Devaluing of Second Life

At first, I thought I'd consider the concept of people boasting about giving away Lindens in the thousands, and the devaluing of the Linden dollar in general, but I feel there is something far more interesting and important than the more material consideration.  And that is, that of the essence of SL itself devaluing.

On the first aspect, this article from Second Thoughts from back in May does well in noting how the Linden dollar has been devaluing.  Current rates of the Linden dollar to the US dollar have been ranging at the time of writing this blog between L$267 to L$277 per US $1.00 with L$1000 costing approximately US$3.75 (US $4.05 approximate total), and the volume was at L$52,745,847, which is about US$198,372.65, and still rising.     The point being is that, claiming to toss around thousands of L$ is essentially like boasting about giving out a bunch of Starbucks Grande Carmel Macchiato Lattes, which sell for US $4.55 (approximately L$1200). Sure, if you give away about 10 or 15 of them, you would have a pretty big coffee bill (around US $45.50 to US $68.25), but to boast about it like one is giving away thousands of US dollars (US $1,000  would be about L$267,000) just kinda seems silly.  Argue that spending thousands of L$ makes you a big spender if you want, but it's not that terribly impressive in real life standards.  On the other hand, spending US $45.00 to US $70.00 on what many in the real world population see essentially as a game and frivolous past time are likely just to think that an excessive amount to put into something so trivial.

On the other hand, Sl is something that people enjoy.  Well, at least 1.4 million people do, out of the supposed 15 to 20 million that have joined over the past few years.  How many in those numbers of memberships are actually people that dropped out in the first few months, or are older members that simply have created alts for whatever reason they feel the need to have one..., or two or fifteen (not that I am against alts, I have a few of my own), those are statistics that no one really knows, save maybe Linden Labs themselves.

Why is SL enjoyed by these 1.4 million that continue to come to SL?  I think another article on Second Thoughts puts it quite well.  The article itself can be read in its entirety here, to which this excerpt is what I put focus on:

"Shared experience" is the gold loot of SL that everybody wants to mine. If only they can fit in, be with a group, be accepted, find something to do and people to talk to -- which is usually in a group -- they will be happy. And for particularly the SLintelligentsia, this shared experience is ecstatic. It's profound and moving and deep. They conceive it almost in religious terms. And it is addictive and it's the reason they hang on their Plurks at work and huddle in their groups at night online in SL. Their gang of friends provides a sense of identity and sustenance like nothing in real life. Nothing is as exciting and stimulating and compelling as the group online, except, for perhaps, the lover online. That they are fictions and concoctions and can even become coercive and ultimately empty isn't something they want to hear about today. They'll think about it another day.

The whit and sarcasm of the article's words can be quite humorous, but also can be quite true and to the point.  Having been on SL for 3 years, I can relate to both the power and impact of groups here in SL, and that of having relationships as well.  Both are connected, as generally one seeks out a group (or stumbles upon it), gets involved with it, often deeply and emotionally.  One tends to find another that's also in that group, and, shared experience, you find yourself deeply and emotionally involved with this person, partner them, and go through all the various aspects of SL relations.

In my experience, it started with joining Midian and then finding Ioh in with the Catwalkers.  From there, a few other groups of mine came about - the most notable of them were the Catfight Club, and the Honorarium de Iohannes.

Catfight Club came about due to the waning of the Midian combat meter (MCS 2.0).  It was at a time when people in Midian still wanted to be able to fight with a meter, but more and more were opting towards text-based combat.  Me?  I loved using the meter, even if I was not the best (ok, a pretty crappy) fighter.  At that time, I had come out of being involved with the Combat: Samurai Island (C:SL) crowd, to which I began there in January of 2007, being first mentored in samurai sword fighting by Amber Suising, and then joining and then joining my first clan, Samurai Giri.  From there, I later got involved in the Tendai Clan and continued on there, learning the way of the sword (SL's version of it then, anyways) and understanding both technique and the then standards and norms of the rules of engagement and what was acceptable and unacceptable fighting technique at the time.  After a while, I went to Midian and found myself absorbed into RP and learning about how to build stories, both in character background and in the interaction of it overall in the RP itself.  


