Super-green! version 13.0 The Doctor and Rose

25/11/02 eight weeks and six days later

Also, one misfortunate cellphone update and two(!) SIm-cards later. I just love modern technology. Even more so when it decides to die on Saturday evening at eleven and something. Once more it was proven that I am unable to understand technical appliances if they speak Finnish. I had a Nokia N70 for few days when my very own Sony was at repair. Within the first half an hour I had this urge to drop the Nokia in Pyhajarvi just about a hundred times. The most userunfriendly phone I've ever come across. SIM-card number one was ancient and SIM-card number two was dead after ten days of use. Gee, thnx.

Hotshot Writer strikes again:
Clap your hands, people, it's a home run! My inability and lack in vocabulary of technical terms in Finnish was proven, again. Two small, simple words, 'blastdoor' and 'reset'. And I have no idea whatsoever what they might be in Finnish. Wonderful. I had fun inventing trapdoors and other mischief, though.

I'm gone. Later.

Renny-Alexander

24/09/08 Self diagnosing

Related to me being this hotshot writer. I have:
ADD, the adult version of AHDH. I did the 'quick' test on the page and got the 12 that suggest for a profesional diagnosis. *dialling....*
Dyslexia which is a difficulty related to reading and spelling.
Dysphasia, at least sometimes.
Dysgraphia and especially the spatial dysgraphia. Even I cannot read my notes, it's that horrible.
Aphasia. Just ask how many times this happens in a day! And people just laugh at me!
DysplasiaAnd yes, I am aware where this link leads to.
I'm too tired to give examples here and now. Senna got two looooooong mails concerning this problem and it turns out, as I talk to various other persons, this inability to produce and read Finnish is not that rare. The dys-whatever only seem to apply with Finnish but not with English. I am dys-whatever mostly on my native language. Funny?
Seriously and mostly I am worried of the ADD... And I can't understand why.

Renny-Alexander

02/08/07 One month later...

I have just one word: trouble!
I've know for some time now that I am dyslectic, and it's gone worse. Here I am, pretending to be this hotshot writer and I cannot even write properly! *sigh* My saviour so far has been the omnipotent Spell Check but guess what, it don't work in Finnish. Not on me comp it don't. The cure for this problem was Open Office and the additional part of Finnish spell & grammar check. So, two weeks back, Rika and Janne visit me and bring me a spanking new laptop. All's fine as fiddlesticks, except, no msWord, only the Write/WordPad that comes with Windows and that's no good. So, I hook the lap on net and go searching OpenOffice. Here I better point out the fact that I need to have all software in English, the Finnish version is no good, it might just as well be on AncientHebrew, I'd understand just as much. Seriously, I have no concept of comp terms in Finnish, or what I do know were invented at the time men still used stoneaxes. Thus, hunting down English versions of various software is getting more difficult. Don't get me wrong, I find it grand to have them software on your own language, but it just isn't for me. And because of this I am often labelled as a freak of some sort, anti-technologist. I'm not! For crying out loud, no-one challenges me because for half the food stuff in the supermarket I have no finnish name for! Seriously, I don't know what some of them are called. Does this make me anti-food(ist)?
Right, the laptop. I never found the OpenOffice source code to download. Times such as this, I am very glad that I can be such a boob. I had it downloaded on me other comp and I had copied them files on portable hard drive, so problem solved. And I'm seriously considering of installing the English version of xp on that laptop as well, just so that I could find me way around there!

About the katana, I got this one: Masahiro Dragon Double Edge Katana. Only it is not as sharp as I'd've liked it to be, like razor-sharp. But it is sharp enough to kill someone, I think. What surprised me was the weight. Of course it's much heavier than me bokken, steel in general is heavier than oak, the centre of balance is quite close to tsuba and I think this good for the katana don't get too heavy to wield even with one hand. Now, all I need is a lot of practice with it. The trouble is that I can't take it to kendo practice for the lads said no-no, not before I have graded 3rd dan, which is years away! Boring! Oh, I do understand why, and I so totally agree with them. I don't want to cut anyone's fingers off.

Oh, I do have other trouble as well, mostly time and story related. Creativity kick in the head and no time to write. Oh, bollox! If I was given two-three years time to write I think I might actually get a story together, but when there's the daily nuissance of getting food on me table, I cannot commit meself to writing. And since I live alone, it's up to me to cook, clean, shop and in general run me household...ENOUGH! I need a good 'wife' & provider. Thnx.

I think I'll just go and cut some heads off, one of me charachters need the practice.

