Eating Muffins in an Agitated Manner

9. Kaseva

Joulukalenteri: Yhdeksäs päivä

Posted by jukkahoo

Jajjajjammensan, tänään käytiin katsastamassa Tuomaan markkinoita, joten hyisen Kauppatorin viimasta oli mukava tulla kotiin ja nauttia hieman glögiä. 

Tosin tämä glögi oli jääkaapinlämpöistä eli viileät -6 astetta svenssonien keksimää asteikkoa. Amalias Vinterblå eli Blåbärs-lingonglögg on varsin mustikkainen juoma, jossa on anmisteiköbul glögin ominaismaku eli mausteet ovat kohdallaan. Minusta puolukka tässä hieman katoaa, mutta muuten tämä oli kyllä varsin onnistunut. 

Etiketin  mukaan sopii myös lämmitettäväksi, mutta en siinä jaksanut moiseen ryhtyä, kun piti seurata jääkiekkoa isosta laatikosta. HIFK käväisi Turkusessa niistämässä paikallisen palloseuran nenän lukemin 2-5. 

Sari piti myös, mutta ehdotti, josko pieni määrä hiilihappoa tekisi tästä maukkaamman janojuoman? Miksei, jos Amalia kuulee, niin voin tulla koemaistamaan. Amalialla on myös valmiiksi terästetty Vintervita, joka löytyy myös jääkaapista. Ehkä jo ensi viikolla on sen vuoro.

Tuomaan markkinoilla oli varsin kohtuullisesti hyödykkeitä myynnissä, useimmat toki hyvään hintaan. Oma markkinatarpeemme koostuu yleensä joulupöytään tulevista tuotteista ja satunnaisista löydöistä sekä tietenkin fudgesta. Paikalla näytti olevan ainakin kolme koppia joista mokomaa oli tarjolla, mutta tiemme vei kuitenkin ensi sijaisen diilerimme eli Fudgeloven kojulle, jossa myyntipoika selkeästikin yllättyi allekirjoittaneen tilauksesta. Vaikea uskoa, että olisin ollut päivän maksavin asiakas, mutta siltä se ainakin vaikutti. Kukkaroni ei kiitä.

Kalapuoli oli jälleen valitettavan vaatimatonta, mutta Sahlgrenskan kojulta mukaan tarttui useampi purnukka silliä ja silakkaa sekä mystistä moussea. Ja XO sinappia. Keli oli hieman liian raaka että varsinaista maistelua eli myöhäistä lounasta ei oikein viitsinyt toteuttaa (aijai, muikkutuokkonen olisi tehnyt eetvarttia!). Myös nuoriherra Prestonin viihtyvyys piti ottaa huomioon, vaikka hän vaikutti enemmän kuin innostuneelta markkinameisingistä ja erilaisista ihmisiltä pudonneista asioista, joita pyrimme parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla estämään päätymästä korvaeläimen kitaan. 

Lämmin glögi olisi saattanut olla ihan hyvä idea.

Saatan tässä vielä piipahtaa Kauppatorilla katsomassa, josko lounaan voisi korvata jollain merkittävän arvokkaalla torimuonalla, niin kuin esimerkiksi ne aiemmin mainitut muikut. En ole millään muotoa oikein markkinaihmisiä, minusta tinkiminen ja vastaava toiminta, jota Tuomaan markkinoillakin esiintyy, on ylen vaivaannuttavaa. Tuotteella on hinta ja se lienee juurikin sen muotoinen, kuin myyjä näkee asialliseksi. Minä asiakkaana joko hyväksyn tarjouksen tai ei. Tästä syystä en ole erityisen innokas kirpputorien kiertäjä, vaikka divareissa olen tykännyt nuohota koko elämäni. Saatan jopa olla jossain määrin vietävissä helppoheikkiyden suuntaan, jos tilanne kohdalle sattuu, olen vastoin omaa itsetuntoani kuitenkin kohtuullisen valmis puhumaan pehmeitä asiakastilanteissa. 

Joka tapauksessa, Tuomaan markkinat ja Kauppatori nyt sattuu sijaitsemaan sopivasti työpaikan tykönä, joten joka vuosi on ollut tapana tehdä sekä joulupöytäostoksia että pari työlounaskierrosta. ensiksi mainittu on nyt suoritettu, jälkimmäiseen on vielä pari viikkoa aikaa. Saas nähdä. 