As noted, at that time, metered battle was not foreign to Midian, and I got my first taste of urban battle when the first war between the Catwalkers and the Pack came about.  It was intense, insane, but, and despite having taken losses in gunfights with IC nemesis (though eventually became OOC friends, and relatively IC friendly) known as Kuno, I enjoyed the fights.  Peole didn't take things terribly serious then.  You get shot up and you get dragged off to be healed, which could end up in rather strangely humorous surgeries and other medical care.  It had an entertainment value because people weren't taking things terribly serious.  But eventually that changed.  And as people were going more towards 'serious' text-based RP, I opted to try to bring about the Catfight Club as a way for people to be able to enjoy that non-serious, and sometimes ridiculously over the top fighting that was metered combat.  It was my attempt at a Fight Club, and it was fun. And, though some won't admit it, it also had its offshoot, of which I'm more than certain the Pitfight Club in Midian had its origins from.  Hard not to consider that when some of those that were in Catfight Club originally wound up migrating to the Pitfight Club eventually.


At any rate, that was my personal experience with groups of the more social shared experience.  The Honorarium was more of my intimate 'family' experience, and is one that still exists, remarkably.  I say that because it's been battered and beaten throughout the years, even from the beginning of its existence.  I'm just going to generally talk about it.  This isn't a post about my SL love life, or attempt at it in the greater aspects of romanticism.  No, this is more on the aspect of its nature.  You see, it started with my first Felix Amans (loving cat, of happy kitten).  She was a Kittenwalker at the time, and eventually became a Catwalker.  To make a long story short, the process, if I remember, it initially was that I collared her, then the Honorarium was formed, and I got her to join the group as my Felix Amans, and partnered her.  Eventually, the form of it went to initially bringing someone into the group first, and then working from an associate to a friend to a familial, and finally to the Amans, to which collaring became traditional, as did partnering soon after, if not all three aspects joined together.  When SL marriage came in to play, the title was changed to Regina Felinam (Queen Cat).  There was one last one to which the very last of the Felixes and I took on titles that essentially meant 'heart song'. 


To this, I  understand how deep and moving groups and loves can be in SL.  But, as also noted in the second article mentioned from Second Thoughts, these relations are made from "fictions and concoctions" and "can become coercive and ultimately empty."  I didn't want to hear it then.  And even now, I don't want to believe that there isn't a way to interact in SL, and even RP that is completely artificial and, well, has no 'soul' to it.  Because, to me, fiction does have a soul, there is an essence within stories that give them life.  In the shared experience, it is we, the avatars, the 'players' or 'actors/actresses' in RP that breath life and meaning into the experiences.  Without us there, and without us interacting in this virtual environment, there is no shared experience.  You can't play a game without people participating in it.  You can't even have a game without someone creating one to participate in it.  Creation and creativity have that necessity for each other.  Because without one or the other, they don't exist.  And without people to create and be creative, neither the creation nor the creativity can even come in to being.  You can't even have an IC character without an OOC player/person.  To not see this relationship between persons and the interaction in the shared experience ultimately leads to the devaluing of Second Life.  


One might argue that that also is what makes SL different from real life.  For SL depends on people to populate it and have that shared experience to exist.  Yet, on the other hand, if the entire human race becomes extinct in the real world, who will be here to even come up with and hold onto the concept of existence anyways? 

Stabat Mater - Latin Story

It's been a while since I dusted off my Live Journal, the first blog I ever had. And the first thing I find myself gravitating to is the Latin story I had begun there, so which eventually was title Stabat Mater, or 'Standing Mother', as the translation would be from the Latin.

I haven't read too much of it for a while. Really don't have to. Many aspects of it stick with me, and I know what it's about. Just don't know what to do with it yet. It's the first story that I put much effort into creating, in the more traditional aspects, rather than trying to piece one together that's been acted out in RP. Admittedly, though, some inspiration does come from experiences in SL, though most of the beginning started before I really got into SL.

At the beginning, I started writing in Latin, and then translating. That initial burst of creativity in that manner is something I miss, and would like to return to that. But, to do so really slows things down, because it's not just a matter of writing and revising, it's writing in a different language, and then rewriting the translation, and revising that translation, to which adds more steps to the writing process. Yet, it is rewarding too, because it lets me explore the world of Latin writers, and try to learn about an ancient culture. But, at the same time, it deals with religion, having formed initially from a Catholic origin.

