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> [...]
> Might free will somehow be required for goodness to be manifest? How, for instance, does one become a pediatric surgeon? Well, you must first be born, with an intact nervous system, and then provided with a proper education. No freedom there, I'm afraid.
No. The kid would need to be interested and/or study the material in
order to learn it. That is his choice. Yes freedom.
> You must also have the physical talent for the job and avoid smashing your hands at rugby. Needless to say, it won't do to be someone who faints at the sight of blood. Chalk these achievements up to good luck as well. At some point you must decide to become a surgeon—a result, presumably, of first wanting to become one. Will you be the conscious source of this wanting?
Sure. You may first have wanted to be a rock musician because you
wanted fame and women. And then you thought about it a lot and
realized that your chances of actually doing that and then you changed
your mind. So then you did some research and thought hard about it and
decided that you wanted to be a pediatric surgeon. So you were the conscious
source of this wanting, yes.
> Will you be responsible for its prevailing over all the other things you want but that are incompatible with a career in medicine? No. If you succeed at becoming a surgeon, you will simply find yourself standing one day, scalpel in hand, at the confluence of all the genetic and environmental causes that led you to develop along this line. None of these events requires that you, the conscious subject, be the ultimate cause of your aspirations, abilities, and resulting behavior.
Ultimate cause? So Sam agrees that he can be *a* cause?
> And, needless to say, you can take no credit for the fact that you weren't born a psychopath.
No one is born a "psychopath". A psychopath has bad moral ideas. A baby
has no moral ideas at all.
> Of course, I'm not saying that you can become a surgeon by accident—you must do many things, deliberately and well, and in the appropriate sequence, year after year. Becoming a surgeon requires effort. But can you take credit for your disposition to make that effort?
Yes. Because one of your options was to not think about it much. And
continue smoking weed and being lazy.
> To turn the matter around, am I responsible for the fact that it has never once occurred to me that I might like to be a surgeon? Who gets the blame for my lack of inspiration? And what if the desire to become a surgeon suddenly arises tomorrow and becomes so intense that I jettison my other professional goals and enroll in medical school?
Your preferences come from your ideas. Your ideas become instantiated
when you think. You can choose to think or choose to be lazy and not
think. For example, in the hypothetical I gave above, you could have
chosen to not think much and tried to do some race car driving for a
few years and then failed at it.
> Would I—that is, the part of me that is actually experiencing my life—be the true cause of these developments? Every moment of conscious effort—every thought, intention, and decision—will have been caused by events of which I am not conscious. Where is the freedom in this?
No. You can choose to think. Or choose to stop thinking. I see it all
the time. I'm thinking about a subject and lets say I'm talking to
someone and then they think that the problem is unsolvable, so they
want to quit thinking, because they think its futile and so they don't
enjoy it and choose to stop thinking.
> If we cannot assign blame to the workings of the universe, how can evil people be held responsible for their actions? In the deepest sense, it seems, they can't be. But in a practical sense, they must be. I see no contradiction in this.
Huh? X and Not X contradict each other. Notice how he says *deepest
sense* and *seems*. What does he mean by deep? And seems? It means his
own thinking about the subject is unclear.
> In fact, I think that keeping the deep causes of human behavior in view would only improve our practical response to evil. The feeling that people are deeply responsible for who they are does nothing but produce moral illusions and psychological suffering.
No. Psychological suffering is caused by having unmet expectations.
I am responsible for all my problems, all my mistakes. That means that
its my job to solve them so that I prevent those mistakes in the
future. And all of them are soluble. So why should I feel bad about
being responsible for my mistakes?
One of the reasons people feel bad about their mistakes is if they
believe that they will *stay* mistaken forever. So they believe that
not all problems are soluble.
But the reality is that by being (and taking) responsibility for my
mistakes, I can effect change, thus solving my life problems and
reducing/preventing suffering. This is awesome! It's reason to be
optimistic and happy!
If I instead concluded that I'm not responsible, then I won't work on
changing my mistakes, thus my problems would linger and so I won't
reduce/prevent suffering. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy.
> Imagine that you are enjoying your last nap of the summer, perhaps outside in a hammock somewhere, and are awakened by an unfamiliar sound. You open your eyes to the sight of a large bear charging at you across the lawn. It should be easy enough to understand that you have a problem. If we swap this bear for a large man holding a butcher knife, the problem changes in a few interesting ways, but the sudden appearance of free will in the brain of your attacker is not among them.
> Should you survive this ordeal, your subsequent experience is liable to depend—far too much, in my view—on the species of your attacker. Imagine the difference between seeing the man who almost killed you on the witness stand and seeing the bear romping at the zoo. If you are like many victims, you might be overcome in the first instance by feelings of rage and hatred so intense as to constitute a further trauma.
Exactly! You have some underlying ideas about the situation. Those
ideas affect your thinking.
In the bear example, your idea is that its not the responsibility of
the bear to not hurt you. He's programmed by his DNA to want to kill
and eat you. So you're not angry because you think its not his fault.
In the human example, your idea is that it *is* his responsibility to
act morally and choose not to kill you. And you get angry about the
fact that he is an evil SOB.
Now even that situation is controllable. There's no law of nature causing
you to get angry. It's your attitude causing it - and you have the ability to
change your attitude.
> You might spend years fantasizing about the man's death. But it seems certain that your experience at the zoo would be altogether different. You might even bring friends and family just for the fun of it: "That's the beast that almost killed me!" Which state of mind would you prefer—seething hatred or triumphant feelings of good luck and amazement? The conviction that a human assailant could have done otherwise, while a bear could not, would seem to account for much of the difference.
No. Its the *idea* that I described above.
> A person's conscious thoughts, intentions, and efforts at every moment are preceded by causes of which he is unaware.
You *can* be unaware, sure. Those are subconscious ideas. But that
doesn't mean that you have to stay unaware of those subconscious
ideas. You can discover them, i.e. make them conscious and explicit.
Also, many people have all but perfected their skill at fooling themselves.
> What is more, they are preceded by deep causes—genes, childhood experience, etc.—for which no one, however evil, can be held responsible.
Wrong. Because you have the ability to discover those subconscious
ideas, you are responsible for doing so. Why? Because once you've
discovered them you can work to change them.
> Our ignorance of both sets of facts gives rise to moral illusions. And yet many people worry that it is necessary to believe in free will, especially in the process of raising children.
> This strikes me as a legitimate concern, though I would point out that the question of which truths to tell children (or childlike adults) haunts every room in the mansion of our understanding. For instance, my wife and I recently took our three-year-old daughter on an airplane for the first time. She loves to fly! As it happens, her joy was made possible in part because we neglected to tell her that airplanes occasionally malfunction and fall out of the sky, killing everyone on board. I don't believe I'm the first person to observe that certain truths are best left unspoken, especially in the presence of young children. And I would no more think of telling my daughter at this age that free will is an illusion than I would teach her to drive a car or load a pistol.
Ah so Sam thinks its human nature that people are afraid of death.
This is not true. People *learn* to fear death. And parents can help
children learn to think about death and thus not fear it. I've
discussed death many times with my girls. I started by watching nature
shows with them so they can see death as a common thing. Now my 5 year
old comes to me and says (without negative emotion), "I know how I
could lose you (Rami), you could die from a car accident… or we could be
in a forest and a bear eats you."
> Which is to say that there is a time and a place for everything—unless, of course, there isn't. We all find ourselves in the position of a child from time to time, when specific information, however valid or necessary it may be in other contexts, will only produce confusion, despondency, or terror in the context of our life. It can be perfectly rational to avoid certain facts. For instance, if you must undergo a medical procedure for which there is no reasonable alternative, I recommend that you not conduct an Internet search designed to uncover all its possible complications. Similarly, if you are prone to nightmares or otherwise destabilized by contemplating human evil, I recommend that you not read Machete Season. Some forms of knowledge are not for everyone.
> Generally speaking, however, I don't think that the illusoriness of free will is an ugly truth. Nor is it one that must remain a philosophical abstraction. In fact, as I write this, it is absolutely clear to me that I do not have free will. This knowledge doesn't seem to prevent me from getting things done. Recognizing that my conscious mind is always downstream from the underlying causes of my thoughts, intentions, and actions does not change the fact that thoughts, intentions, and actions of all kinds are necessary for living a happy life—or an unhappy one, for that matter.
> I haven't been noticeably harmed, and I believe I have benefited, from knowing that the next thought that unfurls in my mind will arise and become effective (or not) due to conditions that I cannot know and did not bring into being.
You can know. You can discover your subconscious ideas.
> The negative effects that people worry about—a lack of motivation, a plunge into nihilism—are simply not evident in my life. And the positive effects have been obvious. Seeing through the illusion of free will has lessened my feelings of hatred for bad people.
I too don't hate bad people. But its not because I think they aren't
responsible. They *are* responsible. Its just that I don't get angry
about stuff anymore - I know why those people act the way the do.
> I'm still capable of feeling hatred, of course, but when I think about the actual causes of a person's behavior, the feeling falls away. It is a relief to put down this burden, and I think nothing would be lost if we all put it down together. On the contrary, much would be gained.
I disagree. I think what would be lost is that people would stop
trying to better themselves. If you believe you aren't responsible for
your actions/thoughts/emotions, then you won't think about changing
them. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy.
> We could forget about retribution and concentrate entirely on mitigating harm. (And if punishing people proved important for either deterrence or rehabilitation, we could make prison as unpleasant as required.)
Retribution is a bad idea. You can know this without rejecting
free will. Retribution means punishment that is considered morally
right. Its false. No punishment is morally right. No one gains anything
by it. Punishment doesn't cause learning (like learning better moral
ideas and thus bettering one's behavior). Punishment is morally wrong.
> Understanding the true causes of human behavior does not leave any room for the traditional notion of free will.
This is wrong as I've explained above.
> But this shouldn't depress us, or tempt us to go off our diets. Diligence and wisdom still yield better results than sloth and stupidity. And, in psychologically healthy adults, understanding the illusoriness of free will should make divisive feelings such as pride and hatred a little less compelling.
Well it does in Sam and I guess it would in many people. But, pride
and hatred are wrong for reasons other than the false idea that free
will is illusory.
> While it's conceivable that someone, somewhere, might be made worse off by dispensing with the illusion of free will, I think that on balance, it could only produce a more compassionate, equitable, and sane society.
And now we see why Sam thinks free will doesn't exist. First he
guessed the theory that free will doesn't exist (or he read that someone
guessed it), and then he noticed himself become *less prideful* and
*less hateful* (which happen to be ideas that he believes are good),
and so that "confirmed" that free will doesn't exist, because he liked his
new self-image more than his old one. So his emotions "corroborated"
his *free will doesn't exist* theory.
But reason doesn't work by confirmation, nor does science. Reason
and science work by refutation.
You don't prop up theories with justifications. Instead, you rule out
theories with criticisms.
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text:
Difference between revisions of "Helsinki"
Revision as of 05:59, 28 July 2014
Helsinki (Finnish) or Helsingfors (Swedish) [102] is the capital of Finland. Founded in 1550, the "Daughter of the Baltic" has been the Finnish capital since 1812, when it was rebuilt by the tsars of Russia along the lines of a miniature St. Petersburg, a role it has played in many a Cold War movie. Today, Helsinki pulls off the trick of being something of an international metropolis while still retaining a small-town feel. The best time to visit is in summer, when Finns peel off their overcoats and flock to outdoor bars and cafes to enjoy the sunshine.
Helsinki's current population is about 604,380, but the Greater Helsinki region including the suburbs of the neighboring administrative areas of Espoo and Vantaa has a population of over 1.3 million.
Helsinki was founded in A.D. 1550 by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden as a trading post to compete with Tallinn to the south in Estonia, which was Danish at that time. The growth of the city was slow until the establishment of Sveaborg (nowadays Suomenlinna) Maritime Fortress in the front of Helsinki in the middle of 18th century. In 1809, Finland was annexed by Russia during a war of that period and the capital of Finland moved from Turku to Helsinki in 1812. The Czar felt the Grand Duchy of Finland needed a capital of grand proportions. The architects Johan Albrecht Ehrenström, a native Finn, and Carl Ludwig Engel, from Germany, were given the task of rebuilding the city in the Empire style. This can be seen today around the Lutheran Cathedral, which was completed in 1852. The same style, and even architects, is also a part of Saint Petersburg's history. Though thoroughly a Nordic capital, Helsinki today reflects the influences gained from the Western and Eastern cultures.
The county of Helsinki forms the core of Finland's largest urban area, known in Finnish as the "capital area" (pääkaupunkiseutu). Helsinki is bordered by the Gulf of Finland to the south, while the suburban city of Espoo, with the embedded tiny enclave town of Kauniainen, is to the west. The more industrialized city of Vantaa is to the north and east. Beyond these three the suburbs rapidly give way to small towns, farms and forests, most notably Nuuksio National Park at the intersection of Espoo, Vihti and Kirkkonummi.
Within Helsinki itself, the city center is on the southern peninsula at the end of the city's main thoroughfare Mannerheimintie (or just Mansku). Both the central railway station and the main bus terminal are in the city center. Shopping streets Aleksanterinkatu (or Aleksi for short) and Esplanadi (or Espa) connect to Senate Square (Senaatintori), the historical center of the city. See the Helsinki Guide Map [103] for an interactive searchable map of the city.
Tourist information
City of Helsinki Tourist Information Office, Corner of Pohjoisesplanadi and Unioninkatu (just off Market Square), ☎ +358-9-31013300, [1]. M-F 9AM-8PM, Sa-Su 9AM-6PM; closes 6/4PM Oct-Apr. A fount of information with helpful, multilingual staff. They also sell tickets to museums and sightseeing tours.
Helsinki's celebrations are among the most exciting in the country.
Helsinki is among the world's northernmost capitals and the lengthy winter, from November all the way up to March, is dark and freezing. Winter temperatures average -5°C, but the wind chill makes it feel even colder and the mercury can plunge below -20°C on a particularly cold day. Snow falls only intermittently and often melts into gray slush.
The summer is pleasant, but short, lasting from early June until late-August. Highs are usually around 22°C and sometimes climb above 27°C, with lows usually ranging between 10 to 20°C. Parks burst into green and sunbathers dot the city's beaches. Due to the northern latitude, the daylight hours are unusually long in summer, with sunsets very late in the evening, and virtually no darkness at night from early June until mid-July.
