I blow up a lawyer and make you ALL happy

Haven't you ever wanted to do that? Blow up a lawyer? And a British one--a barrister? Well, I have done it to more than one, but this one is special. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ashcroft Burnham at one of Codebastard's parties (even though she wasn't there). We exchanged pleasantries and then went for each other's throats.

Turns out Mr. Burnham is the Chair of the Constitutional Team of the Metaverse Republic, and he convinced me to attend a meeting. After a lot of notecard shuffling (at one point I could not see my screen for all the notecards I was passed), I decided that it was an interesting undertaking--the idea of providing a means of arbitration over virtual issues through a third party--and I let them group me.

Mr. Burnham, however, saw fit to insult my nation, the one that freed itself from the tyranny of HIS nation.

[14:13] Ashcroft Burnham: Of course, you Americans don't have Christmas puddings, do you? ;-)
[14:14] You: no
[14:14] You: you people are weird
[14:14] Ashcroft Burnham: *We're* weird?! And this coming from a nation that spells "colour" without a "u" and calls trousers "pants"!
[14:15] You: A nation that drives on the correct side of the road and calls the back end of a car a "trunk," not a "boot," which is something one wears on one's feet...
[14:16] Ashcroft Burnham: A nation that calls lifts "elevators" and doesn't even have a queen can't be a proper nation at all :-p
[14:17] You: A queen
[14:17] Ashcroft Burnham: A king would do.
[14:17] You: We have plenty of queens. They live in Boys Town, where they belong.
[14:17] Ashcroft Burnham: LOL!
[14:17] Ashcroft Burnham: Anyway, we have public buildings older than your entire country, so there :-p
[14:17] You: and fruitcakes too
[14:17] Ashcroft Burnham: Yes!
[14:18] Ashcroft Burnham: Can't be a proper nation without fruitcakes.

Mr. Burnham is not exempt from the laws of Harper's world. Nay. He is more beholden to them. And so in all due process, I offered him a humbug:


Ah, what sweet victory!

And still another

I had the fortune of spending time with Sabein Streeter and Toko Voom of Vain Magazine this evening. And Kermit Rutkowski. Lovely quiet Kermit in his freebie tux.

Put a Caption on This Photo

Another one...

This is a photo of the adorable Douglas Story and me when he was completing the Dynafleur and I was modeling the new-at-the-time RFyre Wanderer for women. We were quite the pair.

Put a Caption on This Photo

New Feature on the Bizarre

I was sitting with Fleet tonight, discussing Berlin and stuff, and I was in one of Maxwell Graf's wonderful Cafe du Blonde lounges from Rustica, (shameless plug here) while Fleet was sitting in another chair, and he said, "I look like your therapist."

Well, I couldn't resist. So I decided that I needed a new feature on the Bizarre, similar to the one on the back page of the New Yorker. This is called:

Put a Caption on This Photo

I think it's kind of self-explanatory. Tell me in comments what your caption would be.

Provocation in Art

Time to be serious here. Again about art. And gosh, the image has nothing to do with blowing people up. It is totally coincidental.

Well, I have been provoked by art--most amazingly, I might add. I saw this piece at the new Hotel Dare & Muschi Lounge build by Gattina Dumpling and Kasabian Beck with some work from Four Yip. Kasabian had this piece up on one of the buildings:


I have a sneaking hunch this isn't art generated by an SL artist. Can anyone tell me? And if it is, please accept my apologies.

That being said, Wow!

This art provoked, but in a manner that was most delicious and amazing. There is an amazing juxtaposition of the corporate logo (which I have blurred, but you know who it is) and that incredible Pulitzer prize-winning photograph of one man executing another.

And it resonates with me on several levels. First, there is the level of the corporation-executing-someone thing. Then there is the actual REAL fear I felt for the creator and for myself in using this corporate logo (this is why I have blurred it myself--I am scared).

Then there is the wonder I feel about people of different ages and nationalities viewing this on SL. Everyone certainly knows the logo, but do they know the historical importance and resonance of this photo? Do they know the origin? For my generation, it has huge resonance, but someone younger than me.. does it?

I get really bent about the reference to "provocation," as I have written in another blog. When people use tired, used, cliched images in tired and cliched ways, I am not provoked--I just feel manipulated. Don't offer me another crucifix, pile of TVs, casket, swastika, or puddle of blood. I have seen it. And I am too young for it to mean something to me.

I haven't seen this one before. I won't get the same frisson when I see something like this again. But it provoked--the way Braques meant "provocation."

Stephen Venkman accepts candy from strangers

I met Stephen at the press conference for the opening of Codebastard Redgrave's new sim, Rouge. He seemed a nice enough guy, so I said hi and offered him a piece of candy, right under the big uh.. cigarette.. that comes out of Codie's mouth on her new sim.


Stephen, Stephen, Stephen.. hasn't anyone ever told you not to accept candy from strangers?


I am not sure if what I smelled burning came off that cigarette or off Stephen... hmm...

Anyway, come to the Grand Opening tomorrow, starting at 2 p.m. Best to IM Codebastard Redgrave for addition to the group--they say it will be packed.