Many people make resolutions for the New Year on New Year's eve. I've never done that before but maybe I will do it this time. And to make them harder to break I will write them down on my blog. So here we go.
I promise to
- finish my eMBA thesis by end of April
- get my MSc. degree by end of May (only one course missing)
- learn to cast flies better than before
- break my "fly salmon" record
- not to drink or eat more than my share
Monday, December 31, 2007
Waiting for the summer
I've seen dreams of fishing in two nights during the latest week. The winter isn't here yet (no snow in Oulu) and I'm already dreaming of summer and fishing...it's going to be a loooong winter.
Right now I'm wondering what fishing equipment to acquire for next summer. A two hand rod would be nice now that I've learned how to cast with it (or at least I know how it should be done) But I still have some learning to do with the one hand rod and shooting line I bought last summer. So I think I'm only going to get couple of more shooting heads, one intermediate and one sinking. I also need to buy a handful of new flies as I still haven't started tying 'em myself. I think I have to ask my body Jaakko if he could tie me couple of red butts (sizes 12 and 10). His flies look so delicious you almost eat them yourself.
Right now I'm wondering what fishing equipment to acquire for next summer. A two hand rod would be nice now that I've learned how to cast with it (or at least I know how it should be done) But I still have some learning to do with the one hand rod and shooting line I bought last summer. So I think I'm only going to get couple of more shooting heads, one intermediate and one sinking. I also need to buy a handful of new flies as I still haven't started tying 'em myself. I think I have to ask my body Jaakko if he could tie me couple of red butts (sizes 12 and 10). His flies look so delicious you almost eat them yourself.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Snowmobiling and greenhouse effect
It seems like there's going to be a second snowless Christmas (at least Christmas Eve) in a row in Oulu. Last year it happened the first time in 30 years. I have no doubt that the greenhouse effect is true and actually happening right here right now. There's no denying global warming.
This raises an important question: is it ethical to drive around for fun on a snowmobile burning oil and causing CO2 emissions? I'm sure all the "tree huggers" think it definitely is not ethical and should be banned all together. And then there are the sledheads and all other motor crazy people that don't ever even stop to think about this. Most of the people, such as I, are somewhere between these two extremes. Personally, I think this is not an insignificant question at all. So far I have been driving my snowmobile with a mad grin in my face having a lot of fun. But I have to admit I do think about the environmental effects of snowmobiling and in recent couple of years more and more. Although I only drive 1200-1500 km/year this concerns me.
I know the emissions caused by my motoring even including commuting to work by a car are so small it doesn't affect anything. This makes it a bit easier for me to enjoy my hobby. But surely if everyone thought this way, no one would do anything to cut down CO2 emissions. So this still doesn't get me off the hook.
I also know that CO2 emissions caused by all the traffic on earth represent only a very very small fraction of all the CO2 emissions. Now it's getting a bit easier to breath but still I'm not quite sure if I can sleep and still keep snowmobiling.
I've also learned that this is not the first time the global warming is taking over. Actually our beloved Tellus has "lately" seen warmer periods in about every 100 000 years. Now it is almost 100 000 years from the latest temperature peak and we are getting close to the temperatures back then. So I believe that even if man never inhabited the earth, it would be about as warm now. But surely the emissions caused by us do have an effect but how big it actually is, I don't know. As far as I see no one can really say if what we have done so far has affected the global average temp by 0.5 Celsius degrees or 3 Celsius degrees. Phew, what a relief.
So I will still keep on snowmobiling but I'm not at all sure for how long. Will I stop when there is enough evidence to show that what man do actually has a great effect in the global warming? Probably. Will I stop if the great public opinion becomes hostile against it? Likely. Will I stop if my wife says so? For sure.
At latest I'll stop when there's no more snow, but will I start a new hobby with equally bad environmental effects like replace the sled with an ATV? I hope not.
Merry Christmas!!!
