SP Elections: Last Chance to Vote!

The Second Pride elections end today at 12 AM (midnight) SLT. If you want a chance to influence the selection of Marketing Director and Building Director you need to get your vote in.

The candidates for Marketing Director are
1. Jimmy Augustus-Gracemount (jimmmmmy) url or
2. Kaiden Brandt (Kalculate) url

The candidates for Building Director are
1. Sтαятєя Ɛνєηѕтαяя (starter232) url or
2. Dҽʋιɳ Kɳιɠԋƚ Dɾαƙσɳ (devindevin1111) url

(The url's lead to each of the candidates statements at the Second Pride website)

How to decide whom to vote for
So how do you choose whom to vote for?

There are multiple techniques used by voters throughout democratic history to decide on whom they vote.

A) Beauty Pageant/Talent Pageant
This technique is mostly used by people who are completely uninterested in politics or ideology. They look at the pictures of the different candidates and decide on that fact alone which candidate they will vote for.

"They have beautiful hair/eyes/body/nails/feet", "They are so sexy", "I don't like their eyes, they look mean" or "I would do them", are the answers you most often get when you ask the voters how they decided.

B) Relationship
This method is usually used by voters more interested in relationships than politics/ideology. They will rather vote for someone they or their friends known and like than someone they don't know, and definitely, rather than someone they or their friends dislike for whatever transgression/reason through the history of mankind.

"I know them, they are an asshole", "They are good people", "My friend says they are batshit crazy and drama-seekers", "Their partner is a friend of my friend and they are so nice" or "variations of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend".

C) Analytical
This method is used by people who don't give a shit about anything else than if the person is qualified for the job. These are the people that will read the candidate statements and decide based mainly on that, and maybe check their references or previous work history.

"I trust they can do the job", "They seem to be qualified enough", "I've seen their work before and they seem trustworthy", "They seem to have the right priorities", "I like how they think".

D) Haphazard/Lottery
This method is good when everything else fails and you still see the choices as equally good or if all the above methods fail.

Flip a coin, and let that decide.

"I don't know any of them", "They both look great", "Both of them see qualified to do the job"
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There now you do not have an excuse not to vote. Get the f*** off your ass and teleport to the Polling Place (SLurl) at the second pride sim.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Dear Bock: Second Chances?

"Dear Bock,

How many second chances do you give someone, who hurts you time and again?

Sad in Saskatchewan"

Bock McMillan,
photo by J.J. Goodman

Dear S-i-S,

There are no fixed rules! Individual circumstances and the individuals involved are paramount in deciding when enough-is-enough-is-enough for you, not - and I repeat not - for the person who hurts you.

In deciding this you must take into consideration "The 5 W's and the H", who, when, what, where and why and, finally, how it makes you feel.

If it is someone you don't know and don't care about there are no second chances at all however minor the offense is, whereas if it is a child or someone you love deeply there may not be a limit at all. Well, not until you feel that their saying "I'm sorry" for the umpteenth time just isn't enough anymore. You simply have had enough and do not wish to let yourself be hurt by that person again. That is when you pull up stakes and move yourself out of harm's way and do what you can to avoid further contact!

However, always keep in mind, you are human and are allowed to change your mind if and when you want to. There is always, always, a tomorrow... But, and this is a big one, before you forgive and forget, ask yourself if there has been any real indication of change in the other person. Otherwise you may just be setting yourself up to be hurt again.

Bock McMillan is a blogger, not a relationship expert, his weekly column "Dear Bock" should therefore merely be considered as his point-of-view on relationship matters. If you wish to get his reaction to a relationship question you have, you are welcome to send an email to lundamats@gmail.com. Remember to write "Dear Bock" in the subject line.

A Unilateral Action

Today I have been in SecondLife 2,667 days or, expressed in another way, 7 years 2 months and 18 days.

I would like to think that I have friendly relations with most of the people I have encountered during those many years, some are still close, others I meet sporadically but for various reasons our paths have mostly parted, some have more or less or altogether left SecondLife and some I don't have contact with even if they are still around. But those that we are friends with or have amicable relations with are never the problem, are they?

The relationships that drain my energy, and that I have been thinking much about the last two weeks, are the failed ones. Those relationships that have to some degree turned into open or concealed enmity. I find that it weighs down on me and makes me weary to keep track of the perceived wrongdoings and insults. It has also to some degree turned into an unwanted bitterness on my part that I do not at all care for.

So today I am going to clean the slate by unilaterally forgiving those I feel have wronged me - or someone I love - intentionally or through carelessness, so that I thereby in time can forget the perceived insults and abuses. I am also asking those whom I know feel that I have wronged them for forgiveness. I am going to unblock all those that have previously been blocked from Instant Messaging me in-world or from entering my home sim or on social media sites.

I know that this action will most likely be labeled as "drama" by some, but I don't care one iota because I am doing it for my own sake not anyone else's. My forgiveness is in no manner dependent on the their willingness to forgive me.

As I do not believe a sweeping apology is enough I am going to name each and every one of those I believe deserve my forgiveness and whose forgiveness I need for my words and actions in the past. I will not go into my reasons for feeling hurt by those named, except in one particular case.

I forgive you, Ars Northmead, for dying and leaving me alone and heartbroken for such a long time. I also ask your forgiveness for resenting you for something you could not help. You know I love you, babe, and I know you loved me. Forgiving you was and is always easy.

I forgive you, Andrey Messmer (a. k. a. D R E Y Messmer), and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, Martial Eisenhart, and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, Butch Horton, and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, Vanadis Falconer, and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, Sjöfn Stoneshield, and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, Kynlif Leikfang, and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, Loo Berensohn, and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, PetGirl Bergman (a.k.a. Tina Dahl), and ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you, Alessia Kranfel (a.k.a. Vesper Kling and Mera Kranfel) and ask for your forgiveness.

Lastly I forgive myself.
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The deed is done and now the rest of my life can start afresh. It is a big relief! 

I Sensed It

Although I am famous for my lack of observation skills I had sensed that something was going on with Butch and that it could have something to do with the friendly and delicious Spanki Moulliez.

The curmudgeon Butch had suddenly started wearing shoes - without me ordering him to - so something was definitely shifting. Through the gay grapevine in SecondLife (Guyke) I also learned that Butch had been at Aeros to purchase a "Magnus", the pleasant to look at male appendage on sale in that store. This accumulated knowledge combined with my observation that Butch was always a bit extra elated whenever Spanki was around during his or anyone else's sets spoke volumes to me, but I did not dare trust my senses or speak of it for fear of jinxing it.

Then I heard through the grapevine (same source as above) that Butch had spilled the beans, but I wanted to hear it from the man himself to really believe it. So when I met Butch on Christmas Day I asked outright him if he had anything to tell me, after playing coy and unknowing for awhile he finally admitted to the truth. I was overjoyed and congratulated him profusely as Spanki is one of the most wonderful, kindhearted and talented men I know.

Yesterday the two finally saw fit to go public and, as we all know, in this day and age there is no better way to do that than to announce it on Facebook.

Announcement on Facebook - December 26, 2013

I am so thrilled and happy for the two wonderful men, but I can also see that Spanki has his work cut out for him.

It will be no easy task, dearest Spanki, but remember that you can always come to me and Guyke for support, like you we wish the best for the amazing Butch and, just like you, we see the minute flaws he has that need to be remedied. Let my however in closing pass on some hopeful news to you, my personal shopper told me yesterday that Butch had contacted him to get advice on where to shop for shoes...

It's Official