he Finnish word for Finland is Suomi (pronounced soo-mee). In college, as something of an anti-joke, I would shrug my shoulders like a Catskill comedian and offer this bit of cultural comedy: "I'm Finnish! Suomi!" In order for the crack to work, you have to explain the meaning of Suomi and hope that the person you're speaking with is wicked drunk. Conan O'Brien's attempts at Finnish comedy have been vastly more successful, with a one-hour special airing tonight about his trip to Finland. A story I wrote for The Morning News on the genesis of his trip.