Today Was Ars Rezday

October 25th, 2006, was the first day the avatar named Ars Northmead rezzed into SecondLife. Today would have been his fourth rezday.

As many of you already know Doug, the man behind the avatar, passed away on March 12th, 2010, after a battle with double pneumonia, so Ars will never again rez into SecondLife.

Ars was the most loving, caring and tender man I have ever known in any world. He was also among the most intelligent, warmhearted, creative, fiercely loyal, humorous, pig headed and stubborn men in both worlds. Hell I could throw all the positive adjectives in the dictionary at you, and some of the negative also - of course.  

But I am not impartial concerning Ars and never will be.

When I first came to SecondLife, I very soon received a few advances for partnering, setting up house together and what have you. People told me they loved me after an hour´s conversation, or four days acquaintanceship or - in the slow cases - three weeks.

I thought to myself, "What is wrong with these people? What the f**k are they talking about? I am never ever going there, they are crazy!" All that skepticism ended when I got to know Ars.

I remember the first time I noticed him, long before - well, a few months before - I ever dared speak to him personally. It was at the Devil Inside Club. The DI was at the time "the only" club to be for most of the gay men in SecondLife. I was shown to this club in the summer of 1997 by a friend named Drizz McMillan, who has since left SecondLife. 

Ars was wearing the cutest hat, which was what first caught my eye. After awhile I understood he was the DJ and I heard his voice and laughter - and I was charmed senseless.  

This was when my "Stalking Ars-period" started. I joined the "sarco sound group" and actually went to any and every set the DJ´s in that group ever played that were possible in my time zone. That finally ended when Ars and I started talking with each other. Then I was caught - forever. 

I have been rummaging through my overladen inventory for pictures of Ars. I found several hundred, here I would like to share a few with you all.