Thank you very much. It would be nice to have a mountain.
December 30, 2015 11:08 PM Subscribe
All I said was that the grill was just sitting there, unused.
Little did I know....
Happy Independence, indeed!
posted by metasav at 11:24 PM on December 30, 2015
Little did I know....
Happy Independence, indeed!
posted by metasav at 11:24 PM on December 30, 2015
If it was the Swedes offering, the Finns would be telling them where they could stick their mountain.
posted by drnick at 11:28 PM on December 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by drnick at 11:28 PM on December 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
As a half-Finn, if this works out, I promise to buy any Norwegian I meet in 2017 a beer to thank them. It's such a nice idea.
posted by drnick at 11:36 PM on December 30, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by drnick at 11:36 PM on December 30, 2015 [6 favorites]
"We have a lot of mountains, and this is just a small mountaintop."
"It would barely be noticeable (for Norway). And I'm sure the Finns would greatly appreciate getting it."
"It is a nice gift to give to a country that lacks a high mountain, where the highest point isn't even a peak."
We get it, Norway! You're a mountainous country.
posted by mikemacman at 11:44 PM on December 30, 2015 [25 favorites]
"It would barely be noticeable (for Norway). And I'm sure the Finns would greatly appreciate getting it."
"It is a nice gift to give to a country that lacks a high mountain, where the highest point isn't even a peak."
We get it, Norway! You're a mountainous country.
posted by mikemacman at 11:44 PM on December 30, 2015 [25 favorites]
Kiitos, Norja.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:34 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:34 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
What a nice idea. It certainly beats giving them something they don’t need (like another tie).
posted by LeLiLo at 12:38 AM on December 31, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by LeLiLo at 12:38 AM on December 31, 2015 [6 favorites]
The Facebook campaign to give Finland a mountain has more than 5,400 likes.
posted by cell divide at 1:06 AM on December 31, 2015
posted by cell divide at 1:06 AM on December 31, 2015
I liked this comic on the issue.
Especially the reduced mimical expression of the Finnish dude.
posted by sour cream at 1:11 AM on December 31, 2015 [3 favorites]
Especially the reduced mimical expression of the Finnish dude.
posted by sour cream at 1:11 AM on December 31, 2015 [3 favorites]
"Tell ya Doc, them Swedes sure know how to humble brag!"
"They're not Swedish, Mac. They're Norwegian."
posted by mannequito at 1:14 AM on December 31, 2015
"They're not Swedish, Mac. They're Norwegian."
posted by mannequito at 1:14 AM on December 31, 2015
[...]The ultrafamous sciento-magician Effrafax of Wug once bet his life that, given a year, he could render the great megamountain Magramal entirely invisible.
Having spent most of the year jiggling around with immense Lux-O-Valves and Refracto-Nullifiers and Spectrum-By-Pass-O-Matics, he realized, with nine hours to go, that he wasn't going to make it.
So, he and his friends, and his friends' friends, and his friends' friends' friends, and his friends' friends' friends' friends, and some rather less good friends of theirs who happened to own a major stellar trucking company, put in what is now widely recognized as being the hardest night's work in history and, sure enough, on the following day, Magramal was no longer visible. Effrafax lost his bet--and therefore his life--simply because some pedantic adjudicating official noticed (a) that when walking around the area where Magramal ought to be he didn't trip over or break his nose on anything, and (b) a suspicious-looking extra moon.
from Life, The Universe and Everything, Douglas Adams
posted by JHarris at 1:48 AM on December 31, 2015 [11 favorites]
Having spent most of the year jiggling around with immense Lux-O-Valves and Refracto-Nullifiers and Spectrum-By-Pass-O-Matics, he realized, with nine hours to go, that he wasn't going to make it.
So, he and his friends, and his friends' friends, and his friends' friends' friends, and his friends' friends' friends' friends, and some rather less good friends of theirs who happened to own a major stellar trucking company, put in what is now widely recognized as being the hardest night's work in history and, sure enough, on the following day, Magramal was no longer visible. Effrafax lost his bet--and therefore his life--simply because some pedantic adjudicating official noticed (a) that when walking around the area where Magramal ought to be he didn't trip over or break his nose on anything, and (b) a suspicious-looking extra moon.
from Life, The Universe and Everything, Douglas Adams
posted by JHarris at 1:48 AM on December 31, 2015 [11 favorites]
...And the Russians are like "Very good! We're declaring the Elbrus region to be Totally Super-Seriously part of Europe. So that Elbrus really is unambiguously the tallest mountain in Europe. We want to be part of the greater ongoing European program of No Ambiguous or Controversial or Very Annoyingly Defined Very Tall Border Mountain Peaks."
posted by wwwwolf at 3:50 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by wwwwolf at 3:50 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
How the heck do you put a ribbon & bow on a present like that? Call in the artist Christo and ask him to wrap it for you?!?
posted by easily confused at 4:03 AM on December 31, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by easily confused at 4:03 AM on December 31, 2015 [8 favorites]
So the current highest point in Finland is 1,324 m. This proposal would add 7 metres, or 0.5%. That's barely noticeable :-)
But it's not like they're not used to fine-tuning the border up there; part of Finland's current border is defined by "the deepest part of a river" so it's being regularly updated anyway. And sometimes people just realized that they've built something in the wrong spot, and go for the pragmatic solution.
(but an alternative to moving the border would be to do like the Belgians, and put a staircase at the highest point.)
posted by effbot at 4:15 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
But it's not like they're not used to fine-tuning the border up there; part of Finland's current border is defined by "the deepest part of a river" so it's being regularly updated anyway. And sometimes people just realized that they've built something in the wrong spot, and go for the pragmatic solution.