Renny-Alexander

30/06/08 Donations accepted

...and with great pleasure. For, again, I am drooling over a katana. Three to be exact, I just cannot choose between them. Well, not realreal katana of course, I am just too bloody poor to have one. Ever. Unless some kind soul is willing to give one to me on my birthday.
So, vote, and decide for me. The candidates are:
Dragon Blade Handmade Damascus Katana or
Masahiro Dragon Double Edge Katana or
Masahiro Hand Forged Battle Katana
Sorry, all decscription is in finnish and I'm too tired to translate them, also, I find the description irrelevant for it is mostly the looks on which I cannot decide. All blades are forged and sharpened and come with maintainance kit (-ish).

Renny-Alexander

23/06/08 Writer at work

Concerning my sci-fi story, at the moment titled F-CARE (thanks, Ismo). I was 'leafing' through Wikipedia, looking for anything useful about Svalbard. I did come acroos a whole lot of usefull info, but I just cannot understand how did I end up reading about quantum mechanics and the EPR paradox, let alone what sidetracked me to read about solipsism syndrome which I think I will exploit to a certain extent. I skip the quantum mechanics and EPR paradox altogether for I cannot make no head nor tails about it altho I find it extremely fascinating.
Could someone, please, explain me the whole quantum-thingy in plain English? I do not have a degree in Advanced Theoretical Physics. Like descent to the nut-and-bolt -level?
And furthermore, what possible everyday use there is for a such a thing as quantum mechanics? Does it allow us to heat food faster? Does it allow us to be in two different places at the same time? Does it allow us to drive x amount more miles with a litre of diesel? Or can it be used as a fertiliser on poor soil?
...I better go back to the old drawing board and stick to verbal acrobacy. Most likely spelt that one wrong, but I'm in no mood to check.

Renny-Alexander

10/06/08 Afterlife of Linnakendo

Is there such? Head says aye, there is life after kendocamp, but me sore, ~~blistered~~ soles says nay nay. Collection: four taped up toes, sore muscles, one (twisted?) sore ankle, one painful bruise that lookes more like a coffee stain on the upper side of right wrist. No grading diploma, mostly because I felt not like doing such. Too uncertain on meself, that is. Inlammed muscles this winter, in January and terrible cough right after quite efficiently prevented me doing kendo, so, no use even trying. And I either do or I don't.
Ha-ha, excuse me sarcams.
Back to the point, kendo that is. Thank you Hanna for bringing this to my atttention. Anyone with too serious mind, do not bother, altho this is rather apt description. Cracked me up, instantly.
Sidetracking again. I'm awfully good at this, have ye noticed?
Kaj Kostiander, my brother-in-arms from Tornio. Saturday evening and the traditional Finnish 'makkaranpaisto' (grilling sausages) at the Linnakendo, after sauna. Kaj is looking for a knife with the package of sausages in his hand and I hand him my Swiss army knife. Big mistake. I says it's the only knife I can have with me, a thorough-80's-bred. Kaj looks at me and grins. After that there was only one way the conversation could head to, (who popped open this can of ~~worms~~ ants, eh?). Aye, Mac Gyver. Kaj says The Heist was the pilot, which I immediately contradict by telling which actually was. He contradicts me again and goes on telling that it was the first episode he ever saw. I says it was the first episode aired on Finnish television, not the actual pilot. It could've been just that, but he goes on, testing the depth of my knowledge on the series, asking what's Mac's first name. I answer with a question, which year are we talking about? -86 or -92? He says -86, and then the answer, although unofficial and unconfirmed, is Stacey. Official answer, of course is Angus, but if you listen very carefully Three for the Road, you just might begin to wonder. Right there when Sir Guy Roberts is writing the check. And it is quite possible that I am wrong, but until I am proven wrong, I'll stick to the above. Like Russian crazy-glue between hands and a bucket. Aw, Kaj, although I have been watching the reruns and occasinally I have relied on 'optical media' I do remember most of the series, it just needs a bit of scraping and dusting for, after all, it has been sixteen years since the last episode. And twenty-three since The Heist. Back in the day, I made it my business to remember, but my memory is not perfect. So there. And no, I need no public recognition for this, no quizz shows or like, no.
Anyhoo, the people around there must've had a blast, listening us. A classical example of ask what you want, I answer what I care.
...rant? Aye, I could 'talk' about Mac and RickeyDean about three days and not repeat myself, very much at least. Another case of scraping and dusting, altho due some events, not much is needed. I cannot thank The Force enough that RickeyDean was in the right place at the right time, (about thirty years ago, so long before Mac) for without him, I'd not be here slapping a lid on all of this, before I start another rant and miss kendo practise. ...Why do I have this funny feeling that he knows this? The right place, right time, not the kendo practise part.

