The year of our Lord two thousand seven is upon us. Congratulations to all of us who made it through the previous year without slipping on banana peels or getting hit in the face with cream pies. This humble scribe (or reasonable facsimile thereof) returns from two weeks of carefree winter vacation and resumes the proverbial grind. School is once again front and center in his life outside these pages, with summer employment and the requisite driver's license and registration (car) currently the
I'm getting muffin for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad
I'm getting muffin for Christmas
'Cause I've been muffin but bad!
*giggle*
BZP member ToM (Toa of Muffins) of the family Dracone, in the bricks:
I wasn't going to post this here (blame my exposure guilt complex), but I am now. Because a blog needs content, after all... and no MOCist can deny the pleasure of having people appreciate his or her work. And because I'm once again struggling with depression and I need a double dose o
Anyone faithfully following my blog since school started knows of my inside track with the über-cool exchange students here at Nikkarila. If, as is more likely the case, you have no idea, then these blog entries will fill you in: Overheard in a Moving Vehicle Fun With Foreigners Saturday With Forks Chillin' Like a Villain Call Me The Collector Well, in the immortal words of a world-famous walrus, the time has come. David, Fabian, and Alena are returning each to their respective homes in distant
E and I had a long talk last night. The upshot of it is, I need help. I need to learn how to love myself. E convinced me that this matter can't wait for an easier time. I must deal with it now because as long as I suffer from the poor self-esteem and poor self-confidence that I've always lived with, she suffers for me too. Today, in actually just a few minutes, I am going to give my school counsellor a call. She will be able to point me in the right direction.
Let the healing begin.
Oh, an
Tufi Piyufi - head position needs tweaking, foot armour in proper colour missing
Janus - arms need makeover
Darth Vader - 1 flex-rod missing, arms need work
ToM Dracone - tail needs finishing touches
iron arc bot - no arms, shoulders need filling out
icky brown grubs - done and done
green bug - halfway point frustration
Schizo Kaita - pre-building frustration
sleek bumblebee - needs a head
laser carousel doodad - needs a purpose in life
puffin - just got the idea
gruesome black tunnel
Selling MOCs.
It's an idea I've had, not exactly bouncing around, but fermenting for a while. Artists sell their works. MOCs can be considered art. But what exactly is a MOC worth? To the builder, the sentimental value of a MOC whose total value of parts is quite modest can be through the roof and the notion of parting with it forever be unconscionable. And who would buy a MOC? That kinda takes all the fun out of Lego, doesn't it, buying a ready-built creation? But maybe someone out there is
Since tomorrow is the day Finland celebrates its independence, I thought I'd devote a blog entry to the remembrance of this precious right that the Finns of today enjoy.
First, some history:
December 6, 1917 - Finland declares its independence from Russia
December 31, 1917 - Russia's new Bolshevik government recognizes Finland
January 27 through May 14, 1918 - Finnish Civil War between the "white" bourgeoisie and the Red Guard
July 17, 1919 - Finland becomes a republic
1920 - Finland b
Last night, I asked E (abbrev. to protect the sweet and beautiful) to be my girlfriend. She said yes. And that makes us official, doesn't it?
Actually, I had help. A teddy bear much like the one you see here offered to relay the message to her for me.
I was only too glad to accept. Thanks, teddy!
So what now? Well, this weekend is our time for Christmas parties. First one is on Friday with E's friends, second on Sunday with her family. Unlikely fact to take advantage of: her parents
Nothing is too big, or too small, for this blog. You can count on that, folks.
Oddly, though, I found myself debating whether this item was, in fact, too big. It's one of those things you either want to shout out to the world or keep selfishly inside.
Considering that I've already, in effect, shouted it out to the world via my sig, it would be sheer coyness not to expand on the matter in this space.
You know it: BCii has found love.
I met her in mid-October. She is everything I could
BZPower Blackout 2006 is over. It wasn't the strictest of blackouts, but it achieved what I had intended.
For 18 days, I refrained from posting any and all messages on this site. Despite my self-imposed silence, I did keep up with the news and occasionally read a blog entry or favourite topic without signing in. The total time I spent here, however, was minimal.
