Shopping VS Hunting

In Second Life there are a variety of ways to dress your avatar. You can be just about anything that you want to be, as am sure you've realized by now. Today we're going to look at the pro's and con's of two different ways in which to outfit your avatar. Shopping and Hunting. I know that it sounds a bit peculiar to think of hunting as a way to outfit your avatar, but it'll be explained well enough for you to understand.

Second Life clothing and avatars can get to be a fairly expensive hobby if you're not ready to be a content creator yourself. We're not all creative art talents, some of us are writers, and others are scriptwriters. While a large number of us wish nothing more than to rp and pay dress up. Playing dress up can get costly, and it can be daunting. How can you look different without spending so much?

This is where scavenger hunts and store events come in. There are a number of grid wide hunts that happen in Second Life, and the prizes vary. They can be everything from a pose, to a whole avatar. Unlike shopping though, there is no guarantee that you will like everything that you receive in a  hunt. But you're not spending nearly as much by doing a hunt as you would by shopping. The biggest thing you're likely to spend during a hunt is time.

You will find out that there are stores that you shop at, that do participate in hunts. This is  a good way to slowly decide if scavenger hunts are for you. Some of them are very difficult, and I personally recommend hunting with a friend, or even in a group. Why? Because it can be more fun and you'll cover more ground that way.

This is just some food for thought. Shopping is by far the more reliable method to get exactly what you want. But a hunt, will usually add some unique pieces to your wardrobe, that over time are generally unavailable.  So here's to happy hunting, whether it's for a deal or for an item.

Some Village Footage

 

If you have been to the village enough, you'll note in the first half of the footage that it's more or less the village as it was. The second half shows some of the changes that have been put in on this corner of the sim. Admittedly the footage may not be as crisp as you see Second Life, but you can kind of see it the way I do.

It is most definitely good to be home again.

A few thoughts on Perspective

A place where we are able to escape the reality of aging and express oneself as one would love to be. That's part of what second life has offered us. A world in which we never have to grow old, where there's not really anything bad unless we want it to be bad. We get to choose our existence, and the way we want to look. We each get to choose things that appeal to us.

Perspective is thus a very important factor when it comes to SL. Why? Well first of all Perspective is the way that we see the world around us. It is what aids us in making our decisions. It is also what helps us move through the digital world and create ourselves.

While the relationships we make in SL can be very real to us, at the end of the day SL is a game. People log out and go back to their real lives. People have husbands and wives, jobs, and functions that they need to spend time with. We can't expect them to be in SL all the time, it is unpractical and unfair. So although we may miss someone, it is inappropriate to try and make them feel guilty about not being around.

Remember that not everyone will see SL the same as you do, and reality should and will come first. Perspective is something that is very important to remember. It will help keep you from getting hurt, and it can help keep you from worrying about what if. There is no right or wrong way to see things, just many different ways to do so. Just don't force your opinions on to someone else.

The Village Planetarium

The Village has a new planetarium, and I simply adore it! It's a wonderful place to sit and relax, and so far it is a fairly private place to do so. It's in the back corner of the sim where the lighthouse used to be. I admit, my graphics may not be the best, but I still want to share some of the wonderful things on the sim with you. So if you bear with me, am sure you will see things you know (or may want to know). ^_^

Digital Relationships and Truth

We have a lot of run ins with people from all over the world while we explore Second Life. Heck the same can be said for just about any video game. People sometimes, lie to others in order to gain something. What they're trying to get, is not always clear. We have recently learned that we were told something that was untrue. Not only were we told this, but we shared this with all of you. Because we believed the source would not give us false information.

But it seems that is not true. In this case, it is a bit of a blessing to find out that someone we love dearly is going to be back with us. But it's reopening the wound of believing they were gone. And it makes us question who it is that we are able to trust. We have found out that, much to our shock and surprise, Sangrelle is very much still alive. It's surreal, and feels like something out of a movie or soap opera. When someone is reported to have passed on, you generally don't expect to see them again. Making it a bit of a shock for those who felt the loss.

The truth is a huge component when it comes to being able to trust someone. Relationships, as I've pointed out in the past, are built on many things. But honesty is one of the most important things that a relationship is built on.

That all being said I want to ask you to do something. When you think about lying to someone, please think very hard about it. Because while you may think it can't hurt anyone, sometimes they will become more than what you intended. Death is not something to toy with, and heartstrings are not to be played with like a harp. People should always be treated with the same decency and courtesy that you would expect them to treat you.

Thoughts on Fifty Shades Of Grey

I never planned to read this book. I agreed to because opinions were asked for on the matter, and the only way to form an opinion and understanding about a book is to read it. After reading the first book to this three part series I am left understanding why it is that people might find it both appealing and offensive. On a whole the piece is complex, but written in a manner that pulls a reader in. We want to know what is happening to our characters, and we want to see them go through their actions. So before we even get into my thoughts on this first book, I am going to say that yes. Yes I think I will read the next book. Perhaps it will give a fuller reflection on things.

