As the Worlds approach I miss him more than ever, so it's a right time to recall the last moment when I cried from happiness at this competition

2017 Worlds... Loco AND Hope & Legacy? Talk about stacked

Indeed 😍😍😍

"Hiljaisuus" by Helsinki, FInland-based deathrock and gothic garage punk act Kuudes Silmä off of their 2017 album Pelko.

why is the prospect of going to Helsinki to see a show a lot more draining than thinking back on the whole stockholm trip. the evil disgusting grip that city has on me that makes me hate it soooooo much is unexplainable

Revisiting "Stuff Yuuri Katsuki Full of Cock 2k17"

AO3 should make you sign a contract in blood and have it notarized before you're allowed to orphan one of your stories. The "R" in "R.C." stands for regret in this case!

Of the many fics, ficlets, drabbles, and WIPs I churned out for the YOI fandom that I wish I could un-orphan, these four were my favorites:

immaculate dream, made breath and skin (E)

Almost half his life has been spent training for the day that Victor Nikiforov takes him to bed, so when it finally happens after the Grand Prix Final, Yuuri's prepared. More than prepared: he's ready. No one's ever touched him as a lover, sure, but there's nothing that he hasn't already dreamed about doing or having done to him to make anything that could happen a shock. But apparently Victor's sole purpose in life is to subvert all his expectations. (this is easily the filthiest thing i've ever written)

with the engine inside (E)

Victor brought this on himself.

Full (E)

On the second day of the 2017 Worlds Competition, he takes a bumpy taxi ride from where they’re staying at the Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa to Hartwell Arena, skates a gold medal-winning singles program, gives at least an hour’s worth of interviews to every major network that exists, meets with an insanely wealthy couple that wants him to give pointers to their daughter who would much rather talk to him about horses than skating, and goes out for dinner and drinks with the usual suspects—all with a thick plug inside him that rubs up against his prostate every time he so much as breathes.

Mercalli (E)

There’s an earthquake in Yuuri’s hands as he slides them up the meat of Victor’s thighs, and it threatens to shake Victor to ruin.

Bonus: Thwarted (M)

Yuuri snorts. "Not even you would've taken 'Victor, I fantasize about getting pregnant' seriously."

Now that Jere has finally been confirmed as the headliner for the Vuosi vaihtuu New Year's show that Helsinki and Yle put on every year, I'm already thinking of the actual performance.

In 2016/2017 Darude was the headliner and they timed Sandstorm perfectly with the clock hitting twelve am. So I'm imagining Jere doing Cha cha cha with the "whoa" part at 00:00 with a huge pyro and fireworks show. It could be legendary!

(Darude for reference below, this is what we can expect.)

An introduction to VR multiple units, part 1: Sm2

The robust milf of our fleet, probably familiar to everyone who has ever traveled with out commuter trains: the Sm2 electric multiple unit.

A pair of Sm2 units in different liveries on the A train service from Helsinki to Leppävaara. My photo from 2015.

The Sm2 class units are an updated version of the older Sm1 class. Externally the two were almost identical, but the Sm2 was easy to tell apart as the slightly sleeker of the two classes – the Sm1 had horizontal stiffenings on the sides, while the Sm2 with their bodies of aluminium (instead of steel) have flush sides. The aluminium body also meant a notable reduction of weight, which resulted in a corresponding reduction of electricity consumption. All this while retaining the sexy chunky exterior looks.

An Sm2 in the hot original livery at Kannelmäki station on the M train service to Vantaankoski. Today, the letter M is used to designate our commuter train service around Tampere. My photo.

A total of 50 Sm2 units were delivered by Valmet between 1975-81. One unit consist of an Sm2 power car and an Eioc control cab car at the other end. They were used in the Helsinki commuter train network alongside the Sm1:s, which which they could be coupled together to form ten-carriage trains if needed. As they are fairly reliable, the Sm2 units have occasionally been used on long-distance trains and at least on one occasion even an Intercity, but their relatively low top speed of just 120 km/h has made them less than ideal on long-distance services.

Original interior of the Sm2. Photo Skorpion87, Wikimedia commons.

