A Second Life Consciousness

I Still Exist, Therefore I Am.

2009-07-22T12:36:00.002-07:00

Maxine Montale's presence no longer resides in the database of Second Life. There are times when a search for her name under certain circumstances, manages to pull up her profile - and then no more. I call it a glitch in server access. I do not expect that to continue for much longer.

Maxine's alter-ago, Ysabel Isabella still exists.

We spend our time in Second Life on a need to be basis. Much of our time as Maxine's and/or Ysabel's real life person, is spent focusing on trying to get ther Real Life in order.

One day, I need to sit and really document the consequences of my engagement with this virtual world. I would at least like to share my experience because, more than anything, it is a situation that needs to be shared, analyzed and be made aware of. Once I get that started, you will come to realize the journey of the psyche that lead to how Second Life - brought my Real Life to a stand still, need I dare say, "tumbling down".

I decided to pick up on this blog again because I believe that Maxine was on the right track when starting this blog. It has been 3 years now and much of our important findings have gone undocumented. ( A sad thing really).

It is my hope that I am able to somehow pick up and continue my observations of our Real Life self ... as she moved onward - with her journey - post Second Life.

Despite the fact that Maxine no longer exists in Second Life ( until I have the money to pay her deliquent one year Premuim account ), then she will remain a memory.

I hope to resurrect her sometime soon, before Linden Lab's servers manages to delete her complete data.

Cheers.

Happy New Year to Me. 2009

2009-01-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'm still alive in both worlds (RL & SL) although I often wonder why I still pop in and out of SL.
Perhaps because I still remember that newbie feeling of exploring Second Life and realizing all that it could be and more.

Do I still believe that there is a Consciousness that operates in Second Life? Of course.
More and more have I gotten more sure that the SL platform is nothing more than a plane where ego's can play out.

Hopefully they get to be seen as what they really are, analyzed and then worked on getting rid of in RL but only a very few people in SL are even aware that it could be done.

I will say this - Second Life has been a very painful place for many. Even if the pain came and went, the fact remains that people DO get tied emotionally to what goes on in their Second Life.

I, on the other hand had not encountered such things other than the disappointment of losing my first island on Aquila. *sigh*.

Anyway.....

I thought I'd log on and say the ceremonial Happy New Year - just to maintain the reasoning for this blogs existence.

AND REMEMBER - Don't use Second Life to runaway from your Real Life. Confront your Real Life honestly. If you MUST use Second Life as a means to escape from Real Life, then for goodness sakes - KNOW IT and be accountable for all your actions in SL.

And NEVER, EVER think that what you do in SL will NOT affect you in RL because it does.

ppfffttt!

A Vacation from the Virtual

2008-11-09T14:19:00.002-07:00

People enter Second Life to escape from real life. They find rest and comfort from unconsciously hiding behind the perfect image of their SELF, and from running away from obligations too much to take.

Second Life becomes THE vacation from real life.

But where does one go when they need a vacation from the virtual?

Putting my self on the Line - crap

2008-02-25T11:53:00.002-07:00

Here is a copy of a comment I made. I have now exposed part of my brains workings to the cyberworld and I don't give a flying duck.

"Rick, Eloise, I found this topic and the replies that followed quite engaging to my brain. I've been a citizen of SL since 2005 and although I have never been a 'gamer' per se in computer environments, I find myself agreeing with the both of you. After all, isn't real life a game in and of itself, more or less? Don't we all have a variety of roles we play i.e. employee, citizen, mother/father, daughter/son, husband/wife, sister/brother, neighbour, friend/confidante etc ...

In whatever environment we find ourselves placed in, there is always a certain degree of adaptation skills one needs to acquire in order to feel 'immersed' and 'comfortable'. I should know. I've been living in 4 countries over the span of my life and each place required an acclimating period, to say the least. I had to get use to different transportation systems, language lingo, culture, behaviour, geography and what have you.

If I were to compare Second Life to Real Life in all honesty, leaving out the physics and certain non - realistic representations (you find in BOTH worlds) I would have to say that the ONLY REAL difference between both platforms is the omittance of TOUCH and SMELL (in its most general of observations).

I do agree with the both of you on your points of 'camera view' both being unrealistic and yet, affording another perspective from the 1st person, hence advantageous.

But despite all the good and bad that these Virtual Worlds hold - I have to wonder what IMPACT they will have to future societies?

If the future is moving towards a more computerized/impersonal/non contact arena then great - because the children who have grown up with this technology will be fully prepared to steer mankind into whatever ....

However, there is something odd about being involved in a Virtual World, no matter how therapeutic it may be for an individual and no matter how advantageous they may be for companies, education, etc ....

NOTHING takes the place of REAL LIFE. Nothing takes the place of one to one interaction with direct eye contact and direct observance of body language. Nothing takes the place of 'nearness'.

Yes, I do believe that people can sincerely 'connect' in these virtual worlds however, for how long? I feel that these virtual worlds (i.e. SL) are great for forming new network relationships and even 'personal relationships for that matter'. I should know. I met my boyfriend in Second Life and after only 4 months of SL dating and being on Skype, I moved from Houston, TX to Germany to live with him - so believe me, I should know.

Despite that fact, I still sense a 'danger' lurking. I cannot explain it but I have been thinking about it on and off and once I can formulate my thoughts in an eloquent and concise manner then I do intend to share it. Intuitively, ( I am going out on a line here but I don't care ), I sense a real danger to our society and to mankind as a whole.

Yes, yes, I am aware of the great benefits virtual world platforms can offer in terms of bridging the digital divide blah blah blah .. however there is also such a fine line of conduct whenever new technology arises. There is always the good and the bad and what can be good can be very, very good and what can be bad - can also be very, very bad.

Just think, "Atomic Bomb", Internet Chat rooms - for dating and meeting new people that also become platforms for pedophiles and crazy maniacs. We live amongst these sordid characters in real life anyway, whether we realize it or not, it is just that now, they too have yet another platform to operate in. Enough Said.

You can best be assured that I am carefully observing and noting the behaviours of people as a whole and myself in these virtual worlds.

Second Life was very therapeutic for a burnt out nurse who found a way to channel her creativity - it actually made me a better nurse because it appeared that I became more balanced. Second Life also allowed me to meet someone very special - hence I left a life in the U.S. to start a completely new one. Second Life has made me realize so much of what I always knew I could be - and now.. I am that in Real Life.

I no longer spend too much time in Second Life. It has served its purpose for me very well and now I can continue performing in Real Life, being much more aware of my limitations as a person and my abilities as a talented, open and skilled citizen of this planet.

Perhaps, I often feel that for those people that continue to spend countless hours in Second Life and in Virtual Worlds, obviously something is missing in their Real Life. That is how it was for me, and now that I have found what was missing, I can now implement these findings in Real Life. I am just concerned that for those people - that continue to spend too much time in these platforms (and then again - what constitutes too much time?) perhaps they need more assistance in Life Planning or some form of Therapy or Group Forum sessions. The funny thing is, they can now find these things in Second Life too. Weird. But who really is the person behind the avatar?! That is the question. How far deep does one choose to engage in Role Play? How easy is it to deceive and to be deceived?

*Sigh* I love this planet. I love humanity. I just don't want to see it become any more 'dis' eased than it already is.

I've even gone so far as to wonder if the creation of these online games / virtual worlds is not some *hidden* global power agenda to minimize the expansive reach for creative minds that would normally impact the world on a more positive note - while and when engaging their creativity in REAL LIFE.

Yes, I am aware that there are groups and organizations that are empowered by the meeting and *collaboration* on a 3D platform that transcends all time zones blah blah blah .. however .. I cannot dismiss this *danger* feeling that I sense intuitively. Only time will tell.

I hope in all sincerity that the future of our societies, the future of mankind as a whole will definitely grow towards the path of "healing" and not destruction, responsibility and accountability and not insensitive, distant , unattached lack of compassion for even our next door neighbours. Think about it. We can care about people in other time zones and connect with them when we cannot even FIX the problems of our local communities. i.e. OUR FAMILIES.

THINK PEOPLE THINK! If the family unit is the foundation of a functioning and healthy society then lets all be responsible for creating and fostering healthy family relationships before thinking of even fixing Foreign Trade Policies with other countries.

If we cannot even empathize, understand and hold compassion for and amongst our own family members then how in the world are we expected to hold the same thoughts for different cultures.

Uh oh.. I went off in a tangent.. but you get my drift. Thank you for allowing me to share my opinion. This is only my opinion. Please refrain from sending "hate mail". *smiles*"

Account De-Activated

2008-02-25T11:47:00.002-07:00

Yikes, I no longer exist in Second Life and yet I exist very much in Real Life. Go ahead and try to find me. My account had either been deleted or de-activated. I hope it is only de-activated.

What can I say, my alt avatar Ysabel Isabella has changed both our lives completely. Because of her, or perhaps because of me, we met Fim Fischer and well, Ysabel can fill you in on the rest.

Just so you know, Ysabel Isabella in real life is now living with Fim Fischer in real life - HA!

All this and she did not even have the time to take care of my account. Imagine that.

Her non premium account continues to exist and she even now owns my first ever Island on Aquila which I am wondering how she maintains since I know for a fact that she has not worked in real life since she left the U.S.

Anyhoo.. that is my status. I am next to dead in Second Life. I knew I should've virtually died when I had the chance and the grace to do it. Now I simply have been removed by the Lindens. How completely embarrassing.

Thanks Ysabel for the consideration.

~ Maxine Montale

Metaverses: Their Effects on the Greater Consciousness

2007-08-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

Fond memories flood my mind when I look back on my childhood days. Days of biking through open fields and wandering the ravines that backed our townhome. Of collecting rocks and burying shoeboxes full of 'perceived' treasures to be found by some other child of the future. I remember my collection of pressed leaves and the odd dead 'bug' that I would find and keep enclosed in a glass jar to be later analyzed. I remember the reams and reams of 'code' that I developed for my secret spy ring that would be scotch taped to the back wall of my closet, hidden carefully behind my hanging clothes.

I am remembering all these things as I sit here underneath a tree in a city park with my laptop, wirelessly accessing the 'information superhighway', as it was called back in the early '90's, while my avatar (a pixelated online representation of myself) is dressed in construction worker attire, creating a commercial build for a Japanese company in Second Life (an online virtual world created by Linden Lab of San Francisco).

"two paradigm shifts within a decade ..."

I have been immersed in the digital medium before it even became a reality to the rest of mainstream. When Nicholas Negroponte's book, "Being Digital" came out in 1995 I read that book cover to cover and twice over that same week. My thoughts were deeply intertwined with the concepts and visions that he had presented.

"Being Digital" reminded me of Alvin Toffler's book, "Future Shock", that came out in 1970. Both books stand side by side one another on a book shelf.

Both these books had a considerable impact on the way I viewed the world. I have realized that I had lived my life being aware that I was amidst an era of immense technological change and advancement - thus opening and preparing my mind for the world of the future. A future where children's experiences would be so different from that of my childhood. A future that would see two paradigm shifts within a decade and would become privy to witnessing their impact on our daily lives, in a global scale.

The first paradigm shift was the advent of the world wide web when it became accessible to the mainstream. Because of this 2D Platform I was able to sit on my bed and book a plane ticket to Europe, transfer funds from within my bank accounts, upload photos of my chihuahua to an online page to be viewed by my friends in another hemisphere and talk to my partner in Germany using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) all while watching the CNN morning news in video format - from my laptop (a laptop that was not connected to any cable or power source!)

"Closing the gap of the Digital Divide is inevitable."

The second paradigm shift actually started occurring almost simultaneously along with the 2D Platform - the creation of 3D virtual worlds or metaverses.

It behooves me to think that with all the hype Second Life received from the mainstream media being a platform for collaboration with education, the arts and various other projects, there have been other 3D platforms that have been quietly doing the same for the past decade, all with a healthy following of Real Life businesses, universities and the like. New metaverses are also being created by the handful almost every month (don't quote me on this, this is just suspect).

One 3D platform to watch out for is HiPiHi Ltd, a Chinese based company whose founder and CEO, Hui Xu was recently quoted as saying in a recent press release, "It is just a beginning of the globalization of the 3D virtual world." - just the beginning is an understatement.

I am NOT about to make a comparison between other metaverses (that is a whole other blog in itself). In my head, however, I am wondering what impact, both positive and negative, will these metaverses have on our societies. I can only wonder that on one planet alone, our earth, we have so many variables that keep us distanced from one another, religion, race, politics, sexual orientation, just to name a few.