This raises an important question: is it ethical to drive around for fun on a snowmobile burning oil and causing CO2 emissions? I'm sure all the "tree huggers" think it definitely is not ethical and should be banned all together. And then there are the sledheads and all other motor crazy people that don't ever even stop to think about this. Most of the people, such as I, are somewhere between these two extremes. Personally, I think this is not an insignificant question at all. So far I have been driving my snowmobile with a mad grin in my face having a lot of fun. But I have to admit I do think about the environmental effects of snowmobiling and in recent couple of years more and more. Although I only drive 1200-1500 km/year this concerns me.
I know the emissions caused by my motoring even including commuting to work by a car are so small it doesn't affect anything. This makes it a bit easier for me to enjoy my hobby. But surely if everyone thought this way, no one would do anything to cut down CO2 emissions. So this still doesn't get me off the hook.
I also know that CO2 emissions caused by all the traffic on earth represent only a very very small fraction of all the CO2 emissions. Now it's getting a bit easier to breath but still I'm not quite sure if I can sleep and still keep snowmobiling.
I've also learned that this is not the first time the global warming is taking over. Actually our beloved Tellus has "lately" seen warmer periods in about every 100 000 years. Now it is almost 100 000 years from the latest temperature peak and we are getting close to the temperatures back then. So I believe that even if man never inhabited the earth, it would be about as warm now. But surely the emissions caused by us do have an effect but how big it actually is, I don't know. As far as I see no one can really say if what we have done so far has affected the global average temp by 0.5 Celsius degrees or 3 Celsius degrees. Phew, what a relief.
So I will still keep on snowmobiling but I'm not at all sure for how long. Will I stop when there is enough evidence to show that what man do actually has a great effect in the global warming? Probably. Will I stop if the great public opinion becomes hostile against it? Likely. Will I stop if my wife says so? For sure.
At latest I'll stop when there's no more snow, but will I start a new hobby with equally bad environmental effects like replace the sled with an ATV? I hope not.
Merry Christmas!!!
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear scooters roar and moan
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear scooters roar and moan
Thursday, November 22, 2007
U.D.O. + Primal Fear
November 21, 2007
Way earlier I wrote about my problem of choosing which gigs to go and see this autumn. Well, the first one I chose to go and see was U.D.O. (+ Primal Fear as supporting act). I missed Eppu Normaali because of calendar issues and Nightwish I will miss because I wasn't fast enough to get tickets.
So the U.D.O. + Primal Fear gig was yesterday. It really wasn't a big success if you consider the size of the audience. There was probably only around 200 people if even that. But neither of the bands let that get to them and they played good gigs. I can't compare this to their other gigs as this was the first time I saw these bands play live. But if especially U.D.O. can rock even harder...no, that's not possible. They did kick ass last night. One of the high points was when Igor came down from the stage during his guitar solo to play among the audience. I'm sure that wouldn't have happened if the place was too packed. Old Accept songs Balls to the Wall and Metal Heart were guaranteed crowd pleasers. Man and the Machine and Thunderball rocked real hard as well.
Now I have to buy the Best of U.D.O. coming out on Nov 30. Check the videos from the gig below. I also have some pics in my Flickr feed.
Primal Fear:
U.D.O. vid 1:
U.D.O. vid 2:
Way earlier I wrote about my problem of choosing which gigs to go and see this autumn. Well, the first one I chose to go and see was U.D.O. (+ Primal Fear as supporting act). I missed Eppu Normaali because of calendar issues and Nightwish I will miss because I wasn't fast enough to get tickets.
So the U.D.O. + Primal Fear gig was yesterday. It really wasn't a big success if you consider the size of the audience. There was probably only around 200 people if even that. But neither of the bands let that get to them and they played good gigs. I can't compare this to their other gigs as this was the first time I saw these bands play live. But if especially U.D.O. can rock even harder...no, that's not possible. They did kick ass last night. One of the high points was when Igor came down from the stage during his guitar solo to play among the audience. I'm sure that wouldn't have happened if the place was too packed. Old Accept songs Balls to the Wall and Metal Heart were guaranteed crowd pleasers. Man and the Machine and Thunderball rocked real hard as well.
Now I have to buy the Best of U.D.O. coming out on Nov 30. Check the videos from the gig below. I also have some pics in my Flickr feed.
