Eurovision Song Contest 2008, Semi-Final 1

Country	Artist	Song	Grade	Comments
Bosnia & Hertzegovina	Laka	Pokušaj	0	This is a horrible song. It reminds me of a children's song. Video is awful. Says: "We don't want to host the contest next year".
Estonia	Kreisiraadio	Leto Svet	0	Comedy act says it all. They also don't want to host next contest. Horrible song, horrible lyrics, horrible singers and background dancers.
Finland	Teräsbetoni	Missä Miehet Ratsastaa	4	I actually thought Teräsbetoni wasn't going to shine in this contest but after seeing the others, I say they're pretty good.
Greece	Kalomira	Secret Combination	3	Britney-look-alike. She can sing but she's not extraordinary. Video is yankee-made.
Ireland	Dustin The Turkey	Irelande Douze Pointe	4	Horrible turkey but wonderful woman singer! I would like to hear her singing all alone. Catchy chorus. Definitely in the finals.
Israel	Boaz	The Fire In Your Eyes	4	I couldn't understand a word as he sang in hebrew but goodness, it was beautiful. Even the song has something that could boost its possibilities in the competition.
Moldova	Geta Burlacu	A Century Of Love	2	This is the woman who can't pronounce words right and left me wondering why she even sings in English. Also, the song is boring.
Montenegro	Stefan Filipović	Zauvijek Volim Te	3	Amazing voice for a 21-year-old. The song wasn't a hit but I could listen to it. Why was he wearing a pink shirt instead of a leather jacket whilst rocking the night away?!?
Netherlands	Hind	Your Heart Belongs To Me	3	The video is odd, why is she in kindergarten dressed like a hot school girl and next she's rocking in the studio? Pretty girl and strong voice, could go to the finals.
Norway	Maria	Hold On Be Strong	3	Syrup-coasted smiley Mariah Carey is what comes to mind after seeing this. I know they're off to the finals with this sugar-honey-almondy shit. I hate it.
Poland	Isis Gee	For Life	3	Pretty voice but I hate it. She can sing but but but... boring.
Romania	Nico & Vlad	Pe-o Margine De Lume	2	Boring. Beautiful voices but boring duet.
Russia	Dima Bilan	Believe	3	He can't sing live. I can't believe Timbaland has been involved in this. Dima Bilan is nothing but a studiosinger.
San Marino	Miodio	Complice	2	Video kinda resembles Depeche Mode. There's nothing to this song.
Slovenia	Rebeka Dremelj	Vrag Naj Vzame	4	Catchy chorus and the song has a good flow. Rebeka can sing and she's pretty.
Andorra	Gisela	Casanova	3	Horrible computer-made video. As I turned my eyes away, I noticed my feet and fingers were twitching to the beat. Actually, the chorus isn't so bad and Gisela can sing.
Armenia	Sirusho	Qele, qele	3	I like the drums and chorus. Video is simple but enough. Catchy chorus.
Azerbaijan	Elnur & Samir	Day After Day	5	Definite finale-material! Amazing video, lyrics are good, chorus catching, vocals wonderful. Especially enjoyed the falsetto. Two controversial men singing their hearts out at each other. How could this go wrong?
Belgium	Ishtar	O julissi	0	Horrible horrible horrible. They can't sing and their song is hideous.It doesn't even matter their lyrics don't mean a thing. Is it a joke?

I say Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, Andorra, and Azerbaijan go through to the finals.

Birthday greetings

Had my birthday yesterday. Woke up early in the morning swollen and hungover. I had a hungover-like state of being due to lack of sleep. Tired, shaking... And then I had to organize a birthday party :) Yay. I'm glad my mother came to rescue. I cried a little in the morning before she came and hubby said he would do just about everything on our to do list, I wouldn't have to do much. So, I calmed down and tried not to add any stress to myself.

I got a baby book, knives, chocolate and a couple of furry animals. Fortunately, we had not bought a baby book yet so we now have one and don't need to spend money on it :) Also told mother-in-law that it was okay if they wanted to buy clothing for the baby, we didn't have too many already.

When guests came and went, hubby had still not congratulated me and as he said he was going out to fix the car, I started waterfalling again. When he came in the house again I told him I was upset because my last birthday was the most horrible ever and this time I really would have wanted a kiss and and a "happy birthday, love". He told me there had been so much fuss and things to do he had forgotten.

In the mist of the night Peanut started moving around causing my belly to move visibly so hubby took the videocamera and started taping. The movement was so small that I didn't think it would show on the tape but hubby said it should as we had HD camera =D

Man scratches back with gun and shoot himself

Talk about bad luck. Oh wait, there's no bad luck but just plain stupidity. His back itched and he grabbed a gun to scratch it. Also he happened to shoot himself while scratching. How is this possible? I'm surprised he hasn't used his gun as a tooth pick yet.

Read more @
Dallas Morning News

Mucus plug! Mucus plug!

