VALENTINE'S DAY

It is hard to believe, but yesterday was the 4th SL Valentine Day for Luco and me! As tradition has dictated, we celebrated with a romantic dance, this time out at the point, on Dark Moon. I had bought Slow Dance 12 after we fell in love with it at Midsommer last year. So, it is fast becoming our favorite dance. And I must say, the view is spectacular from here.

When you consider a day in Second Life is two and half hours, me and Luco's four years add up to . . . hmm . . . I cannot do the math, can you? But relationships in SL are real: the emotions are real, the people behind the screens are real, and most of all the time spent is real. You can really get to know a person!

So what is it about romantic relationships here that make them so intriguing?  When you consider many involved in them never intend to meet, many keep their identities secret (or parts of them anyway) and that many people involved in relationships here are married to others in RL, you begin to wonder what IS the core of romantic involvement here in SL.  I mean some need is being met!

 For those who are not partnered in RL, is it merely satisfying to have a relationship here in SL?  Or perhaps relationships here are a testing ground where we can garner the confidence we lack in RL?  Are we just lazy?  Is the mystery or lack of ‘baggage’ attractive?  Well these are just things to think about.  And think we should because ultimately we are real people in real relationships and we must mean something by all this!

 I mean if love is a projection of our own ideals on to the beloved in RL, how much more so here? 
But I know Luco and I are in for the long haul. We count on each other, talk almost everyday, and plan to keep it that way with our traditional Valentine's Day dance!

ART & CHAT AT DARK MOON CAFE II

The international group that gathered

 This week's artist Michiel Bechir, who dazzled us with his inworld landscapes. This was the second of the Art & Chat series, and an international group assembled. Perhaps it was because Michiel is from the Netherlands. Some of his friends attended, as did Zola Zsun, Ludo Merit, Fenix Muhindra, and my old friend Mirella Dallagio, from Italy. Mirella, an inworld photographer, in her own right, had just told me how she takes a phenomenological stance to her experiences in SL. Mirella believes our perceptions are all we have access to in any reality, therefore our experiences in Second Life are as real as those in real life. . . or should I say First Life? I tend to agree.

Mirella & Neph

Perhaps the fact that English was not everyone's first language contributed to the meanderings of the conversation. Part of the groups seemed to want to talk about the more technical side of Michiel's photographs, whereas Einy Marksman, always the emotional fellow, wanted to know about motivation. He finally had his answer as to what motivated Michiel, in his photography, when Michiel admitted he was a traveler and explorer in First Life too. I was still thinking about perception and our experience, in relation to the landscapes.

Einy surrounded by women

 I am very tied to my home Dark Moon. There are several other places in Second Life that I have deep emotional ties to as well. Who can forget their first few months in Second Life when our mirror neurons were firing like crazy as we discovered Second Life's magic? I actually cried in First Life when I was first hatched as a dragon! Celtic music was playing in the background and I felt I had entered a dream, or childhood fantasy.

Michiel pointing out one of his photos

Michel describing his works

So perhaps that is what Michiel feels as he photographs the lovely landscapes of various role play sims in Second Life! If you want to check out more of Michiel's photography, look at his Flickr page at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39613053@N03/

Dark Moon Gone to the Wolves!

Now that there is snow on the ground at Dark Moon, the wolves have returned! I spied a wolf in the thicket first, the thicket above the big cave. I approached warily, as I was not sure which wolf this was. I had not seen a white wolf on Dark Moon in quite a while. I mean it had not been winter here for a long time!

 

  As I got closer the wolf turned towards me, and from the glint in its eye I knew it was Peeyak! My old friend Peeyak donned his winter coat!

 He settled down as I approached, and we told me all about his adventures in other lands. I must say it was a good visit. All quadrupeds are welcome at Dark Moon. I mean, after all, it is a forest.

ART & CHAT at DARK MOON CAFE

Gang at Dark Moon Cafe

Theoretical Afterthought

Today was the first of a series of small events I am holding at the Dark Moon Cafe. Basically, they are two dimensional, themed art shows accompanied by a discussion. These small gatherings will feature one artist showing themed work to talk about, on every other Sunday at 10 am PST or SLT.  Next one will be February 13th. Theoretical Afterthought was our first presenter. Theo's series of self portraits documents her avatar evolution here in SL, and her biting wit!

Zola Zsun & Ashe Haight

Einy & Widget

The group attending was small enough (eight all together) to really discuss the work. Zola Zsun had introduced me to Theo. Of course Zola was here and chatty fun as usual. Zola also brought up the fact that unless a real life photo is doctored in some way, say in photoshop, you get what you see, whereas in Second Life, one can also build what you want in the frame. Of course this does not negate exporting pics to another program, using the same process. Einy Marksman was interested in Theo's process. Einy is a photographer himself, and has very nice shows here in Second Life and real life (that is a hint, Einy). Fenix came as a mermaid, as the theme was the construction of an avatar. Widget Whiteberry, who organizes Virtually Speaking, was there (check below for the SLurl to the amphitheater of Virtually Speaking). Widget said that her avatar prompted her to lose weight in real life; which was interesting because my real life body has prompted Neph gain weight! This has had an interesting effect on me too. I feel better!

