Memorial Ceremony in Second Norway

The monument for the victims is made by Njord Longfall

Today there was a memorial ceremony for the victims of the bombings in Oslo City center and the massacre on Utøya on July 22nd 2011.  

Ey Ren, co-founder of Second Norway, spoke the words that were in all our hearts, "These atrocities are against the core of what it means to be Norwegian, Swedish or Scandinavian." .

Njorls monument is inscribed with the words that the Norwegian girl Helle Grannestad said to a friend when she heard of the tragic events, "If one man can show so much hate, think how much love we could show standing together." The same words also concluded Ey´s speech at the ceremony.

The Norwegian police has now published the complete list of the 77 victims killed in the massacre at Utøya and the bombing in Oslo City center.

Utøya (69):
Karrar Mustafa Qasim, 19, Vestby.
Andreas Edvardsen, 18, Sarpsborg.
Ronja Søttar Johansen, 17, Vefsn.
Emil Okkenhaug, 15, Levanger.
Åsta Sofie Helland Dahl, 16, Sortland.
Monica Iselin Didriksen, 18, Sund.
Rune Havdal, 43, Øvre Eiker.
Tore Eikeland, 21, Bergen.
Espen Jørgensen, 17, Bodø.
Karin Elena Holst, 15, Rana.
Aleksander Aas Eriksen, 16, Meråker.
Victoria Stenberg, 17, Nes.
Ruth Benedicte Vatndal Nilsen, 15, Tønsberg.
Isabel Victoria Green Sogn, 17, Oslo.
Ida Beathe Rogne, 17, Østre Toten.
Elisabeth Trørnnes Lie, 16, Halden.
Monica Elisabeth Bøsei, 45, Hole.
Håvard Vederhus, 21, Oslo.
Carina Borgund, 18, Oslo.
Ingrid Berg Heggelund, 18, Ås.
Tarald Kuven Mjelde, 18, Osterøy.
Porntip Ardam, 21, Oslo.
Andrine Bakkene Espeland, 16, Fredrikstad.
Torljus Jakobsen Blattmann, 17, Kristiansand.
Jamil Rafal Mohamad Jamil, 20, Eigersund.
Tina Sukuvara, 18, Vadsø.
Fredrik Lund Schjetne, 18, Eidsvoll.
Steinar Jessen, 16, Alta.
Lejla Selaci, 17, Fredrikstad.
Henrik Rasmussen, 18, Hadsel.
Thomas Margido Antonsen, 16, Oslo.
Mona Abdinur, 18, Oslo.
Anders Kristansen, 18, Bardu.
Gunnar Linaker, 23, Bardu.
Ismail Haji Ahmed, 19, Hamar.
Trond Berntsen, 51, Øvre Eiker.
Sharidyn Svebakk-Bøhn, 14, Drammen.
Silje Merete Fjellbu, 17, Tinn.
Hanne A.Balch Fjalestad, 43, Lunner.
Bano Abobakar Rashid, 18, Nesodden.
Syvert Knudsen, 17, Lyngdal.
Diderik Aamodt Olsen, 19, Nesodden.
Simon Sæbø, 18, Salangen.
Synne Røyneland, 18, Oslo.
Birgitte Smetbak, 15, Nøtterøy.
Margrethe Bøyum Kløven, 16, Bærum.
Even Flugstad Malmedal, 18, Gjøvik.
Tamta Lipartelliani, 23, Georgien.
Kevin Daae Berland, 15, Askøy.
Silje Stamneshagen, 18, Askøy.
Hanne Kristine Fridtun, 19, Stryn.
Håkon Ødegaard, 17, Trondheim.
Sondre Furseth Dale, 17, Haugesund.
Henrik André Pedersen, 27, Porsanger.
Eivind Hovden, 15, Tokke.
Rolf Christopher Johansen Perreau, 25, Trondheim.
Sverre Flåte Bjørkavåg, 28, Sula.
Eva Kathinka Lütken, 17, Sarpsborg.
Maria Maagerø Johannesen, 17, Nøtterøy.
Modupe Ellen Awoyemi, 15, Drammen.
Lene Maria Bergum, 19, Namsos.
Guro Vartdal Håvol, 18, Ørsta.
Marianne Sandvik, 16, Stavanger.
Andreas Dalby Grønnesby, 17, Stange.
Sondre Kjøren, 17, Orkdal.
Bendik Rosnæes Ellingsen, 18, Rygge.
Gizem Dogan, 17, Trondheim.
Snorre Haller, 30, Trondheim.
Johannes Buø, 14, Mandal.

Oslo City center (8):
Jon Vegard Lervåg, 32, Oslo.
Ida Marie Hill, 34, Oslo.
Hanne Ekroll Løvlie, 30, Oslo.
Tove Åshill Knutsen, 56, Oslo.
Hanna M Orvik Endresen, 61, Oslo.
Kai Hauge, 32, Oslo.
Anne Lise Holter, 51, Våler.
Kjersti Berg Sand, 26, Nord-Odal.

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May you rest in peace, we will never forget you!

Ziggy´s Pictures of Me Are Posted

Ziggy and I resting and talking after a good photo shoot

Ziggy is a perfect gentleman and a dedicated professional and he works damned fast. I thought I was safe for a few days but pictures from the photo shoot yesterday are already up on his blog "Ziggy On the Edge of Second Life".

If you should happen to see a little wood among all the trees my only excuses are that working with Ziggy is inspiring. He is very encouraging and supportive and was an absolutely perfect gentleman through it all.