The city is officially bilingual, with an 86% Finnish-speaking majority and a visible 6% Swedish-speaking minority. However, most of the Finnish-speaking majority only know the very basics of Swedish, which they learned in school. Most Finns speak English more fluently than Swedish. Although locals will appreciate an effort to say a few words in Finnish, they will readily switch to English. The Swedish in Finland is spoken with an accent quite different from the one in Sweden.
Street names and many signs in Helsinki are in both Finnish and Swedish.
Get in
By plane
All international and domestic flights land at the compact, modern and airy Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport [106] (IATA: HEL, ICAO: EFHK), which is located in Vantaa, 18 kilometers to the north of the central Helsinki. Note that in recent years the airport has become crowded, so expect delays when going through security, particularly during the Scandinavian summer holiday period. There are two adjacent terminals, connected by a short walkway:
Regular taxis to the center cost €30-40. Shared Airport Taxi [107] (tel. 0600 555 555 for bookings) mini-vans start from €29 for two (mind that infants count as an adult.) A train line to the airport is under construction, but until it's completed in mid-2015 or so, public transport options are:
You can also check bus connections with the Journey Planner (Reittiopas) which is also available in English: [109]
If you need a place to sleep between flights, there are several reasonable hotels in or very near the airport:
For general aviation (small planes) the Helsinki-Malmi Airport (IATA: HEM, ICAO: EFHF) is available, with fuel and customs facilities available at the airport.
Finally, from some points in Europe, it may be cheaper overall to fly with Ryanair to Tampere, Turku or Lappeenranta (2 hours away by train) or even to Tallinn, Estonia or Stockholm, Sweden a short ferry ride away.
By helicopter
Copterline [110] runs a fairly expensive Tallinn-Helsinki service, taking around 18 minutes. This is the world's fastest capital-to-capital city transfer. (The service was discontinued, but is told to continue by mid August 2014).
By train
All long-distance trains throughout Finland and the Russian cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg terminate in the heart of the city at the Rautatieasema (Central Railway Station). This station also provides easy interchange to the metro and tram lines. All the trains also stop at Pasila station, which is the last station before Central Railway Station. From Pasila you can change to tram and bus lines.
By car
Expressways connect Helsinki to Turku to the west, Tampere and Lahti to the north, and to Porvoo and towards Saint Petersburg in the east.
By bus
Long-distance national and international buses terminate at the new underground Central Bus Station (Linja-autoasema) in the Kamppi Center [111] (Kampin Keskus). The station is adjacent to Mannerheimintie, directly connected to the Kamppi metro station and within a short walking distance from the Central Railway Station.
Low-cost bus operator Onnibus operates many lines and are rapidly expanding their connection network. Check latest information on connections from their website [112]. Prices start from as low as 3 EUR (if booked in advance). Onnibus buses to Tampere leave from the small curbside stop in front of the Kiasma art museum and the ones to Turku depart from the Kamppi long-distance bus terminal.
For travel from St. Petersburg (Russia), Russian minibuses depart from the Oktyabrskaya Hotel (opp Moskovsky train station) around 10PM and arrive behind Tennispalatsi at Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 8, one block away from Kamppi, early in the morning. Departures back start around 10AM in the morning. Other minibuses are parked along Fredrikinkatu, with the departure time and price often posted on them. The trip costs around 15 euros, making this by far the cheapest option, but the buses are cramped and uncomfortable and some of them stop at numerous supermarkets on the way so that Russian passengers can go for tax-free shopping. Do not expect drivers to speak anything but Russian. The border crossing time might be substantially longer than with regular buses.
By boat
Helsinki is well connected with ferry services to Tallinn (Estonia) and Stockholm (Sweden), and there are limited services to Travemünde & Rostock, Germany as well as Gdynia, Poland. Scheduled service to St. Petersburg (Russia) operates again since April 2010, and there are occasional winter/summer cruises.
Ferries arrive at three harbours with five terminals:
See the Port of Helsinki [119] for the latest details.
Get around
By public transportation
All public transportation within Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen is coordinated by HSL [120]. The following basic ticket types are available:
The Single ticket allows you to travel by almost any local public transportation method (buses, trains, trams, metro, Suomenlinna ferry) within the boundaries of Helsinki. The Regional ticket covers almost any public transportation method within the boundaries of Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen. However, if you purchase a Tram ticket, you are allowed to travel only by tram. All tickets allow unlimited transfers within their validity periods and regions. Children under 7 travel free, while tickets for children under 16 are half price.
Fares can be paid by cash when boarding (except on trams), by sending a text message to 16355 (valid on trams, metro and some buses; requires a Finnish SIM card) or by Travel Card (matkakortti), a reloadable smartcard sold at the R-kiosks and HSL offices, very similar to London's Oyster card. The Travel Card costs €5 (nonrefundable) and gives a 25% discount on fares. Using it is slightly cumbersome, as you must hold your card against the reader and simultaneously press the numbered button corresponding to the desired ticket type. Hold the card without pressing anything to see the remaining value or to register a transfer. One unadvertised but handy feature of the card is that it can be used by multiple people at once — just hold and press the button repeatedly, and the reader will beep and show "2x", "3x", etc. (For any subsequent transfers, holding it against the reader once is sufficient.)
Alternatively, you can opt for the Helsinki Card (1 day €38 (children 16) to 3 days €58 (children 22)) [121] or HSL Day Ticket (matkailijalippu) (1 day €8,00), both of which offer unlimited travel within the city. Day Tickets are valid for 24 hours and are sold at HSL offices, R-Kiosks located in the city center, ticket vending machines or by the driver. There are similar 2-day tickets (€12,00) available too, valid for 48 hours. The Helsinki Card also offers free admission to a number of museums and attractions.
The very useful HSL Journey Planner [122] will get you from a street address, place or sight to another by suggesting possible public transport connections, covering the entire metropolitan Helsinki region. Try eg. "Airport" or "Railway station" for place names. It is also available in several third party mobile apps for most smart phones, which can use GPS to find your current location.
Getting around at night can be a bit tricky (or expensive), as most trains and trams stop before midnight and the buses before 2AM. A limited night bus network, all leaving from either Elielinaukio or Rautatientori next to the railway station, runs on weekends and public holidays after 2AM, charging approximately twice the price of a daytime ticket.
There are no ticket checks when getting on the metro, trains, trams or the Suomenlinna ferry, but ticket inspectors in blue uniforms do random checks on board. If you choose to ride without a ticket, watch out for the inspectors, as getting caught without a ticket results in an €80 fine.
While the trams operate in the city center, buses cover the rest of the city. The main stations for northbound and eastbound buses are on the two squares adjacent to the Central Railway Station: Eliel Square (Elielinaukio) and Railway Square (Rautatientori). Westbound buses operate from the underground bus station in the Kamppi Center which is adjacent to the Kamppi metro station.
Buses are always entered through the front door and exited through the middle and back doors. When getting on the bus with a ticket you have bought earlier, you need to show it to the driver. If you don't have a ticket, you can buy one from the driver in cash (but don't try to use a bill larger than €20, the drivers may sometimes refuse large bills). If you are using a travel card, follow the instructions given above.
A metro line runs from the center to the eastern neighbourhood. Apart from the Itäkeskus shopping centre, Rastila camping site and Aurinkolahti Beach few places along the line are of interest to tourists. After Itäkeskus, the line splits in two, with one line going to Mellunmäki and the other to Vuosaari. Travelling between Ruoholahti and Mellunmäki or Vuosaari takes 21-22 minutes. The metro line is currently being extended westwards to Espoo and the first extension of seven new stations is expected to be opened in 2015. Helsinki's Metro holds the minor distinction of being the northernmost subway system in the world with Mellunmäki being the northernmost station.
Local train
VR's suburban trains operate north from the Central Railway Station, branching out in three directions. HSL city tickets are valid within city limits, regional tickets on suburban trains to Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen.
All carriages on local trains have the electronic readers which allow you to buy a ticket with a travel card. If you want to buy a ticket in cash, you must go to a ticket sales carriage (lipunmyyntivaunu) and buy a ticket from the train conductor. The ticket sales carriage is indicated with a sign by the door. There is also a large sign on the station platform showing where the ticket sales carriage should stop.
Suomenlinna ferry
The HKL ferry to Suomenlinna from the Market Square (Kauppatori) is a cheap and popular summer getaway. Another HKL operated ferry, mostly used only by the island's residents, leaves from the eastern end of Katajanokka. In addition, private operators provide ferries to Suomenlinna and various other islands during the summer; however, schedules can be sparse. HSL's Day Ticket and mobile-phone ticket are both valid also on the Suomenlinna ferry.
By on-demand minibus
Kutsuplus [125] service is a new kind of intelligent transport mode, where passengers headed in the same direction are transported with the same minibus. The purpose of the Kutsuplus service is to facilitate movement in a new, smart way.
Before setting out, passengers book the trip via web service using computer, tablet or phone. A minibus will then pick up the passengers at the nearest bus stop and take them to their respective destinations. Currently service operates to over 1100 stop inside Ring I road on workdays from 6am to 11pm. The bus is driven by an expert driver, and the passenger area is equipped to accommodate, for example, working during the trip.
Regular public transportation tickets are not accepted, but the payment is done by credit card when ordering the ride from Kutsuplus.fi web site. The price of the journey depends on the length of the journey and is shown when booking. Compared to a taxi, Kutsuplus is roughly 50-70% cheaper for a one person trip. Groups of two people get a 20% discount, groups of three 30%, groups of four 40% and groups of five or more 50%.
By taxi
During weekend nights and some popular events or holidays, it can be a bit difficult to find a taxi. Walk to the nearest taxi stand or try to book by phone from Taxi Helsinki 0100 0700 [126] or Lähitaksi [127] 0100 7300. If it's a very busy night, To pre-order a taxi for a given time, call 0100 0600. A pre-order can be placed for a taxi maximum two weeks prior to the time the taxi is needed, and a minimum of a half an hour before. A pre-order fee of €7.00 will be added to the taxi fare.
Drivers are not required to pick up a person hailing them on the street. If their light is on, and they pass a person hailing them, it is usually because there is a taxi stand very near by with available taxis waiting for customers. If you are not near a taxi stand, you'll very likely be able to hail a passing taxi with the light on. If the queues at night seem frustratingly long and you are willing to walk a bit, try heading towards Hakaniementori or Lauttasaari Bridge, where you can often hail a returning taxi (don't bother if the light is not on).
Yellow Line [128] is a good, cost-effective option for getting from the airport to the city center. Minivans carry up to seven or eight passengers and drop passengers off at their individual destinations. The shuttles can be found at their bright yellow desks in arrivals lounges 1 and 2. Prices start from €29 for one or two passengers and varies based on the number of people in the van.
By Baana
Baana - Helsinki's new "Low Line" (as opposed to NYC's High Line) opened on June 12, 2012, providing pedestrians and cyclists with a 1.3 km long connector between the Western Harbour area to Kamppi and Töölö Bay. At the Harbour end, you can also see all international cruise lines stopping to Helsinki and visit free sightseeing terrace with MiG-21BIS fighter jet on display - located at Verkkokauppa.com's electronics store. On the Kamppi end, there's bicycle hire centre and cultural activities and sights.
By bike
Alas, Helsinki's free Citybike system was suspended in 2010, although there are plans to bring it back. If you bring your own bike or rent one, you'll find an extensive network of bike routes within the city. Bikers are required by law to drive on the street next to cars unless a bike lane or integrated pedestrian/cyclists sidewalk runs next to it, and the police ticket cyclists breaking this rule. Bike lanes are clearly marked by street markings and blue traffic signs. Biking is also allowed on pedestrian streets.
Downtown bike lanes are typically on the sidewalks (instead of next to car lanes on the street) so be aware of pedestrians. Don't be afraid to ring your bell! Review your bike map carefully, as some bike routes will stop and require you to walk your bike or drive next to cars. [129]. There is also a journey planner for cycling [130]. Once you get out of the city centre, cycling is less complicated.
Public libraries often have free stocks of biking maps in Helsinki Metropolitan Area, so when they are not visible on tables it would be better to ask the map from the library staff.
If an ordinary bike isn't enough for you, you can also rent a cyclerickshaw (riksa) large enough for three from Riksavuokraus [131] (tel. +358-50-5582525) in Eiranranta near Kaivopuisto. Prices start at €9/30 min, driver not included but available on request.
By car
Car rental is not a particularly good way of getting around Helsinki, since parking is limited and expensive. Most street-side parking in the city center is in "Zone 1" and costs €4/hour during working hours, although Saturdays (mostly) and Sundays (always) are free. There are also several large underground parking garages at Kamppi and Forum.
By organized tour
If you're looking for an organised tour in or around Helsinki, there's only one game left in town:
Surrounded by sea and a vast archipelago, Helsinki is at its best in the summer when the dialogue between the city and nature is at its fullest. Classical Helsinki's sights can be divided into an eclectic set of churches and a wide variety of museums. For a coastal amble past some of Helsinki's minor and major sights, see the itinerary A seaside stroll in Helsinki.
If you have a short amount of time in Helsinki, you may wish to follow the recommended Helsinki itineraries, which begin at the Saarinen-designed Central Railway Station and move on to the Senate Square and the Lutheran Cathedral, the Uspenski Othrodox Cathedral, Market Square, and beyond.
If you see only one place in Helsinki in the summer, you could make it Suomenlinna [133]. The "Gibraltar of the North" was once the greatest sea fortress in the Baltic, built by the Swedish in the mid-1700s at great expense to protect their eastern flank. But when the Russians invaded in February 1808, the bulk of the unprepared and bankrupt Swedish army hastily withdrew, allowing the Russians to conquer Helsinki without a fight and besiege the fortress. With no reinforcements in sight, commander Carl Olof Cronstedt surrendered unconditionally two months later, and Finland was ceded to the Russians. Cronstedt's actions probably saved countless civilian lives, but King Gustav IV needed a scapegoat and sentenced him to death for treason; fortunately, the losing king was himself soon overthrown, and Cronstedt lived out his years gardening.
Today's Suomenlinna is still living in its own time with only old buildings, few cars, fewer than a thousand inhabitants and lots of old fortifications, catacombs and cast iron cannons. But it's not just a museum: the sprawling complex houses restaurants, cafes, theaters and museums, and is a very popular place for a picnic on a fine summer day, watching the vast passenger ferries drift by on their way to Estonia and St Petersburg. It was included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1991 as a unique monument to European military architecture.
Entry to the island itself is free, but you need to pay for the ferry ride. The HSL ferry from Market Square is the cheapest and most convenient way of getting there. The ferry is a part of the Helsinki local traffic, so if you have an HSL Day Ticket it includes ferry travel. The ferry runs approximately every half hour. You can also use the normal single-HSL tickets, you can transfer to the ferry if validated within the transfer time window. There is also a special €4, 12-hour tourist return ticket. On summer weekends the island is a popular picnic destination and you may have to wait for a long time as hundreds of people crowd the ferry terminal. In this case it may be worth it to use the more expensive private ferry company at the other end of the Market Square.
Guided tours of the island in English are available daily at 11AM and 2PM in Jun-Aug and on Sat/Sun only at 1:30PM the rest of the year, €7/person, and history buffs will want to drop into the Suomenlinna Museum [134] at the Visitor Centre (€6,50).
Other islands
