Thursday, August 31, 2017

Doesn't have a point of view

The photographs were taken on August 1st at Warner Bros. Studios in London where the Harry Potter movies were made. I felt that this collection of photographs rather nicely applies to Donald Trump and his minions.

(Posting title is from the song Nowhere Man by The Beatles.)

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

And if I pass this way again

The photographs were taken on August 1st at Warner Bros. Studios in London where the Harry Potter movies were made.

In the United States, the only victim that Trump truly cares about is Trump himself.

(Posting title is from the song Shelter From The Storm by Bob Dylan.)

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Look what you just made me do

The photographs were taken on August 1st at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, seeing how the Harry Potter movies were made.

Today I thought about Trump, of the evil he is causing to happen. But there are also people who are trying to profit from the chaos. One of the lowest form of profiteers are various hoaxers who are trying to gain notice by spreading conspiracy theories.

On Twitter there is a pair of such people, Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) and Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch), who are inventing things out of whole cloth. Their fraudulent claims are sometimes mixed up with research done by real journalists and experts who have concrete sources and who rely on their expertise on checking whether there is factual basis to claims.

I looked at the background of Louise Mensch. As Louise Bagshawe she was known as a writer of "chick-lit" novels. Her sister Tilly Bagshave is also a writer (perhaps with better skills). These days Louise Mensch is dedicated to trolling people who are susceptible and don't bother checking whether the claims have any evidence.

(Posting title is from the song Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift.)

Monday, August 28, 2017

Time eateth away at many an old delusion

The photographs were taken on August 1st in London.

I walked around lake Suolikas in Nuuksio today. I saw four Gavia stellata, two parents and two young ones. I wondered whether the birds had nested at lake Suolikas, which is a bit too large for them, or whether they had come from a nearby lake, which would mean that the young ones already can fly. The birds were diving and making noise (which can't be called singing).

I thought about Donald Trump and the "brand" of United States these days. It feels as if the United States is no longer a country that is good for human beings. However, if you are a racist or a killer of people with lots of money, you are most welcome, and nazis will be pardoned if the judicial system wants to look at the wrongdoings.

(Posting title is from the poem The Testament of Love by Robert Bridges.)

Sunday, August 27, 2017

To open up again

The photographs were taken in London Zoo on July 31st.

The weather is rather cool. In the morning we had 6 °C, and at noon 12 °C. But next week the weather may warm up a bit.

(Posting title is from the poem Puerto Rican Obituary by Pedro Pietri.)

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Whose lorn estate my verse may never tell

The photographs were taken on July 31st at London Zoo.

This morning I walked for almost three hours at Sipoonkorpi National Park, exploring the swamps northeast of Viirilä. I tasted blueberries, (overripe) cloudberries, raspberries and cranberries. A couple of deer fly got to me.

(Posting title is from the poem Supremacy by Edwin Arlington Robinson.)

Friday, August 25, 2017

Well can't you see me standing here

The photographs were taken in London on July 30th.

(Posting title is from the song Jump by Van Halen.)

Thursday, August 24, 2017

My guiding light, my hand to hold

The photographs were taken at Sea Life aquarium in London on July 30th.

The weather has been rather cool, 9-10 °C in the morning and 16-17 °C in the afternoon. In the afternoon there has been heavy headwind while commuting by bicycle.

(Posting title is from the poem Passport Home by JP Cooper.)

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

You need a man with bigger hands

The photographs were taken in London on July 30th, 2017.

Every day it is apparent that Donald Trump can do worse. There is no bottom.

(Posting title is from Dear Woman by Michael Reid.)

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

When I was a little bitty baby

The photographs were taken in London on July 30th.

Today there was an announcement that yet another Finnish company may be bought out. CGI made an all cash offer for the shares of Affecto, which is a data analytics company that has been doing rather well recently. I own shares in about 40 companies, and because my background is in ICT, many of the investments have some connection to ICT, companies such as Affecto, Basware, DNA, Elisa, Etteplan, Nokia, Telia and Tieto.

The CGI offer brought to mind that years ago I owned shares in Novo Group, which was bought by WM-data, which was bought by Logica, which was bought by CGI.

The price that CGI offers for Affecto is not bad, and the stock price jumped 28 percent today. I bought shares eight years ago. Even though the price is now over 100 percent more than the purchase price, if one looks at the share price increase over the years, it is only 9 percent compound interest per year. Not bad, but not exceptional either.