Metaverses are being created where people can choose which platform or platforms best suits their tastes - will these metaverses separate us even more, I wonder.

In 2005 I blogged an entry about how Second Life can actually be used as a testing platform for improvement of Real Life social, business, industrial and educational models. It would be a place where we can create, improve and implement 'things that will work' for the benefit of the other 3D world (planet earth) and perhaps, humanity as a whole. Back then, I was only aware of Second Life and ignorant to the other 3D worlds that have been around for more than a decade. Second Life to me was the ultimate communication tool 'on cocaine'. Visions of a better world - through the use of Second Life's platform sent my mind reeling off in tangents.

This lead me to begin my journey into 3D platforms and other metaverses. This also lead me to realize the inevitable, possible, perceived 'separateness' that metaverses would have on 'us'. Or would it?

Then I thought ...

I remembered a few years ago reading something on Group Souls and Twin Soul Mates. It has suddenly struck me that with 'like minds attracting', these various metaverses may serve, on a metaphysical level, platforms for Group Souls to get together and achieve common goals. This thought appeased me, somewhat. I will continue to observe these various metaverses and follow up on blog entries and the like, on how these metaverses are changing and impacting our global society.

After these thoughts had raced through my mind, I took a charcoal pencil and quickly drew what came into my mind. The drawing was this.

Later, I logged into Second Life and made a 3D representation of the sketch.

The middle sphere represents the earth. The other smaller spheres around the 'earth' represent the different metaverse platforms that exist. Each metaverse platform, esoterically, also represents a Group Soul. There would be many more Group Soul groups, I only chose a handful of smaller spheres for easy visual. The larger, transparent sphere, where the 'earth' and the Group Soul spheres are enclosed in, represents the Global of Greater Consciousness.

My theory is this:

Each metaverse serves as a platform for various 'like minds' to connect and collaborate as they see fit. There may be similiar projects being collaborated on in the other metaverses and that is a good thing because ultimately the energies of all are somehow connected and related anyway and on an esoteric level, increasing the 'frequency' or 'vibrational' qualities of a specific 'thought project' .

I intend to explain this theory in more detail, but for now I will leave it as is. There are other 3D platforms I need to discover and explore and I hope to bring to you more insight into all of them.

Making a Come Back : A Resurrection of Sorts

2007-07-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Ysabel Isabella for making a brave attempt at continuing the posts for this blog. Thank you Ysabel.

Secondly, I'm back. The long sabbatical away from blogging and Second Life has certainly renewed my interest. Why this is so, I cannot say. I have not yet analyzed this process within me. When I do, I will be sure to share it with all of you.

Now I will talk about Balance. Yin & Yang. Black and White.

I re-entered Second Life landing on the First Island Parcel I ever bought (An Azure Property on Aquila). I had many wonderful memories there, most of which was spent inviting people over to talk about Second Life and to discuss the possibilities of this new paradigm that will eventually change the way people use the internet.

My Second Life took on its' own path sooner or later I had needed an excuse to leave. The excuse is not a matter of importance. What IS important is that I never deleted my account. I was so sure that I would never need to return to Second Life, and yet I never once thought of deleting my account.

I am glad I didn't.

During the time of my absence, my alt avatar dominated my RL computer time and HER Second Life took its' own path as well - so much so that she ended up meeting her Soul Mate in Second Life - and 5 months later packed up what she could take in two luggages, left her job and pretty much her life - and fly across the Atlantic to live with her NOW business Partner and LIFE Partner! Don't believe me? Too bad, but it's very true.

The interesting thing is, as my alt avatar I had accomplished everything I had ever wanted to do in Real Life but for some reason never did - and I got the opportunity to do them all in Second Life - with my alt av. After realizing this, and especially after having moved to be with him, I no longer saw the need to my alt av to be in Second Life.

Of course this is not realistic for my alt av to totally avoid SL since the RL business she started with her partner in SL is now getting underway - which means she will need to work in Second Life. Work.

My alt av's work is supposed to be devoted to the RL business but my alt av ended up getting involved with another RL company and is now utilizing her build talents to help them develop sims for RL businesses.

Enter Maxine Montale to the rescue.

Maxine started out in SL as an independent, empowered business female av, much like my alt avatar with the exception of Maxine taking her networking skills and business enterprise to a whole other level.

These qualities are what is now needed for the RL upstart. And that is why I have returned to SL - and to blogging.

I am thankful that I had created two avatars for Second Life. Both still have their own set of friends and their own Second Lives - which is as opposite as they are complimentary.

Afterall, they would have to be complimentary since both of them are ME!

Minutes apart ...

2007-06-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

I was sitting outside a building and caught this man on a bench in front of me. He made me smile. He reminded me of childhood, of 'happy' and of enjoying life in its most simplest of moments. I continued to watch him until he walked away.

After a short while a lady came and sat on the bench and she too started swinging her legs.

Other people came to sit on this bench but only these two felt compelled to 'swing'.

I suddenly had this thought, "Oh my goodness, they could've been soulmates! They just missed one another by a matter of minutes."

I often wonder what would have happened if Maxine never wandered over to the FBI-SL build and IM'd the director Antonio LeSuere. She would never have met Hank Wade (our SL brother) whom she tried to find a last minute Christmas gift for - a Fim Fischer Watch, on that fateful December 24th night. Maxine would never have thought of teleporting me to Fim's watch store - and Fim and I would never have met.

I do not want to think much about the series of events that lead us to one another. One missing variable may have changed everything. Fim seems to think that we would have met anyway. I would like to believe that. You know, 'synchronocity' and all. But it still leaves me to wonder if 'synchronocity' has an open door with a time limit, just like the saying, 'a window of opportunity'.

Timing seems to be everything in life.

I once read somewhere that if 'timing is everything, and it just didn't happen at the right time, then it was not meant to be."

I still shudder every now and then.

I could not imagine a Second Life without Fim Fischer - the watchmaker.
I cannot imagine my Real Life without the man behind the Fim Fischer avatar.

I suppose then, that 'time' certainly worked out for the both of us. You think it had something to do with Fim being a watchmaker? *smiles*

When Second Life Meets Real Life Part I

2007-06-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

What happens to your psyche when the life you live in Second Life has somehow transitioned into Real Life?

As a newbie over a year ago, it did not take me long to recognize the impact that Second Life could have on one's psyche. I had met people whose Real Life illnesses had chained them to hospital beds, kept them indoors, confined them to wheelchairs or simply left them exhausted after medical treatments.

There were also those people who had seemed to be going thru self imposed therapy, working out certain Real Life self issues thru interactions with others, or by entering into inworld relationships.

Then of course, there were others who lead a completely different Second Life, far from that of their Real Life. Afterall, how many 'furries', slave girls, vampires, or talking orbs do you see in Real Life?

I had undergone my own journey of self discovery and it was not intentional, by far. It was, rather, part of the big scheme of things that I knew would someday unfold before me - causing me to completely change my present life situation. What I did not expect, was to ever find myself in a 3D virtual world, live out and express my much suppressed creativity, and meet an avatar that would enhance my Second Life as well as my Real life. Enter Fim Fischer.

This avatar not only showed me (indirectly) the areas of my human'ness that I needed to work on, he had also taught me about me. His Real Life personality managed to find a way into my psyche and 'heal' me. Was this planned? Absolutely not.
Neither of us ever planned to have a 3D virtual relationship. As a matter of fact, both of us laughed at the prospect of how people can allow themselves to even be involved like that.

To this day, we are still baffled how we allowed ourselves to enter and to carry on our relationship inworld.

The word 'baffled' does not occupy most of our thoughts when we think about how it all began. Rather, we have both come to choose and accept words like, fate, destiny and phrases like, "meant to be".

On looking back at the first posts of this blog, and the insight that Maxine Montale had, even back then, that had prompted her to start a blog with a theme such as 'synchronocity' and the 'influence' of the Greater Consciousness - I can only smile in content and nod in total agreement.

It only took Fim Fischer and I three months of being together inworld to know that the people behind these avatars wanted to be together in Real Life. After much talking and longing .. we both decided, or allowed ourselves to follow the natural course of things that had started on that fateful evening on December 24, 2006.

On Tuesday May 8, 2007 Ysabel Isabella in Real Life, left Houston, Texas to start a life with the Real Life Fim Fischer. Not only has their meeting set a precedence for Second Life but the choice they made to do this is surely an act of 'believing in LOVE' and 'following your heart'.

The Heart of Truth

2007-05-28T04:12:00.000-07:00

As this 'May of my life' comes to a close I look back at the events and emotions that had lead me thus far.

My life in Second Life has been nothing but surprises filled with little miracles and moments of personal growth.

As much as I would like to keep (or thought I could anyway) my inworld experiences - private, often, there are just some things that scream out to be shared.

However, I am not about to divulge details. Not here and not now.

In the style of Maxine Montale, I will merely try to relate my experiences, thus far as it relates to the theme of this blog. I hope to capture that part of my experience that reflects the influence of the Greater Consciousness.

But before I do *smiles* here's a question I pose to you:

"In life - what entity do you listen to? Your heart or your mind? And why?"

An Exercise in STILLNESS

2007-04-20T17:26:00.001-07:00

I once read that the word "nothing" really meant "No Thing" - in Zen speak.

No Thing is a state in which you train your mind to be still. To not contain any thoughts, visions - complete silence. Complete empty. Complete stillness.

It is said that when the mind is in this state, one can be prepared to receive the messages of the Universe. And in this stillness one can reside in their own true being - so they say.

I had attempted this practice on a few occassions and something that sounds so simple was indeed almost impossible after the first few attempts. Needless to say, it has been a few years now that I have been practicing this, only on moments when needed - like under extreme conditions of stress.

But what one views as stressful, another may simply smile and know that 'tomorrow is another day'. Hence,despite that fact that not all of us can master the method of a 'still mind', we definitely have the control to choose how we react.

Choosing to react and practicing a 'still mind' is still challenging and takes a strong, dedicated conscious effort to keep at it.

Often, the state of sleep over powers my still mind and I enter the land of dreams.

In the Spirit of things : Ysabel takes over.

2007-04-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hi!
I am the new author of A Second Life Consciousness. The decision was a painful one but after weeks of negotiations with the powers that be, it was unanimously decided that I continue the work of our beloved Maxine Montale.

I will try to do my best to cover topics that she wanted focus on. I will also, as much as possible, try to stimulate other tangential questions that can all get us to delve deeper into our concsiousness and explore further the meaning of 'WHY'?

If you have any topics that you may want discussed, please feel free to email me @ ysabel.isabella@yahoo.com or IM me inworld.

Maxine Montale is taking a very long sabbatical from her Second Life and may or may not emerge again. But I can attest that she is here amongst us in spirit and that one does not need to see 'form' in order to be convinced of the TRUTH.

~ Ysabel Isabella

The SPIRIT Still Lives .. I Do EXIST!

2007-03-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Just because I am dead does not mean that I no longer exist. Nay my friends .. I still do.
Just because you cannot see something does not mean it is not there.
If that were so, Einstien, Newton, Galileo, Columbus (you get my drift) would have all gone to *POO*. *smiles*

So, here I am in spirit.
I am still among you in Second Life *smiles*. I still observe and I still experience the 'Greater Consciousness' of the Universe work it's thread of destiny and learning in Second Life. Of this I am sure.

Of this I am very, very sure.
The connections of profound coincidence are not coincidence at all. SYNCHRONOCITY my loves, GOOGLE that word if you are not sure of its meaning.

I can now say with strong conviction that Second Life is an extension of our Real LIfe and the avatars we use to represent our personas etc... and their decisions and actions CAN be actually meant for the greater learning of what our SOUL has set out to do in this lifetime - umm even if it IS in Second Life.

Do you think that the 'Greater Consciousness" has boundaries and limitations??? I THINK NOT!

That would be silly!

Of course, like time immemorial, man always needs proof of the HOW and WHY and WTF?
I will try my best to cite evidence of this effect by the "Greater Consciousness" in Second Life even if it means divulging details. But, I will NEVER and I repeat .. NEVER mention any one's name. OMG! That would be a nightmare! Then again, I am dead so how can anyone get to me. Ahhh but there is KARMA.

KARMA .. Hmmm.. I will need to talk about that in another entry.