What did I do with the extra time? Time for another BClist! kept up with studying and schoolwork enriched my social life signific
No, I'm not reciting the Gettysburg Address, although it is among the finest speeches ever made and one that every American ought to learn.
I'm talking about the attack sustained four years ago by this noble international institution. For those of us who were here at the time, the weeks that followed were marked by frustration. The forums' existence was suspended indefinitely. We had to find other things to do with the time that we had, until then, devoted to activities on this site.
I spe
A year ago today, I was a fresh reserve officer-in-training at the reserve officer school in Hamina, a harbour town with a rich military tradition and a climate from Hades. I spent my 21st birthday on the garrison. Fuuuuun.
Back in Canada two years ago, on my 20th birthday, I was supposed to go out for dinner with my cousin and two of my fave bros. I was too depressed to make it and most likely cried myself to sleep.
Tomorrow, I turn 22. Hopes are high as I plan to spend the weekend actual
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
19:00
I receive a phone call from an acquaintance. I've been waiting for this call. She tells me what I already know: My Stuff has arrived. I'm thrilled to hear it.
This dates back to my visit home last May. That's when I packed My Stuff. Too much of it to take back with me across the Atlantic. I filled a big cardboard box and still had a bunch unpacked. So I left My Stuff and flew back to resume my rite of manhood in the Finnish military.
Meanwhile, my m
When did I last miss a Monday blog entry?! Circumstances beyond my control, folks. That's all I can say.
I'm spending the week at my grandparents' place. My school has some kind of fall break going on; don't ask me why they couldn't just have us start a week later in August.... But I'm not complaining at all. With all the things going on in my social life at the moment, I'm glad not to have any homework.
I met some Estonian choir girls on the weekend. Saturday night was a relaxed, informal
I'd just like to thank everyone who's weighed in with their comments here at Hedgehog Mountain. It makes a difference to me knowing that my tortured, complicated, heavy, dry, self-absorbed, pointless ramblings are getting read and appreciated by a few people out there in Internet Land.
The five-star rating is nice, too. Wonder what the result would be if it were compulsory to submit a rating? Much lower, I daresay. I'm glad people are charitable enough to abstain from giving out the twos and
I'm in the middle of writing a short essay on being a student who abstains from alcohol amidst a drinking student population ("student drinking population" equally valid expression?). The Finnish title is only three words long, yet fully describes the subject. I love accretive grammar.
The title of this entry, which is also three words long, refers to something I saw today as I walked home from the store. At this time of year, at this latitude, the lupins (dry brown hairy peas) are already sp
I listened to the same song 30 times over the weekend. I can now lip-sync it, which is pretty impressive for a guy who's memorized the words to maybe five songs in his life.
Venematka by Jean Sibelius
Vaka vanha Väinämöinen
laskea karahtelevi
tuon on pitkän niemen päästä,
kylän kurjan kuuluvilta,
laski laulellen vesiä,
ilon lyöen lainehia.
Neiet niemien nenissä
katselevat, kuuntelevat
mi lienee ilo merellä,
mikä laulu lainehilla,
ilo entistä parempi,
laulu muita laatuisampi.
"The Defence of the Sampo" by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, out of copyright
So I finally got acquainted with the town library today. I think I came down with something, some bug bite. Call it the Kalevala bug, an older relative of the Tolkien bug.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out on Wikipedia.org.
Fascinating stuff, practically required knowledge for any Tolkien buff worth his salt. And that goes double if the Tolkien buff also happens to be of Finnish descent.
Incide
An update on a previous entry.
This article sums up the Report. In brief: the government (proudly self-styled Canada's New Government) hasn't lifted a finger to address climate change and it needs to get its act together posthaste.
The report poses three simple questions: Is Canada on track to meet its emission reduction obligations? Is Canada ready to adapt to the impact of climate change? Is the government organized and managing well? The disturbing answer to all three is "No."
On the
So I spent another mostly-solitary Saturday at the residence. Started building a Bionicle epic in my mind. Far-future clashes between Matoran factions, Toa vs. Toa across the solar system, fate of everything in the balance, deep world-view issues, yadda yadda. I amuse myself in strange ways.
I also sketched a Matoran of my own design. Showed it to my manga-hating dorm-mate whose main interests are parties and movies, he was genuinely impressed. Apparently, I can draw.
Wait, does this entry
