Attempted Murder

My friend Eddi Haskell - who should know better when I am standing with one foot in the grave with the worst cold in Christendom - almost killed me off completely with these moving clips of "adorable Auntie Edwina and slutty Cousin Bockella" on his blog Eddi Haskell´s Second Life.

Artists and Other Animals

"Bock" by Chade Dagger

Here is a bonus poster for all my fans to put up over their beds or in their living rooms. Those who aren't one of my fans can use it to throw darts at or on the shooting range if they bother.

I have been thinking about the word "artist" and who can - rightfully - claim to "be an artist". As it turns out artist is not a well-defined or protected title. Anyone can at any point in time decide call themselves an artist if they wish to do so, but that does by no means mean that others must accept their claim.

For me an artist would be involved with art forms concerned with pure visual or performing arts for the purpose of aesthetics or concept rather than practical application.

Designing household appliances, skins or clothes are indeed important creative activities but do not usually count as fine art in my book. However, there are exceptional instances when I would consider items of these activities as art. Only to mention one example I will point at my own creation "The Jesters Hat - only for the most daring of fashionistas" which is sublime.

Suddenly...

"Moon Above Wheatfield" by Gary Hamburgh

Suddenly on Sunday afternoon I was hit with the worst case of the common cold I can remember ever having.

It started with three heavy sneezes. Next thing it was as if my head exploded with the worst headache ever and I felt my sinuses filling up with snot and my chest was congested. The sound of my coughing is terrible and woke me up several times during the night.

Although I felt sicker than a wildebeest I dragged my carcass to work this morning because I had an important meeting in the morning. The rest of the day I avoided close contact with everyone and just medicated with paracetamols to keep the fever at bay and had rolls of toilet paper in every pocket so I could blow my nose every 5-10 minutes. The tip of my nose is red and raw by now, not a pretty sight.

Suddenly yesterday I also felt a tremendous insecurity overwhelming me when I was going to write a post about my new tipping practices in the Swedish venues in SecondLife. After being criticized recently for intimidating others with my "overly generous" tips I started tipping only small amounts in the tip jars and the rest of my tip directly - on the body part of my choice - to the person I was tipping. It´s a hassle and I don´t know how long I can keep it up.

On that subject I was going to tell the story about what Ars once told me when I asked him what the correct tip was. He said - of course - that there is no correct tip, you tip as much or little as you wish and can afford. Ars also stressed the fact that it is essential that the receiver should graciously acknowledge all tips whatever the size. "Even a very small amount could be all the money that person has earned after hours of camping or all they have."

I know why I got insecure and I have claimed I didn't give a damn, but somehow I did anyway. It could of course also be a sign of my weakened state brought on by this uncommon cold.

Sunday Brunch at Hinterland

Hiroku, Mitch and Chade

Today I visited Hinterland for Sunday brunch. Well to be quite honest. I went there to catch a set at The Den but as it turned out I was 24 hours too late.

Still, when I got there I was welcomed to join Chade Dagger. his partner Ronan Juran and Hiroku Kamachi and Mitch for a good chat and some strong coffee around the fire,

Hiroku, Mitch, Chade, Ronan and I

I hadn't seen the guys in a while so it was good to catch up. The men of Hinterland have always been good to me and to Ars too. Ars used to have a regular set at The Den on Saturday mornings (somehow I confused it with Sundays), so I was a  very regular patron. The first memorial for Ars was held at Saint Magnus Kirk, the church that is seen in the background on the top picture.

Next Saturday, 1-3 AM SLT, there will be a Scottish event at The Den, I will be there for sure (if I can only schlepp my tired ass out of bed) wearing one of my leather kilts.

Introducing the Exodus Viewer

My buddy Ziggy Starsmith shares some interesting viewer-experiences with us and introduces us to a new and exciting third party viewer. This viewer seems to be designed for maximum performance. I for one am looking forward to trying it out.

Read more about it on  Ziggy On The Edge Of Second Life: "The Exodus Viewer.... The New Viewer On The Block" (Url). Please don´t forget to see the video with the grungy but sexy Pesto Portland and his cute German accent. 

Trash-talk

In the blogging world you can always complain that other bloggers
...are faking their statistics.
...are writing about the wrong subjects.
...are whining.
...are too self obsessed.
...are not serious journalists like yourself.
...are not able to give the readers what they want, expect or need.
etc. etc.

I will always, like the French philosopher Voltaire, maintain "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."

Every blogger has the freedom and the right and the bloody obligation to write whatever suits them as long as it is not discriminatory, defamatory, against the law of the land or against the guidelines of the blog provider. If you do not like the content of a blog, you should not waste your valuable time by reading it. Just move along and find something better to occupy yourself with.

I have stated this before, in both Swedish and English, this blog is mainly written for my own benefit. I am grateful and happy if others like to read it also, but that is by no means my main objective. This blog is not a public service or a news blog, I don´t charge you anything to read it, nor do I receive any of your tax dollars for writing it. I make no pretenses of being a journalist or catering to the needs of others.

As my buddy and enfante terrible the Swedish universal genius, philosopher, rebel, blogger, author, artist, cartoonist etc., etc. and the honored recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the Bock McMillan Art Foundation (a part of the BMcM Corporation) Apmel Goosson once wrote (well, only a few hours ago), "The day I start suspecting that what I write is governed more by what I think the readers want to read than what I myself think, I promise to shut down my blog and permanently stop writing anything at all"

*Bock stretches out his arm with the hand held in a vertical position and says, "Talk to the hand ´cause the face ain´t listening!"*

I Shall Return

"Lunch Atop a Skyscraper", Charles C. Ebbets (1932)

I had this picture in the first life tab on my profile in SecondLife almost from the start. I cannot remember if I still do, but I think so.

The picture of the Mohawk construction workers taking a lunch break out on a beam has fascinated me since the first time I saw it. It´s not only the fact that they are sitting there completely relaxed high above the New York skyline, but I also try to imagine the balancing acts they do when sitting themselves down or when they get up to go back to work.
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All is well with me, I have just been enveloped in my first life the last days and too tired afterwards to blog or go inworld.

Normal services should - hopefully - be resumed during the weekend.