For now, I just want everyone to know that I STILL EXIST in SPIRIT.

That LOVE is alive and well amongst us .. and that we all have heaps and heaps of learning to be done here in thie 3D Platform .. that perhaps we can still do in Real Life, only for some reason, we have been the chosen few .. to continue our learning in a virtual reality.

Hmm, Virtual Reality .. okay, there is another blog entry waiting to happen.

CIAO, PEACE, GOD BLESS, NAMASTE

Maxine is dead.

2007-03-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is correct.
Maxine is dead.
I killed her.

I remembered her well. She was going to be an up and coming female avatar figure in SL. The epitomy of empowerment for women, independence and self esteem. It was going well for awhile until her alt avatar somehow took on a stronger presence. Maybe not a stronger presence, but certainly the alt took up more time in SL for building.

What was a girl av to do? Share SL time with an alt av that was always busy? Working 48 hours at a time on a build project? How could Maxine ever have survived under such conditions?! How?

I tried it for awhile. Alternating one with the other in SL trying to give both of their groups of friends equal time .. but it was near insane.

Then it happened. Her alt av got married ... and things were never the same again. Never.

Maxine had to die. Don't you see? She just had to die.. but her spirit still lives on. And it will continue to live on thru this blog.

Please forgive me.

An RL Perception thru Avatar Senses?

2006-12-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

My last post was almost a month ago and would you believe, it is not because RL had kept me busy. In fact, my immersion with Second Life has prevented me from posting - in a good way, of course.

I will not go into the details of this past month's events, but I will provide short 'snippets' of the month's exploration, 'self' learning, avatar/human behaviour and the likes.

Alt Av's:
My avatars have taken on a second life of their own. Truly they have. I still cannot explain why this is so, in an intelligent thoughtful way (not yet) but I will take an intelligent guess.

In a three dimensional world such as RL we perceive life thru our five senses, some six and others more. But this perception, no matter how 'global' the scope of brain faculty usage, will always be 'linear' in this three dimensional plane. So, we act on this plane and become aware in this plane (unless you astral project or have learned to let go of your ego's).

In SL, a metaverse, our avatar perceptions are not linear. We fly, we teleport, we use camera view. We observe more of that world in one moment thru our RL eyes. This changes everything. Which brings to mind my obsession with, if this is so, then why do we still communicate using 'chat speak' and not have our thoughts flow fluently?
.......
......
....
Okay, I already know the answer.
It is a physical technicality. We have to spend energy on typing. Damn!

I am guessing at this time, that my alt av's have different personalities mainly because of their physical appearance and how our RL eyes assimilate that experience. As well, there is an obvious subconscious reason as to why we choose the way our avatars look. Couple that with the broader scope of perception in SL, perhaps the facets of our personality can easily flow into one avatar and other facets into the other. I dunno. Just a damn guess.

Corporate Logo vs Human Logo

2006-11-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

I never do this, but today I did. I took at peek in de.li.cious to see who really reads this blog. I was amazed. Not that there is a strong following of people (or not that they care to admit) but the fact that more than two people actually read my blurbs? Well, I need to step it up a notch! :o)

I came across KnowProSE blog entry, as a tangent off mine Corporate Image Blurred. I am glad they went their. They saved me the extra typing :o)

It reminded me of a book I picked up in the budget/sale rack. The name escapes me but I couldn't help and wonder how I could get to meet the genius that wrote the book. It talked about a new shift in business management. One that was going to change the old ways and actually incorporate realism with corporatism. Meaning, the new progressive businesses of the future were going to acknowledge their employees as human first and then employee second!

Many new companies have adapted to this thinking, Google, Apple, just to mention a very few (but there are more, I just can't think right now on only two hours of sleep!)

I agree, that wearing corporate logos and colours when walking, flying or teleporting around in SL can be a good thing! A very good thing.

It should NOT be about the LOGO but the human behind the LOGO. The mind behind the logo, the heart behind the logo and the Soul, who happened to find their way in SL, not by accident! :o)

I am glad KnowProSE went on that tangent!

Got bit by the Money Bug?

2006-11-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Got bitten by the 'money bug'? You know, that little tyke that you never really see but know it's there once you feel an itch to make more money .. or simply just to make money period.

Maxine, being the budding entrepreneur/philanthropist in SL had finally decided to partner with another avatar (female of all things!) and go into a development and management conceptual project.

Not at all a real estate mogul but perhaps one that likes to dabble in land ownership, Maxine has finally started to realize that there may really be money to be made while exploring the vast avenues of synchronous connections in SL. With that said, enter Ysabel Isabella. An assertive and very focused personality that has joined the ranks of 'amateur builders' in SL.

In just over a week Digital Femme Properties & Management Inc. will have completed (deadline is Dec 1, 2006) their first project, The EMERALD TOWERS: Phase I, in the Isla Bonita region. What was 10 stories of spacious CONDO/Offices has just been turned into 5 stories of moderately sized CONDO/Office units, ready to lease by Dec 1, 2006. That's in 2 days! Will they do it?!

"We mean what we say and therefore the building will be completed by Dec. 1. Meaning, it will be liveable. Three businesses and one residential space has already been leased and we are dedicated to making sure that our residents get settled in quickly and smoothly." Ysabel Isabella, the land developer and head of construction and design boldly spewed out their intention. Thank you Ysabel.

Where is Maxine?
"Ah, Maxine is doing what Maxine does best. She divides her time with helping out Newbies, giving extra money to them to help them get settled in their SL, as well as scouting around for more land opportunities."

So she leaves you to do all the work, so to speak?
(laughs) "Actually, we keep close tabs on one another. We have to. Much of what I do needs her input and vice versa. Without the other Digital Femme Properties would not run the way it does."

Do you two work together in RL?
"On and off, yes. We've known each other for a long time so we know how the other thinks and functions. Finally we are collaborating on something that we are both passionate about."

I see. Passionate eh?
(smiling much) "Yes. Very. She loves the business side of things. And I love the technical side of things. A perfect match perhaps .. well, I hope so. No. It is a good partnership."

What are your plans for the next project?
"I'm not really going to say. Phase II of the EMERALD TOWERS is in the works. And there are two other big projects in their planning stages. We hope to be in full swing by January 2007."

Seems to me you two are really busy. So, are you going to talk about this P.U.U.C?"
"Oh my gosh! Who told you that?"
*I smile*
"Yes. We are very excited about it. Actually that is one of the projects that we hope to get underway in January."

What does P.U.U.C stand for? I hear it is a metaphor or something .. on the word, umm pussy?
(laughing loudly) "That's right. Pussy! Maxine and I have always hated that word. But we could not escape the fact that it is a word so commonly used when referring to women. We hate to hate, and more so, since the word pussy is really just 5 letters arranged in such a way to make one pronounce it the way they do. Pussy is just a word. Why put any emotional attachment to it."

Hmm, I see what you mean. But what does it really stand for?"
"Pussy. P.U.U.C. Progressive Ultra Urban Chicas."

That's interesting. But what is it. Please elaborate?
"The Progressive Ultra Urban Chicas is an organization that is really tied in with Digital Femme Properties. This organization will provide a platform in SL for the encouragement, support and resources for women entrepreneurs, artists, humanitarian's and anyone really .. where they will be given the opportunity to network with their peers all in unified SIMS. It is not a male bashing commmunity. On the contrary. I feel that the P.U.U.C. will be a vital movement in the social and economical advancements here in SL. Okay, that is all I am going to say."

Are there many members?
"Yes and no. There are many potential members. Right now enrollment is only by invitation. We are seeking like minded, strong, creative, assertive and empowered female avatars to help pioneer this movement. Okay, you made me say too much."

I'm sorry, but I really am interested in this. But I will let you go. Good Luck."
"Thanks."

The Boundaries of Love in SL

2006-11-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

No. I have not fallen in love with any avatar in SL. So let's get that out of the way.

I wanted to write about the 'love thang' that goes on in SL. Not the kind that involves body parts that are Xcite enabled, but the 'emotion' kind.

It's been over a year now since I've joined SL and I've met many interesting avatars. A few of them have managed to engage in some form of relationship with another avatar while both have significant others in RL. Some have kept their SL relationships going (but not without their share of obstacles and uncertainties). Two have had to break off their SL connection and one had to leave SL altogether (as an ultimatum given by their significant other).

So I ask them,"What is the difference between love in RL and love in SL?"

Their answers were as varied as their avatars! And I was surprised by some of their responses.

A few saw no difference. They felt no difference. And of course, they were torn by their feelings in RL and in SL. Sigh.

Some just disregarded their SL feelings altogether, knowing that the emotion existed for them in SL but discounted the 'realism' of their SL emotion because it existed in SL, a VR medium. I asked these people, "So, do you feel the same way about your SL partner when you think about them in RL? Do you think about them in RL?"

Their general replies were that 'yes' they thought of their SL partner in RL and missed them and couldn't wait to log into SL to see them or be with them. I asked if they felt guilty when they were with their RL partners, and they said, 'yes'. I asked them if 'loving in SL took away their ability to love in RL' they said no, and as a matter of fact, for many, it enhanced the way they were able to love in RL. Hmmmmm.

I asked them, "How do you deal with the guilt?" Their response, "I just do." Hmmmm.

Feeling guilty is no way to live in RL or SL. What a waste of energy. Not only is it a waste of energy but guilt feelings can lead to 'sickness', even the promotion of cancer cells. Believe me, this is true.

Why does 'loving someone' have to involve guilt and pain? Love is suppose to be a healing energy, amongst other things. Why does it have to be that there should only be ONE primary person designated to be the ONE you LOVE on the level of partner?

Love is everywhere. It is in our cells. We are surrounded by it. It is who and what we are. Love cannot be compartmentalized. Nor can it be defined as one particular three dimensional state. It just IS. It is LOVE.

Real LOVE does not distinguish between flesh and avatar. Real LOVE knows what REAL is and is able to find its way and spread to others despite image/visual or even from outside the boundaries of technology.

Real LOVE is like light. You cannot escape it. It will shine on whatever it can reach. It may be blocked and thus shadowed, but it is always there. Remove the block and it is there.

The 'block' can be seen as the set of 'rules or guidelines' that we have been taught to follow within a modern society to avoid CHAOS. But what is modern society if not really just a concept in which to justify a means.

Reall LOVE is not selfish. It is not jealous. It is understanding.

If you LOVE, then LOVE. Forget about the rules and laws that you have been brainwashed to follow. Recognize it as a GIFT that you give your SELF. For when you LOVE, you are simply acknowledging the 'magnificence of creation', of your SELF reflected in others. It is not narcissism. It is the JOY of the realization of TRUTH.

But of course our three dimensional brains/minds cannot yet grasp that TRUTH, so what we end up doing is finding ways to express the three dimensional form of love, the 'emotion' as a physical feeling. Feeling of 'calm', 'warmth', 'goodness' - and this transcends into sexual feelings .... which is not a bad thing .. it is just a way for our three dimensional SELVES to grasp it.

However, because in a three dimensional state, we are still very limited from SEEING what IS, we cannot understand its greatness, therefor we revert to what we only know of. And that is, the rules and guidelines that we have been brainwashed to follow. To Love only one wife/husband, and that it is acceptable to love more than one child (of couurse), and that you can love your friend, or cousin... etc...

Our three dimensional brains compartmentalize LOVE into little departments so as not to confuse anyone, (really our SELVES) and so as not to promote feelings of jealousy, anger etc .. in others.

HOWEVER .. if someone gets offended by you loving another (I am referring to 'loving' and opposed to 'fucking' .. then really, their offense, jealous state, anger etc .. is another mask of FEAR. Fear of not being accepted. Fear of not being LOVED. When you remove the FEAR, then there is nothing else but LOVE.

But you cannot, we cannot remove the FEAR unless we truly recognize and are aware of the GREATNESS of LOVE and what it really means. Until then, we will continue to live in darkness, with our guilt. Never being really FREE. Never experiencing LOVE at its most finest!

For you see my friends, LOVE is our right. It is our RITE. When we deprive ourselves of our RIGHT, we loose.

Love is Love. Love is the only thing that is REAL. That is our lesson here on earth. That is why we exist. To learn the many ways in which LOVE can exist and to realize and once again and become aware that we are LOVE. Once we learn this, once we remember this, recall this TRUTH, once we are made AWARE, then we cease to exist as we now know it and become ONE - where we came from. As we once were.

