Picture of the Day - 495

"Fire!" by Tomais Ashdene

If you wish to see more of Tomais' photography, please visit his Flickr photostream by clicking the name under the picture.

Full disclosure: Tomais Ashdene  is my husband.

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...

Picture of the Day - 494

"Self Restraint" by Winter Jefferson

If you wish to see more of Winter's photography, please visit his Flickr photostream by clicking the name under the picture.

SecondLife's Avi Choice Awards - 2016

Cast your votes here: The Avi Choice Awards

Voting ends November 28th, 2016, at 5PM SLT. As always, voting is limited to 1 vote per person, per category. Thank you for joining with us to applaud our favorites in Second Life!

The categories you can vote in are:

SLife AWARDS
Favorite Holiday Store - Favorite Furniture Creator - Favorite Kids Furniture - Favorite Home Builder - Favorite Home Accessories - Favorite Commercial Design - Favorite Full Perm Mesh Designer - Favorite Garden & Landscaping Store - Favorite Sim to Explore Through - Favorite Sim Designer/Creator - Favorite Place to Take a Date - Favorite Wedding Coordinator - Favorite Wedding Venue - Favorite Shopping Region - Favorite Adult Sim - Favorite Adult Venue - Favorite Role Play Location - Favorite SL Social Network Site or Community Forum - Favorite Blog or Website, Overall (all three genres) - Favorite Blogger, Overall (all three genres) - Favorite Customer Service, Overall (all three genres) - Favorite Annual Event, Overall (all three genres) - Favorite Holiday Event or Production - Favorite Shopping Event - Favorite Gacha Event - Favorite SL Sporting Event - Favorite Gaming Location - Favorite Hunt Organizer - Favorite Land (Rent or Sell)Company - Favorite Vehicles – Land, Sea, Air - Favorite Breedable - Favorite Breedable Market - Favorite Non-Breedable Pet Creator - Favorite Female AO Creator - Favorite Male AO Creator - Favorite Full Perm Animations - Favorite Second Life (inworld) Group - Favorite Texture Store

FASHION AWARDS
Favorite Jewelry Store - Favorite Female Skin Designer - Favorite Cosmetics Designer - Favorite Male Skin Designer - Favorite Female Hair Designer - Favorite Male Hair Designer - Favorite Female Mesh Body Store - Favorite Female Avatar Component Store (not mesh body, includes eyes, heads and parts) - Favorite Male Mesh Body Store - Favorite Male Avatar Component Store (not mesh body, includes eyes, heads and parts) - Favorite Mesh Body Compatible Clothing – Female - Favorite Mesh Body Compatible Clothing – Male - Favorite Adult Avatar Accessories - Favorite Female Fashion Accessories - Favorite Male Fashion Accessories - Favorite Tattoo Designer - Favorite Female Shoe Designer - Favorite Male Shoe Designer - Favorite Women’s Casual Apparel - Favorite Women’s Formal Apparel - Favorite Lingerie, Hosiery or Pajamas Designer - Favorite Men’s Casual Apparel - Favorite Men’s Formal Apparel - Favorite Kids Apparel - Favorite Avatar Designer - Favorite Female Fashion Model - Favorite Male Fashion Model - Favorite Fashion Modeling/Fashion Agency/Instruction Course - Favorite Pose Maker

The ARTS AWARDS
Favorite Magazine, Newspaper or Periodical - Favorite SL Radio Station - Favorite SL Recorded Show - Favorite Machinima Artist / Videographer - Favorite Art Gallery - Favorite Artist - Favorite Photographer/Studio - Favorite Dance/Photography/Media Tool - Favorite Theater/Production Venue - Favorite Tribute Show - Favorite Dance (Troupe) Performers or Show - Favorite Dance or Theater Choreographer - Favorite Dance Animations - Favorite Stage or Theater Set Design - Favorite Gestures Maker - Favorite Media Stream Provider - Favorite Country Singer - Favorite Pop Singer - Favorite Jazz Singer/Musician - Favorite Blues Singer - Favorite Singer in Standards, Classical or Ballads - Favorite Singing Group (2 or more performers) - Favorite Male Singer - Favorite Female Singer - Favorite Musician Management Individual, Team or Business - Favorite Live Music Venue - DJ/Streamed Music Club/Venue - Favorite Club or Venue Host or Hostess - Favorite Club DJ – Female - Favorite Club DJ – Male - Favorite Radio DJ