All Sm2 units were modernised between 2002 and 2010, with the interiors rebuilt and a new red-white livery applies to the exterior. Overall, the refit followed the pattern set by refits carried previously on the Sm1:s, the two classes remaining near-identical (and fuckable) inside and out.

An Sm2 after the first rebuild, photographed at the Helsinki main station in 2009. My photo.

The star of the Sm2 started to decline with the acquisition of the new Sm5 units (Stadler Flirt) for HSL's (Helsinki Regional Traffic Authority) commuter network starting 2008 (These are owned by Pääkaupunkiseudun junakalusto oy, not us). A total of 81 Sm5's were delivered by 2017, which meant that the Sm1, Sm2 and Sm4 units were retired from the HSL routes.

Sm2 interior after the first rebuilt. Photo Edvardbeijar, Wikimedia Commons.

However, the Sm2's can still be occasionally spotted in Helsinki on longer-distance commuter services we operate to destinations outside the HSL area. Primarily they were moved to the local services around Tampere and the lines linking Riihimäki, Lahti, Kouvola and Kotka to each other. 36 Sm2 units remain in use for these services, and most of them have been given a light refurbishment, including repainting in our current white-green colours, as seen in the first photo.

The 14 retired units have been stripped for spare parts to use in the remaining units; in 2022, we entered a tentative agreement to sell them to our startup competitor Suomen Lähijunat Oy, who plan to heavily modernise them and use them on commuter train services in and around cities we currently don't offer local train services in, for example Turku. Suomen Lähijunat had some trouble securing funding, but the deal was eventually finalized at the end of November 2023.

Suomen Lähijunat's vision of a rebuilt Sm2. Photo Suomen Lähijunat/Idis Design

Meanwhile, we have signed a contract for 20 new Stadler Flirt units of our own (the Sm7 class) to be delivered starting 2026. (We also have an option for 50 additional units). With the delivery of these, our remaining Sm2's will be phased out. So if you want to experience traveling inside our hot milfs from the 1970s, you still have a few years!

Yuzuru Hanyu's K&C reactions to breaking World Records (Through the Years)

Historical world records (during the +/-3 GOE ISU scoring system)

1) October 19th, 2012 (Skate America) - Parisienne Walkways 95.07

2) November 23rd, 2012 (NHK Trophy) - Parisienne Walkways 95.32

3) December 5th, 2013 (GPF) - Parisienne Walkways 99.84

4) February 13th, 2014 (Sochi Olympics) - Parisienne Walkways 101.45 (Yuzu was the first men's single skater in history to score above 100 points)

5) November 27th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - Ballade No. 1 106.33

6) November 28th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - SEIMEI 216.07 (Yuzu became the first men's single skater in history to score above 200 points)

7) November 28th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - Total 322.40 (Yuzu became the first men's single skater in history to score above 300 points)

8) December 10th, 2015 (GPF) - Ballade No. 1 110.95 (Yuzu was the first and remains the only skater to score above 110 points before the 2018-19 season*)

9) December 12th, 2015 (GPF) - SEIMEI 219.48

10) December 12th, 2015 (GPF) - Total 330.43 (Yuzu remains the only skater in history to score above 330 points prior to the 2018-19 season)

11) April 1st, 2017 (World Championships) - Hope & Legacy 223.20 (Yuzu became the first and remained the only skater in history to score above 220 points in the free skate prior to the 2018-19 season)

12) September 22nd, 2017 (Autumn Classic) - Ballade No. 1 112.72

Modern World Records (*during the +/-5 GOE ISU scoring system introduced in the 2018-19 season)

13) November 3rd, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Otoñal 106.60

14) November 4th, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Origin 190.43

15) November 4th, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Total 297.12

16) November 16th, 2018 (Rostelecom Cup) - Otonal 110.53 (Yuzu became the first skater in the new system to score above 110 points)

17) March 23rd, 2019 (World Championships) - Origin 206.10 (Yuzu became the first skater to score above 200 points in the new system)

18) March 23rd, 2019 (World Championships) - Total 300.97 (Yuzu became the first skater to score above 300 points in the new system)

19) February 7th, 2020 (Four Continents) - Ballade No. 1 111.82

1986 Helsinki tidbits

I've made it my lifes mission to find out everything I can about Helsinki 1986 apparently. Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact it's literally the best non-rep in Finland (in my humble opinion. sorry but Tampere 2017 and Lahti 2007 do not look good)

Anyway, here's some characters!