So tell me, does a drop of water know that it is a part of a greater body of water all made up of doplets? Does is KNOW that it is WATER and not just define itself as a water droplet?

We are like water droplets. We KNOW we are water droplets but have not yet woken up to the fact that we are a part of something GREATER than what we experience. We know that other water droplets exist but still do not wholly realize that we are one and the same and that we are completely connected .. all forming something GREATER than we we can ever imagine.

Get out of your MIND and exist thru your SOUL. Be FREE to LOVE, for we ARE Love.

Corporate Image Blurred?

2006-11-20T01:55:00.000-07:00

I met an RL CEO today in the new *New Paris* SIM of Madam Zagato. A team in his company had joined SL to study and observe how they could use SL in their sales training. He decided to log on to familiarize himself with the SL environment. I, of course, being the Ms. P.R that I am, had offered to show him around.

During our conversation he had mentioned to me how the company could restrict their employees from accessing the more 'fun' areas of SL when logged in during 'business' hours. I told him that you probably could not, unless someone in his company found a way to create a software program that would limit access to certain areas of SL. I am thinking that THAT aspect alone could give someone in RL a great opportunity to work with Linden Lab in developing such a program to offer other companies with that same concern. Anyhoo ....

I also mentioned to him about my alt avatars and what each one did in SL. He had asked me if everyone in SL had more than one avatar. I told him not likely but that there were certainly many with alt av's. Mr. CEO then asked if perhaps his employees would need two avatars. Hmmmmm.

I thought about it for only a mere moment then said, "Yes! It might be a good idea."

The reason why I agreed to having an alt avatar for anyone whose company had a presence in SL was for the sheer fact of 'corporate image'. Afterall, an IBM employee whose avatar name might be JoeShmoe IBM can't very well be seen hanging out at the Free Archan Sex Community, now can they? I mean, it wouldn't be good for corporate image.

Besides, I am almost sure that anyone whose company had a presence in SL would be smart enough to obtain an ALT avatar just for the reason of having a SECOND LIFE separate from their RL. It would make me assume that having your company in SL would not warrant you the full privilege of creating a Second Life since the avatar you use for your company's SL presence would still have an association with a concrete RL image. I hope I explained that well enough.

This leads me to wonder about corporate image and image in general.

With so many companies and organizations joining SL I am thinking that it would be challenging to maintain whatever corporate image they may hold in RL - in a TRUE sense.

The reason why I say this is because in RL it is very easy to pretend we live our lives within boundaries. We go to work for respectable or reputable companies, dine in restaurants that maintains or increases our social status or ' image standing' , allows us to shop in places that say something of our financial status, and surround ourselves with people that help increase our social standing. (This statement of course is in general. I am well aware that there are a majority of people that are open minded enough to view others as EQUAL)

We can easily define ourselves in RL by the way we dress, the places we frequent and the people we choose to network with. This all helps to create a three dimensional image and impression.

But in SL the boundaries are blurred. They are blurred because as much as IMAGE is so well thought out and put together in the form of avatars, one cannot really KNOW who is behind the avatar and what RL image they present. Can they?

Of course, when one interacts with another avatar over time, they enter into an opportunity of sharing their RL and their SL (if they so choose). But more than that, they enter into a wider range of opportunity for themselves when they interact with an avatar in SL because even though they see an avatar image .. and get visually attached to that avatar image .. inadvertently, they must eventualy realize that they are still connecting ..... connecting thru not just image .. but .....

Okay, the title of this blog entry is "Corporate Image Blurred" because when a company or organization enters SL, there are no boundaries. The only boundaries that an employee has, or any other SL resident or visitor has is whatever boundaries are in SL.

Everyone in SL has an equal opportunity to experience the same things in SL. (Other than those annoying red no-access lines that people put up around their properties, making it difficult for people to fly from one area to another ... which sucks! Sorry I just had to mention that here).

The SL playground is not limited to anyone. So when a company or organization, no matter how image conscious they are or pristine they appear to be in RL, knowledge of what can go on in SL is in everyone's knowledge base (whether they choose to partake in it or not there are no secrets about SL.

I may work for a company in RL but no one can in that company, not even my close co-workers can really know what RL boundaries I have set for myself. They can assume, but they cannot really know. As well, even if I wanted to try a certain type of lifestyle in RL I would not really be free to because it would involve me physically participating to a certain degree and having to use my ONLY RL physical self. And what if anyone in my work place or relatives for that matter, found out?! Yikes!

But in SL, we can go anywhere with our avatar. Or we can create another avatar with an entirely different lifestyle.

So, for all you CEO's out there whose company's are thinking about joining SL and are concerned about limiting certain SL areas to your employees .. fergeet it!

An employee is still an employee when they go home at night and log on as BIGSTUD Johnson!

Why does image have to be so important? Why does corporate image have to be so important?

We are all just people.

Curious. Explorative. Curious. Adventurous. Imaginative. Horny. Curious. Playful. We are essentially all the same.

Synchronocity At Play

2006-11-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

I (Alt Avatar #1) was at one of my favourite cafe's, Cafe Capisce at the New Paris Region of Madame Zagato. I love this area. It is also the home of the N30 Photography System.

I often come there alone to sit and think after a day of shopping in New Paris. I took a window seat and noticed a man walking up the stairs. He entered into the cafe and since I hardly ever see anyone there when I am there, took the opportunity to say, "Hello".

We started up a conversation and began to share both our reasons for being in SL and also what we did in RL. I found out that he was a psychologist. Hmmmmm. He and a partner wanted to set up an office in SL where people can come and have discussions, Hmmmm. He was waiting for someone to help them with setting up an office building so that they could get started. Hmmmmm.

At this point I was squirming in my bed with the laptop on my lap. I told Mr. Psychologist that the night prior, another avatar friend and I were talking about setting up an office where people can come and discuss and share their experiences on SL. And of course I started to share my observations .. then *poof* he was gone.
At least I had the chance to catch his name and offer him 'friendshhip' (something I have been reluctant to do of late for fear of bombardment of IM's)

The next day Alt Avatar #1 was out shopping with the girls when Mr. Psychologist 'accepted my friendship offer'. He then immediately IM'd me to meet him at a bar. I got teleported.

Thus continued our conversation from the previous night.

I shared with him an experience I had earlier (which I will blog about soon). We ended up sharing our philosophy's on certain issues and found them to be very similiar. One thing lead to another and I started showing him a tour of Maxine's homes. One home in particular, Maxine's first island home in SL appeared suitable for a psychologist(s) to conduct appointments and discussions.

I told Mr. Psychologist that I had set up the home for just that. A place where people can convene to share ideas, visions and well, pretty much anything relating to SL and RL. I then said, "I have been waiting for you. This house has been waiting for you."

It is true. When I designed the interior of the home in Aquila, I envisioned a place where meetings and discussions can be held. A meeting of the MINDS! Lol .... so to speak.

Finally, the home will no longer be empty (as Maxine continues to explore SL's other regions) and it can now be used to facilitate 'meaningful connections'.

More on the Psychologist Project once things get set up.

" .... VR is not reality ..."

2006-11-15T02:18:00.000-07:00

" .... VR is not reality ... it is not real" so said a friendly avatar as we were having a discussion on tech stuff and such and such.

VR is not real. VR is not real?

I had to stop and think about that one. I wanted him to elaborate. I wondered if he could. So I didn't ask. My fault.

It didn't matter, for questions like those send shivers up my spine and into my brain and inadvertently seeps into my MIND's thought process.

And all the while as we continued our topic on tech stuff and such and such my MIND went off on its own tangent to explore the answer.

The result?! (drum roll please ...)

VR IS REAL.

SO to speak.

If you mean the reality created by these virtual worlds, where people role play, act out alter ego's etc .. as not being REAL, then okay, I can buy that. But to say that Virtual Reality is not a reality .. then WRONG. It IS a reality because it is HERE. We participate in it. We interact and connect. Some have tons of sex and others do business, or both. Now mind you, I have not been in other VR worlds but I am not sure that any other VR world has companies like IBM, Sun Microsystems and now Dell Computers, or schools such as Harvard Law or Federal organizations such as the Center for Disease Control - all cramming in to be a part of SL. So what does that mean?

Do these companies just want to role play as well? Does IBM want its employees during break and lunchtime to sneak away at the Del Mar XXX Hotel to try out the *ahem* Sexgen beds? Would the Center for Disease Control want its employees to gather at a casino to try their luck? And would Prof. Nesson's Harvard Law Class: Cyber One suddenly all be found at the KitKat club after, say, a lecture? I THINK NOT! But then again ..

For those of you that still believe that SL is a game, and that VR is not real - then can someone please alert Congress or the FBI or whomever is responsible for investigating ludricous acts of behaviour made by high end corporations? Someone should alert their shareholders at least! Please, not another ENRON.

(I was being sarcastic!)

Of course VR is real. It is HERE! DUH!!!

Now, as to what other dark mysteries that people choose to create while in SL as in role play etc ... is that REAL? The intention is, the outcome is but then the inbetween may not be ... think about that one, will ya?!

Maxine in San Francisco Chronicle

2006-11-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

Reyhan Harmanci of the SFGATE recently wrote an article chronicling the various ways in which some people choose to use Second Life. The article only skimmed the surface, however, it provided a broad scope of what can be expected when one decides to venture inside Second Life.

It was an interesting read. It made me think about my avatar's life. And the lives of the other two newly acquired av's.

Much exploration can be done with one's own psyche - if you dare to go that way.

I've found Second Life not only to be a playground for one's alter ego but a platform in which to explore human relationships .... your relationship with your SELF.

Me, Myself and I : Alt Avatars & Experiment #1

2006-11-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Alt Avatars.

I know there are some mixed feelings about having more than one avatar. Some feel as though they can be used to deceive while others find the necessity of an alt avatar perfectly normal (when one wants to be online and not be bothered while focusing on things like building and shopping).

A few days ago I had felt it was necessary to create an alt avatar. I did this for the mere purpose of being in SL to 'shop' for land, buildings, clothing etc ... without having to be inundated with IM's and people locating me on the map and teleporting to my location. Sometimes a gal just wants to be left alone ;o)

My alt avatar is female. She dresses more 'sassy' and really had begun to take on a whole other personality just based on her looks. Quite different from Maxine, I must say. It didn't take but a few hours for my Alt 1 to be on SL when sure enough someone offers friendship. Please do not get me wrong, I welcome all friends in SL but I find that a lot of people use the 'friendship feature' for 3D chat. If I wanted to 'chat' then I'd be on MSN or Yahoo (actually I hardly ever log in anymore, especially when anyone I ever need to get in touch with, I can text via phone!)

Just as I am strongly 'independent', valueing much ALONE time in RL, I find that I am the same way in SL. When I DO engage in conversation then you cannot shut me up but it would have to be the type of conversation that can stimulate me i.e. tell me something that I do not already know. If it's for mere babble, then sorry but my attention will wane (I am an undiagnosed A.D.D. - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

Sadly, I spend most of my time in SL for the mere fact that I can find MORE STIMULATING conversations with people inworld then I can in RL. But I also need my alone time to explore and well, conduct business matters.

So, my Alt 1 accepted the 'friendship offer' from a male avatar (crossing her fingers that it would not lead to daily 3D chat and being stalked.

The one predicament that I found with having an Alt 1 is that she would have to start from scratch. Most of Maxine's inventory items are not transferrable so Alt 1 had to purchase much of her own things. It became frustrating when Alt 1 needed a place to rest and none of Maxine's places were accessible. Hence, Maxine had to log on and give Alt 1 access. Really rather annoying I might say.

Now, choosing to be female for Alt 1 was not such a good idea. Alt 1 would have to suddenly TP out of a region if some guy started 'chatting'. (Remember, the purpose of Alt 1 was not for 'friendship' making purposes but so that I could be online to do what I needed to do, search for land, find homes etc ...) then came the creation of Alt 2 - a man.

Alt 2 was born out of the need to really be LEFT ALONE. Mind you I did not choose my Alt 2 to be non-attractive. He in fact is quite good looking, tall, broad shouldered and exudes a quiet and understated confidence. I found it amusing when female av's would walk up to him. I had to catch myself from saying, "Ummmmm, sorry, but I am really a woman" and found teleporting out was the best way to go.

Now this is what I wanted to share with you after the experience of being 3 avatars in a span of 2 days. All three have entirely different personalities and interests!

