Olden days - the 1st quarter of 2007
This is what happens when months go by.
Dang! I missed the bus.. Oh well, I have 15 minutes to write to you, so... Dang! Mia Permanto didn't pass the second part of the Idols finals. She wasn't bad, at all. It's just that, for some reason, people sympathise for the 16-year-olds, which means that Mia, being 18, is too old. Nice! I'm so angry that I'd like to say Anna Abreau couldn't understand the words of a song even if she grew up!! But I won't. Wait, I will! Oh, I simply can't stand how people praise her - for what - for having such cutesy eyes? Yeah, she sings well. But she's like storyteller who never lifts her eyes from the book. Words do come out, but they don't mean anything to anyone. Frustrating... Kristian pulled off some serious stunts and ignited the whole audience and thus was awarded by few votes and the risk of being eliminated from the competition. Oh well. People also accuse him of being overly confident and even arrogant when he sings like that. Man, that's sad. All of those sorry excuses of music listeners are so pathetic I wish they all knew about it. Now, I'll just forget all that negativity and concentrate on the good things happening in our world :) And dang, yet again! The rumour about the full frame Nikon DSLR was just that. But still, there's hope. Sony, who make the sensors Nikon use, have vaguely introduced a pro camera body that seems awful lot like a full frame camera, judging by the size of the viewfinder. That would eventually mean Nikon will use the same sensor in their cameras, which would be a dream! Click here to read about it (link to the thread at dpreview.com forum). I have a site that I'd like to share with you, yeah! Aleks Talve is a Finnish youth, who simply has the gift. I can't show you any preview photos due to the tecnical nature of his galleries, but I can tell you that you won't be dissappointed. Here you go: PS: The bunny paid us a visit, for the third time :)
I really don't know what to say other than I'm excited and extremely suspicious at the same time. There are rumours circulating that Nikon will come forth with an announcement of a new pro Nikon camera body, the D3, and that they'll do this tomorrow! Full frame, 18,7mp, 1.5x crop mode and a price tag to write home about. Check out the rumourest of rumours here at dpreview forums. PS: Expect me to go bonkers if it's true...
Woohoo, again!! My lower back pains are clearing away, slowly but surely!! On top of that, there are rumors about a new Nikon pro DSLR that would have a sensor close to the size of film frame!! "Wow, that's big" I hear you say...
That's not the only great news, though, as I came to hear something out of this world just yesterday... Yes, it's the Idols finals, at last! Please, if you can understand Finnish, you can enjoy the touching story behind this song, as performed by Kristian Meurman, my personal favourite. And if you don't know a word of what he sings, not to worry, as the melodies tells you the same story. Kristian Meurman with Lapin Kesä at YouTube
PS: The same bunny wabbit that visited our backyard appeared today! Just look how cute he/she looks! Awww... This I shot with a camera phone, so image quality is top notch :)
I'm happy and everyones happy and woohoo and all that!! Yes, Mia Permanto did get into the Idols finals after all! The judges probably read this site and took heed of my advice. But the downside is that Ruslanas didn't make it... The judges said that he would have enormous difficulties getting by with his poor Finnish - and only adequate English. Well, that's understandable. Maybe he'll come around the next time?
Plus, I decided that I won't find those notes I wrote while I was on the trip to UKK national park. That means that I'll start writing the story as fast as I can. Besides, the memos were written in the worst kind of exhaustion and I remember that when I read them for the first time I couldn't believe my eyes as they were so humorously fuzzy and illogical. And I didn't remember writing them in the first place!
World is coming to and end. House is going on a break. Prison break is on... err ... a break. Maybe Lost is going, too, I don't know. And I'm still happy!! Why? Because the exam in organic chemistry is finally over and done with. I'm tired like you wouldn't believe it and my vision is, as always after hard reading, slightly blurred. Of course there's the chance that I won't pass, but I won't even entertain the though. This photo that I chose to back up the heading was shot by Maciek Duczynski taken in August 2006 in Norway. He's got talent, I'll tell you that! And a beautiful location, too. I'd encourage you whole-heartedly to take a look at the whole photo album from Norway '06. There's other photos from other countries as well, so dig a bit deeper and you'll be rewarded! To find a bit more alternative view on the northern lands, you'd do well to start with the small collection of B&W shots by Vesa Huttunen. That photo below, for example, was taken at river Teno. You won't find many photos that I'd describe as dynamic or breathtaking - anything that'll make you go "gee" or "wawwawwiiwaaa"! Instead, I think you'll find yourself leaning towards the monitor, closing that overhead lamp and other distractions, turning down the music (unless it's Genesis or Mozdzer) and taking another look. And third and so on. So, please visit this gallery. PS: As long as were talking about photographers and people that I respect, I continue to feel sorry if my use of photos somehow violate their copyrights. I think this is what legal people call reasonable use. If not, I'll take them out and apologize. PPS: Dang, I feel like a sissy for saying that... Must.. offend.. the law.. Must act.. like a young.. rebel!!