Why would I feel better? Well, I was sick of looking at how skinny Neph's butt was! We all know that most of the women in Second Life tend to be skinny with big breasts! How do these so called "perfect" bodies reflect us? How do they make us feel in real life and Second Life?  Of course this makes me think of the objectification of women in general, the pressure to be thin, yet somehow retain large breasts. Well, one of Theo's self portraits depicts her with several feet for breasts! The title is "Don't Look at My Feet!" To me this is a comment on the random, yet systematic sexualization of female body parts. Of course, Fenix Muhindra, who is a teacher, as well as a counselor, wondered how foot fetishists would react to the photograph. I say some research is afoot!

The Lovely Fenix as a Mermaid

At any rate, we were also happy to see Sapphoria Shilova back in world! I love her photographs too, and hope she will show them here at the Dark Moon Cafe soon too. Sapphoria will once again be opening Zanphoria Gallery (check below for SLurl). Another guest attending was Ashe Haight. Ashe is an interesting new friend who is frequently around Dark Moon, and I for one hope she continues to grace us with her presence at these events.

Sapphoria looking GOOD!

Theo on her work and other things

But here is what Theo says about her work. Here is a copy of the notecard of her thoughts about the show that she gave me to hand the guests:

"Some say that the imagination seems to be the limit within SL, but I disagree with that statement.  Without the proper skills and tools at our disposition, we are unable to convey that which we intend.  That is why I see my own avatar as a work in process, a never ending journey into what I could be, but am not as of yet.

What I have before you is but a glimpse of many attempts at assigning anthropomorphic qualities to a set of pixels.  I cannot recall how many incarnations I have had over the past two years as an avatar, but I can say that I have not remained in any one shape or skin for extended periods of time. Early on in my forays into SL, I discovered that I could change my shape at will, and I have never stopped experimenting with that aspect since.  Even as a completely free avatar, one without an account on record, I still managed to find suitable resources to enable to me have variability in every other form, be it skin, hair, clothes, or other artifacts that I could pile on my avi.  The capability for transformation led to a need for the development of a visual diary and that is how I became a screenshot capturer and consequently a creator within SL.

Yet with all the changes available to me, I still find a very strong identification with my multiple pixel selves. I have created the whole of those avatars through the compilation of multiple elements and thus they all represent me in virtual form. As a short anecdote, let me relate the strength of identification through a reference within the visual social network Flickr.  I recently purchased, after two years, my first animation overrider (AO) within SL.  Someone captured the likeness of my avatar in a hyper sexualized position enabled by said AO and by an invasive camera angle that I found distasteful. I am a creator, a vendor, a weaver of dreams for others; what I am not is a trophy, a sex toy, nor represent a person to be commodified. Were it not for a strong identification with my avatar, I would not have objected.  The image was quietly removed, but I suspect not without some form of surprise to the noob who had posted it.  All ended well, he was very apologetic, and I reverted to my hermit life.

Still, as I come into yet untapped resources, I cannot help but wonder what the coupling of imagination and tools will yield for the evolution of avatars."
 ~ Theoretical Afterthought

 Be sure to see Theo's Flickr stream at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoreticalme/ 

Virtually Speaking Amphitheater: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtually%20Speaking/125/124/25 
Or you can listen to the show from anywhere LIVE: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/virtuallyspeaking

Zanphoria Gallery: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lionheart%20Vitani/238/114/32

 And be sure to check events for Sunday morning discussions at Dark Moon Cafe. Here is the SLurl:
 http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dark%20Moon/147/149/55

OH! Stop by anytime!

Winter Has Come to Dark Moon~

Finally, in January, winter has come to Dark Moon. The cafe is warm, people are gathering and having discussions. I have been hiking through the snow, over the precarious trails that are covered with snow. And my good friend Zube has made another video of Dark Moon! Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48bfld8wjSk

I LOVE TERRAFORMING!

 So I had this chance to terraform 3 sims for UTHSC. It was a lot of fun, cause as we all know, I LOVE TERRAFORMING! The university wanted kind of a camel back mountain flowing into the beaches east and west of it. So that I did. The really fun part was landscaping and creating little areas to interact within. ConstructivIST Solo provided the major structures that educational evens would take place in. Zola Zsun, of course, made all the plants, and I provided the final touches includings all the animals. I created a little shanty town in the west, the Frida Kahlo Memorial Library in the east, right next to a fishing village. Now don't forget this is Texas, so much of the lanscape and theme reflects this.
 

 

However, the sims are scheduled to be reclaimed! No one was using the joint! So I had a little fun! I figured the shanty town had a history that went way back to the Victorian Era. And indeed there was the Green Faery Pub! Fallen to disuse now, we openend a burlesque club! Of course Zola HAD to perform, but I guess I did too (tee hee). The club was in a swampy area and had to be demolished due to malaria.

So then I decided to really go nuts! I re terraformed the western sim, textured all three of the sims again, and made the islands a giant, but slightly surreal grassland full of ruins and herds of goats and sheep. *Sigh* That was fun! Here is a pictorial record of it all!

Thanks to my friend Zube~

 As you can see, my friend Zube has made a video of Dark Moon! If you click on the below here, or go to the left side of my page, you will be taken to the blog of Zube Udimo, my friend in Second Life. I first met Zube ages ago when she entered a photo contest at the old AngelGate sim. Turns out she is a graphic artist, and a very good photographer! I was very impressed that Zube made this film just a few days after we talked about how she was going to try to learn machinima. Pretty darn good for a first try, yes? Be sure to scroll down past the first two photos to see the video. after clicking on the highlighted words below! Thank you Zube!

Zube's World: Dark Moon: "Well where do I start!

In the very early days of my second life I was blessed with the good fortune to have stumbled into a place of sur..."



or on YouTube:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEaJ1aySRKU&feature=player_embedded