The Day 49

2008-01-18T12:51:00.001+02:00

You will never fully grasp the depth of life's richness. For the more of it you experience, the more of it there is.

-- Ralph Marston

Why Not Allways Friday?

2008-01-17T13:16:00.001+02:00

I was today in a group interview (5 pax) for a course for the unemployed. An interesting interview where the interviewers talked 80 % of the time...

Medical Humour

2008-01-14T10:13:00.000+02:00

Something To Think About

2008-01-10T11:14:00.001+02:00

Thought to Ponder....
I would rather live my life as if there is a God
and die to find out there isn't,
than live my life as if there isn't
and die to find out there is...Hmmm

Life Is

2008-01-10T10:55:00.000+02:00

You know what I mean? Hein? Because if you don't....Well. Contact me, please.

This Is Something

2008-01-08T10:35:00.000+02:00

You have to see this! : If this is not art, what is? Click the heading to see what I mean...

No More Problems?

2007-12-13T12:59:00.000+02:00

If you don't believe in medicines, think again...

Outsourcing

2007-12-12T09:22:00.000+02:00

Although outsourcing is very painfully and personally familiar term to many to-day, this is still quite a funny way to put it.

Independence Day of Finland

2007-12-07T18:19:00.001+02:00

Finland's Independence Day (Finnish itsenäisyyspäivä, Swedish självständighetsdag) is a national public holiday held on December 6 to celebrate Finland's declaration of independence from the Russian empire.The movement for Finland's Independence started after the revolutions in Russia (1917), caused by the disturbances from the defeats of the First World War. This gave an opportunity for Finland to withdraw from Russia. After several disagreements between the non-socialists and the social-democrats about the matter of who should have the power in Finland, the parliament, led by Per Evind Svinhufvud, finally declared Finland as an independent state, on the 6th of December 1917.

During the early decades of independence, this day was a very solemn occasion marked by patriotic speeches and special Church services. From the 1970s onwards, however, Independence day celebrations have taken on livelier forms, with shops decorating their windows in the blue and white of the Finnish flag, and bakeries producing cakes with blue and white icing. Today, rock stars and entertainers have been accepted as worthy interpreters of Finnish patriotism.

It is traditional for Finnish families to light two candles in the windows of their home in the evening, Historically these two candles were used as a sign to inform Finnish Jäger troops that the house was ready to offer shelter and keep them hidden from the Russians.[1]

State festivities

The official festivities usually commence with the raising of the flag on Tähtitorninmäki, in Helsinki. There is a religious service at the Helsinki Cathedral, followed, in the evening, by a gala reception for approximately 2000 invited guests at the Presidential Palace. This event, known as Linnan juhlat ("the party at the castle") is broadcast on national television and has been a perennial favorite of the viewing public. The reception invariably attracts the attentions of demonstrators, supportive of various causes, and various demonstrations and shadow parties are held to coincide with the official event. Philanthropist Veikko Hursti organized the most popular of these events, providing free food for the poor and underpriviledged. After his death his son is keeping up the tradition.

The most popular television segment of the Independence day reception is the entrance of the guests, who number roughly around 1800. These include persons who receive invitations every year, including the knights of the Mannerheim Cross (traditionally the first ones to enter), members of the Parliament of Finland, archbishops, judges and various diplomats dignitaries. The second group includes people of the President's own choosing, typically entertainers, activists, sportspersons, and in general, people who have been in the spotlight over the past year. The last people to enter are always the previous presidents.
From Wikipedia

Waiting For the Winter

2007-11-20T03:06:00.000+02:00

This is the time of the year I love the least.

I'm A Lucky Man

2007-11-19T18:47:00.000+02:00

Well, this needs no commentary. And I did attend Lotto...

Disappointment

2007-10-10T10:33:00.000+03:00

So I did not get the job. I am quite sure that my age was the reason behind. Of course they did not say so because it would have been illegal.

In my case I am raking the leaves...

News From Overseas

2007-10-10T10:30:00.000+03:00

The United Nations recently conducted a worldwide survey.

The question they asked was: "Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?"

The UN was frustrated by the answers it got because:

In Africa they didn't know what "food" meant.
In Eastern Europe they didn't know what "honest" meant.
In Western Europe they didn't know what "shortage" meant.
In China they didn't know what "opinion" meant.
In the Middle East they didn't know what "solution" meant.
In South America they didn't know what "please" meant
and in the United States they didn't know what "the rest of the world" meant.
Although in a way true (and funny), on the other hand this is not only a joke..

