For the last couple of years, I’ve been involved in the virtual world of Second Life. For the most part, this has been a rewarding experience. Although I have over time become more aware of some of the flaws. It’s been a disheartening thing, seeing a platform that I believe has real potential being held back by these flaws. Happily, the creators of Second Life under the guidance of Rod Humble are working to make the technology more accessible and easier to use, which is excellent news, and have plans to drive the world forward.

I see Second Life being used by numerous artists and other creatives. People the world over are able to tour art galleries and view works of sculpture. Further to this, Second Life makes art exhibits happen that are just not possible anywhere else. Concerts can be held and DJs can play virtual sets. I’ve listened to artists from across the world performing live from their own homes, so I know first hand that there is a live music scene in Second Life. All of this is available to you, as long as you have an internet connection. Remote location, or physical disability need present no obstacle to fulfilling Second Life.

Of course, my more usual field of comment is agnosticism, religion and spirituality. This area is most certainly catered for in Second Life. In my early days, I found a region called “Bodhi” which was well constructed and hid snippets of Dharma in gems around the landscape. Bodhi is now gone, to the best of my knowledge, but there are plenty of other places. The Skeptical Buddhists Sangha and Kannonji are just two such places with discussion and talks. Consulting the inworld search yields many more.  The odds are, if you enter your faith or lack thereof into Second Life search, it will be there.

In addition to this, there are many centres of learning, not just focussing on inworld skills but things of use outside of Second Life. You can also find support groups inworld for any number of things, and I find myself reflecting that if Second Life saves even one person through these groups. Or when it enables people to grow and reach nearer their potential through these classes, then it’s all been well worth it

Really a short one today.  I have a couple of notes saved for some posts, but I really haven’t been properly in the zone at all with my writing and projects for some time now.

So I’ll simply take this chance to wish everyone reading this my best wishes for the season and to share something that (I hope) will make you smile.

I happened across this video, courtesy of TED.  It’s a headset that work by reading your brainwaves and at this stage looks like an idea that is coming along very, very nicely.

I’ll only say that I would love one of these for Second Life, but I imagine it’s a few years off a consumer release as yet!

The is the full video and comment page at TED.

I’ve been exploring the world of Steampunk a little recently.  On first glance, it simply looks like a form of Victorian costume play, but on closer inspection it seems to be more about an attitude; a state of mind, than how you’re dressed.

Having said that, the idea of introducing Victorian and Edwardian elements into my style is interesting and it does seem to lead to you making more of an effort.  I find myself liking pocket watches and the idea of wearing a waistcoat, I’m also finding myself leaning towards the older methods in other areas; but more on that another time.

It also seems to me that the attitude is one of building and modifying things yourself and using more durable items and technology, there is an avoidance reaction to mass branded things and a desire for the craftsmanship of a more by hand approach.  This is something I can relate to, and I do wish things were built to last and were more repairable these days.  I think those days of “mend and make do” will return as resource shortages start to bite though.

The Brass Goggles site is an excellent place to start looking and it seems that there is a lot to see, Amazon have had some business from me as I explore the fiction and also the music.

There is also a strong Steampunk presence in Secondlife, look for “New Babbage” and “Caledon”.

Here’s a fun experiment, my friend Peter over at The Buddha Diaries has started a meme on the above subject and is asking his blogger friends to carry it on.  I’m going to very interested to see how far this spreads.

The rules are really quite simple:

1. Answer the questions
2. Link back to the original meme
3. Tag others to participate

So without further ado, let’s get stuck in!

1) How do you sleep at night? Is your sleep affected by the national angst? Do you drop off easily, as you always did? Or does it take a while to get to sleep?

Generally, I sleep soundly, when I eventually get to sleep.  I’m a bit of a martyr to lying awake tossing and turning, depending on what I’ve been doing before I turn in.  I tend to wake quite early as well, then lie there listening for the alarm.

2) What strategies, if needed, do you use to get to sleep? Pills? Sheep? Late night television shows? And/or…?

