Low profile

I'm PhD wrestling currently. I've nearly killed it, but it refuses to lie down and go quietly. Please excuse the lack of much posting currently. Normal wittertainment will be resumed shortly I hope.

Violence against refugees in Finland

Today saw the second headline in two weeks about an attack on asylums seekers at a hostel in Finland. Two weeks ago someone threw some sort of bomb at a Red Cross hostel for refugees in SW Finland, fortunately with no injuries. Yesterday, men armed with knives attacked a refugee inside a reception centre in northern Finland, and another refugee was thrown in a nearby lake. The national broadcaster YLE has come up with the quite incredible headline this evening of:

Authorities Unalarmed by Reception Centre Violence

One wonders what would have to happen to alarm them? Is people making bombs and throwing them at occupied buildings not alarming? YLE also reports the authorities saying - as if it was a good thing - that no known "organised hate groups" have been linked to the attacks in northern Finland. If a known group was involved, they could be arrested and charged. If no known group is involved it means that locals are actually organising racist violence themselves, in places where that kind of activity didn't exist before. I'm not sure if that can really be seen as a good thing. The move towards committing politically/ideologically motivated violence has over recent years become known as "radicalisation" - and is generally considered pretty frigging alarming when it is being done by young, brown, Muslim men. Understanding what factors lead to that radicalisation has become a central political and academic question across Europe since 9/11. The same questions should be asked in these case as well.

Finland is not facing any particularly big issues over immigration; no more than anywhere else in Europe, and actually a lot less than most. Yet still some wish to make political capital out of attacking asylum seekers, whilst national policy makers (probably with the best intentions if not much forethought), tell Finns that immigrants are a security risk. Perhaps the knife wielders of Kemi and bombthrowers of Suomusjärvi think they are defending something. I'm an immigrant and I'm not a security risk. I am pretty angry though.

Singletrack

I was testing last night whether it is possible to ride rocky single track onehanded whilst holding a camera with the other. Answer? No. This poor attempt at film making was shot around Petas in Vantaa, on the delightfully named Tyttömäki or 'girl hill'.



On the other hand I got the gears running really smooth on my mountain bike. No more chain getting dumped off the top of the block or off the front chain rings, and minimal chain suck compared to riding at the weekend. If it was stiff link, its must have worked itself loose again. Sometimes I think working in bike shop would have been a much better career choice for me.

Music Monday

Inspired by much Twittering, and because on Monday mornings I need a musical kick in the arse:

Helsinki summer

About ten kilometres from downtown Helsinki. If you want to hire a canoe or kayak try here. It's worth pre-booking if the weather is as nice as it has been today.

Good Helsinki cycle paths #2

I cycled to and from work on four days this last week - lovely weather balancing out tired legs. That's about 200 kms and 8 hours in the saddle. Anyway, the more I ride, the more sadly obsessed I become with cycle path design (or lack there of). The weather being so good I've ridden the longer route through the central park quite a few times this week. This is very relaxing as you are on gravel tracks, miles from any cars, with the only worry being coming round a corner and meeting a dog walker with one of those idiot extendible leads. Why do people with those extendible leads somehow think that walking on one side of a cycle path whilst Fido walks on the other side - stretching two metres of tight nylon out between them - could ever be a smart thing to do? Run in to that doing 35 kmph and me, the dog or the dog's owner are going to get hurt - and I'm the only one wearing a helmet.

Anyway, eventually you get down town and have to leave the quiet woodland paths and get back into urban cycling mode. This is why I want to point out the best bit of cycle path I know in downtown Helsinki:

The video is riding south down Pohjoisranta, about here:


View Larger Map

It's a good because, first, there is a metre of space clearly defined with trees and stuff between us bikers and the cars in the street. Secondly there is a bloody great wall between us bikers and the pedestrians. Now don't get me wrong; I love pedestrians, indeed some of my best friends have been known to walk, I just don't like them wandering aimlessly onto cycle paths. It's great to see pedestrians strolling down here, looking at the boats, enjoying the sea air, having fun - knowing that is where they'll stay thanks to the aforementioned bloody great wall. Also, where cars or pedestrians can cross the cycle path, it is really clearly marked with zebra crossing markings on the road. If all of the city could be like this, cycling life would be really sweet.

Top radio

Strictly speaking - I don't actually listen to the radio much any more, so this should really be titled 'top podcasts'; but you get the point. You can probably find all of these through iTunes, but I'll try and link directly to the relevant webpages.

Firstly, the ever excellent Rear Vision from ABC Radio National Australia. A couple of shows back they did the programme on Chavez and Venezuela. They explain clearly and precisely how he came to be elected with so much popular support, and then all his weakness both personal and political. Excellent journalism - find the right experts and just let them talk.

Then two episodes of Fresh Air from NPR in the States. Firstly, their interview with Dr. Atul Gawande - which helps explain a lot about the structural difficulties of the US healthcare system - when doctors are turned into businessmen and women. And secondly their interview with Chip Berlet, a remarkable sounding researcher into the role of conspiracy theories in extremist ideologies and world views.

And finally, and really only of interest to cyclists, the Guardian has made a pretty good effort with their first ever bike podcast. Bike reviews, cycling safety issues, possible trip destinations, interviews - really a bike mag to listen to.

Midsummer midnight

I've spent two hours on my bike today. I left work at 11 pm and got home around midnight. Yesterday was the longest day of the year, but tonight was close enough to celebrate the solstice for me - by being out on the bike in almost daylight as midnight approached. Not a cloud in the sky, and bright orange lighting up the northern horizon. Kinda magic, although I just have to ignore the fact that now the winter is getting closer again and the days shorter. Riding at that time you always see hares - I'm not sure why but it is virtually guaranteed. I'm not sure why hares seems to dig cycle paths, but they do. Sometimes they let you chase them a bit, lollopping along on track before dashing off into the undergrowth at the side of the path. I took a certain route through one bit of forest as well tonight wondering if I might meet a moose. I've seen a moose near there before, and also saw one on Sunday afternoon, just west of Helsinki, as I was coming home from climbing. He was just standing by the motorway watching the world go by. But no moose tonight, just rabbits and hares. It's kinda cool though that my cycle commute even includes the possibility of meeting a moose.

Here's a short and jumpy (annoying road surfacing!) clip from downtown Helsinki at about 11.10 pm as I was beginning my ride home - just to give those at lower latitudes an idea of Helsinki summer 'nights'.