A beautiful archipelago (saaristo) surrounds the Helsinki city center. In addition to the major islands listed below, there are scheduled services to many smaller islands, and you can also tour them by sightseeing cruise. Most of the cruises depart from the Western corner of the Market Square and last from one to several hours. Note most ferries and cruises operate only in the summer high season.
If you are limited in time, the three must-see churches in Helsinki can be easily remembered as Red, White, and Rock. In other words, the red Uspenski Cathedral, the white Lutheran Cathedral, and the Church in the Rock.
Places of Worship
Museums and galleries
Many of Helsinki's museums are as interesting from the outside as from the inside. Architecture buffs will get a kick out of Helsinki's Neo-Classical center, centered around Senate Square (Senaatintori), where a statue of the liberal Russian czar Alexander II stands guard. Aleksanterinkatu and the Railway Station square also have some beautiful neo-classical buildings — look out for the Romantic Kalevala-esque themes — but unfortunately these areas also have many concrete monstrosities mixed in.
Olympic sights
Helsinki is an Olympic city, the host of the 1952 Olympic Games.
Amusement parks
The situation with movie theaters in Helsinki has deteriorated in recent years when one by one small theaters have closed their doors.
In downtown Helsinki, there are two large multiplexes: Tennispalatsi located in Salomonkatu 15, Kamppi and Kinopalatsi in Kaisaniemenkatu 2, Kaisaniemi, both maintained by Finnkino, the largest movie theater chain in Finland. In addition, Finnkino operates a historic cinema with two screens, Maxim in Kluuvikatu 1, Kluuvi. See Finnkino's ticket pricing on their website.
Theaters concentrating on classic and art house films are few and far between in Helsinki today. The movie theater Orion, Eerikinkatu 15, run by the Finnish National Audiovisual Archive, screens a wide variety of films, including classics. Tickets 5,50€ for non-members and 4,50€ with a membership card. Kino Engel, Sofiankatu 4 near Senaatintori, focuses on European and world cinema. Tickets 9€. In Summer, also Kesäkino (Summer Cinema) is held in the courtyard of Café Engel, Aleksanterinkatu 26. Tickets (12€) can be bought from the Kino Engel counter and for the same night also from the Kesäkino door 45 minutes before the screening.
There are also some (small) independent movie theaters in neighboring Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen showing mainly the bigger blockbusters: Bio Grand in Tikkurila, Vantaa, Bio Jaseka in Myyrmäki, Vantaa, Bio Grani in Kauniainen and Kino Tapiola in Tapiola, Espoo. Many of them have a matinée series of cheaper, more art house screenings supported by the local culture board. In addition, Finnkino operates three screens in Omena cinema in the Iso Omena shopping center in Matinkylä, Espoo as well as six screens in Flamingo multiplex in the entertainment center Flamingo in Vantaa. In Leppävaara, Espoo there are also six screens in the Bio Rex multiplex at the Sello shopping center.
Luckily, several film festivals enrich the cinema culture in Helsinki region. The biggest is the Helsinki International Film Festival - Love and Anarchy held annually in September. Espoo has its own international film festival Espoo Ciné held every August in Tapiola and Leppävaara. In January, Helsinki Documentary Film Festival Docpoint takes over. Some of the smaller film festivals include (to name few) Lens Politica showing political films and art, Helsinki Short Film Festival for short films, Artichoke Film Festival concentrating on films of and by women, and Night Visions focusing on horror, fantasy, science fiction, action and cult cinema. Cinemania website collects at least some of the festivals together and also sells passes of 5 or 10 screenings that may be used in several festivals. However, check the site for the most up-to-date information as the ticket policy varies from festival to festival.
Helsinki has an active cultural life and tickets are generally inexpensive. Important performing groups include:
At Sea
Helsinki is located at the Finnish Gulf, and several cruise liners arrange trips out to the archipelago ranging from short hops lasting only an hour or two to trips ranging a full day.
Most of Finland's exchange students end up in Helsinki's universities.
As elsewhere in the country, obtaining work in Helsinki may be difficult. See the main Finland article for details.
Shopping in Helsinki is generally expensive, but fans of Finnish and Nordic design will find plenty of things of interest. Most large shops and department stores are open weekdays from 9AM-9PM. As in the rest of Finland, most shops close by 6PM on Saturday and Sunday (as of 2010 all shops are allowed to open every Sunday between noon and 6PM). A notable exception is the Asematunneli complex, located underground adjacent to the Central Railway Station, most shops here are open until 10PM almost every day of the year.
Grocery stores K-Supermarket and Lidl in the Kamppi Center (see below) and the S-Market supermarket below Sokos, next to the railway station, are open every day until 10PM. Small grocery stores and the R-Kioski convenience store chain are open till 10PM or 11PM year-round, too. A handful of small Alepa grocery stores are open 24 hours a day except on national holidays, including Alepa Eliel, located under the commuter train tracks at the Central Railway Station. In the centre you will find small Delish and Pick A Deli convenience stores in the city center, open 24 hours a day year round but more expensive than regular grocery stores.
Department stores and shopping malls
Helsinki's main shopping street is Aleksanterinkatu (Aleksi), which runs from Senate Square to Mannerheimintie. On Aleksi you can find plenty of shops and the largest department store in Scandinavia, Stockmann. The parallel Esplanadi boulevards have expensive specialty boutiques. The only store by an international luxury brand in Finland is on Esplanadi: Louis Vuitton. Access to the area is easy, as trams 3, 4/4T and 7A/7B all run down Aleksanterinkatu, and the area is just a stone's throw from the Central Railway Station and Kaisaniemi metro stations. Close by, in the Kamppi area, you can find the shopping centres Kamppi and Forum and the department store Sokos. Large shopping malls can be found in the suburbs and accessed by public transport from the Central Railway Station.
In the suburbs of Vantaa and Espoo you can also find big shopping malls. Vantaa has Jumbo(including Flamingo) [181] and Myyrmanni [182], while Espoo has Iso Omena [183] and Sello [184]. All of these are easily accessible by public transport or by car (free parking), but don't provide anything that would not be available in the city center.
There are high-end design stores around Aleksanterinkatu and Etelä-Esplanadi. The Design District Helsinki area around Uudenmaankatu and Iso Roobertinkatu is full of design and antique shops, fashion stores, museums, art galleries, restaurants and showrooms. Here you can find the most interesting names, classics, trend-setters and so much more. Visit Design Forum Finland [185] at Erottajankatu 7 to get a map of shops and galleries.
Most outdoor markets in Helsinki are open only in summer, but the market halls are open all year round. They are great places to taste Finnish delicacies.
Helsinki has a selection of great "underground" record stores with a greatly varying selection of both Finnish and international music. Most of them also sell vinyl (12"/10"/7"). Generally speaking, prices aren't cheap, but the selection may be worth it. Some of the more collectible stuff may even be cheaper than elsewhere.
If you have only a limited amount of time, check out the record stores around Viiskulma', a brisk walk from the city center:
Elsewhere around the city center:
A bit farther:
In Kallio, easily accessed via Hakaniemi metro station:
Something different
A couple of stores with curious business ideas not widely available elsewhere.
A surprisingly large number of restaurants close down for a month or more in summer (July-August), so call ahead to avoid disappointment.
Budget choices are largely limited to fast food, although there are a couple of workaday Finnish eateries in the mix. In addition to McDonald's and its Finnish imitators Hesburger/Carrols, Helsinki is also full of pizza and kebab places, where a meal typically costs around €7-8 (sometimes as low as €4-5, especially in Kallio). A more healthy option is Unicafe [212], a chain of restaurants owned by the Helsinki University student union, which has around 10 outlets in central Helsinki and offers full meals from €5.70, including vegetarian options. During the lunch time, usually from 11am to 3pm, most restaurants serves food for reasonable prices. Lunch restaurants and lists in Helsinki can be found at lounaat.info.
Central Helsinki is dominated by restaurants dedicated to international cuisine, and these are particularly useful for vegetarian visitors, Finnish food being largely meat-based. A particular touch is provided by a bunch of "Nepalese" restaurants, which actually serve generic north Indian food, but almost any of which you are guaranteed to leave happy and full. Localized Chinese and Italian cuisines are also well represented.
Two classes of fine dining stand out in Helsinki: fresh seafood and Russian. During the dark days of the Soviet Union, it was sometimes said that the best Russian restaurants in the world were across the border in Helsinki. For something authentically Finnish and uniquely Helsinki, try Vorschmack, an unusual but surprisingly tasty mix of minced lamb and herring, served with chopped pickles and sour cream (smetana).
Helsinki has plenty of hip places for a drink. The main nightlife districts, all in the city center within crawling distance of each other, are around Iso-Roobertinkatu, the Central Railway Station and Kamppi. Helsinki's busy gay nightlife is centered mostly around Iso-Roobertinkatu and Eerikinkatu and surrounding streets.
Going out is not cheap, and complaining about the prices is a popular Finnish pastime, but compared to (say) London or New York City the prices aren't that bad. If you are on a budget and intent on getting plastered, follow the Finns and drink up a good "base" at home or hotel before going out on town. Alternatively, you can start the night outside the city centre area and head to the district of Kallio where bar prices are significantly lower. Popular places include Heinähattu, Roskapankki, Iltakoulu, Bar Molotow and Lepakkomies but there are lots more to choose from, just walk along Helsinginkatu or Vaasankatu. You can reach Kallio from the center by walking, by tram (lines 1, 3B, 6 or 7B) or by metro (get off at Hakaniemi and walk uphill, or Sörnäinen, and head west). All bars in Kallio have to close at the latest at 2AM, whereas in city centre there are many that are open until 4AM, this reinforces Kallio as a 'party starting district'. The Kallio area is generally a bit rougher than the rest of the city and is as close as Helsinki gets to a red light district. However, it is a lot more tame than most 'such parts of town' in Europe. You will be fine there at any hour as long as you look out not to get in between a fight of two drunkards about who the remaining vodka belongs to.
Note that, while entry to bars and clubs is often (but not always) free, in club-type places and proper restaurants you must use and pay for the coat check (narikka), usually around €2, if you're wearing anything more than a T-shirt. In some places you must pay even if you don't leave anything at the cloakroom. The bouncer will be very strict with this as the much of the narikka-money goes into his pocket. If a ticket price is advertised, it usually does not cover the coat check.
The drinking age is 18, and this is rather strictly enforced, so bring along ID. Underaged drinking is still a huge problem, and many bars and clubs apply house limits of 20-24 years, but these are enforced less strictly and a patron of younger age will some times be let in if one fits the clientele, especially women.
Information on clubs and live performances can be found in free, Finnish-language tabloids such as City [266], which can be picked up at many bars, cafes and shops.
Finland is the largest coffee consuming nation per capita and coffee breaks are written into law. However, in Finland most coffee is filter-brewed from a light, more caffeinated, roast that is quite different to what the rest of the world drinks. Finns often enjoy a bun (pulla) or cinnamon bun (korvapuusti) with their coffee.
In Finland commonly espressos and lattes are called "special coffees" and a large number of establishments that make such coffees have popped up all over town ever since the nineties when they arrived. One which will give any Italian cafeteria a go for their money is La Torrefazione next to Stockmann. In the more common cafeterias the normal light brew coffee is sold by self service at the counter even at some more expensive cafeterias (there is only a handful of cafeterias serving to the table in Helsinki - this shows how commonplace coffee drinking is considered).
Bars and pubs
In Helsinki, the most popular nightclubs have long queues starting to form around 11:30PM. Get in early to avoid standing, although it can be a nice way to meet people. After around 1:00-2:00AM it might be impossible to get in anymore. You may try to just walk past the queue looking important, but a more efficient strategy is to discreetly tip the bouncer (€10-20). The larger group you are, the more difficult things get. Look smart!
Accommodation is generally quite expensive, but of a high standard. Hotels are usually cheaper on weekends, when business travelers are away. In a real pinch, it may actually be (far) cheaper to book a "last-minute" or "red-ticket" return cabin (from around Euro 20) on an overnight cruise to Tallinn, and spend the night (and part of the next day) on the boat, rather than sleep in the city.
There are quite a few budget hotels in Helsinki, the cheapest being youth hostels. Many student dormitories turn into youth hostels during the July-August school break, which happily coincides with peak season for tourists. The Finnish Youth Hostel Association [296] can provide further information.
Stay safe
The crime rate in Helsinki was earlier generally low, although locals grumble that things have gotten worse since the EU removed restrictions on movement. Pickpockets target crowds and bicycles are prone to petty theft. Walking in the streets after dark is generally safe and the city center is indeed quite lively until the early hours of the morning. However, it's best to steer clear of obviously drunk people looking to pick a fight, the traditional trouble spots being the frustratingly long queues for late night snack food or taxis. Getting mugged for money in the streets of central Helsinki is almost unheard of, but you might not want to get into any unlicensed taxis even though the licensed ones are almost always way short of demand during pre-Christmas and summer seasons. A licensed taxi in Finland will always have a yellow box with its number on the roof.
The most crimes in city center concentrate around central railway station and Kamppi shopping center. The Kaisaniemi park behind the main Railway Station is possibly best avoided at night, and some parts of Kallio and Sörnäinen (northeast from the center, after the Pitkäsilta bridge) may be somewhat rougher than other parts of the downtown.
Finnish police never require a cash payment of fines which it gives. Never give money to a person who presents him/herself as a police officer. Ask the police officer to show his/her badge. See here what a genuine badge looks like: [297]. Do not try to bribe a local authorities - it is illegal.
In winter, try to keep a steady footing: despite the use of vast quantities of gravel and salt, pavements can be quite slippery when the temperature hovers around zero and near-invisible black ice forms. Also especially in spring watch out for snow falling from the roofs of the buildings. After several injuries and even a few deaths, real property owners are now busy keeping the roofs clear of snow [298].
Every spring a few hundred Roma beggars from Romania and Bulgaria arrive in Helsinki to stay for the summer. This phenomenon exists in many European cities, but is particularly ample in Helsinki due to the fact that there are virtually no local beggars. For years these beggars were considered to be organized crime, but in the summer of 2013 the Finnish police stated that no such links exist [299]. In very rare cases these beggars can become aggressive, but mostly they just beg on the sidewalk or collect bottles to get funds from reverse vending machines.
Helsinki's bedrock is close to the surface, so new building works invariably involve some dynamite to build foundations, and it's thus quite common to hear explosions around the center. Blasting is often preceded by a loud sequence of warning beeps, which speed up as they count down. There is no danger to anyone, as the builders are experts (and the solid granite bedrock is very, very strong), but now you know where that "BOOM!" came from.
If you are just passing through and choose Helsinki to apply for a Russian visa, be careful when choosing a travel agency: some may charge a lot extra for "express service" (although applying for one yourself at the consulate will take weeks).
Much of Helsinki is blanketed with wifi ("wlan") hotspots, and the City of Helsinki maintains a handy map [300]. By comparison, Internet cafes with shared PCs are few and far between in Helsinki, but here is a partial listing.
Many internet/cyber cafes in Finland can be expensive. There are a large number of locations in Helsinki that offer free public wifi for those needing to connect to the office while outside of the country. Most cafes offer these services without requiring a person to be a paying customer. Some restaurants will do this as well, but may insist that you purchase something. There is a list of the free wifi locations compiled online [303].
Get out
The following make good day trips:
As a coastal city, Helsinki has good connections to some fine international destinations nearby:


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Editor's note: Lancaster resident Cami Steen's first grandchild was born Jan. 11, 2012. While waiting the arrival of Braelyn Emanuel Mickle, Steen recalled an incident from her childhood when she and her two sisters stayed with grandparents in Durham, N.C., when their fourth sister was about to enter the world. It was Jerry Honeycutt, their beloved uncle, who drove the three young siblings to Durham. Steen wrote this article about her favorite uncle when she was a student at the University of South Carolina Lancaster.
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'Great Minster Street' @ Winchester
by local Hampshire artist Ted Hepenstal
Limited edition mounted A3 print
Painted using acrylic, gouache, oil pastel and pencil. This is a scene from Winchester, Hampshire.
Fine art prints are the perfect choice for art lovers on a budget or for those who are just beginning to explore the exciting world of contemporary art.
Expertly printed in our Winchester studios, this print is produced using inks and papers developed to create a perfect reproduction.
Mount Size: H 400mm x W 500mm
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Framed collection: £56.00
Framed delivery: £66.00 (inside Hampshire)
Collection from Hampshire County Council reception - Elizabeth II Court, Winchester, SO23 8UJ
Hampshire County Council, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8ZB
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Well, yes...but consider the toxicity of the conversation over the past few weeks, and you'll understand why this semi-regular post was delayed until the team managed to string together a couple of wins. I assume you'll understand. Friendsies?
Okay, on with your questions:
@taoofstieb does the Josh Johnson injury situation make it more or less likely that he remains a Blue Jay? #TaoBagThis question has been asked many times in recent weeks, and I tend to slough it off out of hand. I understand that there is the temptation to look at Josh Johnson like a dented can of soup on which we might be able to get a snazzy discount, but is it really worth it? Who likes dented soup?
— Ken Peterson (@Kenjamin12) May 17, 2013
But since you asked nicely, allow me to expand.
Firstly, it should be said that we don't really know what to make of Josh Johnson's injury because he's fully mired in it at this time. The moment of truth will come when he returns - whenever that happens - when we get to see how he looks when he's back to something resembling passable health.
If Josh Johnson returns and he's good, then you should probably kiss him goodbye. The Jays have a lot of money for the ensuing years already owed, and Johnson will be looking for more years than a reasonable team should give him. Which won't stop some damn fool team from handing him a contract for too much money and too many years.
There is a scenario where Josh Johnson misses a long stretch this season - maybe well past the point where he'd be tradeable - where the Jays could make him a qualifying offer for one year. And if that were to come to pass and he accepted, then we can recycle this answer a year from now.
Who is worse? JPA or Colby? #TaoBagYou know, you could have asked "Who's better?" That might have been nice.
— Morgan Burton (@MorganBurton) May 17, 2013
But since you asked: I tend to be focused on strikeout and walk rates when evaluating players lately, and neither JPA nor Colby are especially flattered by those numbers. JPA has struck out in a third (literally, 33.3%) of his at bats, while Colby has whiffed in an astonishing 40.7% of his at bats.
Colby has managed to convert some deep counts into bases on balls, walking in 8.6% of his trips to the plate. At the same time, Arencibia has walked twice. Two times. One time in the second game of the season, and then one other time against Baltimore. But in his last 20 games, he has not let a pitcher offer him a free pass.
Maybe he's just in a hurry to get back to the dugout to put his catching gear back on.
Yes, JPA has the second best isolated power on the Jays at the moment (.257), but Colby isn't far behind (.190), and offers vastly superior defense at a premium position. So I'll say Colby. Dang.
May I have another?
@taoofstieb What is your opinion on Munenori Kawasaki and how long he will remain with the team #taobagI understand that Kawasaki is an endearing player, and that his various antics and rituals have led to a streak of genuine affection from a certain portion of the fanbase. People dig plucky dudes.
— Matt G (@MattG_12) May 17, 2013
Moreover, there are aspects of Kawasaki's game which were lacking in the Jays' lineup early on. This includes the ability to draw a walk, of which he has 11, or nine more than JPA in less than half the plate appearances. He also has the ability to get his bat on the ball, as evidenced by a stupendous 93.2% contact rate (4th in MLB among players with 80 or more PAs).
The biggest problem, though, is that Kawasaki doesn't hit the ball hard. At all. His .279 slugging percentage lags far behind his .337 OBP, and while he's managed to swipe five bags and only get caught once, there are limits to how productive you can be slapping the ball weakly around the field.
I'm also not a huge proponent of his defensive skills, though he plays short well enough to get by.
My suspicion is that once José Reyes returns, we won't miss Kawasaki's outsized personality that much.
A few quick ones to close us out...
If the Yanks don't resign Cano, could you see the Jays getting involved? #TaoBagI really like Robinson Cano, but know this: There is no amount of money that the Jays could offer Robinson Cano that the Yankees would not match. The only team that I could envision stealing Cano away is the Dodgers, but even they have their limits.
— Jeffrey Dyck (@jeffreyldyck) May 17, 2013
How long can Ramon Ortiz keep this up? Predictions/guesses for the season? #TaoBagMaybe one more start. Or two. But probably not. He's walked between the raindrops in his first two starts. Though throwing strikes is always appreciated.
— Darren Priest (@dpriest) May 17, 2013
What has to happen to get the Argos out of Rogers centre? #TaoBagI think Rogers would have to lean on the Argos to find another place to play. It's an open question as to whether if that's something they really want, or if the 10-12 dates per year are worth enough to Rogers to tolerate the inconvenience. My guess is that the successful Grey Cup might have softened their resolve to get the Argos out, if that was even on their agenda.
— Andrew Glynn (@Andrew_Glynn) May 17, 2013
And that's about what we can squeeze in for today. Thanks for the questions, and apologies to those whose questions were too smart for me to answer with some diminished capacity today. Cheers, and enjoy your long weekend.