Renny-Alexander

17/04/08 BLOODY WANKERS!

fuming
Who ever you are, hope and pray that the Gardai will get their hands on you before I do. For in the latter there won't be much left for a hamburger. Of all of you. Or then I'll just make minced meat out of you and feed you to minks. Or even better, stuff all of ye in industrial dryer and shrink you. Or I just might use you for target practise. Any one of afrore mentioned ought to be be enough for you to understand that YOU DO NOT DESTROY OTHER PEOPLE'S POSESSIONS. Namely smash Max's window and try to take her for a joyride. IDIOTS! WANKERS! I hope you rot in hell for this!

oh, and thanks a million for ruining my kendo practise for the day. POX ON YE!
/fuming

The above, no threats, I'm just angry.

Renny-Alexander

16/04/08 guys and sticks

Once again it is proven that hockey is not the only dangerous stick sport. Kendo is too. At least to me. I counted five bruises after last night's practise. The first at the back of my right shoulder, spot on the shoulderplade and painful as hell, delivered by Olli. Fortunately he did not have his full strenght on the stroke. Lucky me, othervise I'd've been smacked flat on the floor. Too close to do 'do' properly, my fault. Small space + plenty people, you know what'll happen. The next three, again the right side, one on the hip; two half way down on the thigh, side by side. And the last one, the one I'd like to show but so far without apparent colour change, on my left arm, right below the elbow. This one delivered by me dear sister-in-arms, Veera. Me own doing again, I've learnt bad habits, horizontal block. Veera went for do, I block her stroke too slow and whack!
Three good keigos, with Tuire, a chap whose name I don't know and Veera. Tuire said that last night I was focused on keigo, faking and delivering blows better than before. Might be so, I've not not kendo for how long? In earnest, I mean. It's close to three months and I do believe it has been to me advantage. Sort of 'thinking period', I've had time to take the techniques apart, study the parts individually and then put it all back together again. Also, combine two, maybe three and play it in my head da capo al indefinate. By no means am I so foolish that I'd think to beat Ilkka, no, that'll take years still.
Bottom line, then, I may have learnt to fight and shorten me reaction time, but can't seem to know how to protect meself.
...Why does that sound so awfully familiar?
Hmm, I know here is a lot rather descriptive account of my kendo 'injuries', but would you believe I'm rather proud of all of them? I think I said this when I started doing kendo that few bruises and misses teach a whole lot more than 200+ stroke delivered in the right way? Of course, it's just as important to know how to do, say 'men', correctly. It's just in keigo all the tehnique is put into practise and that's when the bruises happen. There just isn't time to think how to deliver the blow correctly, you just react. If you stop and think what to do next, it's whack! and you're dead.
Kendo is not just a sport, it's a way of life.

Rika spotted this one. For those not fluent in Finnish, it's a thigny that 'converts' lp's into mp3's. It also serves as a lp player, just hook it up on the stereo system. Reason why I need to have this is that I have plenty of them lp's that aren't available on cd. Nowhere. And the old lp's are, well, old and worn down and I am constantly torn between wether to play them or not. Usually it's no play, for I don't want to wear them down more. Here's the answer. Now all I need is a sotfware to 'clean' them up. Anyone? Donations are greatly appreciated.

So, back to check the mailbox then. The 'dearly beloved' caveman and I might have a date tomorrow, or Friday. At long last! Now, how long did that take? Six months? Eight? I know he's been swamped with finalising that book of his but still that does not give the right to ignore friends and I was under the impression that we're friends. Aye, I'm a more that a bit sore about this silent treatment. So, after a few rejections I stopped trying and why now is that I was looking for info about the Thanksgiving and came across a link to Arlo Guthrie and I sent the link to him.

I go to be a bitch somewhere else.

Renny-Alexander

28/03/08 Vagabonding?

The EKC in Helsinki and I crash in the corners of my friends, sleep but few hours, walk about the halls like a lost soul, eat next to nothing and crack jokes with the Irish!
Seriously, I lived with them and that time around it took me about three weeks to fall in love with the land and people. So, having the Irish team hanging about I went bit mad. Apologies for that. Quite efficiently ignoring the rest, no offence.
Thanks lads, again, for a wonderful Sunday evening! Siobhan, Danny, Noel, Gerard and Henric, I can't remember the last time I such fun! I am so coming over to Dublin to be beaten with sticks, 'tho in my foolish bravado I promised to beat the crap out of you. Not going to happen. Anyway, I'll be there as soon as I can scape up enough money.
Oh, and Kare-Jon, thanks for the 'dance', you mad norweigan!
Pics coming up of the Sunday evening, not many, but... Meanwhile, go visit Dublin Kendo Kobukai.
Along the EKC, I met with an old, old friend, Mikko, senor Americano, as Rita and I used to call him. Thank the Force, he's still the same, Rita too. Some things never change. I haven't seen these two for, what, six, seven years? And they do not live so far away, two hours by train. Shame on me! So, the sooner I see you two again, the better. Once in seven years is too seldom. My good friends, it was as if I had seen you two days ago and still so much has happened. The quality of friedship is most important.
short entry, much to do still. Writers demand reading. Rika & Janne on their way here.