But how can this be?! There is only ONE person behind each of them so technically they should all behave and think (so to speak), the same. But NO, they do not. And this totally astonished the person at the laptop, witnessing these very different transformations.

Maxine likes to wear business suits, glasses and always carries a handbag with her. She owns several parcels of land and has furnished each home rather beautifully. She has no SL BF nor does she want one. She is more of a philanthropist. And, just like in RL she has more male friends that she does female.

Alt 1 appears somewhat younger in age but still definitely as confident and independent as Maxine but she does not want to own land. She will be living in a rented Loft apartment within the week. Unlike Maxine, she welcomes the comraderie of females (and this was purely by accident). She collects art and has a photography studio set up in one of Maxines homes. She drives fast cars and never wants to carry a handbag.

Alt 2, being male, likes to look at cars and bikes. You can find him at the race track riding his motorcycle or car, or at weapon/gadget stores trying out the new wares. He likes to shop ALONE and his clothes reflect his need for 'comfortability'. Of course he has a suit and a pair of nice shoes if he needed them but he can be found wearing his favourite pair of jeans and t's most of the time. And the most important thing - he does NOT have a PENIS.

More on my experiences with these different Alt's but you must know that in NO WAY are these Alt's meant to deceive. They have completely different circles of friends and only appear online one at a time, unless I choose to tell people of my Alt selves, in which case, I bring them out for introduction.

They live completely different lives so there is no reason whatsoever for Maxine's friends to ever meet the other two. If it happens that Alt 1 or Alt 2 ends up bumping into Maxine's friends, they simply TP out before any contact is made - end of story.

If you are one of those people that have certain concerns about having an alt av I highly recommend that you explore the opportunity. I use to be against it but after the need arose I found it not at all to be what I thought. It all depends on your intentions for having alt av's. If it is meant to spy on your 'friends' or to get information from other's then that would totally be out and out deceitful!

But if you happen to obtain an alt av then your MIND will begin the process of 'reaching out' and 'growing' into ALL THAT IT CAN BE. It is fascinating to experience and witness the transformation of one avatar personality into another.

Oh GOD! I hope I an not giving myself away as being of multi-personalities! If so, then I am not aware that I am, however, there are days when I certainly feel like I have more than one.

Which brings me to tie in how this blog entry relates to the general theme of this blog.

Here it is:

Does IMAGE / VISUAL have a lot to do with how we form our perceptions and how we choose to engage in our experience with living?

Does gender really play a strong force in how we relate to our surroundings or are these just LEARNED? DUH! Of course it does.

If we have ONE MIND, then how can it be possible to project different thoughts and behaviours onto varying images, based on image alone and knowing full well that we chose that image?

Is MIND really over MATTER?

Can we really paint a strong visual in our thought patterns that will ultimately affect the way we LIVE our lives?

Or am I just crazy!?

Experiment #1: Create and Alt avatar (without deceiving your First avatar's friends) and experience a change in thought pattern based on IMAGE / VISUAL and let me know what you found ... about your SELF.

Getting Heat from RL Peeps

2006-11-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I've been getting some heat from my RL friends and people that happen to hear me talk about SL.

1. They think I'm crazy (no news there)
2. They think I'm wasting my time being in world and often laugh and tell me that I should try living in RL for awhile.

If you think I just smile and accept the comments passively - think again!

Unlike my very diplomatic avatar that is soon blossoming into her RL SELF, my RL cohort never shy's at the opportunity for 'teaching', fostering 'understanding' and making people THINK where no thoughts have gone before.

I have the greatest come back ever! And this is it:

In my job I see pain. I see blood.
I clean fecal matter between the labia folds of very pungent vagina's.
I wipe off the sticky smeggum underneath penis heads of uncircumsized cocks.
I watch the last breath of life as it is taken.
I have touched the dead - and I even have to clean the dead body and dress it.
Once in awhile our team gets to REVIVE a body back to life - that's pretty cool.

I have been married, had two children and buried one.
I understand the concept of UNCONDITIONAL Love and of what "Letting Go" really means.
I am currently in an 8 year long term relationship with someone 12 years my junior, yet I
still allow myself to meet people and 'connect' with them (no, I don't cheat).

I have many blogs and I readily immerse myself in new technology.

If that is not REAL LIFE then I don't know what is.

What do you tell the 'sleeping sheep' when they comment about your SL?

"I Love You" :: SL and RL Meaning

2006-11-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

I had a very insightful conversation with an avatar in SL. The topic was on SL relationships. They had told me that they had been spending a certain amount of time with a particular avatar with whom they enjoyed the company of. Just recently this avatar was told by their 'friend' how much they were liked and appreciated. In other words, they mentioned the "L" word in a sentence.

"I Love You."

It had not occurred to me that this statement would and could take on a different dimension here in SL. Afterall, wouldn't it have the same meaning and implications and obligations it may have in RL?

Now think about it. Would it?

Granted, there are many ways in which the sentence "I Love You" can be said and taken to mean, depending on the context.

But no matter to what level one chooses to take their particular 'meaning' of the word/emotion "LOVE" - just the mere thought and acknowledgement of that word "LOVE" puts someone on a vunerable platform, as well as placing the 'Lov-ee' on another vunerable platform.

LOVE.

I Love You.

During our insightful conversation, this avatar asked me, "What does saying 'I Love You' in SL mean?"

My mind went blank, but only for a mere moment.

I had always assumed that the words 'I Love You' would mean whatever it would mean to the person saying it and to the person receiving it. But in SL .. does it change?

The reason why this question was raised was because in SL, unlike RL, (or maybe MUCH like RL) promescuity can run amuck. I am not placing any negative connotations to the word 'promescuity' by any means. I simply chose to use that word for what it has come to mean in RL. Besides, I DID blog about Sex in Second Life being the Safest Sex Ever!

When someone says "I Love You" in RL and depending on where you stand in the morality/ethical scale, you may decide to conduct your actions in RL accordingly to not HURT the one that said, "I Love You" - although, I personally do not see why you would have to.

By saying 'I Love You' is only a mere verbal expression of an emotion felt by that person. It is their choice to have expressed it verbally, and it is their choice if they EXPECT a certain behaviour back from the person who received the "I Love You". In which case, I deem the Lov - er as SELFISH.

Love, believe it or not is a SELFLESS emotion / and should be a SELFLESS ACT. It should not come attached with rules and contracts and expectations. It should be, as we have heard countless times in our RL - UNCONDITIONAL.

Besides, there are so many reasons why someone would perceive that they FEEL LOVE towards a person. Many Reasons indeed. Some 'Love Emotions' are not even REAL but are rooted from some deep subconscious level in a person allowing them to perceive that it is REAL LOVE. And that my friends is where all trouble starts.

And I DO mean - ALL Trouble.

In order to KNOW what LOVE is and to fully understand its capacity you need to first understand YOUR SELF. You first need to accept YOUR SELF for who and what you are and from there develop a loving and trusting relationship with YOUR SELF and realize how SELF is very much a part of a GREATER ENTITY - That which IS LOVE.

If we are not aware that we are in fact 'energies' that are made up of LOVE and with LOVE then we are denying ourselves our basic RIGHT for a MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE.

Don't get me wrong. All forms of existence are meaningful .. but it would be that much more 'beautiful' if we were aware of it and not just go on living blindly.

If we cannot LOVE our SELVES then we cannot LOVE anyone else, for anyone else are mere mirror reflections of our SELVES, just in different images.

Just like the countless possibilities of creating alt avatars in SL, the person/mind behind each alt avatar is ONE.

We love them all the same for we created them equally from some likeness of our RL SELF despite each alt avatar having totally different lives and different personalities. They are all ONE - connected to the One person behind the image who sits at a computer screen manipulating their acts.
(Okay, this is all getting our of hand here and it just gave me an idea for another blog entry).

What does saying "I Love You" mean in SL?

The words "I Love You" mean exactly the same in SL as you would perceive it to mean in RL. It is subjective. It is REAL.

What does it mean for the receiver of the words "I Love You"? It would mean whatever the receiver perceives it to mean.

Communication people. Communication. If someone says "I Love You" both in SL and RL then it opens up another level of communication for growth, understanding and for a much more meaningful experience in whatever LIFE you are in.

Happy Loving!

Titles: What Are They Good For & How Big is Your Cake?

2006-11-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

In RL (Real Life) it is not uncommon for an individual to hold more than one job. Perhaps two part time jobs, or one full time and one part time, or even two full time ones! Augh!!

In SL (Second Life), one can hold many.

Currently I hold two titles. One of Director and the other, a CFO of a new and growing company. I did not need to apply for the positions. As a matter of fact, I was approached. And no, there was no sex involved with the Boss! :o)

I can only imagine that the reason I was approached was based on my reputation amongst my crowd and the way I conduct myself in-world. I was flattered. But before accepting I had to ask in detail what was expected of me etc ..

Can I do both jobs? Of course. Am I qualified? Certainly!

Although my RL Career is a mile away from the likes of these two SL jobs, my entire RL life has been practically based on the skills set and knowledge base that these SL jobs entail. Coincidence? I think not.

It was not by choice that I chose my RL 'work', rather, it was a calling. And for the longest time, I have been trying to find a way to get out of this so called 'calling'. I just want to 'hang up' altogether.

I feel as though there is more to me in RL that can be tapped into and that my contribution in other areas would be a great assett to any company/organization. The reason why I have not yet ventured off is because I also feel that "It is not yet the time."

When the TIME comes, then I will know. Another door will open and I will know whether to walk thru it or to re-think my route.

In SL, with these two titles of large responsibility, it is easy to maintain and keep up with the obligations. I teleport to one meeting after the next. No traffic, no looking for parking. I change business suits from one meeting to the next all in a matter of seconds AND I always look my best. My buttons are all done up, my make up is perfect and my hair is always in place. I also oversee three of my properties. One is where I conduct SL Orientation Sessions and the other is rented, per se and the third is just nearly completed its renovation. I am my own contractor and designer so believe me, it is not easy. But it is almost not impossible.

You just need to juggle work and play and what not in between IM's and Group Notices.

Am I busy or what?!

Despite the great demands that I place on myself in SL, I always make time to PLAY.

Late in the evening after a gruelling day of teleporting and flying, my SL hunk logs on and we are able to share a few intimate moments. The cherry on top of a sundae kind of day in SL!

In RL I've always believed that you can have your cake and eat it too.

In SL, you can own the Pastry Shop and Eat ALL YOU WANT. There are no limits.

C'est La Vie! In SL!

The Margaret Question: A feeble reply

2006-11-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post titled Learning to Set Limits a reader named Margaret posed the following question:

If the smart, the creative, the innovative and the technically wise expend their talents in the metaverse, what happens to the rest of the world? What happens to the environment? What happens to the poor? Something like a third of the world has never even used a telephone....

I was amazed at the depth level that this question had engaged me. I promised Margaret that I would come up with an insightful and thoughtful response.

It is almost 4:30 am CST as I sit on my bed blogging this post. I had some time to allow the Margaret Question to seep into my being and play around in my mind. My response is not the answer to her question but rather the attempt of a mind in a three dimensional state to explore the possibilities of a sane response. Here it goes.

Granted, there is a large amount of SL residents who are creators in both building, scripting etc .. the most logical response would be that NOT ALL the smart, creative, the innovative and the technically wise expend their talents in the metaverse. There are still countless people in RL who feel that their sole purpose in life is to make a difference in Cancer Research, bridging the Digital Divide, Educating Third World Nations and so on.

Those that create and innovate in SL represent only a very small number of the technical world. It is true that there are still people that have never used or seen a phone but to count them in as part of this new WAVE would be plain silly.

It is a Third Dimensional fact that there will always be people who are more opportuned than others. This is based on social, financial, or whatever status one has to be involved with to have such opportunities.

As well, there will always be a BALANCE in the world. The Rich and the Poor, the Educated and Non Educated etc. I am not even going to talk about 'the choices people make' because frankly, there are those populations where certain choices are not even factored into their life experience.

Metaphysically speaking, a Soul chooses what they are to be, how they are to live and what experiences are necessary for them to have in a particular lifetime in order to move up the rank so to speak.

If you do not believe in Souls and in the returning of a Soul back to a lifetime then I encourage you to read on and bear with me. For what is the use of moving on to another web page if you have not at least read what I have to say.