Skimbleshanks (Tom Pöysti) and Mistoffelees (Harri Heikkinen)

Would love to see more of Misto, I'm intrigued by his curly hair... AND I want to hear a recording of Skimble, his actor has a very pleasant voice. (Also: Skimbles Finnish name, Toppa-Roy, directly translates to Sugarloaf-Roy :) )

Mungojerrie (Langry Chellaf), Victoria (Helena Haaranen (?)) and Rumpleteazer (Maire Alho (?))

Only thing I have to say is that Mungojerrie was played by a famous circus actor!

Munkustrap (Arto Rintamäki) and a cat I can't identify.

Nothing more to say than Munk is bald and that other cat looks really cool (It might be Demeter but I really can't say. It's Impossible to find pictures of most of the actors)

Ville Valo - Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin 38/2023

Wie kommen die Finnen eigentlich durch den Winter, Ville Valo? Der Sänger im Interview ohne Worte über seinen Ruf als Sexsymbol, seine Beziehung zur Jugend von heute und Inspirationsquellen. Fotos: Regina Recht Text: Moritz Ostertag

Wie kommen die Finnen eigentlich durch den Winter? Die Reaktion Ihrer Eltern auf Ihr Coming-out als Goth? Ihre Assoziation, wenn Sie das Wort »Liebe« hören? Sie wurden oft als Sexsymbol bezeichnet. Was für ein Gefühl ist das? Was war das Verrückteste, was Sie backstage getan haben? Sie gehen auf die 50 zu. Verstehen Sie die Jugend von heute noch? Wie würden Sie sich selbst beschreiben, als Romantiker oder als Zyniker? Woher nehmen Sie Ihre Inspiration? Sie sind bekannt dafür, »Love Metal« erfunden zu haben. Können Sie uns dieses Genre einmal erklären? Was raten Sie Teenagern bei Herzschmerz? Weil Sie wieder touren: Gibt es viele Goths in Bayern?

Geboren: 22. November 1976 in Helsinki Beruf: Singer/Songwriter Ausbildung: kein Abschluss Status: Schattenmann

Nach dem Geheimnis seiner Schaffenskraft gefragt, merkte der österreichische Schriftsteller, Einsiedler und Obergrantler Thomas Bernhard einmal an, er schreibe sich »den Selbstmord vom Leib«. Ob Ville Valo ein ähnlicher Fall ist, lässt sich schwer sagen, sein therapeutischer Ansatz scheint aber der gleiche zu sein: Seit fast 30 Jahren singt er mit nicht nachlassendem Schmelz über Rasierklingen, Einsamkeit und die Liebe, die Nein sagt. Er nahm den Weltschmerz des Grunge, filterte die ärgsten Cobain’schen Selbsthass-Exzesse heraus und rührte stattdessen etwas schmachtende Romantik unter – eine Mischung, die ab der zweiten Hälfte der Neunzigerjahre sehr gut ankam, wobei die Herkunft aus Finnland, diesem Land der Seen und Wälder hoch oben im Norden, auch zu seiner Vermarktung ­beitrug. Seine Band hieß HIM und war irgendwie Goth, aber nicht satanistisch, sondern Musik für schwere Stunden, immer auch trost­spendend, eine Art Novalis-Gedicht mit E-Gitarre. 2017 löste sich die Band auf, Ville Valo musste sich die Wunden lecken – und kam 2020 unter dem Namen VV als Solokünstler zurück. An seinen ­Herzensthemen hat sich nichts geändert. Seit Anfang des Jahres tourt er mit seinem neuen Album Neon Noir durch die Welt und kommt damit weiter sehr gut an.