This all makes it tricky, because I know fellow Latinophiles do not like the intrusion of Catholicism, because of the bias that they believe the Church bastardized the language and took over the culture. And then, on the other hand, Catholics may complain of things that aren't necessarily orthodox to what the Church teaches. It essentially puts it in that area that Dan Brown and other authors that write with religion and history mixing, which means, you'll have plenty of people that love it or hate it right off the bat without ever reading a single word, and really don't care about the story as much as the controversies they put up. But, that's unavoidable. Many people prefer to argue over reading, since actually reading something takes time and effort. Forming an opinion doesn't, especially if one doesn't care to make an informed opinion.

At any rate, here is what has been written so far, or at least a link to a few posts that link to the posts relevant to the story in my Live Journal blog. This is a much easier option than trying to copy-paste them over to this blog.

The Order of the Latin Story (the core of the story's beginning)

http://jcrawf.livejournal.com/54237.html

Stabat Mater (going from the core, into the greater body of the text)

http://jcrawf.livejournal.com/55020.html

Ending? (a potential ending to the story, lots of gaps to be filled)

http://jcrawf.livejournal.com/62651.html

So, that's the first opus I had started. Still a work in progress... well, halted for now, but may progress again eventually.

Αργυρόι Άνθρωποι

Transliterated, it's 'Arguroi Anthropoi', and translated from Greek, it's 'Silver People.' It's the name of a poem I have just written, and is inspired by a Romanian song known as 'Blood and Gold' that is here performed by Andy Irvine:

Beyond this, I won't talk on the poem, but present it here in this posting, to which can be discussed in comments after reading. So, without further adieu, here is the poem:

Αργυρόι Άνθρωποι (Silver People)

Come one come all to the fields of gold

Where ichor, the blood of the gods is sold.

For a price, said the medicine woman, you can taste of the vial,

And, if the gods accept you into their fold,

You may never die and never grow old.

To be immortal like the gods by drinking their bile.

Talk in the village square,

Of eternal life is in the air.

Mothers, sisters, and wives tell the tale,

Of hopes to revive fallen sons, brothers, and husbands,

Which gods of war have taken, leaving bodies rest upon the lands.

But the bile of the medicine woman, could it not fail?

For upon these fields of gold were battles fought, lost and won.

And the wars and rumors of wars were proclaimed by an only son.

To purchase this new miracle, could they be forsaken?

By the hands of man, slavery by gold, did they give over the field,

T'was Paris' folly among the goddesses for the apple, that he did yield.

To Aphrodite, for eternal love, to Hellen, to which a bond was broken.

And so did the gods give to blood so blue,

The prize and consequence of service due.

And the fields of gold, once prosperous and pure

For the price of silver remedies, and the poison of ichor

The copper blood of paupers, the hubris of man did pour

In so many wars for the lands to endure.

And even still, man has found no cure.

RP in Tempura: The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Well, maybe the good and the bad portions, but the bad was pretty ugly. >.<

You see, last night, I went to RP with a couple friends that are in Tempura, We hadn't officially met ICly there, and so we OOC agreed to work out an introductory RP for our characters. Another friend of mine that is dear to me, and to which we had already had an intro RP, but were looking to further to their story together, came in later.

So, the first part went perfectly well, and I show it here as a wonderful example of good RP here:

[2010/07/31 20:09]

Luke Heartsdale hops down from a rooftop to get a better look at what he had scented. And sure enough, it was a lycan.

Fenris (Shalaris) watches as a neko drops from the rooftop, raising a brow at him. He takes a wiff of his scent as well.

Luke continues to watch from across the street. The brow raised and he was certain the wolf was scenting him down. He walks slow out onto the street, keeping close to his side, not wanting to encroach on territory. "Hello." He says with a smile, trying to look casual.

Fenris keeps his red eyes on the Neko as he comes a bit closer, nodding his head respectfully when spoken to "Greetings...why don;t you come closer? So I don't have to shout" he beckons.

Luke sees what he thinks if a glowing red glare from the wolf, which makes him cautious. "Greetings." He looks both sides of the street and keeps distance for now, "Oh, I mean non disrespect er nothin' but I'm feelin' good right here."