Primal Fear:
U.D.O. vid 1:
U.D.O. vid 2:
Friday, October 5, 2007
Business travels
I'm writing this in a bar in the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport while waiting for the last leg of my business trip to London. It is 10:30 pm and I started the trip this morning at 5:05 when I hopped on the taxi waiting at my doorstep. I'll be home half past midnight and it's Friday!
These one day trips to London from Oulu are killers. I'm glad I don't have to do it too often. But overall I like to go on business trips every now and then even though you usually don't see much anything but the airport, hotel, couple of offices and a peak at the city through the taxi's window. It would be difficult to take a job that doesn't include international travelling at all.
Gotta go now, the flight to Oulu is departing...
These one day trips to London from Oulu are killers. I'm glad I don't have to do it too often. But overall I like to go on business trips every now and then even though you usually don't see much anything but the airport, hotel, couple of offices and a peak at the city through the taxi's window. It would be difficult to take a job that doesn't include international travelling at all.
Gotta go now, the flight to Oulu is departing...
Monday, October 1, 2007
Virtual fishing
I was googling around for fly fishing stuff and stumbled upon a fly fishing game. Check this out: http://www.flysim.com/flysim/flysim_download.html.
I tried the game for a couple of times and it was kind of funny. You really can't learn much of fly fishing from it, but you can easily waste a couple of hours trying to make a decent cast. It was very challenging with the IBM laptops integrated "nipple" mouse and a bit easier with a normal mouse (I imagine it's totally impossible with the touch pad type of mouse most laptops have).
And it is somewhat thrilling when a fish actually does catch :)
But at least I can't get kicks out of it for more than couple of times.
There is also a fishing game for mobile phones coming from Nokia later this year called Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep. I had a chance to try it out at the Nokia launch event in London late August (http://www.nokia.com/press/goplay). It was an interesting experience and I'm sure I'll be playing that and it will be my favorite waste of time when mobile for some time. There's a nice review of the game here.
If I come across any other interesting fishing games I'll post about those in this blog.
I tried the game for a couple of times and it was kind of funny. You really can't learn much of fly fishing from it, but you can easily waste a couple of hours trying to make a decent cast. It was very challenging with the IBM laptops integrated "nipple" mouse and a bit easier with a normal mouse (I imagine it's totally impossible with the touch pad type of mouse most laptops have).
And it is somewhat thrilling when a fish actually does catch :)
But at least I can't get kicks out of it for more than couple of times.
There is also a fishing game for mobile phones coming from Nokia later this year called Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep. I had a chance to try it out at the Nokia launch event in London late August (http://www.nokia.com/press/goplay). It was an interesting experience and I'm sure I'll be playing that and it will be my favorite waste of time when mobile for some time. There's a nice review of the game here.
If I come across any other interesting fishing games I'll post about those in this blog.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Succesfull trip to Teno
I heard a funny story the other day from a friend of mine.
He had been fishing at Teno river for a week last summer. He tried and tried but couldn't catch a salmon. That as such is not that funny, but he did caught something, a pike! That is funny. This guy travels 1000 km hoping to catch a highly valued, great fighting Teno salmon. Then he rows his ass to blisters trying to get salmon bite his bait. When finally something catches the excitement jumps to high heaven and early hopeful expectation of record salmon kicks in. But soon he realizes it's nothing but a pike! He could have gone fishing to any pond or lake near his home to catch a pike. And you never catch a pike from Teno...if that happens to you, your fishing mates will be laughing at you and cracking jokes on you for years to come :)
He had been fishing at Teno river for a week last summer. He tried and tried but couldn't catch a salmon. That as such is not that funny, but he did caught something, a pike! That is funny. This guy travels 1000 km hoping to catch a highly valued, great fighting Teno salmon. Then he rows his ass to blisters trying to get salmon bite his bait. When finally something catches the excitement jumps to high heaven and early hopeful expectation of record salmon kicks in. But soon he realizes it's nothing but a pike! He could have gone fishing to any pond or lake near his home to catch a pike. And you never catch a pike from Teno...if that happens to you, your fishing mates will be laughing at you and cracking jokes on you for years to come :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
