Wonderful Crazy

(via J.M.G.)

From Matt Harding´s website "Where The Hell is Matt" (url)

Matt is a 35-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames. Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made this site so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is.

A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said "Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it." He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It's actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea.

A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on the internet. No, not that guy. The other one. No, not him either. I'll send you the link. It's funny."

---
I cannot help loving wonderful people who get crazy with the joy of life! It kind of reminds me of SecondLife, half the time I am in there I seem to be dancing my ass off.

Justice Denied

guardian.co.uk has interviewed the legal representative of the two Swedish women in the Assange-investigation and give us the following report: Julian Assange asylum move is ´a tragedy´ for his accusers, says lawyer (url full interview) :

"Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum in Ecuador is "a tragedy" for the two women who have accused him of sexual assault in Sweden, their lawyer has said.

Claes Borgström, who represents the two unnamed women with whom the WikiLeaks founder had sexual relations in Stockholm in August 2010, told the Guardian the women were frustrated and disappointed by Assange's decision to seek asylum rather than face investigation in Sweden over claims of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion.

"They are disappointed, but they are getting used to this by now," said Borgström, who has represented the women throughout Assange's sequence of appeals against extradition in the British courts.

"They know that all they can do is wait. I have told them I am not sure, but I think he will still be extradited … it is a tragedy for the women. I don't know how long it will take for him to be extradited now. Victims want to put these things behind them in order to be able to get on with their lives. The tragedy is that he doesn't take his responsibility. He should have come to Sweden."

...

I totally agree with Mr. Borgström, justice delayed is justice denied for the two women.

Given the constant problem with most sexual crime allegations, that there are only two people present with conflicting versions of what occurred,  this may be a difficult case for the prosecutor to gather enough proof to bring charges against Assange and then to get him convicted by a court of law. I - like everyone else - do not yet know what supporting evidence the prosecutor may be in possession of. Delays are usually not at all helpful in crime investigations.

Swedish Government Web-pages are Down (Updated)(Update)

I have been trying to reach the Swedish governments web-pages (www.regeringen.se and others) during the last hour or so but cannot get connected with it. I have also tried getting to the different ministries without luck.

Is this a hacker attack by Assangistas?

Update
As you can read in the comments to this post the lairds CTO, Mrs. Vampi Twine-DeSantis-McMillan-McMillan (honorary), says she has no problems at all reaching the website.

However I still cannot reach the government website or those of the ministries. Of course it is entirely possible that the government has decided to shut me out but...  Could Vampi be a CIA-agent? (Go away, paranoia!)

I would appreciate if you could tell me in comments if you have a problem reaching the website www.regeringen.se or not. Thanks in advance!

Update 2
Thanks to those of you who tried to help out. Its obviously NOT a hacker attack but some malfunction on my end.

After uninstalling and re-installing my Internet Security program, my anti-virus program, my Chrome, my Firefox etc. and clearing out every conceivable cache, I must report I still cannot access the government websites in either Firefox, Google Chrome or IE. I´ll see if i have the stamina to worry about it in the morning.

Political Asylum

The embassy of the Republic of Ecuador to the United Kingdom today issued the following statement:

"This afternoon Mr Julian Assange arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy seeking political asylum from the Ecuadorian government. We have immediately passed his application on to the relevant department in Quito. While the department assesses Mr Assange's application, Mr Assange will remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorian government. (...) The decision to consider Mr Assange's application for protective asylum should in no way be interpreted as Ecuador interfering in the judicial processes of either the United Kingdom or Sweden."

Read the full report by Beatrice Woolf of the guardian.co.uk, "Julian Assange seeking asylum in Ecuadorian embassy in London." (url)
---

Another imaginative and interesting development in this case to further delay the investigation into the criminal charges complaints for rape and sexual molestation made against Assange by two Swedish women. 

Misplaced Loyalty

Art by Rene Magritte

For a very long time I have loyally stood alongside another person. In some instances I have fought for this persons causes or defended this person against attacks. I have done so of my own volition and never expected any reward or acknowledgement for it.

However, neither did I expect my loyalty to be disrespected or taken advantage of. It was a sad moment indeed when I realized what had occurred and learned that the same thing had happened repeatedly during the last week.

In hindsight I do not regret my previous actions, but still I cannot help feeling hurt and betrayed.

I Miss Us

I have always been fiercely individual and have rarely been prepared to, or wanted to, adapt to what is expected of togetherness and in relationships. I have guarded my freedom to do whatever I wished whenever I wished to do it and to let no one hold me back. And then Ars happened.

The first eight months of my SecondLife I had successfully fended off all relationships and offers of partnering, I just could not understand how such a thing as a virtual love affair or relationship could ever work, either in the.short run or in the long run. And then Ars happened.

It was actually very strange when I found myself to be so dependent on another man, his moods, his schedules, his wishes. Someone once told me during an argument that I was lucky meeting Ars when I did. I agreed with him and did not think about his statement anymore until after Ars had passed away. I know I asked him at some point then, but I cannot recall his answer - it all happened during the blurriest part of my grieving.

Still, I do agree with the guy. I was lucky in meeting Ars when I did. What we had and what we became together just grew naturally and I never felt it as a limitation or an obstacle, rather the opposite. Ars supported me, lifted me, taught me and guided me. I guess I did something for him also, but I cannot imagine what I did to be showered with such affection and love.

I miss our talks, jokes, discussions and even our quarrels. Ars thought I was too naive and overly kind to everyone and too political. I was upset with him for having given up on the political process altogether and sometimes for working too much and for being a cynic and not taking care of himself. I miss sharing ideas, dreams and thoughts with him.  I miss being loved.

I miss "us", I miss "we" and I miss being a part of "Ars and I".

She Made Me Proud

Art by John Bauer

This evening I listened to a  podcast that I have had difficulty listening to before. but after a long time of fiddling around with the settings of the firewall. I finally got it to work just before the program I wanted to listen to started.

The program was of course "Jändi är arg" (Iendi is angry) on Iendi´s Transistor. I have followed the origins of the discussions that lead up to the radio program, but have not really taken part much.

Iendi was - as always - calm, cool and collected throughout the radio show, however angry she claims to have been it did not shine through in the least during the program. She answered all the personal attacks on her by trolls and drama queens of both sexes and big-busted and small-minded valkyrias.

I am proud to have Iendi Laville as my fiend! Never take their shit to heart, my darling ex-missus for a day!