Nobody drowned this Juhannus
@ 8:17 pm And I’d say this is a pretty remarkable piece of news. Traditionally the combination of alcohol and boating has resulted in at least half a dozen drownings. The statistics this year weren’t looking good as the thin ice caused a whole lot of fishermen to get into peril. The least drownings during Juhannus was in 2003 when the toll was four.
Otherwise the death toll so far has been 6 people. The most violent incident was in Kouvola, where three army conscripts were stabbed, one fatally and another in critical condition. A middle-aged couple had a beer-fuelled argument and the woman stabbed the man dead in Helsinki. The heavy holiday traffic went relatively safely but with several accidents, two fatal, and the police otherwise has been kept busy by drunk drivers. In Keuruu two men were found in the sauna, one dead and the other unconcious - possibly from cabon monoxide poisoning. Another man was found dead on a beach in Lappeenranta ant the police state they’re not suspecting a crime.
Otherwise the country has been doused with rain and hailstorms, maybe inhibiting the partying a bit. The police has had its share of domestic calls, and a man was shot in the leg while threatening the police with an axe. While the police say the amount of calls has been regular for a midsummer, the Coast Guard has stated it has had approximately half of the amount of calls to assist boaters than usual.
Update: By Sunday the death toll has risen to eight with another stab victim, and of a boating party one man found drowned and another missing - so that makes the inevitable drowning statistics. The Finnish swimming and lifesaving association’s spokesperson says that the bad weather did contribute, but he says he hopes that the downward trend is due to the efforts in public awareness as well. The return traffic is expected to be slightly congested even most people have started their summer vacations.
Wow 6 dead. Even Bagdad is safer.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Sun, Jun 22nd, 2008 @ 12:22 am
Suomi is hi-tech darwinian experiment…
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Sun, Jun 22nd, 2008 @ 5:13 am
Yes, I see High Tech, but the question is, will you cut and run, or just raise the flaggie thingee?
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Sun, Jun 22nd, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
only 8 dead? incredible..
Comment by frenchman — Mon, Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
Now at 8? Gee must move to a safer place…Humm.. now The Capitol of the USA, they had 8 gunned down….and now Bagdad style police state….so where?
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Mon, Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
winter:
“Now at 8? Gee must move to a safer place…Humm.. now The Capitol of the USA, they had 8 gunned down…”
If they indeed did that on Capitol Hill, they are moving in the right direction. At least if they were Republicans.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 2:11 am
Ahhh, nice to see that the Finnish welfare state is functioning as expected. Drunken stabbings, beatings and probably a whole bunch of other stuff that wasn’t reported. Way to go!
Comment by redman — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 6:40 am
not reported? you can’t say the welfare Nanny state is cookin the books, like it does on Medical care?
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 9:58 am
All of the chaos,stabbings,assaults,drunken behavior,seem to peak at this time of year in Suomi…the increase ,year by year,of idiotic,
nincompoop behaviors seems to be correlated,with increase of temperature…These bad-boys and girls behaviors are obviously a result of man-made global warming…
Better get Al Gore to come to Suomi to calm down hot headed Finns!
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
Suomi should expect an increase of disoriented polar bear attacks on reindeer and McDonald’s Hamburger trash dumpsters in Rovaniemi….Due to effects of man-made global warming…Time to shut down Saunas and Grilli stands in Suomi…. Recently polar bears were seen in mass migration in Seinijoki,heading south…Tampere could be next target of
rampaging polar bears …Massive piles of ice blocks in their migratory path might calm down these cuddly,cute beasts!
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
Guess I can’t complain with my midsummer ending with only throwing up. I guess all the rain kept most people from hurting themselves, but then again, it did not stop us from going out and playing Mokky and betonki until 4 AM.
Not I am back in mmy office for the first time in three week. That in itself is a tragedy.
Comment by Fred Fry — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Two middle-aged men are believed to have drowned following a boating accident Saturday night. One body was found drowned Sunday morning in Ruovesi lake in central Finland. His friend’s body has not been found.
In Lappeenranta, the body of one man was discovered washed ashore.
On Sunday morning, a man was found dead in a private apartment in Malmi. Police have caught one man they believe was responsible for the homicide.