Wowwow!! I just saw the second last Idols semi-final! Incredible talent! Four singers, two of them good, the other two simply great. I think the "lithuanian loverboy" Ruslanas and Kristian Meurman really kicked ass and gathered 72 per cent of the votes! While Ruslanas was a bit syrupy, you tend to forgive him for one simple reason: he's truly a personality you seldom come across. Just like with Mia Permanto, of whom I've already ranted (7.2.2007), you see something so compelling you don't want to blink in fear of missing something. But Kristian... he takes it to another level. You see a shy guy trembling in front of the audience and yet rising from the ashes to become your pathway to freedom. His voice is filled with the real rock'n roll spirit.
That's what I feel, anyway. Oh, how I wish he would sing Anathema's Electricity one day. To hear that live would be a dream. The man next to this sentense is Kristian :) I only wish Ruslanas could continue in spite of the loss. From what I've understood there will be an extra semi-final, where the judges will pick some of the "losers" and they become "lucky losers". From there on people will decide who of them (one or two, I'm not sure) will make it to the finals. So there's still hope for Mia and Ruslanas!
Okay, so I don't come across as too rock'n roll I thought I could show you a bunny. A brown hare, if my eyesight doesn't lie. That's a photo I took two days ago. The fellow apparently decided to spend the day on our patio! What a nice chap, he was. Or she. PS: House was cancelled this week. So if you find any typos or other mistakes in my writing, it's so not my fault!
If I lived in Sweden, wouldn't that be the greatest? That way I could cheer for Anja Paerson rather than Tanja Poutiainen. Anja's the best. Well, that's not right.. I should be able to feel good for her victories, too. It doesn't matter where I live, I'm still her fan. So... Anja Paerson is the best!! Woohoo! She's now won the world championship in all the disciples in slalom skiing! There's no woman or man who's done the same! She's like out of this world!! Okay, Tanja is quite good, too.. But we're talking Anja, here - no comparison!! Just listen to what Ingemar Stenmark himself says about her in this item of Eurosport News. PS: To hear one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and one that can make you smile and cry at the same time out of joy, get your hands on a Genesis album from the 70's called The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. You'll find lot's of incredible songs, yes, but I can tell you that 'Back in NYC' will change your life. PPS: No... In fact, it's better than that. ;0)
Less time talking, more time watching incredible photos. TimeCatcher is a site made by a team of six landscape photography enthusiasts - great ones, I should add. Feel free to take a look. Here's a couple of picks: Inspiration Yes, I'm envious. No, I don't think even these compare to certain landscape photos by, say, Pål Hermansen. Looking at these you do end up gazing in awe and admiration, yes, but you just can't feel the love pouring through them. At least I can't. And that's my definition to a perfect landscape photo. PS: That photo was used without permission. And this time I won't boast about it - in fact, I'll actually apologize. But it just looks too cool there... :) PPS: I've got sunshine in my stomach... Waiting for the Genesis concert... Oh, boy!
... What? Stretching it a bit, you say? Well, no, sir! Take a look yourself.. Here I use it to express my love towards a certain mythical character named Sherlock Holmes. And a certain Commodore64 game no one will ever recognise - Killed Until Dead. *sniff* Yes, it makes me emotional to talk about these memories.. Those were the times... Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch House.. And Idols!!
PS: Yoosh! That small heavy dude, Ari, decided to steal the whole show at the third Idols semi-final! Four contestants and he alone received 84 per cent of the votes - incredible! Thumbs up for him!
I thought it's about time to write something that could somehow be of some kind of use to someone. Sum's it up pretty well, eh?
