Jason Mraz sings "I´m Yours..."

This song caught me on some blog, and I cannot get it out of my head.. (Unfortunately the embed option had been turned off on the official version. I wonder why they would do that...?)

RSVP to Kandinsky Beaumont

In a comment to one of my earlier posts I found an invitation from Kandinsky Beaumont.

In adherence with the rules of Emily Post I would like to respond in the same manner.




Dearest Kandi,
Thanks so much for the invitation, I would love to attend!

Yours,
Bock McMillan

"Oopps, did we just blow our cover?"

Photo by Anders Wiklund/Scanpix

"The racism that says that you are not worth as much as I am, that you will not have the same rights as me and you are not worth a life of freedom, and that for a single reason - that we happen to be born in different parts of our world - it is not worthy of a democracy like ours to make a difference between people" is what the Bishop of Stockholm Eva Brunne said today at the inauguration ceremony of the Swedish Riksdag (The Swedish parliament). 

At this point all the representatives from the Sweden Democrats rose from their seats in the Storkyrkan (The Great Church) in Stockholm and marched out in protest with all their entourage.

If someone leaves a church, which they have voluntarily entered into, because someone says what the bishop said, they have stamped themselves as xenophobes. 

I wonder if that is really what the Sweden Democrats had intended, but I am happy they did. 

Ahhhhhhhhh it is glorious and a true delight to be alive when one can witness moments like this! 

The dear bishop may need a speech writer - thats one of the worst sentences I have ever seen - but I share her sentiments with all my being, even if I am an atheist. 

Sydsvenskan

It´s time for a confession

I need to come clean with something to you all, because I want you to read it here first.

There is a person whom I have told about this. At the time when I told her I thought of  her as a friend, but we have since parted ways and broken all contact. Still she keeps on baiting me on almost a daily basis and I am just waiting for her to "spill the beans". I do not wish to be afraid anymore, so here goes.

After my husband Ars passed away I was diagnosed with clinical depression.

Clinical depression is a serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.

I was unable to function as I used to and lost interest in activities that were once enjoyable to me. I felt sad and hopeless for extended periods of time. Clinical depression is not the same as feeling sad or depressed for a few days and then feeling better. It affected my body, my mood, my thoughts, and my behavior. It changed my eating habits, how I felt and how I thought, my ability to work and how I interacted with people. In short I did not "feel like myself" anymore.

Clinical depression is not a sign of personal weakness, or a condition that can be willed away. Clinically depressed people cannot "pull themselves together" and get better. In fact, clinical depression often interferes with a person's ability or wish to get help. Clinical depression is a serious illness that lasts for weeks, months and sometimes years. Mental health counselors and psychiatrists are trained to diagnose and treat clinical depression. With the right treatment, most people who seek help get better within several months. Many people begin to feel better in just a few weeks.

I am grateful to my boss for forcing me to seek medical help at an early stage already in May 2010, and for the support I have since received from her, from my co-workers, from my true friends and family in real life and in Second Life. I have been receiving medical treatment for this since May and mostly I feel much better and stronger although not quite my old self yet.

I am relieved that I have now come to the decision to tell you myself rather than wait for it to be hurled out on another blog.

"Swedish Cinnamon Bun Day"

October 4th was declared the official "Swedish Cinnamon Bun Day" in 1999 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Swedish Homebaking Society. 

The Cinnamon bun, was chosen because it probably is the most undisputed symbol of homemade baking in Sweden. 

Here´s a recipe, enjoy!

Traditional Swedish cinnamon buns 
Time: 2 hours 
Serves about 25 pc 

Ingredients:
Dough:
    * 25 g of yeast for sweet doughs
    * 75 g butter or margarine
    * 2 ½ cups milk
    * ½ cup granulated sugar
    * 1 pinch salt
    * 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    * About 7 cups flour
 
Filling:
    * 50 g margarine or butter
    * ½ cup granulated sugar
    * 1 teaspoon cinnamon
 
Glazing:
    * 1 egg
 
Garnish:
    * Pearl sugar
 
Equipment you need:
    * 25 pc bun dies
 
Equipment that is good to have:
    * Kitchen machine
 
Follow these steps: 
1. Crumble yeast into a bowl.
2. Melt the butter and add the milk and let it become lukewarm, 37 degrees centigrade.
3. Dissolve the yeast in a little of the dough fluid and then add the rest. Add salt, sugar and cardamom and stir.
4. Use electric mixer with dough hooks or appliance to incorporate all flour in the dough. The dough should be soft and smooth. Let rise 30 minutes uncovered.
5. Make the filling. Stir together margarine, sugar and cinnamon.
6. Roll out the dough into a rectangular plate, approximately 20 x 50 cm. Spread with filling and roll up. Cut about 1 ½ cm thick slices and put them in the bun dies, cut side up. Let rise about 30 minutes.
7. Beat the egg with plain whipped and brush carefully on the buns (do not press hard). Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
8. Bake in oven at 225 degrees for 8-10 minutes or in oven 200 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Au Revoir Grenouille Inn

Photo courtesy of Belze Fraker

Well last night was wild and crazy. Almost all the Swedish glitterati had assembled at Grenouille Inn for a send-off party before the establishment was moved to a yet undisclosed location (or I may just have missed that piece of info).

I was busy talking with two prominent members of the Norwegian SL-community, Mialinn Telling and Starry Sweetwater, most of the evening.

The beautiful couple Apollon Allen and Iendi Laville gave us all a wonderful party, with loads of beer and music from the 80´s.

As has become my (bad) habit at Grenouille I immediately jumped up on the bar to dance, and was followed by Ikaros String and Maffe Carlberg. We were soon joined by some of the other guys, Frosty Muggins, Frostland Beornsen, Jesper Prinz, Bejiita Imako, marcuz Palen and Sunshine and perhaps some more.

My conversation with the two charming Norwegian ladies distracted me greatly. After all I am a man and have very limited mutitasking capabilities. I can really only do one thing at a time. Suddenly I noticed there was an impromptu contest for "Best Male Avatar" going on and hurried to join and we were all losing articles of clothing to attract attention and votes.

Unfortunately I could not manage to get my darn computer to obey me, so I got no pictures on my own.

My modesty prevents me from telling you who won ... to his own surpirise, but Frostland and Frosty got up on the bar after the voting had already started otherwise I am sure one of them would have won, both of them seem to have been woring out a lot lately and they were gorgeous.

On Blanche Argus blog I found a picture which I show you a detail of here. I wonder where my hair went - LOL.

Pet Peeves

A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to him or her, to a greater degree than others may find it. (Wikipedia)

I have quite a few pet peeves but two - that both are among the top ten - happened to me yesterday, so I´ll tell you about these today.

Persons constantly complaining about lag when at a crowded event.

Face the fact that it is a natural thing in Second Life, just deal with it. You could try to change your settings for the occasion, but for the love of mankind don´t bitch about it, it gets boring for the rest of us and really fast too.

If you know you cannot stand lag go sit by yourself at the bottom of an ocean somewhere. Have fun!

A wise man - me, myself and I - once said "Lag is a state of mind, don´t blame Second Life!

Homophobes that think being gay means you are halfway a woman or want to be one.

Hey buster, educate yourself. There is a difference you know, between gender, gender identity and sexual orientation. Do your homework and don´t clutter up my life with your ignorance and intolerance.

I took someone off my friendslist yesterday because of this. I told him, if he cannot accept me, why would he want to be on my friendslist anyway?

Otherwise yesterday was a great evening, but I´ll tell you more about that in my next post!