A young man was stabbed to death in downtown Kouvola on Saturday morning, while two of his companions were taken to hospital with knife wounds. The three men were all conscripts on leave, although they were wearing civilian clothing. Police have taken three other men into custody in connection with the stabbings, and are treating the case as a homicide.
Police in Helsinki report that one person was killed when a couple’s row ended in a stabbing. They have taken a 48-year-old woman into custody.
All in all, police in the capital city were called out on 140 jobs on the night of Midsummer’s Eve — 18 of these were cases of assault.
Nonetheless police and rescue services across the country say that despite the higher-than-average number of fights and drunken driving, this Midsummer weekend has so far been more peaceful than most.
Accidents Also Claimed Lives
In Keuruu, central Finland, an elderly man died while taking a sauna. Another man in the sauna was taken unconscious to the hospital. Authorities believe the sauna was not properly ventilated, and do not suspect foul play.
In Tyrnävä, just south of Oulu, an elderly woman was shot but not seriously wounded by her middle-aged son at a Midsummer’s party. The shooting took place when an argument erupted between the party’s guests and hosts. The man retrieved his unlicensed small-bore rifle and accidentally shot his mother in the shoulder.
A passenger car en route to Turku crashed into a van early on Friday near Ämmässuo in Espoo. The impact caused the passenger car to swerve into the road railing, after which it flipped over and fell into a ditch. The passenger car’s driver died in the accident.
Later on Friday, a truck and passenger car collided head-on in Haukipudas near Oulu. The passenger car’s driver died whereas the truck’s driver was hospitalised.
YLE
Comment by danfuller9@hotmail.com — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
Incidentally, the Supreme Administrative Court decided today that the infamous Tiitinen list is to be published, despite scepticism from experts in the blogosphere.
Anyone know any good fart jokes?
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Tue, Jun 24th, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1101978047898.gif
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Jun 25th, 2008 @ 10:18 am
“the Supreme Administrative Court decided today that the infamous Tiitinen list is to be published”
Well, if they appeal the decision, then you just have to wonder who they might be trying to protect. I am interested to see if there is any fallout once the names are published. Either it will be nothing or you’ll have a national scandal, especially if any senior member of the Government is named.
Comment by Fred Fry — Wed, Jun 25th, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
Big polititians have got too much immunity: in Italy and here too.
Comment by x — Wed, Jun 25th, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
it was just the Helsinki Administrative Court, though. My bad.
Of course, the list contains names of people that were of some interest to Stasi, not informants or operatives. That stuff is in the Rosenholz files which are far more interesting.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Wed, Jun 25th, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Tänä vuonna kaljakellunta 2008 järjestetään 02.08.2008, klo.11:00 alkaen
http://www.kaljakellunta.com/
Comment by sirwankalot — Wed, Jun 25th, 2008 @ 8:31 pm
Good lord, throwing up in an Etola rubber boat in Kerava. That’s the life. What was that about white trash again?
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 12:41 am
#16 they are waiting for them all to die…
Comment by Anonymous — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 2:06 am
#20
It is a *finnish* white trash event, a source of national pride. They think here the “Daytona Bike Week” is such.
Comment by Anonymous — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 2:08 am
UN will be sued for its role in the Srebrenica massacre.
Its the chickens comming home for the European mess up there.
link
At Sbrenica, Dutch forces, operating as UN “peacekeepers” lured Bosniacs into areas
where they were frog marched off to a machine gun.
Good job you-all
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 2:10 am
Sweet tapdancing Jehovah!
Theres the revival in Espoo!
http://www.espootravel.com/xsl_dokumentti.asp?path=2357;2475;2708;92153
Comment by Hank W. — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 2:12 am
Phil:
Running a blog is almost a full time job. And your blog is really appreciated. So, perhaps you can widen your guest blogger concept abit more.
For example, why don’t you recruit another guest blogger: Someone who likes current events (there’s alot going on: campaign contributions, NordStream, wood tariffs).
Also, a guest blogger who likes history. Baltic history is fascinating.
Still, another blogger who concentrates on every day life issues. Where to shop and eat, or hang out.
I noticed that some of the quality long term contributors are less visible recently and have been replaced by spam-like trolls.
Nevertheless, your blog is generally very interesting. And I have learned alot of interesting stuff.
Keep up the good work.
Comment by Peter — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
Phil:
Running a blog is almost a full time job. And your blog is really appreciated. So, perhaps you can widen your guest blogger concept abit more. Adding Hank and Kristjan were good ideas. Why not more?