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Competency Statements
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Reasonable Accommodations Statement:To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations maybe made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. To build a diverse workforce Industrial Info Resources encourages applications from individuals with disabilities,minorities, veterans, and women. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.


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Re: ♥ ♥ ♥ Wally's Thead ♥ ♥ ♥ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Good to hear from you guys - just have been a little busy lately. And i've been thinking that if I disappear for a while I can start some all-star speculation for myself.
doh! maybe we should hold wally down and get him to admit they're in the race?
Don't believe everything you read without credible confirmationthis I believe :@sucksBrian Paolo TAR8 (10/26/06 11:03 pm)
Ok, hold onto your hats. I just got more info from my "source." The show will be called "Amazing Race:Return Of The Racers." 11 teams start racing on 11/11. Teams that are in:Reichen/Lance BassUchenna/JoyceMama Paolo/DJRob/AmberColin/ChristieMirna/CharlaGuidosKevin/DrewNot confirmedGreg/Survivor Woman (only because rumor has it they may have broken up)Ray/DeanaNot askedChip/KimRob/BrennanXXX/VictoriaClownsInterviewed but didn't make final cutKen/GerardSusan/PatrickDebbie/Bianca
And also think of people who have NEVER been on TAR. Hmmmmm.
QuoteAnd also think of people who have NEVER been on TAR. Hmmmmm.This fits in with the Trish/Stacy rumour.
evilandproudFanatic Today @ 4:31 pm Email · Post #994 There were some major All Star sightings at the Cinncinnatti airport. I was driving to the grocery store and I heard about this on at least three radio stations, one of which named at least one team. The station said there was a definitive sighting of The Guidos. I'm not gonna lie, the airport is twenty minutes out of the way and I went there and stood around for a while. Unfortunately I saw nothing at all.I know that it will never happen, but I would love to see Kelly and Jon again. I really, really liked them. They were good racers and they fought enough to be entertaining, but not enough to make me hate them.
Andrew:So here's my off topic question for any alumni on here...if you had to race in an all star season with a different racer from any season, who would you choose and why?
Does anyone know when the official list will be out for the teams?
Hell how are they even going to keep it hush hush before they even get off the ground?ROMBERROWNAGEEEEEEEEEE
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Dierks Bentley, '5-1-5-0′ – Song Review
Every summer Dierks Bentley seems to have a song perfectly suited for speeding down a back country highway with the windows down and the stereo up. His uptempo songs have a Tasmanian Devil feel to them. Like 'Free and Easy' and 'Lot of Leavin' Left to Do' before that, '5-1-5-0′ is three minutes of reckless energy.
It's a credit to Bentley and producer Brett Beavers that few people have grown tired of this style. They're constantly changing up the subject matter while keeping the the tempo in the red. This time a girl has the singer behaving like a crazy person.
"5-1-5-0, somebody call the po-po / I'm goin' crazy, thinkin' 'bout you baby / 5-1-5-0, just this side of loco / I'm goin' crazy, think I love you baby," Bentley sings. "5-1-5-0″ is the police code for someone with mental instabilities (think Charlie Sheen).
The tempo and heedless attitude Bentley brings to this song (and all of his best songs) match the subject matter. There's sort of a madman's synergy as the singer longs for the girl's touch. "Cause I, ain't never felt like this, no / And I, I just need one kiss, from you / And I'll be good as new / If I don't get some of your sweet lovin' no tellin' what I might do," he sings before finishing the song.
It may be uncouth to admit it, but we can all relate to the story Bentley is sharing. This song from the 'Home' album is a welcome return to the artist fans learned to count on for a hybrid of crazy and rowdy (crowdy?) since 2003.
Listen to Dierks Bentley, '5-1-5-0′