First of all, let me say that ... *BLASTED*! One of my favourite Idols contestants, Mia Permanto didn't pass the semi-final stage. As much as I dislike his song choice, Ironic by Alanis Morisette, I can't help symphatising for the overly energetic (sometimes to the point of being totally out of control!) girl who brought much joy to the show. There's still hope for her to be picked as a lucky loser, so let us not abandon all hope. And, as you by now should know, a blog entry wouldn't be "Janne" enough without YouTube links. Here you go - Mia with Ironic: And here you see her going wild - I mean, she rocks!
PS: Attention all American Idol fans! If anyone remembers the name of the dude who sang a Johnny Cash song and looked like Che Guevara and to whom Simon Cowell joked something about revolution, please tell me by email at jannemankila(cat's tail)netti.fi. Thanks! He's my favourite of the whole bunch! PPS: I guess I wasn't of much use this time..
Just hours earlier I wrote about music in quite a negative way... And I feel a bit bad for doing it. It's just that at this moment I'm listening to music that brought back those good feelings.. Kings of Convenience.. And songs like Homesick and Misread.. And I haven't even gotten to Surprise Ice, the song I mentioned here a looong time ago. Yes, this is music. And I mean it as an adjective rather than a noun... This is a live performance of the song that I fell in love with the moment I heard it. Please, do enjoy - Kings with I'd Rather Dance With You: PS: Yes, I do write these notes a day before, late at night, so don't worry if you're noticing "time warps" :) I hereby solemnly swear to despise that no-good-producer-wannabe Risto Asikainen. He simply annoys me to death! Not only has he produced some of the most annoying hit singles one can hear here in Finland but now he's really done it - he stole a song from the Dutch band Within Temptation. Just listen to this comparison (from YouTube)... Addition (5.5.07): Where is it? I don't know. Either the author of the video clip was a wuss or the AAA-clan (Asikainen's army of attorneys) did their job... Either way, it's a shame.
While Within Temptation really isn't too good, Katra is one of the worst singers ever and both (?) songs are bad, I can't get past the fact that it's a rip-off, nonetheless. To listen to any song by Asikainen is to feel your will to live slowly but surely diminishing. To like it is to switch on the radio, tune into Radio NRJ or Nova and say "I like this". To see someone steal a song from another composer is to feel bad. All of this means that as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Asikainen doesn't exist. I hereby completely wipe out all of my memories of him... *tzadamm* That felt good! I feel alive again! Now where did I put my Leszek Mozdzer Trio album? Or what was that link to the Gackt song, Mizerable, again? :D PS: Here it is.. But let me warn all the ladies out there - you *will* fall in love! PPS: Where would I be without YouTube? Hmm... Listening to that Lesz.. Oh man, 'gotta learn how to quit in time!
Whaaa! What joy it brings to my cheeks to see Dr. House and Cameron together! Oh, what jolly fun day this is! I can't find the words t.. Ehmm... What you say? That you're not quite following? As if to say you haven't watched House? B.. But is that possible?
Wait! Cameron is returning, after all!! But on one condition: if House went out on a date with her. And he said: "agreed". Wohoooooo!! I don't think even Battlestar Calactica gets this exciting! (In Japan I think they pronounce it Batteltonsaruu Suppaa Galaxy? And Taistelupalaneet Kalatikut in Finnish? Might be wrong, though.. 'Don't trust my sources that much..)
Kaisa is cuter, still!!! Kawaii!! :D
It's photo time again, boys and girls! This time I'm not showing you my own, though, as I'm not the only photographer in our family anymore, woohoo! My father went shooting for the first time, took only four photos, one of which grabbed my attention.. Without further babble, here it is! I made just a straightened the horizon, cropped a bit and added some contrast. Oh, to the point, now... I've noticed the lack of stories in the photo section and I even know the reason for it - there are two, actually. Lack of spare time is one and unfortunately there's only so much I can do about it.. But the other one is that the notes I wrote during the trek in UKK are missing. I'm not going to leave one rock unturned and when I find them, I'll begin to write it. :D
Gotta fill the blank space! Okay, so my next photostory will be about the trip to UKK. So what is it, and does Santa Claus live there, you ask? Here's a link to the official site of the UKK national park (in Finnish). And here's the same in English. And yes, Santa lives there!
