For No Particular Reason

Happy New Year 2020

I wish all my readers, friends and family a happy and prosperous and wonderful new year! May all your dreams, hopes and wishes come true, or at least the most important ones.

Although I have not made a new year's resolution this year, I will share a few of my most important wishes for the year.

With all my being I hope that we - through the results of the presidential election this year - will finally have a world free of Donald J. Trump (and any of his progeny and allies) as president of the United States of America.

It is also my hope that the Russian Federation will be freed of the tyrannical and imperialistic influences of Vladimir I. Putin and his cohort of survivors of the Sovjet days.

Finally, I hope that the murderous Bashar al-Assad and his willing accomplices will be removed from power in the Syrian Arab Republic. If he should die, I will not grieve him.

Laird: "Prachtig Nederland!" (Updated)

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls etc., etc., today commented on the results of the Dutch elections.

"The people of the world, and especially Europe, should thank the Dutch voters for putting a stop to the growth of the Islamophobic and anti-EU populists. 

Hopefully the results of this election will break the onslaught of the growing populism in Europe, I even dare to wish that it may set a trend for the upcoming national elections in Germany and France. 

The Dutch example gives us all hope and shows the political leaders of Europe that it is possible to quell the rise of populism, even after Brexit and the American presidential election. Prachtig gedaan, Nederland!"

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Update
I found this quote by Jesse Klaver, leader of the GreenLeft party, that I cannot withhold from you. On polling day he said that the left’s answer to the far right’s rise in Europe was to stand up for its ideals. “What I would say to all my left wing friends in Europe: don’t try to fake the populace. Stand for your principles. Be straight. Be pro-refugee. Be pro-European. We’re gaining momentum in the polls. And I think that’s the message we have to send to Europe. You can stop populism.”

Incommunicado

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls etc. etc. will be unreachable this afternoon and evening. The official reason given is an alleged summit meeting among the world leaders concerning ramifications on International security by the election of Mr. Donald J. Trump as president of the United States.

The unofficial - and more truthful reason - is that the laird yesterday received the full DVD-collection of Game of Thrones, season 6, and will spend the Friday evening kicking back and frolicking in frisky murder and mayhem with the characters of that wondrous production.

Bock & The Russians (Updated)

I am probably a Russophobe. I have a profound and insistent belief that president Vladimir "Little Father" Putin, his fanboy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev and the rest of the present Russian leadership wish to expand the Russian hegemony over their neighboring countries (like Ukraine, Finland, the Baltic states and also Sweden).

Trump & Putin by Liutauras Strimaltis

In 2013 the (then) Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces admitted that in 2023 Sweden would not be able to defend itself longer than seven days against a concerted attack by an enemy (and "an enemy" for your information is Swedish code for the Russians) against any given target, until 2023 the time frame was shorter.

The Russian people, as a collective, seem to share the notion of being Biggest, Best and Most Beautiful with a god given or historical right to subjugate the rest of the world, much like the Americans today. (Just as the British and French people in the 18th and 19th centuries and perhaps also the Swedish people - in the time of our former glory - in the 15th and 16th centuries.)

Although Sweden has never been a part of any alliance, our defense policy has hitherto always relied on an intervention by NATO in the event we were attacked. Our defense policy has been built upon the reliance that we only need to see to it that an enemy cannot just roll in over us without expecting any losses or delays until the NATO - in it's own interest - would come to Sweden's protection if nothing other than keeping a buffer between NATO and the Russians.

After Trump's victory in the presidential election that defense policy is being jettisoned, because president-elect Trump is perceived as not abiding by formerly accepted rules, seems disinterested in in NATO and is a fan of Putin. So as a result we are now getting signals that the Swedish defense budget must be severely increased.
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Update, later the same day
The more I think about it, the more absurd it seems for a country consisting of some nine million inhabitants to keep up a defense against a country with 146+ million inhabitants.

Perhaps we should do as the Danish populist politician Mogens Glistrup (1926-2008) once suggested, that we replace our defense ministry and weapons with an answering machine that says "We surrender!", in Russian of course.

Still Shattered &Disillusioned

Following the American presidential election and Brexit referendum in Great Britain has now given me a sound skepticism towards opinion polls. I will never trust their results again,

Ever since I saw the final results in both these elections my thought wander off to somehow come up with as viable explanation - I am getting nowhere and then I just feel a great sadness.

I have to leave it behind or I will go crazy.

We Will Survive!

I stayed up all night yesterday, following the elections in the USA. I was engulfed in a weird unreal feeling as time passed by. This couldn't be happening, it wasn't supposed to happen...