I've had Braxton-Hicks for two weeks now and my back's been aching as well. Today I went for a blood test in the morning and when I came home, I had to pee already. Went to the little girl's room and wiped. WHATTAAA?!? I'm slimy all over! Next thought was "how soon is the baby coming?" and off to internet googling. So, it can be hours or weeks, it seems. The mucus plug has started to come off. WOW. The baby's really coming someday soon.

3-Year-Old Has Never Fallen Asleep - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando

What would you do if your baby wouldn't sleep? AT ALL? EVER? This couple has a a son, Rhett Lamb, age three, who has not slept ever. He has a condition called chiari malformation that puts pressure on his brain. The boy has now checked into a hospital for experimental surgery. Hope it helps...

Read more @ WKMG Orlando

One less priest

On Sunday, April 20th, Father Carli wanted to break a record with 1000 balloons, which now seems like a bad idea, as he is still missing. His balloons were found floating in the Atlantic Ocean on following Wednesday but no sign of Carli himself.

Officials were still hoping for the best on Wednesday but who's to say where he is or what ate him.

Read more @ BBC NEWS

Achmed The Dead Terrorist & Jeff Dunham

The 6 Cutest Animals That Can Still Destroy You

The 6 Cutest Animals That Can Still Destroy You

Exclusive: tougher security checks to enter US as laptops and mobile phones searched - Mirror.co.uk

You have to be kidding me. The US has done it yet again. Now there's even less reasons to visit their precious homeland. If I have my Communicator and laptop with me when I go, the US airport security personnel can copy all my files, whether it's music, photos, emails, phone records or whatnot. (I'm wondering if this concerns also digicameras, mp3 players and memory cards.) In addition, they can store these files indefinitely. "I'm sorry, what?" I hear you say.

So, when you enter a US airport, security guards take a good look at your passport, fingerprints, visa, phone, laptop.... you better make a reservation for extra two days when you enter the country. I bet it takes a whole day to enter and leave the country. I wonder if they've started to employ more people to cover some of the traffic. Also, they probably need bigger airports, who's gonna pay for all of it? I think you can forget my tourist dollars, I can do without your Cedar Point highs and lows.

Travel agents' group Abta stormed: "It's another ratcheting up of Fortress America. It's certainly not a good thing for passengers - it is rather Big Brother."

There are also fears immigration staff may mistakenly corrupt or erase vital computer details. Abta added: "We'd like to know if they're going to be properly trained to check computers and conduct many spot checks they plan to carry out."

My fear exactly.

Dr Guy Bunker, of UK-based IT security experts Symantec, said: "Hopefully, they won't search everybody's data - or we may wait in line for weeks. There's also the chance of data being compromised." He added that some business travellers particularly were now so alarmed they may fly to America with blank laptops.

Read more @ Mirror.co.uk

Balding penguin's wetsuit lets him swim again - Science- msnbc.com

Awwwwww..... I love good news! I was so delighted to read the story of Pierre the balding African penguin. Of course it's sad he's losing his feathers but oh, the biologists at the California Academy of Sciences got a wonderful idea of making him a wet suit!

Pierre had lost some of his feathers and did not want to go for a swim with 19 other penguins having fun in the water. Pierre stayed ashore and shivered.

Dive gear supplier Oceanic Worldwide personnel was extatic when the order came in.

"We were really excited to do it," said Teo Tertel, company marketing specialist. "We heard most of these penguins only live to 20, and our little buddy there was already 25. Anything we could do to help them, we were all for it."

Since Pierre got his new suit, he has gained weight, grown back feathers on his hind parts and is again acting like his feisty, alpha-male self.

There are no plans to make him a matching surf board.

Read more and SEE PICTURE(!)@ Science- msnbc.com

New car in the family

Yesterday evening we bought a used car, a Volkswagen Passat Variant. As our family is growing, we need a bigger car and as a compromise we decided to buy this particular car. So, it's farewell to our Saab 9-3, which has served well these four years. The Passat has diesel engine so it should consume fuel couple of liters less than the petrol engine in Saab. The Saab gets a good home though, hubby's parents have agreed to buy it.

When we got home yesterday, hubby changed the tires and washed the whole car. It was blingblinging more than ever. Hubby wanted to show off the new car at work today :)

Doctor's appointment, week 35

We had a checkup yesterday with an obstetrician. While we waited in the lounge, three couples came to labour! The female obstetrician was running late so we waited like 20 minutes. When we were called, we noticed there was a student in the room but I soon forgot she even was there.
The doctor used the ultrasound to measure our little Peanut. LITTLE? Did I just write LITTLE? She's 2,7 kilos now!!!! My goodness! She's huge! ....were my thoughts when she told us this. As it turns out, she isn't huge. She is on the scale still. Whew. Were going on week 35 now so she's growing and fast. The nice doctor said she might be 3,9 kilos at birth. And she also told us I could handle a normal labour with her being that sized. Whew. Of course, there will be another checkup in four weeks.

It was so wonderful when the doctor said if Peanut decided to come early, even now, the staff wouldn't stop the labour but they would let her come, she's so well off already. I'm crying now... It was so wonderful to hear that.... we've almost made it now. I love this baby so much I am going Niagara falls now...Sneeze&wipe and I'm good to go again.