Interview

2007-10-03T12:02:00.000+03:00

Hi, I was in a job interview on Monday and was selected among the three who are continuing on Thursday! Not bad, eh? This interview tomorrow is final and is conducted in English by people from the head quartes abroad. Wish me luck!

Now I'm An American

2007-09-27T10:54:00.001+03:00

If I was an American or a Liberal, this is what I would be.

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Peace Patroller, also known as an anti-war liberal or neo-hippie. You believe in putting an end to American imperial conquest, stopping wars that have already been lost, and supporting our troops by bringing them home.

Take the quiz at www.FightConservatives.com

Still Going Wrong

2007-09-27T10:33:00.000+03:00

Hi, I'm back with words that do not mean the same if read backwards.
Mitäs sanot tästä sanaleikistä:
Vaikken haluaisi, tahdon lihoa syysöisin. Syy: söisin vaikka vallan, jos antaisin ruokahalulle vallan?

Don't feel like it

2007-08-22T12:31:00.001+03:00

I'm still so down that I can not blog. Sorry. Will be back.

Hay, think!

2007-08-08T15:16:00.001+03:00

Hey you all, two. I've been so long away from this blog that I know nobody is reading it anymore. I have only one excuse: I had holidays and during those holidays I got sacked. My job was temporary to start with but.....anyways it's now ended. So, it just might happen that I am not so eager to blog for a while... But on the other hand (if there is an other hand) now I have the time. See you guys, both of you.

End of Holidays

2007-07-30T13:47:00.001+03:00

Hi friends, been a little busy lately. Coming back though!

Summer Holidays

2007-07-12T01:18:00.000+03:00

I've been on a holiday since the second of this month and therefore not had time to blog. Now I'm spending some time in the US at my daughter's house and still I do not have time. But I'll come back...
Meanwhile I give you this piece of wisdom:

You Know Nobel Price?

2007-06-30T23:54:00.000+03:00

I just spent an evening at the City Hall of Stockholm. At the very place where the Nobel Prize Winners gather after their ceremony to spend the night eating and dancing in the precence of The Royal Family. It was breath taking. I felt like somebody myself. It was the reception of The 13th Congress of the International Headache Society. I did not win the Nobel but I felt almost like it.

Headache Congress

2007-06-27T11:11:00.000+03:00

I'm going to attend a big Headache Congress which is held in Stockholm Sweden during the rest of the week-end. I'm afraid that it's going to be all work no golf...

Addicted To Coffee?

2007-06-26T14:34:00.000+03:00

I am 69% Addicted to Coffee

I'm quite astonished, almost disappointed, that I did not score better...

My Blog Rated

2007-06-26T14:28:00.001+03:00

Surprisingly my blog is rated as you can see. This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
hell (2x) bomb (1x)
Adopted from SzélsőFa

Vitamins Are Important

2007-06-25T11:12:00.000+03:00

Whenever using a medicine it is important to know the ingredients.

Have A Nice Summer

2007-06-21T09:33:00.000+03:00

Translation:
The sun is hanging hot from the sky,
And a light wind carries the smell of freshly cut grass.
Strangely blue sky is admiring itself from the mirror of the sea
And singing of a bird like music can be heard from afar.
I am lying in my sun lounger, all haste has vanished somewhere
And I am measuring time only by watching the flowers grow.
It is vacation now, I taste some wild strawberries with milk
And I think to myself: life is beautiful.

Scrabble

2007-06-21T08:59:00.000+03:00

The Ultimate Scrabble Game:
When you rearrange the letters (With no letters left over and using each letter only once):
GEORGE BUSH: When you rearrange the letters: HE BUGS GORE
DORMITORY: DIRTY ROOM
EVANGELIST: EVIL'S AGENT
PRESBYTERIAN: BEST IN PRAYER
DESPERATION: A ROPE ENDS IT
THE MORSE CODE: HERE COME DOTS
SLOT MACHINES: CASH LOST IN ME
MOTHER-IN-LAW: WOMAN HITLER
SNOOZE ALARMS: ALAS! NO MORE Z'S
A DECIMAL POINT: I'M A DOT IN PLACE
THE EARTHQUAKES: THAT QUEER SHAKE
ELEVEN PLUS TWO: TWELVE PLUS ONE
And for the grand finale:
PRESIDENT CLINTON OF THE USA: TO COPULATE HE FINDS INTERNS

Juhannus or Midsummer

2007-06-21T08:45:00.002+03:00

To-morrow nobody goes to work beause it is Juhannus.