Fifty Shades Of Grey
EL James
356 pages

First off, I am going to say that the main characters shine. Each of them are presented not as flat, but as vibrant creatures with a deeper existence. They each have their reasons to hesitate, and they each have their reason to want to move forward in the relationship that is the focus of the book. Ana is our lead female character. Christian is our lead male character. The other characters are also very vibrant and I personally felt drawn into the book because of this.

The book itself though is best described as a harlequin romance novel on crack. It has the feel of a modern fairytale. In all honesty, it isn't a realistic situation. But it is a fiction piece so that is to be expected.  The thing that I can see having upset some people is the romanticized feel. It is written from the perspective of Ana, and at times it feels like a diary. We are never issued the perspectives or thoughts from other characters, other than what they may have said, or how she viewed them. It is very one sided in that respect.

I really think that having a copy of the supposed contract smack dab in the middle of the book was a bit annoying, and gives a false lead  to those who might be interested in this kind of situation. It is a whirlwind of activity in this book, and things move far to quickly. It is very unrealistic, and that said readers should be wary of what they think of parts of the book. There are a lot of things that are far from normal when it comes to BDSM, and there is no reason that this book should be used as a way to measure a relationship. In fact, if you're actually interested in BDSM as more than just something to read about for giggles, this book is  NOT for you.

Why do I say that? Well, it's not meant to be educational. It's meant to entice the imagination and give some of us  fluffy fuzzy thoughts. Of course, the situation would not seem fluffy to most people, but there are some of us to which this kind of book and parts of the situation are appealing. And I feel like I'm chasing my tail now.

In all honesty, after finishing the book. There's a few points I would like to express. Fans will likely disagree with me, but I already said that I do plan to read book two, to see how this may pan out. My first point is this, if you take out the contract and the proposed "room of pain", you are left with the kind of relationship many of us would call a high school stalker relationship. It's very high school-esque, but that makes it an easy read.

The book is definitely aimed at mature readers. But the unfortunate reality is that there are dozens of teens and tweens that are going to get a hold of this because of the hype, and parents not being discerning. If you are thinking about letting your teenager read this book, or see them doing so PLEASE read it, and feel free to explain to them that it is a work of fiction. It is not fact in the slightest.

A Letter to the Readers

Dear Readers,
Some of you may know me, some of you may not - my name is Sokanon, often shortened to Soka.  And I wanted to be able to reach out to you all about something very serious I have been noticing on SL a lot lately, especially among dear readers and friends of mine - and even with myself.

I have heard a lot about others making people feel lesser.  Second rate, or as if they are somehow dirty or wrong.  One very dear friend of mine recently inferred to me that no one has said anything good about her in a while.  In fact, I've heard a lot more about friends being banned without reason from sims and rumors upon rumors about how bad other people are rather than anything nice being said about someone.

And I have two things to say about that: it is complete and utter bullshit and needs to stop now.  I have met a lot of people on sl, some are not pleasant, but not even the two people I have block-listed would I ever say have no redeeming features.  And that there are people out there who are to the point where they have to thank others for having something, anything, nice to say about them is just wrong.  You should thank people for honest compliments, for doing favors for you - but for just being pleasant?  No.  That should be a courtesy, not an exception to human behavior.  Despite a misconception, we are represented by avatars on SL, but we are all humans behind the forms, not computer chips.  No one should ever have the right or ability to make any single one of us feel like we are two inches tall, or a second-hand stand in for someone they would rather be with, or that we must jump through hoops and change who we are to be deserving of their company.

To borrow the words of a friend of mine, people who continually make you feel like that are a cancer best left removed.  The initial surgery may be painful, but, in the end, you will be so much healthier without them.  Surround yourself with those who see the light in you - even better if they do see what dark there is, too, as that makes them honest.  But anyone who only sees dark is not worth the time of day you have to give, my dear, precious readers.  I also like a line I said recently to another friend of mine: To those who are your true friends, you are always good enough.  There is no need to jump through hoops or hide or change yourself, because you are good enough exactly as you are.

And my true message to you is this: I think that you are beautiful.  It may not be a physical beauty, it may not be something others immediately see as beautiful, but I know, with every fiber of my being, that there is beauty within you.  Some of us may have a way to craft words, like some of my fellow bloggers; others may be able to make instruments sing, or to vocalize in a way that would make you fit to weep; for still others, it is the way they can speak, can reach out to those around them, to connect and rejoice in people and in being.  In truth, I don't care where it lies, but I know it is there, and I want you to know it, too.

So the next time someone decides to feel more powerful, stronger than they are, by trying to cut you down, mute them, or thank them for their opinion, then tell them you would be glad to talk to them again when they can speak from their head, instead of their arse - and then leave them to their darkness, for they are jealous of your light.  Never let them take that light from you.  Remember all that is beautiful about you, from your smile, the curve of your hair, the light in your eyes, the joy you take in your friendships - and walk away knowing that you are the better for being without them, and that they cannot destroy what they can no longer have.

I believe in you, Readers.  I believe in the beauty inside you.  And know that, no matter what others may say, I think you are truly beautiful.

                                                            Yours Truly,      

                                       Soka