Noble

Finland got yesterday it's 3rd Nobel Prize as our ex-president Martti Ahtisaari received the 2008 Nobel Prize for Peace in Oslo. I feel happy and proud for that. He is propably the most underestimated Finn ever, my (previous) opinions included. When he was president we had plenty of jokes like "Ahtisaari is the only president you can see from Moon" - let's face it, he is huge and not the most handsome of world politicians. He came outside party circles as a black horse and won elections big time. He was claimed to be populist, disregarding our country and inclining to business as he spent much time traveling around world doing international politics and promoting Finnish companies. Disregard for home field ultimately hit him as his party came up with another candidate for next elections. Rumour goes he got fed up with this and thus decided not to continue as a president. Good for the rest of the world I say, as he has worked tremendously for solving crisis around world.
It's funny how Russia is very sour of his prize, no official recognizion so far and all main papers just barking bullshit critic. They are still sour about Balkans where Ahtisaari helped produce a plan for the indepence of Kosovo from (Russian ally) Serbia. Today's Pravda: "When the Finns blocked his second presidency, they probably were spared of sharing fate of rest of the world caused by Mr. Ahtisaari."
Err WTF? Attack of Russia? Putin will nuke the world because Norwegians gave Nobel to him? Balkans taught me a Russian lesson, we almost ended up boxing with my then-best cordial Russian friend about the issue. A Ph.D. ready to take Kalashnikov and fight for the Nato oppression there, nothing else ever happened, just American propaganda. I'm actually worried about Russia because the country has gone only much worse ever since when it comes to democracy.

Imagine

Today I'm surrounded by a military camp. This morning getting out of my house to work a sergeant with attack riffle stopped me "Sorry Sir (sic!) road is closed, there's a mine field. You need to turn and go other way." Now how often does your day start like this? Ultimately they gave in and I got to go to work. I'm terribly afraid the reality of their training suffered from pulling off the enormous mine-sweeping truck and watching as a bloody civilian coupé sped right through their minefield. Hey, it's my road, get off or I will drive into your camouflage tent.
Or worse, put my military uniform and attack you tonight! :P