Midsummer is the celebration of the most luminous time of the year. In Finland it is also the Flag Day and according to the official rules, flags are raised at six in the evening on Midsummer's Eve and lowered at 21 hours on the evening of the following day. Midsummer is surely the most delightful of Finland's public holidays.
It is called the festival of "Nightless Night" because in the northern part of Finland, that is above the Arctic Circle, the sun does not go down behind the horizon at all!
The festival is celebrated on the Saturday that falls between 20th June and 26th June. Many of the customs associated with Midsummer's Day derive from the pre-Christian and pan-European festival of light and fertility that marked the summer solstice. The burning of the Midsummer kokko (bonfire), originally a tradition linked, in the north and east of the country, with beliefs concerning fertility, cleansing and the banishing of evil spirits, has in the 20th century spread throughout Finland. It has become the central element in the programme of commercial Midsummer festivities, along with music and dance.

Homes are decorated with flowers and birch branches. A Midsummer pole, reminiscent of an ornamental sailing mast, is part of the Finland-Swedish tradition of southern Finland and Ahvenanmaa (also called Aweland...)
Everybody who has the slightest possibility travel to the countryside and towns are really deserted. Everything is closed and the toutists who do not perhaps know about this tradition think that a Neutron Bomb must have hit the streets.
Unfortunately it's a Finnish tradition to drink a lot during the festival, many people don't go to sleep at all during Midsummer Night because it is so bright. The statistics for the number of people drowned and killed in accidents are morbidly counted every year.

Here you can listen to our National Anthem and see some pictures from Finland.
We love Juhannus!

More English

2007-06-20T08:56:00.000+03:00

Now we all accept that English is really difficult, we have to adopt a new
version. Here it comes:

New EC regulations

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will
be the official language of the EU rather than German, which was the other
possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded
that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a
5-year phase-in plan that would be known as "EuroEnglish":

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".. Sertainly, this will make
the sivil sevants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favor of
the "k". This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have less letters.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the
troublesome "ph" will be replaced with the "f". This will make words like
"fotograf" 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expected to
reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments
will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a
deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the
silent "e" in the language is disgraceful, and it should go away.

By the 4th yar, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with
"z" and "w" with "v". During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd
from vords kontaiining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer
kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor
trubls nor difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

ZE DREM VIL FINALI KUM TRU!!

English Is Still Difficult

2007-06-19T09:45:00.000+03:00

Twenty-two Reasons Why English is Hard to Learn

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there was no time like the present, he thought it was time to
present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen on how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
22. If two witches watch two watches, which witch watches which watch?

English Is Difficult

2007-06-19T09:42:00.000+03:00

There is neither egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor
pine in pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England or French
fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't
sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
In what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital?
Ship by truck, and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that
smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?
When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out, and an alarm clock goes off by going on.
When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they
are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind
up this essay, I end it.

Abour Our Dog

2007-06-18T15:33:00.000+03:00

And that is not the only trick she knows.

Thought of The Day 48

2007-06-18T14:51:00.000+03:00

The secret of a Happy Marriage is that the other one is always right and the other one is a man.

About Career Choice

2007-06-15T13:56:00.000+03:00

For the time being I am the Product Manager of a migraine remedy called Maxalt. So you could say that migraine is my headache.

If I was not in this business I think I wouldn't actually be a baker but a painter like my father. And I am not talking about pictures...

Flag Day in The US of A

2007-06-14T09:26:00.000+03:00

Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson's proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day. For more info click the post title.
Our official National Flag Day will be a little bit later, on July 23rd which is also The Midsummer Day.

Thought of The Day 47

2007-06-14T08:44:00.000+03:00

"No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back."
-Turkish proverb

Only In America

2007-06-13T09:18:00.000+03:00

Last but not least: this is quite amusing, escalator even downwards. Maybe the best in the series.

How To Become Invisible?

2007-06-12T09:09:00.000+03:00

There are times when you just want to disappear.

Here's how you should dress if you don't want to vacuum clean, take the trash out or do any other household stuff. So your wife don't find you.

Only In India

2007-06-12T08:35:00.000+03:00

Like I said in an earlier post every child should have a pet. Or maybe there is a medicine test going on?