Dakota Bookmite walks up and spots Luke. She isn't sure whether she should wave or not, given what happened last time she was with him. She sees someone else and gives a slight wave.

Fenris blinks and tilts his head at him curiously "...Really, it's fine. this is the Tribe base, home of Nekos...new people come in and out of here, you're nothing special..." his eyes turn to the woman and nods his head to her, then back to the male neko "..please, come in..it's really not safe out here right now...there's a nast creature around and she could pop up at any moment"

Dakota Bookmite turns around nervously wondering who the other male was talking about. She turns to the stranger and asks, "Will it be alright if I come in too? I mean, I don't want to be left out here either. I have seen some of the folks around here..."

Fenris (Shalaris) nods to her "You as well..."

Luke Heartsdale listens to the wolf, but still looks cautious. "A base for cats, guarded by a wolf?" He ponders that for a moment, then snorts at the 'nothing special' comment, but decides best not to comment. "Some creature about?" He looks curious at the wolf and murrs, "How do I know yer tellin th' truth an' not tryin' ta lure me into yer den o'wolves to make a meal outta me?" He looks back, seeing Dakota from the other night. He shrugs to her comment to the wolf, but a part of him had a strange feeling and he tells her, "If ya wanna take yer chances trusting a wolf missy, go right ahead..."

Dakota smiles at the wolf but the smile quickly fades when she hears Luke's remark. She backs away a bit.

Fenris raises a brow and sighs "I am no guard for them..I am a member of their tribe....my mate is a neko as well...you probably may have scented that on me..." he shrugs "But, it is your choice" he says with dissmay. I am going inside to be with my love..just ring that doorbell if you change your mind..." with that, he opens the door and walks inside.

Dakota watches the wolf go inside the building and quickly looks over at Luke. She wasn't sure if was safe to stay out here with him or to go into that building.

Luke murrs as he does smell the scent of neko. Whether he was telling the truth, or if it was just a scent from the wolf's last meal, he couldn't know. He looks between the wolf looking to step inside, then to Dakota on the street a few paces away. "Alright, see ya, sir..." he says to the wolf, pausing, as if to see if he obliges a name.

Fenris: "....Blackheart...." he finishes his sentence and closes the door behind him.

Dakota wonders if she is doing the right thing. She couldn't tell whether the wolf had the neko's scent or not. After all, she had never been around other nekos...she lived a rather sheltered life. She looks to Luke," Now what?"

Fenris opens his eyes widely as he sees his mate train. His eyes locked onto every curve and every muscle that peaked through as she moved. When she finished and turned to him, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor, feeling like the luckiest wolf in the world "H-H-Hey lover..." he stammers as he tries to regain himself.

Luke turns towards Dakota and shrugs. "How should I know? I ain't been her' fer more than a few days?" He could feel his steps being taken towards her.

Dakota eyes him cautiously and holds out her hand to show her claws. "Well...what about that creature the wolf was talking about?"

Alereana Snowfall mews happily and jumpst into his arms. Keeping from hitting him with the silver heels she wore. "Missed you mate.... I scent others outside.... make new friends?"

Luke shrugs again. He saw her claws unsheath, yet he at least looked to be unconcerned about it. He smiles coy, "What, you gonna believe a wolf about a monster eh?"

Fenris smiles and wraps his arms around her waist, giving her lips a loving kiss "Nekos outside...one of them is a hardass about wolves...but, I guess I can understand.." he nuzzles her neck affectionately "Training?"

Dakota stares at him as her light brown eyes begin to glow. He had a point. "Well, maybe....but I have been here a few days, and half of the people I have seen here seem like monsters."

Alereana nods and smiles. "Of course.... well I will see if I can convince them then." Kisses the side of his snout before going to step just outside of the door.

Fenris nods and opens the door for her.

Luke just casually walks closer to Dakota. "Well, I suppose..."

Dakota takes a step aside from him, just in case he had any tricks up his sleeve. She hears the door of the building open and looks over.

Alereana mews and waves over towards the other two. "Hey... don't mind the big guy....!" Chuckles and tilts her head to the side, waving a moment and seeming rather honest to goodness kindhearted.

Dakota begins to smile when she hears the female neko. She comes a little closer. "Good to meet you."