I asked the doctor whether Peanut still looked like a girl and she quickly looked at her crotch, showing us where her labia (the outer lips) was. Well, we didn't see it... but the doctor said it's a girl still :) Wonderful...our little girl.

We're so proud of our little daughter... Hubby was so smiley when we left for home... We both were. It took me all evening to sink it all in. I talked about it the whole evening. I even called my mom to share the news. She was horrified by the weight estimate but since the doctor said I could do it, there's no arguing.

The doctor measured her thigh bone, skull diameter and some others... also she said at first that there was a little less amniotic fluid than there should be but just after she found another "puddle" of it so there was normal amount of it left. Also, she checked the cord flow (funny noice), it was just fine. All well.

The doctor asked me whether I wanted the vaginal examination or not and at first I was "Woohoo! I get to choose! No way in HELL then!" but I heard myself saying out loud "Well, there's no harm doing it, so go ahead". When it's in the best interest of your child, you apparently do everything, even if it was awful. I hate the internal examination... it hurts everytime. Having said that, this time it didn't hurt as much as the other times! WOW! I almost thanked the doctor for the most pleasant vaginal examination I've ever had. It hurt a little and I closed my eyes during but it wasn't as hurtful as before. Different doctor, different hospital! Told hubby though.

Anyways, the doctor told us Peanut's head was down where it was supposed to be, me being a first-timer. Also she mentioned that she didn't think the baby would flip anymore. It's like Peanut knows what she's supposed to do :) Amazing...

When we left the doctor, we were escorted to see a midwife. She was overly nice. I was a bit unsure how to be around her. She wanted to confirm the details in a form I had previously filled and took my blood pressure. My pee sample was fine, nothing suspicious there (there had been some vague anomalies before) and blood pressure was 121/88.

Talking dogs on Youtube

Actually saw this a while ago in a local funniest homevideos show. I love it when dogs howl and I hate barking, especially our S-sized dog, she tends to bark loud and shrilly. Our older, M-sized dog however has learned to howl like Siberian Huskies (she actually spent her youth with Huskies) and I've couraged her to do it more than barking. To the extent unfortunately that she howls like she's being eaten when she hears our car drive onto our driveway. Oh well, she's sooooo happy when we come home... I love them both with all their quirkies.

So, the video is here:

Another man-cow sex act

I don't know what it is about these individuals that makes me curious. Considering myself as a normal average person, who happens to be a heterosexual one, I can't imagine what makes a person wanting to have sex with cows, horses, traffic signs, dead deer...
I remember watching a documentary years ago of people who were (in their own words) in a relationship with animals. I was amazed back then and I can't say I've felt any different since then.

This Robert Melia person (a cop for goodness sake) in the US, has been charged with
four counts of animal cruelty. They say he's had sex with cows. Keeps me wondering... How on earth do these people justify sex with cows? Was it consensual? How does a cow say yes to a man?

What's the word for a person who prefers animals? Is there a specific subtitle for someone who prefers cows but not other animals? What about someone who likes birds? Snakes? Hamsters??

Also, Mr. Melia has been charged with sexual assault on three girls. Does he not get any without assaulting someone? He must be a sad sad man.

Read more @ CBS

New AKC breeds

Collie + Lhasa Apso
Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport.

Spitz + Chow Chow
Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up a lot.

Pointer + Setter
Poinsetter, the traditional Christmas pet.

Great Pyrenees + Dachshund
Pyradachs, a puzzling breed.

Pekingese + Lhasa Apso
Peekasso, an abstract dog.

Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer Spaniel
Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as mountain air.

Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists.

Terrier + Bulldog
Terribull, not a good dog.

Bloodhound + Labrador
Blabador, a dog that barks incessantly.

Malamute + Pointer
Moot Point, owned by...oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway.

Collie + Malamute
Commute, a dog that travels to work.

Deerhound + Terrier
Derriere, a dog that's true to the end.

Bull Terrier + Shitzu
You figure this one out.

via For Your Entertainment

The Blog Cuss-O-Meter - Do you cuss a lot in your blog or website?

Via Fritinancy


Created by OnePlusYou

No Money For Old Men

Read Scott Adams' review of No Country For Old Men. Couldn't agree more. I was also disappointed afterwards. There's another example to be sceptic of those Oscar-winning movies. I like Tommy Lee Jones and was surprised to like Javier Bardem. Never seen him before. He reminds me of some other male actor whom I can't name now. I'm pregnant, I don't have to remember, I have a husband for that. He doesn't seem to recall either... oh well...

+ Tommy Lee Jones
+ Javier Bardem
+ Couple of jokes I laughed at

- Horrible story telling
- Boring most of the time
- Can't see how it was awarded
- Ending was bad, left me waiting for the real ending
- You can't kill the leading man that way
- Dialogue was poor all the way from beginning to end (although simple people are 'funny', it was too much boring for one movie)

So, I remember this the next time there's an award-winning film to be seen...


April 25th, EDIT:
Javier Bardem reminds me of Benicio Del Toro. Took me three days...

