Please, Say It Ain't So

Today I woke up after a wonderful nights sleep, made coffee and sat down by my computer to read the morning paper where I had a bad awakening.

One of the top headlines, just a little after reports of the super-typhoon Haiyan and its distressing path of death and destruction in Southeast Asia, there was an article with the headline "Fältskog Open to ABBA Reunion".

Seemingly the Swedish singer Agnetha Fältskog, in an interview with the German weekly Welt am Sonntag, has let it slip that a reunion is "of course something we are thinking about" to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the band's song Waterloo (with which they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974).

The world of music has scarcely had time to recover from the last time they were around. It seems we must hope that Benny Andersson stands firm in his resolve. Benny a year ago said,"No, we no longer exists. We have not been around since 1982."

I always thought that Benny seemed like the sanest and most level headed of the former band members. Stay strong, Benny!

Returning to Life

Since I stopped taking the Champix cold turkey last Sunday, I feel myself getting better each day. It's a relief to feel that I can focus again, get things done and that my general mood is improving. I am even starting to like people again.

Yesterday I returned to SecondLife and dropped in at DJ Arcy's set at Butch's Whim - Part Deux. I had a wonderful time with great music and sexy company. This evening everyone there was bouncing around on pumpkins, so I chose a pumpkin and joined in.

"Prime Cut"

DJ Arcy

 

I even succeeded in forcing Butch to give me a good night hug before he went to sleep. He is a bit wary of my "homosocial" habits. This time he only complained that my antlers were sticking through his head.

Your Soul - Ivri Lider

The English version of a song from the soundtrack of Yossi & Jagger, a 2002 Israeli romantic drama film directed by Eytan Fox

Your Soul by Ivri Lider

Scare away the fog
And let the sky be clear
Let's stand in light
The shadow's full of fear

You cannot just hide forever
You'll break
You're not that clever
Just try for once
Not holding back your love

When deep inside
Your soul is crying out
Come share with me
All your deepest secrets
Together you and me
Making love so simple

When the wind blows all your fears away
Love makes the flowers grow
Red and green and gold like rays of sun
Give me your soul
I won't let go (x2)

Scare away the clouds
And let the sky be clear
Let's stand in light
The shadow's full of fear

You cannot just hide forever
'Cos you'll break
You're not that clever
Just try for once
To set your feelings free

Just you and me
It's all that we should be
Don't run away
With your deepest secrets
Together you and me
Making love so different

When the wind blows all your fears away
Love makes the flowers grow
Red and green and gold like rays of sun
Give me your soul
I won't let go (x2)

So come and share with me
All your deepest secrets
Together you and me
Making love so different

When the wind blows all your fears away
Love makes the flowers grow
Red and green and gold like rays of sun
Give me your soul
I won't let go
You know I'll never go (less)

This song is a gift to me from my sweet brother in-law Dej.

It's Definite

After procrastinating about it for an unusually long time, I have finally made up my mind and have decided to quit Facebook - again.

Quitting Facebook will relieve me from the easily offended and oversensitive jerks who are a waste of my limited time and energy.

I will however miss many of the friends and acquaintances I have made there, but am hoping that they will use other means of keeping in touch with me, either via this blog, in SecondLife or via email. (My email can always be found in About Me in the top left corner of the blog.)

I will make the request for my account to be deleted tomorrow, Saturday November 9, 2013.
---

Update 2013-11-09, after midnight (local time)
The deed is done!

Urgent Appeal

This is an appeal from All Out that I choose to share with you and ask you to support!

"In 5 days the United Nations is set to elect Russia to the most powerful human rights body in the world. That's right – in Russia, lesbian, gay, bi and trans people are being arrested... shot... humiliated...and now Russian leaders will be in charge of global human rights?!

All Out members aren't going to let that happen without a fight. Russia's expecting to breeze through the vote and they haven't planned for anyone opposing this sham process.