To Ziggy´s pictures of Bock.

Hmmm I perhaps should warn you, You must be over 18 years old to look at them...

Photo Shoot with Ziggy

Today I did my photo shoot with Ziggy Starsmith, he has asked me for that awhile but we had some difficulty finding a good time slot.

It was great fun and Ziggy is a very kind and appreciative photographer. Although I must say I had good use of the little knowledge I have gained from seeing short parts of Top Model from time to time, "You gotta move your ass, gurl, move it!"

Look for the the pictures on Ziggy´s blog one of these days, "Ziggy on the edge of Second Life"! Here is a teaser for you all.

Today´s After-Work Nap

"Sleeping Man", drawing by Michael King

As has become my - bad - habit, the first thing I do when I come home from work is to get completely undressed and go to bed for a nap. I am fully functioning, alert and focused when I am at work, but when I come home I just drop.

I discussed this "problem" with my doctor last time I saw him and his response was brief and to the point, "Well, if you need to sleep, sleep!". I think that´s one of the main reasons I like this doctor, he is straightforward and astute. So sleep after work is what I do, especially on Fridays. Usually 30 minutes to an hour is sufficient. I wake up refreshed and ready to tackle my first and second life again.

Today I was really very tired when I got home at around 5 PM, but it was warm and the humidity was high. Even after opening all the windows of my apartment and the balcony door, I still couldn't fall asleep. I got out of bed to drink, smoke, pee, rearrange the sheets and pillows in mu bed, smoke again, drink again and pee again.

Finally I brought out the ultimate weapon, my fan! I wished I had thought about it earlier but I guess I was too tired. The cooler flow of air on my body was enough, I fell at sleep around 6 PM and slept until 10 PM.

The dream this afternoon was one of those "searching dreams". I was helping my boss with a speech she was going to give. We had tossed ideas and phrases and as usual worked well together, getting the whole thing done well in advance. I had jotted down notes in a black notebook and only had to do out the final draft, so we took a break and went for lunch.

Horror of all horrors, when I got back the notebook was gone. It had completely disappeared. I searched my office, I searched her office, running around like in one of those slapstick movies in one door and out and through another door,  faster and faster until I met myself several times and getting more and more frantic by the minute as the time for the speech was coming closer.

I woke up without having found it.

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The art in  this post is a drawing by Michael King, you can see more of his work at Michael King Paintings.

Happy Birthday, Guyke!

 

Happy birthday, Guyke, I hope you have a wonderful day in RL!

Love you!
Hugs and kisses

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

Today is the 50th birthday of Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America.

I would like to start with wishing you a very happy birthday, Mr. President, and may you have many, many more!

Then I would like to stick my neck out - and prepare to get it chopped off - as I am now going to comment on conditions in a country of which I am not a citizen.

My excuse for doing this is firstly that I am Swedish, we have always been great at telling everyone else how they should run their countries. I will flatly admit that Sweden has taken some steps along the American highway, but luckily we haven't gone as far down the path yet. We have politicians here also with an overconfidence in the markets ability to solve problems in an acceptable way.

Secondly it is that I am totally flabbergasted when I hear that everyone is disappointed with Obama´s policies, the poor, the African Americans, the elderly, the sick, the gays and the workers, the trade unions and so on ad infinitum. Obama has not done enough it is said, he has not spoken out for this or for that position and he hasn't fulfilled the promises he made when he was running for president.

Thirdly it is that I, my countrymen, all Europeans and the whole world economy is dependent on the American state and it´s economy functioning well. From afar I must say that the only thing that seems to run effectively is the American military and the pornographic industry.

Politics is the art of the possible, ladies and gentlemen, and I must remind you that the Americans voted a majority of Republicans into Congress two years after Obama´s election, thus effectively making him a "lame duck". We have all seen and heard the Republican party of the U.S. reviling and constantly working again him. Most recently in the budget-crisis where they effectively held a loaded gun to the presidents head while pushing him against the wall. In fact it was not only Obama and the Democratic party of the U.S. standing there, it was the whole world economy and we all watched in awe to see how far they would push it. The whole world is dependent on the American economy

It is extremely strange to acquire some small insights into how the American political system works or doesn't work. For a Scandinavian and European there seems to be a "Friedmanesque" overconfidence in "the (holy) market" and "less government" solving all problems.

In my mind every civilized country - and especially the richest, most talented country in the world should at least take care of its poor, its sick, its young and its elderly. It is not possible to ask the market to take care of this without government regulation and without setting acceptable standards of what society wishes the market to achieve.

I wish you a wonderful day, Mr. President, you have your work cut out for you tomorrow and in the foreseeable future. I also hope you get four more years as president, because in my mind - and I think in most Europeans - you are the best thing that happened to American politics for a long time. And for the world.

Looking at the alternatives that are proclaiming themselves as candidates for the presidency in 2012 I get terrified.

Yes you can, Mr. President!

(P.S. I may delete most of this post because on second thought I do not think the ramblings of a gay, middle aged Swede will be to any benefit for Obama, it´s just me venting...)

Welcome Back, Milli!

Photo courtesy of Millimina Salamander

She is finally back home again after her looooooooooooooong vacation.I cannot even start to tell you how happy I was when I saw my little sister had posted on her blog and even sent me an e-mail.

I have missed you so much, Millimina, you wouldn't believe it! Hope to catch in SecondLife soon, love you always!