BREAKING! New York Senate Votes For Same-Sex Marriage!

Photography by Jay Fine

The State Senate of  New York a few moments ago voted for same-sex marriages with the votes Ayes 33 - Nays 29.

Due to some changes of the wording in the bill to get it to pass in the senate the bill will have to pass in the the State Assembly once again for confirmation before governor Andrew Cuomo - as he has stated he will - can sign it into law.

My warmest congratulations to all gay and lesbian New Yorkers for being granted your fundamental human rights!

The light of Jeebus has struck the city and yet she stands firm, and the straight marriages don´t dissolve either, what a wonderful day!

Yes to Ban Circumcision of Infant Boys

As I have informed you earier (Vote Against Infant Circumcision), there is a poll over at my friend Eddi "Snip-Snip" Haskell´s blog concerning whether or not circumcision of infant boys should be baned or not.

I feel the need to remind you that the voting will be going on for four more days, if you havent voted yet please do so a.s.a.p.

"The choosers", of which I am one, believe that there should be a ban against circumcision of infant boys until the individual himself can give a valid consent. We have no objections whatsoever to those men who elect to perform this operation when they are adults and have the possibilty to choose it for themselves.

The choosers believe that the issue is basically a Human Rights one and can be boiled down to this.

"Leave the children's bodies alone, both boys and girls. Teach them healthy routines to clean their genitals on a daily basis. ...all the rest is religion and culture screwing up with nature."
 

"The snippers", of which Eddi is one, believe that there should be no ban against circumcision of infant boys and that the decision on whether or not circumcision should be performed rests with the parents of the infant boy or the medical profession.They also claim that a vast amount of studies show that there are big health advantages for both the boy himself and the surrounding society and claims this is supported by a vast amount of studies conducted, they therefore believe it should not be banned but left to the parents or the medical profession to decide..

The studies that have been presented by "the snippers" have been opposed by "the choosers" who claim there are a multitude of other studies stating the opposite.

----
Now head on over to Eddi´s blog Eddi Haskell´s Second Life and tell us what your position is on this matter.

The Bare Essentials for a Midsummer Celebration

These are the most basic essentials for any midsummer celebration anywhere. Of course you can also have a lot of other things but you cannot do without these.

1. "Matjessill"
"Matjes herring" is a prepared form of herring stored in a barrel before it is cleaned and packed in preserve with a special seasoning, comprising among other things, sugar, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Often sandalwood is included in the seasoning.

(Please note that the Swedish matjes is not the same as the one sold in Germany or Holland. It is not as sharp in the taste and tastes more of the spices.)

2. "Färskpotatis" 
Early potatoes, preferably the smaller ones, boiled with lots of dill.

3. "Gräddfil"
Sour creme.

4. "Gräslök"
Chives, chopped in about 1 centimeter long pieces

5. "Snaps"
Small glasses of spirits, usually "brännvin" or vodka but any "akvavit" will do, usually served very well chilled with your meal.  

Most often you sing drinking songs before you imbibe. 

After finishing the song shout "Skål" at the top of your voice and then look all the other guests straight in the eyes - starting with the lady to your right - and give each of them a small nod and a big smile. 

Finally you can drink your "snaps"! Make sure to swallow all that is in the glass in one gulp. It is not considered polite to "bite off" the snaps, if you aren't a woman or a sissy boy.

6. "Midsommarkrans"
Wear a garland on your head, preferably one you made yourself.

Optional but classy "Jordgubbar"
Strawberries served with or without cream and sugar.



Have a wonderful Midsummer!

Big Man

Untitled (Big Man) - Ron Mueck (2000)

Ron Mueck (born 1958) is an Australian sculptor who is working in the United Kingdom.

The picture above shows his sculpture Untitled (Big Man) made in 2000. It is a nearly seven-foot sculpture of a naked, completely hairless, belligerent-looking man sitting with his knees drawn up and his elbows resting on his knees, his head in his hand. The work is designed to sit in a corner.

The sculpture is owned by the "Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden" in Washington, D.C., and has become one of the museum's most popular works ever since its acquisition.

All the above is from Wikipedia´s article on Ron Mueck
----

When I first saw this picture a few years ago my instinctive reaction was anger and bewilderment.