Fenris sighs and leans against the door, yelping as it shocks him and rubs his back with a grumble

Luke looks at the one that came from the door. His curiosity is peaked when he sees indeed a neko. "Are you, the..., ah, mate, of the wolf there, who calls himself Blackheart?"

Alereana nods and smiles. "He is nice... I love him to death honestly. Even if the species are different..."

Dakota Bookmite doesn't say anything. She figures that the female is nice so maybe the wolf was just as nice too.

Fenris smiles and looks down bashfully at Ale's words.

Luke hrmms at that. Looking at the two, then to Dakota. Though generally distrusting, seeing her there made it hard to disbelieve. "So, the creature is true as well then?"

Alereana nods again and motions towards the base. "Yes.... and there is an evil being about that makes me feel safer inside then vunerable outside..."

Dakota looks over at Luke. "See? I knew it! I don't want to be out here with some psycho running lose."

Alereana nods. "Please... come inside both of you...I'd feel better."

Luke nods. He looks at the wolf again, then to the cat, then to Dakota. "Alright..., then I only have one last question of you, kitten. What's your name?"

Alereana chuckles. "Alereana... but everyone calls me Ale..."

Dakota grins at Ale and says, "My name is Dakota."

Luke smiles a bit then nods, "It's Lukas ma'am, so, I'd imagine I know well enough now to step foot in your Den, now, ifn ya still would oblige an ol' cowboy cat to come in."

Alereana smirks and nods. "By all means... come within the base... I think I can find an extra can of tuna..."

***

And so, that was the basics of the RP that led to the general getting to know each other ICly portion. I let Shal know in IMs that Luke in this character is not very trustworthy of lycans. But that hardly needed to be noted, just from the flow of the RP itself. It was more of a courtesy heads up to let him know. There was more RP inside, but, regardless of what went on in the HQ, there was nothing said by them of Luke or Dakota having to leave, so we took it as meaning that we were guests and under the hospitality of the Tribe.

However, someone else thought otherwise. And so here becomes the example of bad RP:

[2010/07/31 22:42]

Dakota Bookmite leans over and continues to grin. With her eyes sparkling. She says, "I think it is because my foot is so close to yours....I think it is got you hot under the collar."

Luke Heartsdale blinks, "What? Nuh uh! That's silly." Even so, he doesn't move his foot, as if to prove her wrong. He smirks, "An' besides, I haven't worn a co...." He murrs and clears his throat, "I mean, as you can see I ain't got no collar aroun' my neck."

Dakota stares at him. She wasn't sure what he was trying to say at first. She shrugs it off and giggles. "It is just an expression."

Luke snorts again, "Uh huh, ok..." Even if he wanted to take offense, or hold anything about it, her giggling made it hard to feel that way. He almost cracks a smile. Instead, he yawns and looks about. "Supposin' ought ta find a place ta rest fer th' night, hmm?"

Dakota quickly looks at him and nods."I have been sleeping in the alleyways.....but I can't really sleep. I am afraid someone might try to rob me or something."

Luke looks at her curious, but then shrugs, "Well, looks like there's much more cozy places here. An they said it wasn't safe to go outside anyways..."

Dakota nods and looks around. She remembers having her own room with a big canopy bed. She sighs and stretches.

Luke stands up and looks around. "There might be beds upstairs, but reckon they's fer others that live here, so.. maybe a couch?"

"Sure", she says as she stands up to follow him.

Luke Heartsdale: (think will get out the wallet lol))

Dakota wrinkles her nose a bit as she looks at the couches. (((the

wallet?? lol))

Luke Heartsdale: ((the thingie that allows me to use poses, like we did at the camp in EW ;) ))

Dakota Bookmite: (((ohhh lolol))

Dakota Bookmite: ((lol i thought that was a sitting pose right here lol))

Luke Heartsdale: ((woot, shake it, shake it xD))

Dakota Bookmite: (((lolol!!))

Sex Wallet 2.0 - Ultimate: embrace

Luke Heartsdale: ((right beside me ;) ))

Dakota Bookmite: (((hahahha this Dakota the neko is too wary to snuggle with you. She doesn't know you that well lol))

Luke Heartsdale: (( awws, alright))

Dakota Bookmite: ((giggles))

Poses from the wallet put away. Some time around this point, Nadir appears, likely just logging on.