Two die after faulty text message

There's always a possibility you could get misunderstood. These guys were splitting up and fighting through text messages. It seems you can't use all symbols and letters you have on your mobile dictionary because they don't necessarily end up the same to the recipient. At least this has happened in Turkey. This time two lost their lives and three ended up in jail.

Read more @ Gizmodo

His heart stopped beating but he's still alive

There a rarity. Nikolai Mikhalnichuk had a heart attack when his wife was leaving him and since then his heart hasn't been beating. It seems the blood vessels in his heart are extra strong elastic so they are pumping the blood as usual.
Nikolai has a condition only two other people in the world are known to have, one in Brazil and one in Japan.

Read more @ Pravda.Ru

Twenty-Five Things It Took Me Over 50 Years To Learn, by Dave Barry

Pearls of Wisdom

"Twenty-Five Things It Took Me Over
50 Years To Learn" by Dave Barry

1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of helicopters in it.


2. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight-saving time.


3. People who feel the need to tell you that they have an excellent sense of humor are telling you that they have no sense of humor.


4. The most valuable function performed by the federal government is entertainment.


5. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.


6. A penny saved is worthless.


7. They can hold all the peace talks they want, but there will never be peace in the Middle East. Billions of years from now, when Earth is hurtling toward the Sun and there is nothing left alive on the planet except a few microorganisms, the microorganisms living in the Middle East will be bitter enemies.


8. The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.


9. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.


10. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.


11. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."


12. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.


13. There apparently exists, somewhere in Los Angeles, a computer that generates concepts for television sitcoms. When TV executives need a new concept, they turn on this computer; after sorting through millions of possible plot premises, it spits out, "THREE QUIRKY BUT ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT," and the executives turn this concept into a show. The next time they need an idea, the computer spits out, "SIX QUIRKY BUT ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT." Then the next time, it spits out, "FOUR QUIRKY BUT ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT." And so on. We need to locate this computer and destroy it with hammers.


14. Nobody is normal.


15. At least once per year, some group of scientists will become very excited and announce that:
    
    • The universe is even bigger than they thought!
    • There are even more subatomic particles than they thought!
    • Whatever they announced last year about global warming is wrong.


16. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."


17. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.


18. The value of advertising is that it tells you the exact opposite of what the advertiser actually thinks. For example:
    
    • If the advertisement says "This is not your father's Oldsmobile," the advertiser is desperately concerned that this Oldsmobile, like all other Oldsmobiles, appeals primarily to old farts like your father.
    • If Coke and Pepsi spend billions of dollars to convince you that there are significant differences between these two products, both companies realize that Pepsi and Coke are virtually identical.
    • If the advertisement strongly suggests that Nike shoes enable athletes to perform amazing feats, Nike wants you to disregard the fact that shoe brand is unrelated to athletic ability.
    • If Budweiser runs an elaborate advertising campaign stressing the critical importance of a beer's "born-on" date, Budweiser knows this factor has virtually nothing to do with how good a beer tastes.


19. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will not use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.


20. You should not confuse your career with your life.


21. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.


22. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.


23. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.


24. Your friends love you anyway.


25. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Originally published in Dave Barry's 1999 book, Dave Barry Turns 50

via LucidCafe

Man dropped into the St. Helens crater and survived

1500 ft? 457,2 meters! So, this chap, John Slemp and his family went on top of St. Helens with their snowmobiles. John and his son went for a closer look when a snow shelf broke and dad accidentally dropped down 150 ft. Then another snow shelf broke and dad went down the crater again, this time 1300 ft. Believe it or not, dad survived.
Rescue coordinator Tom McDowell said two things contributed to his survival; John was wearing a snowmobile suit, helmet and boots but also the fact that he fell down from one of the two possible places still under snow blanket and with less sharp edges.

So, there's a story for grandkids...

Read more @ ABC News

"Heroes never die.... They just reload."

So, Sylvester Stallone is still alive and kicking enough to continue the ridiculous saga of Rambo. Does it never end? I think he's 70? Better check...wait...oh okay, he was born 1946 so not yet 70.
Anyhoo, saw the movie Rambo IV on Sunday. My husband put it this way: "There was no plot or contents". What does it leave us with? Bad acting?
Having said that, I was amazed to see what Rambo IV had scored in IMDB, which I have used as kind of a guide line. User rating 7.6 out of 10. WHAAAAT? The audience is mostly dimwits?

Also...Sarah, played by Julie Benz from Dexter, among other Christian aid workers gets caught by the local terrorists and has been held as hostage for at least days when Rambo and a group of mercenaries come to rescue. Some aid workers have been fed to the pigs already but the terrorists haven't touched Sarah yet. One of them is just about to when Rambo rages in and rips the drunken terrorist's throat open with his bare hands. So, you want me to believe the terrorists would not have gangbanged her the minute she got into their camp? They just happened to spare her... ...right.

Going strong...week 33

Peanut's been very mobile. Last night she went on the whole evening.