Well, it did happen and we must accept the results, however devastated or petrified we feel about them at this moment for the future of the American people or the world. An isolationist America is not what the world needs and we cannot let America slip into the grasp of the Russian bears warm and welcoming hug.

The election revealed an extremely divided America. Whites against people of color, men against women, old against young, uneducated against educated, straight against LGBT. Even the winners, the Republicans are severely divided. There is much that has been gained over the last 25 years that is at risk of being lost, universal health care (whatever deficiencies that still remain to be  corrected), same-sex marriages, a woman's right to decide what happens with her body, family planning etc., etc.

But I still remain hopeful and believe and hope that my American friends and family - after the first initial shock and devastation has ebbed out - will cooperate and form alliances to fight back at every turn and every step of the way.

The rest of us must encourage them and give them whatever support we can. The dinosaurs and the macho white supremacists will not prevail.

At the risk of being perceived as extremely cheesy...

"Only I Can Save You!" (Edited)

The presidential election in the United States this year has caused a great deal of unrest and many rifts in the gay community in SecondLife, at least the part of it that I am in. Old friendships are broken and harsh words and derogatory adjectives are thrown about frequently.

Vladimir Lenin (April 22, 1870 –  January 21, 1924)

I have a fundamental belief in mankind, that we all strive for what we see as the best solution for ourselves and - mostly - for society as a whole. Some say I am naive, but I don't give a damn. I also believe in democracy and the political system to attend to our societies and address the issues that arise.

Josef Stalin (December 18, 1878 – March 5, 1953)

In our societies people - and large groups of them - are sometimes afraid, due to economic setbacks, sickness, unemployment, globalization, civil unrest, whatever or just from a feeling of being disenfranchised. No one sees their plight or listens to their complaints. No one tries to assist them in bettering their conditions, everyone else is just thinking of themselves.

Benito Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945)

When such conditions are present we have more than once in our history seen politicians or parties arise who say they have the absolute remedy or know exactly how to go about creating "change" (unspecified and vague enough). 

Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945)

Most of the time these politicians will claim to be "outsiders" or "not part of the establishment", even though a simple background check will show that they actually are and have been for a long time.

Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976)

Their often simple solutions start with pointing out who is to blame for the present predicament, it can be a particular race, religious or cultural affiliation, nationality, sexual orientation or economic class. Or better still all of the above jumbled together.

Donald J. Trump (June 14, 1946 -  )

Whenever I encounter a person or a group of people seeking political power who claim to know the the quick-and-fast solution to a given problem and asks me to "Trust me, I am the only one who can save you!", I back away as fast as I can.

Vladimir "Little Father" Putin (October 7, 1952 - )

There have been man politicians and groups throughout history who have made claims on the absolute way to "save" voters. Here are a few examples of "savior politicians", demagogues and despots, in the present and not too distant history (ordered according to date of birth).
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So how do we go from the existence of "savior politicians" to how to handle our friendships and relationships in SecondLife?

In my mind, the absolutely worst way to go about it is to distance yourself. I will never allow myself to assume that one of my friends or acquaintances is a misogynist, racist, Islamophobe, anti-Semite, homophobe or indeed anti-anything merely by whom they support in the American election, not until they express such views and opinions. Until that happens they will remain my friends.

Edit October 23, 2016: The edit today consisted only of moving the pictures, not a word was changed except for "globalization" which was previously misspelled.)

Do the Right Thing!

Facebook tests cannot be wrong. If you are considering voting for The Donald or The Evan or The Jill, please write me in! #BockForPresident pic.twitter.com/9klRvXXUVV

— (((Bock McMillan™))) (@BockMcMillan) October 16, 2016

Ugh I forgot that guy that cannot name another country in the world and doesn't know of Aleppo in Syria, whatever his name is...

Gratitude

The World thanks @Rosie for very fittingly naming @realDonaldTrump #OrangeShitStain pic.twitter.com/UVzxOfr0gu

— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) May 27, 2016

Donald J Trump, the reality tv-star and presumptive Republican candidate for the president election in the U.S.A, has made insults and name calling one of his most notable traits.

Today one of his fiercest and most longstanding enemies, Ms Rosie McDonald, got back at him. 

"Republicans May Vote For Bock", Laird Says

If you ever needed final proof that The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm etc. etc, is a softy, you got it today when the Laird's Household released the following statement. 

"My heart goes out to my Republican friends in the United States of America as they must choose a presidential candidate  among the bigoted, neo-fascist and despicable losers that have offered their names for consideration. They face the choice between pestilence and cholera, and there is no lesser evil among them.

