I am sometimes asked, “Who is the man in the blue suit, sitting barefoot in the snow?”
The man in the blue suit is Eric Björk.
He wouldn’t be excited about the words that follow; they’d make him feel uncomfortable. It’s a Swedish thing to not put one’s self out there. Which is odd in a way since he’s part of a BP Candidacy. However, creating positive change - that IS his thing.
So maybe running for Block Producer does make sense.
Birch trees are considered a Pioneer Species. They can enter into a new environment - maybe one devastated by a fire or with poor soil and thrive. They also grow in colonies of other birches. They grow together and change the soil to something more hospitable, where less hardy plants can grow with ease. In some cultures, the birch symbolizes renewal, tenacity, and adaptability. The adaptability is evident in the tree’s capacity to flourish with what appears to be an easy going attitude to challenging conditions.
Can trees have an attitude? I don’t know - - maybe.
That's a good description of the man in the blue suit.
He thrives in challenging situations. As a member of the Block Producer Candidacy of eos sw/eden, those challenges do not keep him from speaking the truth in a clear, straightforward manner. Maybe that’s a Swedish thing too. On occasion that straightforward approach might make some people uncomfortable. At the same time, most of those people still respect him. Which is evident in the fact that they often end up implementing his advice.
Birch trees have so many uses. The wood is strong and flexible. Skateboard decks. The bark can be used for medicinal purposes - a cast for a broken arm or leg in a pinch. They even make a birch syrup for your pancakes.
I haven’t known Eric for very long, yet his strength and flexibility is evident. He will hold on with Pit-bull like determination to what he knows is right. At the same time, He will ask questions and look for common ground in areas he does not see as his strength. He will give of himself generously to those in need. On top of all that, He’s good with pancakes.
OK, I don’t know about that last part.
The wood from birch trees that grow in Scandinavia and the Baltic are highly sought-after for the construction of speakers. There is a natural resonance that seems to be imbued in Birchwood. This resonance counterbalances the roll-off of the highs and lows within those speakers, creating harmony, clarity and balance. You can get incredible sound from a digital speaker system. They can be amazing. For many audiophiles, it’s just not the same though. They want the wood. And besides, the right birchwood speakers will blow your effing roof off.
When it comes to being a Block Producer, the man in the blue suit is a man of harmony, clarity and balance. He is also all about birchwood speakers. Eric is running his server parks on bare metal. At the same time, he's also passionate about diversity. Eric believes we need all kinds of systems and he doesn’t begrudge anyone the ability to use a good set of digital speakers or run servers in the cloud. Eric has set up his high security server parks in separate locations in Sweden. His plan after launch is to add two or three more backups in Northern Europe and Iceland.
Who knows, that system might even blow off some effing roofs.
The man in the blue suit sitting barefoot in the snow is Eric Björk. He’s The Birch. He is part of eos sw/eden. I look at him as one of the pioneer species. There is a colony of trees all around the world, entering into a new and challenging environment. They might not all be birch trees but they are ALL part of a pioneer species and they ARE creating a blockchain like no other.
Whatever the election outcome, I’m glad that The Birch has been a part of the EOS Journey so far. I hope it continues.
