Betterman.

Seriously, I can´t understand why I´m busy when it feels like I´m doing nothing. Have read a bit, but I think it isn´t enough. Well, I don´t have a plan B, so time will tell what happens. I also have like five hours of TV shows to watch, Every time I have had time my folks have been watching something. So, I´ve been having a Band of Brothers marathon. I know, I´m seven years late on this one, but hell, it is one of the best TV shows (eventhough it is a mini) ever. Now that it doesn´t bother me where some of those actors have played earlier it has been an absolute joy to watch. I only have two episodes left which is a huge shame. Just the way the show has been done, especially the visual side that I always find very important is just perfect. The colours and all the effort... Lovely. It is hard to try to remember that all the characters are based on real people. I especially like major Winters, because Damian Lewis potrays him great. And he does it really convincing, because I forgot that Lewis is actually Briton. It is a bit weird to see the actors at other shows at the same time (Matthew Settle on Gossip Girl and Scott Grimes on ER are the oddest.) But yeah, if you have time, I really suggest you check it out. For those who don´t want to invest on the box set like I did (bought it for my dad, actually...) it´s gonna be on rerun on YLE TV1 starting next Wednesday if I remember correctly. Soon anyway. Though it´s on like 10.30 PM or something just as bad. Like everytime. That´s why I´ve missed it twice.

Oh, I love this time of year. Graduation tomorrow, but Roland Garros is still going for another week. My favourite tennis grand slam by far. I prefer clay over grass. Mostly because I like to watch the King of Clay play well. Like today, great. Hope he´s gonna win fourth (?) time in a row. Actually, I´m happy as long as Federer doesn´t win.
And the final team of Czech Republic doesn´t look a bad as I feared. They still have those really good players. A little over a week to go. Then it´s Euro 2008 season. :)

Quality People.

Just got something really sweet today. Remembered again why I should always get my albums and other stuff directly from record companies. Actually, just from Fullsteam, since I´m not a big fan of the others... Anyway, I placed a Disco Ensemble order last week and got my stuff today. Magic Recoveries, Video Vortex and Bad Luck Charm 7" that I can´t actually listen to because I don´t have a vinyl player but who cares when the item itself is so cool. I´m going to flood with pictures, consider yourself warned.



Video Vortex, Bad Luck Charm, Magic Recoveries, Fullsteam Records 2004 cd (Nice extra, some pretty cool songs.) and a Disco Ensemble sticker. (Actually got a Ismo Alanko Teholla sticker and some flyers too. I so love this.)



Bad Luck Charm, limited 150 piece 7" vinyl. I am the very lucky owner of number 25. And of course it is signed. Miikka is easy to read, but the rest. Well, normal autographs I assume. Man, this is cool. If I had a glass cabinet, I would place this there. Unfortunately I don´t have one. Surprisingly this isn´t sold out yet, so if you hurry you might get one of these sweeties.



Yes, these are posters. They were there where you usually have sleeve notes. There are also sleeve notes, but also these. Really nice. There is a text saying "Cut out the poster. Hang it on a wall. Fold the words and keep at close distance. Sleep well. Be brave." One more reason to love this band even more than I already do. And I´m really tempted to hang the poster on my wall. I just don´t wether I want the boys or whatever the other picture is supposed to be.

Want to guess what I´m doing tonight? Video Vortex is on this weekend. Also, if you want to listen to the album go to DE´s MySpace-page. See you guys at Provinssi. And maybe somewhere else too.

A Month Among The Years.

I´ve been really busy this week and I don´t even know why. I mean, grandma stayed with us a couple of days and then my folks have painted some walls, but nothing special has happened. Maybe it´s just an illusion of a busy week. I did get around to buy shoes for the trip and a memorycard for the camera, so I´ll be taking a hell of a lot pictures. Should do a list of everything that needs to be taken with. And do something with my towel. I have the fabric, but... Typical me. Half-done. We only have a month left until our Interrail begins and I feel like there are still hundreds of things to do when there probably aren´t. And maybe we should start looking for places to stay. I can write the mails to people, but I can´t choose the host by myself. I mean, yeah, we usualy agree on things, but I still need another opinion. It´s not just my trip. Thankfully. Gosh, now I´m starting to freak out though I was totally calm earlier.

