Finnish research team studies migration routes and most important stopover sites and over-wintering grounds of the Finnish population of the Eurasian crane (Grus grus).
On 18th November the first satellite crane of the project, a young male colt named as Petteri, was discovered in Tunisia, Africa. On 19th November also a female satellite crane Aino arrived Africa.
Learn more from Satellite cranes site.
The USA is voting for a new president. One thing is for sure, the Bush era is ending.
To celebrate this event, here are some cartoons about this great statesman admired here in Finland only by the former prime minister Paavo Lipponen and some ministers of the current right wing government…
Good luck, friends over there! You deserve better than the last eight years of misery. And the world can’t stand any more Bush politics either.
About 90 % of Finns would vote for Obama. So we have our hopes high here! I will work all night and follow Huffington Post, Comedy Central and toddAlbert.com to keep awake and informed. 
And then some cartoons: Read More
Some day care centers in Finland and Sweden have a practise called “Feel at home in Nature”. Children are outdoors in nature as much as possible no matter if it is rainy or cold. Of course kids have proper outfit and experienced childminders. In forest they play, eat lunch by the open fire and listen a fairy tale under the tree. Kids even have their nap there in sleeping bags!
Sepponet is updated. The previous theme didn’t work correctly after the latest Wordpress updates. The new theme was made by WP-wizard Mikko Virenius and we together tuned the layout. Some details still need tuning, but almost everything should now work fluently. If not, please let me know.
I made the picture above for the Ecoefficiency Fair 2002 in Finland. Repairing old window frames made of quality wood saves natural resources. Modern taxation policy anyhow favours their replacement by new low quality “maintenance free” wood-aluminum-frames, which in fact are non-repairable.
The CEO of Alma Media Corporation Mr. Kai Telanne fired the newly-appointed editor-in-chief of the Lapin Kansa newspaper Ms. Johanna Korhonen on October 1st 2008. Lapin Kansa is the largest newspaper in Lapland, Northern Finland. The reason of the sacking seems to be that Alma Media found out that Johanna Korhonen is living in a registered partnership with another woman. Korhonen says Alma Media offered her about 100 000 euros of hush money, if she would resign silently from the post.
The event has raised a lot of protests and boycotting campaigns against Alma Media in Finland. The journalists working for Lapin Kansa have demanded the resignation of the Alma Media CEO Telanne.
To add some pepper to the soap, the retiring editor-in-chief of Lapin Kansa Mr. Heikki-Tuomi Nikula said to YLE Finland that an openly gay person would have a difficult time in working in the job. “I find it quite peculiar that there would be an open lesbian here. Someone could be in the closet, and I’m sure there are people like that around.” The journalists working for Lapin Kansa have demanded the resignation of editor Tuomi-Nikula too.
Alma Media has denied accusations and claims that Korhonen has been lying during the process. The case is going to be continued in court.
I drew the cartoon above about gay mallards in 2002 for the Suomen Luonto magazine after the Finnish parliament had passed the law allowing gay people to register as couples. It was a comment for those who say homosexuality is unnantural. For example mallards and geese are known to have male gay couples. The BBC Wildlife magazine reports in the August 2008 issue that homosexual behaviour has been recorded in more than 450 animal species.
Today, september 23th 2008, is an Earth Overshoot Day. Humanity have today used all the resources nature will generate this year according to Global Footprint Network.
Today is an International Car Free Day. If we really want to reduce travelling by car, we should improve the public transportation so that it always is a cheaper option than using own car. One thing is sure though, we can’t go on this way…
Image from Hayao Miyasaki animated film My Neighbour Totoro © Studio Ghibli
Drawn blog informs that a group of Pixar artists has started a campaign to raise money for the Sayama forest in Japan. This 8750-acres forest in Tokyo inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s excellent animated film My Neighbor Totoro. Miyazaki helped set up the national trust, Totoro no Furusato Fund to preserve the forest.
Over 200 top international artists from animation, illustration, and comics are donating artwork especially created for this cause. On september 6th 2008 Pixar Animation Studios will be hosting an auction event featuring all these pieces of art. All the proceeds of this fundraiser will benefit the protection of the Sayama Forest.
Visit Totoro Forest Project website if you want to buy at auction, help the project some other way or just admire fine pieces of art and hang around with fabulous Totoro style.
Thanks to Google Maps Japan you can take a virtual walk inside the Sayama Forest.
As hard as it is to imagine, cartoonist really can have a holiday. And also cartoonist must come back to work and face harsh facts. Like the Finnish right wing government, that is tearing down public services and nature protection, and is turning country into some kind of mini USA or Russia…
So I needed something to cheer me up and what can cheer you up more than an American country singer!
Actually this was not the basic glittering yodeling wannabe cowboy. Kris Kristofferson had a gig in Tampere House 5th August. The man walked in the big empty black stage, plugged his acoustic guitar, and without any extra flattering intros, he just started to play. Incredible collection of his own songs. It was fine experience, just like a shower through your soul! Now back to work!
Here is a sample of Kristoffersons newest album This Old Road:
