Lemaitre - Cut to Black

The Flags Are Raised

Little by little and with surprisingly few differences of opinion my buddy Butch Diavolo, brilliant builder and sublime interior decorator, and I are getting things in order at my new mansion.

Today there was a special moment when we raised the three flags again that have always blown over Southern Charm since Ars and I moved in on the sim.

When I Had to Put My Foot Down

It is sometimes essential to draw the line, to say "this far, but not beyond", when one is dealing with a temperamental, highly talented, creative personality - an "artiste" (French pronunciation) no less as he likes to refer ti himself - like my builder/interior decorator Butch Diavolo. The two of us usually get along famously and share the same taste in many ways.

We were looking at lamps and lighting accessories today, when he suddenly spotted a huge lamp shaped like a full scale, female figurine where her gown was a lamp and told me that we "simply had to" buy it.

I inhaled deeply, while looking at the hideous thing, and then told him with my calmest, firmest and sternest voice, "No, we definitely do not!"

When my brilliant and sometimes even sublime creative advisor heard this, he threw a temper tantrum. He told me that I was impossible to please, that my taste was lacking, that I did not recognize when something was "en vogue" and that he even - here comes the worst part - sometimes wondered if I was truly gay at all, as I did not recognize the potential fabulousness of the marvelous lamp.

To have ones gayness challenged in a dispute over a silly lamp is really hurtful. Despite that I remained adamant, whereupon he threatened to leave SecondLife on the spot and never come back as he had never, ever, in his whole life had to deal with someone as impossible and lacking in good taste as me. Luckily I have dealt with children earlier in my life, so I just pointed at another lamp and asked him what he thought about that one instead.

These god-gifted people are easily distracted, even pointing to something else and starting to talk about it helps. If that does not do it you can always start discussing their latest "wonderful" hairstyle. However, I would suggest you only use that as a last resort. After all, how often can one really discuss someones hair or where they bought it, if they got the fullpack or not and which variety of tones it comes in?

Jason Gould - Morning Prayer

Homepage; http://jasongouldmusic.com/

Closing Ceremonies of SL10B

This is from a press release by Gemma Cleanslate in the SL10B press group.

"Two weeks ago, the flags were raised to signify that the SL10B Community Celebration was open.

Flags Aloft! Photograph by Pygar Bu

Now, two weeks later, the event is coming to an end and the flags will be lowered at 12 noon on Saturday 29th June.

Once again, the idea is that as many people as possible can watch the flags lowered, marking the end of the Celebration. The flags are stationed around the sims (you can see their locations marked with red X‘s on the map below).

Position of Flags for the Closing Ceremony

You don't have to land right on top of a flag (that would be rather painful!). The idea is to land close – you'll be able to find a spot where you can see the flags lifting!

Following the flag ceremony, there will be fireworks (organised by Marianne McCann) at the gorgeous Cake Stage (which will be viewable from many points).

The Cake Stage, photograph by David Abbot

And to round off events, from 1pm – 9pm SLT, there will be a party on the fabulous Turtle Stage on SL10B Impressive and SL10B Spellbound. Details of the DJs who'll be performing will be published soon.

So come and join us for the Closing of Second Life’s 10th Birthday Community Celebrations – and then stay to enjoy the party!"

On the Turtle Stage, photograph by Argus Collingwood

Culling My Friends List

Perhaps I was inspired by my recent experience of being removed from a friends list, but I have now done the same thing with my own.

When going through my friends list before starting the culling, I noticed that I had been removed from others friends lists already, most notable was my removal by the now abdicated queen of Swedish SecondLife which quite possibly was due to an altercation concerning whether I - as a "Friendly helper" in her group - should do as she ordered me or follow my own discretion. I am well aware that my kind manners sometimes misleads people into thinking that I am submissive, but frankly I do not take orders well so I left that group, thus relieving myself of any duties or obligations in the group she had created.

I have not culled my friends list for a very long time, except about a year and a half ago when I removed one person by accident and another by design. The thing that happened then was that I intended to remove a certain person but for some reason beyond me - possibly someone logging in or out of SecondLife - ended up removing the queen of a neighboring Scandinavian country in SecondLife by mistake.

When I immediately called her in Instants Message to explain my mistake the queen was naturally enraged by my action. She did not at all  believe my protestations and assurances that her removal was a mistake. I have learned that it is futile to discuss such matters further while someone is still furious so I left it at that, although I had first called her up to add her as a friend again.

So learning from previous mistakes and after due consideration I started on removing people from my list. The criterias for removing that I had made up in my mind were the following:

• I do not know who the person was
• I cannot remember ever communicating with the person.
• I have not had any communications with the person during the last three (3) years.
• The person has blocked me from seeing when they are in-world (2 persons).
• The person is a bastard that I will not wish to communicate with in the future(3 person).

Reasons to keep someone on the list inspite of the above criterias being met:

• The person is one I have a strong sentimental attachment to although he never logs in anymore (1 person)

Following the criterias I - carefully making sure I got the correct person - started removing people. I have now successfully concluded this project and have cut my friends list down from 278 to 149 persons. I find it to be a great relief and much less stressful to see only people I care about on my list.

If you still see me on your list, Congratulations! You're still in the running to be Southern Charms next Royal Consort.

And if you don't see me on your list anymore, Congratulations, you are rid of me! I hope you have a happy and fulfilling SecondLife.

If you wish to appeal the decision please send your written appeal in triplicate to
Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20543

Newlyweds

Proposition 8 plaintiffs Sandy Stier & Kris Perry

Proposition 8 plaintiffs Jeffrey Zarilllo & Paul Katami

Following the amazing news from the Supreme Court of the United States yesterday all four plaintiffs in the groundbreaking California Proposition 8 case got married today. I wish to congratulate the two couples from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you for taking up the struggle against a bigoted law and for the fundamental human right to choose whom we love and wish to marry  You made it happen girls and guys, enjoy the moment and may you live happily together ever after.

Congratulations Kris & Sandy and Paul & Jeffrey!

I would also like to congratulate the surprising ad hoc legal collaboration of political opponents created by jurists David Boies and Ted Olson, who with their legal teams joined forces to overturn a legislation that they saw as as deeply immoral and bigoted.

Congratulations to a job well done David and Ted, and the many men and women of your legal teams, for your diligent and outstanding work to bring this case to justice and to rectify a wrongdoing.