Earlier this year India's Motherson Sumi bought Finland's PKC Group, and I sold my shares. One wonders what company will be next to be bought out.

(Posting title is from the song Cotton Fields by Creedence Clearwater Revival.)

Monday, August 21, 2017

Once upon a time there was light in my life

The photographs were taken on July 29th in London.

I felt bad today, due to nasty (and racist) Finnish men making threats towards brilliant women on Twitter and Facebook. To cope with my rotten feelings, I made a donation to the Disaster Relief Fund of the Finnish Red Cross. Afterwards I realized it is two months since I last donated my daily wage to the Red Cross. The June donation was inspired by racists as well.

(Posting title is from the song Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler.)

Sunday, August 20, 2017

The people in this world

The photographs were taken in Helsinki on July 24th.

I'm afraid to check what has happened today with Trump and his minions. To see and hear nazis and other racist cowards walk in the streets makes one puke.

(Posting title is from the song All You Fascists by Woody Guthrie.)

Saturday, August 19, 2017

After you systematically destroy machismo you must

The photographs were taken at Ruotsinkylä on July 24th.

This morning I walked for 2 1/4 ours at Vaakkoi, circling around the swamps, eating blueberries and some cloudberries (which were a bit overripe). On the way home it started to rain heavily.

(Posting title is from the poem Macha by Monica McClure.)

Friday, August 18, 2017

My eyes are full of tears, my heart of love

The photograph was taken on July 21st.

I have got 4,090 km riding the bicycle this year, of which 2,220 km since the beginning of May. Today I realized the tire pressure was low, and did some pumping.

(Posting title is from the poem Oenone by Lord Tennyson.)

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Is always repeating itself

The photographs were taken on July 20th in Helsinki.

Is there much else to say except that racism is a cancer that needs to be removed? The same applies to Trump.

(Posting title is from the song Waterloo by ABBA.)

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

It makes you bad, bad

The photograph was taken on July 13th.

Yesterday it became evident without doubt that the President of United States is a supporter of nazis. In World War II the United States lost 407,300 people, most of whom were military. Now there are evil racists showing the nazi flag within the country, with the blessing of Trump. Who would have thought that something like this would be possible.

(Posting title is from the poem My Sister Says White Supremacy Is Turning Her Crazy by Morgan Parker.)

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

That'll be our little secret

The photograph was taken in Helsinki on July 9th.

It seems that the time of the slavery is quite a painful topic in the US. Have people learned anything from history?

Also, there doesn't seem to be a limit on how low Trump can go on.

(Posting title is from the poem We Thought by Susan Lewis.)

Monday, August 14, 2017

Talk this over like rational actors

Photographs of “Silent People” (“Hiljainen kansa” in Finnish), a creation of artist Reijo Kela, were taken at Suomussalmi on July 5th.

This morning I walked for 2 1/2 hours at Sipoonkorpi National Park, exploring the swamps. I found some cloudberries for tasting, as well as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

I thought about nazi deplorables while walking, the evil they are perpetrating. The White House is these days a nest of vipers. Abhorrent.

(Posting title is from the poem Let’s by Susan Lewis.)

Sunday, August 13, 2017

To those who call evil good

The photograph was taken at Vuokatti on July 4th.

Even though I abhor violence, today I feel great sympathy towards those who wish to punch nazis. It is remarkable how Trump and his minions protect neo-nazis and white supremacists, even though 73% of mass killings in the US since 1983 have been committed by white men. Well, perhaps this isn't so remarkable given that 90 years ago Trump's father was arrested at a KKK rally in Queens.

(Posting title is from the song If You Had A Vinyard by Sinead O'Conner.)

Saturday, August 12, 2017

I'll look for you

The photographs were taken at Vuokatti on July 4th.

This morning I walked for 1 1/2 hours in Petikko, tasting cranberries and blueberries. It remains to be seen how hot it will get today. The weather forecast promises 25 °C, and 30-40 mm of rain, accompanied by thunder.

(Posting title is from the poem So Long, Mom (A Song for World War III) by Tom Lehrer.)

Friday, August 11, 2017

I set the world on fire

The photographs were taken at lake Hiisijärvi, which is an interesting place to visit because of the white sand dunes.

I wrote another poem about Trump, or tried at least.

I love dark money,
building golden towers,
and admire myself in the mirrors.
Poisoning air, earth and water
I set the world on fire.