For example, why don’t you recruit another guest blogger: Someone who likes current events (there’s alot going on: campaign contributions, NordStream, wood tariffs).
Also, a guest blogger who likes history. Baltic history is fascinating.
Still, another blogger who concentrates on every day life issues. Where to shop and eat, or hang out.
Comment by Peter — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
I could guest blog.
Have topics like
“humanitarian aid workers and UN peacekeepers are sexually abusing and sexual trafficking children in several war-torn and food-poor nations.”
and lead the discussion on the UN?
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
How about a guest blogger that presents articles about the loss of Finnish national identity and culture,due to the multi-culti politically correct policies of the Finnish government!?
New laws instituted by the misguided totalitarian E.U., restricting free speech,will not allow open and honest discussions,on this web site
or any where else in EURABIA about the E.U.agenda to destroy
nation state identities and cultural traditions…Criminalization of truthful,transparent discussion of the threat to Suomi by those who seek to destroy finnish culture and traditions is not allowed
What a pathetic shame that Suomi is engaging in cultural suicide.
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
Infinndel, with respect, your’re speaking rubbish. We’ve probably got one of the lowest rates of immigration in Europe - let alone the EU. We actually need more immigration, not even less. Plus, could you not see the hypercritical side of someone writing on the subjects that you suggest on the blog of an American immigrant in Finland?
Comment by Jonas G — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 5:52 pm
#29…I am complaining mainly about E.U. policies that are
are increasingly totalitarian and how ALL E.U. countrys are being deconstructed and interfered with by BELGIAN.. bEUROcrats…imposing their will on Suomi, whose people mostly get no say or vote on dangerous European policies..like the new “E.U.treaty”….Meanwhile restrictions to free speech everywhere is being squelched by multi-culti,politically correct rampaging agendas of E.U…..
Look what has just happened with Ireland treaty vote!….I bet a lot of Finns regret the mistake Suomi made in joining E.U….
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 6:15 pm
Infinndel, have you read the Lisbon treaty? - just out of interest. Some powers are in fact returned to the member states and the national parliaments are given a larger degree of influence in other areas.
Bureaucrats at the EU are not exclusively Belgian either. Are all employees of the US government from the District of Columbia? You really ought to at least have some grasp of the facts before forming an opinion. You sound like Fox News, where the actuality is never seen as a burden when forming a good headline.
Comment by Jonas G — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 7:39 pm
infinndel-
You have image of a Suomi that doesn’t exist and never did. You are not informed. Talking all nonsense about Finnish culture (drunkenness) and identity (jealousy) is fine, but E.U. is only thing that keeps Finland from going totally communist.
Comment by Seppo — Thu, Jun 26th, 2008 @ 8:23 pm
#25 last time I blogged something “historical” it was BOOORING. No pearls to pigs.
Comment by Hank W. — Fri, Jun 27th, 2008 @ 1:12 pm
“Finland from going totally communist.”
Huh, 60% Tax rate, Nanny State, you are there…… oh and throw in your 10-15% Unemployment rates…..
then there is the Political Correctness, even Blue1, has the carbon tax check box, not that I used it. Gas the Hummer and drive please.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Fri, Jun 27th, 2008 @ 1:34 pm
How’s the portfolio, winnie?
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Fri, Jun 27th, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
“portfolio”
its Flat, as I am heavy into world stock. I miss the year after year 10% - 20% growth.
diversify to win.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission” — Sat, Jun 28th, 2008 @ 2:55 am
I love my cowntry: I just hate all the people in it and I pollute it.
Comment by patriot — Tue, Jul 1st, 2008 @ 12:59 am
winnie:
“its Flat, as I am heavy into world stock. I miss the year after year 10% - 20% growth.”
One great thing about a virtual portfolio is that you never lose. Helppoa ja riskitöntä.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Wed, Jul 2nd, 2008 @ 12:44 am
winter wrote (in post 9):
“you can’t say the welfare Nanny state is cookin the books, like it does on Medical care?”
Apparently some of the cooking was left undone recently at an American hospital where a woman died on the floor of the waiting room while the staff just watched and ignored her:
http://www.iltalehti.fi/nettitv/?27993004
Comment by Åboy — Wed, Jul 2nd, 2008 @ 4:42 pm