After much contemplation and soul searching I have come to the firmly held belief that I must act to give the G.O.P. a reasonable and sane candidate at the upcoming convention. 

Although I do not share the usual Republican belief that economical issues and taxes are more important than human rights, I still feel they need to offer ya'll a better lineup to choose from.

Here are my positions on a couple of the issues in this year's political conversation. 

I am for

• equal rights and opportunities for all human beings

• a separation of state and church (incl. the removal of references to God on money)

• a woman's right to choose anything that concerns her body

• universal and comprehensive health care and expanding the ACA further

• very strict gun control

• same-sex marriage and adoptions

• a photo ID being required to vote

• continued government funding of Planned Parenthood

• health control providers being required to offer free birth control 

• requiring that businesses have both women and men on their board of directors

• the military allowing both women and men to serve in combat roles 

• legalization of marijuana

• raising the debt ceiling

• raising the minimum wage

• businesses being required to provide paid maternity leave for full-time employees

• trade unions

• affirmative actions

• increased government environmental regulations to prevent global warming

• the U.S. remaining in the United Nations

• declaring war on ISIS

• increased foreign aid spending

• government funding of stem cell research

I am against

• the death penalty

• secular business being able to deny service due to their religious beliefs

• states displaying the racist Confederate flag on government property

• cuts in public spending to reduce national debt

• juveniles being sent to prison and the use of solitary confinement for them

I believe in 

• the theory of evolution

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To avoid any "birther issues", please let me refer you to Second Life, who can attest to the fact that Bock McMillan was born on March 11th, 1997, on a server placed in California, U.S.A. I am therefore a "natural born citizen" of the United States of America. 

I offer my name with pride and confidence that you will do that right thing! Now the ball is in your court. It's easy peasy, just write me in next time you vote!

Yours always,

Bock McMillan

Laird of Southern Charm etc. etc. 

A Little Eye-Candy

Disclosure by Wrong Direction

(Yeah, the presidential election is long since over and no one remembers Mitt Romney any more, but who cares...)

This is a political parody based on One Direction's song "What Makes You Beautiful" , but the original shows a) younger guys and b) less skins, so my choice is easy.

Celebration

The evening before the American election my son Guyke and I had discussed that we should meet up this evening to either celebrate or mourn the outcome of together with our family. It was also a good opportunity for me to meet the new extensions to the family.

In the picture you see (from left to right) Guyke, my buddy Butch "I-don´t-understand-this-family-thing-in-SL" Diavolo, Dillon (son of Janttu and Fabiano), myself, my son in-law #1 Janttu and his husband Fabiano and my brother in-law D R E Y.

Missing in the picture are my sister Millimina,  my son in-law #2 Ziggy and my brother in-law Dej..

As we had at least three DJ´s present I of course forced them to play music for us. We had a wonderful time talking on voice and listening to music. The most special thing about this party was perhaps that I heard Janttu speak for the first time. I will only say that I went weak in my knees (and that even when I was sitting).

The new family members were charming, witty and good looking  but I never doubted that because the men in the clan know how to pick awesome men.

Thank You U.S.A!

The New York Times "Presidential Map", November 7, 2012

Florida is still undecided (all votes have not been counted yet), but leaning towards Obama.

Support for marriage equality won in all four states where there were referendums on that issue!
(P.S. J.M.G just reported that the count of the ballots in the referendum in Washington state has not been completed yet, although things look good.)
UPDATE: Washington state has now declared that marriage equality won in the referendum!
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I couldn't stay awake long enough last night to get the result of the presidential election but it was althemore sweet to wake up to the news in the morning!

Governor Romney gave a nice concession speech and president Obama gave an awesome victory speech. Life is wonderful, living is beautiful and exciting!

Thank you so much my sisters and brothers in the U.S!

Downtime

Service will be temporarily unavailable due to the bloggers preoccupation with and anxiety concerning the ongoing American presidential election.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

American Elections 2012

Photos Michael Key, design Jim Neal

It´s all in the hands of the American electorate and I have really only one wish to you: Vote dammit!

Whomever you vote for I and the rest of the world will learn to live with your choice, as is only right and proper. Sure I have my favorite among the two, but it is your election and only yours. The only wrong result from my point of view is if the largest democracy in the world cannot get at least half of the electorate to participate in their national elections.

Your elections affects the rest of the world also. We will be anxiously waiting for the results, both in the presidential election and the elections for the Senate and the House of Representatives.

When In Doubt, Take A Quiz

As a non-American citizen I will - to many of my American friends relief - have no say in the upcoming presidential election, but it was still a relief to see the outcome of this quiz.

You can take the quiz at I Side With...(url)