Today we went to another prenatal visit at the local midwife/nurse. Heartbeat was 135-141, the same it's been every time. Peanut hasn't been very active during these prenatal examinations.

Conclusions...I need to exercise more and look at what I eat. Also I was told there has to be sugar controls every year from now on. Shit.

Well, SF measure is on the upper limit but hey...I've had a tummy before pregnancy so I'm not surprised.

Bigfoot molested a pervert

He got busted and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting young boys. Or at least wanting to molest young boys. I guess he was trying to get the jury's sympathy as he alleged he was molested as a young boy himself. Where he went wrong was the bit when he said it was Bigfoot who sexually assaulted him. So, now we need to find Bigfoot and confront him, maybe lock him up as well.

Bigfoot Molests A Pervert (With Video) @ Hecklerspray

ɹǝʌo ʇxǝʇ ƃuıddılɟ

lɯʇɥ˙dılɟ/ɯoɔ˙pɐɟʌǝɹ˙ʍʍʍ//:dʇʇɥ @ uʍop ǝpısdn ʇxǝʇ ɹnoʎ ƃuıddılɟ ʎɹʇ ˙˙˙llǝʍ sɐ ʎɹʇ oʇ pɐɥ ı 'snoıɹnɔ os ɹǝʌǝ (: ɥʇıʍ ssoɹɔɐ ǝɯoɔ ǝʌ,ı sǝɔıʌɹǝs ssǝlǝsn ǝɥʇ ɟo ǝuo sı sıɥʇ

Today's Office Dare

Oh, I love this! I was bored and stumbled upon this site. I wish I was back at work =D
Check out Today's Office Dare

Man Charged With Screwing a Patio Table

Oh these pathetic cases.... I mean, it's okay if you "have sex" with something like a patio table but please don't get caught on video or caught in anyway, for that matter. At least he wasn't screwing an animal. My goodness, where do people get these ideas... Was he setting up a barbeque one day when he sized up the hole in the middle and decided to take a chance?

Read more @ Man Charged With Screwing a Patio Table in the Asylum.

Sickleave before maternity leave

I went back to work today but it seemed like a bad move. Sitting, walking, being...everything just felt awful and hurt. I went to see the doctor late in the afternoon and she told me to relax and go home for the rest of the time being. So, no work before baby.

Upside down confirmed!

We had an appointment with the doctor today. The doctor we'd seen twice before had been called to surgery so we had a female temp instead. She was running late and was quite rude to us. She told me to jump on the examination table asap. I did what she asked. Then she hurt me by shoving her hand in my vagina. I know she had to do it but it hurt more than ever. Glad it was over soon. There was 3cm left of the cervix. Normal.

Then she took a look at the baby with the ultrasound. Peanut was upside down as I already knew :) It was nice to have the confirmation though. Peanut weighed 1707 grams so a little, but only a little, over the medium. We asked whether she could confirm if Peanut really was a girl, as the other doctor had told us. She didn't say anything!!!

In the end, we asked her if they could fax our papers to another hospital 'cause we had not decided where we would go labour our love child. She went from rude to extra rude after that. She roared to us that we need to decide this very quickly because they had prepared everything for us there and the personnel had prepared themselves for us and so on.... I tried to soften it up by saying this thought had come to us because there was a renovation going on in this particular hospital and we've been told they wouldn't have enough space for all labours. So, in case we had to go to this other hospital they'd have our file there too. She also didn't have any clue of who would pay what to whom and where we lived. What a mess. She then escorted us to the reception where stood four or five nurses and started ranting and raving to them that we had not decided anything and can they even book us a new doctor's appointment because we're not sure. GAAA! I wanted to murder her. It was all just an unnecessary scene.
The doctor went away and nurses scattered, one was left to serve us. She was nothing like the others. I told her we were unsure of the hospital because the renovation and she told us it probably wouldn't be finished when were due. She understood where we were coming from! She also promised she would fax our file to this other hospital and we thanked her as we left with a booked appointment.

You use condoms? Well, we use beaver testicles and crocodile poo

So, in the modern civilization, we have pills, tasty condoms and all to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Then there was the day before the present.

Ancient Egyptians used crocodile poo as diaphragms, in Europe our ancestors have used testicles of various animals, in China they drank mercury (!). Then there was intestines, citrus fruits, opium, Coke....

Interested in the history of contraception?
Read more @ Cracked.com (History's 10 Most Terrifying Contraceptives)

Upside down already

Peanut went upside down today. It was so clear when I had the sensation of something pressing down on my bladder the whole day. We'll see if she stays that way 'til the end.

Case file: The Ving Rhames Dog Attack

So, media spread the news last August that Ving Rhames' estate caretaker Jacob Adams was attacked and mauled to death by the actors dogs. Later, Los Angeles Department Of Coroner spokesman Ed Winter says,

"The dogs didn't kill Mr. Adams. He died because of a pre-existing heart problem. The dog bites found on him were determined to be non-fatal."

Fortunately, the dogs were taken into custody but later released back to their owner, not terminated.