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Turns Out the Woman Marrying a Cardboard Robert Pattinson Isn't Totally Clinical After All
Marrying a cardboard likeness of Edward Cullen might not be as crazy as it sounds. Okay, it's kind of crazy, but not in the "I want to give birth like Bella and have my husband bite my baby's umbilical cord off with his teeth" crazy.
Instead, graduate student Lauren Adkins is tying the knot with the cardboard Edward (not to be confused with the cardboard performance Robert Pattinson gives as an emotionless sparkly vampire) as a commentary on the way fandom affects our notion of romantic love.
Stay with us here.
According to Adkin's thesis, which can be found on her website Love Is Overtaking Me:
"This work focuses on the female escapist fantasy in its most popular forms—primarily finding "true love"—and the extent to which it seeps into our real lives. I've looked at this fantasy primarily through a pop cultural lens; that is I've used film & television's representations of the love story and female characters in general in an attempt to understand my own expectations of romantic love.
Because of personal attachment to and experience with this fantasy or quest, which took a particularly strong hold of me when I discovered the intensely popular 'Twilight Saga,' my thesis exhibition will touch on romantic expectation primarily through the main love interest, Edward Cullen."
Of course not everyone understands the point Adkins is trying to make, and as a result her Facebook page was bombarded with comments like "freak," "mental slut" and ""She must b fat and ugly can't get a real man has to marry a cardboard cutout how pathetic is that."
Sounds like some people are jealous that they didn't think to marry Cardboard Cullen first.
"Part of my point is that this character does not exist. This character is not real. It creates an expectation that we have engrained in us and I think it's dangerous," Adkins explains of her exhibition, which will explore the hostile nature toward female-driven fandom.
Money to pay for Adkin's thesis exhibition -- which will feature an invitation-only Las Vegas wedding ceremony and a reception that's open to the public -- was raised online. The $1,235 in donations paid for the dress, the his-and-her rings, wedding cake, tent, tables and chairs, dinnerware, candles, centerpieces, flower arrangements, and food and drinks.
The main event will take place at the Viva Las Vegas Chapel on Jan. 26, and the whole thing will be live-streamed across the internet for all to enjoy. Or to mock, if you so choose.
Best wishes and caviar dreams, Lauren and Edward. Try not to get any paper cuts on the honeymoon.