The Polish Coma Patient

2007-06-11T14:17:00.000+03:00

Doctors amazed as Polish coma patient wakes up after 19 years. It is the stuff of fairytales and happy endings, the story of a Polish railway worker who woke up to a new world of plenty after falling into a "coma" 19 years ago when Poland was still communist.

Since a Polish television station reported this month that railway worker Jan Grzebski, now 65, had roused from a comatose-like state after nearly a generation, the phone in his humble apartment in this northern Polish town has not stopped ringing.
Everyone -- the Chinese, the Portuguese, the Americans -- wants to interview the Polish 'Rip van Winkle,' the bearded storybook character who slept for 20 years.
Even warnings by Polish professor Hubert Kwiecinski, who is the health ministry's adviser in neurology, that this may be less coma and more modern myth in the making have not dimmed the public's interest.
"We can't say with absolute certainty that this was a case of someone being in a coma or any form of coma such as being brain dead or in a vegetative state," Kwiecinski told AFP.
After he was hit by a train in 1988, Grzebski was left bedridden and unable to speak, but he did not lose his vital functions.
He did not have to be fed intravenously or breathe with a respirator, which is usually the case of people in a comatose state, Kwiecinski said.
Grzebski himself said he was conscious of what was going on around him throughout his state of -- well, call it 'in absentia,' if it wasn't a real coma.
"I heard everything around me, I understood everything but I could not utter a single word," he told AFP.
"I was like a plant. It was horrible, not being able to communicate."

What a story! Click the blog title to read more!

I Like Biking

2007-06-11T12:08:00.000+03:00

Click this and have A Nice Biking Trip

Although I like biking this is not for me.

My Dæmon

2007-06-11T09:34:00.000+03:00

Loistavasti Dæmon suomennettuna Daimoniksi, minun Daimonini tulee tässä:
Click here or on the blog title if you want to do your own test

This test was really accurate...It says that I am calm, responsible, passive, relaxed and reliable. I nicked this test from Mischievous Muse

Only In Thailand

2007-06-11T08:56:00.000+03:00

Every child should have a pet!

Thought of The Day 46

2007-06-10T23:03:00.000+03:00

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity.

~Marie Curie

Only In Mexico

2007-06-08T09:15:00.001+03:00

If you are under eighteen or without a sense of humour, do not watch the following picture:

Here in Finland we now have temperatures of over thirty Celsius, so I decided to publish this. Although it is from Mexico. And I have never been to Mexico. Yet.

Thought of The Day 45

2007-06-08T08:38:00.000+03:00

Why do people think that I'm stingy, although they know that I'm leaving all my assets to the Church? asked a rich man the vicar.
-Let me tell you a story of a pig and a cow, said the vicar.
-People did not like the pig meanwhile they loved the cow. This bothered the pig immensely.
-People talk about your friendly nature and big beautiful eyes, said the pig to the cow.
-They regard you as generous because you give them milk every day. But what about me? I give them bacon and ham. I produce bristle to their brushes and they use even my cloven hooves. And still nobody loves me. Why?
-Do you know what the cow answered? asked the vicar.
-The cow said:"What if they like me because I give them something while I'm still alive!"

Thought of The Day 44

2007-06-08T08:30:00.000+03:00

Chop your firewood yourself, only then they make you warm twice.
'Positiivarit'

Pot of Gold

2007-06-07T13:13:00.000+03:00

Finally....someone has been able to photograph The Pot at the end of the rainbow!!

Autokauppaa

2007-06-07T09:26:00.001+03:00

Tämä on niinsanotusti "self-explanatory", vai mitä?

Ocean's Thirteen

2007-06-07T08:49:00.000+03:00

I have not of course seen this movie as yet. It's predecessors were so good though that I'm waiting impatiently to see this part, too. Here are some pictures from the premiere: Ocean's Thirteen and the trailer

Ocean's 13

Only In Texas

2007-06-07T08:35:00.000+03:00

And here comes the third one. Nice to have clean milk.

Only In Hawaii

2007-06-06T08:41:00.000+03:00

And here comes the next one. There's a good idea to implement.

Only In China

2007-06-05T09:39:00.000+03:00

I am starting a new series of pictures called Seven Wonders In The World. Here is the first.

Being A Medicine Representative

2007-06-04T10:03:00.000+03:00

Surprisingly I sometimes find Hagar The Horrible -clips which are like straight out of my own life.