I’ve used a few over the years, one was a relaxation technique in which you begin at the feet and imagine each part of your body (feet, shins, knees, thighs, etc) to be warm and heavy.  Another is to mentally release my grip on whatever is keeping me awake, then imagine it floating away.  Sometimes, it’s just a quick bathroom trip.

3) Do you wake up in the middle of the night, plagued by obsessive thoughts?

No, once I’m asleep, I rarely wake.  But, lying awake plagued by obsessive thoughts, guilty as charged I’m afraid!

4) What strategies do you have to get back to sleep?

In all honesty, I’d just use the ones from question 2.

5) Are your dreams affected? Are they more anxious than before? Do they wake you up in a sweat? Or are they peaceful, innocent, undisturbed by the general malaise?

Here’s an interesting one.  I rarely remember my dreams, those that I do recall are either terrfiying or just plain surreal.  I’ve often wondered why I only rarely recall them, and at one point in my life, I genuinely believed I didn’t dream at all.

So, in the spirit of the original post, I’d like to impose on the following people:

• abarefootman
• Drops of Water
• Riding The Wind
• Surfing the Tao

OK, time to return to the virtual world of Secondlife.  I’ve been quietly exploring this world for a while now, and have found that it has a large number of VERY creative people in here.

You may have heard of the Burning Man festival?  They do something quite similar in Secondlife, called Burning Life.

I missed last year’s, and as it’s that time again, I took a wander.

The landing area was quite packed with people, so I moved away and examined a few exhibits.  As a builder myself, I’ve come away with a few ideas which I aim to play with.

I took a few images while at the event, to see one of them in a larger size, just click on them.

This fellow caught my eye at first, as I walked round he followed me and the effect of blinking, made the eye  very disconcerting.

I know the scripts that go behind this and could have built something similar myself, that didn’t make any less unnerving!

I found this one next, a very shiny and animated piece, it put me in mind of an ornamental clock, it glowed and the movement was well thought out.

The spider caught my eye with a VERY intricately detailed clockwork mechanism, plus the key on its rear it makes me wish that the Linux client had an easier time making videos.  Static pictures really don’t do these pieces justice, animation like this takes some real planning!

Finally, I came across an alien adbuction scene and just had to try it out for a laugh…

All of this goes to show what I’ve believed for sometime now, Secondlife is not a video game.  I like to make the example that if the usual intenet shooters and virtual areas are like applications, then Secondlife is more like an underlying operating system, with the content built by, and for, those who use it

And I really must work out how to get some videos on here.

I know I’ve been quiet for a while, I seem to be losing my battle with the writers block at the moment.

This made me smile however and as it’s Friday, I figured it was working posting.

what the heck. 

 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/18/anglican_darth_vader/

I’ve decided to stop taking things quite so seriously, plus I haven’t done this for a while. 

You Belong in the Baby Boomer Generation

You fit in best with people born between 1943 and 1960.You are optimistic, rebellious, and even a little self centered. You still believe that you will change the world. You detest authority and rules. Deep down, you’re a non conformist.

What Generation Do You Belong In?

Well, I’ve been fully veggie since the 1st May, which Im very proud of, but I needed to make sure I was getting the right mix of nutrients in the right amount.

While browsing a vegetarian forum a few days ago, I came across Sparkpeople. It’s a site that does a food diary for you, including vitamins and other nutrients, an exercise log and the ability to track personal goals. There are forums for support and even a mini blog, all told this is just what I needed, just when I needed it.

I’ve started to track my meditations on there to make sure that I don’t miss it, I’m also going to start working with the Microcosmic Orbit again, as I’d fallen off the bandwagon on that one.

Well, it’s not Friday, but I feel like doing something a little more amusing and my blog seems to have been quite dark of late. So here’s a little quiz for everyone to have a go at. Here’s my result, let me know how you rate.

Your Dominant Thinking Style: Exploring

You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name.You are a challenger. You tend to challenge common assumptions and beliefs.An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles.You show people how to question their models of the world.

What’s Your Thinking Style?