Renny-Alexander

14/03/08 Behold!

Finally I got it up, the new lay. It took me, what, eight months this time? Shame on me. I just didn't want to bother with this one. Also, creativity kicked me on my head, was it on November? ...*sigh* Excuses. I'm good at them.
So, I first made 'aquintance' with the Doctor when I was ten? eleven? Old enough to understand English for I was watching the show on Sky Channel, no subtitles. Then the Doctor had red and yellow scraf, but for the life of me, I can't find out who the actor was. Later, by pure chance I spot a trailer on tv with Cristopher Eccleston as the Doctor. No more needed. Unfortunately, in their immense wisdom, the Finnish tv, YLE, decided cancel the show after the 2005 season. I need to rely on the optical media, again.
The creativity kick, then. The fan-fic finished I found myself lost, reading old stuff through, thinking which 'project' sink into next. So, I made the worst mistake for years. I read something I started writing more than twenty years ago and...*hides in shame* it's hideuos. Pure and simple. The whole sorry mess ought to have been burnt long since, or even better, never have been written at all! The only half decent thing about it is that the plot works. Naught else is good, believe me. Why I still have it, is that it serves as a reminder, never return to this style of writing, ever again. What I did was that I ditched all but the plot and started from sratch, anew. Aye, it's a love story and I'm going to bore all me readers to death with it. *grins* Seriously, no. It's also a story about broken trust, betrayal, forgivness and how one cannot run from one's destiny. Aye, the inevitable 'Nothing happpens by accident' -part I just cannot seem to be rid of. Maybe because I believe in it. Truth is, this may never see the light of day as a book, I just may leave it lying on my comp.
I've been out of the kendo loop for almost two months now, at first it was my back, six weeks. Now, cough, two weeks. Darn trains, they're na healthy! Pox on them! I'm so going back to school, to study how to run a ship's engine room. And then, off to a ship which sailes under Panama flag and as far as I can get from here and the trains. Sayanora! ...All this if I'm accepted. If not, then I need to come up with something else. Anyone know how to contact the Doctor? Or the number/web site where I can book a passage to Coruscant? Aye, kendo. Rather dangerous sport but much fun. A week ago I just wanted to cry at practise out of sheer anger/misery. Never mind the cough, that's nothing, but Ilkka! At long last he's there and to me he's next to god when it comes to kendo and what happens? I have close contact with concrete wall, slam! and I slide, quite literally, on the floor in a heap of arms, legs and shinai. Someone asked me if I hurt meself and all I came up with was: 'No, I did want to sit down.' Wrong! Holding the shinai proved to be impossible, and three days later, I couldn't even hold a pen without excruciating pain. So, back to the floor. I haven't fough Ilkka since August? when he complimented me of advancing and I just kept grinning all evening. Of course I'd've wanted to see how much, if any, I have learnt since, but how do you make a good fight when you cannot even hold your shinai? You don't. Hence the anger/misery. I came up quite a few rather descriptive terms for myself, idiot might have been the nicest one.
European Kendo Championship a week from now. I'm thinking of leaving my bogu home, on the other hand, if I do, I will want to take part to the goodwill keigo. Ah! what to do? Take the bogu anyway. *laughs* Was there ever any choice? No.
Must go now. Shopping, food mostly, 'though the very idea of eating makes me still sick. Something happened and I stopped sleeping and eating. Normal course of action, one always follows the other but its no good for extensive periods of time. I can afford to skip a meal or two but I fear this time this no sleep no food -period will last, long. Napping and nibbling.

Renny-Alexander

Previous entries:
20/01/07-13/06/07
26/03/05-14/11/06
03/01/06-10/02/06
17/09/05-13/11/05
18/03/05-09/09/05
12/12/04-17/03/05
28/10/04-11/12/04
10/05/04-01/10/04
15/03/04-29/04/04
10/01/04-09/02/04
02/10/03-21/12/03
31/03/03-21/08/03