I promise I´ll try to find some netcafes during the trip and write about our experiences here, but I can´t say how often that´s going to happen. But a couple of times at least.

I watched two football matches yesterday. Cardiff vs.Portsmouth, the FA cup final and Bayern München vs. Hertha Berlin, Oliver Kahn´s last game ever. Got to say, Bundesliga was better this time. I like Bayern eventhough I usually dislike all big teams and Kahn is some sort of icon. He has been playing ever since I can remember and now it´s odd that he won´t be seen anymore. So, seeing the last match he played was pretty cool. I can only imagine how it was for the fans at the stadium. It must have been incredible. FA cup was ok, but I wasn´t thrilled. Maybe because they only managed to score one goal. Or maybe it was because neither one of the teams was a favourite of mine. Yes, Portsmouth had that one player, but he hasn´t been great for a while. Soon I´ll have to watch the Finnish football league. Until the Euro 2008 starts. I´m gonna watch the first game that is for sure. And as much of the others than I can.

And a reading tip, because I haven´t given any for a while. I just finished The Ghost by Robert Harris and I have to it was pretty entertaining. If you are interested in politic you might want to check it out. And if you like Spain, try one of my favourites The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I love the character Fermin, he is something that Oscar Wilde could have created.

Break.

Nice. Fullsteam Agency is apparently bringing Saul Williams to perform in Finland, three times actually. Well, I was thrilled because everyone says he´s a great artist and his shows are good and I´ve been wanting to see him for a while. Then I checked the dates. I can´t see him. I´m in Ljubljana at that time. I know, even though it pisses me off right now it won´t annoy me in the summer when I´m in Slovenia. I mean, let´s do a comparison. Slovenia-Saul Williams. Tough, but travelling wins this time. Unfortunately. Let´s hope he likes Finland and comes here again. Not that he is the only performer I´m gonna miss this summer. The National, 30 Seconds to Mars... Hell, at least I´ll see Foos. And Justice. And Billy Talent. I hope someone goes to see Saul Williams and has a great time. I know I would.

Nedved isn´t making a comeback which makes me happy for some really odd reason. I still don´t know the captain, though. And Finland playing for medal at ice hockey. Gosh, I wouldn´t have believed. But hey, it´s cool.

Oh, Rumba. Gave me a laugh. Review for Von Hertzen Brothers´ new album. Ends with words: Fucking hippies. Best.

The Missing Flame.

So, captain isn´t playing. TV said his knee needs operation. He was injured nearly five months ago and now they think something should be done. I know, no one wants an operation if it can be avoided. Though, this is only TV, Wenger has just said that Rosicky will miss the Euro 2008. (For those who have no idea what I´m talking about, check the Magic Recoveries -post about a month or so ago.) I don´t have to explain this all, you can read it yourself here. Shame, really, but it´s better that he might be able to play next season rather than risking the whole thing and that way even ending his career. I hope he gets well soon and start looking for the info of the team captain now. Oh, and not that Wenger is ever going to read this, but I highly recommend that he lets Bendtner play more next season. Don´t let him change team, keep him and let him play, because he is great.
I can´t understand Czech, but just read a press realease. It is about Rosicky not palying, some backround for that and if I´m understanding correctly (which I am probably not) after translating every word, Rosicky is saying "There is no other way than surgery." And I´m guessing the rest is saying that he is going to something about the matter early next week. There is also Brückner´s comment but since the most important matter isn´t highlighted I won´t translate the entire thing. I really want to learn this language, even if I just need it to understand these press releases without translator and guessing. But I didn´t find info on the captain, so I think we just have to wait and see. And the team has many other great players too. Strikers aren´t injured (at the moment, but unfortunately they still have time...) and even Smicer is in shape to play unlike last time. (Only one Banik Ostrava player in the team, but I still want to see the stadium.)