On Sunday, March 16th, here in Finland, a 10-year-old boy was killed. The news spread fast, saying the family's rottweiler or rottweilers killed him. First of all, both dogs were terminated the same day by local vet Mikko Vesanen. He has not said a thing about this incident, probably the police has asked him not to comment. The police, however, have said that all information concerning an investigation of the cause of death is classified. Until they release a statement saying the dog/dogs did it, I'm not swallowing anything. Also, in cases like this, people tend to judge the whole dogkind or the whole breed anyway.

We shouldn't jump to conclusions when there's not enough information. There's a reason we have the police and other officials. I for one, have started to read and hear news with a filter. I instantly spot the loop holes and plant them to others' minds as well. There's no point in believing everything straight up.

The new mortal sins

You've got to be kidding! Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti from the catholic church of Vatican has released a list of the new mortal sins.

- Environmental pollution

- Genetic manipulation

- Accumulating excessive wealth

- Inflicting poverty

- Drug trafficking and consumption

- Morally debatable experiments

- Violation of fundamental rights of human nature

So there you have it...

I'm so jealous of them... I mean the churches, (at least they think) they have the utmost power to say what's wrong with world today as they name the things considered sin.
Oh well, I believe in the law not sin. Not all laws by any means.

Read more @ BBC NEWS

What do you mean you could see the baby kick???

I couldn't believe when my colleague told me she had seen the baby kick when she was pregnant. I laughed at the idea then and until today. Half an hour ago I saw a glimpse of something maybe moving when Peanut kicked me. I was amazed and started the surveillance. It didn't take long she kicked again and bloody hell, my tummy moved visibly!!! My eyes went -again- saucer-sized and I started laughing. Hubby took notice of what I was babbling about and started to stare at my tummy. And again! Peanut kicked and hubby saw it too!
My goodness it wasn't an urban legend...

Priceless words

Dear Peanut,

on Friday evening we were on the sofa with your Daddy, relaxing after a long week at work.
Among other things, your Daddy said "I'm so ready to be a daddy already" :) I smiled and told him there are so many women who'd like to hear that from their husbands =D
Priceless.

Daddy's girl

Dear Peanut,

Last night Daddy was out having fun with his work mates and when he came home at 11 pm, Mommy was already trying get some sleep. As Daddy's voice came closer you started kicking Mommy and Mommy thought you might kick so hard Daddy could feel it too. So, lights on, Mommy on her back and Daddy's hand on Mommy's tummy and voilá! Daddy's look was priceless when he felt you kick right where his hand was :) TWICE! There was no question about what just happened :) Mommy was sooooooo happy when Daddy felt you :)

Dreaming of you already

Dear Peanut,

Daddy said this morning he had a dream last night that you were born and you were the nicest and easiest baby!

Probably has something to do with the birth video we went to see yesterday eve. Daddy went all white and he said he would pass out in the delivery room. Hope not.

Jesus Camp

We saw Jesus Camp the day before yesterday. I was appalled. I felt sick. The horrible feeling continued through out the documentary. During which, we looked at each other many times shaking our heads and commenting how awful it was.

Kids On Fire? Kids more likely being brainwashed by adults with no sense of decency or even truth or reality. Kids who were caught on tape were all small. Young kids are vulnerable to that (or any) kinda shit and the adults running the organization were taking advantage of them. No question about it. They should be in prison for doing so.

So, people who make it to my personal black list:
Becky Fischer
"Pastor Ted", Ted Haggard

Anyhow, I'm so thankful the documentary made it to Finland so late. When I started to search the net, first off I found news about Jesus Camp shutting down. Also, Pastor Ted wasn't so truthful when bashing gays, he also tried it himself. Bless you.

I hope the best for the kids, Victoria, Levi, Rachael and others. Hopefully you'll find your place in the world. Sorry you got mislead by bunch of fanatics.

Guinness going up & down the slope

I have never seen anything like this.... never even heard of anything like this.
My goodness that collie has fun... I wonder if anyone has a video of Guinness the collie going up or down the mountain? Didn't find one though. Quite unbelievable, 'cause everything's in the net these days :) I wrote to Glenshee Ski Centre asking if they would post a video of Guinness having a ball in the slopes, oh I hope they will. Guinness must be having the time of his life, no dog would do that unless he enjoyed it.

Read more @ BBC NEWS | Pet dog hitches ride on ski-lift

Shopping for Peanut

Dear Peanut,

On Sunday we bought you strollers. Mommy's colleague had used ones and we went to see them. Their Brio Kombi was in perfect condition though 5 years old and we came to an agreement of the price so we took them and Mommy's colleague also gave two big plastic bags full of baby clothes and sheets, a pedestal for a baby bath tub plus a sitter. As we came home Mommy was sure we'd have to tell the neighbours 'cause the father was out in the yard packing their car for a holiday trip. He was in such a hurry he never saw what we brought home. Our smaller dog however, her eyes went saucer-sized. She was all "You've not asked me how I feel about this, you can't bring those here, I don't want this!" and a couple of swear words I could read in her eyes. Needless to say, she doesn't like kiddies as one beat her when little. I hope you and her get along though. Neither one is going, so you better get along with each other.

