Tampere University is having the Academic Board elections again - please do not forget to vote, if you are working here. Many excellent candidates supporting university democracy and autonomy:

If you have stuff in Academia.edu, it might be good to reconsider?

Fafnir – Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research invites authors to submit papers for issue 1/2026. Research into any and all aspects of science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative genres is welcome from a range of disciplines.
DL 31 Dec 2025: fafnir.journal.fi/about/submis...

I started in Tampere University as a comparative literature student in Fall 1985. Decades later, I opened this week the latest iteration of the Introduction to Game Studies course, with c. 50 students enrolled. Show goes on, students just keep getting younger.

Tampereen yliopiston hallitukseen haetaan neljää hyvää ja osaavaa ihmistä. Konsistori päätti tällä kertaa lisätä hallituksen valintakriteereihin kohdan, missä painotetaan erityisesti "yliopiston arvojen, yliopistodemokratian ja yliopiston strategian merkityksen ymmärtämistä".

A few nature photos of this morning: the Goldeneyes were having their courtship rituals, the Little Grebe was waiting for a partner to come; the ice was melting in the sunshine. #naturephotography #birds #Spring #Finland #Tampere

Bird photos of today: the long-tailed tits, visiting our garden feeder briefly this afternoon. Heard the metallic voices and got some photos, in snowfall. #naturephotography #birds

Talvehtivat ja muuttavat lajit esiintyvät nyt rinnan. Kostea kevät on pitkä, varsinaisen kesään saapumista saa kuitenkin odottaa vielä pitkään.

The adult female bearded reedling is generally paler, with a more brownish head and no black moustaches or undertail coverts (of the male), but sometimes with black streaks/spots to the crown or back. (Panurus biarmicus biarmicus, female, a banded bird. Helsinki, 25.2.2025.)

"Bearded reedlings are strongly sexually dimorphic and form life-long pairs. They are highly productive and can breed several times in a season. They mainly feed on small invertebrates in summer and plant seeds in winter." (Panurus biarmicus biarmicus, nominate race, male. Helsinki, 25.2.2025.)

Faces of my winter birds.
#naturephotography #Finland

I have again updated my photography account in Flickr, with some new pictures of a Northern Goshawk, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Long-tailed tits, and others.
www.flickr.com/photos/frans...

Free download of Elina Koskinen's PhD dissertation on memorable Pokémon Go player experiences (public defence tomorrow): trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024...

Taking part in cultivating digital humaniora, in Umeå University's Humlab today.

Photo of a small, protected old forest in Finland - a safe pocket for multiple species, surrounded by clear cut areas from all sides.

Nature photography is also a large part of what I do on my free time. Pictured: Dendrocopos leucotos - the White-backed Woodpecker, photographed today.

My book "Introduction to Game Studies - Games in Culture" has been translated into Japanese by Nobushige Kobayashi, and the publisher has already created the web page for it - looking forward to seeing it in print!
www.newgamesorder.jp/games/mayra

It is the Autumn Vacation week - I have been hiking and taking photographs of some hazel grouses. #naturephotography #birdphotography #autumn #Finland

Daily bird photo - a Bohemian Waxwing. These have now arrived to Tampere, busily eating all rowan berries.

#naturephotography #birdphotography