(but an alternative to moving the border would be to do like the Belgians, and put a staircase at the highest point.)
posted by effbot at 4:15 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
Let's just take ten minutes and have a view of Finland accompanied by Sibelius's Finlandia. It's stunning.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:57 AM on December 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Wolfdog at 4:57 AM on December 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
So the current highest point in Finland is 1,324 m. This proposal would add 7 metres, or 0.5%. That's barely noticeable :-)
Yes, and that current highest point is located on the slope of this gift mountain. To be precise: it's right on our border with Norway, because on the Norwegian side, the slope continues upward. So, Finland's highest point is not even a peak! I admit it's kind of sad.
So the Norwegian proposal would move the border just a little bit, so that we would get the actual Haldičohkka peak. Yay! Except that if you look at the entire Haldi mountain, it's highest peak Ráisduattarháldi would still be in Norway. Why do I feel like Dobby who's just been given a somewhat dank and smelly sock?
Ecstatic, that is.
I liked this comic on the issue.
Especially the reduced mimical expression of the Finnish dude.
ಠ‿ಠ
posted by sively at 5:00 AM on December 31, 2015 [16 favorites]
Yes, and that current highest point is located on the slope of this gift mountain. To be precise: it's right on our border with Norway, because on the Norwegian side, the slope continues upward. So, Finland's highest point is not even a peak! I admit it's kind of sad.
So the Norwegian proposal would move the border just a little bit, so that we would get the actual Haldičohkka peak. Yay! Except that if you look at the entire Haldi mountain, it's highest peak Ráisduattarháldi would still be in Norway. Why do I feel like Dobby who's just been given a somewhat dank and smelly sock?
Ecstatic, that is.
I liked this comic on the issue.
Especially the reduced mimical expression of the Finnish dude.
ಠ‿ಠ
posted by sively at 5:00 AM on December 31, 2015 [16 favorites]
Peaceably adjusting borders in Europe seems to be a trend right now.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 5:30 AM on December 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 5:30 AM on December 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
This is basically the sweetest and most charming thing I have ever heard. I love this idea so much. What a lovely act of giving!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:37 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:37 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
When do they open it up and find out what's inside?
posted by BWA at 5:47 AM on December 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by BWA at 5:47 AM on December 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
Meanwhile, Germany is feeling pretty inadequate, having brought an iced bundt cake to the party.
posted by droro at 6:06 AM on December 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by droro at 6:06 AM on December 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
And Russia has thrown itself on the floor and is shouting that its a stupid party and it doesn't want to hand over Karelia as a present, even if it was meant for Finland.
posted by drnick at 6:20 AM on December 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by drnick at 6:20 AM on December 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
So lazy and tacky, re-gifting something you've already got a lot of laying around. Just go to Pottery Barn already and pick out a nice serving platter, Norway.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:21 AM on December 31, 2015
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:21 AM on December 31, 2015
All the Nordic countries have great relations, this is just a part of that.
Wellllll except the Danes.
posted by FatherDagon at 6:26 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wellllll except the Danes.
posted by FatherDagon at 6:26 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
"So, Norway, is that a mountain in your pocket, or are you really happy to see me?"
"Well, Finalnd, I am happy to see you."
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:52 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Well, Finalnd, I am happy to see you."
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:52 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
Kiitos, Norja.
Velbekomme. Og gratulerer med 100-årsdagen!
posted by widdershins at 7:53 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
Velbekomme. Og gratulerer med 100-årsdagen!
posted by widdershins at 7:53 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
So lazy and tacky, re-gifting something you've already got a lot of laying around.
It's not even theirs, and both parts are already in Sápmi :-)
posted by effbot at 8:11 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's not even theirs, and both parts are already in Sápmi :-)
posted by effbot at 8:11 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
And Russia has thrown itself on the floor and is shouting that its a stupid party and it doesn't want to hand over Karelia as a present, even if it was meant for Finland.
They should really mind their Mannerheims.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:24 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
They should really mind their Mannerheims.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:24 AM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
A few years ago, Bernie Sanders invited the Finnish ambassador to a Vermont town hall meeting to explain the country and some of the government programs. The discourse began with a small joke from the Ambassador, to show humility and appreciation for the laurels Sanders had just forcefully lauded on the country.
Finnish Ambassador Pekka Lintu: You know, Finns are known as not very talkative people. We are rather known as shy people and you say you can make a difference between an introvert Finn and an extrovert Finn in a way that ...
Audience member (shouts out): Get closer to the mic, please!
Bernie Sanders: They're not quiet and shy here! (general laughter)
Finnish Ambassador Pekka Lintu (adjusts microphone): So, how you make a difference between an introverted Finn and an extroverted Finn?
Well, an introverted Finn when he talks to you is looking at his own shoes. When you meet an extrovert Finn and he is talking to you, he is looking at your shoes.
(video link, YouTube 1hr40min, joke at 14min but the whole talk I found informative).
posted by phoque at 11:13 AM on December 31, 2015 [8 favorites]
Finnish Ambassador Pekka Lintu: You know, Finns are known as not very talkative people. We are rather known as shy people and you say you can make a difference between an introvert Finn and an extrovert Finn in a way that ...
Audience member (shouts out): Get closer to the mic, please!
Bernie Sanders: They're not quiet and shy here! (general laughter)
Finnish Ambassador Pekka Lintu (adjusts microphone): So, how you make a difference between an introverted Finn and an extroverted Finn?
Well, an introverted Finn when he talks to you is looking at his own shoes. When you meet an extrovert Finn and he is talking to you, he is looking at your shoes.
(video link, YouTube 1hr40min, joke at 14min but the whole talk I found informative).
posted by phoque at 11:13 AM on December 31, 2015 [8 favorites]
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posted by monotreme at 11:20 PM on December 30, 2015