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Kolkata: Cricketing legends Vivian Richards and Shane Warne have been invited for Sachin Tendulkar's 199th and penultimate Test match at the Eden Gardens Nov 6-10 featuring India and West Indies, the Cricket Association of Bengal said Tuesday.
Confirmation is awaited from Richards - considered one of the most destructive batsmen in the history of the game and Warne - rated as the greatest leg spinner, said CAB joint secretary Subir Ganguly.
As part of the celebrations to give Tendulkar a memorable farewell, a tableau would be brought out Nov 3 from the Eden Gardens. It would be adorned with Tendulkar's photographs and posters and go to a number of spots in the city.
The CAB also announced that 199 bunches of sky lanterns would be floated on day three at the Eden Gardens.


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Proudly Serving Western Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut, and surrounding areas.
Spray foam insulation is the best choice for insulation if you're looking to increase your comfort & decrease your energy bills. Spray foam insulation is truly the best option for home insulation and here are a few reasons why. Spray Foam Insulation provides an air barrier due to its ability to fill gaps and cracks. It is also great at staying in the hard to reach areas because of its super-adhesive qualities. Spray foam insulation is also waterproof, unlike fiberglass and cellulose insulation. Water will not be able to pass through the foam which makes it an extremely durable and long-lasting product. Lastly, spray foam insulation is foolproof. Spray foam is sprayed as a liquid and then expands and hardens to fill voids and gaps. There is never any chance for an area to be missed or bypassed. Once cured, spray foam insulation will stay in place for decades to come and will never shift or settle like fiberglass. To ensure your home has the best insulation available and your energy bills are low, switch to spray foam insulation today!
Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions is an authorized dealer of the nationally renowned Dr. Energy Saver network. That means we have the knowledge and products to give you the exact results you are looking for. When it comes to crawl space insulation we are industry experts who have teams of professionals dedicated to making your crawl space a better place! Your home's crawl space may often go unnoticed but it holds great importance when it comes to the comfort of your home. As the lowest point of your home, the crawl space can suck in cold air from outside and once that air is inside it will slowly warm and circulate upwards throughout the rest of your home. Adding proper insulation to your crawl space can make your home healthier and also lower your energy bills by up to 30%. Crawl space insulation will block air from entering into your crawl space and we also add additional insulation so the existing air won't circulate throughout your home. Crawl space insulation is a great way to spend your money due to the future energy savings you will see! To learn more about crawl space insulation in your Granby home, call or click today!
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For a FREE, no-obligation services estimate in Granby, MA, please completely fill out the form to the right, and Dr. Energy Saver will contact you shortly. With this free estimate, you'll also receive a free copy of the book, "Saving Energy and Money at Home." This is a resource written by the two Dr. Energy Saver visionaries and a Dr. Energy Saver writer. It's a great tool to use as you begin to create a more comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient home!


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Daniel Ken Inouye
Biographical Information
The Rat is a Yin,
and is the First sign of the Chinese horoscope.
AppealInfluenceThriftSociabilityIntellectual SkillCharisma
NervousnessVerbosityAcquisitivenessThirst for PowerGuileMeddling
Birthday: September 7, 1924
Guidance on religious matters and the need to find spiritual meaning in life.
Birthday: September 7, 2018
A time for soul searching and meditation; a need for patience and solitude.


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Bills sign McKinney
By Sports Network
The Sports Network
The Buffalo Bills made a move to bolster their offensive line on Thursday, signing unrestricted free agent lineman Seth McKinney.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
McKinney started three games for the Browns this past season, appearing in all 16 games for Cleveland. He also made eight starts in 2007.
In his seven-year career, McKinney has appeared in 85 games -- 45 starts -- for Cleveland and Miami.


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Charlize Theron has been laying low these days, so when we saw her last week at the East of Havana screening in NYC, we were totally surprised by how different she looked. We tend to think of Charlize as a sunny blonde so it took us a minute to fully register her severely slicked back brunette hair and red lips. Clearly, she's a beauty either way, but the looks are so different that we can't resist comparing! Tell us: Should Charlize go back to blonde? Or do you like her new brunette locks?
P.S. While you're thinking about haircolor, what do you think of Jessica Simpson's new reddish-brown do? Let us know!
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/WireImage; Zach Lipp/AdMedia


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After a hotly debated ban on Big Gulps earlier this year, Michael Bloomberg is now launching the Latch On NYC nursing initiative in early September, which will encourage hospitals to keep formula locked away so it will need to be signed out by nurses like medication. Moms who want to formula-feed will still be able to, but they will first receive a talk outlining the benefits of nursing. The hope is that this voluntary program will promote breastfeeding as the default option and make it a bit harder to reach for formula.
Plus: Extended Breastfeeding Meets Reality TV
At NYU Langone Medical Center, which has already implemented the program, breast-feeding rates among new moms have increased from 39 to 68 percent. The program has also drawn praise from the The National Alliance for Breast-feeding Advocacy. However, some critics say the program is heavy-handed and lays on the guilt for moms who choose not to nurse, or who are just having problems getting it down. 27 of 40 NYC hospitals have already eliminated gift bag freebies from formula companies.
Plus: Two-thirds of Moms Don't Meet Breastfeeding Goals
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of life, since studies have shown it bolsters the immune system and decreases the chance of obesity later in life, among other benefits.
What do you think of this program? Do you think hospitals should do whatever it takes to encourage breastfeeding, or would you resent the pressure? Leave a comment.


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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that can be spread by having sexual contact (anal, vaginal, or oral) with another person who is infected. Most STIs are curable, although some are not. Many people who have been infected with a STI don't even know it. They may look and feel healthy, but they still could be infected.
Furthermore, some people who have been diagnosed will not share this information with their partner(s). It is your responsibility to employ good judgment, use preventative measures, and be tested if you suspect that you have been infected.
Practicing safe sex can cut down on the spread of STIs but not totally prevent them. To decrease risk:
Albion College provides all students with instructions on how to obtain testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Testing is available for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C upon request. All testing is confidential.
Phone: 517/629-0220
STI testing, except for HIV, may be done during walk-in or during Doctor's hours with an appointment. Costs vary according to the tests done. Health insurance companies may be billed or costs can be self-paid to the lab after billing is sent directly to the student. Testing and its results are confidential; however, when using commercial health insurance, explanation of benefits letters may be sent by the insurance company to the home billing address. These letters often list the tests that were performed, but not the result of the testing.
214 East Michigan (across from Biggby Coffee.)
Albion MI 49224
Phone: 517/629-9434
Walk-in hours for STI, HIV, and Pregnancy testing
Monday-Friday 8:00am-11:00am and 1:00pm-5:00pm
HIV testing is available free of charge.
1715 Lansing Ave.
Jackson, MI 49202
Phone: 517/788-4420
Walk-in testing is done Monday-Friday 8:00am-12pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm. Last check-in is 4:00pm.
Call first for availablity as hours are subject to change without notice.
Cost: HIV and pregnancy testing is free.
2009 W. Michigan Ave. (across from Westwood Mall)
Jackson, MI 49202
Phone: 517/784-1700
Seen by appointment only:
Monday: 9-5 pm
Wednesday: 12pm - 8 pm
Friday: 10am - 5 pm
Call for more information and prices.
Student Health Services: On-Line Self Care Guide (Sexual Health)
Go Ask Alice at www.goaskalice.columbia.edu
Go Ask Alice is the health question and answer Internet service produced by Alice! Columbia University's Health Education Program – a division of Health Services at Columbia.
Remember: Sometimes symptoms do not show up for weeks or months.
|Female Symptoms
|Male Symptoms
|Possible Problems
|Other Thoughts
|Pus-like vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain, painful urination or no symptoms at all.
|Pus discharge from penis. Pain when urinating. May have no symptoms.
|Infertility (inability to conceive), repeated pelvic infections in women, damage to newborns.
|Symptoms show up 2-21 days after sex. Curable with proper treatment.
|Chlamydia Curable
|No symptoms for 60-80% of women. Some have vaginal discharge, pain when urinating, dull pelvic pain or bleeding between periods.
|No symptoms for 50% of men. Pain when urinating or watery discharge from penis.
|Infertility in men and women, eye and lung infections in newborns.
|Symptoms show up 7-28 days after sex. Once identified, Chlamydia can be cured painlessly with antibiotics.
|Trichomoniasis Curable
|Vaginal itching, often severe. Heavy vaginal green/yellow discharge with strong odor.
|Frequently none. Occasionally a discharge from the penis.
|Partners may frequently pass a disease back and forth leading to repeat infections.
|Curable but both partners must be treated.
|A sore usually painless. Later rash may develop on other parts of the body (usually hands and feet). There may also be sore throat, fever, swollen glands. Symptoms may then disappear but person is still infected.
|Heart, spine, and brain may be affected. Severe threat to the developing fetus.
|Symptoms begin anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months after sex. Detected by a blood test and cured with antibiotics.
|Hepatitis B Treatable, not curable
|Symptoms vary a lot. Some have no symptoms. Others experience loss of appetite, fever, tiredness, pain in liver area, jaundice (yellowing of skin.)
|Major cause of liver cancer. May cause death. Can be passed to newborns by mother.
|Symptoms begin1 to 9 months after infection. A vaccine is available to prevent Hepatitis B.
|HIV/AIDS Treatable, not curable
|For both sexes, early symptoms may be recurring fever, night sweating, shortness of breath, dry cough, constant tiredness, diarrhea, rapid weight loss, swollen glands or increase in severity or number of illnesses- or no symptoms at all.
|No cure has been found. AIDS has been fatal in about 50% of the cases
|Symptoms show up months to years after infection. HIV is a virus that can be transferred through blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk.
|HPV / Genital Warts
Treatable, not curable
|Virus that is linked to cervical cancer. Some strains may cause warts found on or around genitals or rectum. A clinician must treat them. Passed by skin-to-skin contact, so condoms will not be as effective.
Vaccine is available to both men and women to prevent the acquisition of the disease, and decrease the spread. For information, check with your healthcare provider.
|Warts can grow large and obstruct penis, vagina or anus.
|Symptoms usually show up one to eight months after infection.
|Genital Herpes Treatable, not curable
|One or more blister-like sores, in, on or around the genitals. Sore may look like a rash or cut and are often painful. Symptoms go away. Passed by skin-to-skin contact, so condoms will not be as effective.
|Can cause severe damage to infants of mothers with active infections at the time of delivery.
|Symptoms show up 1 to 30 days after sex or longer. Can be spread when there are no symptoms. Repeated flare-ups may occur after the first infection.