Less words is more. If you want to know how the world renowned musicians Nelly Furtado and Timbaland have messed up with a Finnish amateur musician, check out this short video:
The song in question is 'Acidjazzed Evening' by Janne Suni - nowadays it goes by the title 'Do It' and is sung by Nelly Furtado on her latest album, Loose. Wow, somehow I feel pride for the original composer! But on the other hand, Timbaland is clearly saying he wrote the piece and that no other person should be credited for it. That's wrong. As much as I love the songs from Nelly and Timbaland and respect them, I want them to recognise the original composer. Period. And people who think Timbaland or Geffen Records have done nothing wrong shouldn't come up to me and say it, because I won't be held responsible... Yeah, it's illegal to hit someone. So is stealing someones music to make a profit. Here's what Janne Suni has to say about the matter. Not much, but it's nice to see a reaction from him. You can even download the original song for free! W00t! Having said that, I hope you all start up your DC++ or some such and steal 'Do It'. I know I just did and I feel better already ;~) It's not stealing as much as playing by their rules. PS: If you're wondering why I'm making such a fuss over the matter... Let's just say I deeply and thoroughly respect the "demo scene" where this song emerged. Too much, it seems, not to react on this issue. PPS: That photo there is strictly copyrighted to Universal Records. Showing it here and saying it was mine would be illegal. So... It's my photo. And I hope you enjoy watching! :D
Not mine, of course.. What were you thinking?! Anyway, I just thought there's a need for you to see some great photography. You see, for some odd reason, I'm quite overwhelmed by some of the photos I've seen lately.. For instance, I came to see some incredibly fascinating images couple of days ago at a Finnish art C&C -site Aukea.net. Just to warm you up, here you go - Jonathan Ben-Ami with his friends: Just great.. I'm not quite sure why, but I like them a lot. Having said that, I think even those might pale in comparison with Matti Oksa's short gallery called 'Sateella' - which translates to 'in the rain' pretty well. Especially the shot named 'Varjossa' is... 'gasp* ...and one of my all time favourites found at the site.
I've come to realise there's not much appreciation for landscapes in the general public. This winner of last years Finnish Nature Photo of the Year competition never gathered the same kind of attention as the animal photos... Take a look and test yourself: Esa Mälkönen's 'Lumisade' Beautiful, I say. Well, after reading three quarters of the Panorama Norway by Pål Hermansen, I can only say that I feel love. It makes me appreciate the country even more, which is just heart-warming and earth-shattering at the same time. 'Don't know which, yet... Here you can see some of his photos and find info on the books - please do take a look:
PS: I think I've taken better nature photos, but those two have the nicest colors and I think after showing you many B&W shots, it's only fair to splash a bit of color to your weary eyes. Both from Hailuoto, where else :)
Well, I didn't think it would be this easy to return to school after the well-deserved holiday.. To say I have a lot of catching up to do would be an understatement, to put it mildly. I really have to put my focus in the studies, so it could, if all goes badly, mean less photography. And to me that sounds quite scary. If all goes well, on the other hand, I'll have ample time to excercise, study hard, photograph like there's no tomorrow and still get enough sleep.
That's not the main news, oh no! An extra-hyper-very-astoundingly special person, my girlfriend, Kaisa, just moved back to Poland, where she studies at the moment.. This photo is for you! PS: I wish you all a happy new year!! :~)
Here you go - as I promised! Fresh from the oven, the Moon Shot. Catchy name, I know! I shot this near the Ruka fell, in Kuusamo, right in front of the porch of the luxury hillside cabin we stayed in. Oh, I can't think of anything more to say right now, but I can't leave it here, either. The photo would look silly with so much blank space next to it. Maybe I'll just blabber... Come to think of it, I have to get going soon. Oops, I'm in a hurry already! Bye!!
Hups! Sorry for the long wait :) I've been in ever so christmasy mood and therefore all things that I've been able leave undone, I have. So much hassle went on that I simply didn't have time. But now I'm just bursting with enthusiasm! Why, you ask? Take a look outside, mon! It's snowing for Pete's sake! I came back from Kuusamo, Lapland, just yesterday night and I've got a few interesting photos about... snow! They're not ready yet, but I think I'll manage to squeeze time enough to finalize them by nightfall.
PS: Yes, you read it correctly - it says Carl Zeiss on it! ;~) And the image was taken from www.russianplaza.com. AND without permission, hoorah! See you later in the evening!
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