NÄPIT IRTI! – Suurmielenosoitus kurjistamista ja riistoa vastaan.

Hallitus kerääntyy 19.9. budjettiriiheen Säätytalolle keskustelemaan vuoden 2024 budjetista. Hallitusohjelman perusteella luvassa on kylmää kyytiä niin luonnolle kuin ihmisillekin. Ministerien ollessa paikalla meillä on timanttinen paikka näyttää, että emme hyväksy tällaisia suunnitelmia. Kokoonnumme budjettiriihen neuvottelujen läheisyyteen (paikka varmistuu myöhemmin) osoittamaan mieltämme iltapäivällä, klo 15 alkaen. Mielenosoitus on kaikille avoin ja sen järjestävät A-ryhmä, Aurora Helsinki, Elokapina, Emilia ja Hallituksenkaatobileet.

🔥 Vaatimukset 🔥

1. Leikkauksia ja kurjistamista vastaan – hallitus, pois meidän lompakolta!

--> Leikkaukset sosiaaliturvaan on lakkautettava. Orpon hallitus leikkaa köyhiltä ja antaa sen verohelpotuksina rikkaille, vaikka tarvitsemme päinvastaista kehitystä.

2. Näpit irti lakko-oikeudesta!

--> Meillä on oikeus taistella toimeentulomme puolesta. Emme suostu lakko-oikeuden rajoittamiseen, vaan haluamme vahvistaa työntekijöiden mahdollisuutta puolustaa oikeuksiaan, ja vastustaa hallituksen ja elinkeinoelämän ajamia kurjistamispyrkimyksiä.

3. Loppu luonnon riistolle – metsät ja monimuotoisuus etusijalle.

--> Rikkaita ja suuryrityksiä hyödyttävä sekä ilmastokriisiä kiihdyttävä kapitalistinen ympäristöpolitiikka on tullut tiensä päähän. Vaadimme oikeudenmukaista siirtymää kohti merkittävästi matalampia hakkuumääriä. Tehometsätalous alas, hiilinielut ylös ja 30 % Suomen pinta-alasta suojeluun!

4. Turvapaikka on oikeus – elämä ei ole poliittinen pelinappula!

--> Vastustamme hallituksen rasistista siirtolais- ja rajapolitiikkaa. Vaadimme ennen vuotta 2017 turvapaikkaa hakeneille välitöntä lupaa elää Suomessa. Turvapaikan hakemista ja perheenyhdistämistä on helpotettava, ja karkotukset maihin, joissa vainon ja kuoleman riski on akuutti, on lopetettava.

Kutsumme nyt kaikki kynnelle kykenevät vastarintaan. Luomme tilan, jossa mahdollisimman moni meistä voi asettua koko olemuksellaan vastustamaan yhteiskunnallisesti ja ekologisesti tuhoisan hallitusohjelman toteuttamista. Tule mukaan vaatimaan parempaa elämää kaikille ja osoittamaan, että meissä on voimaa! Näpit irti!

What is the competition that Yuzu and Shoma competed in together that you wished you had seen in-person?

Do you want to make me cry because that's how you do it 😭😭😭😭

I wish I would have gone to Worlds 2017. Both of them were amazing at that event!

Worlds 2017 has so many great memories (in this place we forget Yuzu's SP existed 😅)

The part that makes it the competition I wish I would have seen is because I actually could have made the trip. Until then it just never occured to me to watch live competitions. But at least this event was the incitation to want to go to competitions in person, which I did in 2017 IdF 😊

Anyway back to Worlds 2017, here are some throwbacks:

I have to ask, as a Finn, what's the shifty find that inspired the Perkele candle?

Not a find this time! I learned how to roll my r's with that word, it's one of my favorite swears. This all goes back to Regretsy times and a kind Finnish tailor named Petja who gave us all swearing lessons. At some point there was a big Regretsy trip to Finland to MEET Petja and go on a guided tour of cursing in Helsinki. Some of this is preserved on youtube somewhere, since Regretsy is gone.

The candle label design I made in like 2017, but I never had a good use for it aside from discord shitposting until now! Perkele!