Long ago people thought the world was flat. Long ago people believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe. Long ago people thought that you can get AIDS from merely touching someone and not too long ago people believed that a
'certain' drug was the cure for their ailments and NOW more and more drugs are being pulled off the shelf every time a discovery is made that INDEED that drug is harmful to your health. NO SHIT!

There is the concept of Group Souls. Those that are artistic, creative etc together work simultaneously thru the Great Ocean of Consciousness to help humanity achieve it's goal of AWARENESS. There are other Souls that work from a financial end, and those that appear to merely exist as a Third Dimensional entity (obviously, they have not yet evolved) but they will. That is their choice. I cannot and will not get into deep metaphysics here.

My mom is not a good cook, but she can command people do to things and run an entire company. My aunt is an amazing cook and can't speak in public or even use a computer.

There will always be extremes of things in this world and there will always be groups of people whose life experiences will be so different from that of others. Should we do anything about this? No.

I do believe that those that are more privileged with whatever power, have a responsiblity to humanity to share thru reaching out and teaching to. But more than anything, each of us that ARE AWARE should be first obligated to our SELF to ensure our SELF Evolution. There is NO SENSE in the blind leading the blind per se. Just look at the world history for proof.

The sad thing (sadness being a Third dimensional experience) is that there are many people that wander thru life living their Three dimensional lives without even being aware of the other levels. But that is fine. That is all they know in their realm of experience and perception.

Not everyone will agree that SL is just more than a game. Not everyone will even feel the need to find out what SL is all about.

I am one of the most open minded and flexible persons you will ever meet but I don't think I will ever feel the need to eat Pig's blood that is a delicacy in my culture.

I know this attempt at a sane response is really just an attempt but perhaps we need to ask ourselves this:

If the entire world were equal and equipped with the same technology that seems to be spewing out of Silicone Valley, would that make for a better world? I cannot imagine every nation having nuclear power.

If everyone had access to a phone, would that improve communication?

Communication that is not merely the transferring of facts and data between brain processes, but meaningful, essential and life changing communication.

Technology and all other platforms i.e. music, art, humanitarian service, accounting, motherhood etc .. are just other ways of connecting with others using a common ground for understanding. That is how I see it.

On the other side of the coin, if you were to remove the creativity and innovative work that a number of people have invested in, in SL and channel it to those areas of the world that are less privileged, would that still make a better world?

So I guess Dear Margaret, there are no exact black and white answers to your question. A very profound question INDEED.

BALANCE.

It is about achieving a state of BALANCE. Life in Moderation is usually safe but there will be times when a WAVE will occur that will catapult mankind to another level. Will it be good? Only time will tell. How many years has it taken to change the way people thought of the world being FLAT, until some crazy dude decided to travel AROUND it.?!

Yin and Yang.

Truthfully, this whole phenomenon of Metaverse is merely just another vehicle in the evolution of mankind that will eventually lead man to the same question. Why do I exist.

It is my hope that this time around, we will be closer to the answer.

There is still a great divide and I am not speaking of DIGITAL. There is indeed a great divide between human consciousness and the consciousness of the Universe. That to me is more of a concern than people not having the use of telephones.

Let them be I say, to run around naked and free in their land.

Yes, poverty is pathetic but so is extreme wealth by a person who's heart is empty.

Ask Yourself the Margaret Question

2006-11-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

After just posting the Mind Distortion ... entry (see previous post) I realized I had 2 comments on the blog entry Learning to Set Limits. One reader, Margaret, posed this question that just gave my MIND a new yogic pose, I'll call it "Ahhhhh! Uh Oh ... "

Margaret's question is: If the smart, the creative, the innovative and the technically wise expend their talents in the metaverse, what happens to the rest of the world? What happens to the environment? What happens to the poor? Something like a third of the world has never even used a telephone....

Then she closes her comment with:

Sometimes, I want to go and live in a rainforest and eat leaves. :) Take me with you, Margaret! :o)

I am going to ask myself the Margaret Question. Right now my MIND is excited. It has encountered a new Yoga pose and I need to practice it and breathe thru it. I am going to bump down all my other blog entries until I come up with a decent and thoughful response to the Margaret Question.

Also, I am going to incorporate my response to Sorcha McConachie's comment as well.

Both Margaret's and Sorcha McConachie's comments are very engaging and thought provoking. We may have felt similiarly to how they describe feeling about spending time online but at least now, we know we are not alone.

You must always know that YOU ARE NEVER ALONE anyway.

Image Distortion and Mind Yoga

2006-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Efforts to blog regularly are being ambushed by SL. That poor excuse is actually true. One cannot blog about Synchronocity and the influence of the Greater Consciousness in SL if one does not spend time in SL. That being said, my brain/mind has been processing much of my experiences in SL in a magnitude of levels. A revelation occurs almost regularly and a new blog topic is born.

In an early post (too lazy to make a link, sorry), I talked about how my purpose in SL was not about making relationships or having sexual encounters. It was simply to immerse myself in the In World and to have the experience imprint itself in my cognitive. To this date I can easily call myself a hypocrite.

Apart from living out my alterego in SL it almost seems impossible to NOT CONNECT with any avatar. I use the term avatar because despite an avatars connection to a person in RL, that avatars image has a lot to do with how one person in RL chooses how their avatar in SL relates to the other avatars. Ouch. Similiar to how we first judge people based on appearance in RL.

What was that saying? "Image is Everything". But is it?

My friend in SL, the one who posed the question, "... what's the point in having an SL if you set limits for yourself in SL..." is a very handsome avatar. He also has a sarcastic and dry sense of 'tell it like it is' humor and candor that I appreciate. I have learned to accept this avatar as a 'buddy' so to speak and like most male/female encounters in RL, the issue of sexual tension arises.

Now, I am going to share something that is rather personal but heck I don't really care.

Something happened to my psyche in RL that made it difficult for me to enjoy and express myself in a sexual manner. This was not always the case for back in '96 - '99 I truly believed that I had attained the epitomy of sexual freedom and expression. It was a raw emotion of SELF that came from within a place inside of me that seemed natural and of course, empowering.

I won't get into the 'why and what could've happened' to have made my RL person turn into somewhat of a sexual recluse but I needed to share this juicy tidbit as background for this blog entry.

So, here I am, umm, my avatar rather, spending time with a very handsome and witty male counterpart and one thing lead to another and yaddah yaddah yaddah.

IT didn't happen suddenly. I can only speak for my 'avatar self' in that spending time with conversation and the constant 'image vision' I had with my 'buddy' avatar made my RL person grow attached to that avatar. Silly? Not to those with whom I had this very discussion with in SL.

What started off as a spontaneous 'first date' in one of SL's beautiful waterfall gardens, ended up in wild, raunchy sex in a room in Amsterdam!

Yup folks. Maxine has lost her SL virginity!

The first time was not as uncomfortable to my RL mind as I thought it would be. While 'buddy' kept up with the sexual lingo while I remained somewhat quiet - somewhat, merely watching the screen as our avatars were performing 'hot and heavy' moves on a sex-gen bed. (Gotta love those sex-gen beds!)

That night, I had been broken. But it wasn't my avatar hymen that I am referring to, rather that psyche prison where the crime committed was 'conscious choice of a sexless life'. (Sexless meaning sex without a partner, for ME, Myself and I do very well alone, thank you)

Was I disturbed by the fact that my set out purpose in SL has been sabbotaged? No.
Was I bothered later by the mere act of cheating on my RL bf with an SL hunk? No.

Do I consider it cheating? No. (I'll blog later about why I do believe that monogamy is NOT a natural state)

Looking back at that evening in Amsterdam, I realized that I was put in a psyche prison in RL by sabbotage indeed, but the sabbateur was ME.

The SECOND time was different. My mindspace was ready to GO WHERE I had not been able to go in years ..... (with an RL figure, that is). This time, I was not quiet. The sexual lingo did not flow as easily as it did years back, but I got into it, and typing words expressing pleasure and satisfaction was a big giant step to getting that parole!

So that is the story behind this blog entry, now for the clincher.

The next day I met up with my 'buddy' in SL. And my mind was in for some yoga. I felt as if I someone had gone inside my MIND, physically and grabbed it and squeezed it and twisted it. Ouch.

What did I see after his avatar image rezz'd? No hair! My handsome avatar (most of which was enhanced by hair) was hairless! I did remark in a seemingly nonchalant fashion so as not to alert him to my "WTF happened to your hair!" "I loved your hair!" and "But that's what partly made me attracted to you!" "Put back the hair." "Put back the hair NOW!"

Huh? I was stunned. I was stumped. My MIND went OUCH.

We carried on a chat and thru the chat my MIND was still hurting. His image had been distorted, and all that I had as visual for a possible third enconter was dissapppointing.

Mind you, his newly bald avatar image was still handsome and it was the same sarcastic, dry and witty verbage that spewd forth on my chat screen ... so what .....

Then came the revelation that relates to this blog topic.

Despite IMAGE BEING EVERYTHING in our seemingly RL way of thinking, it also is THAT in SL. Just look around at all the HOT and GORGEOUS female human avatars strutting in sexywalk 2!

It appears that we do not leave behind certain prejudices or ignorant states when we immerse ourselves in SL. It may be easier to, but when you least expect it, like I did that day when my 'buddy' tp'd over, hairless, it becomes easy to loose yourself in THAT, WHICH YOU NEED WORK ON.

This was NOT the revelation.

THIS IS:
With image being such an important variable in SL and so easy to heighten and maintain, perhaps, once we get use to the fact that 'what our MINDS get emotionally attached to is NOT the image but rather the 'MIND' behind the avatar - not the fit and cut body of a male avatar or the sexy 40 - 22 - 26 shape of a female in SL, but rather the connection established during chat and IM's.

Avatar Images can come and go, but the MIND stays somewhat constant. (In a balanced person anyway)

I saw an autopsy in RL long ago - occupational hazard, and while watching the lifeless body undergo the process of strategic mutilation my MIND encountered its first Yogic pose. The pose of "Hmmmmm.....". And after the autopsy came my first revelation. "You are not your BODY."

To this day, my MIND stays in it's first Yogic pose of "Hmmmm". While in this pose my experience and journey thru this lifetime has been one of much learning .. and much teaching.

After the initial visual of a hairless 'buddy' and my mind had time to resort back to its first pose of "Hmmmm...." I felt centered.

I encourage you to try this MIND Yogic pose of "Hmmmm....". Not just in SL but in RL as well. This pose will help STILL your MIND and in that stillneess, make it easier to accept and see what is, and what is not.

I am looking forward to my third sexual encounter with me 'bald buddy'!

Learning to Set Limits

2006-10-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Apart from being A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) not yet diagnosed, if it weren't for technology and the advent of our beloved internet, frankly, I don't know how I could ever keep myself from going bonkers. My RL BF has learned to accept the fact that I come attached with a Laptop on my person, much like an avatar becomes Xcite Enabled.

Back in the DOT.COM era when millions and millions of dollars were made from start-up tech businesses no one could've conceived that the Internet would soon be a portal to a vast array of 'money making' schemes and dreams where you did not need a physical office or a handful of employees. You could make your millions just by sitting in bed, nude if you wanted to and with a few clicks of the mouse, (and of course some time invested being online) you could reap what you 'virtually' have sown.

Freedom is an empowering feeling. Especially if it's financial freedom that you have attained. But really, are wealthy people truly empowered but their millions? And does being financially empowered also include the ability to attain Peace of Mind? Can you even purchase 'Peace of Mind'? Of course not, though some may beg to differ.

You see, I am an 'all or nothing person'. It has always been my greatest challenge to find moderation in what I do. When I am off, I can easily be on the computer for days on end with little or no sleep, much less forgetting to eat. I do not surf porn, nor do I have an online business. I have several blogs of which I have let lagged and I do not shop online per se, unless it is to browse thru endless sims of malls in SL. Why don't you read a book, people have asked. Hmmm, well, I do, did, can, could, except I already have an account with Audio Books and all I have to do is download the ebook into my iPod and instead of reading, I can listen. Read the newspaper? Well almost all the major newspapers from all over the world are online too. Go out with friends? Mmm okay, but most of my good friends are in other parts of the world so email, and chat usually is the way to go. Pathetic, I know .. but hey, this is the tech revolution.

So, I spend most of my free time in SL. Why? Because SL has truly become my Second Life. No where can I spend L$5,000 on clothes, new fabulous furniture, a new home or two or three, and all the gadgets a GEEK person like me could ever want. My lastest hobby in SL is to browse thru the Land Sales Listing and visit the different Sims offering island parcels of 4096 sq m2 or more. And if a great find just so happens to coincide with PayDay then I usually end up buying an Island and immersing myself with creating on it, a very comfortable living space for myself.

It's like moving to a plot of land and picking out a new home and shopping for all the right furniture pieces and then landscaping the surrounding area. (So very therapeutic for my creative side that never fruitioned into a career and also my undiagnosed A.D.D.).

But when is it enough? When will I realize that having one island with one beautiful home, furnished with fabulous furniture be enough for just Maxine Montale to live in all by her little self. Afterall, how many single women in RL own their own secluded Island with a three-storey glass and concrete home? Some but not many. And certainly not alone.

Perhaps, after acquiring my tenth Island, I should be ready to stop. After allowing my ego to run amuck in SL (with the hopes of distinguishing it from my RL self) I should still be able to find my 'centre' and just be. That would be nice.

Or, after my tenth island, I could just upgrade to owning my own SIM and having a region named after me! Montale Isles! Talk about ultimate Ego tripping! Only in SL, only in SL.

Sigh ....

The Concept of a Split Mind

2006-10-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Granted there are days when I feel as though I were two or people in one body but we won't go into that here. What I did want to bring up was the notion of the relationships we create with our avatars and if in fact we do.

If humans are the 'brains' and 'control centre, so to speak, behind the actions and words of our avatars then what separates us from the personality, psyche and mind set of our avatar?

I've spoken to a myriad of avatars from all walks of SL and asked them kindly what was it that made them choose a particular avatar lifestyle or skin or image altogether (i.e. Gorean, Furry, etc...). Most said that they were affiliated or connected to an RL group counterpart and wanted to carry that association in SL, others said they wanted their SL to be completely different from their RL (understandable, for what is a Second Life if you chose to mimick your First) and a few of these made the effort to point out that privacy both in SL and RL was essential (meaning, they did not want their connection known between RL and SL). Some people had no rhyme or reason for their choice and maintained the mind set that SL was 'just a game', and then there were those handful that had carefully thought out the 'how, what and why' of the sheer existence of their avatar life in SL (yours truly accounted for).

For as many reasons that there are for the way people live their lives and choose to react to their surroundings in RL, there is no difference in SL.

I would think that within each individual, be it human or avatar, one would need to make a conscious or unconscious choice for their Modus Operandi, conscious would be more favourable.

I am also beginning to see that people DO choose from which stand of 'person' they choose for their avatar, be it first person or third person. A few do not even take the stance from any person that I can see, but rather, wantonly and randomly pillage their way thru SL creating much of the same rucus and arbitrary crime as we find here in RL. (So much for my Utopia).

But getting back to the topic of this entry ... I was thinking of the types of avatar/people mind set and started wondering what the difference was from those people that chose complete anonymity and a totally different life from their RL and those who were not particularly concerced if their RL and SL connection were known.

I realize this is a lame thought since the answers are obvious. Perhaps Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton or the Pastor of your Church would not be too inclined to reveal their presence in SL (this is just hypothetically speaking). Of this I can totally understand. But deeper still is the question of "what is it that separates your avatar SL from your RL?!"

I ask this because your avatar would not exist without your RL person getting online and working the mouse or arrow keys.
I ask this because, as much as there is some degree of role play involved, be it all or none and any degree in between, that 'role play' still comes from the person that maneuvers the avatar.

I particularly ask this because there is also some degree of 'role play' involved in our RL - no doubt about it. If that is so, then what really is the difference between our avatar and our 'self' in RL if our avatar is to some extent an extension of 'whatever' part of us we happen to choose to play out in VR?

Isn't it obvious that we share one 'mind'?

If we share one 'mind' with our avatar(s) and our RL person then can there really be a TRUE defining boundary that says SL is separate from RL? (metaphysically speaking ...)

For no matter how different we choose to live out our SL from our RL or how much the same or any degree in between, there can really be no concept of a split mind since it is all ONE mind that operates both 'self representations' in SL and RL.

Whatever reasons people choose for their avatar presence both in appearance and behaviour - it still is clearly an extension of their RL self. I feel at this point (due to this entry topic) the separate mention of SL and RL is redundant.

Which brings me to think about fantasy role play. If we all perform some degree of 'role play' in RL thus not being our TRUE selves, what about those people that live out their fantasies in SL that they cannot otherwise do in RL due to inhibitions - thus being their TRUE selves????? WTF???!

To Be or NOT To Be ...

2006-10-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

To be or not to be. That was the question I was just faced with earlier.

Upon joining SL I hadn't a clue as to what I would do with my avatar as it explored the SL world. Shopping of course was a must. Where can a girl teleport to so many shopping malls all across vast regions and point and click and Chaching! No where but on SL .. hmm unless you're Paris Hilton? Then came the opportunity to buy a small and quaint island for myself where I spent countless hours looking for the right furniture pieces to go with my minimalist style. Then it was done. Complete. Now what?

After a few days of exloring and looking for nifty tech gadgets to play with in my SL home it suddenly happened. Well, not suddenly, but it was as if a personality (if I can call it that) started to form within my avatar. From where I know not but it was there. I somehow gave up the asymmetrical, olive, miniskirt and midrif bearing, see-thru, white shirt and diamond studded, belly button ring (I kept the stiletto heels) and started wearing suits! Business suits from a great place called Little Rebel (for those of you that want to know) and black rimmed glasses and a pulled back hairstyle.

I suddenly felt that it wasn't enough that my conversations with people were genuine and honest but that I also had to dress the part of someone who could be taken seriously.

Now this is really somewhat of a mind bender for me since I've always harped on IMAGE being important in the three dimensional world but was not essential in the big scheme of things. And as this blog is on the influence of Greater Consciousness, it was obvious that the Greater Consciousness was not with me that day I decided this.

Now of course the Greater Consciousness cannot be WITH you or you cannot be WITHOUT it since you ARE part of it but somehow it seemed as if I was separated from it or rather NOT AWARE of it. Or was I?

I started taking on this role of what I have always wanted to do in RL.

Eversince that fateful day in October 1996 when I gave up my life for the Greater Service of humanity I've only had glimpses that I was on the right path. You see, I've heard that the spiritual path was often the most difficult, I can attest to this, but even so, the challenges can get so overwhelming that I often felt I veered far off from the road less travelled and in fact jumped on a Gray Hound bus to Tijuana!

In SL you still have those challenges and tempations but it is easier to take a step back and be aware of your actions and how it affects others because you do not have the variable burden of work, family and financial matters to get in the way. You can actually BE the THIRD eye of your avatar and watch it, consciously manoevering its way around SL from behind.

And of course your avatars perceptions and its reactions to things are based on your preceptions and reactions to things in SL as well as RL - thus affecting your avatars behaviour.

Earlier, I had the opportunity of allowing my avatar to indulge in the free act of sexual exploration with a very kind and rather witty male avatar with whom I had met a few days ago. His candor and expression of 'avatar sexuality' was incredibly appealing. But I had chosen to refrain from engaging despite his charm and harmless flirtation.

Today, my sexy and charming avatar friend told me something to the affect of, ".... it's too bad that you cannot allow yourself to enjoy and be free here in SL. Isn't that what SL is about? A place to let go of your worries, to just enjoy and relax and have fun? For what is the point of having a SL if you are still bounded by the same restrictions you have in RL?"

WOW.

I knew that my behaviour stemmed from a conscious choice to NOT engage in such matters but after my avatar friend told me that .. I had to wonder.

Why did I make that choice to maintain a certain level of conduct here in SL. Was it really important to present a certain image in SL? Did it really matter how my avatar behaved or what activities it chose to engage in? Afterall, everyone knows that SL is just a creation by Linden Lab. And one of the purposes of having an SL is so you can reinvent and be anything you want to be had you had the opportunity of an SL. You can CHOOSE to BE .....

I am aware of this fact. I am aware of the nature of SL and that it opens an avenue of opportunity for self exploration or neurotic self expression. I am aware. But for some reason, I have not been able to separate the "me" of RL with the extension of "myself" in SL.

I suppose that the key word in the last sentence is 'extension'.

Are our avatars really just an extension of our selves? And if so, what allows some avatars to choose 'freedom' from social norms and socially accepted behaviour in RL and me, Maxine Montale to remain 'disengaged'?

Why am I unable to freely express my sexuality and feel comfortable with it in SL? Especially when I have not been able to do the same, for years .. in RL?

Can't Keep the Corporate Out

2006-10-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

My vision of a virtual Utopia or mild Atlantis is starting to fade but I must have faith. Without faith in TRUTH married to intuitive, Galileo and Columbus would have never achieved that status they have now. Ummm sadly, it took over 350 years for the Vatican to clear Galileo of heresy in reporting that the earth did in fact revolve around the sun. I'm not sure how the Vatican trial system works but come on! 350 something years?! And you didn't need DNA testing to prove his claim. So what does that tell you about the Vatican System? Okay, I won't go there.

SL now has more than a million residents and their daily profit has increased considerably. I have no doubt that this will be the trend - a steady increase. After reading a few online articles here and there and blogger opinions it is almost disheartening to see that as much as SL can BE a realm of exploratory fantasy and character building and soulful connections, and as much as Linden Lab is soon becoming a Corporate something or other, the fact that RL corporations are starting up their own regions/islands is a reason for me to sit and wonder.

Will the influence of corporate giants in SL influence the acts and motives and behaviour of the residents? After all, RL corporations are the big game players when it comes to RL. It seems as if everything is dictated by these moneymaking/investor driven organisms. Note that I said organisms and not organizations.

Will the presence of these corporate leaders start to dictate the tone and flow of SL? What the hell are you talking about Maxine? You on drugs?

Drugs? Hell no! I respect my body, thank you.

I mean, if Starbucks opens up a region/island (and they will), will residents hang out there just to be pretentious and to meet other pretentious avatars that want to be seen and associated with STARBUCKS? And so what if they do?! Nothing, absolutely nothing.

If Starbucks is a platform for people to come together to meet up and exchange ideas and even 'hook up' then so much the better. But what about these corporations that want an SL presence and will obviously restrict access to employees etc? Is that so bad? No, not at all.

Then what is my point? Exactly, I may not have a point yet, but I will.

It would be nice to see if these RL corporations in SL will allow their employees to create their own avatar in whatever way they want and to obviously dress in whatever way they want OR will they expect their employee's avatars to dress appropriately and act appropriately and maybe even have Casual Fridays?

And what about sexual harassment issues? If an employee avatar is Xcite enabled and another avatar accidently clicks on a certain body part, is that considered sexual harrassment?

And what will happen to office affairs or to those employees that have been attracted to one another but never DID take the plunge? Will they be sneaking off to some Free Sex Community and play there?

Oh the never ending questions.

Fact is, corporations are a living, breathing form of organisms that can never be kept out of anything or anywhere. They live to exist and they will do what they will do. If we can't keep the corporate out (and that may be a good thing) then we can sure as hell keep opening our minds and hearts to a deeper understanding of the social and global consciousness.

We must try to achieve and maintain integrity in what we do and who we are, both in SL and RL.

Good news. The U.S. Congress has not yet found a way to tax SL investments!

Safest Sex is in Second Life

2006-10-20T04:13:00.000-07:00

Now it had recently occurred to me after visiting a few 'special' places in SL that the safest sex you could ever have is 'cyber-sex'. I'm not too sure if that is the latest term for it. I am thinking that the words 'cyber-sex' will soon evolve into other words later on.

Of course these 'special place' visits were part of a self motivated/personal study/observational research stint that I had conducted over the past month, looking into the world of virtual sex.

I was amazed to see some of the things that I had actually witnessed. Almost like a no holds barred scenario and the funny thing is, it may be hard for anyone to stay monogamous. Not that monogamy is the state to be in, when you are in SL, since anything goes in SL. And not that monogamy is a state to be in, in RL either. I mean, I must've blogged over a dozen entries in my other RL blogs about how I believe that monogamy was not a natural state. The only reason why civilized nations promote monogamy is for emotional stability that equates to financial stability that equates to economic stability.

I do feel somewhat of a liar now. After just reading the last sentence of the previous paragraph I realized that monogamy cannot be really that for any one nation, economically speaking. It may seem that way all in paper but not in reality.