Punk Sofa TYPE - M - Bottom-right: Use PageUp or Down key to change pose.

Luke looks around at the couches and hrms, "Well, guess this is second hand stuff..."

Nadir Anatine snorts at the BULLSHIT she overhears when she arrives. "Well there doesn't happen to be an IKEA around here. If you don't like it, get the fuck off of it."

Dakota finds a seating area that isn't too dirty and lays down. She pouts a bit, wishing she was back home. "I guess so..." She quickly looks up to see someone.

Nadir looks back and forth between them coldly. "Oh, i see. A couple of homeless fucking bums trespassing in the clubhouse for the sole purpose of critiquing the furniture, Get the fuck out." she points at the door.

Luke then flops to rest of the cushion of the couch next to Dakota. He blinks, seeing the girl that just appeared, "Hello?"

Dakota hisses at the woman and says, "We were INVITED here...and I don't take orders from YOU!" She gives the woman a snobby look.

Luke blinks, "We was told to come here for safety by the wolf Blackheart and his mate."

Nadir is unimpressed. she reaches for the bottom of the sofa... and flips it the fuck over, like it's paper.

Nadir Anatine: "blackheart takes orders from ME. Fuck off."

Dakota mews and quickly moves away from the odd woman.

Luke hops up and looks at her scowling. "Fuking Matrons in ALL cities." He snorts, "I shoulda known not to trust them to say this was a safe haven for nekos!"

Nadir rolls her eyes. "Not when they're ungreatful, judgemental little bastards like you who are trespassing when nobody else is home."

Dakota Bookmite: "We were NOT trespassing. Are you deaf or dumb? We were invited."

Nadir Anatine ignores the NONCOMBATIVE smartass. "Last chance before i drag you out by the balls."

Luke snorts, "There were people home, and they said we was -Welcome-. Now I know that's not the case, and you are no better than the assholes in all places I've been!"

Dakota looks over at Luke and says, "Let's go. We don't have time to worry about this fool."

[2010/07/31 23:13] Nadir Anatine: (( you either need to turn your meter on or cease the namecalling. Per the ruleset of the chain. ))

[2010/07/31 23:13] Dakota Bookmite: ((that is not starting a fight. My character is going tit for tat with yours.))

Additional Note: This Nadira person seems to have a poor understanding about rules of engagement, or just doesn't care. For one, she came in off the bat cursing and insulting Luke and Dakota, and then, in her words, 'reaches for the bottom of the sofa... and flips it the fuck over, like it's paper.' In this case, she fully instigated and antagonized our characters and only now brings up the rules in a very poor class behavior. Dakota was also right in noting that it was not her starting a fight, but reacting as her character would to such an extreme and violent chain of events. I don't care what the specific rules are in the sim, but by more general aspects in ettiqutte of RP, This was just a horribly thought out RP by Nadir, to which her emotes give wonder about if she really understands what emotes are for, or if she's trying to antagonize through the emotes as well, which is also poor taste.

Luke nods, "Don't need any more crazy factions with assholes. We're gone!"

Luke Heartsdale: (will have to tp out, unless you open the doors for us))

Dakota Bookmite: ((lolol))

Nadir snorts. "Don't let our unfortunately secondhand door smack you on the ass on the way out."

Dakota quickly follows Luke.

Luke snorts back, "Don't worry, we won't. Cause we don't need none of your bullshit!"

Nadir muses. "Which is better than the no doors you have."

Dakota was a little shaken but tries not to show it. "What nerve!"

Luke looks to Dakota, and smirks, "Personally, I'd rather have no doors to worry about. Waay too confining in there."

Dakota nods and smiles at him. Although she was still worried about the creature Blackheart and Ale told them about.

***

And so, yep, in one night, we were both welcomed and kicked out of a faction. In the aftermath, though, Nadira did us a favor. After she so rudely interrupted our RP with her brain dead emotes, and mindless tyrannical tirades, and we left her precious little Den, Dakota and I went off to this jungle sim that we found a while back, and had a perfectly wonderful rest of the evening together in a place we didn't have to worry about harassment of some woman (in avatar character anyways, though in reality, could be questionable, being an RP sim and all) that's on a power trip.