But, if we can get to 500,000 signatures by Monday, we'll deliver our petition straight to the UN offices of every member country so they'll know the whole world is watching this vote. We're already over 385,346, so we know we can get there fast. Tell world leaders that they can't quietly let Russia get away with the anti-gay crackdown AND lead on human rights. Sign now:

https://www.allout.org/russia-attacks

Before running for the Human Rights Council, Russia published a pledge that claims they ban "any form of restriction on the rights of citizens on social, racial, gender, ethnic, linguistic, religious or any other grounds." But those words don't match what's actually happening in the country – Russian authorities are failing to protect people from discrimination and violence and to take action even in the most blatant cases. Check it out:"

FIRED for coming out at work

ATTACKED by thugs this week at a meeting of LGBT activists

BULLIED by an extremist hate group who has claimed hundreds of victims

TORTURED for being gay

BEATEN at a Pride parade

Straight and DETAINED for standing up for LGBT rights...

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude is by Wikipedia defined as the "pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. (...) It is the feeling of joy or pleasure when one sees another fail or suffer misfortune." 

In Swedish we even have a cynical proverb that goes "schadenfreude is the only true joy".

The reason I thought of this word and the Swedish expression was that I got an offline message from SecondLife in my email today. The message was from a person that I have considered a friend for the last three years, but the message and the glee in it made me wonder if the friendship is perhaps only one-sided.

My friend tells me in his message that he "supposes that (I) know what (my) choice for Second Pride (chairperson) has done?" 

He is of course referring to the recent rumors circulating in the gay section of SecondLife, especially those of us in some way affiliated to Second Pride. The rumors make the following claims:

1. Three of the Folsom-sims have been shut down recently by Linden Lab due to unpaid tier. The three sims belonged to Damian Tar, the chairperson of Second Pride.

2. Damian Tar has been collecting tier from those living on the sims during the last months, but has still failed to in turn pay tier to Linden Lab.

3. Damian Tar, who has previously claimed to be sick in pneumonia, is now believed to be abroad and is therefor not available to comment or speak up for himself in this matter.

To my friend and everyone else, I would like to say the following. I am not going to pass judgement on Damian Tar without hearing what he has to say in his defence. Admittedly, the accusations are serious and I am not at all sure any explanations will clarify things enough to remove doubts concerning his suitability to remain as chairman of Second Pride. Nonetheless, I am anxiously waiting to hear what he may have to say in this matter, if and when he returns.

So as to alleviate any doubts on why I supported Damian Tar in the election of chairperson for Second Pride let me say this. Yes its true, Damian was by no means an ideal candidate. However, truth be told, given the choice between the two available candidates for chairperson in the election I had no other option but to support Damian Tar. I have had no reason to regret my choice in anyway whatsoever. Up until this latest development I also truly believe that Damian has handled himself as well as could be expected in the difficult circumstances.

No Quorum - Again

I and many other members attended the announced Second Pride Board meeting yesterday at 11AM SLT. Due to the absence of too many elected board members no quorum could be reached and the board meeting had to be rescheduled for November 6, 2013, at 7PM SLT.

4 of 9 directors are present, no quorum is reached in the meeting hall decorated for Halloween.
The directors are seated in front of the skeletons of their predecessors. 

This was the second time in a row that a meeting had to be cancelled because of lack of quorum. which is all the more regrettable as there are some important matters to be reviewed and decided on by the board. First of all there is a presentation of the audit report of last quarters treasurer report, then there is also the assignment of a committee to review the bylaws of Second Pride and, finally, a long overdue decision needs to be taken on the problem of the missing Marketing Director.

As you all may remember Tylo Mabellon was elected to the post of Marketing Director in the elections. However, as I understand it, Tylo has not been seen or heard from since the new board was installed, which means that he has missed many meetings without any notification to the board. 

The fact that Tylo is permanently missing is one of the reasons that it is difficult to get a quorum of the board, as the bylaws require that at least half of the elected members plus one are present to achieve quorum. Another reason is that so few of the directors have chosen to appoint a co-director, who can stand in for the director when he/she cannot attend, or made use of the possibility to appoint a substitute in their place when they cannot be present. A third reason is that some directors simply stay away without giving any reason for their absence whatsoever. 

Of course I can - and must - understand that first life work and other similar obligations must sometimes take priority, but our elected officials have a duty to see to it that the board can continue to function efficiently despite such obstacles. It's time to get our house in order, men and Marge of the Second Pride board! Let's have no more meetings postponed due to no quorum and get on with the necessary business at hand.