Quad or not to Quad

Posted by Sari

Josef Sabovcik almost got it in 1986. Kurt Browning performed the first ratified one in 1988. Elvis Stojko made it routine, and for the generation after it was the element that marked the difference between first and second tier competitors. Then came Salt Lake City, and the new judging system which was is good at evaluating separate elements and had different criteria for the whole. Suddenly instead of doing one of each triple and two combos, people were experimenting with all sort of jump content to maximise their  points, and also developing more and more difficult spins, steps and spirals to pick up techincal points from non-jumping elements.

So should it be about the jumps, more specifically about the quad? That is what this olympic cycle in men's figure skating came down to. There are a number more or less influential people who feel that Evan Lysaseck was not the worthiest champion because he did not even try a quad, and - more importantly - that the risk/reward ratio for trying a quad is stunting the sport.

At the moment there do not seem to be skaters who can combine a solid quad with complex choreography and difficult transitions. If you spend time perfecting the other elements and if you make jumping more difficult for yourself by having difficult transitions, the quad will suffer to the extent that it is tactically wise to leave it out. Fully rotated but fallen quad will still garner good points but if it is deemed underrotated or if the skater “triples it” the loss of points is significant. So we have skaters – most famously Plushenko and Joubert - who have front-loaded programs with easy transitions and quadruple jump(s), and skaters who pick up points from complex programs. 

So I am just hoping Daisuke Takahashi who was the only one to skate all out and project to audience, and Takahiko Kozuka who is just a beautiful all-around skater with gorgeous edging and jump technique will get it togeether and offer us the whole package.

Hockey

Posted by Sari

Look, I think Rinne was great. Good, solid saves and he is surprisingly fast for such a large man. And trusting a good goalie to take the shots and not blocking his line of sight is a strategy. But when Norway gets 30 shots on goal I do think our defense needs to look in the mirror.

Also, new TV. The colors, man...

The obligatory Figure Skating Post

Posted by Sari

Nice things about the new flat: state of the art internet. Just plug the cable in and hey presto: broadband. Also, two computers so Jukka can escape to the library room and I can take the lap-top and watch skating and surf in the living-room. Now if I only would manage to get the wireless network to work. For some reason I keep getting the "vajaa liitettävyys" error message.

Anyway, skating. World Championships. I went and got cable just to get Eurosport coverage, though I have to give props to YLE: they had live streaming on internet available of lower ranked couples in the Free Dance. Way of the future, I think. Eurosport has one advangage over YLE, though. They broadcast in four languages which means I can choose Danish which I really don't understand that well and thus not get annoyed over the commentating.

As far as actual competition goes, I love the fact that there are more and more countries sending in skaters and also getting near the top. Russia goes home from these championships with one bronze and USA failed to get three spots for women next year. Instead we have medalists from countries like Korea and Italy.

I actually have no squabble with judging in this competition, expect for the the deduction Joubert got in the short for having vocals in his music. As he had performed the program in international competitions this year without deductions, I think it is plain wrong to penalise him now.

My favourite perforances came from Pechalat/Bourzat who had great flamenco OD and great high-concept FD, Yu-Na Kim who is first lyrical skater ever whom I really love and Joannie Rochette whose short was well performed and coreographed. Lambiel's programs could have been great without his stumbles and Browning has really done well for Joubert, first time I rooted for him and so much I nearly couldn't watch.

Also I  really, really think all three of Shpilband's couples shoud get choreography from somewhere else. At the moment Virtue/Moir and my absolute favourites Davis/White succeed despite of their programs not because of them. Both teams have the skills and charisma to be legendary, but the programs really let them down.

All in all, good championship.

Superbowl XLI

Posted by jukkahoo

Yeah, silence rules.

Anyway, it's middle of the biggest show on Earth, the Superbowl. This time in rainy Miami. Halftime show is going on, Cirque Du Soleil did some Miami rumba or whatever and next up is Nigel, or The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, Symbol, err... Prince.

Boy, does Bears suck! How is it possible that the game is only 16-14 for Colts (oh, how would've Patriots KKKRUSHED this feeble excuse for pro football!)? Well. obviously Colts are also playing some really flawed game here, but still. Bears defence: mediocre, often lame. Bears offence: sadly pathetic and Lame City. OK, lucky break with the receiving goal and the one and only decent throw from Grossman reaching for Mohammed. Other than that, purely Colts mistakes. Bears are so going to loose. Well, they ought to anyway. Payton Manning should head home with this one, with Addai and that Rhodes And Harrison. More anon.

[snorefest]

Jessuskrist. Worst Superbowl I've seen, but then again, I haven't seen that many. Ten'ish.