And here's an excerpt from our more relaxed setting of the little bit that we reflected on what we just went through with that Nadira person:

[2010/07/31 23:22]

Luke Heartsdale smiles and purrs

Luke Heartsdale: wonders where to go now lol

Dakota Bookmite: LOL I know...

Luke Heartsdale: well, think some place more open with no doors would be nice now lol

Dakota Bookmite: LOLOL!! you are too funny

Luke Heartsdale: have to be after a rather tacky metagamed RP we just went through, by a faction leader no less <.<

Dakota Bookmite: I know. I just let it roll off of my shoulders. There is always one bitch or two in every rp sim.

Luke Heartsdale: yeah

Luke Heartsdale: hmm, think I know, that one palace thingie would be nice. now to remember where it's at...

After finally finding the place we were looking for:

Dakota Bookmite cuddles close to you.

Luke Heartsdale slumps back upon the much more comfortable pillows in the open spaced setting, then kicks off his boots. He purrs as you cuddle close and nuzzles your forehead.

Dakota Bookmite's body relaxes from the nuzzle. She hears the soft thump of your boots and realizes that you have taken them off. She slips her shoes off too.

Luke Heartsdale smiles then kisses your forehead, arm coming around to massage your back gently.

Dakota Bookmite begins to purr when she feels the soft kiss on her forehead and the gentle massage.

Luke Heartsdale: almost thought of joining that group even. But wow, think after that experience, kinda hard for me to see an IC reason to now lol

Dakota Bookmite: Yeah me too. I have dealt with irritating leaders before, that won't be for me if I decide to continue to rp there. Their loss lol.

Fed Ex Union Buster Commercials

Ok, normally I'm not this political on this blog, but I felt a need to rant on this one.

I really, really hope people aren't buying into Fed Ex's commercials on You Tube that talk poorly on labor unions, particularly Teamsters. Why? Because they don't support unions, and UPS does. And apparently, they think that's a good way to take a pot shot an try to wound two birds with one stone.

Here's the thing though, if Fed Ex is really stealing UPS's business at the rate they think they are, then why would they be so scared of both UPS and Teamsters? Are they saying they can't compete without non-union labor? What they are really saying is - because they don't want to support organized labor, hate the idea of their workers having the security of a union backing them, they are going to raise prices, and blame it on the unions. But not just that, they have to put up conspiracy theory nonsense that UPS is responsible for the bill regarding labor unions.

But think for a moment. They are mad because UPS has supported Teamsters for decades? Does Fed Ex forget that one of the reasons Wal-Mart has been boycotted is for not supporting unions? Grow up Fed Ex. You want to be competitive in a major market, but don't want to support your workers in organizing and having their rights as workers protected and secure? Apparently you're not up to the task. You may have fast planes, but what about your pilots? Do you care about their well being and ability to have rights to organize and make sure they are treated fairly? UPS has air and ground. Is a world wide company, and, apparently you, Fed Ex, are fed up with the ideal that it's not enough to have fast planes, but also good pilots and drivers that feel secure that both their company and their union is there to make sure they get a fair deal for the work they do.

No, Fed Ex, you are not fooling me with that nonsense on You Tube. If anything, it shows you're running scared of change, change that would make you accountable to both your fast planes and your workers. What a terrible change that would be, eh?

I Write Like...

So, I was putting up some of my writing, to this website called I Write Like (http://iwl.me/), and it said that I write like the following authors/editors:

Raymond Chandler

Harry Harrison

Stephen King

William Gibson

Cory Doctorow

David Foster Wallace

Dan Brown

Mark Twain

James Joyce

Margaret Atwood

Ursula K. Le Guin

Arthur Conan Doyle

Of those, the most common to show up from the various selections of writings I submitted to be analyzed are:

Harry Harrison

Cory Doctorow

David Foster Wallace

Dan Brown

Mark Twain

Of those, Harry Harrison, David Foster Wallace, and Mark Twain are the top, and particularly my favorites of those supposedly similar in writing style to me.

What does all that mean? Not a whole hell lot, save probably that, pick and choose the writers I want to be most associated with, I could use them to describe what my writing style is similar to, and better consider the range of my audience. Some of the authors are mainstream, so I can say that I have that sort of appeal, and a slant toward the liberal. Granted, majority of writers do slant that way, so big whoop there.

