A Wedding in Stockholm

Today the Swedish royal family is marrying off their youngest child when Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine (born 1982), Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland,  marries the British-American businessman Mr. Christopher Paul ”Chris” O’Neill (born 1974).

Photo by Patrick-Demarchelier

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls and supreme sovereign of The Commonwealth of Southern Enchantment with Outer Territories, has been uninvited to attend due to a tiff with Silvia, Queen of Sweden, at  his last visit in Stockholm a few months ago.

Rumors about what actually occurred to cause the animosity between the two royal households have been rampant in the International press. The winning theory is now that Queen Silvia actually tried to order the laird to bestow a royal title to Chris, as he will not be bestowed royal dignity by the Swedish crown. Those of us who are acquainted with the laird also know that he doesn't take orders well (especially from harridans) so bitter animosity ensued.

"Viva l'Italia" - Exhibition Opening

If you love Italy and its's gorgeous architecture my buddy Eddi Haskell, master-blogger and master-photographer, has a photo-exhibition opening  at Virtual Gay World in Second Life.

Eddi has taken over 25 huge photographs which show how good building in Second Life can be.

The opening starts with a party today Saturday June 8, 2013, 2 PM - 4 PM SLT. (Your gondola to the party and exhibition awaits you below)

The exhibition will be open through the month of June 2013 and you can visit it by taking this: Take me to the exhibition (SLurl)

"The new Egoisme Milano shopping area is an excellent virtualization of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world's oldest shopping mall. However, calling this gorgeous structure a shopping mall does not do it justice.
- The Galleria, built in Milan between 1865 -1877, contains high end restaurants and shops under a glass dome roof. It is enormous; you do not appreciate the scale of the place until you actually visit. To it's credit, and showing the great taste of Italians, McDonald's, which simply does not belong here, was refused a renewal of a 20 year lease in 2012 and is suing the Galleria for over thirty million dollars of damages.
- The build by Egoisme is very well done and uses authentic textures to give the build a highly realistic "feel". It is one of the great builds in Second Life. A visit is highly recommended."
Eddi Haskell, master-blogger and master-photographer.

To Egoisme Milano (SLurl)

Insomnia Sucks

It's 3:39 AM local time and I still haven't been able to fall asleep.

I hate insomnia!

Celebration of Kiss-A-Swede Day

Photo by Ziggy Starsmith

The International community - well, select parts of it - have celebrated the third annual International Kiss-A-Swede Day in SecondLife even without my presence.

Read more about the celebrations in SecondLife on Ziggy And Guyke On The Edge Of Second Life: Kiss-A-Swede Day (url).

Thanks Guykechen and Ziggchen, it was a wonderful surprise and I laughed so hard that I almost peed. 

The Tag Crisis

My sweet friend Butch seems to create and dissolve a fan-group in SecondLife every third month or so. Recently he created a more general fan-group that - hopefully - could encompass all his future ventures and/or clubs, Butch Diavolo | Info Group.

I was of course invited to join, as I am one of his biggest fans. All would have bee good and well, if it had not been for his unfortunate choice of group tags. Butch tagged himself as "The Weird One" and the rest of the group members as "Party Weirdo". Can you believe it? One would really have expected more of this otherwise pleasant, intelligent man with exquisite taste.

The situation was, as you can imagine, completely unacceptable and unsatisfactory for my station in life, so I started a rebellion in the group chat. Here is a slightly edited (mostly only shortened) extract of the group chat.

Bock McMillan: Party Weirdo, huh? I think a laird deserves a much classier tag than that! Pfffffffft
Aisha Ceawlin: LMAO
Harli (harliquin.taurus): I like party weirdo tag
Amanda269 Allen: I complained also
Aisha Ceawlin: I complained too
Bock McMillan: I feel so belittled - almost as if I was walking in the middle of a street at high-noon in only nappies
Amanda269 Allen: I mean....Party Weirdo??
TἶTἶ Lυςαѕ   (titianna.omizu): Fits us
Amanda269 Allen: Pfff
Amanda269 Allen: No comment
Harli (harliquin.taurus): I love the tag, wear it all the time  lol
TἶTἶ Lυςαѕ   (titianna.omizu): Could have been worse
Butch Diavolo: Hmm... the plebs are revolting?
Aisha Ceawlin: O.M.G. it speaks :P
Bock McMillan: Well, Harli, I am sure it could be suitable for some people - but after all I am a laird, mind you
Butch Diavolo: Y'all are weirdos, so the tag fits
Bock McMillan: Pffft if only I was tagged "The much Honored Weirdo" or something similar I would not complain
Harli (harliquin.taurus): A laird of x?
Butch Diavolo: In your case, that title is implied, Bock ;)
Bock McMillan: I am Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls and sovereign ruler of the Southern Enchantment region with all its outer territories etc., etc.
Kiri Dasmijn (kiri.cisse): The Outer Territories being the rest of SL?
Bock McMillan: Nahhh, Solace Island, Mount Whitney and a few more unknown places...
Butch Diavolo: SL and RL
Kiri Dasmijn (kiri.cisse): What about the Moon?
Bock McMillan: The supreme ruler of this group is trying to admonish me in IM
Spanki Moulliez: I've got a feeling Bock's title is not going to fit on the tag :P
TἶTἶ Lυςαѕ   (titianna.omizu): lol
Butch Diavolo: Since you cancelled the Kiss-a-Swede day, you will stay a party weirdo <--- admonishment="" i="">
Spanki Moulliez: Every day should be kiss a Swede day! perhaps that can be your title
Bock McMillan: The Moon is only a U.N. Protectorate in my realm, Kiri
Bock McMillan: That day is cancelled due to bad weather
Kiri Dasmijn (kiri.cisse): Yeah it's a protectorate til we run low on cheese, then it's every nation for itself.
Butch Diavolo: ( Lairdy Weirdo? )
Bock McMillan: The Right Honorable Weirdo would be sufficient even though I would feel common 
Butch Diavolo: That won't fit
Butch Diavolo: Or better yet... A Right Weirdo
Bock McMillan: The Honorable Weirdo then if it must be shortened

A few days later I got an offline message from The Weird One informing me that my tag had been changed.

I find the new tag satisfactory and appropriately respectful! Thank you so much for your responsiveness to my needs, Butch!

Sweden's National Day

June 6 is Sweden's National Day, the Swedish Flag's Day and the International Kiss-A-Swede Day in SecondLife.

The two first will be celebrated in a slightly self-conscious manner all over Sweden (Unlike many other nationalities we Swedes always feel a bit apprehensive with overt displays of patriotism or nationalism - except when it comes to sport.) As you have already been informed, the laird has capriciously decided to cancel the celebration of the third International Kiss-A-Swede Day in SecondLife due to "bad weather".

All please stand up for what should rightfully be made the Swedish National Anthem if the world was a just and righteous place.

I Feel Best In Open Landscapes
music and lyrics by Ulf Lundell (lyrics translated to English by Bock McMillan)

I feel best in open landscapes, close to the sea I want to live

A few months troughout the year, so I can get peace within

I feel best in open landscapes, where winds are blowing full

Where the larks fly free up to the sky, and singing wonderful

There I make my own aquavit, and flavor it with St. John´s Wort

And drink it with pleasure, with herring and homemade bread

I feel best in open landscapes, close to the sea I want to live.

I feel best in peace and freedom, for both body and soul

No one comes too close to me, who shuts in and steals

I feel best when the day is breaking, where fields are filled with light

When cocks crow far away, where it´s far to the closest house

But still so close, that one quiet silent night

When you're sitting under the stars, you can still hear the laughter

I feel best in peace and freedom, for both body and soul

I feel best when the sea is swelling, and gulls are crying high

When the beach is filled with seashells, with the oceans sound inside

When the clear and the simple, can exist the way it wants

Where yes is yes, and no is no, and doubt is lying low

Then I tie a ring of leafs, and lay it on the closest rock

Where runes were cut for our sake, once so long ago

I feel best when the sea is swelling, and the gulls are crying high

I feel best in open landscapes, close to the sea I want to live.

My Big Boy

Today I met my son Guyke at the gay SecondLife-bloggers group Rhino Writers meeting in preparation for our groups participation at the SL10B. Guykechen was there representing his husband Ziggy's blog "Ziggy On The Edge Of Second Life". (Well, not officially but I had brought him there in that capacity.)

Unfortunately we were not many who could make it to the meeting, so besides Guyke and myself there was Avacar Bluestar and his partner ricogenu and Jeff Ellsworth. It was soon apparent that Avacar and Teno Theriac had already had fruitful conversations on the matter and had come up with many good ideas.

Myself and Avacar Bluestar

Jeff Ellsworth

ricogenu and Guykechen

After the meeting Guyke and I returned to Southern Charm to catch up and say our goodbyes. On top of the list of topics was of course what was going on in our first lives and Guyke's fabulous SecondLife  makeover.

"I decided it was time to grow up", the boy told me, "so I needed a complete remake for a more manly and less boyish look." And what a stunning look it is!

To my great relief he has not grown to big for hugging, I will never allow that to happen of course, but still it is good to notice that the Swedish part of his upbringing is deeply rooted in him.