Daddy and I talked about naming you last week. Mommy had some ideas to present to Daddy but since the first one was shot down already, Mommy asked Daddy whether he had any thoughts. Daddy said he had a few and I would learn your name when he signed the magistrate papers. Hardy harr. I asked then what he had thought of and as he said two names I knew which one you'd have. So, I hope you look like that... now we have to think of a second name so you can use that if you don't feel like being X. There's a dilemma...

Thanks for kicking me again, I love you.

Maternity grant

Today I applied for the maternity grant. Here in Finland the mothers get a package containing child care items, see photo. Today's the first day I could apply and I didn't waste time just thinking about it :) I'm glad our SII has made it possible to apply for subsidies on the internet. Actually, it hasn't been possible for long, I just read about it a couple of months ago.

Blasphemy - A ticket to Hell has never been funnier

If, and only if, there is Heaven and Hell...It's because I'm atheist I have hard time believing in this Christian mumbojumbo. Okay, so...If there would be Heaven and Hell, I would be going to Hell, only for being atheist, of course. As I am not god-fearing citizen, I can laugh at this:
The Galloping Beaver: I would probably never do this

Also I found Muhammed cartoons amusing :) I can't help to wonder what was so bad about them.

Wild ride for the wee one

Dear Peanut,

I know you were wondering about the extra rumble yesterday. What was the fuss about? Well, there was a slow driver ahead of us and daddy decided to pass him. Since the road was snowy our car went slightly out of control, we found ourselves heading off to the left side ditch. Unfortunately, there was no trees, poles, rocks or anything and it was smooth sailing until we stopped after 50 meter slide next to the field. So, were left unharmed and tried to get out of the car. Daddy's door wouldn't open so we had to get out from the passenger side, though the car was quit tilted. We managed to get out and after tens of passing cars one couple stopped and asked if we needed assistance. I asked whether they had rope and and they did, trouble was it wasn't long enough. Our car was quite far from the road and to be honest, their four-wheeler wouldn't have been enough anyway. They stayed with us until the farm owner from the other side of the road came to see what we were about. He had heavy duty vehicles and he knew what to do. The couple waited until the farm owner had picked up his lorry and left for shops. Mr Höglund said we could leave the rope at his local, they would know him there.
So, the farm owner came and pulled our car from the ditch, bumper had to be taken off but the car was intact. While he pulled the car, daddy went to sit inside and mommy was scared to death the car would roll around with daddy still there. Unfortunaly, it didn't and mommy was so relieved after car and daddy were safe on the road side again. Mommy cried a little but that was just the excitement and relief. You were safe, thank goodness. Mommy was a little afraid what the excitement might cause but you are still there and I felt you move many times during the evening and night. Whew.

Another reason to mock the Great American Government

How on Earth do they not know where it'll land? Oh wait...CRASH.
I wonder how it's possible they can send stuff up there but not be sure whether they can control it?
Given the fact it's more likely the spy satellite ends up in the ocean than on my house or me for that matter, I still don't like the odds one bit. They should have a backup plan like self-destroy button, don't you think?!?
Or automated self-destruct plan if it didn't receive signal from Earth?

Oh why do I even bother...

Read more @ BBC NEWS

Maternity Leave is getting closer, I suppose

My boss came to me today asking what I do :) I was wondering about the substitute-me and I thought I would ask him when I received the "diploma" from my caretaker.
I told roughly what I do and as he was leaving I said we're alright and it's a she. I think he smiled a little, perhaps. They're actually going to find me a substitute for my maternity leave!!! It's all going to happen, really. Gosh.

The IKEA naming system

Ever wondered how they name their products?
Read more @ Away With Words

First The Office and then Extras, who doesn't love Ricky Gervais?

Did you see Ricky in Princess Diana's tribute concert? Here's a clip.
My goodness he is funny. Also the introduction by Ben Stiller, geez...some people sure know the meaning of the word funny. Ricky and fellow actor Mackenzie Crook also performed music and Ricky ended up dancing the BrentDance, singing the Pug-Nose song. Clip here.
You have to be stupid not to laugh at him :)

Twilight Zone? No...The Outer Limits.

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat, there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits.

Remember? The calm voice of Vic Perrin telling you you have no control over your life for the next hour. I was impressed.

Unfortunately, if you saw The Outer Limits now, it would have the same effect as MacGyver. You loved and adored him and his talents then but since the reruns began, you've had awkward moments thinking how on earth you did love this?

Anyhow, the prologue is unique (okay, there was once this Star Trek and the place where no man had ever gone before).

Money grows on trees?

I spoke to hubby's mom on Saturday. She was a little tipsy but I'm sure she meant what she said. They had talked about how they would regard the baaabeee. They had decided to open up an account for her and if possible, put down 1000 EUR every year until she turns 18. I was gobsmacked and somewhat afraid. That's a lot of money for a teenager. Hope she knows how to use it then. That's awfully nice of them but oh dear, that's a whole lot of money.