Anyways, thought it was interesting...

Mass Reflections - Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday

Resurrection of the Lord

The Mass of Easter Day

The readings for the Mass can be found here.

Related Flickr theme here.

The father of the parish I go to told the same homily this morning as he did last night at the Easter Vigil. He spoke on the the two apostles, to which the scriptures for Mass had related as follows:

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter

and arrived at the tomb first;

he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him,

he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,

and the cloth that had covered his head,

not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

Then the other disciple also went in,

the one who had arrived at the tomb first,

and he saw and believed.

For they did not yet understand the Scripture

that he had to rise from the dead.

The scriptures noted that the other disciple is known as the one whom Jesus loved. Some speculate that St. John, or, as others believe, the deciples of St. John, who are believed to have written the Gospel of John, was/were referencing St. John himself as this beloved one. In Christian Tradition, to which even the Gospels testify to, it is believed that St. John had a prominent position in the Apostolic body. Saint Peter, St James and St John were the only witnesses of the raising of Jairus' daughter [Mk. 5:37], of the Transfiguration [Mt. 17:1], and of the Agony in Gethsemane [Mt 26:37]. Only St. John and St. Peter were sent into the city to make the preparation for the final Passover meal to which Christ sets anew as the Last Supper [Lk 22:8]. At the meal itself, St. John's place was next to Jesus on whose chest he leaned [Jn 13:23-25]. According to the general interpretation, John was also that "other disciple" who with St. Peter followed Jesus after the arrest into the palace of the high-priest [Jn. 18:15]. St. John alone remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary with Jesus’ mother, Mary, and the pious women and took Mary into his care as the last legacy of Jesus. Needless to say, and with all the talk either hyped by St. John's disciples, or by St. John himself to testify to his place next to Christ as the beloved disciple, it wouldn't be surprising that he found others jealous of him, and maybe ever, for lack of a better and less profane word, cocky, boastful, and maybe even a show off. In some ways, and considering the critique of a certain *ahem* 'father' of sorts who resides in a certain RP city that shall remain nameless, I can relate to this 'beloved disciples' in that certain nature it seems. <.<

However, what this real father from a real life parish mentioned about the scriptures pertains more to St. Peter. Yes, this disciple that was beloved did indeed beat St. Peter to the tomb of Jesus. But, it wast St. Peter that went into the tomb first, and the beloved disciple that followed him in. You see, under Jewish traditions, to go into a tomb made one unclean, and one would have to seek a priest to gain attonement in order to enter the temple again. So, the beloved disciple was still holding to the prudence of the Jewish traditions, while St. Peter, to whom the father claimed in his sermon that this was a brash move done by St. Peter, to which follows his nature throughout the Gospels. For he often did leap forward before the others, and at times, St. Peter found himself treading water and putting his foot in his mouth due to his assertiveness. Suppose, in some ways, that's a testament to leadership in general, that those who set out first in something, they are not perfect, and they do make mistakes, but yet, they pave the way for others to follow. And so, this is what is testified in the Gospel. Yes, the beloved one made it to the cave that held Jesus dead first, but it was St. Peter who enters first, to see for himself that Jesus has risen. The beloved one follows behind St. Peter, and he too believes. Neither of them had yet to understand the scripture that stated that Chirst had to rise from the dead, but none the less, they came to the tomb, St. Peter entering first, then the beloved, and they both came to believe.

Regardless of any arguments any Christians may have upon the Scriptures and the perspectives each have about these events, the most important aspect is the belief, the faith that was shown. To be a Christian, to be of Christ, believe that our Lord has risen is at the very essence of our faith. Though the Epistle for today helps put the Creed in perspective, I go back to last night's reading from St. Paul to the Romans to press the importance of the Resurrection as such:

Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into his death?

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead

by the glory of the Father,

we too might live in newness of life.

Without Christ's resurrection, our baptism into him would render nothing. Yes, we die with him, but we also live in him. As He dies, we die as well. And, as our Lord live, so do we live in Him. This is not herecy, this is what is written in Scripture, and also what out Traditions testify to, unto which the Creed itself, Christians in universal chorus testify that:

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into dead. On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We believe Christ has died, and we believe Christ is risen. Χριστὸς ἀνέστη.