Finland is so going to suck at the ice hockey World Championship this year. Their playing was horrible. Watched the game last night, jeez. If USA doesn´t beat the hell out of them, Canada will. What is the coach thinking? Not with skill but luck? No way. No my favourite sport anyway, but I like watching good ice hockey and our team isn´t playing it right now. Maybe I´ll support Canada...

I´m about to join CS. We need to sleep somewhere, so why not try this. I just don´t have a good picture of myself. Actually, I have about seven pictures of myself at the moment. I really need someone to picture me, which I´m going to hate. Damn. But I registered. We´ll see what happens next.

//Edit. I dug a bit. Rosicky is going to have a surgery on Tuesday, so I didn´t understand wrong. According to UEFA´s website the talismanic captain tells he is in the lowest point of his career. I repeat myself, but I really hope this operation helps and we´ll see him back in the game as soon as possible. The only thing is, I can´t wear my shirt this summer. Maybe I´ll get new one. Though I could wear it as a sign of support. But the scarf is so travelling with us.

And I so forgot the name of the "Hufflepuff" player. I mean he was Dortmund´s man, the ok looking guy we talked about Tuesday? Just can´t remember his name. I´ve been watching too many games lately. That´s what I get.

Passive Aggressive.

Gosh, I hate our car. The car that I drive, though I´m not a fan of the other either. But. I was driving home from work (probably the longest day ever) and was reaching an intersection. Then, all of a sudden, totally out of the blue, I have the end of the gear stick in my hand. Loose from the actual stick. Panic. Brake. Trying to put the end back to the stick while trying to shift a gear. Not very easy, I can tell you. Thank god I didn´t hit anything and got home alive. And didn´t smash our new front door (good thing we got it, since I almost had to break in - again) because the guys who had brough it hadn´t placed it on the driveway like I feared. Not really my best day. he screwdriver at work didn´t work properly, I have a headache and my lower back is trying to kill me. And I should cook myself since my parents are somewhere in Tallinn at the moment. Maybe I´ll just eat pizza...

I´ve also had the worst songs playing in my head today. I woke up and had some schlager, then I sang Jesus Christ Superstar in my head for a couple of hours (it´s an okay song, but I only know the chorus so go figure) and the new Mariah Carey song. The one that makes me want to throw up.
Why did YleX change the layout of their website? The new is awful. Not that the music they play is that good either. Couple of good songs and then all the horrible ones they keep playing ten times a day.

I have the feeling that I want to hit someone. Or throw things around. Just destroy something. I think I should go to sleep and not get up until tomorrow morning. But then I couldn´t keep listening to The Slip on repeat as I do now. Damn, it is so great. Who wouldn´t want to support a man who does something as excellent as this?

That´s What I Get.

My fuckin internet just crashed - again. I had this really long entry all written and ready to be published and then... God I hate that. Anyway, it was all about how I once again think that Trent Reznor is a genious. Giving us fans a new album for free. I love it, the album, the way it was released, tha fact that I don´t have to ask dad if I could borrow his credit card for the thousand time and the words the album was addressed to us listeners. "This one´s on me." C´mon, Trent knows we would pay for it, hell, most of us would probably jump off a cliff if he wanted us to. Seriously, why not support someone who really likes his fans and is always looking for new ways to spoil us. The Slip also sounds magnificent. Discipline was just one treat, the entire album... Wow. Demon Seed and Lights In The Sky. Can´t wait to hear these live. They better start announcing European Tour dates soon or I´ll be so jealous for the Americans. Okay, I saw them twice last year, but... I´m really enjoying. If you want to do the same thing, go to nin.com. It isn´t hard yo follow instructions.

Oh, I have printed the first versions of the playing cards. The quality isn´t great because our printer is shitty, but it´s the best I can do. A work in progress, but I think I´ll do something with them this weekend. Also trying to scan Jeff if the scanner wants to co-operate. We´ll see.

I´m just gonna listen to this for the rest of the day. Would have been an excellent working soundtrack, but won´t do because all MP3 players were banned. Unfortunately.

Am I doing something usefull? No, never.