"What sick bastard would devote himself to making such a derisive comedy picture of another human beings deformity", was what I thought. (In those first days I actually still thought it was a picture of a living person.) I quickly moved on to something else, but I couldn't forget it and over time the image started pulling me back again and again.

Although he is a really big man there is something acutely defenseless about him, sitting there naked and exposed. unshielded. Alone. He seems to be protecting himself from the camera - and against us the onlookers - by assuming almost a fetal position. His back is curved, the head is bowed, and the limbs are bent and drawn up to the torso. He has crawled into the corner of the room. Or perhaps we drove him there?

Even his glare seems to me more defensive than belligerent. The eyes hold more of a warning "Stay away from me! Don´t come any closer, or else..."

Nowadays I think it´s a beautiful statue and the man has become beautiful to me also.

This is a picture showing the same statue with visitors to the museum, just so you get a feel of it´s true size.

Happy 8th Rezday, SecondLife!

Today June 23rd, 2011, SecondLife will officially be eight years old. Would you believe it?

This wonderful world of ours is only eight years old and the celebrations have already started and will be going on the whole week. For more information on what is happening please go to the SL8B-site.

I would like to congratulate Linden Lab and all who work there - and have worked there - since the start until now.

Happy Eighth Rezday, SecondLife!

I love you guys, all of you - with the possible exception of M Linden and the guy that I have blocked out from my memory who messed up my "not so flourishing" business on XStreet (these days better known as Marketplace).

I would also like to convey my gratitude to all Lindens and Ontynes - and whatever other surnames you may have - from the Chairman of the board over Customer Services to the errand boy on the third floor of the offices.

Special thanks with kisses and hugs go to my own very special Lindens,
Philip Linden - the man who shared his dream of another world with us and the sexiest Chairman of the board in both the first and second world,
Rodvik Linden - the man who will move us into the future safely and with awareness of that SecondLife is not just another game but a community and the coolest CEO known to man (even if he needs help in answering messages),
Alexa Linden - for her great kindness and good sense of humor and also for taking good care of a dear friend whom I alas usually only meet once a year,
Belinda Linden - for being warm, caring, competent and supportive towards a crazy Swede with legal problems,
Keira Linden -  for being kind, sweet, efficient and supportive in solving the crazy Swede´s technical problems and last, but in no way least,
Gareth Ontyne - for being calm, polite and efficient although the crazy Swede did not appreciate it at the time (Sorry Gareth!)

Vote Against Infant Circumcision

A truly inspired commercial for a man owning a circumcision clinic in the Philippines

My friend and co-blogger Eddi Haskell has started a vote for or against infant circumcision. Our debate started after a mutual friend and co-blogger Torro Spyker came out against infant circumcision on his blog The Bullring.

My own position on the issue, as I have said before, (so this is partly a  repost) is that mass-circumcision of infant boys is genital mutilation and child abuse. Admittedly there are a few cases when it is warranted by medical reasons, but otherwise I cannot see any valid arguments for this procedure being performed on infants.

In my mind this surgery should only be performed with informed consent on adult men. I for one would hate to have my foreskin removed, just saying.

(And yes, I totally agree that female circumcision is much more invasive and a more important issue to fight against, as it leads to more problems for the women later in life and also deprives them of the possibility to fully enjoy sex.)

----

As I have said already in a comment on The Bullring: "My position is basically a Human Rights one and can be boiled down to this.

Leave the children's bodies alone, both boys and girls. Teach them healthy routines to clean up their genitals on a daily basis.

...all the rest is religion and culture screwing up with nature."

 Now head on over to Eddi´s blog Eddi Haskell´s Second Life and tell us what your position is on this matter.


For me the only possible vote in this pole is "Yes", actually I would have preferred an option saying "Hell yes!"

Midsummer Party

The inhabitants of SecondLife Sweden are now preparing for the Midsummer celebrations coming up this weekend.

I have already told you about Vadstena Castle and Ewa Aska´s party on Friday the 24th.

Now Midnattsdotter Fride steps up to the bat and announces this great line up of live SecondLife artists for Saturday 25th.

This will be a wonderful weekend in SecondLife!