I promise never to pick fun at the Finnish court systems ever again…

A Norwegian woman is sentenced to nine months in jail for rape - this is the first conviction of its kind for the Scandinavian court system.

Back in January of 2004, a 31-year-old man reported to authorities that he had fallen asleep on the couch at a party and woke-up to find the woman performing oral sex on him.

Norwegian law states that all sexual acts with someone who is “unconscious or for other reasons unable to oppose the act” are considered rape.

The woman was sentenced to nine months in jail Wednesday and ordered to pay 40,000 Norwegian crowns ($6,355) in compensation.

This is the first conviction of a woman for rape in Norway.

Retardex, available at your local Apteekki. (no joke)
“For when your retard ex-girlfriend won’t stop calling…”

A couple months ago it was mentioned on Finland for Thought here, here, here, here, and here about a Finnish blogger who was contacted by the Finnish police and ordered to remove some content from his blog. Well the police have now formally apologized for their abuse of power. No surprise that cops make mistakes, but very surprised to actually see a cop apologize for their wrongdoings - I wish they could export these officers to the U.S….

Read more about this from Janne Jalkanen’s blog and Mummila.

Links via The Butt Ugly Weblog

Bringing Finland ever so closer to a police state that resembles a Philip K. Dick novel, The Ministry of the Interior and Communications plans to carry out more speed controls, breathalyzer tests, and spot drug tests. (except in a PKD novel, the cameras would be much much smaller than those giant grey boxes on the side of the road - and Tarja Halonen would be a simulcra, not a human)

Fixed automatic camera speed controls will be extended to 1,600 kilometres of highway. Twenty mobile units are earmarked for urban use.

I find it interesting how so many people can get angry if your company wants spot drug tests but if the government is doing it randomly out on the side of the road, it’s perfectly okay!

This is a must see - An open letter from a Jew in Israeli to Erkki Tuomioja about Finland denying the sale of their world-class gas masks to Israel - I’ll highlight the best parts…

Dear Finnish Foreign Minister, It’s a difficult situation and I am dreadfully sorry you are so upset with the Jewish people. We are, after all, only trying to stay alive.

If the newly dubbed “Palestinians” (a name they acquired only in the past 25 years. They called themselves “Arabs” — part of the great Pan Arabian nation — before that.

It really is appalling, but then again, as I said, the world is a difficult place. Finland wasn’t always the cultured, civilized, peaceful country it now is either.

And who knows, perhaps you’re afraid to sell them. Perhaps you’d rather keep them for yourselves. The world being the chaotic and violent place it is — you or your friends may need those masks some day. Islamic terrorism isn’t limited only to Jews.

You’d think that Finland was selling missles to Israeli, but these are just gas masks! What’s the big deal Erkki, let them have their gas masks.

(Thanks Finnpundit for the tip!)
(And special thanks to TobyA for pointing out that this whole letter is complete bunk from 2002)

We are, after all, only trying to stay alive

Will require closer cooperation between public, private and foreign research funding

In addition to extra breathalyzer checks, spot drug tests will also be carried out

To leave the divided island by the end of September

Garrisons will continue to produce their own basic healthcare services

One should not let rumours, allegations and conjuncture dominate

Excess production capacity to be moved to Hungary

Clubs cut back on player budgets

In 1994 the tram was retired to the sheds

Fund wants to keep Finland among top countries in innovation