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AUGUSTA, GA (WFXG) - As what is projected to be another potentially record-breaking winter approaches, veterinarians recommend taking certain precautions to ensure pets doesn't suffer from injuries related to cold temperatures.
"Weather related injuries are among the easiest to prevent," said Dr. Jennifer Pittman, a board-certified critical care specialist with Georgia Veterinary Specialists, a BluePearl Veterinary Partners hospital, in Georgia. "By following these tips, people can help ensure their furry friends will remain a little safer this winter."
Doctors with BluePearl Veterinary Partners offer these tips to keep your pets safe:
• Similar to when it is hot outside, never leave your pet alone in a car during cold weather either. In the winter, a car holds in the cold like a refrigerator and your pet could potentially freeze to death.
• Dogs and cats get frostbite. Any dog or cat who is exposed to very cold temperatures for more than brief periods of time can develop frostbite. If pets begin to shiver or their ears, tail, and feet show signs of frostbite such as redness in the early stages and pale, white or patches in more advanced cases of frostbite, bring them inside immediately.
• Antifreeze is highly toxic to people and animals. Cats and dogs are attracted to its sweet smell and taste, and will often sample some if left out in a container or spilled on the garage floor. If you suspect that your pet has come into contact with antifreeze, contact your veterinarian immediately. The success of treatment to antifreeze exposure depends on quick action.
• Much like humans, damp and cold weather can aggravate symptoms associated with arthritis in dogs and cats. If your pet is having trouble getting up or laying down, walking the stairs, or has started to cry when being picked up, a visit to the veterinarian is in order. Never medicate your dog or cat with human prescriptions or over-the-counter medications without consulting your veterinarian first. Most of them are toxic for pets. Numerous arthritis treatments are available for them. Also, your dog or cat deserves a comfortable bed. Several pet and feed stores carry safe heated floor mats or non-electric warm bedding.
• Pets need to have fresh water at all times. If you leave water outside for your pets, be sure it does not freeze.
• Outdoors on cold days, animals may seek shelter near something warm like a car engine. If an animal is near the engine when the car is started, serious injury can occur.
• Starting a car to warm it up in a garage will trap carbon monoxide. It can only take a few minutes for a small pet to die in a sealed garage with a car running.
• During winter months, rodents are often attracted to the warmth of homes. Make sure poisons and rodenticides are out of reach of pets.
"While we don't often experience snow and ice here in Georgia, if we do, it's important to take precautions for your pet," Pittman said. "It may look like fun to let your dog take a 'snow play day' too, however, ice and snow can accumulate between your pet's toes causing irritation and pain. Additionally, salt or de-icers can cause irritation to the paws and pets can become ill if they lick those chemicals off their feet. A simple rule to remember should be if it's too cold for you, it's probably too cold for your pet."


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Greetings fellow scarabs!
I have been thinking about this for some time now and it seems more clear with each image that I upload.. Am I the only one making actual renders here nowadays? I mean, I post everything from great actually finished renders to tests and shots from game-projects in the BGE, but I am the only one who does it - it seems.
I uploaded my cubes, and then adisjp uploaded his astroidfield and since then it has only been me (and this is 3+ months back). I'm just starting to wonder what is going on on the rendering side of things.. I know you lot render stuff too, but instead of only putting it on your DA-account - pasting it here as well would be nice. To show the public that DS has more than one active 3D-user around


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A new documentary claims to know who really killed Nicole Brown Simpson. Oh, wait, you think you already know? Oh, right, riiiight. Her ex-husband, famed football player O.J. Simpson. He was found guilty at a civil trial. Yet he was found not guilty at a criminal trial. And now he's in jail for some other weird stuff that had nothing to do with Nicole -- but we all chalked it up to karma. But what if he didn't do it?
A new TV documentary suggests that a serial killer by the name of Glen Rogers (which has to be the least serial killery name in history) was the real culprit. And, not only that, it claims O.J. knew he's the one who did it (despite his almost-published book called If I Did It). Sooooooo ... why didn't O.J. say anything awhile ago if he knew who really did it?
According to the new documentary, which takes most of its information from Glen's brother, Clay, Glen was one of those weird serial killer type dudes from the time they were kids. He would eventually brag about killing at least 50 people. No one in his family believed him. Then, when he began bragging that he met Nicole in Los Angeles and was "partying" with her and that he was "going to take her down" -- again, no one believed him. But then, ya know, she ended up dead. Oh, and then he confessed to the crime years later, when he happened to be in prison for killing two other women.
Reportedly, Glen was able to tell a criminal profiler things about Nicole's murder that no one else would have known -- quite a feat since the trial was probably one of the most watched spectacles of the century. Also a receipt showed that he was working near where the murders of Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman, happened.
Oh ... and Glen may have killed Nicole at the behest of none other than O.J. himself -- who allegedly paid Glen to break into Nicole's house and steal a pair of $20,000 earrings. He also reportedly told him to "kill the bitch" if necessary.
This story brings up more questions than it answers. For instance, Glen's brother, Clay, says he finally believed his brother's tales about being a serial killer when he found a dead man on their childhood property. So then why wouldn't he say something to authorities after Nicole was found murdered? And why wouldn't O.J. say something about Glen? Even if it could be proven he paid Glen to steal earrings, he could always deny he said to "kill the bitch." And why didn't investigators ever follow up on Glen as a possible suspect if he knew so much about the murders?
The documentary, My Brother the Serial Killer, airs on ID channel on Wednesday. Maybe it will clear everything up. But somehow I doubt it.
Who do you think killed Nicole?
Image via Getty


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CHICAGO (AP) Gregory Polanco felt he was safe. Standing in the on-deck circle, Josh Harrison thought the rangy rookie had another hit. Same for manager Clint Hurdle.
It turns out they were right.
Polanco was awarded first after a replay review and Harrison followed with a drive to right for a two-run homer, leading Vance Worley and the Pittsburgh Pirates to a rain-delayed 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.
Jordy Mercer went deep for the second straight day and Andrew McCutchen had a tiebreaking RBI single for Pittsburgh, which had lost four of five. Worley (1-0) pitched into the seventh inning for his first win with the Pirates.
Harrison's fifth homer with two out in the seventh made it 5-2 and came after Polanco was the beneficiary of baseball's replay system. He was originally called out by umpire James Hoye in a close play at first after he hustled down the line on his sharp grounder to shortstop.
''He looked safe, so you go out and you have your people run the replay,'' Hurdle said. ''As sure as you are, you don't know until you know. It turned out to play very big for us.''
The review also extended Polanco's hit streak to 11 games, making him the first NL player to begin his major league career with such a streak since Juan Pierre hit in 16 straight games for Colorado in 2000.
It was a small opening, and Harrison made the most of it when he connected against Justin Grimm.
''We know we get on base any time, we can make things happen,'' said Harrison, who rolled his left ankle on a swing earlier in the game. ''I just happened to be in position and got a pitch and didn't miss it.''
Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer for Chicago, which had won four of five. Eli Whiteside doubled home Darwin Barney in the seventh.
''The guys keep battling, they keep playing,'' Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. ''That was a big pick-me-up that ball Whiteside hit up in left-center field and Barney hustling. The guys kept playing.''
The start of the game was delayed for 2 hours, 1 minute while a storm passed through the area.
Rizzo's 15th homer, a drive to the bleachers in right in the fourth, gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead. The big first baseman, making a case for a spot on the NL All-Star team, is batting .318 (27 for 85) with seven homers and 19 RBIs in his last 23 games.
Pittsburgh responded in the fifth. With two outs and runners on first and second, Harrison and McCutchen each singled back up the middle to put the Pirates back in front. Brian Schlitter then replaced Travis Wood with runners on the corners and retired Russell Martin on a bouncer to third for the final out.
Wood (7-6) allowed four hits, walked three and struck out four. The left-hander had won each of his last two starts, including a season-high eight innings of three-hit ball in a 3-0 victory at Philadelphia in his previous outing.
''We got a little wild for a little bit, brought the ball up a little bit where they could find some holes and put some runs on the board,'' Wood said.
Worley gave up three runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. The righty, who was acquired in a March 25 trade with Minnesota, pitched seven shutout innings in his first start of the season last Sunday at Miami.
''Used all his pitches, pounded the strike zone, gave us a real good effort,'' Hurdle said.
Jared Hughes got the final out of the seventh, Tony Watson tossed a perfect eighth and Mark Melancon struck out the side for his 11th save in 14 chances. It was Melancon's first opportunity since Hurdle announced on Friday he was removing struggling righty Jason Grilli from the closer role.
The Pirates played without speedy outfielder Starling Marte, who left the team to attend to a personal matter in his native Dominican Republic. Jose Tabata got the start in left and went 0 for 3 with a walk.
Hurdle said he thinks Marte will be back in time for Monday night's game at Tampa Bay.
NOTES: McCutchen was shaken up after he took a hard tag to his head when he stole second in the fourth inning. He stayed in the game after a trainer and Hurdle came out to check on him. ... Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (6-4, 3.02 ERA) faces RHP Brandon Cumpton (2-2, 5.82 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday.
Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap


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My primary 2nd stage was dangling somewhere and I had no mask on while holding a double strobed camera rig. That and I hadn't had a breath in about 30 seconds. I hate when that happens.
Bummer. Would be easy to avoid by being properly kitted up to start with, though: I always use a lanyard attaching the camera to my BCD (one of those spirally things which can extend). That way I can just drop my camera in case of an emergency, and it will still be there when I recover. Mabye with a scratch or two, but it sure beats drowning. And no, the lanyard does not interfere with taking pictures at all.
Anyways, I once heard a saying that applies very well to solo diving: When in doubt, don't do it. This not only goes for the solo diving itself, but also for "should I go a little deeper?", "should I stay a little longer?" etc. Certainly a good rule for solo divers.