Okay but like can we talk about how good his solo music is..? Because since I decided to give it a listen to I've been obsessed with it! I watched an interview that YouTube has been recommending me about that EP, and HE PRODUCED AND WROTE IT ALL BY HIMSELF WHILE IN QUARINTINE 2020. That's absolutely fucking wild to me. "Salute The Sanguine", "Run away from the Sun", and "Saternine Saturnalia" are all beautiful songs. I love the instrumentals on all of those tracks. "Salute the Sanguine" has gotta be my absolute favorite out of them but still I love all of those songs from that EP. I haven't listened to I guess the tease of his newer stuff yet, but I'm thinking once that album comes out in January I will. I want to see him on tour already, but unfortunately he doesn't have a date anywhere near my city. I requested that city, so I guess we will see..? Pretty bummed though. I guess what will be interesting is this will be his first tour since HIM disbanded back in 2017. He's been in Helsinki since he returned from that trip and hasn't traveled since. So I can only hope it goes well for him!! And I can also hope he might add a tour date to my city or close to it, and not 8 hours away :)

TOM OF FINLAND (2017) dir. Dome Karukoski Decorated officer Touko Laaksonen returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II, but life in Finland during peacetime proves equally distressing. He finds peace-time Helsinki rampant with persecution of the homosexual men around him, who are even being pressured to marry women and have children. Touko finds refuge in his liberating art, specializing in homoerotic drawings of muscular men, free of inhibitions. His work, made famous by his signature 'Tom of Finland', became the emblem of a generation of men and fanned the flames of a gay revolution. (link in title)

An introduction to VR passenger carriages, part 2: Eil commuter carriages

Like the blue carriages, the Eil and Eilf carriages are rare these days, with most of them having been scrapped. They are also close relatives to the blue carriages, and indeed some consider them to be blue carriages. However, as a colour-oriented person I never approved of this, as the Eils were never blue, but rather had a sexy unique look never shared by other carriages.

An Sr1-hauled commuter train made of Eil coaches at Hyvinkää, 1984. Mikko Lumio, Suomen rautatiemuseo.

The Eil carriages were built in 1982 and 1985-87 by our Pasila workshop in Helsinki (the last class of carriages built entirely in-house by us) primarily for use in the commuter services around Helsinki. Their arrival allowed us to retire the last wooden-bodied passenger coaches.

Eil 25025 at Joensuu in a long-distance train, 1995. Falk2, Wikimedia commons

Like all of our passenger carriages at the time, the Eils were designed in-house by our own design department. To facilitate fast loading and unloading, doors were moved from the ends of the carriage (as they were in all blue carriages) to the middle, and widened into double doors to allow double penetration - a construction very similar to the Sm1 and Sm2 electric multiple units already used in the Helsinki commuter services. Seating arrangements were also similar to the first two Sm series, with groups of six and four facing sets. However, the seats were fabric-upholstered individual seats to give better comfort and make the Eil carriages better suited to use in long-distance trains if needed. The carriages were given a unique livery, with similar stripes as on the blue carriages but using red instead of blue.

Interior of an Eil carriage, 2007. Psl10i, Wikimedia commons

The Eilf carriages were otherwise identical to plain Eil carriages, but had a space for the conductor. In total, 50 Eil:s and 7 Eilf:s were built. The original top speed of the carriages was 140 km/h, but this was upgraded to 160 km/h in the early 2000s. Starting from 2011, they were repainted in our current corporate image, unfortunately making them less easy to distinguish from long-distance trains.

A rake of Eil coaches at Kouvola in the current livery. Nimimerkki951, Wikimedia commons

With the delivery of new trains for use in the Helsinki commuter train network, the Eil-carriages were retired in 2017. They languished in layup until 2020, when some of them were reactivated for use in locomotive-hauled commuter trains. However, scrapping sorry, marketing department told us to say recycling also begun the same year, and at the time of writing only 16 Eils and 4 Eilfs survive. If you're lucky, you can still spot the attractive carriages filled by hot, sweating workers in Z and R trains during the rush hour.