Finally Friday

"China Shangay 2002, Tai Chi 3" by Itshak Dinstein    

I am not the one to usually burst out in T.G.I.F´s, I like my work and colleagues too much, but this Friday was really welcome.

The past week I have been chasing around to try to catch up with myself. I can like that sometimes, when things are intense and hectic and you feel like you are accomplishing worthwhile things, but not this week. Even though a lot of good things happened, I have been too tired to enjoy them. Hopefully that will happen during the weekend or next week.

Life - to me - is sort of a balancing act, the only problem is that life doesn't know it - or care. Life instead insists on coming at me in varying amounts. speed and at its own timetable.

Accepting Facts

The American radio and television journalist Andy Rooney is quoted as once having said, "People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.”

The Swedish legal system is based on what is sometimes called the Continental European legal system, where laws are codified in statutes that are passed by the elected legislatures. The laws are then interpreted by the courts in the cases that come before them. The courts are however bound by the the wording and framework of the laws and the intentions of the legislature and cannot interpret the freely or without basis in the wording. The Swedish Supreme Courts interpretation of the laws (precedents)  then limit the lower courts and their own future interpretation of disputes where the facts of the cases are the same. 

I have been at a tiresome meeting today. The object of the meeting was to inform and advice the 74 attendees on how the existing laws in Sweden regulate a specific dispute and what the relevant precedence is that would be applied by the courts when deciding their dispute.

The biggest problem to deal with was that about 25 of those at the meeting (the loudest naturally) were not there to listen or to be informed but instead to argue, from a purely emotional standpoint, how they believed - or would have preferred - the laws and the precedents to have been different.

I do not mind working for a change of existing or laws or how they should be interpreted. In Sweden such a change cannot be achieved in the courts solely but needs a lot of political footwork and lobbying against the legislature.

The 25 people at the meeting had little or no knowledge of the Swedish legal system and had probably seen too many American films and television dramas - where the legal system is completely different - of how victories and change of law comes about through valiant court battles with cunning and impassioned lawyers. Any explanation of how their disputes would be adjudicated by a Swedish court was meaningless to them, but instead only proved to them that there was something lacking with the lawyer.

Bara Interviewed

This seems to be the evening when all my favorite men with connection to SecondLife seem to be up to something, all except Apmel, Ziggy and Eddi... but the day is not over yet!

First my favorite Philip Linden (maybe), then my favorite Butch Diavolo and just now I got an e-mail from the Bara Jonson´s Fan Group in SecondLife with the following message.

Bara as portrayed on Virtual Music Magazine

"Yesterday I was inteviewed for the Virtual Music Magazine here in SL and its already been published.

http://virtualmusicmagazine.virtualmusicservices.com/ 

Also I have to show this amazing blog from my sons favorite uncle.. Bock McMillan...(emboldened and underlined by this blogger)

http://bocksl.blogspot.com/2012/03/bara-on-tour-in-first-life.html

See you on Friday 12.30 for this weeks only show!"

Butch Does It Too

My lovely buddy Butch Diavolo has now joined the wonderful gang of SecondLife bloggers, simply "Because  I can!" as he so eloquently puts it, even if he gives you an even more meaningful explanation in his first post ever.

Butch went for the black background on his blog like every cool blogger, but I must say I love the name of his blog "Butch Ramblings". This should be very exciting to follow, because I already know he has a beautiful mind

My only complaint is the very, very small font size he has chosen for his first post, I had to squint to read it and "us gay blog readers" (that's me) do not like anything that may give us wrinkles around the eyes. Do you hear me, Butch?

(The man is really perceptive, because he has already - within ten minutes of my posting this - increased the font size, thank you Butch, you just gave me another five years on the cuteness chart!)

A Challenge by Philip?

(via Tinas Universum)

The always well connected Ms. PetGirl Bergman (a.k.a. Tina Dahl), with the Swedish SecondLife blog "The Universe of Tina" (Tinas universum) has picked up this through one of her many sources.

It would seem as if Philip Rosedale (a.k.a. Philip Linden), Chairman of the Board at Linden Lab, the makers of our dreams, is taking promises to one self with a side bet on the Internet.

I am probably overly suspicious, but all my alarms start sounding off because this seems as a perfect set up for a sting.

To pay someone we think we know, respect and/or love without knowing where the money actually ends up seems risky. I would stay well away from anything like this until I get some validation from Philip Rosedale himself.

Greetings from Doug´s Family

Marsdeb after a makeover

I sent an email to Doug´s sister Debbie yesterday, and received her answer today. (Debbie is my link to Doug's first life family.)

As some of you may remember, Marsdeb Yoots was the avatar created by Doug's first life family to represent them at the second memorial service in SecondLife for Doug/Ars.

That memorial service was held at Calas Galdhon a week after his passing with more than 70 avatars joining us from the whole world (from New Zealand and Australia in the east to California, United States, and British Columbia, Canada, in the far west and everywhere in between.)

Through Marsdeb´s participation eight of Doug's first life family (including his parents) could join us at the beautiful memorial service.

"Tell the second life family hello. One of these days Marie and I might just surprise you and plan a trip to Sweden to meet you and others from second life who would care to join us.

Be happy as you know that is what Doug/Ars would want.

Love to all,
Debbie"

This would perhaps be an appropriate time to ask you all who may have been at the memorial service to please send me any pictures you may have from that occasion, I was too busy with myself to even think about taking pictures. You can either drop them on my SecondLife profile or send them to me in an e-mail to lundamats@gmail.com

200,000 pageviews

Yesterday March 12, 2012, Bock in SecondLife passed 200,000 pageviews since June 1, 2010. This is the 1 294th post.

By my own calculations this event should have came today, but due to three persons eagerness to read one of my posts on Sunday it came a day earlier. Thanks guys for helping out!

The blog has been in existence since August 25, 2009, although I didn't start blogging regularly until January 12, 2010. I initially blogged in my native Swedish but since August 14, 2010, it´s been mainly in English (with the spellchecker on American English).

The blog passed 100,000 pageviews on June 23, 2011. I am really surprised and happy that it doubled that count in only nine months.

I would like take this opportunity to thank to all my readers, regular or incidental ones! Lots of hugs all around! (...and if you are looking for some more tangible appreciation from me you are most welcome to collect your reward on June 6, 2012, - exact time to be posted at a later occasion - in the virtual world of SecondLife, when I will once again be throwing my annual Kiss-A-Swede event.)