For instance, once of the largest money making industries is pornography. I am not saying that pornography discourages monogamy. I am just saying that it is a definite money maker. Also, there are those exportation and importation of women as 'entertainers' from less privilieged countries into more privileged countries - stimulating economic growth in a more backstage sort of way.

However, in SL there can be no form of abuse or use of power where one party is totally not in control because in SL, people do what they want to do and are fully aware of their actions and are in control of their actions - except for when an XCite script takes over and then again, nobody ever complains when that happens!

People are more liberated to explore their sexuality and sexual fantasies without the hassle of well, the kind of hassles you get in RL.

Although I have met a few SL residents that have had to stop their SL relationships because their RL partners told them to. Hmmmm.......

And that leaves me with the question of, is having sex in SL considered cheating on your RL partner? I mean, it IS a SECOND LIFE. And in your Second Life, shouldn't you be able to have and live a life totally different and apart from your Real Life? Wouldn't the two lives simply be that - two separate lives? Or will doing one thing in SL affect your RL?

And should we let it? And should it even be an issue?

I still think that the Safest Sex you can ever have is in Second Life - hands down! Based on observation of course.

Esssentially NOT a Game

2006-10-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate.Com) wrote about our fellow SL resident and In World Reporter Adam Reuters from the RL Reuters Agency.

Just click on this posts Title to go to the link on the article.

The article doesn't mention anything new, that we of the In World do not already know, however, I personally cringed every time he referred to SL as a Game?. Granted there are games that you can play and certainly a large part of the entertainment of SL is in some of the various role playing that goes on ( for me it is the shopping ). Of course I am aware that SL can easily be misconstrued that it only IS a game. A huge game where people spend US$ for L$ and make money in return but this blog would not exist if I did not take the stand point of SL being essentially more than a game .. if even I would dare to call it that.

Dear Mr. Peter Hartlaub,

Pardon me but Second Life is not any more of a game than Real Life is, if you want a comparison.

People role play every day at work, in relationships, in almost every social setting. There are marriages that are based on role playing where the couple or one of the spouses wants to leave but cannot find the courage to do so yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, so they stay. That's a HUGE game right there!

People commit infidelity, cheat the government ( and vice versa ), and gamble with their lives when they smoke, drink, eat unhealthy and carry on lifestyles that are not conducive to achieving a balanced state of mind! Gambling with your LIFE is a HUGE game in that aspect and of course you always loose.

So, I guess if you say that Second Life is a game then I give that to you. Afterall, aren't we all players just trying to win?

And yet .. there is an intuitive pang inside of me that keeps telling me to wake up and stop playing.

A Good Question

2006-10-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

A fellow SL resident Akela Talamasca posed a good question in a recent blog entry in the Second Life Insider. I pasted my reply. ( note that I am the 11th commenter!)

11. I spend most of my free time in SL! Why? Because I can! But mostly because, like what a lot of other commenters have already pointed out, it's the only place where one can imagine, create and BE!

You know as well as I do, and others here too (someone even said it). Whatever phenomenon Second Life has created for the masses .. it IS the WAY OF THE FUTURE! Definitely.

Some say I'm nuts! But who wants to be normal anyway. I keep coming back because IT IS THE FUTURE and I am going to be a part of it no matter what!

This was a great question to ask!~ Thanks for asking it. I enjoyed reading the comments of those before me.

Posted at 6:56AM on Oct 18th 2006 by Maxine Montale (Second Life Resident)

As with all NEW things, people are always skeptical. They don't take the time to understand, or see the good. It's always the negative that is seen first. Surely, there is a right to be cautious and weary. I grant that to those that are 'sleeping sheep'. But technology has advanced multi-trifold in the last few years and these advancements and opportunites have created a spur of creativity in developments, vision and global community.

Actually, there is an energy that has been with us for quite some time now that is responsible for this RUSH in creative thought. Hmmm, I was actually going to type 'Collective thought'. I think that the term 'Collective thought' seems more appropriate.

Of course there will always be opportunity as well, to exploit NEW territories and to try to find a way to capitalize and invest. That is the 3rd dimensional nature of man. However, overall, in the bigger scheme of things, a plan that has been in the works for a very long time now is soon being organized quickly and steadily.

That plan is a call FOR humanity and TO humanity to open their eyes (third eye really) and realize the TRUTH that exists yet we do not see, that in our hands is the capability for greatness towards our future in that we can together create Peace and Harmony so that we may continue to inhabit this wonderful world we live in.

I DO believe that the Greater Consciousness is using Second Life as a vehicle to reach out. There I said it.

No Boundaries Just Bandwidth

2006-10-18T03:25:00.000-07:00

I was over at the CNET News site just a few hours ago and there were mixed feelings about the 'selling' of names, last names in particular. by Linden Lab Last Names in Second Life are Linden generated and although the list is extensive I can see how some people would want to maintain some sort of 'physical' tie to their avatar. Though why would you really?

The 'selling' of names are being considered for corporations or groups of people who have a Second Life presence and would like to maintain their affiliation for 'branding' sake. That's how I see it anyway. So if say JP Morgan Chase Bank signs up in SL then their employees or Chase/SL affiliates would carry the last name of "Chase".

The price of a last name is not cheap. There is an up front cost and a yearly maintenance charge.

I feel lucky to have chosen an SL name that I like a lot. Yet it seems so strange that one would get charged for the use of a last name?

I am starting to see .. or observe rather thru articles and blogs that whatever issues are happening in RL they are now slowing infiltrating themselves in SL. Really, this is a sad. I was looking forward to SL being like that land of paradise where everyone gets along and there are no governments involved. As it is, there's research being done by RL governments looking closely at the economic structure of SL and whether or not people that make money in SL will need to pay taxes! OH for the love of ... !

I think I am going to start an activist campaign in SL to restrict the use of RL mentality that will eventually place boundaries inside our alter life.

The only boundaries I want to have to deal with (although not pleasant) are bandwidths .. and those silly red "cannot access" lines that people in SL place around their land making it harder for flyers to explore!

11:11 Phenomenon in SL [Soul Connection #1]

2006-10-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since I met my 'wonder twin' in SL. I was shopping for some pose balls and had returned to a store that I often frequent, then I met him. I didn't feel like making small talk. I just wanted to get in and get out but the guy said "Hello" so what's a girl to do?!

It turned out we had a lot in common, both living in the same state, his birthday was THAT day (10/10) and my RL bf's was the following day(10/11). His RL gf had the same birthday as mine (2/11) and the same career as well. We kept laughing "Lol .." at the strange coincidence, but I already knew too well that there ARE no coincidences in REAL LIFE and there are no coincidences in Second Life either. It's called SYNCHRONOCITY - look it up.

After a breather from typing, I sat against the wrought iron headboard staring at the computer screen waiting to see if 'wonder twin' was going to comment more or perhaps the conversation had run its course.

Then I saw it. He typed it.

"I've been seeing the number 11 a lot lately." He said.

I silently freaked .. silently In-World that is, because in RL I was screaming.

Then I looked at the corner of my computer and it was 11:11.

How many of you have been noticing 11 or 11:11 lately? The time is near.

Creating a State of Mind

2006-10-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

One can definitely 'create a state of mind'. It's easy. You just have to think it and believe that what you are thinking is indeed a 'reality'. People do it all the time. They do it unconsciously though. They do it not knowing that their 'belief' is in fact a form of denial.

The truth of the matter is, people create 'states of minds' without even knowing it and then they get locked into a way of thinking or belief system that really has not validation other than it's not REAL.

Like for example, believing that if you leave from a relationship, you will be hurting that person when in fact, if you DO leave a relationship - it is just a simple act of 'force of nature'. On the other end, the person that you are leaving will also 'believe' that they will get hurt and thus, does get hurt, instead of seeing it as an opportunity from the Universe to move on and continue 'growing'. Ah .. but nobody's perfect .. or are they.

I on the other hand, Maxine Montale can in fact strive to be perfect in terms of 'always following the path of truth' .. ummm, in SL (Second Life) anyway. Though my counterpart in RL (Real Life) strives to follow this path it is not as difficult in SL as it is in RL. But more on that later.

For now I just want to write about creating a state of mind in SL where you can have a connection in RL.

This for me is almost as close to a state of bliss. Lying on my hammock that I bought at an SL garden centre on a moonlit night listening to the sound of the waves as they lap up against the shore line of my island. Hmmm, my island. That sounds really nice. I find that I often escape here to this spot in SL when I want to relax. The vision of me relaxing on a hammock on an island definitely conjures up a state of 'peace' in my RK Mind.

But I do often wonder if my RL mind is not connected to my SL mind .. or if that they are ONE MIND. After all, the mind in RL is also the same mind that creates the state in SL!

Think on that .. but go deeper.

A Virtual Utopia

2006-10-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

Man for centuries has been searching for that ever elusive land of perfection where harmony and freedom exist. Some call it Atlantis and others, Heaven. As intriguing as Thomas Moore's Utopia sounded, even that literary place was wished upon by those that occupy the third dimension.

Fast forward many centuries later and even just a few years ... San Francisco based Linden Labs' Second Life comes into being .. in a virtual reality.

I don't want to get ahead of myself but as I've always been a silent visionary I feel that now is not the time to with hold information. I am not too sure if the people of Linden Labs' have actually planned for their virtual world to have its own Ocean of Consciousness but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that even in a virtual world, Our Greater Consciousness remains too have its influence.

Can people of different classes, races, educational level, religion and politics exist side by side without raging wars? Yes they can, and they do - in Second Life. If you hold a premium account and own/rent land your neighbours can easily be so different from you, you cannot imagine, and yet you still get along, building, or rather, creating a community where people are allowed to express freely and live independently of social norms and mores.

Imagine a world where you have no limits to what you can create and envision. Imagine a life where you hold complete control of your destiny and time. Imagine a place where you can be at peace, fly hither and fro and when you land on someone's head, knocking them off the grid, all you have to say is, "I'm sorry" and instantly, you've made a friend!

That is Second Life>.

I invite you to Join Second Life and stop imagining the possibilities .. but actually live it!

Note: Photo above is taken with my neighbour Master Knafelec. We were trying out different 'poses' and quite liked this one. We are not a couple in SL. We just met, and made a 'connection'.

Blogging in Second Life

2006-10-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

And why not?!

I blog in RL (real life) so it's no surprise that I should have a blog in SL (Second Life). Commonly known as Digital Femme in my RL blogs I am a bit disappointed that I can not use the same name in SL but I do indeed like my SL name, Maxine Montale.

You can choose your first name in SL but you will have to pick a last name from their list, and their list is quiet extensive almost covering most nationalities. It was not difficult for me to chose the name 'Maxine', as I have always for some reason found that name intriguing. Perhaps because the first and only Maxine I had ever known was my neighbour in Sunny Glenway, whose father was an architect and had totally revamped their townhome interior so that it did not look like all the others. She was older than me and was a ballet dancer and whenever I happened to be in the kitchen looking out at the Don Valley Freeway, I would see her walk by, so straight and elegant like, with that bun on her head. I also really like my last name Montale! It sounds French, no?

It is in the wee hours of the morning in RL as I sit here blogging, similiar to my first SL photo of me sitting in my bedroom blogging on my powerbook by the moonlit sky.

I was introduced to Second Life (SL) by my then neighbour Jerry Villareal of Tumundo.org November 2005. It was confusing at first and I wasn't sure what the whole purpose of SL was, other than to walk around their virtual reality land and change your appearance. Back then, I didn't even know you could fly!

So, after getting really bored oneday I decided to go back to SL and further explore its world. I'm glad I did. As it stands now, SL is at the forefront of a paradigm shift, in the way people interact, get educated, do business and even carry on relationships? Yup, it's true! As easy as it is to find your soul mate thru online chatting, it is doubley more easy to meet up here in SL. But no, I have not encountered any of that type of 'connection' in SL. Actually, I am in the verge of realizing that I may have met my own here in RL. But that's another blog entry some other time.

Making 'connections' is one of the reasons why I decided to create a blog about my experiences in Second Life, actually. For in the past few weeks I have met avatars, (lingo for SL figures, people etc..) that I could swear were placed in my SL path for a purpose. More on that later, as you will soon read about. Also, I thought it a grand idea to document my experiences on SL as proof to my friends that I am still alive and well, and actually going out and socializing ... just more in SL than RL!