We also talked about furniture and stuff. It seems we don't have to buy a crib, they've got one in the storage so we're happy with it.

THUMP THUMP

It's Mommy's Little Thumper!

Daddy's on his way to being grandpa

I told daddy today that he'll be having a granddaughter. He laughed and asked if he should now go and buy pink things. I said no and that's about the conversation we had as I was driving home without a handsfree.

Who's that girl?

We went to see the second ultrasound today. Everything seemed to be in order, Peanut was kicking and waving one hand. Peanut was lying horizontally and facing my back. I bet that's how Peanut will be after the birth as well, close to mommy, but outside. I asked the doctor if he could see which one Peanut was. He took a moment and asked if we were sure about this. He also said it would take a little work to see between the legs which I thought would be so crossed we wouldn't be able to see the gender. He rolled the ultrasound joystick around my stomach and said that there's a joke of this....a doctor saying to the parents-to-be that either this was a girl or a shy boy. I laughed and was a little anxious...did he mean we were to have girl or was it just a joke? I didn't ask, I just waited. He then moved the joystick and probably seized the frame, pointing the cursor on a little spot and said you know it's a girl by this tiny spot. I laughed and said that's why you need the professional. Hubby and I both laughed...there's no way you could have told it's a girl. I was...over the moon. I'm still over the moon. I've always wanted to have a daughter. I would like to have a son too, but I've had special relationship with my mother and I would like to have that with a daughter of my own. Now there's a chance. My goodness...a daughter. I love her so much already.

Hubby and I really wanted to know the gender, there was no question about it. As I left for work, hubby said "you girls go and have fun now" and grinned :) I told my mother on my way to work. She was happy but that's nothing to do with the gender. I also told my closest workmate. Hubby rang his mom also. She sent her love "to the girls" :)

Hubby's going to be pretty lonesome now since there's the two bitches and the dogs ;-)

We're having a girl!!!

I didn't think she'd hug me

Told the biggest gossiper about Peanut today. She went on and on about her mommy-leave (they're planning to acquire a puppy) and I just blurted I'm also off to mommy-leave in April. She was gobsmacked for a second or two and then she thought I was possibly talking about a puppy as well but after pondering she asked if we were having a baby. I told her that it was a real baby, not a hairy four-legged one (I hope!) and she took few fast steps towards me and before I knew it, she was hugging me and congratulating and smiling and all. We met a while later in another room and she was still smiling and congratulating and all. She had noticed my co-worker being pregnant but since little ol' me has some extra baggage around the waist, I'm not the most beautiful pregnant woman.

I'm happy though I got a hug :)

Google Fridge

I love competitions! Hardly ever winning anything, though.
I read this post today about Dan Perry who has decided to give away his Google Fridge.

Being a fan of most Google-labeled things, I want to enter Dan's Fridge Lottery as well :)
My excuse of wanting your GFridge is my unborn baby, Peanut. Peanut is due June 4th and the nursery is just aching for its own fridge. I'm sure my husband will lack of sleep the first year or two so I know you all want him to get coffee in the morning before heading off to work, right? I'd be more comfortable if the bottled breast milk was safe in its own fridge, not where it might get used by this latte-dependant hubby of mine.

Thump Thump Thump

After being little worried of Peanut, I got three kicks today :) Again on my right side. Wonderful. Love you, Peanut.

On Saturday, I was looking for a present for a three-year-old girl how had birthday party on Sunday. We went to a huge department store and we had to walk through baby clothing shelf rows and I had no desire to go touch them or buy any. Strange. When I was only dreaming of having a baby, I wanted to touch and I even bought some baby stuff. Also, I feared labour before I was even remotely close to being pregnant. Now that I am, there's no fear what so ever. Others have gone through with it so why the hell I couldn't do it?

Cowboy Peanut

Seems Peanut has gotten big enough to kick his mommy around. On Saturday 5th, Jan we were driving to a mall nearby and sitting in the passenger seat, I felt -thump- pause -thump- pause -thump- pause -thump- and that's it. Peanut must've found legs to kick with.

I thought for a while that Peanut either hates or loves car rides but yesterday I wasn't in the car the same time I had been the other days. It's his/her daily rhythm to start rolling around that hour :) I thought it was funny realizing it.

Yesterday I told my oldest friend about Peanut and we discussed the future of being a mother with friends who have no children. I was and still am afraid I will turn out to be a mom who never talks of anything else but Peanut. Yeah, he/she will be a huge factor in my life but I don't wanna make my friends feel we have nothing in common. I have felt that way in the past when friends have had children.

Sleep-replacement

Scientists are working for our employers, I think. They saw me sleeping light last night, going to work yawning this morning. Some drink caffeine to stay awake, in the future some will probably take orexin A.

Read more, Wired.com:
Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep

We don't have polar bears in Finland

National Geographic tells the news a bit differently... after you've seen the video you think there are polar bears in Finland. WE DON'T HAVE ANY HERE, go hunt somewhere else like Alaska or wherever they live nowadays.

Video: Warming Hurts Finnish Animals