Short recap:  Jesuspeople won by simply being less bad than the other (probably Jesuspeople too) ones. The main difference was that Colts were football players, whereas Bears were members of the Klutzy the Pääsiäiskäsi Group. Payton "Mr. Perfect" Manning vs. Klutz the Fumbler. C'mon Grossman! Fumble, fumble, hero throw, hero throx, fumble, etc, ad nauseam. Sad performance.

Bears defensive line was supposedly tough. Tsah, dough more likely. Colts offensive line. Ruled! Manning, one or two incomplete passes and one interception. And close to thousand yards with little hlp from Addai, Rhodes, Harrison etc.

Grossman... sigh.

Waah, Patriots would've so kicked either teams rears easily. Poor game, less bad team won. Superior quarterpounder finally got his Vince Lombardi and MVP. Congrats to PM.

The most interesting thing about the game? Apparently the first ever Superbowl, when it rained during the Game. And some people are saying that global warming is not happening? For shame!

Good beginning

Posted by Sari

It is officially autumn as Hockey season has begun! Yesterday was our third game of the season and if one does not count the anemic second period it was entertaining. Or as entertaining as SM-league hockey nowdays can be, what with the new rules removing all contact from the game. Honestly, ringette is more physical nowdays than this...

Anyway, though KalPa might not be an accurate measure of IFK's form, but the game looked very promising. For a change foreign help is actually earning their keep. Murphy is a first class defender, Guolla an excellent play-maker, and Murray good both in the attack and defense. Guest-star Hrdina is also definitely an asset. Special props to Janne who, in my opinion, is better at directing rebunds to corners than he used to be. With Schnabel as the extra foreigner and Saarinen injured, the defense could have been stronger. Laakso was a pleasant surprise, though that might have been just the fact he was playing with Seppänen who as pretty unsure. As far as the offensive end goes, seven goals, all from different players  (one of them first league goal for Jouhkimainen) speaks well of the material.

Summa summarum: lots of goals, shutout for Janne, cold beer and good atmosphere thanks to B2, what's not to like?

Back to normal...

Posted by Sari

So, Bronze. Not really that bad, definitely better than I dared to hope before the tournament. Germany has a bunch of  young players (Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Mertesacker, Odonkor, Lahm...)  who will hopefully be around for quite a while, so future is looking interesting too. As for the trophy, rather Italy than France, if for nothing else than Fabio Cannavaro who is and was phenomenal.

In other news, the traditional Science Fiction pick-nick at Suomenlinna was a great success. The Day was sunny and there were lots of people around, both old and new faces. Tarja and I even met another poor soul who has caught the bolly-fever.

Speaking of which, boy do I want to se Fanaa. I mean: Aamir! Kajol! Jatin-Lalit Score! The Prettiness! Poland doubling for Kashmir! Also, a love story between a blind girl and a terrorist. It just can't be bad. More seriously, even though Fanaa has been a huge hit all over the world, there has been a political controversy surrounding the film in Gujarat.

And then there is Krrish (a flash intro) which sounds just... I mean.... It's... The mind just boggles.

...it pours

Posted by jukkahoo

Mr. Sanders died. It's gone. Pining for the fjords it ain't.

So, we got a new computer.

And yes, since it is me, I did lost some data. Especially emails. All of them in fact. So in case you're wondering why I haven't answered to your requests/questions/ponderings etc, it's due to the fact that I a) do not have your email and b) no recollection of what I was supposed to be doing. I do remember some stuff, but at the moment I'm pretty much swamped with myriad of things to be done re: Finncon and Uuskummaa? -anthology, that I'm afraqid I'm going to both ask for your indulgence and patience during this time of crisis. Send me email if you need that answer asap. In fact, why don't all of you send me email, so that I can get my eddresses back in order.

Football. Brasil winning, good. Not glorious, nor samba-like, but two wins out of two games is a helluva lot more than, say, France. Still confident.

Not only am I (yet again) missing deadlines and looking blankly at herra Miettinen, I also have these stabbing pains in my back. Literally stabbing pain (kuin veitsellä pistettäisiin) approximately middle of my right long back muscle. Sari says it's kramppeja. I say it is some sort of punishment for trying to do everything and then some. Expect this to change.

Tired, hurting, busy, working, late. So what else is new?

Brief moment of Glory

Posted by Sari

It began. And with an excellent match too. Not even Jukka wearing his silly Brazil hat to the sports bar and nattering on and on and on about the excellence of seleçao could ruin the atmosphere ;-) The goals scored by Lahm and Frings were both outstanding and the game itself was entertaining. What has Klinsmann done to my dear steadily and boringly grinding Germany? Four goals! And the defence leaking like a sieve...

As far as my moment of glory goes, for this brief moment I rank as 642 of the over 400 000 people playing the official fantasy game.